A pair of Collared Dove was nest building in the garden today

Fledged Robins and Blackbirds in my garden today. I have been watching a male and female Blackbird for a week now, disappearing into a Hebe shrub with beaks full of worms.
At least 3 juveniles were in the adjacent hawthorn hedge when I arrived home from work

This morning in our Leigh (Lilford) garden:

1 male Blackcap (only second ever seen here, first was about 3 years ago)

Male Chaffinch (surprisingly not that often seen)
Grey Heron over


Plus our regular Bullfinch pair m/f
& Coal Tit


-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Tuesday 15th of April 2014 12:14:03 PM

Blackcap heard from the front garden this morning

Sat/Sun 12/13 April

2 Siskin (2m), 2 Bullfinch (1m 1f), 6 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest,

No Greenfinch, Starling or House Sparrow

On my feeders between 9am to 10am today were:

1 blackcap
Greenfinch-3
Goldfinch-5
Dunnock:2
Wren-2
Blue tit-6
Great tit

Also 3 House sparrows skulking around the hedges

A very pleasant surprise find was an eagle owl on a neighbour's roof in Sale. It then flew onto a fence in a nearby garden - very nice of the neighbours to let me in to their house to take some record shots! It was quite dark unfortunately (bird present from 2010-2030hrs). The bird was continually mobbed by carrion crows and magpies, and flew off West at 8.30pm. A lifer of sorts ;)

Last night 6pm-7pm in my Irlam garden
6 House Sparrows 4f 2m
1 Dunnock
2 Blue Tits
3 Woodpigeon
1 Starling
2 Greenfinch 1m 1f first seen for a while
1 Collared Dove again first for months
2 Goldfinch
This morning 9am-10-30am
2 Dunnock
3 Greenfinch 2m 1f
4 Starling
8 House Sparrows 5f 3m
2 Blue Tits
2 Woodpigeon
and drum roll 1f Lesser Redpoll a garden first

Here in High Legh Today ,Feeders and garden,LTTs,6,Goldfinch,2,Dunnock,2 on the ground in the open very rare,2,GS Woodies,Great tit Blue tit,Chaffinch,Greenfinch,Robins, Blackbirds all doing crazy movements over each others food finds,Not seen today was the usual party of Red Legged Partridge that started off in November of a family of eight now down to three due to the local shoot, Looking skywards, four Buzzards towards Lymm circling very high and slow ,Always great to see these fantastic birds, Looking forward to see my first Red Kite around here reading that they have been seen in Mobberley and Pickmere,fingers crossed..

Otmoor Way, Heyside.

Just had 2 Greenfinch and 1 Female Chaffinch on the seed feeder.
2 Goldfinch on the Nijer.
1 Dunnock ground feeding.

Woodcock flew over calling @ 22.30 as I went out to car

Sat/Sun 5/6 April

1 Willow Warbler, 2 Siskin (1m 1f), 2 Bullfinch (1m 1f), 6 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wren, 1 Sparrowhawk

No Greenfinch, Starling or House Sparrow

Back garden: Sydney Avenue, Leigh

Goldfinch x 5
Goldcrest x 1

chillin in the garden
sparrowhawk overhead being harassed by domestic pigeons, goldfinch, greenfinch, blue tit, great tit, house sparrow, starling, robin, dunnock,collared dove, blackbird and wood pigeon all in at different times throughout the afternoon.

Whitefield garden.
A pair of Lesser Redpolls a first for my garden in a small flock of Greenfinches and Goldfinches
plus a male Bullfinch.
All feeding on Sunflower seeds.

Sat/Sun 29/30 March

1 Siskin (m) , 1 Blackcap - singing (m), 2 Bullfinch (1m 1f), 1 Brambling (f), 4 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wren

The Song Thrush that has been singing locally has been notably absent this week.

No Greenfinch, Starling or House Sparrow

A male Lesser Redpoll visited my garden feeders today. First one this year. It concentrated on the sunflower hearts.

2 Chiffchaffs in my Horwich Garden this pm

Just now;
A female Siskin on the sunflower hearts for some time. A rare event for this garden

Song Thrush showing well and singing away from top of one of my garden trees over the last couple of days.A rarer site these days than used to be the case.Hope it stays around.

A pair of lesser redpoll were on my feeders in my Harwood garden this morning. The first I've seen this year.

2 Parakeets perched on a tree opposite my house at the moment, not far from Heaton Mersey common.

A juvenile Robin in a mate's garden on Higher Ridings Estate in Bromley Cross as I passed walking the dog this afternoon. Goodness knows when it was born as though it is still mostly spotted there is already some red breast starting to appear.

Sat/Sun 22/23 March

9+ Siskin , 1 Blackcap - singing (m), 3 Bullfinch (2m 1f), 2 Brambling (2m), 1 Redpoll (m), 5 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Wren

Mistle Thrush singing from nearby cemetary

No Greenfinch, Starling or House Sparrow

Lot of bird activity so far this weekend:

Reed Bunting x1 male, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Jay, Magpie and Wood Pigeon all feeding on the lawn

On the feeders:
Goldfinch x4
Greenfinch x5
Chaffinch x2
Starling x2
Coalt Tit x2
Blue Tit x2
Great Tit x4
Long-tailed Tit x4
Robin x1
Blackbird x2
Collard Dove x2

3 greenfinch on the sunflower hearts first for quite a while,goldfinch are regulars again along with chaffinch,great tit,blue tit,house sparrow,starling,collared dove,wood pigeon,dunnock,blackbird and robin.

Sat/Sun 15/16 March

9+ Siskin , 1 Blackcap - singing (m), 2 Bullfinch (1m 1f), 2 Brambling (2m), 3 Goldfinch, 2 Goldcrest (1 displaying), 1 Wren

Song Thrush singing from nearby cemetary

No Greenfinch, Starling or House Sparrow

(Chiffchaff in Stamford Park - 14 03 14)

8.50a.m.

Brief visit to my Whitefield garden by 8 Siskins males and females,
feeding on mixed sunflower seeds and nyger seed.

Chiffchaff calling at the rear of my Royton garden late morning about 5 days earlier then normal

2 Collared Doves today unusual for my horwich garden
Cormorant over (Garden 1st)
4 Long-tailed Tit
2 Willow Tits
2 Coal Tits
4 Reed Buntings
2 Dunnocks
4 Mallard ( 1F 3M)
plus the more usual stuff

There appeared to be a bit of Siskin passage today through Lowton. Very unusual to get Siskins in our garden but ended up with two today over the afternoon. I had a male on the feeders at lunchtime followed by another, different male a couple of hours later.

The Deans ducks over my Swinton back garden this morning
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

Male Sparrowhawk on roof today

Had an exciting and interesting hour watching a female Sparrowhawk kill and eat a Woodpigeon in our Orrell garden today.

Mike

Sat/Sun 08/09 March

9 Siskin , 1 Blackcap - singing (m), 3 Bullfinch (2m 1f), 5 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Sparrowhawk (m)

No Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Song Thrush, Wren

-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Monday 10th of March 2014 12:57:56 PM

Last night we saw our 1st Greenfinch, it didn't quite make it into our garden but was in the neighbours tree which is good enough for me!

A first for my garden a single male blackcap.

A garden first for me in my Boarshaw garden this morning. A Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Wintering female Blackcap still in our Bolton garden today.

In my Irlam garden 11:30 - 12:15
4 Goldfinch
2 Blue Tits
2 Dunnock
4 Starlings first for about 3 weeks
1 Robin
2 House Sparrows M
1 Woodpigeon
2 Blackbirds F
2 Magpies

Heyside, Royton.

First look out this morning:

2 Goldfinch
1 Blue Tit
1 Great Tit
1 Dunnock

A pre-roost gathering of 60+ Jackdaw (I counted 67) visible from the kitchen window this evening. All flew off together, in the direction of the Fairfield Golf Course roost.

sparrowhawk buzzed through my Bickershaw garden this morning,
2 goldfinch on my sunflower hearts yesterday, not seen any gold or greenfinch in the garden for about 2 months,

Topped up the feeders earlier and discovered the remains of a goldfinch not far away, the result of a sparrowhawk kill.

For the last 3 years I have had a single male siskin visit the garden for no more than 5 minutes on one day before it flys off. Usually 3rd week in February so this year I thought I had missed it. However today a single male appeared on the Niger feeders in front of my kitchen window and flew off after 5 minutes. Strangely this coincided with me making a cuppa and despite scanning the woods behind the house during further brew making I didn't see it again. I'm sort of hoping I don't see it again this year otherwise the run will be broken. I know that I can't and don't have 24 hr surveillance on the garden however I scan it often enough to have seen it more than once if it was even an irregular visitor - may not be that interesting but thought I'd share all the same

Been having small numbers of Siskin for a week or so now, only 1-2 but its good to see them back. Usual other birds with between 5 -10 goldfinches most days, 4 greenfinches seem to be regular as well as 2-4 chaffinches.

First Siskin of the winter on the sunflower kernel feeders this morning.
Also max count of 12 Greenfinch, 10 Goldfinch, 1 male Chaffinch and 2M + 1F Bullfinch.
Not too bad for a grey , drizzly morning here in Stockport.
Cheers Chris.

Sat/Sun 01/02 March

11 Siskin , 1 Blackcap (m), 1 Brambling (m), 4 Bullfinch (2m 2f), 2 Goldfinch, 1 Tawny Owl

No Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Song Thrush, Wren

Happy to report my first sighting this winter of a pair of Siskins on the sunflower hearts here in Wigan.

Male Reed Bunting on bird table this morning (Davyhulme). First for many years.