Song Thrush & Blackbird at Alder Fold
Juvenile Mistle Thrush on Featherstall Road (Just needed a Robin for the set
)

2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls over Lansdowne Road, harassing a Peregrine. The Peregrine's laboured wingbeats made me wonder if it was a juvenile.

Garden Warbler replaced by a Chiffchaff at the same location earlier this evening.

Oystercatcher over Windsor Road and Werneth Park on a south-westerly bearing at 23.10 tonight - roughly towards Audenshaw.

Garden Warbler singing from the side of the tram line near Suthers Street this afternoon. Probably here since Monday but only brief snatches of song as I was passing then.

The latest addition to GM's avian exotica!

A pale acid yellow bird about the size of a Black-headed Gull has just flown along Napier Street West, turned left down Windsor Road and headed in the general direction of Tandle Hills Park. From a quick Google search it looks like someone has lost a Lutino Cockatiel or Macaw or a Golden Conure. Treat any reports of Golden Orioles in the area with even more care than usual

Male Peregrine with prey (domestic/feral pigeon from the white tail) flew across Manchester Road from Chamber Road approx. 11.45 a.m.

Peregrine flying strongly SW - NE low across the tram line just north of Freehold tram stop at 14.50 p.m.

Greenfinch in display flight on Stockfield Street.

Late this afternoon, against the glooming clouds, a pair of Peregrines hanging on the wind at the junction of Windsor Road and Napier Street West, before heeling off on the wind down in front of the 24/7 Hotel. Great start to the month.

Originally posted today by Dave Philips:

Did the Park Run at Alexandra Park today and had 6 Ring necked Parakeets in the trees very vocal.

Cheers and Merry Christmas Dave P

Single Fieldfare in Rowans on Lansdowne Road around 16-45. Sounded as if it was calling up reinforcements to exploit the berry crop

12.00 - 13.00

As there isn't a Big Carpark/Shrubbery Watch headed to Werneth Park at lunchtime hoping it would be quiet enough to get a decent count for the RSPB. In the end it was a bit too quiet

Singles of:
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Nuthatch
Feral Pigeon

Max of 2:
Robin
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit

Magpie - 3

Woodpigeon 4

Long-tailed Tit 7

Only managed to hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker and just missed 5 Redwing, but they were seen by the gentleman who'd chosen to do 11.00 - 12.00 for his Watch, so it will be interesting to see what the combined totals are - if there's any way of finding out

First local Chiffchaff of the year, on the tram embankment at Alder Root.

Peacock Butterfly, Apfel Lane and first Buttercup on Manchester Street.

Raven fly-over this afternoon. The bird flew in an arc from Featherstall Road South across Middleton Road and back across the east side of Stockfield Mill heading towards Broadway. Ruffled a few feathers en route.

Plenty of activity among the local House Sparrows along Windsor Road this a.m. including some with nesting material.

Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit & Blue Tit all in good voice

Several Meadow Pipits over as well

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 30th of March 2014 05:06:57 PM

Redwing down to 2 today on Lansdowne Road, both "on guard" in the centre of the only tree with a decent number of red berries left. It seems that, like the Waxwings, they don't really like the orange ones left at the other end.

Minimum of 18 Redwing now in competition with about 12 Wood Pigeons for the remaining berries. Oddly, 1 tree at the far end still has quite a few berries but all the birds are concentrating on about 3 trees at the other end. Follow-my-leader feeding?

Still at least a dozen Redwing feeding here at lunchtime yesterday, with more heard in the conifers nearby. One bird over-flying at about 16.40 p.m.

C50 Redwing on Lansdowne Road this afternoon, feeding on the berry-laden trees.

bev dobson wrote:

---

I live in Failsworth and a flock of something I cant identify keeps flitting from tree to tree, it is not the waxwings, they dont have the little crests and they are bigger than these birds, but they look like some sort of pippit or other, but they are not too much smaller than a blackbird, I would love your help in identifying them. Their beaks are sharp and thin and in flight their tails seem short in proportion to their bodies. Thanking you in anticipation, Bev Dobson

---

I think our fellow birders below have nailed it for you Bev, I'd also say I'm quite sure you've been watching Redwings.
Cheers
Rob

That was my first thought. Look at BTO winter thrush ID link.

Listen for the squeaking call

There have certainly been a few Redwing passing south overnight over The Coppice these last few weeks.

A bit of a stab in the dark, but might they be Redwing? There's quite a lot around at the moment.

I live in Failsworth and a flock of something I cant identify keeps flitting from tree to tree, it is not the waxwings, they dont have the little crests and they are bigger than these birds, but they look like some sort of pippit or other, but they are not too much smaller than a blackbird, I would love your help in identifying them. Their beaks are sharp and thin and in flight their tails seem short in proportion to their bodies. Thanking you in anticipation, Bev Dobson

Robins (2) on Windsor Road, both in the car dealership hedge, one singing, the other foraging about 20 ft apart
Dunnock singing on Windsor Road
Blackbird singing on Stockfield Street

also Harlequin Ladybird still around Windsor Road flats.

7th November.

Foxdenton Park - c70 Mallard, 5+ Moorhen on the pond together with quite a few Call Ducks which have arrived here since my last visit. c30 Black Headed Gull, plus 1 Common Gull on adjacent playing fields.

On nearby farmland which contains a mixture of both grazed and rough grassland - c20 Meadow Pipit, 1 Reed Bunting, c40 Redwing, c25 Fieldfare and 1 Kestrel. Sadly all of this land is now earmarked for possible development and may be lost as a habitat for local wildlife to use.

On 12/10 a flock of 20+ calling Whooper Swans flew south over my Chadderton home! c50 Redwing over on 11/10. Also I've seen/heard the odd one or two calling Rooks flying over my house in recent weeks - possibly birds from Birch which may wander further afield outside of the breeding season?

Cheers,

Bil.

Small numbers of Redwings passing over my Chadderton home around the middle of the day yesterday (2/10) - all heading west - c20, 6, 3 and then 4.

Cheers,

Bill.

3rd Winter Caspian Gull on John Newman College Field, viewed at 50 metres distance from the comfort of home.

Managed to scope it before it flew off after 20 mins.

Checking the gulls that turn up on the field has finally paid off

Weds 18th June 21.00 -23-00

Walk from Werneth to Foxdenton Hall and back for Woodcock survey

Swift - 2 low-level screaming parties near suitable nesting sitrs en route, plus min 4 birds hunting over the sewage works.
Grey Heron
Song Thrush at least 2 singing males (1 VERY vocal)
Mistle Thrush 1 with food
Blackbird 5 singing males (minimum)
Magpie 3 adult plus 1 very recently fledged juv
Wood Pigeon
Starling
House Sparrow - good numbers
Mallard
Swallow - 2 then 6 together over the sewage works

plus at least 1 Pipistrelle

Alder Root

Singing Whitethroat, Dunnock and Blackcap

Good crop of Sulphur Tuft at Apfel Lane

Singing Blackcap at Alder Fold this afternoon. One there briefly on Thursday May 9th.

Daytime recce for the BTO Woodcock Survey (Coppice to Foxdenton Hall via Butler Green)

Blackcap 1s
Greenfinch -several song flighting
Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Starling
Robin
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Canada Goose
Mallard
Moorhen -inc 1 on nest
Swallow 1 over Hall
Kestrel - 1
Nuthatch 1 (heard only)
Chaffinch pair, also another male s
Collared Dove pair
Blackbird
Wren

Buff-tailed Bumblebee 2
White-tailed Bumblebee1



-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Friday 26th of April 2013 08:42:17 PM

Completely forgot about it but a couple of weeks ago a Cormorant flew along the canal alongside Broadgate.
And at last a Swallow this week while arriving at work on Broadgate.

18th February.

A Buzzard - good views this time of one being mercilessly harried by crows - in same spot as one heard on 23/1, alongside the Rochdale Canal nr the animal petting farm at Chadderton. Also here, I had a good look through a small flock of c20 Woodpigeon hoping for my first local Stock Dove (without luck) but there were 2 juvenile Woodpigeons feeding in close proximity amongst the flock - presumably siblings from a late 2012 brood or a very, very early 2013 brood? Feral Pigeons along the canal are on nests for 12 months of the year, so it possibly wouldn't be a surprise for the odd Woodpigeon pair to have young outside of the recognised breeding season. A Goldcrest was singing in the same area.

In my Chadderton garden today - a pair of Robins (one messing around with likely nesting material) and my first singing Blackbird of the year this evening.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 18th of February 2013 06:29:53 PM

Mike Passant wrote

"Piensa en todo lo que podemos hacer juntos" - Just think what we can achieve together - hence 'make a bigger mess than we can working alone?'

Nothing to do with Jamican (or any other nationality's) Woodbines, Roger , just Google translate

hacer un lío más grande de lo que trabajar solo? .............. To make a mess bigger than working alone?

Mike, have you been been smoking those Jamaican Woodbines again ?

Roger

Mike Chorley wrote:

---

hacer un lío más grande de lo que trabajar solo?

---

I'm afraid you are going to have to explain that one! I have had a go at a translation but you wouldn't be happy with the outcome!

En route to & from Wince Brook this afternoon:

Greenfinch 1 (Oxford St, Werneth)
House Sparrow 3 (Eaves Lane)
Robin (Eaves Lane & Foxdenton Hall)
Magpie
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (Foxdenton Hall)
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Moorhen 7 (Foxdenton Hall)
Wren
Kestrel 1 (Swan Mill)
Jackdaw 28 (6 Swan Mill, 22 Foxdenton Hall)
Canada Goose 10 (4 Rochdale Canal, 6 Foxdenton Hall)
Black-headed Gull
Mistle Thrush 1 (Foxdenton Hall)
Mallard 70 (Ditto)
Collared Dove 1 (Ditto)
Starling 1 (Ditto)
Goldfinch 1 (Ditto)
Long-tailed Tit 2 (ditto)
Blackbird

6th February - Chadderton.

On two recent but only brief visits to Foxdenton Park to feed the ducks. A female Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming gently and in just short bursts today and was quickly accosted by another female, before they had a brief skirmish. I can't recall ever seeing males of this species fighting (although I'm sure they probably do) but I have lost track of the number of times I've seen females fighting. So much for the fairer sex! An unseen woodpecker was drumming here 1st Feb.

Also today - 1 Nuthatch (having not personally recorded this species in Chadderton until recently, I've now seen single birds in Chadderton Cemetery, Chadderton Hall Park and now Foxdenton Park, all in the last few months), 2 Siskin and a Kestrel was lurking along the woodland edge and unnerving all the tits and finches.

1st February - a Chaffinch sang, a pair of Blue Tits investigated a nest box and a Moorhen sat briefly on last years nest, although no eggs appeared to be present this early in the year.

Cheers,

Bill.

25th January - Chadderton.

Another visit this afternoon to look for this possible Water Rail along the R. Irk... found a Moorhen lurking in roughly the same area! Just goes to show how fleeting views can sometimes lead to poor judgement...on my part! Definitely on my face time!

Anyway along the Irk was a redhead Goosander and a Pied Wagtail. The Meadow Pipit was still in roughly the same area.
A good sized flock of c50 Siskin were feeding on alders and were not too far away from the location that a slightly larger flock (also on alders) was noted on 10/1.

On an area of ploughed up land adjacent to the Rochdale Canal given over to an animal and petting farm were c10 Lapwing, exactly 5 Skylark and 6 Common Gull amongst c20 Black-headed Gull. The kept wildfowl on this farm, amongst others, appeared to include what looked from a considerable distance admittedly to be 4 Black Swans.

A Sparrowhawk sent the tits and finches near Chadderton Hall Park into a frenzy and there was also a flock of c80 Starling restlessly flying about.

Cheers,

Bill.

Mark Rigby wrote:

---

Bill Myerscough wrote:

---

Walking alongside the Irk I caught sight of what looked like the back end of a small rail close to the bank. Typically, this was the only time my binoculars were in my rucksack!

---

Bill, what on earth where you thinking? Binoculars in your rucksack! Why do you think God gave you a neck?

---

Hi Mark,

You do realise that my life might have been in danger, as coming towards me along the footpath were two scrawny, primary school boys and that it might have been a case of binoculars in rucksack or no binoculars at all!! What a wimp!

Cheers,

Bill.

Bill Myerscough wrote:

---

Walking alongside the Irk I caught sight of what looked like the back end of a small rail close to the bank. Typically, this was the only time my binoculars were in my rucksack!

---

Bill, what on earth where you thinking? Binoculars in your rucksack! Why do you think God gave you a neck?

23rd January.

Mid to late afternoon.

Another visit to look for Dipper along the R. Irk in Chadderton drew yet another blank. No sightings yet this winter in the spot where single birds were seen in Feb'11 and May '10.

Other stuff about in Chadderton Hall Park and along the nearby R. Irk & the Rochdale Canal. A Nuthatch was in a garden adjacent to the park. It and at least 1 Coal Tit were busy raiding a bird feeder for sunflower hearts and looking for places to cache their food. The Nuthatch appeared to favour hiding it in an owl box! A small flock of c10 Goldfinch were in the trees nearby, some singing exuberantly and brightening up a cold and grey afternoon. Walking alongside the Irk I caught sight of what looked like the back end of a small rail close to the bank. Typically, this was the only time my binoculars were in my rucksack!... and it appeared to have vanished into an area of collapsed river bank by the time they were recovered. My initial impressions were that this was too small for Moorhen but it will just have to go down as one that got away. If anyone local wants to have a look for what might possibly have been a Water Rail then it was only 150 yards or so upstream of where the R.Irk goes underneath the Rochdale Canal at the Mills Hill end of Chadderton Hall Park. Good luck! A single Meadow Pipit was looking for food on this collapsed banking.

Adjacent to the Rochdale Canal in this area is a recently set up animal and petting farm. On some churned up but seemingly unfrozen pasture there, were c20 Lapwing, c5 Skylark and 2 Fieldfare foraging and a few other Meadow Pipits could be heard calling. An unseen Buzzard called a few times and I had one fly over my Chadderton home a few days ago.

A few Starlings were flying around in a pre-roost gathering.

Cheers,

Bill.

Mike Chorley wrote:

---

Hi Bill.
Could the Coal Tit calls be 'Sparrowhawk' alarm calls. I've noticed certain species give a specific, quite distinctive call when a Sparrowhawk is near

Cheers
Mike

---

Hi Mike,

Yes I'm sure there is a very good possibility that they were indeed alarm calls, specifically as you say for Sparrowhawk. You're right too about the specific Sparrowhawk alarm calls of certain species - I have learned to pick up on the individual Sparrowhawk alarm calls given out from both the House Sparrows and the Starlings that visit my garden. Their calls alert me, sometimes often well before the bird of prey finally arrives! As you rightly say this alarm call seems to be entirely different from say the alarm call of a House Sparrow noting the presence of a cat. Just at a slight tangent I have often suspected but can't be sure that other species are sometimes aware of and can react to another species alarm calls. What fascinates me is how that works - are the different sounding Sparrowhawk alarm calls of different species somehow all pitched at a particular frequency, which then allows other species to recognise it as such? Probably not really a topic for further investigation on this sightings thread but possibly on the "Bird Behaviour" thread, if anyone has any further info.

By the way I forgot to mention in my last post that a Starling was singing from just outside of a previously used nesting hole in next doors roof space just the other day and was doing its own version of what sounded like female Mallard type calls! I've heard and watched elsewhere Starling doing Teal contact calls before but Mallard is a new one on me!

Best wishes,


Bill.


-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Tuesday 15th of January 2013 07:08:46 PM

Hi Bill.
Could the Coal Tit calls be 'Sparrowhawk' alarm calls. I've noticed certain species give a specific, quite distinctive call when a Sparrowhawk is near

Cheers
Mike

A noticeable southerly movement of winter thrushes at 1.00 pm today (14/1) over my Chadderton home. Approx. 200 mixed thrushes, roughly in a ratio of 9:1 of Fieldfare to Redwing (hard to be sure as they were well spread out) - some on a flight line directly over my house and others on a flight line due west but still heading south. A cold weather movement in response to the overnight and early morning snowfall? Also a small flock of c15 Siskin heading west 5 or so minutes later and another c5 chasing after a Sparrowhawk heading NW at around 1.10 pm. A pair of Coal Tits were making some unusual vocalisations in a neighbours Pine tree at around the same time - not sounds I have heard from this species before - I actually thought it might be another species until I got a good look at them. Some sort of courtship calls possibly? A pair of Magpies have spent a lot of time recently around their old nest and a pair of Woodpigeons have reappeared in the garden after several months absence and spend a lot of time sat atop the lamp post at the top of my front garden and indulge in long bouts of bonding and mutual preening, with both parties of the pair paying special attention to the top of the head and back of the neck of the other bird. They copulated today in broad daylight on said lamp post. Mind you pigeons seem able to breed for much of the year, with several Feral Pigeons sat on nests and nestlings heard calling from nests underneath a Chadderton box girder bridge on 10th January.

Back to Siskins and there appears to have been a few more birds around of late, with a nice sized flock of c60 feeding on alders aside the Rochdale Canal in Chadderton on 10th January and a mixed flock of c40 Siskin and Goldfinch feeding on birch and alder next to the car park at Tesco's at Westwood the following day.

c25 Redwing were having a communal sing-song in Foxdenton Park on 4th January, when c70 Mallard and 7+ Moorhen were on the ponds there.

A bit further back in the mists of time, a Nuthatch was in Chadderton Cemetery on 23rd October 2012. This was my first ever Chadderton Nuthatch - the area seems to be a bit of a blind spot for this species, despite suitable habitat for it being available in Chadderton Hall Park, Foxdenton Park and especially so the cemetery. Further visits are required to see if a pair might attempt to breed there this year.

Back in my Chadderton garden up to a dozen Blackbirds have very uneasily co-existed in the back garden, feeding on bread and apples. Possibly up to three Sparrowhawks have been seen in recent weeks, a female and what appears to be 2 different males.

Cheers,

Bill.

Quick circuit of Werneth Park at lunchtime.

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch 2
Greenfinch
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Robin
Collared Dove
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Goldfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Chaffinch
Redwing 12

Song Thrush in good voice for the last three days at Alder Root.

6 Mistle Thrush heading to a regular roost on the vegetated tower of the disused St. John's Church on John St. Also the corpse (sternum and wings only) of a Black-headed Gull in the gutter of nearby Alfred Street.

3rd September.

Brilliant prolonged views of a Spotted Flycatcher foraging openly off the roof of a farm barn not far from the Rochdale Canal in Chadderton this afternoon. It was sometimes "buzzed" by the local Swallows for its troubles! Also here was a flock of c50 House Sparrow. Also along the canal - 3 very vocal Grey Wagtails - some dispute was noted and I wondered if a pair might even have been prospecting for a nest site for next year? (a pair has bred here before). Also whilst watching these 3 birds antics - what appeared to be a family party of 4 Blackcaps (one male and 3 "browncaps") were bathing in a water filled depression in a sluice running around one of the locks.

Other recent Chadderton records.

Tawny Owl heard hooting from my house 31/8, 1 Swift over 2/9, there was a noticeable influx of Blackbirds into the garden this morning (3/9) with 12+ feeding on the remnants of the Rowan berries. They only stopped for 15 minutes or so and were gone - possibly migrants? Around a dozen or so House Sparrows all try and cram into the bird bath late in the day before going to roost in the tangle of ivy and virginia creeper growing on my neighbours house. Fantastic to watch them.

Cheers,

Bill.

21st July am.

Werneth Park - a visit on my way home from Alexandra Park.

Family parties of Blackcap, Jay and Goldcrest. An adult Woodpigeon was accompanied by 1 juvenile and another Woodpigeon was nest building. 2 Nuthatch were seen.

Cheers,

Bill.

From the tram:

Grey Heron on the mill lodge between New Road and Agnes Street, Nimble Nook, this morning. Flew up from the lodge and appeared to perch on the disused mill.