Bury . Carrion crows eating apples which are still attached to the tree . Pair of sparrowhawks flew , at speed , through the feeders ; no luck this time .
phillipskelly said
Sat Sep 5 11:28 AM, 2020
On and around my Stretford backyard feeders.
Thursday 03.09.20 at 8:30am: Goldfinch - c60 with recently fledged young being fed. Friday - 10. Saturday - 10 at 11am. Plus the usual 15 pigeons which turn up when the Goldfinch arrive ( including one I call "Speckled Jim" thats been on parade for ages).
fredford said
Sat Sep 5 7:02 AM, 2020
Bury . Disaster yesterday ! Two juvenile bullfinches were spooked from the feeders , one hour apart , flew into the kitchen window and perished . Horrible . What a dteadful coincidence .
steven burke said
Fri Sep 4 11:03 AM, 2020
A chiffchaff was in my old Trafford garden this morning, it hung around the neighbouring gardens for at least 20 minutes often calling giving me a chance to get a photo.
Also 1 meadow pipit over heading south.
1 swallow heading north west.
-- Edited by steven burke on Friday 4th of September 2020 11:05:07 AM
Chiffchaff passed through our east Bolton garden yesterday morning, calling constantly for 5 mins then dissapeared off to the south. Best year ever for this species from the garden, with 3 records this autumn!
phillipskelly said
Wed Sep 2 9:21 PM, 2020
On /around my Stretford backyard feeders today - Am. Goldfinch - 20 ( with some juveniles pecking at the cables, cable ties and parts of the BT pole nearby). Pm. No birds only a headless pigeon with breast feathers missing at the bottom of the feeders = obvious Sparrowhawk attack.
27 Aug: 1 Chiffchaff (overdue garden tick!) 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker. 3 Sand Martin south. 2 Swift south. 2 Swallow south. 2 Grey Wagtail. 3 Pied Wagtail.
30 Aug: 2 Raven. 3 Cormorant south. 2 Meadow Pipit east - first of the autumn. 1 Siskin south. 1 Linnet south.
Jon Bowen said
Mon Aug 31 4:51 PM, 2020
Two Ravens 'cronking' over my Horwich Garden this morning, becoming a regular sight & sound. Looks like local Willow Tit's may have double brooded (is this likely?) as what looks like newly fledged youngsters on the feeder. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch back in the last week or so and fly through Kingfisher, all signs of Autumn.
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Aug 31 4:18 PM, 2020
Another juvenile Willow Warbler feeding (and calling constantly) in my Astley garden this morning.
fredford said
Mon Aug 31 4:10 PM, 2020
Bury . First time ever willow tit on the lawn feeding on fallen sunflower seeds . Yet another newly- fledged clutch of greenfinch and of goldfinch . What a most remarkable season this has been . Particularly pleased with the two lots of greenfinch . Hooray !
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Aug 29 12:36 PM, 2020
Single local Raven low north over my Astley garden at 12:20 today.
Also in the garden, single Coal Tit and Goldcrest, several House Martin still feeding around the area and the usual hoards of House Sparrows.
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Aug 26 4:47 PM, 2020
Juvenile Willow Warbler calling from hawthorns at the back of my Astley garden this afternoon and best of all a Willow Tit making a lot of noise in and around the garden but not yet seen visiting the feeders!?
Mike c cooper said
Mon Aug 24 6:02 PM, 2020
A Raven has just flown west kronking over my Hopwood heywood garden
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Aug 24 12:49 PM, 2020
Just some bits and bobs from my Ashton-in-Makerfield garden since my last update on 15 Aug:
16 Aug: 2 Swift, 7 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail.
17 Aug: 12 Pied Wagtail (presumably heading to a roost).
A first for our Stockport garden, an amazing male Grey Wagtail on the garage roof for about ten seconds he flew into the Magnolia and then disappeared, how many birds do we not see on these brief visits ?
phillipskelly said
Sun Aug 23 11:32 AM, 2020
On and around my Stretford backyard feeders this week have been lots of Goldfinch, sometimes in the 30's and 40's usually when the weather is poor. Young Goldfinch continue to arrive and beg from the parents. In the front garden of my terraced house the 2 Dunnocks have been regular visitors plus the the the usual male Blackbird who is looking a bit tatty.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Aug 22 6:38 PM, 2020
1 Raven heading SW over my Irlam garden this afternoon calling.
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Aug 22 1:45 PM, 2020
At least six Greenfinch in the garden today, the best count for a while. This included three to four male Greenfinch sparring over the feeders.
Yesterday a juvenile Woodpigeon visited.
Richard Thew said
Sat Aug 22 1:27 PM, 2020
Radcliffe garden update:
Its been a while since my last report, and I was prompted to post an update due to a first unusual behaviour from my goldfinch.
I have a small feeding station with Nijer, sunflower hearts and peanuts in a metal mesh feeder. I have regularly been getting good numbers of goldfinch, (at least a minimum of 15). These are made up of several juveniles and some are still being fed by their parents. But after feeding my garden birds now for over 20 years, it is the first time I've seen at least one (juvenile) feed from the peanuts like a blue tit would. This happened yesterday too.
Other news includes:
I rescued a starving young wood pigeon about 4 weeks ago that the parents had abandoned due to work being carried out in the neighbourhood, this i fed myself and boy was he thin! He was successfully released once he was ready to go last week. The starling has almost molted his damaged primary feathers.
Bullfinchs have been regular with 2 juveniles (more recently just the adults) Long tailed tits have only been seen occasionally.
Lesser black backed gulls flew over low a few times Sparrowhawk was also seen during this period.
Ta!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Saturday 22nd of August 2020 02:02:39 PM
A record 21 house sparrows in the garden this morning!!
Steven Nelson said
Tue Aug 18 10:18 PM, 2020
The last couple of days have seen a fledgling Wren being fed by a parent in our garden. I can hear others nearby but havent seen them.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Aug 18 8:12 PM, 2020
Juvenile Willow Warbler in my Astley garden this afternoon, bit of a late summer/autumn mega here!
Karen Foulkes said
Tue Aug 18 7:03 PM, 2020
A Lesser Black-backed Gull was on next door's chimney a few minutes ago calling loudly. It proceeded to swoop low over the garden before flying off again.
fredford said
Tue Aug 18 6:00 PM, 2020
Bury . Just been watching a willow warbler bathing in the pond from twelve feet. Smashin.
Karen Foulkes said
Mon Aug 17 6:21 PM, 2020
A Tawny Owl was calling just after 1am this morning.
fredford said
Mon Aug 17 7:30 AM, 2020
Bury . Flocks of lapwings over , some with starlings . Kestrel on the lawn ; could not see any prey .
Rob Thorpe said
Sat Aug 15 10:02 PM, 2020
A good day for the garden list today, with 3 new additions, although all were "heard-only"s:
The first was a Moorhen that was calling, heard through the bedroom window at about half two in the morning, presumably a fly over.
Then later on, when I got up, there was some light vismig, with birds mainly moving south / south-east: 1 Ringed Plover (heard only). 1 Tree Pipit (heard only). 3 Siskin. 20 Swallow - one group of 10, the rest in ones and twos. 40 House Martin - in a tight bunch, interacting with the local group of 8 before heading off south.
Also, 18 Pied Wagtail heading north in groups of 1 to 3, presumably post-roost dispersal.
Other things noted today were: 2 Goldcrest. 2 Mallard. 1 Sparrowhawk. 1 Buzzard.
No Swift seen today, and only 1 yesterday. The last decent Swift day here was 12 Aug when I counted 27 (2, 2, 6, 17).
A Common Gull was catching flying ants with Black-headed Gulls on 11 Aug.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Saturday 15th of August 2020 10:13:48 PM
Simon Warford said
Fri Aug 14 7:55 PM, 2020
Tree Pipit and Grey Wagtail heard over our Bolton garden early this morning.
fredford said
Fri Aug 14 10:25 AM, 2020
Bury . Spotted flycatcher and willow warbler , at same time , in the dead cedar , catching flies over the lawn .
phillipskelly said
Thu Aug 13 8:19 PM, 2020
In my Stretford backyard. Hardly any Goldfinch on the feeders recently apart from the last couple of evenings including tonight 7pm when there's been around 40 birds mainly juveniles . Newly fledged birds are still appearing begging parents for food. Other more advanced juveniles are starting to get darker plumage around the eyes and head while adult birds are losing the black colour at the back of their heads. In the front garden of my terraced house there's still 3 Dunnock 2 juvenile + 1 adult feeding on crumbled fat balls and dried mealworms together with a female Blackbird and Robin.
Lez Fairclough said
Wed Aug 12 1:06 PM, 2020
Let the cat out at midnight & there perched just over the fence 20 yards away was a beautiful Tawny Owl.
Managed to get a few reasonable shots with the help of the security light but the long shutter speed makes
Whimbrel south over Andy Makin’s Hindley Green garden at 8pm this evening.
steven burke said
Sun Aug 9 11:21 AM, 2020
2 new birds for my old trafford garden this morning... Willow warbler was calling & feeding. Willow tit was feeding on my sunflower seeds & drinking out of my new water bottle I have just put up recently, the bird did call on a number of occasions especially when a female sparrowhawk turned up.
Several curlews were heard last night just before midnight going over my old trafford garden.
fredford said
Sat Aug 8 1:41 PM, 2020
Bury . Just now three or four fresh- looking willow warblers in the dead cedar , catching flies over the lawn . Another first !
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Aug 7 9:37 PM, 2020
The Starling flock has now peaked at 84 this morning in my Astley garden, literally bending the feeders and covering a lot of the lawn!
Nev Wright said
Fri Aug 7 6:27 PM, 2020
Amazingly for the first time in 25years, a Pied Flycatcher has just gone through our Sale garden... Whoopeee!
Mike c cooper said
Fri Aug 7 5:34 PM, 2020
Hopwood heywood 17:30
Must be a hatch of flying ants as B had gulls starlings and a ball of 40+ swifts tucking in
Simon Warford said
Thu Aug 6 10:35 PM, 2020
The phenomenal year in and from our Bolton garden continues, today no less than 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler and a juvenile Nuthatch all passed through! Also a Grey Wagtail over.
fredford said
Thu Aug 6 8:12 AM, 2020
Bury . Alas , the blackbird who has been singing since March , ceased about ten days ago . He and his mate have produced three broods and he looks shabby . The sparrowhawk took a robin and a nuthatch over the weekend . Another clutch of goldfinches has just fledged . The family of fiour carrion crows now visit only spasmodically .
Steven Nelson said
Wed Aug 5 11:15 PM, 2020
The Collard Dove pair that have already reared two broods this summer were displaying and calling to each other in my plum tree this morning. Maybe they are planning having a third brood!! Well see!
phillipskelly said
Wed Aug 5 12:32 PM, 2020
On and around my Stretford backyard feeders yesterday Tues 05.08.20 Goldfinch 30 - 40 a 1/3 of which are usually juveniles including 3 being fed by parents. Note - sometimes when its a sunny day not many turn up at all. In the small front garden - Dunnock 3 juveniles. Robin 1 possibly 2. All feeding on crumbled fat balls and dried mealworms containing seeds which even the slugs don't want. Some seeds have started growing so lets see what we get ! Ps. Haven't seen the usual Blackbirds that possibility had 2 broods lately .
Barry Corless said
Wed Aug 5 9:29 AM, 2020
A first for me in my Norden garden this morning with Chiffchaff mixed in with a wandering tit flock.
Steven Nelson said
Mon Aug 3 11:11 AM, 2020
No sign of the Collard Dove chick this morning. Looks like it has finally left.
Steven Nelson said
Sun Aug 2 9:26 PM, 2020
Surprised the remaining Collard Dove chick hasnt completely left its natal tree yet. Cant be long now. It certainly seems ready. Hope its sibling is ok after it left earlier in the week.
Just had 11 Crossbills spend 10 mins in Ash Trees on cemetery rd Radcliffe behind my back garden, couldnt believe my eyes!!!
pete berry said
Sun Aug 2 10:22 AM, 2020
A Redstart calling all afternoon yesterday in the hedgerow round the field behind my house,garden tick
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Aug 1 5:54 PM, 2020
John Watson wrote:
RBA reports Common Rosefinch at 6 Crescent Road, Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8LF this afternoon
Not the most obvious location for a scarcity, but rosefinches do turn up in strange urban places
The bird is an escaped (ringed) House Finch.
Rob Creek said
Sat Aug 1 5:33 PM, 2020
John Watson wrote:
RBA reports Common Rosefinch at 6 Crescent Road, Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8LF this afternoon
Not the most obvious location for a scarcity, but rosefinches do turn up in strange urban places
Birdguides also reported it John, and I totally mirror your thoughts on the location, I know not always but I usually associate these as being relatively coastal. Nothing on the forum which could speak volumes, nothing on any of the social media platforms that I can see, and no subsequent reports since the initial sighting.
John Watson said
Sat Aug 1 4:45 PM, 2020
RBA reports Common Rosefinch at 6 Crescent Road, Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8LF this afternoon
Not the most obvious location for a scarcity, but rosefinches do turn up in strange urban places
Thursday 03.09.20 at 8:30am:
Goldfinch - c60 with recently fledged young being fed.
Friday - 10.
Saturday - 10 at 11am.
Plus the usual 15 pigeons which turn up when the Goldfinch arrive ( including one I call "Speckled Jim" thats been on parade for ages).
-- Edited by steven burke on Friday 4th of September 2020 11:05:07 AM
Am.
Goldfinch - 20 ( with some juveniles pecking at the cables, cable ties and parts of the BT pole nearby).
Pm.
No birds only a headless pigeon with breast feathers missing at the bottom of the feeders = obvious Sparrowhawk attack.
Stuff from last week in Ashton in Makerfield:
24 Aug:
1 Yellow Wagtail south.
1 Siskin south.
1 Swallow south.
26 Aug:
1 Grey Wagtail.
27 Aug:
1 Chiffchaff (overdue garden tick!)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.
3 Sand Martin south.
2 Swift south.
2 Swallow south.
2 Grey Wagtail.
3 Pied Wagtail.
30 Aug:
2 Raven.
3 Cormorant south.
2 Meadow Pipit east - first of the autumn.
1 Siskin south.
1 Linnet south.
Another juvenile Willow Warbler feeding (and calling constantly) in my Astley garden this morning.
Single local Raven low north over my Astley garden at 12:20 today.
Also in the garden, single Coal Tit and Goldcrest, several House Martin still feeding around the area and the usual hoards of House Sparrows.
Juvenile Willow Warbler calling from hawthorns at the back of my Astley garden this afternoon and best of all a Willow Tit making a lot of noise in and around the garden but not yet seen visiting the feeders!?
16 Aug: 2 Swift, 7 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail.
17 Aug: 12 Pied Wagtail (presumably heading to a roost).
18 Aug: 4 Swallow, 10 House Martin.
19 Aug: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Swift, 2 Swallow, 1 Grey Wagtail, 8 Pied Wagtail, 2 Sparrowhawk.
20 Aug: 1 Swallow, 1 Linnet, 3 Buzzard.
22 Aug: 2 Swift.
23 Aug: 1 Swift, 1 Grey Wagtail.
A first for our Stockport garden, an amazing male Grey Wagtail on the garage roof for about ten seconds he flew into the Magnolia and then disappeared, how many birds do we not see on these brief visits ?
Young Goldfinch continue to arrive and beg from the parents.
In the front garden of my terraced house the 2 Dunnocks have been regular visitors plus the the the usual male Blackbird who is looking a bit tatty.
Yesterday a juvenile Woodpigeon visited.
Its been a while since my last report, and I was prompted to post an update due to a first unusual behaviour from my goldfinch.
I have a small feeding station with Nijer, sunflower hearts and peanuts in a metal mesh feeder. I have regularly been getting good numbers of goldfinch, (at least a minimum of 15). These are made up of several juveniles and some are still being fed by their parents. But after feeding my garden birds now for over 20 years, it is the first time I've seen at least one (juvenile) feed from the peanuts like a blue tit would. This happened yesterday too.
Other news includes:
I rescued a starving young wood pigeon about 4 weeks ago that the parents had abandoned due to work being carried out in the neighbourhood, this i fed myself and boy was he thin! He was successfully released once he was ready to go last week. The starling has almost molted his damaged primary feathers.
Bullfinchs have been regular with 2 juveniles (more recently just the adults)
Long tailed tits have only been seen occasionally.
Lesser black backed gulls flew over low a few times
Sparrowhawk was also seen during this period.
Ta!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Saturday 22nd of August 2020 02:02:39 PM
A record 21 house sparrows in the garden this morning!!
Juvenile Willow Warbler in my Astley garden this afternoon, bit of a late summer/autumn mega here!
The first was a Moorhen that was calling, heard through the bedroom window at about half two in the morning, presumably a fly over.
Then later on, when I got up, there was some light vismig, with birds mainly moving south / south-east:
1 Ringed Plover (heard only).
1 Tree Pipit (heard only).
3 Siskin.
20 Swallow - one group of 10, the rest in ones and twos.
40 House Martin - in a tight bunch, interacting with the local group of 8 before heading off south.
Also, 18 Pied Wagtail heading north in groups of 1 to 3, presumably post-roost dispersal.
Other things noted today were:
2 Goldcrest.
2 Mallard.
1 Sparrowhawk.
1 Buzzard.
No Swift seen today, and only 1 yesterday. The last decent Swift day here was 12 Aug when I counted 27 (2, 2, 6, 17).
A Common Gull was catching flying ants with Black-headed Gulls on 11 Aug.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Saturday 15th of August 2020 10:13:48 PM
Hardly any Goldfinch on the feeders recently apart from the last couple of evenings including tonight 7pm when there's been around 40 birds mainly juveniles .
Newly fledged birds are still appearing begging parents for food.
Other more advanced juveniles are starting to get darker plumage around the eyes and head while adult birds are losing the black colour at the back of their heads.
In the front garden of my terraced house there's still 3 Dunnock 2 juvenile + 1 adult feeding on crumbled fat balls and dried mealworms together with a female Blackbird and Robin.
Let the cat out at midnight & there perched just over the fence 20 yards away was a beautiful Tawny Owl.
Managed to get a few reasonable shots with the help of the security light but the long shutter speed makes
it difficult not to get a bit of motion blur.
Whimbrel south over Andy Makin’s Hindley Green garden at 8pm this evening.
Willow warbler was calling & feeding.
Willow tit was feeding on my sunflower seeds & drinking out of my new water bottle I have just put up recently, the bird did call on a number of occasions especially when a female sparrowhawk turned up.
The Starling flock has now peaked at 84 this morning in my Astley garden, literally bending the feeders and covering a lot of the lawn!
Amazingly for the first time in 25years, a Pied Flycatcher has just gone through our Sale garden... Whoopeee!
Must be a hatch of flying ants as B had gulls starlings and a ball of 40+ swifts tucking in
Goldfinch 30 - 40 a 1/3 of which are usually juveniles including 3 being fed by parents.
Note - sometimes when its a sunny day not many turn up at all.
In the small front garden -
Dunnock 3 juveniles.
Robin 1 possibly 2.
All feeding on crumbled fat balls and dried mealworms containing seeds which even the slugs don't want.
Some seeds have started growing so lets see what we get !
Ps. Haven't seen the usual Blackbirds that possibility had 2 broods lately .
The bird is an escaped (ringed) House Finch.
Birdguides also reported it John, and I totally mirror your thoughts on the location, I know not always but I usually associate these as being relatively coastal. Nothing on the forum which could speak volumes, nothing on any of the social media platforms that I can see, and no subsequent reports since the initial sighting.
Not the most obvious location for a scarcity, but rosefinches do turn up in strange urban places