c70 over Lark Hill/Castleshaw valley at 11:20 this morning.
Paul A Brown said
Thu Nov 15 9:28 PM, 2012
Circa 150 west over Astley at 1200
Matt Potter said
Thu Nov 15 4:22 PM, 2012
Yesterday a skein of 59 flew over Failsworth from the Northwest and then turned and headed North.
dave broome said
Thu Nov 15 5:24 AM, 2012
c85 low ESE over Ashton-in-Makerfield at 07:51 this morning
Dave Tennant said
Thu Nov 15 3:43 AM, 2012
Approx 50 heading east , then south, before flying soth east over ellenbrook 1225 today.
Nigel Troup said
Sun Nov 11 4:11 PM, 2012
c60 heading east over Davenport, Stockport at 08:00.
Bernard McGurrin said
Sat Nov 10 2:02 AM, 2012
60+ flying in a westerly direction over Bickershaw rucks 08-35 am
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Nov 9 5:29 PM, 2012
280 SE over Manchester City Centre at 09:20 this morning.
Steve Suttill said
Fri Nov 9 5:21 PM, 2012
Cheers Mark I'd rather the trees at the back of my house hadn't been cut down and have missed a few geese - though it was quite a spectacle.
Mark Deakin said
Fri Nov 9 5:01 PM, 2012
My excuse is a restricted view between trees!!-)
Mark Deakin said
Fri Nov 9 4:55 PM, 2012
c 70 flying SSE over Mossley at 8.50 this am.
Tony Coatsworth said
Fri Nov 9 4:30 PM, 2012
Approx 50 over Central Library at 08:10 heading east
I rarely see them this close to the city centre !
dave broome said
Fri Nov 9 4:26 PM, 2012
70 SW then W over skitters wood ashton-in-makerfield 0814 this morning
Steve Suttill said
Fri Nov 9 8:53 AM, 2012
350+ over Mossley heading SE at 08.45
-- Edited by Steve Suttill on Friday 9th of November 2012 08:53:54 AM
Chris Harper said
Thu Nov 8 10:36 PM, 2012
60 over Etherow CP at 9.45 this morning.
pete berry said
Thu Nov 8 6:14 PM, 2012
50 west over Astley at 10.05am today
Lynne Webster said
Tue Nov 6 2:50 PM, 2012
Approx 250 in 4 skeins flying south east over Woodford, 7.30am yesterday. It was a still, sunny dawn, and it was the first time that I actually heard the geese as well as seeing them. To me, their constant low murmuring flight call sounded like they were keeping up a continuous conversation as they flew.
Phil Owen said
Tue Nov 6 4:36 AM, 2012
Approx 70 over Wythenshawe this morning at 8am heading SE.
Nigel Troup said
Tue Nov 6 3:19 AM, 2012
100+ NE over Longsight, 08:30. Too distant to count properly.
dave broome said
Mon Nov 5 3:55 PM, 2012
Approx 150 E over ashton-in-makerfield 0740 today
sid ashton said
Sat Nov 3 11:27 PM, 2012
Estimate 250 - 300 over our Hale garden NE at 15.40 this afternoon.
Graham Smith said
Tue Oct 30 5:33 PM, 2012
1 x 30 1 x 60 flying south at 7 30am towards manchester airport
dave broome said
Tue Oct 30 4:32 PM, 2012
Approx 105 west over ashton-in-makerfield 0907 this morning
JamieDunning said
Mon Oct 29 6:20 PM, 2012
John Rayner wrote:
Hi Simon,
Ludworth is right on the county boundary with Derbyshire.
I guess north would take them roughly over Uppermill/Dovestones and east would be roughly parallel with the Snake Pass and just skirt Sheffield to the north.
You are right about single observers missing birds. I kept finding the more distant skeins by accident when following other birds.
Cheers, John
Glad you have mentioned this John, is there specific flyways these birds will use? I don't see many at all over Dove Stone and surrounding moor land. all I can think is that and migrating birds will use the Longdendale valley as a guide so won't appear on our side of the hill?
Jimmy Meadows said
Sun Oct 28 9:28 PM, 2012
Giants Hall 14 west at 10:05
Jimmy
John Rayner said
Sun Oct 28 4:25 AM, 2012
Hi Simon,
Ludworth is right on the county boundary with Derbyshire.
I guess north would take them roughly over Uppermill/Dovestones and east would be roughly parallel with the Snake Pass and just skirt Sheffield to the north.
You are right about single observers missing birds. I kept finding the more distant skeins by accident when following other birds.
Cheers, John
Simon Warford said
Sun Oct 28 4:07 AM, 2012
Alrite John, from Winter Hill its fairly easy to see and count all the birds coming down from the Ribble area, most in the usual tracks over Blackrod and then some cutting across Manchester and others more distant heading towards Macclesfield, probably the ones seen over Pennington area. Today we also had skeins east of Winter Hill over Holcombe heading south-east probably high over Rochdale.
We had 3,000 prior to 8.30am, it was one skein after another, quite a sight in the skies above Manchester. Several big skeins around 9.30-9.50am then a few later north-west around 11am. We did however miss quite a few of Simon's skeins around 9am. Where we're your birds heading for that we're going north?
We also had four observers which helps too, as its been proven, one person on their own misses 50% of the birds i'm afraid, no matter how good they are!
Dave Tennant said
Sun Oct 28 3:57 AM, 2012
about 100 birds heading east over hindley 1745, was actually watching the moon when i caught sight of them and they were a good distance away.
John Rayner said
Sun Oct 28 3:11 AM, 2012
Today's counts are most interesting.
I was watching at Ludworth Moor, which is 25 miles roughly SE of Horwich and 15 miles roughly SE of Whitefield. The majority of my sightings were skeins heading either north or east with 1 skein starting north then turning east. Add in the skein I saw heading east over Hazel Grove and the total involved was 1545 (between 08.45 and 10.30) and not one bird was heading southwards.
Over Whitefield 4052 were heading SE (with only 80 NW) and over Winter Hill 4706 were heading SE (with 206 NW)
I assume all these counts were at similar times in 'the morning' to mine.
It almost suggests that birds heading north and birds heading south were in 2 'lanes'. Unless many were doing U turns.
Cheers, John
Simon Warford said
Sun Oct 28 2:18 AM, 2012
Phenomenal numbers by Winter Hills standards this morning, 31 skeins consisting of 4,706 birds (4,500 south-east & 206 north-west) passing both sides of us with skeins taking the usual routes over Blackrod then south Manchester and some seen high over Holcombe direction. Should be fun putting all these on MapMate!
Simon Johnson said
Sun Oct 28 1:06 AM, 2012
33 Skiens flew SE over Manchester this morning approx total of 4052 - seen from the atrium in Whitefield
a further skein of 80 flew north west
Rachael Hill said
Sun Oct 28 1:04 AM, 2012
10am Skein very high guess count 120+ 10am heading SE West End Ashton under Lyne
16.30 Skein 60+ heading SE over Audenshaw, King George allotments
Nick Isherwood said
Sun Oct 28 12:54 AM, 2012
Nine skeins seen distantly from Highfield Moss this morning over GM and all but 30 heading south east.
200,200,100,120,100,130,50 and 100. All between 8.00am and 9.30am.
Marvin Lewis said
Sun Oct 28 12:51 AM, 2012
At least 120 in a double skein seen flying easterly over Prestwich at 5.45 pm
Giants Hall 7:45-8:45 13 Skeins going S/E 140,90,70,38,320,12.4,600,85,200,42,256,193 1 Skein going west 40 Seen n the distance possibly over Winstanley 2 Skeins S/E approx 600 Fantastic sight,
Jimmy
Gordon Newman said
Sat Oct 27 6:47 PM, 2012
Bickershaw Rucks 480 SE totaling 5 skeins a.m
Nev Wright said
Sat Oct 27 6:20 PM, 2012
3 skeins over Sale going SE
0830hrs 1 x 80, 1 x 150 0930 hrs 1 x 100
Keith Mills said
Sat Oct 27 5:45 PM, 2012
Ladybridge, Bolton
C220 in a ''triple'' Skein. Flying North East at 5.35 pm
Edited after checking compass!
-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 27th of October 2012 06:26:17 PM
Graham Smith said
Sat Oct 27 5:38 PM, 2012
35-40 southeasterly over Wythenshawe at 9 35
Simon Johnson said
Sat Oct 27 3:46 PM, 2012
Big movement taking place currently over Manchester all going SE 17 skeins so far
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Oct 27 11:58 AM, 2012
A skein of 120+ SE over Audenshaw at 0915
-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 27th of October 2012 11:59:07 AM
dave broome said
Sat Oct 27 3:54 AM, 2012
Over Skitters Wood, Ashton-in-Makerfield today: 55 WNW at 1005hrs and 100 E at 1355hrs
Simon Johnson said
Sat Oct 27 12:24 AM, 2012
350 se @ 9.54 across manchester (seen from whitefield)
Gordon Newman said
Fri Oct 26 5:03 PM, 2012
Bickershaw Rucks 30+ SE 8.45 50+ W 9.45
Paul Dewey said
Fri Oct 26 3:07 AM, 2012
Approx 200 in 3 skeins split roughly 120, 30 and 50 over Heaton Moor at 4pm, heading SW
Tom Morton said
Fri Oct 26 12:56 AM, 2012
150+ due west over Aspull at 16.35t oday
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Oct 26 12:11 AM, 2012
93 NW over Leigh town centre at 11.30 today.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Oct 26 12:11 AM, 2012
150 east over Pennington Flash prior to 09.40 this morning.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Nick Isherwood said
Fri Oct 26 12:10 AM, 2012
Four skeins (120, 60, 120 and 50) over Highfield Moss this afternoon between 3.50 and 4.50.
I rarely see them this close to the city centre !
-- Edited by Steve Suttill on Friday 9th of November 2012 08:53:54 AM
Glad you have mentioned this John,
is there specific flyways these birds will use?
I don't see many at all over Dove Stone and surrounding moor land. all I can think is that and migrating birds will use the Longdendale valley as a guide so won't appear on our side of the hill?
14 west at 10:05
Jimmy
Ludworth is right on the county boundary with Derbyshire.
I guess north would take them roughly over Uppermill/Dovestones and east would be roughly parallel with the Snake Pass and just skirt Sheffield to the north.
You are right about single observers missing birds. I kept finding the more distant skeins by accident when following other birds.
Cheers, John
We had 3,000 prior to 8.30am, it was one skein after another, quite a sight in the skies above Manchester. Several big skeins around 9.30-9.50am then a few later north-west around 11am. We did however miss quite a few of Simon's skeins around 9am. Where we're your birds heading for that we're going north?
We also had four observers which helps too, as its been proven, one person on their own misses 50% of the birds i'm afraid, no matter how good they are!
I was watching at Ludworth Moor, which is 25 miles roughly SE of Horwich and 15 miles roughly SE of Whitefield. The majority of my sightings were skeins heading either north or east with 1 skein starting north then turning east. Add in the skein I saw heading east over Hazel Grove and the total involved was 1545 (between 08.45 and 10.30) and not one bird was heading southwards.
Over Whitefield 4052 were heading SE (with only 80 NW) and over Winter Hill 4706 were heading SE (with 206 NW)
I assume all these counts were at similar times in 'the morning' to mine.
It almost suggests that birds heading north and birds heading south were in 2 'lanes'. Unless many were doing U turns.
Cheers, John
a further skein of 80 flew north west
16.30 Skein 60+ heading SE over Audenshaw, King George allotments
200,200,100,120,100,130,50 and 100. All between 8.00am and 9.30am.
Hazel Grove: 1 Skein of 260 east
09.15 - 10.30
Ludworth Moor: 8 Skeins totalling 1,285 (60, 250, 100, 150, 125 North) and (210, 200, 190 East)
Cheers, John
13 Skeins going S/E
140,90,70,38,320,12.4,600,85,200,42,256,193
1 Skein going west 40
Seen n the distance possibly over Winstanley
2 Skeins S/E approx 600
Fantastic sight,
Jimmy
480 SE totaling 5 skeins a.m
0830hrs 1 x 80, 1 x 150
0930 hrs 1 x 100
C220 in a ''triple'' Skein. Flying North East at 5.35 pm
Edited after checking compass!
-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 27th of October 2012 06:26:17 PM
-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 27th of October 2012 11:59:07 AM
30+ SE 8.45
50+ W 9.45
Approx 200 in 3 skeins split roughly 120, 30 and 50 over Heaton Moor at 4pm, heading SW
Info thanks to Barry Hulme