A walk around the perimeter - Long -tail tit 10. Jay 3. From the Middle Hill - Sparrowhawk 1. Kestrel 1m. Meadow pipit 2 heard only. A very quiet afternoon.
phillipskelly said
Tue Aug 23 1:15 PM, 2016
Path by side of basketball court - Sparrowhawk 1. Willow warbler 1. Long-tail tit c20. Blue tit c15. Great tit 4. Bullfinch 1 . Main tip - Kestrel 2 (pair) . Reed bunting 2 . Chiffchaff 1 heard singing .
phillipskelly said
Tue Aug 16 7:01 PM, 2016
Late post for Monday 15.09.16 1 - 3pm ... (Very hot, most things staying in cover.) Chifchaff 1 Kestrel 1 on pylon adj. M60, then 2 Kestrel together over tip. Lots of Woodpigeon over. Magpie only 1 supprisingly . And on the way back heard I heard a Common Buzzard calling with a very short "Meow" , flying fairly low which was joined by another which seemed to start a display....flying high and then diving (with wings in), and pulling up with legs stretched out several times. These two were joined by another as they gained height, then another and finally a fifth bird. They circled high and finally dissappeard . After that show I decided to leave the tip only hearing a few Long-tail tits on the way back. At least the paths over the tip were nice and dry , also lots of bramble in berry....mmmm.
steven burke said
Sat May 14 1:42 PM, 2016
Morning visit after dropping my car at the nearby garage.
1 hobby, over 1 garden warbler 1 spotted flycatcher 1 grasshopper warbler, heard & then showed well 1 sedge warbler 17 whitethroat 8 blackcap 5 chiffchaff 4 willow warbler 8 reed bunting 7 bullfinch 2 swallow 11 swift 2 buzzard 1 kestrel 1 sparrowhawk with an unfortunate bird in its talons. 1 pheasant 2 great spotted woodpecker Plus goldfinch, greenfinch.
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 14th of May 2016 10:22:34 PM
1 Grasshopper Warbler showed briefly, but well on the south side of the meadows by the cycle route. Reeling only just audible over the traffic from the motorway. 1 Grey Partridge 3-4 Whitethroat 2 Reed Bunting 2 Chiffchaff 1 Buzzard being mobbed by crows 1 Long-Tailed Tit 1 House Sparrow flycatching from the top of brambles Plenty of Goldfinches
Tim Wilcox said
Wed May 4 4:06 PM, 2016
Grasshopper Warbler reeling and showing well in brambles at the top of the hill Blackcap 3 Whitethroat 3 Reed Bunting 1 Kestrel 1 Buzzard 1 Sparrowhawk 1
phillipskelly said
Wed May 4 12:36 PM, 2016
Excellent news about the forthcoming maps . Ps. My avatar was phone-scoped to the right of middle/kestrel hill (with the cricket club to the right ) in the dip . They seem to favour that area for hunting .
Copland Smith said
Tue May 3 5:39 PM, 2016
I'm in the process of making a series of Mersey Valley maps for birds & butterflies. I'll have a go at the Stretford & Urmston ones, then, and I'm happy to adopt Middle Hill. I call it Kestrel Hill.
phillipskelly said
Tue May 3 2:15 PM, 2016
No map as I know of, but I enter from the Poplar rd. entrance then walk slightly uphill...Walking across the small flat top you come to a substantial dip and incline to another mini hilltop with a large concrete manhole cover on it. (Motor way to your left ) this is what I call the "middle hill" as it again tappers down (with the cricket club to the right) eventually to the garden centre entrance to the tip. As the little hilltop is nearly central to the tip I refer to it as that, as some birders I know ask for directions / locations and there aren't too many features on there. It would be a good thing if someone did a map as it might encourage more birders to visit the location.
Simon Gough said
Tue May 3 12:36 PM, 2016
Late post for Monday 2nd May
Around 830-1000 with Chris Chandler
A fairly quick spin round the site hoping to hear or see Grasshopper Warbler. No sign at all, it was pretty breezy but seemed sheltered enough at the bottom of the site near the cricket ground. We saw plenty of Whitethroat but other than Dunnock and Meadow Pipit that was about it.
Paul Heaton said
Thu Apr 21 7:41 AM, 2016
The Middle hill ?
I approach the Meadows via Kickerty brook over the motorway footbridge, Has anyone done a map of the meadows ?
Shrike was an excellent find well done Peter Reeves..
Keep Birding
phillipskelly said
Wed Apr 20 11:25 PM, 2016
A quick visit this afternoon. Stonechat 1 m (on the middle hill at first) . Whitethroat 2. Reed Bunting 4. Blackcap 4 (3m, 1f) in clearing between St.Matthews school Poplar rd. and the tip. Goldfinch 3.
steven burke said
Tue Apr 19 10:54 PM, 2016
evening visit.
2 grasshopper warblers in different areas, both seen but one eventually showing really well down to about 15ft. 3 chiffchaff 2 blackcap 1 whitethroat 2 swallow 5 linnet 4 reed bunting 2 stock dove 1 kestrel 2 pheasant
A Great Grey Shrike was seen and photographed here on Sunday morning (yesterday). Further details will be posted as and when I have them.
Chris Sutton said
Sat Feb 27 6:59 PM, 2016
Quick scan as I passed through on my bike; - Stonechat (1) male - Buzzard (2) - Kestrel (1)
phillipskelly said
Wed Nov 4 10:18 PM, 2015
No short- eared owl but Raven on pylon at Bradley lane . Also seen - Goldfinch 20 Meadow Pipit 5 heard Long-tail Tit 10 Jay 2 Didn't do a full circuit and didn't come across the usual grey partridges , I just walked around the central hill checking for Short-eared owl .
phillipskelly said
Fri Oct 23 4:33 PM, 2015
This afternoon - distant and brief view of a small flock of aprox. 20 Goldfinch. Longtail tit flocks x2 of 8 and 10 birds. Common Buzzard 1. Grey Partridge 4. Redwing c 10 . Meadow Pipit 4 . Starling c 200 in a mini - murmeration around a pylon adj. M60. Bullfinch 1 heard . Plus several Robins , wrens and magpies about.
phillipskelly said
Thu Sep 3 3:32 PM, 2015
The clearing s/o St. Matthews school basket ball crt. and the wooded area of the tip between 11 - 12.30pm. . . . Blue tit 13 . . .
Gt. tit 6 .
Goldfinch 5 .
Chiffchaff 1
Blackbird 3 juv.
Blackcap 3m + 1f + 3 juv .
Reedbunting 1 .
Mistle thrush 1.
Long-tail tit 9.
Bullfinch 1 heard. From 12.30pm on the rest of the tip.
Long-tail tit c10.
Goldfinch flock of 67 juveniles and 1 adult .
Spent a lot of time just watching the the goldfinch feeding on the thistle seed heads.
phillipskelly said
Sat Aug 15 4:42 PM, 2015
In addition to my last post - I used the Poplar rd. entrance to the tip . (Off the A56 Chester rd. )
And turned left at the Solidago Canadensis and Basketball court.
phillipskelly said
Sat Aug 15 4:29 PM, 2015
From 11- 2 pm. . Between the wooded boundary of the tip and St. Matthews primary school in a clearing containing elder, hawthorn, willow and lots of rosebay willow herb and a bit of bramble: a mixed flock consisting of . . . Longtail tit x c20. Chiffchaff x 2 . . Bullfinch x 1 m. Great tit x 4 .
Blackcap x 2 . .
And a bird glimpsed in a small dead hawthorn which might have been a garden warbler but not sure. . . I waited about 30mins and all the birds (as above) returned .
But the one in the hawthorn was a Spotted Flycatcher ! ! and this time I had my scope on the tree just in case, and nearly got it phone- scoped .
Elsewhere on the tip there was only :-
Common Buzzard x 1 .
Jay x 2 .
Grey partridge x4 . . .
Chiffchaff x 2 heard on the perimiter . Also c 50 Goldfinch feeding on thistle seeds .
phillipskelly said
Wed Aug 12 11:26 PM, 2015
A short mooch on the tip today (which looked really good with waist high grasses and lots of thistle in seed). . . . Not much seen or heard except . .. .
Buzzard x1 over. Sparrowhawk spiraling high above and aprox Goldfinch x 50 moving around the sycamore and scrub oak trees (inc. at least 10 young picking insects off the oak ).
phillipskelly said
Sun May 10 10:55 PM, 2015
Chiffchaff x3.
Whitethroat x 5.
Reedbunting x 3. Swift x 2.
Grey partridge x3.
Pheasant 5 heard +1flushed. Cormorant x 2 over .
Greenfinch x 2 .
Lapwing x1 over. Blackcap x 2 .
Sedge warbler x 2 .
Tim Wilcox said
Fri May 1 9:06 PM, 2015
Nick Hilton wrote:
Joel Number of ways; Drive down to the bottom of Newcroft Road, park up and take the cinder track left (east). Drive down to the bottom of Lesley Road, park up near the cricket ground, follow the track round the ground and onto the old tip site. If public transport, bus down the A56, get off near Stretford Tip (Household Waste Recycling Centre), find footpath adjacent that leads onto old tip site. Google earth it, you will clearly see the tracks and the bridge Tim refers to. Good luck.
NB I've only ever cycled there. It's off route 62 - the Trans Pennine Trail. They have been closing this stretch which is being tarmacced (more than you'll find on any roads!) but it's open for the weekend. Cycle from Chorlton Ees
Nick Hilton said
Fri May 1 8:45 PM, 2015
Joel Number of ways; Drive down to the bottom of Newcroft Road, park up and take the cinder track left (east). Drive down to the bottom of Lesley Road, park up near the cricket ground, follow the track round the ground and onto the old tip site. If public transport, bus down the A56, get off near Stretford Tip (Household Waste Recycling Centre), find footpath adjacent that leads onto old tip site. Google earth it, you will clearly see the tracks and the bridge Tim refers to. Good luck.
Joel Tragen said
Fri May 1 4:00 PM, 2015
Hi I have never been to the tip and would quite like the see the whinchat. Please could someone tell me how I would be able to see it? Also how do I get access to it and where is it?
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Friday 1st of May 2015 04:03:26 PM
Tim Wilcox said
Fri May 1 3:56 PM, 2015
Male Whinchat still present 3.55pm today near the bridge over the motorway. A splendidly bright bird
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Apr 30 10:43 PM, 2015
Male Whinchat and two Wheatears present this afternoon.
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
Colin Nicholls said
Sat Sep 27 10:18 AM, 2014
Yesterday...
1 Kestrel hunting 1 Buzzard, hounded by a couple of Magpies - then by what looked like a Sparrowhawk (didn't have bins with me to be sure) 5 Meadow Pipit 7 Goldfinch 2 Wood Pigeon
steven burke said
Mon Jun 30 10:38 PM, 2014
2 chiffchaffs c20 swifts 3 swallows 3 greenfinches 1 skylark 5 goldfinches, over 5 reed buntings plus 4 juveniles 4 whitethroats plus 5 juveniles 2 kestrels
Grasshopper Warbler, Chiffchaff, willowarbler, linnet, skylarks, meadow pipits and a little grebe on a nearby pool and some new plants including Crataegus laevigata, known as the midland hawthorn in flower.
Originally posted by Judith Smith, 07.11.10 at 8:35pm:
Lesley Rd end - a Water Rail on the little stream and 2 Buzzards (a tetrad with no records at all so far, so paid it a visit today - 27 species in total)
brandon mulhern said
Sat Oct 23 6:11 PM, 2010
Went for a good walk round this afternoon in the vain attempt to spot a waxwing or two on the many berry trees and bushes, alas no luck, in fact there is a distinct lack of most varieties of anything on here at the moment other than hse sparrow, wood pidgeon and still not seen but heard goldcrest.
brandon mulhern said
Tue Sep 21 8:37 PM, 2010
still as quiet as ever on here although there seem to be several chaffinch around the new open area of the goldcrest habitat, there are signs the goldcrest have returned but not sure if they now just visit and move away for the night .
First afternoon off in ages and to my annoyance from 12.30 to 2.30 the whole fields were being cut up by a gang of five lads taking turns on an offroad motorbike, no wonder it's quiet.
-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 21st of September 2010 10:40:22 PM
brandon mulhern said
Sat Aug 7 9:20 PM, 2010
Been very quiet over the last fortnight here, this week has seen a little more activity but nothing special other than now 3 confirmed skylark juveniles active mainly around the edges of the paths munching on the many insects about at the moment. Very easy to get close without knowing it as the grass is so long.
Still some linnet around showing some probable breeding behaviour (taking food back to a bramble bush), may be a second brood for this year, I'll keep my eyes out for confirmation. Several greenfinch and house sparrow in their normal place, although the recent work on the area has impacted on their little haven as the paths have been widened and several of the bramble bushes are now gone.
Still not sure where the goldcrest are, several goldcrest calls near the allotments but too limited to get a good spot to exact whereabouts, but one thing is for sure they're not where they were!
The work on the drains has cleared a very long stretch of the edge of the wooded area and is pretty much 400metres long give or take a metre or so. Areas i never had access to before are now wide open. It has been covered with a soft mix of pebbles and cement but is still soft underfoot so maybe things can grow back over time.
brandon mulhern said
Thu Jul 22 8:33 PM, 2010
first confirmed fully fledged skylark today :) sat on one of the paths with a parent watching over it, good views through bins, stock doves were the most abundent bird today, not much else other than a single chiff chaff being friendly.
On a sad note the area the goldcrest reside has been cleared to replace a main drain, the area which is down by the allotments used to have a small two foot wide single file "track" between the trees and bushes it lead no where or so i thought, it actually leads to a main drain manhole. From the manhole which is at the bottom of Peter Wood gardens there is now a 200 metre long and 6 metre wide path which it appears is going to be partially concreted over to cover the top of the drain. The goldcrest are still about as I could hear them somewhere around the allotment so I'm sure they'll be ok but the area they most frequent has sadly gone!
On a lighter note four fledged swallow have taken to sitting on the phone line outside my bedroom window the last few mornings they still have white downy feathers on their upper and lower body. I have no idea where their nest has been but it must have been close!
Long -tail tit 10.
Jay 3.
From the Middle Hill -
Sparrowhawk 1.
Kestrel 1m.
Meadow pipit 2 heard only.
A very quiet afternoon.
Sparrowhawk 1.
Willow warbler 1.
Long-tail tit c20.
Blue tit c15.
Great tit 4.
Bullfinch 1 .
Main tip -
Kestrel 2 (pair) .
Reed bunting 2 .
Chiffchaff 1 heard singing .
1 - 3pm ...
(Very hot, most things staying in cover.)
Chifchaff 1
Kestrel 1 on pylon adj. M60, then 2 Kestrel together over tip.
Lots of Woodpigeon over.
Magpie only 1 supprisingly .
And on the way back heard I heard a Common Buzzard calling with a very short
"Meow" , flying fairly low which was joined by another which seemed to start a display....flying high and then diving (with wings in), and pulling up with legs stretched out several times.
These two were joined by another as they gained height, then another and finally a fifth bird. They circled high and finally dissappeard .
After that show I decided to leave the tip only hearing a few Long-tail tits on the way back.
At least the paths over the tip were nice and dry , also lots of bramble in berry....mmmm.
1 hobby, over
1 garden warbler
1 spotted flycatcher
1 grasshopper warbler, heard & then showed well
1 sedge warbler
17 whitethroat
8 blackcap
5 chiffchaff
4 willow warbler
8 reed bunting
7 bullfinch
2 swallow
11 swift
2 buzzard
1 kestrel
1 sparrowhawk with an unfortunate bird in its talons.
1 pheasant
2 great spotted woodpecker
Plus goldfinch, greenfinch.
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 14th of May 2016 10:22:34 PM
1 Grasshopper Warbler showed briefly, but well on the south side of the meadows by the cycle route. Reeling only just audible over the traffic from the motorway.
1 Grey Partridge
3-4 Whitethroat
2 Reed Bunting
2 Chiffchaff
1 Buzzard being mobbed by crows
1 Long-Tailed Tit
1 House Sparrow flycatching from the top of brambles
Plenty of Goldfinches
Blackcap 3
Whitethroat 3
Reed Bunting 1
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Ps. My avatar was phone-scoped to the right of middle/kestrel hill (with the cricket club to the right ) in the dip . They seem to favour that area for hunting .
As the little hilltop is nearly central to the tip I refer to it as that, as some birders I know ask for directions / locations and there aren't too many features on there. It would be a good thing if someone did a map as it might encourage more birders to visit the location.
Around 830-1000 with Chris Chandler
A fairly quick spin round the site hoping to hear or see Grasshopper Warbler. No sign at all, it was pretty breezy but seemed sheltered enough at the bottom of the site near the cricket ground. We saw plenty of Whitethroat but other than Dunnock and Meadow Pipit that was about it.
The Middle hill ?
I approach the Meadows via Kickerty brook over the motorway footbridge, Has anyone done a map of the meadows ?
Shrike was an excellent find well done Peter Reeves..
Keep Birding
Stonechat 1 m (on the middle hill at first) .
Whitethroat 2.
Reed Bunting 4.
Blackcap 4 (3m, 1f) in clearing between St.Matthews school Poplar rd. and the tip.
Goldfinch 3.
2 grasshopper warblers in different areas, both seen but one eventually showing really well down to about 15ft.
3 chiffchaff
2 blackcap
1 whitethroat
2 swallow
5 linnet
4 reed bunting
2 stock dove
1 kestrel
2 pheasant
Go on then, I'll bite.
The Spotted flycatcher seems a phenomenally early record Phil.
What were the circumstances here?
Linnet 1
Stock Dove 7
Pheasant 3
Kestrel 1
Spotted Flycatcher 1 .
Grasshopper Warbler 2 (1 seen , another heard in different location ) .
Bullfinch 1 m.
Reed Bunting 8 (5m , 3f)
Meadow Pipit 2 heard .
Greenfinch 1 heard .
Buzzard 1 over Urmston lane boundary .
Long-tail Tit 4.
Dunnock 4 (2 pair ).
Lapwing 1 over M 60 .
Cormorant 1 over heading south.
Chiffchaff 1 seen and 2 heard.
Common Whitethroat 3
Raven 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 1
Yesterday the bird was in the area adjacent to the M60 close to the footbridge that crosses it from the meadows.
Info and images of the bird thanks to Peter Reeves
- Stonechat (1) male
- Buzzard (2)
- Kestrel (1)
Also seen -
Goldfinch 20
Meadow Pipit 5 heard
Long-tail Tit 10
Jay 2
Didn't do a full circuit and didn't come across the usual grey partridges ,
I just walked around the central hill checking for Short-eared owl .
aprox. 20 Goldfinch.
Longtail tit flocks x2 of 8 and 10 birds.
Common Buzzard 1.
Grey Partridge 4.
Redwing c 10 .
Meadow Pipit 4 .
Starling c 200 in a mini - murmeration around a pylon adj. M60.
Bullfinch 1 heard .
Plus several Robins , wrens and magpies about.
NB I've only ever cycled there. It's off route 62 - the Trans Pennine Trail. They have been closing this stretch which is being tarmacced (more than you'll find on any roads!) but it's open for the weekend. Cycle from Chorlton Ees
Number of ways;
Drive down to the bottom of Newcroft Road, park up and take the cinder track left (east).
Drive down to the bottom of Lesley Road, park up near the cricket ground, follow the track round the ground and onto the old tip site.
If public transport, bus down the A56, get off near Stretford Tip (Household Waste Recycling Centre), find footpath adjacent that leads onto old tip site.
Google earth it, you will clearly see the tracks and the bridge Tim refers to. Good luck.
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Friday 1st of May 2015 04:03:26 PM
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
1 Kestrel hunting
1 Buzzard, hounded by a couple of Magpies - then by what looked like a Sparrowhawk (didn't have bins with me to be sure)
5 Meadow Pipit
7 Goldfinch
2 Wood Pigeon
c20 swifts
3 swallows
3 greenfinches
1 skylark
5 goldfinches, over
5 reed buntings plus 4 juveniles
4 whitethroats plus 5 juveniles
2 kestrels
info thanks to phil Kelly.
4 chiffchaffs
2 skylarks
1 blackcap
2 greenfinches
1 kestrel
4 reed buntings
5 whitethroats
3 pheasants
4 linnets
2 long tailed tits
2 wheatears
info thanks to phil Kelly.
1 kestrel
1 buzzard
8 meadow pipit
3 skylark
2 mistle thrush
4 great tit
1 wren
3 dunnock
4 mallard
5 woodpigeon
5 greenfinch
1 linnet
info thanks to phil Kelly.
1 kestrel
1 buzzard
2 meadow pipits, another 5 heard
3 greenfinches
1 dunnock
3 skylarks
info thanks to phil Kelly.
c50 meadow pipit
9 reed bunting
2 great spotted woodpecker
2 mallard
10 goldfinch
1 redwing
across the m60...
1 sparrowhawk
13 lapwing
info thanks to phil Kelly.
1 sparrowhawk
3 swallows
4 mallards
1 dunnock
2 kestrels (1 on m60 lamp column)
4 chiffchaffs
2 buzzards
1 robin
1 long tailed tit
1 skylark
4 buzzards seen over carrington.
info thanks to phil kelly.
Long-tailed Tit 5
Coal tit 1
Great Tit 5
Blue Tit 4
Greenfinch 4
Bullfinch 1m
Jay 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Main tip-
Skylark 5
Meadow Pipit c20
Reed Bunting 1
Dunnock 3
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 20th of February 2012 01:52:46 PM
Greenfinch 5
Reed Bunting 14
Skylark 6
Whitethroat 11
Linnet 7
Chiffchaff 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Swallow 2
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
Greenfinch 1
Chaffinch 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Chiffchaff 2
Reed Bunting 4
Skylark 4
Heron (over ) 1
Linnet 1 f
Kestrel 1 f
Buzzard (over ) 1
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
Kestrel 2
Reed Bunting 5
Goldfinch 5
Greenfinch 3
Buzzard (over ) 1
Skylark 5
Meadow Pipit 24
Long-tailed Tit 4
Fieldfare 10 (in the adjacent cricket club)
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
Lesley Rd end - a Water Rail on the little stream and 2 Buzzards (a tetrad with no records at all so far, so paid it a visit today - 27 species in total)
First afternoon off in ages and to my annoyance from 12.30 to 2.30 the whole fields were being cut up by a gang of five lads taking turns on an offroad motorbike, no wonder it's quiet.
-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 21st of September 2010 10:40:22 PM
Still some linnet around showing some probable breeding behaviour (taking food back to a bramble bush), may be a second brood for this year, I'll keep my eyes out for confirmation. Several greenfinch and house sparrow in their normal place, although the recent work on the area has impacted on their little haven as the paths have been widened and several of the bramble bushes are now gone.
Still not sure where the goldcrest are, several goldcrest calls near the allotments but too limited to get a good spot to exact whereabouts, but one thing is for sure they're not where they were!
The work on the drains has cleared a very long stretch of the edge of the wooded area and is pretty much 400metres long give or take a metre or so. Areas i never had access to before are now wide open. It has been covered with a soft mix of pebbles and cement but is still soft underfoot so maybe things can grow back over time.
On a sad note the area the goldcrest reside has been cleared to replace a main drain, the area which is down by the allotments used to have a small two foot wide single file "track" between the trees and bushes it lead no where or so i thought, it actually leads to a main drain manhole. From the manhole which is at the bottom of Peter Wood gardens there is now a 200 metre long and 6 metre wide path which it appears is going to be partially concreted over to cover the top of the drain. The goldcrest are still about as I could hear them somewhere around the allotment so I'm sure they'll be ok but the area they most frequent has sadly gone!
On a lighter note four fledged swallow have taken to sitting on the phone line outside my bedroom window the last few mornings they still have white downy feathers on their upper and lower body. I have no idea where their nest has been but it must have been close!