The most North west corner of Park bordering res

lots of birds in the bushes around here

Spotted Flycatcher
Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
20+ Willow Warbler
8+ Chiffchaff
20+ Long-tailed tit
3 Coal tit
6 Linnet
17 Goldfinch

Buzzard flew over

North part of the park

Ad Hobby flew through south
2 juvenile Peregrine
Sparrowhawk
3 Swift

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Sunday 19th of August 2012 07:33:19 PM

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Sunday 19th of August 2012 08:06:49 PM

7 Drake Greater Scaup showing well on res in bay near the School

Permit only site usual viewing from BT Tower in park or from pump house

late post from yesterday 24th

Peregrine and Buzzard over childrens play area at about 5pm

Hobby seen over from the park heading towards Simister

Good numbers of House martin and Swift around the colonys 100 Swift and 50+ House Martin.

Curlew SW

24 Common Scoter currently on res might be worth checking other waters

16/07/2012 - 8.00-9.20pm at the res with Phil Owen:

24 Common Scoters - still present but sheltering over on the far side from the park throughout
c60 Tufted Ducks
1 Curlew
1 Herring Gull
7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c50 Black-headed Gulls - all the gulls left when it got darker, no roost apparent
1 Sand Martin
6 Common Swifts

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Monday 16th of July 2012 10:18:29 PM

1 Black necked Grebe - spent a long time tucked in the bay on the Bury side of the spit, but eventually headed out into the middle - to Manchester borough :)

14/07/2012 - Quick scan of the res. with Phil Owen:

1 Black-necked Grebe - adult
2 Oystercatchers

Currently on res
15 drake Common Scoter
3 Black necked Grebe

This is a permit only site but viewing can be made off the pumping station on Heywood Road from outside the perimeter fence

Quick hour round the North bit of the Park before the crowds decend again for the Stone Roses concert

2 Little ringed plover flew se
7 Tufted duck flew south into park
Jay
Whitethroat singing
Blackcap singing

50+ House Martin with smaller numbers of Sand Martin and Swallow with the odd Swift.

110 Woodpigeons feeding in field by the school

2 Herring Gulls moved through with the Lesser black-backed gulls

4 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Crested Grebe
Many Canada goslings

Chiffchaff and Blackcaps singing in different places

Today.

Evening wander round the boating lake

155 Canada Geese (pair had small goslings)
2 Great crested grebe
3 pairs moorhen with young
2 well grown coot chicks
Mute swan
6 tufted duck

2 sand Martin, 10 house Martin & 10 Swift hawking insects over lake

2 chiffchaff and several Blackcap singing
2 nuthatch
Goldcrest singing near band stand pond
Several Mallards in unusual spots in large puddles including kids play ground

It was like Blackpool beach here today, what with the fair on and stuff

The best of the birds was a Pied Wagtail feeding a juvenile in the paddock inside farm (containing a goat)
2 Tufted Ducks on the lake
Blackcaps ands Chifchaffs heard
Nuthatch seen
Loads of Jackdaws

plus the usuals

Family party of 5 Treecreeper - adults feeding youngsters (up the hill from tram stop entrance)

.....................................................

Nice sighting that Simon ....... A lot would have missed a simple pleasure.

Roger.

Family party of 5 Treecreeper - adults feeding youngsters (up the hill from tram stop entrance)

Great spotted Woodpecker
Sparrowhawk
Male Bullfinch
100+ Swift

4 Yellow Wagtail - all female
9 Stock Dove
60 Magpie
80 House Martin

Had a stroll round yesterday evening and then completed my BBS this morning. Saw my first local swift last night on the Bury Old Road side, plus a Garden Warbler in trees near the boating lake cafe about 7pm last night, a first for me in the park .

This morning I had a dozen Swallows, a treecreeper, GS Woodpeckers, Willow Warblers, Blackcap and Lapwing all holding territories along my transects, whilst a few Common Sandpiper flitted about near the top end. No sign of the usual wealth of Grey or Pied Wags though, not sure where they were hiding!?

Overall from the last few weeks walking about the park a number of species appear to be having bumper years, with at least 7 pairs of GS Woodpeckers, possibly up to 9 pairs of Nuthatch, 4 pairs of Treecreeper and more pairs of Chaffinch than usual. Greenfinch seem to have been hit a little, possibly due to the disease throughout this species in recent years, but Bullfinch are still hanging in their with at least one pair around.

Of the migrants, Blackcap are up from normal years, with at least 10 singing males around the park, with 4 Chiffchaff about average, but Willow Warbler are up on normal, unless they are just passing through, but at least 6 singing males have been in similar spots for the best part of two weeks now, so more than usual one or two birds!?

Look forward to a bit more sunshine to bring in some more migrants though, as no sign of Common Whitethroats yet, but until then there is always something of interest in the park .

Mid Morning

7 Yellow Wagtail and 10 Wheatear were the highest counts ive had here for both species.

2 Arctic Tern NE
Linnet
White Wagtail
3 Stock Dove
30 Swift
Kestrel

A leucistic House Martin tonight - all white body with black wings and tail

2 visits this eve 4.15-5.45 and 7.30 -8.30

Best was an Adult Hobby which flew SE past the BT tower across the park

11 Dunlin (in breeding plumage) flew north
2 Shelduck flew off SW

Also present

Swift
10+ House Martin
250 Swallow
50 Sand Martin

but all had gone on 2nd visit

several Blackcap singing

Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and 50+ Starling feed on flooded bowling green

5.45 -6.45

53 Arctic Tern in total all moved ENE by time I left
single Common Tern in amongst

also

Swift
6 House Martin
350 Swallow
200 Sand Martin

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Wednesday 25th of April 2012 10:45:41 PM

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Thursday 26th of April 2012 08:56:13 PM

Arctic Tern through NE

Swift
8 House Marin
2 Sparrowhawk

Few hours round the north end of the park - 3-6pm

2 Swift - first of year
300 Swallow
200 Sand Martin
7 House Martin -

all the above passing through between showers

in the stubble field
48 Linnet - a noisey flock in surrounding trees
10 Lapwing
single oystercatcher
3 Stock Dove
60 Black-headed Gull
3 Common Gull

Peregrine, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk over

White Wagtail, 2 Blackcap and several Willow Warbler.

A female Goosander also made several attempts at landing on the BT tower - which was odd

Took my school's Wildlife Explorers club to bandstand pond 29th, before our holidays. We saw treecreeper, nuthatch and GS woodpecker, but never seen LS woodpecker. Where can they be seen? Which horse paddock?

Happily caught up with Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers today, two males and one female

Some good passage north this morning

Rock Pipit NW calling
255 Meadow Pipit NW (biggest groups 30 and 40)
4 Pied Wagtails nw
45 Redwing north
Dunlin north
Cormorant west
7 Sand Martin north
6 Swallow north
2 Siskin nw

Several Nuthatch calling and 2 Stock Dove

2 Teal - flooded woodland near boating lake
3 Mute Swan - boating lake
4 Nuthatch
Treecreeper
2 Buzzards
Sparrowhawk

Single Swallow and 10 Meadow Pipit north

3 Wheatear
2 Swallow
30 Sand martin
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
2 little ringed plover
3 Cormorant
Buzzard
2 Siskin
20 Meadow Pipit

all in the park this morning

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Friday 6th of April 2012 07:27:13 AM

3 Treecreeper having a dispute in trees either side the path next to Highland cow field.

Chiffchaff singing
100+ Woodpigeon into roost

North part of the park

from a vantage point scanning the area

11 Common Buzzard - scattered about biggest Kettle 6. 2 birds displaying
5 Sparrowhawk 2 birds displaying
2 Krestel
Raven flew se
Great spotted woodpecker calling
Nuthatch calling

Stubble field
3 Grey Heron
25 Linnet
7 Stock Dove

32 Meadow Pipit north
Curlew west
27 Lapwing east
2 Cormorant nw

10 + Goldcrest
Peregrine
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
2+ Nuthatch
Jay
6 Grey Heron

Boating lake
Herring Gull
10 Tufted Duck
3 Mute Swan

A couple of hours early morning with Simon Ghilks

No sign of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

At least 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3+ Nuthatch
1+ Treecreeper
c10 Siskin
30-40 Redwing seen, although we could hear many more

Good to see and hear most of the other common woodland species, despite the slight nip in the air

Hi Alan

yes it is in that area

Hi Simon

Was the Lesser-spotted near the horse paddock, I thought I
got a glimpse of it on Tuesday.

Regards Alan Flavell.

Early Morning with Mark Rigby

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Male - finally found it!

also
130 Redwing
Siskin heard
3 + Nuthatch
2 Treecreeper
4 Goldcrest
8 Tufted Duck
4 Teal in flooded copse by boating lake

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Thursday 15th of March 2012 06:55:26 PM

Early morning before work

possible Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming from same spot heard it calling last week
4-5 Great Spotted Woodpecker (4 Drumming)
4 Treecreeper (pairs near bowling green with one signing and in highland cow field)
4 Nuthatch

Other sightings from around the Highland cow field
10 Siskin flew over (north)
Gadwall - drake flew over
6 Meadow Pipit in a birch tree
130 Redwing
Bullfinch
6 Mistle Thrush
Grey Heron

Today, of note:

Nuthatch pair
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Chaffinches together in a tree near the golf course
1 single Starling
plus all the usual faces

Lake:
2 Great Crested Grebes
2 Mute Swans
12 Tufted Ducks
Several Moorhen

Walk round a busy park this afternoon

Great crested Grebe boating lake
67 Fieldfare north
100+ Redwing
6+ Mistle Thrush
3 Nuthatch
3 Goldcrest
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard soaring over boating lake

Today, most of the morning through to lunch -

Lake -

Tufted Duck - 6
Great Crested Grebe - 1
2 Mute Swan

Woods -

1 Coal Tit
Handful of Nuthatch, some seen, others just heard
1 Treecreeper
+ the usuals.

100 + Redwing
5 Siskin
40 Magpie
Jay
Great spotted woodpecker
Sparrowhawk
4 Grey Heron over
5 Stock dove

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker heard calling 3-4 times from birch trees at top of hill to the left from heaton park tram stop entrance but then moved towards trees above the childrens playground. Been a few years since seen or heard in the park.

Also

100+ Redwing lots of sub song and chattering
2 Nuthatch
2 separate Siskins north
Skylark north
30 Woodpigeon NE
7 Lapwing north

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker heard calling this morning.

For directions:access the park from the tram stop entrance and walk left, up the hill where the fenced off field is which usually contains Highland Cattle. At the top of the hill there are scattered trees (containing 100 Redwing this morning too) and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling in these trees.

Info thanks to Simon Johnson

Today.

2 Great Crested Grebes on the lake and 3 Tufted Duck + 2 Mute Swan coming for a feed.

2 Treecreeper in the woods, Male Chaffinch on the Ivy outside the farm wall, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatches heard
+ Goldfinch flock high in Birch (?) trees + usuals.

Circular walk from the southern carpark up the west side to the reservoir and then round back to the carpark. Quite noisy due to the funfair and sunday traffic.

- pr Herons building a nest on one of the islands on the boating lake
- pr Great Crested Grebes displaying
- Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck and BH Gulls on the lake.

Mainly Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits in the trees, but Magpies and Woodpigeons everywhere.
- 1 Jay
- 1 Sparrowhawk mobbed by crows
- singing Greenfinch, Wren and Song Thrush

3 Skylark sw
120 fieldfare
Sparrowhawk
Goldcrest Singing

Some movement north up the valley

13 Skylark
71 Feildfare
10 Redwing
50 Starling
40 grey geese
42 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Herring Gull
3 Common Buzzard


in Park
30 Fieldfare
Kestrel

2 curlew over calling this morning

Today, early, before weather got nasty:

Woods - Coal Tit and Nuthatch + usual supporting cast

Lake - 3 Muscovy, usual farmyard geese, 25 Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe looking handsome in summer plumage, some Swan and a single Grey Heron



-- Edited by John Doherty on Monday 20th of February 2012 05:59:21 PM