First time for 6 years in my Norden (Rochdale) garden. Great Spotted Woodpecker
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 8th of April 2018 10:39:02 AM
sid ashton said
Sat Apr 7 5:29 PM, 2018
We have been watching the antics of a Dunnock from our kitchen window in our Hale garden for a few days.
Our next door neighbour's greenhouse butts right up to the adjoining fence and the Dunnock has been running backwards and forwards along the fence top getting really excited, we think by its own reflection in the glass.
It must be something to do with the time of year and possibly territorial. Anyone else ever seen something like this?
David Gornall said
Wed Apr 4 5:37 PM, 2018
Yellowhammer in my garden again when I got home from work
fredford said
Wed Apr 4 3:59 PM, 2018
Two beautiful brambling in my Birtle garden. Cannot say if male or female.
pete berry said
Wed Apr 4 2:57 PM, 2018
3 Brambling in the garden this afternoon inc 2 stonking almost full sum plum males,also a couple of Siskin on feeders.
paul shaw said
Wed Apr 4 9:44 AM, 2018
1 Chiffchaff heard singing at the bottom of my Bredbury garden at 7.15am. 1st of the year from the garden.
Steven Nelson said
Wed Apr 4 9:03 AM, 2018
A first for my Irlam garden this morning. 2 female Siskin on my feeders.
Also a pair of Blue Tits have been occupying the nest box again this week for the 4th year running. Lots of displaying from the male and chases all other birds away.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 3 8:28 PM, 2018
4 Brambling and a pair of Blackcap in the Cadishead garden of Dave Steel today.
steven burke said
Tue Apr 3 8:11 PM, 2018
2 ravens over my old trafford garden at 4.05pm they actually circled & lingered for almost 5 minutes cronking all the time before heading off in a westerly direction. Phil Kelly mentions one in his post over his Stretford house & is most likely to be one of the 2 I had, the time of his fits nicely. Common buzzard also over at 4.48pm being mobbed by a lesser black backed gull. 3 long tailed tits on the fatballs
paul shaw said
Tue Apr 3 9:41 AM, 2018
1 pair of Siskin in my Bredbury garden yesterday afternoon were a nice surprise as they are the 1st that i have seen in the garden this winter/spring.
Keith Mills said
Tue Apr 3 9:18 AM, 2018
Just now: The male Lesser Redpoll back on my hearts feeder, this time along with it's mate.
steven burke said
Mon Apr 2 6:19 PM, 2018
alarm calls in my old Trafford garden brought my attention to a lovely female sparrowhawk just sat out of the rain in my pine tree, stayed there for almost an hour & wasn't even bothered by my presence. 12+ goldfinch 4 greenfinch 1 chaffinch 1 blackbird 1 long tailed tit 2 blue tit
Don't know what's going on but besides the usual birds in my garden there has just been a Yelowhammer feeding on the lawn another first as far as I am aware for my garden, that's 3 firsts in a week!
-- Edited by David Gornall on Sunday 1st of April 2018 01:24:43 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Mar 26 4:54 PM, 2018
Not my garden but a Blackcap was in song in gardens around Sale FC Rugby Club’s ground at Heywood Road in Sale early afternoon today.
David Gornall said
Mon Mar 26 4:09 PM, 2018
two new birds for my garden today ( first time I've seen them in here anyway) 2 Brambling 1 Redpoll ( on niger seed)
Early signs indicate that the wren (same one that loves our mealworm feeder) is likely to be nesting in my Radcliffe garden, 1st time after 10 years in 2007. I will certainly be keeping a watch on this!!! Also the same female lesser redpoll is still coming and I'm certain almost I heard a male also in a tree with possibly another. Also a male bullfinch was seen yesterday evening again (3rd day on trot) but didn't come for the feeders- but for the buds on the tree!
Richard Thew said
Sat Mar 24 6:44 PM, 2018
Radcliffe garden update; long tailed tits are still after the mini mealworms and the house sparrows are again starting on them too with disputes between them as spring arrives (they don't tend to bother too much with mealworms outside the breeding season). Also a suprisingly stubbed female lesser redpoll is still active on the feeders- the longest running redpolls on record!!! Previously they all vanish by mid February and the last time I had 5 together was just a few days ago! Also noteworthy was a singing male bullfinch just in the last hour!!!! Ta!
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Mar 23 9:37 PM, 2018
After too much walking around for nothing this week, decided to do a garden migration watch for about 30 minutes p.m. Only bird to fit that description was redwing, with 9 over low (came down in fields to the north of house). Even so, about 20 species was better than many places I've been this week, and included Mandarin duck (first positive i.d. from garden I think), grey heron, lesser black-backed and black-headed gull, 4 jays and so on. Redpoll and siskin stopped coming to the garden almost as soon as sunflower hearts ran out. Fussy sorts!
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Mar 23 8:48 PM, 2018
4 Brambling and 2 male Blackcap, one of the latter of which is in song occasionally, in the Cadishead garden of Dave Steel today.
Ian Campbell said
Fri Mar 23 11:41 AM, 2018
Just had a nice male Siskin feeding on Niger in my Radcliffe garden. Cheers Ian
Chris Greene said
Wed Mar 21 4:36 PM, 2018
Three Grey Wagtails currently back in our Stockport garden, they seem to have become somewhat addicted to the grated Red Leicester cheese I sprinkle on the grass each morning . Otherwise up to five Bullfinch,a few Chaffinch and Greenfinch,plus a few dozen Goldfinch.Blackbird numbers now down to four ....Three male,one female, plus usual tits robins etc.
Cheers Chris
Keith Mills said
Tue Mar 20 9:38 AM, 2018
Before 8am this morning: 4 Greenfinch on my garden feeders.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Mon Mar 19 9:43 AM, 2018
Grey heron flying over my Chorlton back garden this morning.
Paul Heaton said
Sun Mar 18 6:56 PM, 2018
Ashton on Mersey Garden, this morning
Goldcrest x 2
Wren
Dunnock
Goldfinch, Chaffinch Bullfinch
Redwing x 5 ( very chuffed )
Blackbird Songthrush
Ring Necked Parakeet
Keep Birding
Richard Thew said
Sun Mar 18 12:42 PM, 2018
My Radcliffe garden has had an unbelievable 75 starlings this lunchtime. This is almost double the record!!!
Also noteworthy is the 5 lesser redpolls still and the 2 long tailed tits are regular at the mealworms. Apparently they only vanished for a week and came back days before the cold snap.
2 days ago I could hear a bullfinch chirping in one of our trees but couldn't see it.
Ta!
Karl Liptrot said
Sun Mar 18 9:05 AM, 2018
First ever Reed Bunting in my Aspull garden this morning.
nigel charlesworth said
Thu Mar 15 2:38 PM, 2018
4 goldfinch in my Failsworth garden first time for over 2 years
Ian Campbell said
Thu Mar 15 1:21 PM, 2018
Just noticed a Blackbird has begun building a nest in the pyracantha growing next to my front door, Spring is springing. Cheers Ian
Keith Mills said
Mon Mar 12 5:33 PM, 2018
Just now a male Sparrowhawk in our garden Larch tree, surveying the feeders.
John Rayner said
Mon Mar 12 9:58 AM, 2018
Hazel Grove:
Greenfinch singing in the garden is the first for many years.
(Also first frog spawn today)
Cheers John
David Morris said
Sun Mar 11 9:55 AM, 2018
1 Ring-necked Parakeet in my Chorlton garden about 30 minutes ago, first one in a while.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Mar 10 9:49 PM, 2018
Expected a drop in numbers/species today with the milder conditions, but in fact the opposite happened.
Male bullfinch and nuthatch were both the first since January, whilst two coal tits have also returned in the last 2-3 days.
Others increased e.g. chaffinch (9), siskin (4), and redpoll (3). Two long-tailed tits as well, so it was all fairly entertaining. Also saw a female blackbird apparently carrying nesting material.
Kristian Wade said
Fri Mar 9 9:12 PM, 2018
Nice Gull flock in the horse field behind my garden consisted of (minimum): -133 Black-Headed Gulls -94 Herring Gulls -82 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls -5 Common Gulls -1 Great Black-Backed Gull -Plus 10-20 Jackdaw
Wren returning Long tailed tit 2 Blackbird 2 Magpie 2
Richard Thew said
Fri Mar 9 3:10 PM, 2018
I knew this would happen! Just did a full garden report update and a male siskin just popped in. Also 5 blackbirds!! Maybe I need to do more updates like that to get more different birds in?
Richard Thew said
Fri Mar 9 2:23 PM, 2018
Radcliffe garden update;
Everything has dramatically calmed down since the cold snap, in fact it looks like I'm at the end of a historically productive winter garden activity and the current pattern seems to indicate that the birds are now getting ready for the spring. Below is a list of birds that have made this winter extra special and those that are still visiting is a note saying 'still' Any other birds not listed are my usual regulars but are likewise not is numerous (goldfinch for instance had peaked at about 20+, now it's currently half a dozen)
Cormorant (was new as it flew super low over garden) 13 blackbirds (max of 3 still) Blackcap (male was new- had female in past) 2 mistle thrushes (almost 10 years since last seen) Mealy redpoll (was new and rarest ever) 8 Lesser redpolls (max 5 still) 3 bullfinch Siskin Grey wagtail (was new) Pied wagtail (last visit was in 2005, one landed on house roof this morning) Long tailed tits (eating mealworms in feeder which I've never seen before) Goldcrest (eating mealworms - still) Wren (eating mealworms - still) Reed bunting
Ta!
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Mar 8 11:17 PM, 2018
In Dave Steel's Cadishead garden today:
Male and female Blackcap. male Brambling and two Siskin.
Dave Cropper said
Thu Mar 8 5:39 PM, 2018
Bizarre sight of a male Pheasant in my Sale garden this afternoon
steven burke said
Sun Mar 4 4:21 PM, 2018
A nice surprise of a single fieldfare eating the apples in my old trafford garden early this morning. Female blackcap Goldcrest 15 goldfinches 2 greenfinch 2 blue tits
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Mar 4 3:40 PM, 2018
15 Fieldfare around the Astley garden early afternoon today.
Kristian Wade said
Sun Mar 4 12:14 PM, 2018
10 Lapwings in horse field behind garden today. Garden nest boxes being visited by both Blue and Great Tits, Blackbird and Dunnock pairs also about.
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Mar 3 1:22 PM, 2018
Male Bullfinch in the garden this morning, along with four Woodpigeon. Three Blackbirds seemed more intent on chasing each other around the garden, rather than eating the food I had put out
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Fri Mar 2 5:32 PM, 2018
Afternoon Flixton garden birdwatch.
Fieldfare 1 Jay 2 Nuthatch 1 Coal Tit 2 Blackbird 8 Robin 3 Dunnock 2 Reed Bunting 2m 3f. Mistle Thrush 1 Long-tailed Tit 8 House Sparrow 2m. Great Tits Blue Tits Collared Dove 2 Starling 4 Goldfinch 7 behind garden. Raven 1 overhead.
Rene Griffiths said
Fri Mar 2 4:35 PM, 2018
3 goldfinch on niger feeder, 2 Great tit, 3 blue tit, 2 coal tit. Around 25 house sparrows, 30+ Starling coming in a big flock, demolishing the feeders and taking off again. 1 Wood Pigeon, 5 Collared Doves, 3 Robin, 1 Dunnock. All that is normal but the thrushes are taking over the garden at the moment. Around 7-8 Blackbirds at any one time (both sexes, often chasing each other away) A Song Thrush. Also had a small flock (10 or so) of mixed gulls (black-headed, herring and not sure about the rest since I am not great with gulls but probably second winter/third summer or whatever of the types mentioned!!) eating someone's chips off the road nearby.
pete berry said
Fri Mar 2 4:28 PM, 2018
I popped out this morning to buy some apples for the thrushes and whilst I was out my missus counted over 30 Blackbirds in the garden at the same time!! The apples have attracted a few Fieldfare which were in the garden within 10 mins of putting the apples out.Strangely the Blackbirds don't seem interested in the apples,conversely the Fieldfares only seem to eat the apples and are not interested in the other food I've been putting out which the Blackbirds are devouring at a fast rate.Good numbers of Goldfinch,a few Greenfinch and up to 5 Bullfinch on the garden feeders.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Mar 2 1:44 PM, 2018
A brief visit by Pete Berry late morning today coincided with three Lapwings in the field just 10 feet from the back of my garden and at least one Fieldfare still around.
Richard Thew said
Fri Mar 2 11:37 AM, 2018
Activity so far this morning in my Radcliffe garden,
13 Hungry blackbirds eating the apples (5 at least female, one male is very possessive of the apples- he just sits on the ground facing one piece- head up and tail spread with all feathers fluffed to make himself look bigger and won't let ANYTHING else near it). 8 starlings 5 lesser redpolls Goldcrest, long tailed tits and the wren in for the mini mealworms Grey wagtail (picture to go on Flickr at 6pm) Plus the usual other tits, Dunnocks, house sparrows and finches (and not forgetting 2 collared doves and woodpigeon -which only seem to come to rest on the trees and the top of the main feeding station). Ta!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Friday 2nd of March 2018 01:30:39 PM
steven burke said
Fri Mar 2 11:35 AM, 2018
Female blackcap back this morning. Song thrush still around Just 3 chaffinch 1 goldcrest 2 blue tit 1 blackbird 2 Robins chasing each other around 2 mistle thrush over 7 goldfinch.
My sister has had 3 lapwings just beyond her garden fence in easbrook, Urmston this morning.
Mike Cooper said
Fri Mar 2 9:30 AM, 2018
Heywood
Only winter resident birds left blackbird, Robin, coal tit and Goldcrest over last days of the beast
First time for 6 years in my Norden (Rochdale) garden. Great Spotted Woodpecker
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 8th of April 2018 10:39:02 AM
We have been watching the antics of a Dunnock from our kitchen window in our Hale garden for a few days.
Our next door neighbour's greenhouse butts right up to the adjoining fence and the Dunnock has been running backwards and forwards along the fence top getting really excited, we think by its own reflection in the glass.
It must be something to do with the time of year and possibly territorial. Anyone else ever seen something like this?
Also a pair of Blue Tits have been occupying the nest box again this week for the 4th year running. Lots of displaying from the male and chases all other birds away.
4 Brambling and a pair of Blackcap in the Cadishead garden of Dave Steel today.
Common buzzard also over at 4.48pm being mobbed by a lesser black backed gull.
3 long tailed tits on the fatballs
Just now: The male Lesser Redpoll back on my hearts feeder, this time along with it's mate.
12+ goldfinch
4 greenfinch
1 chaffinch
1 blackbird
1 long tailed tit
2 blue tit
Just now : A male Lesser Redpoll on our hearts feeder, and thats a first..... It munched away for several minutes.
Yelowhammer feeding on the lawn another first as far as I am aware for my garden, that's 3 firsts in a week!
-- Edited by David Gornall on Sunday 1st of April 2018 01:24:43 PM
Not my garden but a Blackcap was in song in gardens around Sale FC Rugby Club’s ground at Heywood Road in Sale early afternoon today.
2 Brambling
1 Redpoll ( on niger seed)
5 Chaffinch
Pair Bullfinch
7 Housesparrow
3 Blackbirds
8 Collared dove
10+ Goldfinch
Pair Dunnocks
Pair Robins
1 Songthrush
4 Blue tits
2 Great tits
4 Longtailed tits
2 Coal tits
After too much walking around for nothing this week, decided to do a garden migration watch for about 30 minutes p.m. Only bird to fit that description was redwing, with 9 over low (came down in fields to the north of house). Even so, about 20 species was better than many places I've been this week, and included Mandarin duck (first positive i.d. from garden I think), grey heron, lesser black-backed and black-headed gull, 4 jays and so on. Redpoll and siskin stopped coming to the garden almost as soon as sunflower hearts ran out. Fussy sorts!
4 Brambling and 2 male Blackcap, one of the latter of which is in song occasionally, in the Cadishead garden of Dave Steel today.
Cheers Ian
Three Grey Wagtails currently back in our Stockport garden, they seem to have become somewhat addicted to the grated Red Leicester cheese I sprinkle on the grass each morning . Otherwise up to five Bullfinch,a few Chaffinch and Greenfinch,plus a few dozen Goldfinch.Blackbird numbers now down to four ....Three male,one female, plus usual tits robins etc.
Cheers Chris
Before 8am this morning: 4 Greenfinch on my garden feeders.
Ashton on Mersey Garden, this morning
Goldcrest x 2
Wren
Dunnock
Goldfinch, Chaffinch Bullfinch
Redwing x 5 ( very chuffed )
Blackbird Songthrush
Ring Necked Parakeet
Keep Birding
Also noteworthy is the 5 lesser redpolls still and the 2 long tailed tits are regular at the mealworms. Apparently they only vanished for a week and came back days before the cold snap.
2 days ago I could hear a bullfinch chirping in one of our trees but couldn't see it.
Ta!
First ever Reed Bunting in my Aspull garden this morning.
4 goldfinch in my Failsworth garden first time for over 2 years
Cheers Ian
Greenfinch singing in the garden is the first for many years.
(Also first frog spawn today)
Cheers John
Expected a drop in numbers/species today with the milder conditions, but in fact the opposite happened.
Male bullfinch and nuthatch were both the first since January, whilst two coal tits have also returned in the last 2-3 days.
Others increased e.g. chaffinch (9), siskin (4), and redpoll (3). Two long-tailed tits as well, so it was all fairly entertaining. Also saw a female blackbird apparently carrying nesting material.
-133 Black-Headed Gulls
-94 Herring Gulls
-82 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls
-5 Common Gulls
-1 Great Black-Backed Gull
-Plus 10-20 Jackdaw
3 goldfinches on sunflower hearts
Goldcrest singing
Dunnock singing
Chaffinch singing
Wren returning
Long tailed tit 2
Blackbird 2
Magpie 2
Everything has dramatically calmed down since the cold snap, in fact it looks like I'm at the end of a historically productive winter garden activity and the current pattern seems to indicate that the birds are now getting ready for the spring. Below is a list of birds that have made this winter extra special and those that are still visiting is a note saying 'still' Any other birds not listed are my usual regulars but are likewise not is numerous (goldfinch for instance had peaked at about 20+, now it's currently half a dozen)
Cormorant (was new as it flew super low over garden)
13 blackbirds (max of 3 still)
Blackcap (male was new- had female in past)
2 mistle thrushes (almost 10 years since last seen)
Mealy redpoll (was new and rarest ever)
8 Lesser redpolls (max 5 still)
3 bullfinch
Siskin
Grey wagtail (was new)
Pied wagtail (last visit was in 2005, one landed on house roof this morning)
Long tailed tits (eating mealworms in feeder which I've never seen before)
Goldcrest (eating mealworms - still)
Wren (eating mealworms - still)
Reed bunting
Ta!
In Dave Steel's Cadishead garden today:
Male and female Blackcap. male Brambling and two Siskin.
Female blackcap
Goldcrest
15 goldfinches
2 greenfinch
2 blue tits
15 Fieldfare around the Astley garden early afternoon today.
Fieldfare 1
Jay 2
Nuthatch 1
Coal Tit 2
Blackbird 8
Robin 3
Dunnock 2
Reed Bunting 2m 3f.
Mistle Thrush 1
Long-tailed Tit 8
House Sparrow 2m.
Great Tits
Blue Tits
Collared Dove 2
Starling 4
Goldfinch 7 behind garden.
Raven 1 overhead.
A brief visit by Pete Berry late morning today coincided with three Lapwings in the field just 10 feet from the back of my garden and at least one Fieldfare still around.
13 Hungry blackbirds eating the apples (5 at least female, one male is very possessive of the apples- he just sits on the ground facing one piece- head up and tail spread with all feathers fluffed to make himself look bigger and won't let ANYTHING else near it).
8 starlings
5 lesser redpolls
Goldcrest, long tailed tits and the wren in for the mini mealworms
Grey wagtail (picture to go on Flickr at 6pm)
Plus the usual other tits, Dunnocks, house sparrows and finches
(and not forgetting 2 collared doves and woodpigeon -which only seem to come to rest on the trees and the top of the main feeding station).
Ta!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Friday 2nd of March 2018 01:30:39 PM
Song thrush still around
Just 3 chaffinch
1 goldcrest
2 blue tit
1 blackbird
2 Robins chasing each other around
2 mistle thrush over
7 goldfinch.
My sister has had 3 lapwings just beyond her garden fence in easbrook, Urmston this morning.
Only winter resident birds left blackbird, Robin, coal tit and Goldcrest over last days of the beast
Finches and starlings off to warmer climes?