116 Common Gull on 13/11

Magpie (20+)
Black-headed Gull (20+)
Common Gull (30+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (3)
Pied Wagtail
Jackdaw (2)

50 Common Gull
3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
11 Redwing

Yesterday

63 Common Gull
48 Black-headed Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Jackdaw 3
Carrion Crow 6
Magpie c. 20
Wood Pigeon c. 40
Black-headed Gull 95
Mistle Thrush 1

Took a good look at the gulls but saw none but BHGs. Yesterday morning (23rd) around 0730 there was a very nice Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2.40 - 3.15

342 Black-headed Gull
4 Common Gull
14 Mistle Thrush

Returned at 20.00 but no sign of big gull flocks - just 3 stragglers

Numbers up again late afternoon c700 Black-headed gulls in total - 2 flocks - 1 of about 200 gulls on school playing fields - the other over 500 on football pitches immediately on left as you enter from Turn Moss Road/Lane. Many following the tractor cutting the grass! No sign of Mediterrian Gull in large flock - the second flock was too distant for detailed scan with binoculars. Also;
Lesser Black-backed gull 2
Woodpigeons 70+
Starling 1 flock of c40 birds
Swallow 7

12.40 - 14.20

several hundred Black-headed Gulls
1 3rd summer Herring Gull
5 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 2nd summer Common Gull
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
1 Swift

1 irresponsible dog walker deliberatley disturbing gulls & birder studying them

Stretford Ees dry wier

adult Moorhen with 4 chicks
pair Tufted duck

Numbers down today, 100 BH Gulls on Rugby field,

1 large red tractor upsetting birds.

Its a very odd place Turn moss, you can go for weeks and see nothing on the fields, but noted that after heavy storms the gulls like to feed,

BH Gulls were in 3 separate flocks around the football pitches. Most of them flew off when a couple of dog walkers came on, 2 labs and a GSD.

600+ BH Gulls
1 Med Gull Adult.
7 LBB Gulls
4 Lapwing
1 Oystercatcher.

50 Jackdaw
12 Crows
37 Magpies

22 Mistle Thrush
7 Blackbird
25 Starling
120 Woodpigeon,

On flood fields this afternoon, I have seen large common gull flocks here as well in the past, there must be some pattern to the large flocks here.

That is some Haul, Paul. Excellent! Glad the gulls don't mind the rain!

-- Edited by John Doherty on Tuesday 10th of July 2012 10:48:51 PM

2 blackcaps
2 willow warblers
3 chiffchaffs
1 lapwing (over)
4 mistle thrushes
2 song thrushes
2 mallards
lots off woodpigeons.

-- Edited by steven burke on Wednesday 18th of April 2012 10:54:16 PM

Redstart still on the right side of hawthorne lane (facing Chorlton) in and around the hedgerow between the two football pitches about midday

1 male Redstart present at 9am this morning, on the playing fields side of Stretford Grammar School's fenced off field.

1 Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the SGS field.

The Redstart was along Hawthorn Lane about 4pm calling and mobile

info from Tony O'Mahoney

Still present mid afternoon but dashed illusive!

Male Redstart still present in the hedge at the back of the school field at 13.00

Had a look at 6.45am this morning could not find redstart.going back past at 10.25am and found it again still in same area despite the football being played.

Thanks Steve, a cracking find that, congratulations!

Ollie Wright wrote:

---

I popped down on my bike, arriving at about 6:45pm but having not been to the site before, didn't really know where to look and wasn't fortunate enough to bump into Messrs Burke and Kelly. Darn!

---

ollie,we were still there at that time,a shame,but it is a large area. i have given a description off the area,but it might be too late now or not its still worth a look around the area. good luck if you do.

I popped down on my bike, arriving at about 6:45pm but having not been to the site before, didn't really know where to look and wasn't fortunate enough to bump into Messrs Burke and Kelly. Darn!

got here just after 5pm walked across the field to my right and headed for the top corner off the schools fenced off field which has hawthorns along the top fence and after counting the woodpigeons just got to the corner and a REDSTART a fine looking male was feeding low to the ground on and off the hawthorns onto the grass,it was a bit wary so i kept my distance but carried on watching it for a good couple off hours,it was always keeping low to the ground but did disappear every now and then. after letting ian know about my find i got in touch with phil kelly and he was there in 15 mins,so was nice to have someone else see it and to my surprise it was actually a lifer for phil your welcome phil and thanks for the lift back.

other birds..

2 willow warblers
200+ woodpigeons
1 pied wagtail
2 great tits
2 blue tits
2 jackdaws
4 crows
lots off magpies
great spotted woodpecker (heard )

Single Redstart present at 5:15pm today.

Info thanks to Steven Burke

this evening

7 willow warblers,6 seen 1 heard
1 willow tit
2 chaffinches
2 great tits
3 blue tits
4 long tailed tits
all along hawthorn rd

300+ woodpigeons
2 stock doves
28 starlings
4 crows
all on playing fields

1 grey heron over.

this afternoon...

3 chiffchaffs
2 treecreepers
6 mistle thrushes
2 pied wagtails
2 mallards
crows/magpies & woodpigeons.

because the football on the pitches all (or most) off the gulls were in the school fields...

218 common gulls & there were still several more in flight. the largest amount i have ever counted there.
100+ b h gulls
3 l b b gulls
6 mistle thrushes
jackdaws & starlings

2 buzzards over heading towards sale water park at 12.15pm

Football Day so numbers reduced. However:

Common Gull (30+)
Black-headed Gull (30+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1)
Pied Wagtail
Carrion Crow (2)
Heron (1)
Mistle Thrush (1)

and

? Ring-billed Gull (see separate post)

Monday 06.02.12:

On partially flooded fields -
Teal 1
Redwing 13
Mistle Thrush 3
Black-headed Gull 51
Common Gull c 80
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4
Woodpigeon c 10
Pied Wagtail 1

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Gull numbers down again

Common Gull (most numerous species)
Black-headed Gull
7 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
30 Redwing
2 Mistle Thrush
6 Carrion crow
3 Blackbird
Magpies in large numbers (I ran out of rhyme ages before I ran out of birds)
20 Wood Pigeon
3 Bullfinch (in the trees near the changing rooms)
1 Teal (mooching around a very large puddle)

Not so many gulls today as in the recent past. However, most of the ones I did see were:

Common Gull
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Jackdaw (a small flock of 12 birds)
Carrion Crow

A very large flock of gulls on the playing fields today. Mostly the usual Black- headed kind but also a fair few Common Gulls and at least 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. There was a mixed flock of Starlings and Redwings (c. 12 7 24 respectively).

Pair of Sparrowhawks in atleast partial display today.

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

200+ Woodpigeon was unusual