Sparrowhawk Buile Hill Park 3pm giving 2 Wood Pigeons something to think about

Peregrine launched itself off Cargill (Trafford side of ship canal) heading towards Allied Mills (Broadway extension) at 4.10pm.
Buzzard high over Weaste ETW at 2pm

Sparrowhawk in Buile Hill Park scoping the golf course out at 2.30pm then slowly drifted off towards Gore Ave.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 04:55:44 PM

Agecroft bridge to the Arches this afternoon, not too much but 2 little grebes, a male Goldeneye and a flash of kingfisher flying down the river.

I saw a pheasant whilst cycling in Drinkwater park today just near the 13 arches

Monday 13th Feb

Skylark flew over the Meadows Nature Reserve (by The Crescent) calling at 10am

Female Goosander on River Irwell by the Maxwell building

-- Edited by James Walsh on Tuesday 14th of February 2012 07:08:14 AM

A bird which had the shape and size of a godwit flew low over Liverpool street at 7.30am this morning heading southwest

River Irwell adjacent to Peel Park

1 Goosander
14 Goldeneye
63 Tufted Duck
4 Teal
2 Cormorant (1 with white head)
1 Mute Swan
21 Canada Goose
3 Little Grebe
10 Mallard
2 Moorhen
c100 BH Gull
4 Common Gull

9th Feb River Irwell adjacent to Peel Park

2 Goosander
10 Goldeneye
4 Teal
50 Tufted Duck
20 BH Gull
5 Mallard


Peel Park

1 GS Woodpecker
c100 Redwings


University campus (pines by library)

1 Goldcrest

8 Lt tits, 4 Blue tits and 2 Great tits in the low bushes outside my workplace on Liverpool street at 12.35pm today. Also 5 Pied wagtails running around Hope street at 10am.

Pair of Goosander north over Halfpenny Bridge, Pomona @ 11:30am

4th February.

Another section of the River Irwell from Littleton Road Bridge down river to St Boniface Bridge this morning produced the following sightings and totals:-

43 Goldeneye (20m) - in one group of 6 two males put on a lovely visual and vocal display to try and impress the four females, 9 Canada Geese, 55 Mallard, 37 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Wigeon (2m), 3 Goosander (2m), 4 Moorhen, 7 Teal (5m), 1 Cormorant and on a rubbly, shingly bit alongside the river at the back of the Cliff Sports centre a single Green Sandpiper. Possibly one of the two seen roughly 2 miles upstream yesterday? Just as I was approaching the St Boniface end of the walk a small goose flew upstream which sounded like and initially looked like a Barnacle Goose but as it flew quickly past at head height and looking at it without the aid of binoculars something just didn't look quite right. Also 3 Grey Wagtails.

In surrounding woodland etc - Nuthatch calling loudly from Kersal Dale, a Siskin flew over calling, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker was getting an interesting range of sounds from drumming on different parts of a dead tree, with a female seen and heard calling nearby. A flock of 5 Bullfinch. Singing Song Thrush and Chaffinch. 3 Fieldfare and 1 Redwing and a small flock of 7 Greenfinch.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 4th of February 2012 07:36:51 PM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 4th of February 2012 07:47:25 PM

(Early) River Irwell WEBS for February

3rd February 2012

58 Tufted Duck
5 Goldeneye
3 Teal
2 Little Grebe
5 Mallard
10 Canada Goose
10 BH Gull

Also, 1 Grey Wagtail on the river


Peel Park

2+ Song Thrush
c100 Redwings

3rd February.

River Irwell - Agecroft Bridge downstream to the Littleton Road Bridge this morning.

In addition to the 2 Green Sandpipers downstream of the Agecroft Bridge, also in close proximity was 1 Snipe and perhaps more surprisingly 2 Dunlin foraging along the waters edge. Towards the Littleton Road end of this stretch, 11 Lapwing - a few foraging on the grass on the sunnier side of the river and others foraging and loafing on the nearby sports playing fields.

Also - totals of c125 Canada Geese, 49 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 3 Little Grebe, 16 Tufted Duck, 2 Goosander (a pair), 1 drake Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan and 18 Goldeneye (rafts of 8 - 1m,7f - and 9 - 5m,4f - plus a single male on its own). Also singles of both Grey and Pied Wagtail.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Friday 3rd of February 2012 07:00:16 PM

A great view of a low flying Peregrine as it flew over my Liverpool street workplace today heading towards Manchester at 13.15pm. A large bird, probably the female who looked stunning in the sunlight.

Sparrowhawk half n hour ago on Victoria road pestering a small flock of sparrows of all things ! (it's in the name flew off towards the Elsmere estate

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 31st of January 2012 05:14:52 PM

Pomona

Female Goosander
1 Little Grebe
9 Mute Swan
c100 BH Gull
2 Common Gull
1 Grey Wagtail

-- Edited by James Walsh on Monday 23rd of January 2012 05:00:30 PM

agecroft bridge 11.50-12.30pm.

1 green sandpiper
5 goldeneyes 3m 2f
2 tufted ducks 1m 1f
1 goosander male
5 little grebes
1 pied wagtail
35 mallards
31 canada geese
150+ b h gulls

I had a walk along the Irwell from Agecroft this afternoon, 3 Goosander, 5 Goldeneye, 12 Tufties, 20+ Mallard, around 100 or so Canada Geese, saw the Sandpipers as they kept flying up and down the river when they were disturbed. Its a lovely place.

-- Edited by Louise Aspden on Tuesday 17th of January 2012 06:06:59 PM

Agecroft bridge area

2 Green Sandpiper
Snipe
2 Goosander
2 Goldeneye
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
20 Mallard
Little Grebe

16th January.

This morning on the River Irwell between Agecroft Bridge and downstream to the Kersal footbridge there were totals of :- 5 Goosander, 39 Goldeneye (several generally small rafts of birds but with the largest of 19), 2 Green Sandpiper, 35 Mallard, 1 Gadwall, 9 Little Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 136 Canada Geese, 1 Moorhen and 28 Tufted Duck. 2 Mute Swan flew over.

A Mistle Thrush was singing in Agecroft Cemetery and 2 pairs of Magpies were fighting there. Several pairs of Magpies were seen in other locations messing about around nests. Linnet and Lesser redpoll heard.

Cheers,

Bill.

2 Green Sandpiper together yesterday and today near Agecroft Bridge River Irwell plus Gadwall.

12/01/12 River Irwell WEBS (adjacent to Peel Park)

3 Goosander
2 Goldeneye
5 Tufted Duck
11 Cormorant
3 Little Grebe
1 Moorhen
10 Canada Goose
8 LBB Gull
20 BH Gull


Peel Park

1 Bullfinch
c50 Redwing
1 GS Woodpecker
1 Sparrowhawk
10 Goldfinch
2 Blackbird
1 Chaffinch
1 Greenfinch

I noticed about 20 Black headed gulls and 2 Crows flying around the Liverpool street gasometers today at 12.35pm. They all seemed very agitated and it was only when one of the crows decided to drop on to one of the support bars that I saw a Peregrine perched nearby, beside one of the main columns. Both Crows mobbed the Peregrine for a least 5 minutes while the gulls circled and flew between the supports. Eventually the Peregrine flew off with both Crows and most of the gulls in pursuit heading towards central Manchester

Pomona

c100 Pink-footed Geese west 3:30pm
1 Peregrine
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Little Grebe
3 Song Thrush
2 Kestrel
4 Mute Swan
15 Common Gull
5 LBB Gull
c100 BH Gull
2 Grey Heron
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Robin
11 Magpie
5 LT Tit
1 Greenfinch



-- Edited by James Walsh on Saturday 7th of January 2012 07:33:07 AM

Lightoaks Park

1 Nuthatch
1 Moorhen
20 Mallard
2 LT Tit
5 Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch

First tick of the year! Heron over my house in Swinton letting fireworks off in the garden with kids.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of January 2012 12:48:37 AM

27th December - am.

Journey along River Irwell this morning from Agecroft Bridge downstream for a few miles to St Boniface Bridge.

Totals on the river - 70 Mallard, 11 Goldeneye, 1 drake Gadwall, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Little Grebe, 3 Goosander, 26 Canada Geese, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Moorhen, 9 Teal (inc displaying males), 1 Grey Heron and 2 Pied Wagtail.

Also unfortunately had really good views of a Mink entering what may well have been its living/breeding quarters - not sure what they are called... a minkery? a holt? Anyway, I stood totally still for a while and it finally came out and looked at me and then went back into its home.

Loafing and foraging on Littleton Road Playing Fields - 500+ Black-headed Gulls, 30+ Common Gulls and 15+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

I was really surprised not only to hear one Song Thrush singing but also to be able to count at least 4 singing loudly along the distance covered! Also Mistle Thrushes singing at Agecroft Cemetery and near The Cliff. Blackbird in sub-song. Great Tit singing too. Flock of at least 5 Bullfinch near The Cliff and c15 Redwing over the cemetery. 2 Jays. What sounded like a Kestrel "yikkering". Fieldfare heard only.


Cheers,

Bill.

Clowes Park

Female Goosander
14 Tufted Duck
7 Redwing
1 Grey Heron
16 Mallard
24 Canada Goose
5 Coot
2 Moorhen
3 Aylesbury Duck

Kersal Dale LNR

Flock of 7 Bullfinches (5 males, 2 females)
2 Song Thrush
c20 Siskins
2 GS Woodpecker
1 Buzzard
2 Sparrowhawk
10 Goldeneye
5 Teal
3 Goosander
5 Redwing
c500 Wood Pigeon
2 Cormorant
2 Moorhen
10 Mallard
1 Jay

24/12/11

Drake Gadwall River Irwell 100 yards north of Littleton Bridge

23/12/11

c30 Redwings University of Salford on berry trees at the memorial garden

Tuesday 20th December GS Woodpecker flew over the top of Langworthy Road towards Buile Hill Park

2 Peregrines around St. Philips Church near Chapel Street 10am

15 Siskin by Irwell at Lower Kersal.

14 Goldeneye Higher Broughton area. I used to see 10 times that number there in December.

Stephen

Saturday 10/12
7 Grey wagtails flew over my works and landed on a neighbouring firms roof checking out the water filled gullies.

Today
A female Sparrowhawk chasing a Blackbird down Hope street.

A small number of Chiffchaffs do overwinter Jay, though they are scarce in our county. So a very nice sighting

Just seen a chiff chaff / small warbler on Peel park outside the window of the canteen of Salford Uni maxwell house. Point blank sighting and was 100% a warbler. It was flitting around the trees high up as they do. Was defo not a wren or goldcrest. Strange for them to be around this time of year ?

Just after the very heavy rain this afternoon in my works yard in Salford two Robins decided to have a fight.

Both birds chased each other and landed close to where I was standing. It was beak to beak and the birds did not noticed me as I walked over and cupped my hands over them. With a Robin in each hand I checked them over, one bird had lost a couple of feathers around its cheek and beak and the other had lost some breast feathers and it had a tiny cut near its beak. Apart from that both birds were OK so I let them fly off.

Irwell Valley Way

2 Kingfishers
6 Teal
9 Goldeneye
9 Tufted Duck
7 Little Grebe
5 Cormorant
4 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
3 Fieldfare
14 Common Gull
1 LBB Gull
20 Bh Gull
2 Grey Heron
3 Wren
1 Bullfinch
20 Mallard
3 Pied Wagtail
20 Starling
20 Canada Geese
5 Carrion Crow
1 Moorhen
15 Magpie
20 Mistle Thrush
10 Lt tit
1 Goldfinch

River Irwell WEBS 19/11/11

3 Goosander
14 Tufted Duck
4 Little Grebe
1 Common Gull
87 BH Gull
1 Grey Heron
1 Moorhen
22 Mallard
55 Canada Goose


Also
c30 Starling
1 Jay
1 Greenfinch
2 Pied Wagtail
1 Goldfinch
5 LT Tit

Buile Hill Park

0830-1030

29 species

1 Bullfinch
1 Song Thrush
2 Dunnock
5 Starling
2 House Sparrow

1 Goldcrest
1 Sparrowhawk
7 Mistle Thrush
11 Goldfinch
16 Blue Tit
c50 Magpie
8 Blackbird
7 BH Gull
5 Common Gull
7 Pied Wagtail
17 Wood Pigeon
11 Chaffinch
4 Robin
18 Jackdaw
36 LT Tit
9 Great Tit
2 Redwing
1 Greenfinch
2 Coal Tit
4 Collared Dove
3 Nuthatch
10 Feral Pigeon
4 Carrion Crow
1 Wren

12/11/11

Irwell Valley Way

4 Bullfinch
8 Goldeneye
12 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher (heard)
c30 Redwings
1 GS Woodpecker (heard)
c20 LT Tits
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Goldfinch
15 Mallard

Thanks for your reply Pete.

It never crossed my mind that this gull had in fact got a new hood for the next breeding season.

A cracking male Merlin at the top of Eccles new road this afternoon, flew off towards the quays, not the norm for here!

The Black Headed Gull has in fact got a "new" hood already for the next breeding season.It will definitely have moulted its hood and has already replaced it.Several birds at Richmond Bank already have full/almost full hoods,so its not unusual to see the odd hooded bird by November.

Up to 20 Black headed gulls roost on my works roof throughout the day. While I was sat outside at 12.30pm today one BH gull flew off the roof and this gull still had a full brown hood covering its head. I always thought that BH gulls lost the hood when moulting takes place after the breeding season has finished and well before Winter. I watched this bird for about 20 minutes and the rest of its plumage seemed to be the same as the other BH gulls.
Anyone any thoughts why this bird has kept its hood.

River Irwell by Peel Park

4 Goldeneye (1 drk)
10 Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe

6 Redwings over Liverpool Street at 9am

River Irwell by Peel Park

3 Goldeneye (1 drk)
15 Tufted Duck
3 Little Grebe
4 BH Gull
5 Mallard
1 Grey Wagtail