09/03/2011 - Generally tough birding in the wind with many species staying low or being blown away! However, a feeding flock in the sheep fields consisted of:

c120 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
c70 Starlings
27 Woodpigeons
1 Grey Heron

06/03/2011 - sightings on a lovely sunny afternoon:

6 Lapwings (south)
5 Teals
2 Stock Doves
c30 Redwings

Late posting for 25th Feb -

I forgot to report that there was a large feeding flock of Starlings, numbering around 400 in the sheep fields. A record for the area.

05/03/2011 - Morning walk, not many migrants yet but most resident birds showing breeding intent now:

2 Teals
1 Grey Heron
4 Goldcrests

20/02/2011 - No further sign of any Mealy Redpolls but a few Lessers and Siskins still visiting the garden feeders. 1 Grey Heron and 1 Stock Dove in the fields, generally quiet until the evening roost with Phil Owen. The Newall Green Grasslands attracted the following into roost at 4.30-5.30pm:

116 Magpies - site record
143 Redwings
4 Fieldfares
4 Blackbirds
1 Jay

16/02/2011 - A new first-winter Mealy Redpoll in the garden at noon. It spent a lot of time hanging about in trees (where seen by Sid Ashton) before eventually coming down to the nyjer seed feeder and showing off a heavily streaked rump on an otherwise typical specimen, not a feature so present on the other first-winters which have passed through. Also 2 Stock Doves and 2 Buzzards in the area.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 16th of February 2011 05:36:29 PM

14/02/2011 - 1.w. Mealy Redpoll still present this morning with 6 Lesser Redpolls and 6 Goldfinches. Also 20+ Black-headed Gulls with a single Common Gull in the sheep fields.

Quick walk with the dog down Brookes Drive bridal path at 3.30pm in the pouring rain.

1 Treecreeper
1 Kestrel (Male)
A few Redwings

amongst the usuals

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 13th of February 2011 07:24:06 PM

13/02/2011 - Mealy Redpoll along Shay Lane in birches with 6 Lesser Redpolls this morning. No visits to the garden feeders yet today. 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls gathered in the sheep fields also.

12/02/2011 - The female Mealy Redpoll returned to the feeders in my garden this morning. Song Thrushes also very noticeable now with several singing birds audible from any one spot and a couple of birds poking around the hedge in the garden.

10/02/2011 - Male and first-winter Mealy Redpolls turned up among 20+ Lesser Redpolls first thing this morning. At least three Mealys seen in the area over the last couple of days but maybe more.

08/02/2011 - Female Mealy Redpoll still present in my garden this morning. After a flyby from a Sparrowhawk the redpoll flock left and I later relocated them along Shay Lane where the numbers were higher, looked like the garden birds had joined another flock in the birches. Here there were at least 2 Mealy Redpolls (looked like the Female again and probably the 1w bird which has been hanging around for a while now).

07/02/2011 - Thanks Vaughan, a male Siskin visited briefly today but seemed to be blown quickly away by the gale! Also a female Mealy Redpoll called by but with the feeders spinning around on their hooks like a frisbee ride at a fairground, there wasn't much chance of a peaceful feed.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Monday 7th of February 2011 01:56:20 PM

had my first Siskins in two years in Hale over the weekend Henry - keep an eye out ...

Shay Lane with Henry Cook 1.30pm

1 Mealy Redpoll still present amongst the Lesser flock
4 Bullfinches (2m, 2f)
1 Raven
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard

06/02/2011 - in the garden this morning, redpoll flock is often viewable along Shay Lane when the move away from the garden:

2 Mealy Redpolls (1 male and yesterday's first-winter)
23 Lesser Redpolls
10 Goldfinches
no Siskins this winter again

05/02/2011 - 10am:

1 Mealy Redpoll - first winter in the garden

31/01/2011 - A good morning in the garden, amongst the usual species were:

1 Mealy Redpoll - female, showed flecking on the white rump which other females seen recently haven't had much of. This is at least the 6th Mealy seen in the area this winter.
c20 Lesser Redpolls
2 Stock Doves
1 Treecreeper


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Monday 31st of January 2011 02:32:52 PM

Quick walk with dog on Crowland Hill 1.30pm

1 Female Sparrowhawk
1 Bullfinch
1 Coal Tit

amongst the usuals

Great sighting for the area Rob. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

29/01/2011 - RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results from my garden, 8.30-9.30am:

1 Sparrowhawk - flyby from a male
3 Woodpigeons
1 Collared Dove
1 Wren
3 Dunnocks
7 Robins - good numbers back in the garden with the cold weather
4 Blackbirds
1 Blackcap - male bird again briefly, feeding on sunflower hearts
8 Long-tailed Tits
4 Coal Tits
9 Great Tits - tit numbers lower than in previous years here
8 Blue Tits
2 Nuthatches
6 Jays - a garden record
3 Magpies
1 Jackdaw
1 Rook
1 Carrion Crow
1 Starling
4 Chaffinch
1 Greenfinch
4 Goldfinch
5 Lesser Redpolls
10 Bullfinches - pleasantly the most common species in the garden at present

Nice one Rob ... I so nearly worked from Home today too ...

On the way to taking Luke to school in Hale Barns we spotted a large, broad-winged and seemingly long tailed raptor flying west from Hale Barns towards Hale/Altrincham at 8:35 this morning.

Although my first impression was that the bird was a little harrier like it was clearly an accipiter but it was at medium range and in silhouette.

Our suspicions were confimed when the bird was briefly mobbed by a male (on size)sparrowhawk which it compltely dwarfed, continuing to fly with slow deep wing beats in contrast to the sparrowhawk's fast, grouped efforts...it can only have been a Goshawk, and based on the size comparison I'd guess a female.

26/01/2011 - A visit from a male Blackcap this morning was the first wintering record for the garden for a couple of years.

18/01/2011 - 2 Mealy Redpolls on the garden feeders briefly this morning before flying towards Shay Lane where a c10 strong flock of Redpolls were seen in birches but flighty. They were seemingly an adult male and female and repeats an event which occured 26/03/2006, on the same feeder.

This evening 2 Tawny Owls were calling to each other, audible from inside the house with the TV on so they must have been close by.

Henry Cook wrote:

---

11/01/2011 - A pair of Collared Doves are furiously nest-building in my garden at the moment, spring is on it's way!

---

They may just be trying to keep warm Henry

11/01/2011 - A pair of Collared Doves are furiously nest-building in my garden at the moment, spring is on it's way! 6 Lesser Redpolls and 6 Bullfinches also around.

Out in the sheep fields around noon were a Brambling, Snipe, 30+ Fieldfares, 150+ Starlings and 4 Stock Doves.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 11th of January 2011 01:05:09 PM

05/01/2011 - 1 Mealy Redpoll (1st winter female) present this morning with about 8-9 Lesser Redpolls on Ringway golf course, near the Shay Lane side. The redpoll flock as a whole has been very elusive lately and split up into several smaller feeding flocks which are themselves flighty and covering distances between feeding areas. Several Lessers have been visiting the garden but no Mealy here yet. Also present on the Golf Course were: 4 House Sparrows, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Siskin, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Jays, 4 Rooks and 2 Jackdaws.

Afternoon update: 20+ Lesser Redpolls alighted in an Ash tree in the garden but were flushed off by an active Sparrowhawk before they could pluck up the courage to come down to the feeders. Tomorrow hopefully.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 5th of January 2011 09:26:25 PM

02/01/2011 - Flock of Pink-footed Geese flew over this morning (heard only, so no count made), also 5 Lesser Redpolls, 7 Bullfinches and a high count of 7 Robins still visiting the garden.

7 Grey Herons stood in a huddle this afternoon in the middle of a field by the Clay Lane junction with Ash Lane.

01/01/2011 - 2 Tawny Owls around the garden at 12.10am, obviously disliking fireworks, but showing brilliantly in the spotlight. Yearlist = 1. Happy 2011!

Final walk of the year round the patch this afternoon at 1.45pm.

Misty and mirky with some Ice still left on the fields from the recent Snow.

8 Lapwings (over)
2 Mallards
1 Bullfinch
Lots of Redwings and a single Fieldfare amongst others but generally quiet.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

24/12/2010 - Daily walks have been extremely quiet of late, no doubt the cold is pushing birds away. Today's wander was a bit more productive though with some cold weather movement evident:

1 Jack Snipe (flyover)
2 Woodcocks
12 Lapwings
1 Teal (flyover)
2 Moorhens (still holding on)
1 Grey Heron
39 Magpies (into the roost last night)
5 Redwings
20+ Blackbirds
8 Robins (all in the garden - highest numbers ever here)
6 Bullfinches
2 Lesser Redpolls
2 Siskins

07/12/2010 - Out in the fields for much of the morning and half an hour with Mike D in the afternoon produced:

32 Waxwings - flew west at 2pm. Just a few meters away from getting them on the garden list!
1 Woodcock
4 Lapwings
1 Stock Dove
1 Treecreeper
2 Jays
2 Siskins
c10 Redpolls (only seen in flight and quite elusive, showed better at 2pm which seems to be a generally better time for them before going to roost)


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 7th of December 2010 08:20:56 PM

No sign of any Redpoll this morning in first 2 hrs of light.

Large flock of Siskin in Alders behind the last house on the RHS on Shay Lane.
2 Bullfinch
Nuthatch
2 GS Woodpecker

Then all birds in the area were flushed by idiots with shotguns, much to the displeasure of a dog walker who was hurling abuse at them from a sensible distance it has to be said!!

RBA reported a single Mealy Redpoll still present at 12.40pm today along with 20 Lesser Redpolls, along Shay Lane.

02/12/2010 - 1+ Mealy Redpoll still present this morning along Shay Lane. The Redpoll flock was reduced in number and more mobile, all flew off west towards Ringway golf course just now but they'll be back i'm sure.

01/12/2010 - 3 MEALY REDPOLLS (1 adult male and 2 female types) along Shay Lane this afternoon with 32 Lesser Redpolls. They were feeding in birches across the road from the turn into Shay Avenue but were quite flighty. Eventually Mike Duckham and I had good views of all the necessary features but it's definitely a scope job.

This is the 3rd record for the area following 2 birds in 2006 and another in 2008, both previous records coming from the garden.

Also present during the day were:

1 Black-headed Gull
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Nuthatches
3 Jays
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Siskins
7 Bullfinches

Henry Cook wrote:

---

Excellent garden bird Sid!
Interesting to see just how far they are ranging around too.

---

Henry, unfortunately they didn't go on our feeders

Excellent garden bird Sid!
Interesting to see just how far they are ranging around too.

Henry, those two Ravens took a slight detour and went over our place a short while ago

30/11/2010 - 2 Ravens again, flew over towards Timperley. Harsh, biting wind not pleasant so gave up after that!

28/11/2010 - Seriously cold now, but sunny which took the biting edge off my morning walk. Most activity was found around the sheep carcass which has been nearly stripped in a matter of days. 2 Ravens, 1 Buzzard, 2 Rooks, 7 Carrion Crows, 8 Magpies and several Jackdaws were loitering around it. Also around the sheep fields were 2 Snipes, 10 Lapwings and several Redwings.

26/11/2010 - c60 Pink-footed Geese flew SE at 9am.

25/11/2010 - The cold snap has finally brought more birds in the garden. It has been unusually quiet on the feeders the last few weeks. Out in the fields it remains very quiet, even the winter thrushes have filtered through and moved on. A Raven was standing proud on top of a recently deceased sheep at midday, the first back for this winter. Other stuff seen:

1 Grey Wagtail
2 Siskins
5 Lesser Redpolls
2 Nuthatches
4 Coal Tits


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Thursday 25th of November 2010 02:13:52 PM

Quiet on the patch this morning with 5 Common Snipe along with 3 seperate flyover skeins of Pink Footed Geese being the highlights.

18/11/2010 - After thinking that i've not seen a Stock Dove around locally for ages a whopping 21 birds in a flock flew out of an Ash tree in the sheep fields and flew north. That's where they've been hiding then! Otherwise ghostly quiet.

16/11/2010 - Good bit of finch movement this morning:

1 Brambling (fem type flew south-west with Greenfinches)
2 Siskins
c30 Greenfinches
c40 Redwings
1 Grey Heron
8 Common Snipes

Somehow didn't bump into you out there Phil. Great morning to be out on the fields and seeing what late autumn has to offer, a sense of the calm before the storm. Additional sightings:

1 Lapwing (flew east)
7 Common Snipes
1 Grey Wagtail (hanging around the garden)
2 Lesser Redpolls

Nice crisp, clear morning walk round 7.45am-9.45am:

Amongst the usuals were:

c60 Pink Footed Geese SE 8.10am
c100 Pink Footed Geese NE 9.00am
9 Siskins (over)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Lots of Fieldfares and Redwings

05/11/2010 - Incredibly annoying this morning were a large flock of Fieldfares which flew over and contained some slightly smaller birds with a jizz which obviously weren't thrushes. They didn't call and disappeared over the trees, out of sight within seconds. Dare I hint they were Waxwings?! Will have to wait for a better view. Stuff seen:

1 Meadow Pipits (over, south)
2 Skylarks
c90 Fieldfares (over, south)
c40 Redwings
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
4 Common Snipes (on the 3rd)
c30 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull