Also a partially-leucistic carrion crow with white greater coverts on the football field.
Steven Heywood said
Mon Aug 10 8:58 PM, 2020
Very quiet this afternoon 2:00pm - 2:40pm
Blackbird 5
Blackcap 1
Buzzard 1
Carrion Crow 2
Chiffchaff 1
Feral Pigeon 3
Goldfinch 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 juvenile
House Sparrow 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 overhead
Magpie 3
Robin 1
Woodpigeon 11
Wren 1
Steven Heywood said
Mon Aug 3 10:40 PM, 2020
A quiet stroll, 14:45 - 15:25
Blackbird 2
Blue Tit 1
Bullfinch 1
Carrion Crow 1
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 45
Goldfinch 26
House Sparrow 6
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4
Magpie 3
Swift 4
Whitethroat 1
Woodpigeon 11
Wren 1
Steven Heywood said
Tue Jul 28 8:29 PM, 2020
Teatime stroll 6:20pm - 7:05pm in between showers, pretty quiet: most of the small birds had settled for an early roost out of the wind
Black-headed Gull 2
Blackbird 9
Carrion Crow 1
Chaffinch 1
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 12
Goldfinch 9
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 6
Song Thrush 1
Starling 1
Whitethroat 2
Woodpigeon 21
Steven Heywood said
Sun Jul 12 11:28 PM, 2020
Post-Test Match stroll 18:25 - 19:45
Black-headed Gull 116 overhead, catching flying ants and drifting over towards Davyhulme
Blackbird 10, 2 singing
Blackcap 4, 1 singing, 2 juveniles
Blue Tit 1
Carrion Crow 1
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 3
Feral Pigeon 27
Goldfinch 30, 1 singing, 8 juveniles
Greenfinch 5, 1 singing
House Sparrow 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8
Magpie 8
Robin 1
Song Thrush 3. 2 singing
Swift 3
Whitethroat 3, 1 singing
Woodpigeon 21
Wren 1
Steven Heywood said
Thu May 28 9:46 PM, 2020
Quick stroll 1845 - 1915
Blackbird 8, 3 singing
Blackcap 3 singing
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 3, 2 singing
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Dunnock 1 singing
Feral Pigeon 23
Goldfinch 2
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 6
Jackdaw 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 overhead
Long-tailed Tit 8, 6 young
Magpie 6
Robin 3, 1 singing
Song Thrush 3, 1 singing
Starling 6
Whitethroat 2 singing
Woodpigeon 10
Wren 6 singing
Steven Heywood said
Tue May 26 8:42 PM, 2020
Today 1810 - 1910
Blackbird 11, 5 singing
Blackcap 4, 3 singing
Blue Tit 8, 4 youngsters
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Dunnock 4 singing
Feral Pigeon 13
Goldfinch 3, 1 singing
Greenfinch 1 singing
House Sparrow 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6 overhead
Magpie 9
Robin 7, 4 singing
Song Thrush 1 singing
Starling 1
Swift 2
Whitethroat 3 singing
Woodpigeon 13
Wren 8 singing
Steven Heywood said
Mon May 18 9:10 PM, 2020
Today, 15:10 - 16:20
Blackbird 12, 5 singing
Blackcap 4 singing
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 2, 1 singing
Chiffchaff 3, 2 singing
Dunnock 3, 2 singing
Feral Pigeon 21
Goldfinch 9, 3 singing
House Sparrow 11
Kestrel 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 overhead
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 15
Robin 6, 4 singing
Starling 3
Swift 3
Whitethroat 5, 4 singing
Woodpigeon 6, 1 singing
Wren 5 singing
Steven Heywood said
Mon May 4 10:53 PM, 2020
Afternoon stroll, 3:25pm 4:15pm
Blackbird 11, 5 singing
Blackcap 2 singing
Blue Tit 2
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 1
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Cormorant 1 overhead
Dunnock 2 singing
Feral Pigeon 32
Goldfinch 4, 1 singing
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 overhead
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 11
Mistle Thrush 1
Robin 2 singing
Song Thrush 1 singing
Starling 2
Whitethroat 3 singing
Woodpigeon 15, 2 singing
Wren 5 singing
Steven Heywood said
Sun Apr 26 9:09 PM, 2020
1:30pm - 2:45pm
Blackbird 13, 5 singing
Blackcap 4 singing
Blue Tit 5
Carrion Crow 3
Chaffinch 1
Chiffchaff 3, 2 singing
Feral Pigeon 14
Goldfinch 10, 3 singing
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 4
House Sparrow 6
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 12
Robin 3, 1 singing
Song Thrush 1 singing
Whitethroat 4 singing
Woodpigeon 22, 5 singing
Wren 8 singing
Steven Heywood said
Mon Apr 20 5:20 PM, 2020
19/04/20 2:40pm 3:50pm
Blackbird 6, 3 singing
Blackcap 4 singing
Blue Tit 3
Buzzard 1
Carrion Crow 4
Chaffinch 1 singing
Chiffchaff 3, 1 singing
Dunnock 1 singing
Feral Pigeon 29
Goldfinch 14, 2 singing
Great Tit 3, 1 singing
Greenfinch 1 singing
House Sparrow 8
Kestrel 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 overhead
Magpie 17
Mistle Thrush 2
Robin 5, 1 singing
Swallow 3 overhead
Woodpigeon 17
Wren 6, 4 singing
Steven Heywood said
Mon Apr 6 11:27 PM, 2020
4:10pm 5:20pm
Blackbird 18, 3 singing males
Blue Tit 4
Carrion Crow 4
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Coal Tit 1 singing
Dunnock 1 singing
Feral Pigeon 27
Goldfinch 6, 3 singing
Great Tit 6, 2 singing
Greenfinch 4, 3 singing
Herring Gull 2, overflying
House Sparrow 13
Jackdaw 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6, overflying
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 14
Mistle Thrush 2
Robin 8, 7 singing
Woodpigeon 30
Wren 8, 7 singing
Steven Heywood said
Wed Apr 1 6:33 PM, 2020
1:30pm - 2:25pm. Like most anywhere else that's an urban green space plenty of people (me included) getting their one piece of exercise a day.
Blackbird 12, 1 singing
Blue Tit 11
Carrion Crow 3
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Collared Dove 1
Cormorant 1 overhead
Dunnock 2 singing
Feral Pigeon 43
Goldfinch 12, 2 singing
Great Tit 6, 3 singing
Greenfinch 1 singing
House Sparrow 8
Jay 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 overhead
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 15
Mistle Thrush 3, 1 singing
Robin 10, 8 singing
Song Thrush 1
Starling 3, 1 singing
Woodpigeon 28
Wren 6 singing
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Wednesday 1st of April 2020 06:34:10 PM
Steven Heywood said
Sun Nov 17 9:17 PM, 2019
1:35pm - 2:25pm, gloomy weather but no wind, for a change so a lot more small birds breaking cover. (Earlier in the week it was just me, the gulls and the magpies.)
Black-headed Gull 1
Blackbird 17
Blue Tit 8
Carrion Crow 1
Chaffinch 1
Common Gull 5
Dunnock 2
Feral Pigeon 2
Goldcrest 4
Goldfinch 26
Great Tit 5
Greenfinch 6
House Sparrow 3
Jay 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Long-tailed Tit 4
Magpie 10
Robin 4
Starling 8
Treecreeper 1
Woodpigeon 1
Wren 2
I was probably being a bit premature in heralding the Winter thrushes, though the blackbird numbers are good. I'm puzzled by the low numbers of pigeons and woodpigeons over the past couple of weeks.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 17th of November 2019 09:19:11 PM
Steven Heywood said
Fri Nov 1 7:11 PM, 2019
Afternoon stroll 2:45pm - 3:45pm, the Winter thrushes are settling in now:
Black-headed Gull 11
Blackbird 34
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 2
Dunnock 2
Feral Pigeon 1
Goldfinch 22
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 7
House Sparrow 4
Jay 1
Magpie 15
Mistle Thrush 2
Pied Wagtail 1
Redwing 2
Robin 7
Song Thrush 1
Starling 13
Woodpigeon 8
Wren 3
I've never seen so few pigeons here before.
Steven Heywood said
Sat Oct 26 10:12 PM, 2019
2:30pm - 3:50pm after the rain. A sudden influx of passerines after a few extremely quiet weeks where only the pigeons got into double figures.
Black-headed Gull 7
Blackbird 18
Blue Tit 16
Bullfinch 1
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 1
Collared Dove 1
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 4
Goldcrest 2
Goldfinch 49
Great Tit 10
Greenfinch 3
Herring Gull 1
House Sparrow 1
Jay 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4
Long-tailed Tit 18
Magpie 18
Mistle Thrush 1
Robin 6
Starling 11
Woodpigeon 31
Wren 6
Steven Heywood said
Sun Sep 1 8:24 PM, 2019
3:05pm 4:05pm
Black-headed Gull 1
Blackbird 3
Canada Goose 2
Carrion Crow 2
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 25
Goldfinch 17
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
Herring Gull 1
House Sparrow 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3
Magpie 10
Mistle Thrush 13
Robin 4
Woodpigeon 30
Wren 1
Where do mistle thrushes go in August? This is the third year running I don't have a single record in August only for one to turn up on 1st September. The flock of thirteen of them on the football field was remarkable for this time of year.
Steven Heywood said
Sat Aug 3 9:26 PM, 2019
Today 1:35pm - 2:30pm
Fairly quiet Summer lunchtime visit.
Blackbird 3
Blackcap 1
Blue Tit 10
Chaffinch 1
Dunnock 2, including one recently-fledged youngster
Feral Pigeon 105 overhead
Goldfinch 25. including 9 juveniles
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 juvenile
Great Tit 4
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Long-tailed Tit 3
Magpie 6
Robin 5
Swift 2
Whitethroat 3
Woodpigeon 22
Wren 5
Steven Heywood said
Sun May 12 10:09 PM, 2019
Today 3:35pm 4:40pm
Blackbird 20 (at least six pairs)
Blackcap 3 singing males
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow 2
Chiffchaff 2 singing males
Collared Dove 1
Dunnock 4 (two pairs)
Feral Pigeon 16
Goldfinch 15
Great Tit 2
Greenfinch 1 singing male
House Sparrow 12
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 14
Robin 11 (at least three pairs)
Song Thrush 2 singing males
Starling 7
Whitethroat 4 singing males
Woodpigeon 14
Wren 9 (6 singing males)
Steven Heywood said
Sun Mar 17 10:51 PM, 2019
Today 3:00pm 3:40pm
Blackbird 7
Blue Tit 5
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 86
Goldfinch 16
Great Tit 2
Herring Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 24
Robin 7
Starling 1
Woodpigeon 19
Wren 3
Yellow-legged Gull 1
Everything except the magpies and pigeons keeping their heads down in the wind.
The yellow-legged gull came as a surprise as it floated over in the breeze: we get the odd first- or second-Winter bird in the Autumn but this is the first adult I've seen round these parts.
Steven Heywood said
Sat Feb 23 4:02 PM, 2019
Today, 14:20 - 15:10
Black-headed gull 2
Blackbird 5
Blue tit 2
Buzzard 3
Carrion crow 3
Feral pigeon 37
Goldfinch 9
Great tit 4
Greenfinch 2
Herring gull 1
Kestrel 1
Lesser black-backed gull 3
Long-tailed tit 5
Magpie 12
Robin 7
Woodpigeon 13
Wren 2
Only the second time I've seen the local buzzard this year. You wait a month and three come together.
Steven Heywood said
Wed Jan 23 6:16 PM, 2019
1:55pm 2:55pm after the fog had lifted but still not clear.
Black-headed Gull 1
Blackbird 19
Blue Tit 5
Buzzard 1
Carrion Crow 4
Chaffinch 3
Common Gull 4
Feral Pigeon 28
Fieldfare 4
Goldfinch 31
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 1
Kestrel 1
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 25
Mistle Thrush 2
Redwing 12
Robin 5
Song Thrush 4
Starling 20
Woodpigeon 17
Wren 1
First sighting of the buzzard this year, I'd started to worry about it.
Also a flock of 55 redwings on Barton Clough playing field.
Steven Heywood said
Fri Jan 18 8:43 PM, 2019
Interesting variation over a few days on my local patch:
Friday 18/01/2019 12:00 12:35
Black-headed Gull 4
Blackbird 9
Blue Tit 4
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 1
Common Gull 18
Feral pigeon 17
Goldfinch 21
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Magpie 16
Mistle Thrush 4
Robin 5
Starling 7
Woodpigeon 7
Saturday 12/01/2019 12:45 13:20
Black-headed Gull 3
Blackbird 6
Carrion Crow 1
Chaffinch 1
Collared Dove 2
Common Gull 3
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 27
Fieldfare 1
Goldfinch 11
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 1
Magpie 14
Mistle Thrush 2
Redwing 66
Robin 1
Starling 109
Woodpigeon 4
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Friday 18th of January 2019 08:45:14 PM
Steven Heywood said
Mon Dec 31 8:20 PM, 2018
Saturday 29th December, 1:50 2:45
Very quiet, only notable for the usual male kestrel being joined by a very vocal female:
Black-headed Gull 1
Blackbird 8
Blue Tit 5
Chaffinch 1
Common Gull 2
Feral Pigeon 14
Goldfinch 4
Great Tit 3
Herring Gull 1
House Sparrow 1
Kestrel 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Long-tailed Tit 4
Magpie 9
Mistle Thrush 1
Robin 4
Woodpigeon 1
Steven Heywood said
Wed Dec 26 8:30 PM, 2018
2:25pm 3:25pm today
The park itself was fairly quiet but there was a couple of flocks of roosting finches coming to the trees by the business units.
Black-headed Gull 14
Blackbird 7
Blue Tit 9
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 3
Dunnock 2
Feral Pigeon 11
Goldfinch 26
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 15
Herring Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6
Long-tailed Tit 7
Magpie 9
Mistle Thrush 2
Robin 4
Song Thrush 3 singing males
Starling 1
Woodpigeon 8
Wren 1
Steven Heywood said
Sun Nov 25 3:54 PM, 2018
A potter about, 2:00 - 3:10pm.
We seem to have had a fall of mistlethrushes, though both blackbirds and redwings were relatively thin on the ground. The kestrel was mobbing the buzzard in the trees near the school. Nice surprise was a Mediterranean gull passing through with a few black-headed gulls, first time I've clearly heard the flight call.
Black-headed Gull 13
Blackbird 6
Blue Tit 12
Buzzard 1
Carrion Crow 2
Chaffinch 1
Common Gull 4
Feral Pigeon 25
Goldfinch 26
Great Tit 5
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 7
Jay 1
Kestrel 1
Long-tailed Tit 5
Magpie 13
Mediterranean Gull 1
Mistle Thrush 9
Redwing 5
Robin 3
Song Thrush 1
Starling 2
Woodpigeon 1
Wren 3
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 25th of November 2018 03:55:14 PM
Steven Heywood said
Mon Nov 5 7:06 PM, 2018
Definitely a Winter feel to the birding, if not the weather, today. A huge number of blackbirds, together with a couple of small flocks of redwings. Decent numbers of goldfinches but well down on this time last year. Not sure if the sparrowhawk flying in towards Barton Clough was the same as the one spooked out of the park by the resident buzzard half an hour earlier.
Black-headed Gull 13
Blackbird 28
Blue Tit 17
Bullfinch 1
Buzzard 1
Carrion Crow 6
Chaffinch 4
Coal Tit 1
Cormorant 1
Dunnock 1
Feral Pigeon 10
Goldfinch 33
Great Tit 9
Greenfinch 8
House Sparrow 2
Jay 2
Long-tailed Tit 5
Magpie 16
Mistle Thrush 1
Redwing 19
Robin 8
Song Thrush 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Starling 15
Woodpigeon 14
Wren 3
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Monday 5th of November 2018 07:08:21 PM
Steven Heywood said
Thu Oct 25 7:30 PM, 2018
After a quiet few months where even blackbirds were thin on the ground there was an influx of thrushes today, though no redwings yet. Starting to see a pick-up of goldfinches after an uncharacteristically quiet Autumn.
Black-headed Gull 1
Blackbird 23
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow 2
Collared Dove 1
Feral Pigeon 23
Goldfinch 25
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Great Tit 3
Greenfinch 1
House Sparrow 14
Kestrel 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Magpie 14
Mistle Thrush 3
Robin 9
Song Thrush 6
Woodpigeon 6
Wren 4
Steven Heywood said
Sun Dec 10 12:31 AM, 2017
A buzzard on Barton Clough playing field at 12:30pm, not the usual suspect, this one had a particularly bright ginger tone to its rump and upper tail. Two buzzards were seen over the old cornfield about this time on Wednesday.
Goldfinch numbers down to 34, flocks of 50+ seen during the week.
Highlights:
12 redwing
13 fieldfare
treecreeper
36 pink-footed geese flying over at 1:50pm
Steven Heywood said
Mon Nov 20 5:27 PM, 2017
Over the past few weeks I've noticed that there haven't been many collared doves around here. 10:35am today there were thirteen perched in the tree next to the bus stop by Lostock School
Steven Heywood said
Tue Oct 24 8:54 PM, 2017
I was thinking it was a very quiet afternoon then a flock of 51 goldfinches erupted from the patch of goldenrod where they were feeding.
Also a buzzard and a male kestrel.
Steven Heywood said
Thu Sep 28 9:27 PM, 2017
2 buzzards being mobbed by magpies this afternoon about 2:50pm.
A quiet bit of birding, wind and rain keeping most under wraps and quiet.
Female sparrowhawk soared over at 3:15, heading towards Trafford Park.
Male kestrel hovering briefly over Park Way ten minutes later.
Steven Heywood said
Fri Sep 1 4:12 PM, 2017
I always tell myself that this time of year anything can turn up anywhere. This whinchat was a nice reminder. Spotted it perched on United Utilities' fence as I strolled down the disused freight line. Couldn't get any closer without scaring it off by barging through a couple of bramble patches.
11:00 - 11:50
2:00pm - 2:50pm
A stroll in the wind and rain 13:35 - 14:20
Also a partially-leucistic carrion crow with white greater coverts on the football field.
Very quiet this afternoon 2:00pm - 2:40pm
A quiet stroll, 14:45 - 15:25
Teatime stroll 6:20pm - 7:05pm in between showers, pretty quiet: most of the small birds had settled for an early roost out of the wind
Post-Test Match stroll 18:25 - 19:45
Quick stroll 1845 - 1915
Today 1810 - 1910
Today, 15:10 - 16:20
Afternoon stroll, 3:25pm 4:15pm
1:30pm - 2:45pm
19/04/20 2:40pm 3:50pm
4:10pm 5:20pm
1:30pm - 2:25pm. Like most anywhere else that's an urban green space plenty of people (me included) getting their one piece of exercise a day.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Wednesday 1st of April 2020 06:34:10 PM
1:35pm - 2:25pm, gloomy weather but no wind, for a change so a lot more small birds breaking cover. (Earlier in the week it was just me, the gulls and the magpies.)
I was probably being a bit premature in heralding the Winter thrushes, though the blackbird numbers are good. I'm puzzled by the low numbers of pigeons and woodpigeons over the past couple of weeks.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 17th of November 2019 09:19:11 PM
Afternoon stroll 2:45pm - 3:45pm, the Winter thrushes are settling in now:
I've never seen so few pigeons here before.
2:30pm - 3:50pm after the rain. A sudden influx of passerines after a few extremely quiet weeks where only the pigeons got into double figures.
3:05pm 4:05pm
Where do mistle thrushes go in August? This is the third year running I don't have a single record in August only for one to turn up on 1st September. The flock of thirteen of them on the football field was remarkable for this time of year.
Today 1:35pm - 2:30pm
Fairly quiet Summer lunchtime visit.
Today 3:35pm 4:40pm
Today 3:00pm 3:40pm
Everything except the magpies and pigeons keeping their heads down in the wind.
The yellow-legged gull came as a surprise as it floated over in the breeze: we get the odd first- or second-Winter bird in the Autumn but this is the first adult I've seen round these parts.
Today, 14:20 - 15:10
Only the second time I've seen the local buzzard this year. You wait a month and three come together.
1:55pm 2:55pm after the fog had lifted but still not clear.
First sighting of the buzzard this year, I'd started to worry about it.
Also a flock of 55 redwings on Barton Clough playing field.
Interesting variation over a few days on my local patch:
Friday 18/01/2019 12:00 12:35
Saturday 12/01/2019 12:45 13:20
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Friday 18th of January 2019 08:45:14 PM
Saturday 29th December, 1:50 2:45
Very quiet, only notable for the usual male kestrel being joined by a very vocal female:
2:25pm 3:25pm today
The park itself was fairly quiet but there was a couple of flocks of roosting finches coming to the trees by the business units.
A potter about, 2:00 - 3:10pm.
We seem to have had a fall of mistlethrushes, though both blackbirds and redwings were relatively thin on the ground. The kestrel was mobbing the buzzard in the trees near the school. Nice surprise was a Mediterranean gull passing through with a few black-headed gulls, first time I've clearly heard the flight call.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 25th of November 2018 03:55:14 PM
Definitely a Winter feel to the birding, if not the weather, today. A huge number of blackbirds, together with a couple of small flocks of redwings. Decent numbers of goldfinches but well down on this time last year. Not sure if the sparrowhawk flying in towards Barton Clough was the same as the one spooked out of the park by the resident buzzard half an hour earlier.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Monday 5th of November 2018 07:08:21 PM
After a quiet few months where even blackbirds were thin on the ground there was an influx of thrushes today, though no redwings yet. Starting to see a pick-up of goldfinches after an uncharacteristically quiet Autumn.
A buzzard on Barton Clough playing field at 12:30pm, not the usual suspect, this one had a particularly bright ginger tone to its rump and upper tail. Two buzzards were seen over the old cornfield about this time on Wednesday.
Goldfinch numbers down to 34, flocks of 50+ seen during the week.
Highlights:
Over the past few weeks I've noticed that there haven't been many collared doves around here. 10:35am today there were thirteen perched in the tree next to the bus stop by Lostock School
I was thinking it was a very quiet afternoon then a flock of 51 goldfinches erupted from the patch of goldenrod where they were feeding.
Also a buzzard and a male kestrel.
2 buzzards being mobbed by magpies this afternoon about 2:50pm.
A quiet bit of birding, wind and rain keeping most under wraps and quiet.
Female sparrowhawk soared over at 3:15, heading towards Trafford Park.
Male kestrel hovering briefly over Park Way ten minutes later.
I always tell myself that this time of year anything can turn up anywhere. This whinchat was a nice reminder. Spotted it perched on United Utilities' fence as I strolled down the disused freight line. Couldn't get any closer without scaring it off by barging through a couple of bramble patches.