Bryn M6 Roundabout Area
2 Buzzards after Hailstorm and before the rain

Wigan Borough Year List 2010: 41

latest additions:

Buzzard,Meadow Pipit, Bryn

Bill Myerscough wrote:

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Whilst on the subject of nest building at this time of year. On this thread I posted details of a pair of Magpies early nest building activities in the silver birch tree in my next door neighbours garden on 28/11/08 and 3/12/08 (see post dated 14/2/09 on this "Bits and Bobs, Odds and Sods thread" for last update). They fledged young out of that nest last summer. Yesterday (24/10/09) - what may well be the same pair of Magpies started building a new nest in the same silver birch tree!! Both birds were seen to carry small spindly twigs into the tree and try to bond them around a fork in the tree....the site of the possible new nest is maybe only a yard or so away from the old nest, which appears to have survived virtually intact.

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Housebound (due to 4 hours of steady snowfall which has left about 3 inches of snow on the ground) and with time on my hands this morning - spent some time watching the local pair of Magpies. The Magpies since the last post have very occassionally carried on with their nestbuilding - right throughout some really harsh weather. They never really got going with the nest adjacent to where last years was but quickly moved to a new site amongst the top reaches of a large row of leyllandii conifers. Despite the snowstorm this morning the birds were very active, continuing to build their nest - at least 4 times they were seen to break of twigs/sizeable spindly sappy branches and carry them into the conifers - both birds of the pair were involved in the nest building.

Bill.

A Moorhen running up Edenfield Road near AMR was a pleasant surprise. He eventually left the main road and went into a field

Dave

A lone Fieldfare was on Parklands High School fields in Wythenshawe this afternoon.

Also nice to see a Song Thrush in the garden today (much scarcer these days)

A lot of Thrushes appear to be on the move during the cold spell.









-- Edited by Phil Owen on Friday 1st of January 2010 04:36:11 PM

A male Hen Harrier flew over Long Lane, Hindley Green at 1305hrs, pursued by 2 crows (information from Andy Makin - a nice addition to his garden list!)

Bullfinch,male and female, Goldcrest Sparrowhawk in my garden today, might start a garden list for 2010.

All the best everyone for the new year, good luck Riggers on the year list attempt we are all behind you

keep birding

Been at parents for Christmas in Peel Hall, so not able to post. They have alway had good birds visiting garden and during stay was no exception.

Male bullfinch daily, along with Greater Spotted woodpecker, but highlight was a buzzard, flying below rooftop height on Christmas day. They also had a single fieldfare today (monday).

Late News for Christmas Day

Pr of Tawny Owls in Gidlow Cemetary

Unusual sight of a large flock [70+] of Jackdaws flying low over Swinton this afternoon at 15.25pm. All were heading West.

female goosander diving on the river roch near to the village hotel in bury (spotted from the trafic lights while out shopping)you have to get your birding in when you can!!!

24 Redwing 3 Fieldfare Bullfinch male and female and GS Woodpecker all in my Garden today, in Sale mega garden day.

keep birding

17 Pinkfeet down on field 22 Carrington Moss today. Information from a recorded message left from a mobile phone). I couldn't catch the name but it might have been Phil someone - Greenwood?

Bad christmas day for one bird on Worsley Golf Course, as I saw a Sparrowhawk carrying prey at 0900hrs, also a Woodcock flew over the car on the Kearsley Spur from the East Lancs towards the M61 at 1700hrs. (25/12)

sparrowhawk high over the centre of ramsbottom this morning.

green woodpecker over park farm on the way onto the m66 ramsbottom

buzzard sat on a lamppost m66 pilsworth

A Collared dove was nest building in a tree alongside Worsley road in Swinton this morning.
A pair of GS Woodpeckers and 3 Siskins in trees next to the Limes nursing home also along Worsley road.
5 Redwings in my garden

2 Goldcrests and a wren in the garden this morning with all the usual visitors. Nice to see they have survived the freeze.
A the best to everyone for Christmas and New Year

Mike

Single Buzzard in trees alongside the M60 between Ashton and Oldham 1500hrs, 23/12/09

Not done much birding due to illness since the snow came down
But Just had a Raven Over Beech Hill 8:30 to brighten the day up

Tawny owl hooting in trees next to St Pauls Church Withington this evening.

Well pleased over the last few days to watch 2 Mistle Thrushes fighting over the Rowan tree which I had planted outside my house as part of a street greening scheme a few years ago. Now bring on those Waxwings...

The robin which flew into our office at work on sunday and stayed for 24 hours finally escaped yesterday, although i am sure it was enjoying the warmth.

A Meadow Pipit flying around and hitting buildings nr the Reebok Stadium in Horwich, has been taken into care and is being fed on hard-boiled egg (which it's apparently enjoying) and is awaiting collection tomorrow by the RSPCA to go to Stapeley Grange Wildlife Hospital, as the weather's too severe to release it. Info from Ian Cartwright.

Walking home from work this evening just near my house in Bolton at 5.15pm. A Woodcock flew right over my head, fantastic view with the street lights reflecting of the snow It was flying over the estate, prob looking for some soft ground.
Must be my most unexpected county tick for years

Cheers Dean.

Barn Owl north over East Lancs Road(A580) near Morleys Hall at 3pm today

41 Lapwings flying South low over my house in Swinton this afternoon and 3 Siskins, GS Woodpecker and 2 Goldcrests in my garden

Barn Owl over the East Lancs Road where it crosses the River Glaze at 10pm. last night.

Single Whooper Swan over Bury rd Bolton this afternonn.

Apologies if this isn't a county sighting, not sure where the boundaries are....

Yesterday, in the fields to the left of the M6 southbound just before junction 21A (where you get on from Winwick Lane), there were at least half a dozen golden plovers in the fields with the wood pigeons.

Couldn't get a more accurate count due to the fact I was driving and nearly crashed when I spotted them!

13th December.

c65 ground-roosting Lapwings, plus a few Starlings, on the site of the old Monsall hospital in N Manchester. Have visited this area a few times so far this winter....looking for the flock of ground roosting Golden Plover that were in this general area last winter - but have not found them yet! The site that they mainly favoured last winter is currently being built upon.

Cheers,

Bill.

A Buzzard yesterday (c14.15) at Mumps roundabout in Oldham of all places!

-- Edited by James Minchin on Sunday 13th of December 2009 11:33:45 AM

11:00 3 Redwing's in my garden Urmson plus long tail Tit's

10:30 My garden in Urmston 2 Jay's and 1 male Gt Sp Woodpecker plus Sparrow/Tit's
Starling's/Black/wood pigeon's. then the Sparrowhawk.

went to work(near oldham hospital) early on thursday (5.30 am) and got out of the car to a male blackbird in full song

11 December 2009 7:52 am Altrincham

Short eared or Long eared Owl initially flying at 5th floor roof level height of office building (next to Cresta Court Hotel) Altrincham. Bird being mobbed by 3-4 crows. Last seen higher up and in the direction of Timperley.

Info thanks to Peter Rolph

Asda car park, Radcliffe 3.45pm, got out of my car and couldn't believe my ears, WAXWINGS calling, located the birds in a small tree and identified 6 Starlings!!!!!. Incredible mimics, can only assume they had come from Waxwing country. Has anyone else heard this before?.
Cheers Ian

Had 5 Bullfinch (2 male, 3 female) today at Heaton Mersey Pond.

Also a mle blackcap in my Heaton Moor garden, irritatingly not seen by me but by my better half.

i have 3 feeders in the back garden 1 nyjer 1 sunflower hearts and 1 suet ball feeder(adapted to keep out the starlings as they empty them to quickly) the nyjer attracts goldfinches,siskins and redpolls ,the sunflower hearts attract virtualy anything (best birds bullfinches and nuthatch) and the suet various tits and i wouldnt use anything else ps i use droll yankees feeders available from jacobi & jayne

In defence of the niger feeders, we have a large one in the back garden and often have goldfinches at every port (ie 6 at a time) We also have a "normal" seed feeder next to it filled with sunflower hearts which is popular with most other visitors, but the goldfinches favour the niger seed, and have no problem with the tiny holes.

Thanks all, will continue to be patient I guess!

* Trees and cover isn't a problem - there are loads at the back of the garden close to the feeder. Indeed, having said yesterday that nothing was going to the feeder I still managed to spot blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits, bullfinches, a redwing and - very excited by this - a goldcrest all in or around the garden.

* don't think that the nyjer seed dispenser is at fault either - it's the same feeder that worked successfully in London a couple of years ago. Perhaps a north/south bird divide!

Sunflower hearts will attract Goldfinches - I have had 3 or 4 around my feeders this morning. I dumped my Nyger feeder some years ago.

P.S. in the last hour or so the sunflower hearts have brought 2 more Goldfinch, a pair of Bullfinch, several Greenfinch and Chaffinch as well as Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Nuthatch and Robin. Sunflower hearts it is then

-- Edited by sid ashton on Wednesday 9th of December 2009 03:42:25 PM

If you have one of those Nyger seed special feeders my recent experience is they are no good and the Goldfinches can't get the seeds through the small slits. Just dump the lot into a regular feeder (don't worry about some falling on the ground) and the Goldfinches and Greenfinches will come. I mentioned this to a work colleague who was having the same problem. I'm going to drill some larger holes in my Nyger feeder and see how that goes.

two points to raise here:
1: it can take quite a long time for birds to realize that there is a new food source available - a couple of months is not unusual
2: there is tons of naturally available food for the birds at the moment, so they won't bother looking for new food sources yet. Once it gets cold their calorie intake will increase, the available food resources will start to be depleted and then they will begin to check out alternative sources - this will hopefully will include your seed feeders. Just be patient - possibly very patient, but don't give up hope!

Sometimes birds won't visit feeders if there are no trees or decent cover in the area Tom. Could this be the problem?

tom willis wrote:

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Does anyone know why birds would ignore feeders? We've had some out since we moved to a new house (Mossley) a couple of months ago but they've barely been touched. One contains nyjer seeds and I've heard goldfinches close by but they've completely ignored them, which surprised me as at a previous address they arrived within days.

More positively, 4 bullfinches spotted from the window this morning.

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don't worry they will come.my feeders have been really quiet,still a lot of natural food about,get hard wether and they will turn up.

Does anyone know why birds would ignore feeders? We've had some out since we moved to a new house (Mossley) a couple of months ago but they've barely been touched. One contains nyjer seeds and I've heard goldfinches close by but they've completely ignored them, which surprised me as at a previous address they arrived within days.

More positively, 4 bullfinches spotted from the window this morning.

Large Common Gull numbers on, Turn moss lane,(Stretford) playing fields yesterday 100 plus, hard to get full count as dogs kept chasing them.

40 plus Redwing.

Keep Birding.

Three male and one female Goosander on the Mersey near Northenden golf course this afternoon.

Apparently male great tits are more likely to change their song type when they move perch - makes any potential rival think there are more competitors.

Steve

5th December.

Continuing the recent theme of birds starting early to think about pairing up and breeding for next year.

Enjoyed watching and listening to a Coal Tit performing two different types of song from a neighbours large pine tree from my Chadderton garden this afternoon. It sang for about 5 minutes and apparently having had no response then flew to a nearby Leylandii conifer, some 200 yards away. It didn't fly directly but flew a mildly erratic zig-zag flight path - presumably some sort of display flight? At this next conifer it then again sang two types of song, again for a few minutes, before I could later hear it even further away in the distance - presumably still trying to find a partner for next year?

A Woodpigeon was seen carrying nest material in one of the more rural parts of Chadderton yesterday (4/12).

A Mistle Thrush was singing at Grotton, Oldham this morning.

Cheers,

Bill.

Very vocal Tawny Owl - Alan Rd, Withington - 5:15