Sorry, Nick - my report was from Sunday, posted on Monday - I had limited net access thru the weekend. Needless to say I didn't see the Peregrine

John, your post made me have a look over the Quays from my office window, not sure of the time of your sitings but just had male Peregrine circling high over Quays, now heading off over towards Pomona.

On the quays

c50 Blackheaded gulls
c30 Common Gulls
1 Cormorant
3 Mute Swans
Plus usual mallards Canadas etc

MSC nearby

3 Heron
5 Blackheaded Gulls
3 Common Gulls
1 Canada Goose
6 Mallards

1st singing Chiffchaff of the year on the Quays today plus one male Sparrowhawk through hunting mid afternoon.

WeBS count today 1530 - 1630
BH Gull = 363
Common Gull = 13
LBB Gull = 25
Herring Gull = 6
Cormorant = 6
Mute Swan = 3
Mallard = 44
Coot = 14
M/hen = 2
Canada Goose = 42

WeBS count today 1400-1445hrs
Mallard = 36
Mute Swan = 6
Canada Goose = 28
BH Gull = 169
Cormorant = 19
Coot = 30
Common Gull = 3
Moorhen = 4

1330hrs today - 24 Cormorant in South Bay all jostling on the pontoon inc one of the very white headed birds (assumed older male carbo). Plus one Grey Wag.
Also one lone white headed individual in St Louis Bay.

WeBS today, 1430 - 1530

BH Gull = 180
Common Gull = 33
LBB Gull = 6
Cormorant = 6
M Swan = 5
Coot = 36
Mallard = 15
Canada Goose = 18
Tufted Duck = 1
Moorhen = 1

Also one Kingfisher under Sam Platts pub and also, unforturtunately, one Mink. Cheeky little bugger let us approach within 5 metres (poor shots on camera phone - see Manchester Wildlife forum). When the BH Gulls saw him they were up and mobbing, obviously recognise it as a threat.

Sunday 26th December

Ontario Basin

A brief look without binoculars around 2pm

2 Pochard
c50 Tufted Duck
c200 BH Gulls
c5 Common Gulls
1 LBB Gull
1 GC Grebe
2 Cormorant
Mute Swans, Mallards & Canada Geese

Ontario Basin

13-40

Tufted Duck 52
Pochard 1M
G.C. Grebe 2
Mute Swan 9
LBB Gull

Also Canada Geese, Coot, Mallards & BH Gulls.

St Louis Basin

Goosander 1F
Coot

St Peters Basin

Cormorant 4

1330

Ontario Basin, by Rowing Club

Influx of wildfowl as probably one of the few bits of open water around.

Tufted Duck 32
M Pochard
G C Grebe 2
Canada Geese plenty
Mute Swan few
+Mallards and Coot

All iced over in front of Lowry.

1430 - 1530hrs today WeBS count;

Tufted Duck = 1
Goldeneye = 1 (male)
Great Crested Grebe = 1
Cormorant = 11
Mallard = 34
Coot = 32
Black Headed Gull = 341
LBB Gull = 8
Common Gull = 37
Mute Swan = 16
Canada Goose = 42
Goosander = 1 (female)
Pochard = 6
Herring Gull = 3

Currently on the Quays: 1 female Goosander,1 male Goldeneye,3 Tufted Duck,5 Gadwall,1 Wigeon,29 Pochard

Saturday 27.11. 10

Trafford Park to Cornbrook via Manchester Ship Canal.

Trafford Park. -

Common Gull 25
Mistle Thrush 2

Manchester Ship Canal-

Common Gull 32
Black-headed Gull 195
L Bb Gull 4
Cormorant 14
Canada Goose 27
Mute Swan 4
Mallard 38
Coot 2
Moorhen 3
Snipe 2
Gs woodpecker 1
Grey Wagtail 2
Heron 5

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Did a late WeBS count on the Quays yesterday, went down just before 4pm expecting lots of Gulls. Not a single one !!! Very strange, never seen the Quays totally devoid of Gulls before. It was very quiet ! Of course they are back in force today ! Not sure if there was some form of activity on yesterday that cleared them all off.

Mallard = 26
Mute Swan = 9
Canada Goose = 37
Coot = 6
Moorhen = 1
Cormorant = 1

Today, War Museum to Cornbrook:

266 Black-headed Gull
12 LBBGull
1 Herring Gull
5 Common Gull
30 Mallard
1 Grey Wagtail
10 Lapwing
12 Cormorant

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

WeBS count today 1630 - 1730
B H Gull = 230+
Common Gull = 4
LBB Gull = 25
Cormorant = 4
Heron = 1
Mallard = 29
Moorhen = 1
Mute Swan = 15
Coot = 9
Canada Goose = 36

1 Grey Wagtail.

WeBS count tonight 6.45 - 7.30pm

Mute Swan = 19
Canada Goose = 8
Mallard = 32
Grey Heron = 1
Moorhen = 3
Coot = 11
BH Gull = 405
LBB Gull = 3

Of note was the zero number of cormorant, presumably all gone off to Rostherne to roost. Canada Geese numbers down also, I know there are usually 20-30 in the area so presumably most have moved off to safe roosting sites.

Plus one fly over Peregrine going towards city centre

-- Edited by Nick Hilton on Sunday 19th of September 2010 08:20:08 PM

1 Common Tern currently mobbing BH Gulls on the Quays.

Most definitely! I would not dare stray into Salford for more than one reason!

Henry - assume it was flying on the Trafford boundary side and you were on that side too !!!!!!

1 Common Tern still present just west of the Lowry, slightly further downstream from the earlier sighting, at 2pm. Thanks for the info Nick.
Also a Herring Gull (2s) present amongst the Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. 2 Skylarks, 3 Lapwings and 2 Oystercatchers (over) at Pomona Docks.


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 12th of May 2010 03:52:23 PM

3 Common Tern currently over Quays

Late WEBS count today (0800 - 0900)

Coot = 10
Mute Swan = 26
Canada Goose = 18
B H Gull = 18
LBB Gull = 3
Mallard = 6
Cormorant = 11
Pochard = 1 (with damaged wing, as no other diving duck here assume can't fly - keeping to the quite quay behind the Copthorne Hotel)


Further down canal at Pomona - 6 Canada Geese, 4 Cormorant, 2 Lapwing

-- Edited by Nick Hilton on Saturday 20th of March 2010 12:57:46 PM

WEBS count from the War Museum to Trafford Road bridge at midday;
Mallard = 19
Coot = 13
Moorhen = 2
Cormorant = 10
Mute Swan = 30
Canada Goose = 22
B H Gull = 298
Common Gull = 31
LBB Gull = 7

No diving duck today. Unconfirmed report of a "Black" swan on the Quays in the week.

Pair of Goosander fishing in front of the Sailing Club on the Quays

WEBS count, from War Museum to Trafford Road bridge, at 11.30am
BH Gull 355
Common Gul 155
LBB Gull 9
Coot 26
M/hen 4
Mallard 36
Mute Swan 28
Canada Goose 26
Cormorant 13
Pochard 1

Currently circa 365 Tufties with 30 Pochard on (fast melting) Salford Quays

quick visit this afternoon

tiny amount of open water
mallard
coot
20 mute swan
50 canada geese
1 mistle thrush
1 female sparrowhawk
1 male goldeneye giving brilliant views
2 pied wags
1 grey wag
massive collection of gulls on frozen ice viewable on river from red swing bridge or bridge between lowry and imperial war museum - about 750 birds:
common gull
bh gull
lbb
gbb
thought may have had a 1st winter iceland gull but flew off before i could identify
What i'm saying is this is a potential hotspot for which i would encourage any gull spotters out there! I'm sure its a gold mine. i just haven't the skills to find the gold!

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Saturday 9th of January 2010 04:53:44 PM

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Saturday 9th of January 2010 05:04:35 PM

yesterday at midday:

2 mute swan
2 grey wagtails
2 pied wagtails
4 coot

Dave,Nick,nice to see you boys are looking after my old haunts but mr.thacker 9.25 and still on the tarmachope they coped untill you got there.

cheers geoff

The Peregrine was back on top of the War Museum this morning at 9.25am as I was driving past.

Peregrine perched up on point of War Museum yesterday at 6pm (dinner shift !) and at 8am this morning (breakfast shift !).

BH Gulls at the Rowans again this afternoon (hopes of winter Waxwings fast fading !!)

Interesting behaviour observation on the Quays today, the resident Black Headed Gull flock rose as one and then proceeded to decend on the Quays Rowan Trees and take the berries from the trees whilst on the wing. Not something I've observed before with Gulls !! Theres a good crop this year and was hoping for a couple of Waxwings, at this rate there will be none left !

Peregrine taken a Pigeon for breakfast from the War Museum 8am this morning. Flew with prey over towards the Lowry.

Mink at 8.30 this morning on the pontoons in front of the sailing club disturbing the waterbirds. Not seen on the Quays before.

Kingfisher near the sailing club today, along with swans covered in fishing line.

Dont you just hate poeple who dont tidy up after themselves.


keep birding

2 Comic Terns over Salford Quays heading towards Pomona @ 11:50am

Buzzard circling the Quays 12.30 this afternoon.

Singing chiffchaff at 0900 today in one of the ornamental trees alongside the Quays.
Also singing skylark over Pomona, 2 bullfinch and 14 cormorant.

Lunchtime sightings between Modwen Road and Agecroft Rowing club,
Salford Quays

Mute Swan 26
Cormorants 11
Canada Geese 21
Little Grebe 1
Goosander 1f
LBB Gulls 2
Common Gull 6+
BH Gull plenty (100+)
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail

Peregrine on point of War Museum at 8am this morning

11/11/08 0745 Peregrine hunting Quays from the War Museum

Go for it AD, find THE BIG ONE on Salford Quays !!

13th Oct 20 species midday - inc redshank and male goldeneye.