Buzzard circling about 120 feet over The Montrose pub, Worsley Hall, Wigan today. Although they are an expected sight around Wigan now (5 together over Landgate roundabout a few days ago, 3 over Scotman's Flash today), a Buzzard over one of the Borough's least inviting pubs was a sight and a half. You wouldn't have imagined it not too long ago, when you'd have had to go to Wales to see one.

Today i was in the Manchester Grammar School/Birchfields park area at about 8.50am, and on hearing a terrible racous i looked up to see 7 or 8 ring necked parakeets mobbing a single tawny owl. They kept going in circles in the air for ages before the tawny tried to 'drop' into a near by tree. It is one of the most spectacular things i have ever seen and the first time i have seen a tawny owl flying in daylight. If that wasn't good enough - i hardly noticed a female sparrowhawk dash through the tree cover with two crows and a magpie hot on her tale go past while this was going on

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Wednesday 7th of October 2009 06:08:54 PM

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Wednesday 7th of October 2009 06:11:10 PM

Raven over Dumber lane Sale this morning as I was taking the kids to school, heading to carrington moss area.


Keep Birding

4.00p.m. 2 Swallows flying South in rain at Stoneclough.
Cheers Ian

350 Canada geese today at a private site, main flock flew in off carrinton moss about 12.30.

Keep birding

I was down at Clipper Quay (Salford Quays) last night at 6:30 just having a quick look around after work and after 10 minutes or so of not seeing anything (well, I saw a cormorant), a bat few in front of my car, I thought that was good, but then a Kestrel sized bird of prey swiftly followed trying to catch some dinner. It was an amazing sight, the b.o.p was so agile in the air, doing a 180 turn almost on the spot. Sorry I don't know what the b.o.p was, it was getting dark and couldn't make out colours or markings. I think I'll be checking there more often now to see if I can get a repeat performance.

-- Edited by Robin Tong on Friday 2nd of October 2009 05:22:03 PM

Hey Rob,
The willow thingy is back today, this time the bird is going to stay --- for more than just a day. We could make a song out of that.

Mike

8 Tree Sparrows in fields just south of the A580 East Lancs near Morleys Hall Farm in Astley today with 11 more in stubble fields with a mixed flock of finches near the old Tyldesley Sewage Works.

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

1 Little Owl on Barn of Walker Fold Farm Aspull

Info thanks to Walter Robinson

3 Grey and 2 Pied wagtails on the lawns outside Swinton town hall this afternoon.

Tyldesley Old Rd Atherton
Chanters Brook r/o Chanters Farm

2 Grey Wagtail
3 Goldcrest
10 Long Tailed Tits
1 G S Woodpecker

Cheers Jimmy

Orchard Lane Leigh to Squires Lane Tydesley

Birds of Note
Hindsford Brook
1 Kingfisher
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Cockatiel

Old Hall Mill Lane
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Cormorant over

Orchard Lane
6 Goldcrests

Plus 4 Jays
1 Bullfinch

Jimmy

Mike hirst wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A garden first for me this morning, a willow called in stayed at least an hour, it was very busy feeding and very bold, competing well with the other birds on the feeders.

Mike



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob Thorpe wrote



Mike, a Willow what? Willow Grouse? Or was it actually a tree that was competing for the feeders?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm out of practice and typing is hard work anyway. It was a willow tit (I feel a bit of one now) . I've not seen it today but heres hoping.

Mike

Mike hirst wrote:

---

A garden first for me this morning, a willow called in stayed at least an hour, it was very busy feeding and very bold, competing well with the other birds on the feeders.

Mike

---

Mike, a Willow what? Willow Grouse? Or was it actually a tree that was competing for the feeders?

A garden first for me this morning, a willow called in stayed at least an hour, it was very busy feeding and very bold, competing well with the other birds on the feeders.

Mike

A Tawny owl has just called and flew out of a large Birch tree at the end of my garden in the Partington lane area of Swinton.
I had gone out to feed my Hedgehogs and after the Owl called it flew in front of my security lights. A great view and the third one over my garden in 13 years

Both Paul's Castlefield sighting and that of Steve's beats mine but I'm still happy either way

Perhaps they're regular migrants through the concrete metropolis? Utilising telegraph poles for trees the way migrants use dry stone walls for bushes on Fair Isle

Still, can't be many others with a true inner city bird on their list

1994 Telegraph pole at Castlefields near dukes, at the time was carrying out a survey for the owner of Dukes and the Mark Addy he had purchased the canel basin in castlefieds (shrewd move, )he wanted to know what the wildlife situation was, and my old notebook recounts alot of bird sightings in that area over a year period.

Also had a G S woodpecker on a telegraphpole at Clayton.

But Ians Mega in flight sighting wins.

Keep birding

I had Greater Spotted pecker on my city centre list over 10 years ago - telegraph pole in Dale St car park. Don't tell me I've beaten Ian to a bird

Steve

Late news for yesterday of an City Centre Manchester Mega!

Whilst waiting in stationary traffic at the lights at the junction of Trinty Way/Blackfriars at around 5:15pm on the 23rd, I noticed a familiar shaped bird with characteristic flight fly from over the Renault garage, right in front of my car at approx. 30 feet height and over to the trees on the other side of Trinty Way and therefor onto my City Centre Manchester list (the ring road being that part of the boundary). Quite what, or where that Great Spotted Woodpecker was off to is anybodies guess though but I fully appreciated it all the same

29 Gadwall at Parson's Meadow (aka Red Pond) Wigan today

They will nest into very early October, Ian.

House Martin seen this a.m. going under eaves on Ainsworth Rd, Radcliffe, is it usual to still be nesting this late?.
Cheers Ian

several Great Bustard in the local JD Weatherspoons last night ( Stonehenge Ales ) very nice they were too

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Saturday 19th of September 2009 12:04:56 PM

Paul Heaton wrote:

---

WB200 is the new GM200 ?????????????????

Not on this side of the pie counter!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay happy Mr Woosey

Keep birding

---

Well it is on this side of the pie counter, and this is where they all are, so............

Keep eating

BTW - the WB200 Club meetings will be held in WIGAN - `Ancient and Loyal`

12/09

About 5.25 a Buzzard drifted south from Victoria Street across Ashton Old Road in Higher Openshaw.

WB200 is the new GM200 ?????????????????

Not on this side of the pie counter!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay happy Mr Woosey

Keep birding

12/9/09

2 Buzzards soaring over Gidlow Cemetery/Boars Head roundabout, Wigan @ 13:40. (The Haigh CP birds ? )

Pig Lane side of Gidlow Cemetary
Dont Know how it got its name but this is what its called locally

2 Buzzards searching for prey in the cut fields

Cheers Jimmy

Had 8 fieldfare flying high over my house in heaton mersey this morning going south.

A bit late in the the working day and I was heading home down black moss road when I glanced 2 people preparing to fly a large owl across one of the fields, I just hope the owl
took to the skies and will result in some unusual reports.

cheers geoff

A female Sparrowhawk has just caught a Collared dove in my garden this evening in Swinton.
It caught the dove about 3m from the ground as it scared all the birds into the air, as the hawk grabbed the dove they ended up crashing through a large conifer tree and landing on next doors garden shed roof. It then flew off with 5 Starlings following closely behind.

A male peregrine seen at 1130hrs today over the car park of Nexus House, Alexandra drive, Ashton Moss. Didn't seen to bother the Lapwings that have taken up residence on the car park.

17 Mistle Thrush on Withington road Whally Range today,on football fields at bottom, or top of the road depends on which way you look at it.

Keep birding

Male GSW on feeder taking sunflower hearts. Not had one in the garden for 12 months or more and then on a peanut feeder. Rushed to get the camera, switched on, and
guess what? it flew.

Mike

Increasing large numbers of gulls, roosting in the overflow carpark of the Trafford Centre.

I know we should not be birding there, but its something to look at.


Keep birding.

40 + Lapwings over Atherton Rd Hindley 1.30

Also 1 Sparrowhawk tonight upsetting House Martins on Barret Estate at Gidlow

A Mute Swan with a red Darvic ring today on the canal in Wigan - this was ringed by the Sorby Breck RG near Sheffield (exact details awaited) and is the first red Darvic ever recorded in GMC to my knowledge and only the second Darvic from the other side of the Pennines. Thanks to Roy Hodkinson, one of my swan rescuers, for this record.

A Great spotted woodpecker over the M60 today at Sale water park, my first motorway woodpecker. beep beep.


Keep birding

31st July.

8 Goosanders on the R Irwell this morning that runs along the western edge of Drinkwater Park (SD804024).

The most recent posts have mentioned Cormorants. One of the pylons here alongside the river appears to be a favoured site for them for hanging about. 1 on 1/6, 3 on 26/6, 9 on 28/6, 2 on 4/7 and 1 today (31/7).

Cheers,

Bill.

If they were catching Roach near Granada shouldn't this be on the 'Weatherfield' thread

6 Cormorants swimming under Prince's Bridge near the Granada studios at 11.30am. They seemed to be catching small Roach.

Raven over Beech Hill calling 04:35 this morning

Cheers Jimmy

Aspull Area this morning
2 Ravens
1 Buzzard
Grey Partridge calling
I think i heard Tree Sparrows calling but not 100% sure
G S Woodpeker
Whitethroat
Coal Tit with young
Plus all Usual suspects
Plus all the usual


Cheers Jimmy

Leigh Town Centre
Wood Pigeon nest building nr Police Station
1 Goldfinch on Territory at same place also Family party of Goldfinches at car park Mather Lane

Cheers Jimmy

Aspull Area
While doing rights of way inspection birds seen and heard
21 B H Gulls on Football Fields then nothing till the rain stopped
2 Yellowhammers
5 Linnets
1 Reed Bunting
Family of Moorhens on a little pond
Bullfinch
1 Jay
4 Swallows

Cheers Jimmy

A Peregrine was flying around Swinton town hall this evening at 18.05. It attempted to land on the top of the tower but changed its mind and flew over the precinct instead sending Pigeons and Starlings in all directions.

Btw 10+20 House Sparrows in Hedges at Doctors Nook Leigh this morning

Cheers Jimmy

18/07/09 - juvenile Jay in Southern Cemetery on corner of Princess Rd and Nell Lane

A nice garden tick today as one of the town centre Peregrines mobbed a Buzzard over my back garden Saw it off then headed back to town.

Dean.