9.45-10.25am
2 Goosander -pair displaying
7 Teal - 4m, 3f
1 Buzzard flew into swampy area trees
1 GS Woodpecker
2 Mute Swan
1 Redwing
1 Moorhen
2 Coot
Lots of common birds singing plus a Blue Tit doing his parachute display flight.

10:30 - 11:00
2 Mute Swans
1 Canada Goose
7 Farm yard ducks
1 Buzzard in the swamp trees before being chased off by 2 crows
2 Long tailed tits
1 Treecreeper site first

14:30-15:00
2 Mute Swans
1 Coot
7 Farm Yard Ducks
4 Teal 3M 1F Fire station end
40+ Redwings on football field behind fireman's houses.

12.00-12.30pm

1 Buzzard low over being mobbed by a Carrion Crow before it settled in trees at the swampy bit
1 Grey Heron
6 Teal (3 pairs)
2 LT Tit

11.15am-12.15pm
Warm sunshine, lots of birds singing

Prince's Park:
2 Treecreeper
5 Teal

Boathouse 'old tip':
It's a while since I've been here but I was appalled to see that the 'improvement' works have ripped out an entire reedbed that is a breeding area for Reed Bunting and a number of other species and probably had Water Rail in winter.
However that large expanse of open water that it has created had:
50+ Tufted Duck
48 Canada Geese
1 Mute Swan
2 Coot
1 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron

12.20-1.00pm

1 Goosander (m) - then flew off towards MS Canal
1 Kingfisher
1 Grey Heron
4 Teal (2m 2f)
1 Cormorant over
2 Bullfinch - pair
3 Mute Swan -2 ad 1 juv
Also the white farmyard ducks still but now only 7 birds!

Yesterday c35 Redwing feeding on football pitches

12:30-13:30
Teal 3m 1f
Reed Bunting 1m (only the second 1 seen in 2years boathouse end)
Bullfinch 1m
Goosander 1m 1f
Greenfinch 3m
Mute Swan 2 + 1 juvenile

2.30-3.15pm
14 Teal - (6m, 8f) a new site record for me. Lots of noisy displaying going on!
1 Goosander (f)
1 Kingfisher
1 Redwing
1 Moorhen
23 Canada Geese
Now only 8 White farmyard ducks!

09:00 - 10:00 this morning.
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1F 1 over
2 Song Thrush
5 Redwing
1 Grey Heron
1 Jay
1 Goosander F
1 Kingfisher
2 Moorhens
lots of Blue/Great Tit's Robins ,Blackbirds Mallard and 9 Farmyard Ducks.

Walk round the Old River Irwell 10:15-11:20
3 Wren
5 Goldfinch
Buzzard still there being harassed by a Crow and a Magpie
Robin 8+
1 heron
Goosander 2F 1M Boathouse end.
Teal 3m 2f
1 Bullfinch M 1st this winter
2 Moorhen
2 mute Swans

female Goosander & 1 Cormorant on the Old River Irwell viewable from the Boathouse Pub

2.45pm - A Blackbird with completely white outer tail feathers - very visible as it flew. Other than that it looked completely normal.

I must have just missed you Phil. I was in the park 11.20-12.10pm !
Sightings much the same but a couple of interesting additions:

1 Blackcap - male - in bushes at end of Highbury Ave was a big surprise (winter site record for me!)
The Buzzard sat in the trees in the swampy section then flew off south after being mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows - also a site first for me!
1 pair of Goosander at Boathouse end (I didn't go down far enough to the firestation end to see the other pair)
3 Kingfishers - 2 birds together perched on the same branch (presumably a pair with one bird calling repeatedly to the other and seemed to be doing a bit of displaying to the other) also 1 single bird further along at the Boathouse end - site record for me!
1 Reed Bunting (f) - near Boathouse - another site first for me!
1 Nuthatch - called from high up in one of the tall poplar trees but I couldn't see it.
5 Mistle Thrush
2 Mute Swans
3 Teal (2f 1m)
1 Heron
2 Cormorants overhead
1 Moorhen
9 white Farmyard ducks still - the 10th bird the other day was separate from the regular group of 9. It is intriguing as to where these birds have come from!

Walk through the park and around the old river Irwell 10:00-11:00
1 F Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Buzzard in the trees in the swamp section a site first for me.
2 pairs of Goosander fire station end boathouse end.
3 Teal 2f 1m.
1 Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Kingfisher's together near the Riverside outfall flew off towards the boathouse.
2 Mute Swans
lots of Mallard and the farmyard ducks back to 9.

1.00-1.45pm

2 redhead Goosander still on old river Irwell at Boathouse end.
No sign of the pair at the firestation end though.
Also:
1 Kingfisher
4 Teal (3f 1m)
2 Mute Swan
at least 14 Mallard
2 Redwing
2 Song Thrush
20+ Goldfinch
Now 10 white farmyard ducks!

Robin singing in the park at 12.45am last night!
Also another heard singing from Ferryhill Rd, Irlam a few minutes later.

Good record of the Goosanders Phil. Not a species I've recorded in the park before but I have seen them on the nearby M/cr Ship Canal before.

2 pairs of Goosander on the Old River 1 pair at the boat house and another at the fire station end a site first for me
Teal 2 f 1 m
The farmyard ducks are back to 9, 1 looking a bit worst for wear.
9 Long tailed tits.

10.50-11.25am
8 Teal - 4m & 4f - equals my site record count here for Teal.

14:00 Half hour walk with the dog's
3 Teal 2m 1f
1 Kingfisher rear of Boathouse
White farmyard Duck's still there only seen 8
lot's of Blue Tits,Great Tits seen.

12.15pm
1 Sparrowhawk
21 Canada Geese
2 Mute Swans (incl V16)
1 Heron - actively fishing
1 Grey Wagtail
Redpoll - heard only

10.00-10.30am
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Teal
1 Mute Swan (V16)
c.20 Canada Geese
Also a group of 9 white farmyard ducks that have appeared from somewhere.

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 30th of October 2013 08:02:38 PM

4.15-4.45pm A rather windy half hour walk this afternoon in the park. Main highlights:

Flock of c.50 Swift, c.15 House Martin, c.10 Swallow all swooping very low to ground and within a couple of feet of me at times giving great views - especially the Swifts. Even people passing by were taking note.
1 juv BH Gull on it's own in middle of football pitch hunkered down and looking rather vulnerable.

12.00-12.45pm

1 Yellow Wagtail over south and then back north a few mins later - a new sight record for me
1 Jay again

08:00 - 08:30
Well done on the Jay Steve never seen 1 down there.
3 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
1 Bullfinch (m)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Asleep)
2 Teal pair
2 Mute Swan Displaying and mating.

1.15-2.00pm

1 Jay - new site record for me!
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Siskin over
4 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
1 Swallow
1 GS Woodpecker
1 Goldcrest
1 Coal Tit
2 Grey Wagtail - pair
2 Mute Swan - Resident pair- female now on nest

No Waxwings this morning 8am
6 blue tits
3 Great tits
4 Chaffinch 3 f 1m
2 Grey Heron
2 Song Thrush
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Dunnock
2 Long Tailed Tits
2 Teal
1 Great S Woodpecker over Riverside east towards Boathouse
2 Tufted Duck 1m 1f
1 Chiffchaff

6.45pm

No sign of any Waxwings this evening

However:
2 Swallow and 12 Sand Martins together heading north
2 Chiffchaff
1 Bullfinch
2 Teal - both m
pair Mute Swan

'Old Tip' Boathouse Pool :
c.20 Tufted Duck
1 Meadow Pipit

9.45-10.30am
Minimum 28 Waxwings near Boathouse pub (more heard nearby). All flew over river to new housing estate at 9.55am.
2 Curlew over south
3 Chiffchaff (2 singing)
2 Sand Martin east
1 Bullfinch - m
4 Teal - 2 pairs
Pair Mute Swans
1 GS Woodpecker

10 waxwing in tall poplars in Prince's Park, Irlam at 8.10 today. Flew off eastwards.
Also, singing chiffchaff, song thrush, chaffinch, goldfinch, great tit.
3 redwing
A brambling was alternating between the normal flight call and a sort of subsong.

Great find Phil -well done!

I went to look for the Waxwings this morning (9.30am) and numbers had built to c.40 in trees at bottom Highbury Avenue Irlam first for me (and not for the want of trying!!)
Also:
1 Cormorant on old river
Pair Mute Swans
1 Tufted Duck - m
1 Redpoll over
2 Oystercatchers over
1 Grey Heron
1 GS Woodpecker drumming
2 Chiffchaff singing
1 Bullfinch
2 Wrens

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Thursday 11th of April 2013 10:53:32 AM

Just had a walk round the park and got to the Boathouse
10 Waxwings
bathing first for me happy bunny

Was in the park 17:30 ish
seen the same...
Redwings
2 Bramblings
1 Heron
10 Goldfinch
1 G S Woodpecker
1 Robin
4 teal
New to this but seen 2 what looked like wheatear's

7.00pm
1 singing Chiffchaff - my first of the spring
4 Teal (2 pairs)
flock of 17 Redwing feeding on football pitches
2 Mistle Thrushes (feeding with the Redwings)
2 Long-tailed Tits

There was a noisy Oystercatcher over at about 15:00 as my lads team were losing to Irlam.....

5.30pm
2 Oystercatchers noisily overhead heading NW towards Irlam moss
3 Tufted Duck - all m
1 Teal - f
1 LBB Gull
3 BH Gull

1 Nuthatch in mixed tit flock. Not seen one in the park for a while.
Also Bullfinch heard

1 Kingfisher on the 'old river' Irwell at 10.35am today.
1 GS Woodpecker

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 3rd of November 2012 09:09:58 PM

late post for yesterday 5.15pm:

1 Nuthatch with a party of Blue and Great Tits. First I've seen in the park since Jan 2011

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and c.60 Black-headed Gulls feeding on flooded playing field

Kingfisher on 'old river' Irwell at 2.15pm today

5.00pm

3 Teal (2m 1f)

5-6pm

2 Chiffchaff in mixed tit flock
1 Treecreeper
1 GS Woodpecker
2 Teal

Winter duck numbers building up nicely. Now 2 Teal on the 'Old River' Irwell !!

1 Teal - first returning bird of the 'winter'! Numbers usually build to c.8 birds
2 young Wrens sat together in a patch of brambles.

Discovered today the Swans actually have 3 cygnets!

The normally productive pair of Mute Swans in Princes Park only have 2 half grown cygnets this year. Last year they raised 7 and two years ago they raised 8. Mink?

9.00-9.45am

3 Sparrowhawks chasing each other through and over the woods.
3 Blackcaps singing
1 Willow Warbler singing
Pair displaying Blue Tits

3-4pm 2/4/11 Buzzard over Singing Chiffchaff Resident pair of Mute Swans - male sat on nest, female close by 8 Tufted Duck Pair Teal GS Woodpecker drumming

4.15pm
Water Rail on 'old river' Irwell. 3 out of last 4 winters for Water Rail here but 1st I've had this winter.
Pair of Teal