Tawny Owl heard calling at 10:45 this morning during a quick dog walk.

Also a Common Buzzard over being mobbed by two Carrion Crows - first I can recall seeing in the Shaw area.

1 Jay, 2 Coal Tit and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Nuthatch seen here a couple of days ago.

Just been listening to a Tawny Owl calling in the vicinity of St. Joseph's, Heyside. First I have personally heard for years, but have heard reports of one calling in the Sumner Street area a few times recently.

Dipper feeding recently (at least 3) fledged young at the confluence of River Beal/Old Brook early this PM also Grey Wagtail.

Salmon Fields pond and surroundings

Blackcap
Grey Heron
Jay
Moorhen
possible Garden Warbler sang once

Thursday 27th.
Dipper singing on a rock in the River Beal nr Jubilee bend Shaw.

Cheers Dave Phillips

Sparrowhawk patrolling in Cowlishaw area this morning.

I saw the peregrine on Vulcan street about the same time Jan 2012, it took down a wood pigeon in the air and landed in the road.

-- Edited by Angela C on Monday 12th of November 2012 08:00:28 PM

-- Edited by Angela C on Monday 12th of November 2012 08:00:53 PM

Whilst at a very well attended Remembrance service at Shaw War Memorial this morning, a Sparrowhawk flew over the gathering and rested briefly in one of the trees surrounding the monument before taking flight again and heading off toward High Crompton.

Very pleasant walk from Heyside down the Beal from Heyside and on through Dunwood Park in the Autumn sunshine this morning.

20+ Long Tailed Tit
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Mallard
3 Robin
Loads of Magpie
Flock of excited Starling
Great Tit

But no Dipper this time.

small flock of twite this morning fields near Jubilee

I live not far away in New Hey and last winter had my first ever garden Nuthatch. None this winter though.....yet.

Chris

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this or not, please move if it isnt.
Spotted a pair of Nuthatch this morning while feeding the sheep, they announced their arrival! lovely to see and unusual for our patch, came with a flock of long tailed tits, near Jubilee

Well worth stopping there every so often. Last summer we saw some terrapins (??) at one end, nearest the traffic lights on Shaw road. Usually see something of interest there.

BTW, why don't people eat Canada Geese? They are big and tame and there are far too many of them...

Quick stop at Salmon Fields Pond today. Just a mile from home and somewhere I regularly drive past, but never pay much attention to.

3 Moorhen
32 Canada Geese
Pair of Mallard

May have to stop more often in future.

Hi Dave,

Not quite the same area, but I saw a peregrine over Lees Village about a year ago.

Tom

Was unsure where to post about Derker, without starting a new thread, but as it is pretty much between Shaw and Oldham this seems as good a place as any.

I work in Derker and when we got in this morning one of my colleagues who cycles to and from work came out with "I saw an amazing sight on my way home last night" his exact words and still quite excited about what he had witnessed. "As I was riding along London Road something came shooting down from a height and took a pigeon down with it in a flurry of feathers. As I got within about 10 yards I could see on the ground a Peregrine with a wing pretty much around the pigeon as if to stake claim to it."

There is a lot of housing being demolished in this area and this apparently happened on land left empty by a row of demolished terraced houses.

Not a first hand sighting I know, but I did ask if it could have been a Sparrowhawk and he was adamant it was definitely a Peregrine. This would have happened just after 4pm.

I just wondered if there were any more sightings in this area as I have never heard of any. I might have to spend my lunchtimes on Falcon watch from now on.


-- Edited by Dave Colton on Tuesday 17th of January 2012 08:40:06 PM

-- Edited by Dave Colton on Tuesday 17th of January 2012 08:40:43 PM

common gull over chadderton at about 2pm monday 25th july

25th July.

At least 1, probably 2 Grey Cockatiels around the telecoms mast on Oldham Edge this morning. Many thanks to Mark Rigby for coming up with their ID from my flimsy description!

Of slightly more interest whilst standing around looking at these lovely birds in their native habitat I also spotted a Song Thrush carrying food (a new confirmed breeding record for this atlas tetrad) and a family party of Willow Warblers.

Cheers,

Bill.

Interesting article in the Oldham Advertiser dated 9/6/11 under the headline of the "Chatter of tiny beaks" about a pair of Mistle Thrush that had been responsible for the first birth at the new womens and childrens centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital. The report stated that "More than a year before the building is due to open, a thrush has hatched 4 eggs on the steel frame-work - to the delight of construction staff".

Cheers,

Bill.

Whilst at Salmon Fields, did you see the small group of turtles (??) near the right hand end? When I saw them, they were just sitting there in the sunshine. I assume they were domestic ones let out when they became too big?

Peter

Salmon fields pond and surrounding area produced the following:

kingfisher on wall on right edge of pond
juv little grebe
moorhen with young
Bullfinch
Jay
blackcap
willow warbler
possible garden warbler, only saw a brief glimpse.

common darter
broad-bodied chaser(perhaps someone with a bit more dragofly i.d skills could
go and check this one out to confirm, though I did see both male and female.)
common blue damselfly
large red damselfly
blue-tailed damselfly

water forget-me-not
fox and cubs
marsh marigold
white water lily

comma
dark green fritillary
large skipper
small skipper
speckled wood
brimstone

Dun Wood Park - Thursday 12th May 06:30 to 09:00 hrs

A Lesser Whitethroat sang briefly, without showing itself, from the hawthorns on Small Brook Road. Opposite side of the road to the wood at SD941103.

A Treecreeper was heard calling and when finally located was seen carrying food (FF). So Bill's post on this species on the GM Atlas section of the forum was certainly well timed. However, sod's (note the correct use of the apostrophe, sod being singular ) law applies as Treecreeper has already been confirmed as breeding in SD91K Jubilee What is interesting is that the species was absent from this 10km square at the time of the last GM Atlas 1979-83 and the last national Atlas 1988-91, so perhaps indicates that there has been some expansion in its distribution or infilling.

Blackcap - 2 singing
Chiffchaff 1 S

Plenty of breeding activity:
Recently fledged Robin with adult nearby (FL). The noises coming from the undergrowth suggest other juvs were being fed.
Blackbird carrying food
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 watched drumming on dead upright branch of oak. Seems quite late for this.
Wood Pigeon sitting on nest (ON)
A Great Tit carrying food disappeared into a drainpipe on cottages Small Brook Rd


Steve

We saw one dipper on the Beal the other day. It is in a suburban area, between a factory and some houses. It few up and down the river as we walked past. I have heard that they nest under a bridge over the Beal, near the work being carried out for Metrolink.

welcome dave-keep posting

Hello, this is my first time on - hope I'm doing it right!

1:30pm Friday 16th May, 2008

Pair of dippers on River Beal near Jubilee NR, Shaw, Oldham. Seen them in the winter before but not in breeding season.

Piethorn Valley, 2 coot, 2 curlew, common sandpiper, willow warblers everywhere!




-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 21:20, 2008-05-16