A few sightings from the last week in Dukinfield.

At least 60 Redwing have been around Crescent Road and Astley Street.
A pair of Collared Doves has been engaged in courtship, whilst a group of six Woodpigeon which visited the garden included a juvenile bird.
Other garden visitors have included a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Greenfinch, three Chaffinch, female Bullfinch and two Goldfinch. Also today a mixed Tit flock contained c40 birds.

Thursday 20th December 2018, 11.45am.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

5 Cormorant on the pylons
1 Little Grebe
2 redhead Goosander
5 Mallard
1 Coot
Several Nuthatch calling from the trees

Saturday 15th December 2018, 11.15am.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

4 Cormorant on the pylon. The maximum count was of six, on Wednesday.

Nothing on the pond, which was half frozen. Other sightings this week:

3 Goosander (2 male, 1 redhead), on several occasions
1 Little Grebe
1 Grey Heron

Monday 26th November 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

9 Goosander (5 redheads). Drakes doing a little sparring.
6 Cormorant on the pylon
1 Moorhen

7 Blackbirds feeding on a rowan in a garden at the rear of Morrisons car park in Dukinfield, included 6 continental birds.

At least 300 Jackdaw flying over the car park to roost.

Wednesday 21st November 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

9 Goosander (5 redheads)
2 Cormorant

Tuesday 20th November 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

8 Goosander (4 redheads). 4 immaculate males.
Just 1 Cormorant on the pylon (6 yesterday)

Saturday 17th November 2018, 10.45am.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

8 Cormorant on one pylon. Numbers have ranged from 6 to 8, after Monday's high of 9.
A Kingfisher was seen on the pond on Wednesday lunchtime.
Goosander numbers have been either 6 or zero. Apparently the same six birds, with 5 redheads. None this morning.

Monday 12th November 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

9 Cormorant on one pylon
6 Goosander (1 drake), on the pond

Sunday 11th November 2018, 10.00 - 11.30am.

Harrop Edge - very quiet.

2 Fieldfare in a hawthorn tree
1 Mistle Thrush attempting to dislodge the Fieldfare
1 Raven
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Meadow Pipit over
11 Canada Geese

Several Jackdaws, Magpies, Woodpigeon, and Black-headed Gulls around, but not many.

Printworks Road, Heyrod, 11.45am

6 Cormorant on one pylon
1 Little Grebe on the pond
4 Mallard
1 Buzzard over the trees by the river, at Grove Road.

Tuesday 6th November 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

6 Cormorant on one pylon
1 redhead Goosander on the pond

Saturday 3rd November 2018, 9.45 - 11.45am.

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook to Millbrook.

c 150 Fieldfare; 70 feeding around Shireclough, and 80 over south
c 30 Redwing
10 Goldfinch
120 Starlings in one feeding flock
5 Meadow Pipits
3 Lesser Redpoll
1 Mistle Thrush

11.50am, Printworks Road, Heyrod.

1 redhead Goosander, my first of the Autumn at this site
5 Cormorant on the pylons

Tuesday 30th October 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

5 Cormorant on one pylon
1 Kestrel on another pylon
1 Buzzard in the trees by Grove Road Bridge

Saturday 27th October 2018, 1.30pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

6 Cormorant on the pylons
1 Little Grebe on the pond

Thursday 25th October 2018.

Stalybridge Railway Station, 8.20am.

10 Redwing over west
1 Grey Heron over east
1 Pied Wagtail calling from the river

On the train back from Manchester, 12.30pm.

1 Sparrowhawk soaring above a flock of racing pigeons, over Clarence Street Bridge.

Tuesday 23rd October 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

8 Cormorant on one pylon - highest count of the Autumn.

Monday 22nd October 2018, 1.15pm

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

4 Cormorants. 3 on the pylons, and one on the pond.

Saturday 13th October 2018, 9.30 - 11.00am.

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook to Millbrook.

1 Ring Ouzel flew southwest over the moor at Shireclough, calling twice.
3 Mistle Thrush
8 Pheasants
1 Meadow Pipit

Thursday 11th October 2018, 11.00am.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

1 Little Grebe
1 Moorhen
4 Nuthatch
6+ Long-tailed Tits
1 Cormorant on the pylons

A Sparrowhawk was hunting over the river near Portland Place, Stalybridge, at 6.15pm yesterday, and there sounded to be a steady movement of Redwing over the railway station at 8.00pm.

Monday 8th October 2018.

5 Redwing west over Penny Meadow, Ashton, at 8.20am

Sunday 7th October 2018, 9.30 - 11.45am.

Around Harrop Edge, Stalybridge.

A flock of approximately 70 Fieldfare flew noisily over south west at 11.00am, with at least 3 Redwing mixed in.
3 Mistle Thrush
2 Ravens were being harassed by a 100+ flock of Carrion Crows and Jackdaw, for most of the morning.
At 11.30, the Raven pair then mobbed a pair of Buzzard over the old garden centre. The Buzzards drifted off towards Wild Bank.
100+ Starlings feeding in the fields towards Matley.
10+ Meadow Pipits
1 Pied Wagtail
14 Goldfinch

Sunday 30th September 2018, 9.00 - 11.00am.

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook.

13 Mistle Thrush, including a flock of 11 flying north
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
2 Raven
1 Lesser Redpoll
1 Chaffinch
2 Pheasant
10 Meadow Pipits
25 Starlings
74 Black-headed Gulls, in one field
38 Woodpigeons
27 Jackdaw
2 Jays
2 Dunnock

Tuesday 11th September 2018, 1.15pm.

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

1 Cormorant on the pylons overlooking the river
Several Nuthatches calling

Thursday 16th August 2018, 10.30am - 12.00pm.

Pennine Bridleway along Harridge, mainly around the Carrbrook side. Deathly.

4 Buzzards - 3 together, calling loudly towards Brushes, the other hanging in the breeze over Cowbury.
3 Kestrels together, over Millbrook.
2 Ravens on the moor
1 juvenile Blackcap creeping around the bushes
5 Mistle Thrush
1 Swallow

Yesterday lunchtime, a female Sparrowhawk was hunting in the trees over the river at Grove Road, Millbrook.

Thursday 2nd August 2018, 10.30am - 12.00pm

Around Harrop Edge, a promising looking area, that rarely fails to disappoint

90+ Goldfinch, in two groups, both feeding on thistle seeds. Both mainly juvenile birds. 60 around Paddock Farm, the rest towards Matley Lane.
2 Whitethroat, a juvenile seen, with another calling from the undergrowth
1 Willow Warbler
1 Song Thrush
c 10 Swallows

Tuesday 19th June. 21.00 hrs. Dukinfield.

House Martin seen visiting traditional nest site on Cheetham Hill Road .... first time I've seen one local this year.

Roger.

Saturday 16th June 2018, 7.00 - 9.30am

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook to Millbrook.

20 Lapwing; 17 adults and well grown juveniles, plus one group of three smaller juveniles at the field edge. A mixed group of 50+ Black-headed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls keeping the Lapwing very busy.

1 female Cuckoo moving around the fence posts on the moor edge towards Shireclough
14+ Linnet, including a family group of seven, and a couple of singing males
3 Lesser Redpoll
3 Greenfinch
4 Goldfinch
One pair of Bullfinch taking food into a nest
6 Chaffinch
5 Willow Warblers
1 Blackcap singing
10+ Dunnock, including one carrying food, and a couple of youngsters. Plenty singing.
Family groups of Blue and Great Tits moving around the bushes.
2 Swallows only
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Song Thrush
15+ Blackbirds
6 Meadow Pipits, some carrying food
1 Buzzard over Harridge

Friday 15th June 2018, 10.45pm

Tawny Owl hooting in the trees at Parkhill Nursing Home, Millbrook

Sunday 20th May 2018, 8.00 - 10.00am.

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook to Millbrook.

10 Lapwing seen, including one well grown juvenile
Cuckoo singing at Cowbury Dale
6+ Linnets, at least 3 singing males
5 Goldfinch
3 Chaffinch
1 Greenfinch singing
1 Bullfinch
6+ Meadow Pipits
2 Mistle Thrush, carrying food
2 Swallows, in a barn that would normally hold 4 pairs
3 Willow Warblers singing

Friday 11th May, 7.30pm.

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook.

7 Lapwing, including two newly fledged birds, in the newly ploughed beet field. The grass in the fields that held the bulk of birds is now so long that no Lapwing were visible.
4 Willow Warblers singing around Shireclough

Yesterday, 3 Swift were feeding over Huddersfield Road, Stalybridge

Thursday 26th April 2018, 9.00 - 11.00am

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook.

12 Lapwing visible, including 10 in the air at once, mobbing a crow.
3 singing Willow Warblers
3 singing Dunnock
3 singing Chaffinch
2 Goldfinch
1 Lesser Redpoll
3 very noisy Jay
Pair of Pied Wagtails
2 Raven
3 Meadow Pipits

2 swallows at the top of Mossley Road.

Sunday 22nd April 2018, 2.00pm

Printworks Road, Heyrod.

1 pair of Coot, one bird sitting
1 Grey Heron
3 Willow Warblers singing
3 Chiffchaff singing
2 Blackcap singing
1 pair of agitated Nuthatch

Friday 20th April 2018, 7.00 - 8.00pm

Pennine Bridleway, Shireclough, Carrbrook.

18 Lapwing visible, my best count since the initial influx.
3 singing Willow Warblers
3 singing Chaffinch
1 Peregrine over, towards Brushes
Pair of Pied Wagtails

20/4/2018 Dukinfield

2 Ravens very high heading north over Dukinfield Park at 1520hr, surely going in the wrong direction given the astounding and sickening news from Scotland.

Monday 16th April 2018, 8.20am

Ashton Town Centre.

A recently fledged Blackbird being fed worms by its parent on the edge of the car park at Glebe Street was a nice way to start the working week.

Also in the area.

Greenfinch singing above Crickets Lane health centre
Several Dunnock singing
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
House Sparrows
4 Goldfinch
Jackdaws nest building

15/4/18 Dukinfield

3 female Brambling have been visiting our garden this afternoon, 2 picking around under the feeders and 1 using a hanging sunflower heart feeder. A male Great Spotted Woodpecker has been feeding on a fat block today, a female was in yesterday.
Also yesterday, a Willow Warbler was across the road in Dukinfield Park most of the afternoon with a brief appearance of a female Blackcap in the same tree that the Willow Warbler was favouring.

Sunday 15th April 2018, 9.30am - 12.00pm.

Pennine Bridleway, between Carrbrook and Brushes.

1 Ring Ouzel, a handsome male. Fortunately, it called once, otherwise I would never have found it. It was feeding on the edge of the heather, mainly behind a collapsed stone wall, for about fifteen minutes, then flew higher up the moor, and disappeared into an area cleared of heather. It seems to be a good year for passage. That makes five different sightings for me, at five separate local sites, in the past week and a half.
1 male Wheatear, in the same area, at the same time, as the Ouzel.
1 Curlew calling from high up on Harridge was good to hear.
10 Lapwing visible in the fields, with 7 appearing to be sitting.
1 singing Willow Warbler
House Sparrows around the cottages
Pair of Pied Wagtails
3 Chaffinch
2 singing Greenfinch
5 singing Dunnock

An enjoyable morning.

Thursday 12th April 2018, 9.30 - 11.30am

Harrop Edge, Stalybridge.

Feeling like winter. Strong, cold winds, and shrouded in mist.

9 Fieldfare feeding in the fields added to the unseasonable feel.
3 singing Willow Warblers
1 singing Chiffchaff
5 Meadow Pipits

Good to hear a Blackcap singing in Dukinfield this morning.

Saturday 7th April, 6.45 - 8.15pm

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook.

9 Lapwing visible, in the gathering gloom. At least 6 sitting
19 Pheasant
4 Meadow Pipits
2 Red Grouse
2 Song Thrush singing
1 Tawny Owl calling from Shireclough at dusk

5 + Sand Martin today at 10.30 on the river Tame seen from the bridge on Bailey Street, Stalybridge

Sunday 1st April 2018, 9.30 - 11.30am

Pennine Bridleway, Carrbrook to Millbrook. Back in the grip of winter!

14 Lapwing
1 Kestrel
1 drake Mandarin in a field at Millbrook, with a few Mallard
7 Dunnock, with four singing
6 Meadow Pipits

And not a lot else.

Saturday 31st March 2018, 10.00am

Printworks Road Pond, Heyrod.

4 Coot, with one pair nestbuilding
1 Moorhen
2 pairs of Canada Geese
My first singing Chiffchaff of the year
2 Nuthatch
2 Greenfinch singing