116 Lapwing, 4 Oyestercather and a Dunlin flew over the horse field near BT Tower put up from res.

Sparrowhawk and Buzzard in area

10 Fieldfare NE

2 nuthatch
4 jay
Great-spotted woodpecker
20+ blackbird
Peregrine sat on pylon
Single fieldfare

Afternoon visit with Henry Cook:

3 Treecreepers (a pair and later a seperate individual)
3 Jays
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Coal Tits
4 Goosander
1 Goldeneye
3 Mistle Thrushes
3 Mute Swans
amongst others

Boating lake area

3 Mute Swan
2 Goosander flew over
3 Teal in flooded wood are behind cafe
2 Great spotted Woodpecker
Nuthtach

in the woods
30+ Long tailed tits in 3 flocks
Treecreeper heard
12 Redwing

back field
2 Mistle thrush
15 Redwing
6 Blackbird

Stubble field north end

19 Reed Bunting
30 Chaffinch
21 Linnet
23 Greenfinch
3 Stock dove
3 Jay

Boating Lake area
Heard Nuthatch
2 Goosanders and 8 Tufted Ducks on lake

Stubble field North end

70 Chaffinch
Bullfinch over
3 Greenfich
3+ Reed Bunting
Linnet
70+ Magpie
Sparrowhawk
Jay
Great-spotted Woodpecker

The usual tufties and goosander on the boating lake, but surprise bird of the day was a treecreeper. It is only my second sighting of this locally declining species in 2011. Having observed them regularly in the park for many years they have become very scarce in the last 2 - 3 years, with possibly only 1 breeding pair left in the park. Loverly to see at least one in good health!

ad Iceland Gull (presumably the Pilsworth bird) bathed for c10 minutes mid pm then flew south.

a walk round to blow the cobwebs off today

Boating lake
23 Goosander - one of which caught and ate a large fish (roach i think)
11 Cormorant
15 Tufted Duck

Tram stop entrance
20 Long-tailed tit
18 Goldfinch

Stubble field
10 Stock Dove
2 Buzzard
Spawhawk
2 Rook
400+ Jackdaw
Linnets, Chaffinch & Reed Bunting

A Great Black-Backed Gull spotted form the M66 heading in that direction. What a brute of a bird. It's bill was very evident in flight.

11.45-2.30pm
on boating lake...
19 goosanders
18 cormorants
4 common gulls
11 tufted ducks
2 pochards
1 grey heron
1 mute swan
kingfisher heard only

a walk around...
9 common gulls feeding in field near boating lake
2 great spotted woodpeckers
2 nuthatches
1 treecreeper
1 pair bullfinches
1 sparrowhawk
5 redwings
4 mistle thrushes
+ usual birds around

also nice to meet kevin kelly again.




-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 26th of November 2011 04:31:49 PM

Early morning walk

Boating Lake
21 Goosander, 7 Cormorant, 2 Pochard and 7 Tufted Duck

Band Stand pond
Kingfisher and 56 Mallard

In the woods
20+ Long-tailed tit, 4 Goldcrest, 5 Coal tit, Jay and 2 Nuthatch.

14 Grey Geese flew over northern end not happy they were pinkfeet but by time got scope on them they were flying away.

The northern edge of the park and the stubble field just over the north wall held a lot of birds

100+ Chaffinch, 40+ Linnet, Bullfinch, 7+ Reed Bunting, 25+ Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 40+ Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, 7 Stock Stove, 60+ Magpie and 300+ Jackdaw.

A Common Buzzard put all of them up at one point.

24th November.

Very brief visit early pm.

Boating Lake.

Still at least 20 Cormorant. 9 Goosander. 3 male Pochard.

Also singles of Sparrowhawk and Bullfinch.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 24th of November 2011 07:50:37 PM

16/11/2011 - 1.30-3pm with Phil Owen. Sightings from around the park, boating lake and from the tower:

c60 Pink-footed Geese - flew north at 3pm
9 Great Black-backed Gulls
14 Lapwings
3 Little Grebes
2 Wigeons
c30 Teals
c20 Cormorants - mainly on the boating lake
11 Goosanders
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Goldcrests
1 Nuthatch

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 16th of November 2011 05:13:36 PM

Dusk

280+ Jackdaw into roost

4 Wigeon flew in to res from east

Not really supposed to post sightings from the res but doing so as might encourage other folk to check their local res tomo as also a few ducks on here

35 Teal
16 Wigeon
6 Shoveler
4 Gadwall
3 Pochard
30 Goldeneye

and a drake Common Scoter.

Might be worth checking your local res tomo Slav Grebe, Scoter and Little Gull in Bury area who knows what might be elsewhere!

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Friday 11th of November 2011 05:09:46 PM

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Friday 11th of November 2011 05:10:09 PM

Originally posted today by Alan Flavell:



Friday 11 nov. 9.15a.m. to 12.30p.m.

Mute Swans 4
Shoveler (male) 1
Pochard 1
Tufted Ducks 4
Goosanders 23
Cormorants 20
Grey Heron 1
Great Crested Grebe 1
Moorhens 6
Woodpigeons 5
Magpies 7
Jays 3
Jackdaws (flying over boating lake) 30+
Carrion Crows (near reservoir) 30+
Great Tit 1
Long-tailed Tits 15
Wrens 3
Mistle Thrush 2
Pied Wagtail 1
plus lots of Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls, Coots and Mallards

8th November am.

Wondering if the boating lake has been re-stocked with fish recently?.......... as there were high minimum counts of 31 Cormorant and 32 Goosander (all redheads) there this morning! Also 4 Grey Heron and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Plus 1 drake Shoveler and 3 Tufted Duck.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 08:22:13 PM

Copse on the near hill near tram stop entrance

20+ Blackbird in 2 berry trees
10 Redwing
15 Blue tit
5 Coal tit
11 Goldfinch
Goldcrest
3 Nuthatch

843 Woodpigeon SW
Brambling
160 pinkfeet east 8.36

Also a large pipit south with 4 Redwing. Didnt call. Longsish tail and Wagtail like flight

736 Woodpigeon SW
Green Sandpiper south
Brambling west

migration watch 7.15 to 12.30pm

Rock Pipit se
Meadow Pipit 87 south
Pied Wagtail 46 s/sw
Swallow 2 south
House Martin sw
Skylark 20 sw/se
Brambling s
Chaffinch 131 s/sw
Song Thrush 17 s/se
Golden Plover 6 south
Lapwing 96 sw

rough counts of
Redwing 1681 w/sw/s/se
Fieldfare 2526 sw/s/se
Starling 1125 w/sw

Raven 2 - landed on BT tower before heading south

Wheatear

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Friday 14th of October 2011 09:58:28 PM

8 Whooper Swan flew towards Oldham then SE @ 8.25am

Single Fieldfare west early on

14 Collared Dove in a garden St Margerts Rd

Sparrowhawk adn 2 Kestrel

3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other at highland cow field and Nuthatch calling

5 Whooper Swans nw at 8.45
Single Swallow south
Single Redwing west
lots of Goldcrest calling around the st Margrets road entrance

3 House martin this eve

Migration watching 7-12

Bar-tailed Godwit calling over but couldnt see it
Lapwing 60 sw
Pinkfeet 307 - seen very distant over Holcombe and were picked up over winter hill
Meadow Pipit 394 sw
Pied Wag 61 sw
Siskin 18 se
Redpoll 4 se
Chaffinch 40 south
Skylark 5 sw

Another 2 hours vis mig

Meadow Pipit 340 sw
Swallow 116 south
House Martin 166 south plus about 150 present
Siskin se
Linnet 37 sw
Goldfinch 45 sw
Mistle thrush 21 single party west
Song Thrush west
Goosander 5 south
Woodpigeon 212 south in 3 flocks plus 500+ present

Kestrel, Nuthatch, 2+ Goldcrest and a singing Chiffchaff near BT tower

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Saturday 24th of September 2011 10:56:37 AM

2 Hours Vis Mig this morning

Meadow Pipit 674 sw
Swallow 85 south
House Martin 92 south
Pied Wag 19 south
Lapwing 17 south
Chaffinch 3 south
Goldfinch 13 south
Siskin 2 south plus 3 groups unseen
Song Thrush se
Grey Heron high bird se
Goosander se
Mallard 16 south

late post for friday morning

Vis mig totals of stuff flying over

Ad Med Gull south
Yellow Wagtail se
Great Crested Grebe sw
Swallow 1030 (my highest number) south
House Martin 189 south
Meadow Pipit 126 south
Pied Wag 14 south
Grey Wag 1 south
Siskin 26 se
Redpoll 2 se
Chaffinch 2 south
Goldfinch 7 sw
Greenfinch 7 se

Wigeon 6 in

few waders over in the misty conditions this morning

2 Golden Plover, Ringed Plover and a Redshank S or SW

Massive numbers of hirundines in the bad weather this morning

approx 1000 Swallow and 800 House Martin only 2 Sand Martin picked out amongst.

Flock 7 Common Tern flew sw

Just outside the park, on my own street, milton road, coming back from heaton park tram stop I had a very unexpected sight soaring in the gales above. A juvenile hobby coming from heaton park reservoir direction glided off towards the south west at about house height. Cracking to get one in such unusual circumstances

That's the second unexpected hobby I've seen locally this year, after I saw one overhead at the ben and jerry's heaton park gig in july?!

-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Tuesday 13th of September 2011 08:21:14 PM

Hundreds of Swallows and House Martins in the park this evening some battling sw into the wind.

Swallow 500+
House Martin 400+
Sand Martin 2

Swallow 400+
Sand Martin 15
House Martin 150
Kestrel 2

Wigeon 7

Rook 3 flew sw
Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk

lots of Swallows and House Martins about

Around the horse paddock at the BT tower

GSW, Jay 2, Chiffchaff 3, Linnet 17, House Martin 80+, Swallow 100+, Buzzard, Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk 2.

On the move

Cormorant 3 NW
Meadow pipit 6 S
Swift 2 S
House Martin 116 S
Swallow 281 s-sw

this evening in the park

Wheatear 2
Common Sand
Common Gull.

Finshed the day sunburnt with 72 species from 3 sites all by public transport/foot

This eve feeding at the north end of the park

Swift 40
House Martin 100+

A Green Sanpiper flew over south in the thunderstorm along with 2 Swift and a flock of 65 Sand Martin.

Treecreeper by bowling greens
Stock Dove
House Martin 80

Had a couple of nice long walks around the park yesterday and today. Lots of young birds about including: Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, GS Woodpeckers and Nuthatch. Unfortunately, the Canada Geese appear to have had multiple broods between them, but on the brighter side Moorhen, Coot and Mallard all have chicks and seem to be doing well.

Very high numbers of House Martin this year too, with 30-40 feeding over the cow fields and upward of 40 Swallows feeding over the fields in front of the main Hall, which is encouraging from recent years low figures.

Other than that lots of the migrants are now bedded in, but are quite happily singing away from the trees, including Blackcap and Chiffchaffs.

Bird of the day though has to go to a male Mandarin, my first for Heaton Park and a new one for my GM list too, so should take me to 177 for my GM life list now, chuffed!?! Having just been watching some young Coot I was amazed to see a male Mandarin on the banks minding its own business, lovely birds and despite the origin being unknown it never fails to please me seeing these birds..........

Boating lake, today, AM:

Of note:
1 Great Crested Grebe
3 Greylag Geese
2 Mute Swan
7 Tufted Ducks (5M 2 F)
No less than 3 Muscovy Ducks
Decent numbers of both Coot and Moorhen

40 House Martin and 20 Swallow feeding over Highland cow field in park.

Also single Arctic tern flew west

Showers on and off

Swallow 150 at least feeding up and moving NW
Swift 110
House Martin 140+ put up by Sparrow hawk carrying food
Stock dove 3

Dunlin flew south over park

Swift 20+

St Margarets Rd

Swift 3
House Martin 10
Starling 34

On the main boating lake

2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Muscovy Duck
1 Pink-footed Goose
7 Greylag
5 Tufted (2F 3 M)
Couple of Mute Swans
At least 50 Canada Goose

Couple of Blue Tit
Several Blue Tit
4 Starling




-- Edited by John Doherty on Thursday 28th of April 2011 04:32:15 PM

Sand Martin 800 +
House Martin 100 +
Swallow 100 +
Yellow wag - female

Male Wheatear in the horse paddock near to BT tower

Good day for bridwatching and topping up the tan :)

Pink-footed goose among the Canadas, and I Great Crested Grebe on the lake, plus the usual among the trees.