........ in continuation from my mini adventure that started in Lancaster - I arrived at Bryn station by 2:10pm, I walked it to Ashton in hope of the Hooded crow (I'm no stranger to long walks) which only took me 20 mins.
As soon as I was arriving, the Hooded crow took flight with two other birders there on the grass field. I went to a safe spot where I could see the crow in the distance to keep an eye on it. After 10 or 15 minutes, he flew towards the field and using a tree as a hide, enabling me to manage to get the attached pictures.
After a couple of minutes, he started walking away. I saw i had an opportunity to 'walk to the other end' using the pavement across the road with a couple of cars parked there in order to get the light behind me and to get ahead of him. But, unfortunately it didn't quite goto plan this time dispite watching my distance, but at least he didn't fly too far..... until someone else flushed it!
Nice to meet up with (i think your name was Keith- my apologies -never good at names) whome I last saw last in Neston a couple of years ago for a water pipit lifer.
Dimming light at 3:15, I decided to call it a day. I was thinking of going to my favourite cafe in manchester- but I decided to go straight home once I got on the tram. I'm really pleased things went very well today and I have benefited from this mini adventure!
3pm to dusk: No sign of the Hooded Crow either at the pub, or adjacent fields. Good to share the watch with Keith Williams, who had seen the two guys with cameras spook the Bird
Craig Higson said
Sat Jan 27 4:52 PM, 2018
I'd share the pics and put em to shame.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Jan 27 3:02 PM, 2018
My apologies for posting this on here, not least as I doubt very much it concerns any registered users of this forum (I've seen photos of one of the people involved and don't recognise him but they may well read it anonymously) but perhaps the two camera clad (and I will refrain from using the term 'photographers' as that's unfair on all the decent ones out there!) and camouflage wearing morons who were on site around 2:30 today and felt it necessary to continually flush the Hooded Crow on the heath at Ashton Heath Road until it had had enough and flew off, might consider just photographing trains or planes in future instead; you know, something you might not want to try and wander right up to
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Jan 27 1:02 PM, 2018
Hooded Crow was still present opposite Eagle and Child when I arrived about 1240. It flew off over the housing estate about 1250.
Tim Wilcox said
Fri Jan 26 11:59 AM, 2018
The Hooded Crow was on top of a lamp-post across the other side of the street when I arrived at 11am but it then flew off over the houses and hasnt reappeared. Dog central this morning
Roger Baker 3 said
Thu Jan 25 3:56 PM, 2018
At 11.00 hrs the Hooded Crow was in the company of 3 of its black cousins at the top of a tall bare tree more or less facing the Eagle & Child on the opposite side of the Heath .... was there for a good 30 mins dropping to the ground once when the dog walkers vanished.
We viewed from the pavement where we pulled up .. having a laugh with the local residents who seem to be loving their new found fame !.
Roger.
John Watson said
Thu Jan 25 3:37 PM, 2018
Hooded Crow 14:20 from Haydock race track, in set-aside field just N of overflow CP
Rumour has it that it drifts between the Eagle & Child and the races; much like the punters, really
Ian Campbell said
Thu Jan 25 10:22 AM, 2018
Hooded Crow seen on the Heath and on tree behind pub this morning,good to meet Austin(sorry missed your surname), hope your photos are OK. Cheers Ian
steven burke said
Wed Jan 24 11:23 PM, 2018
Hooded crow was showing well opposite the eagle & child pub on Ashton heath Road from 3.15pm, it flew into the nearby trees a couple of times & then on the ariel of a house as I was leaving. No camera with me as I came straight from work. Nice to see a few familiar faces. I keep my lists fairly quiet & personal with just several people knowing about them but thought I would share this one, the hooded crow is my 200th gm bird
brian fielding said
Wed Jan 24 4:25 PM, 2018
called back this afternoon to try for better views of the hooded crow than yesterday, saw it again about 2pm perched in hedgerow on the heath across from the eagle and child pub for about 4 minutes , so glad i made the effort, cheers brian.
Craig Higson said
Wed Jan 24 3:59 PM, 2018
Hooded Crow still present 15:50
Nick Hilton said
Wed Jan 24 9:52 AM, 2018
Hooded Crow currently on Aston Heath Rd opposite the Eagle and Child pub
brian fielding said
Tue Jan 23 6:20 PM, 2018
Sorry Ian not a sighting, but just checked and hooded crow became full species in 2002
brian fielding said
Tue Jan 23 5:37 PM, 2018
Is it the first since it became a split species, not sure what year that happened!
brian fielding said
Tue Jan 23 5:34 PM, 2018
14! wow that's a surprise, we all seemed to think it was a first and everybody needed it for the county, shows what I know!
dave broome said
Tue Jan 23 2:25 PM, 2018
Hooded Crow in the hedgerow on the Windsor Road side of Ashton Heath 14:20
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 23 2:11 PM, 2018
The last record was at Watergrove Reservoir on 14th January 1996.
colin davies said
Tue Jan 23 2:06 PM, 2018
Ian McKerchar wrote:
brian fielding wrote:
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
Try 14th county record
When was the last Ian?
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 23 1:43 PM, 2018
brian fielding wrote:
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
Try 14th county record
brian fielding said
Tue Jan 23 1:15 PM, 2018
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
colin davies said
Tue Jan 23 12:52 PM, 2018
I've been told that the Hooded Crow back in Heath Road now.
John Rayner said
Tue Jan 23 12:06 PM, 2018
The Hooded Crow was present till 10.55 when it flew towards Haydock Racecourse.
Relocated it on the racecourse at approx 11.45. Seen distantly perched on white rails with many other corvids but when I drove round for a closer view it had moved on again.
Also seen at the original site were 2 Ravens over, Rooks, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows and Magpies but I couldn't find a Jay for a clean sweep.
Cheers John.
-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 23rd of January 2018 03:35:11 PM
colin davies said
Tue Jan 23 11:55 AM, 2018
A few of my poor photos of the hooded crow attached. Just last week I returned from Cyprus where hooded crows were common town birds, and I barely looked twice at them. I was walking down Heath road this morning on my way to Sandy Lane to see if I could find the reported brambling flock when it suddenly dawned on me that I was walking past a hooded crow, but not in Cyprus, this was actually a Greater Manchester mega! The light was poor and I fired off a few poor photos and then put the news out, sparking a mini twitch! I didn't see any sign of the brambling. Obviously the same bird which before Christmas was seen several times from the layby near Haydock Island.
Hooded Crow still showing incredibly well with 2 Carrion Crows on grass at the fork of Heath Road.
Bird has apparently been present c2 months and looks very settled and is unbothered about dog walkers etc. Can flush off into nearby trees, bushes or roofs but soon returns.
Hooded crow showing well on the grass where Heath road splits and the footpath to Sandy lane starts.
Brian Harding said
Thu Jan 18 6:54 PM, 2018
18th Jan 2018
Large flock of brambling, roughly 100 or so. Farmers field next to the path that goes from the end of Ashton Heath to Sandy Lane in Golborne. Along the haydock race course perimeter fence. Seen every day since Tuesday.
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Jan 16 9:30 AM, 2018
Tuesday 16 January 2018
A Peregrine headed NW, low over Bryn Road and the Eavesway coach depot, at around 09:05.
dave broome said
Wed Nov 8 8:43 AM, 2017
07:10-07:30 over Skitters Wood 2 Brambling SW 10 Chaffinch N 7 Fieldfare W 1 Redwing N
dave broome said
Fri Nov 3 10:29 AM, 2017
In a brief watch this morning 44 Chaffinch went north over Skitters Wood, including a high flock of 33 birds A Song Thrush went high north, as did a Blackbird and a Siskin. 1 Linnet and 3 Chaffinch went south. Only 8 Redwing, in various directions
dave broome said
Wed Nov 1 9:00 AM, 2017
2 Brambling north over Skitters Wood this morning, also 10 Chaffinch and 20 Redwing north in 20 minutes
dave broome said
Sat Oct 21 9:18 AM, 2017
4 Swallow south over Skitters Wood this morning, also south/south west 64 Redwing, 10 Chaffinch, 3 Grey Wagtail and 2 Song Thrush, with another vocal and greyish continental Song Thrush down for a while
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 21st of October 2017 09:20:58 AM
Craig Higson said
Sun Oct 8 8:19 PM, 2017
Redwings streaming over just now and, bizarrely, a Lapwing!
dave broome said
Thu Sep 28 3:45 PM, 2017
Chiffchaff in the town centre today with a tit flock at Armoury Bank
dave broome said
Mon Sep 11 2:30 PM, 2017
1 Swift west over South Lancs Industrial Estate this afternoon
dave broome said
Mon Aug 28 9:24 PM, 2017
1 Swift feeding briefly over Skitters Wood this evening and a Kingfisher there on Millingford Brook
Craig Higson said
Mon Aug 28 8:38 PM, 2017
Ive been toying with the idea of getting some sound recording stuff to try to ID some of the bizzare noises Ive heard over my house - this might just have persuaded me to do it!!
dave broome said
Mon Aug 28 9:34 AM, 2017
Heard an unfamiliar strange sound over home and heading west c22:15 last night, which with the help of xeno-canto.org and recordings on Portland Bird Obs blog I've identified as being the flight call and noisy wingbeats of Common Scoter
dave broome said
Sun Jul 16 9:00 PM, 2017
5 vocal Oystercatcher low S over Skitters Wood around 20:30 this evenin, one or two fairly regular over past few weeks
dave broome said
Sun Jun 18 6:07 PM, 2017
Siskin low N over Skitters Wood today
dave broome said
Fri Feb 24 12:13 PM, 2017
Stock Dove in Skitters Wood this morning was the first I'd seen in there, also 2 Siskin present
dave broome said
Sun Feb 12 10:09 AM, 2017
female Blackcap still in gardens by Skitters Wood
dave broome said
Sun Feb 5 10:35 AM, 2017
female Blackcap in gardens by Skitters Wood this morning, feeding on fat balls
dave broome said
Sun Jan 1 2:11 PM, 2017
Raven low E over Skitters Wood towards town centre this morning
Rob Thorpe said
Sat Dec 24 1:31 PM, 2016
Raven over Belvedere Road this morning. Nice first-week addition to my new garden list
dave broome said
Wed Dec 14 3:58 PM, 2016
Approx 120 Goldfinch roosted in shrubbery at South Lancs Industrial Estate this evening
dave broome said
Tue Dec 13 5:44 PM, 2016
They were the first Goosander and Kingfisher that I'd seen on there. The Muscovy 'George' is long gone alas. I like to imagine that it flew back to Central America
For all the latest news check out @MuscovyDucksUK on Twitter
-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 13th of December 2016 05:54:32 PM
Craig Higson said
Tue Dec 13 5:25 PM, 2016
Kingfisher must be a Mega on there. What's happened to the Muscovy though?
dave broome said
Tue Dec 13 11:16 AM, 2016
birds at George's Pond, Wotton Drive this morning included 1 Goosander, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Bullfinch
Ernest Sherman said
Wed Oct 12 1:17 PM, 2016
3 Buzzards gliding and "mewing" over Jubilee Park @ 13.10 pm
As soon as I was arriving, the Hooded crow took flight with two other birders there on the grass field. I went to a safe spot where I could see the crow in the distance to keep an eye on it. After 10 or 15 minutes, he flew towards the field and using a tree as a hide, enabling me to manage to get the attached pictures.
After a couple of minutes, he started walking away. I saw i had an opportunity to 'walk to the other end' using the pavement across the road with a couple of cars parked there in order to get the light behind me and to get ahead of him. But, unfortunately it didn't quite goto plan this time dispite watching my distance, but at least he didn't fly too far..... until someone else flushed it!
Nice to meet up with (i think your name was Keith- my apologies -never good at names) whome I last saw last in Neston a couple of years ago for a water pipit lifer.
Dimming light at 3:15, I decided to call it a day. I was thinking of going to my favourite cafe in manchester- but I decided to go straight home once I got on the tram. I'm really pleased things went very well today and I have benefited from this mini adventure!
Ta!
No sign of the Hooded Crow either at the pub, or adjacent fields.
Good to share the watch with Keith Williams, who had seen the two
guys with cameras spook the Bird
My apologies for posting this on here, not least as I doubt very much it concerns any registered users of this forum (I've seen photos of one of the people involved and don't recognise him but they may well read it anonymously) but perhaps the two camera clad (and I will refrain from using the term 'photographers' as that's unfair on all the decent ones out there!) and camouflage wearing morons who were on site around 2:30 today and felt it necessary to continually flush the Hooded Crow on the heath at Ashton Heath Road until it had had enough and flew off, might consider just photographing trains or planes in future instead; you know, something you might not want to try and wander right up to
We viewed from the pavement where we pulled up .. having a laugh with the local residents who seem to be loving their new found fame !.
Roger.
Rumour has it that it drifts between the Eagle & Child and the races; much like the punters, really
Cheers Ian
called back this afternoon to try for better views of the hooded crow than yesterday, saw it again about 2pm perched in hedgerow on the heath across from the eagle and child pub for about 4 minutes , so glad i made the effort, cheers brian.
The last record was at Watergrove Reservoir on 14th January 1996.
When was the last Ian?
Try 14th county record
I've been told that the Hooded Crow back in Heath Road now.
-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 23rd of January 2018 03:35:11 PM
A few of my poor photos of the hooded crow attached. Just last week I returned from Cyprus where hooded crows were common town birds, and I barely looked twice at them. I was walking down Heath road this morning on my way to Sandy Lane to see if I could find the reported brambling flock when it suddenly dawned on me that I was walking past a hooded crow, but not in Cyprus, this was actually a Greater Manchester mega! The light was poor and I fired off a few poor photos and then put the news out, sparking a mini twitch! I didn't see any sign of the brambling. Obviously the same bird which before Christmas was seen several times from the layby near Haydock Island.
Hooded Crow still showing incredibly well with 2 Carrion Crows on grass at the fork of Heath Road.
Bird has apparently been present c2 months and looks very settled and is unbothered about dog walkers etc. Can flush off into nearby trees, bushes or roofs but soon returns.
Image thanks to Andy Makin
Hooded crow showing well on the grass where Heath road splits and the footpath to Sandy lane starts.
18th Jan 2018
Large flock of brambling, roughly 100 or so. Farmers field next to the path that goes from the end of Ashton Heath to Sandy Lane in Golborne. Along the haydock race course perimeter fence. Seen every day since Tuesday.
A Peregrine headed NW, low over Bryn Road and the Eavesway coach depot, at around 09:05.
2 Brambling SW
10 Chaffinch N
7 Fieldfare W
1 Redwing N
A Song Thrush went high north, as did a Blackbird and a Siskin. 1 Linnet and 3 Chaffinch went south. Only 8 Redwing, in various directions
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 21st of October 2017 09:20:58 AM
Chiffchaff in the town centre today with a tit flock at Armoury Bank
1 Swift west over South Lancs Industrial Estate this afternoon
1 Swift feeding briefly over Skitters Wood this evening and a Kingfisher there on Millingford Brook
Heard an unfamiliar strange sound over home and heading west c22:15 last night, which with the help of xeno-canto.org and recordings on Portland Bird Obs blog I've identified as being the flight call and noisy wingbeats of Common Scoter
5 vocal Oystercatcher low S over Skitters Wood around 20:30 this evenin, one or two fairly regular over past few weeks
Siskin low N over Skitters Wood today
Stock Dove in Skitters Wood this morning was the first I'd seen in there, also 2 Siskin present
female Blackcap still in gardens by Skitters Wood
female Blackcap in gardens by Skitters Wood this morning, feeding on fat balls
Raven low E over Skitters Wood towards town centre this morning
Approx 120 Goldfinch roosted in shrubbery at South Lancs Industrial Estate this evening
They were the first Goosander and Kingfisher that I'd seen on there. The Muscovy 'George' is long gone alas. I like to imagine that it flew back to Central America
For all the latest news check out @MuscovyDucksUK on Twitter
-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 13th of December 2016 05:54:32 PM
birds at George's Pond, Wotton Drive this morning included 1 Goosander, 1 Kingfisher and 2 Bullfinch