A Great Spotted Woodpecker on my Larch tree at 9.10 am.

Hi Ian

lol while I agree 100% I am more worried about the wife chasing it with a garden brush because its hurting her sparrows (You should hear her when she is watching an Attenborough production ).

More seriously ; there are a number of Sparrowhawks in the area (Although I am only just becomning adept at identifying them) so I get to see them regularly anyway. I was thinking of maybe repositioning the feeders slightly so they have some shelter from the bushes. Its taken a while to entice some the visitors I am currently getting and would hate to loose them. I was alittle puzzled yesterday when filling the feeders. The exposed one (Where the Sparrowhawk was seen) was still half full which is unusual. I am presuming (But its a big leap) that its due the the Sparrowhawk.

Cheers Dave

A Grey Wagtail has taken a liking to my garden over the last couple of weeks, coming everyday and feeding on the lawn. I had a similar visitor last year(same bird??) and it visited everyday throughout the winter even when everywhere was deep in snow. I crush up some meal-worms (dried) and scatter them on the lawn which I assume is what the wagtail is eating, along with any other insects it finds.
I just hope my regular Sparrowhawk doesn't spot it and settles for a blue tit or two !!!

Davidcaron62 wrote:

---

Any advice on what to do if it returns?

---

Enjoy it ! There are 15 million (wintering) Blue Tits in the UK. There are only 40 thousand breeding pairs of Sparrowhawks in the UK. I know which I would rather see David

The wife shouted me at about three pm today 'Whats this big bird on the feeders'? Well the big bird was a male Sparrowhawk. It was clinging to one of the feeders in our not very large garden. It clung on for about 5 mins so I got a good long look and am very confident of the ID.

While I am thrilled with this first in my Boarshaw garden I am also a little apprehensive to . I have heard tales of these birds using garden feeders a little like cafe's and just dropping by whenever they fancy a quick snack.

Any advice on what to do if it returns?

Regards

Dave

Heard at 5am today Tawny Owl Calvecroft rd Wythenshawe

Just had the first Tawny Owl of the autumn/winter in our Hale garden - calling for a while and then flying off over the house

....later - 21.00, the Tawny is back again calling from the trees backing on to the cemetery...

-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 19th of November 2011 09:01:24 PM

There was a lot of activity in my Boarshaw garden this morning including a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A first for me .

Dave

-- Edited by Davidcaron62 on Saturday 19th of November 2011 05:08:50 PM

Two Goldcrests in my Bredbury garden over the weekend was a nice garden tick.

My other half found a great way to keep those pesky pigeons from devouring all the seed we put out in the garden. An up-turned hanging basket over the feeder tray stops the pigeons from getting through, whilst still allowing the smaller birds to get in and feed. It really works.

Cheers,

Steve.

This really must be the "Season Of mists and mellow fruitfulness" around here because my feeders are really quiet at the moment apart from the odd tit !!

Magpie on my Sunflower heart feeder this afternoon.

Had a peregrine fly over my house today in whitefield and then land on the top of a pylon by the M60

Goldcrest knocking about in the trees in my work garden today....poorly boss was very impressed.

female Great Spotted Woodpecker having plenty stale birthday cake this morning by Skitters Wood, Ashton-in-Makerfield

-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 5th of November 2011 12:02:41 PM

2 Goldcrest
11 Long-tailed tits
3 Coal tits
1 Blackcap (m)
2 Song Thrush
5 Blackbirds
3 Greenfinch
6 Goldfinch.

No need to go out birding:big grin: its all here.

Keep Birding

A Goldcrest in my garden this morning, rooting around the conifers at the back. Fifth year in a row I have one visit my garden now.(Cheadle Hulme)

Came home this morning to find a solitary Rook sat on my gate post (Boarshaw, Middleton). Had Magpies and Crows in the garden before but never a Rook.

Dave

1st time visitor to feeders today
Chaffinch

Up to10 Goldfinches on the garden feeders today, including at least one juvenile. House Sparrow numbers also building up with around 20 in the garden. One of them, a female, had a very light brown hue all over, as if leucistic, but a caramel colour rather than white. It certainly stood out from the flock and had my heart racing for a split second.

Cheers,

Steve.

5 redwings over at 5 20 wythenshawe calvecroft

had 2 flocks off fieldfares over my old trafford garden this afternoon, 50+ at 2.20pm & 30 at 2.35pm both flocks heading south. my first for autumn although the 38 thrushes from the previous night could well have been fieldfares after a positive id on todays.

A strange garden first for me yesterday .. a juvenile pheasant !!
The said bird getting stalked through the shrubbery , by a neighbour's moggy. I shooed the cat away, only for the pheasant to take flight over the house behind our garden, heading for the heavily wooded area adjoining St.Mary's Way... virtually central Stockport !!!

Cheers Chris

4 meadow pipits heading south east at 5.40pm over my old trafford garden,new garden tick for me
also had 8 pied wagtails north east five minutes later & at 5.55pm had a flock off 38 thrushes high & silent heading south west,but could not id species

The GS woodpecker was in my Heaton Mersey garden this afternoon, just as the local sparrowhawk flew in. The Hawk took a greenfinch from the feeder and spent 20 minutes eating it on the lawn. For all of this time the GSW was frozen with fear in the newly cut sparse tree hiding behind the main stump. Was amazing to watch. A magpie eventually turned up pecking and annoying the Hawk and it finally flew off, leaving the GSW to make its escape.

I set my garden feeders up this weekend. White Sunflower hearts, Black Sunflower seed and Nijer used, as well as a seed mix on the feeder tray. I've stopped using peanuts, as they tend not to get eaten in favour of the sunflower seeds.

The following were seen in my Bredbury garden this weekend.

Blue Tit (2)
Great Tit
Coal Tit (2)
House Sparrow (6)
Goldfinch (4)
Robin
Dunnock
Collared Dove (2)
Wood pigeon
Magpie
Feral pigeons (sitting on feeder tray and munching away 'til all was gone).

Cheers,

Steve.

At 4:25 this afternoon whilst say outside working on rugby drills for training tomorrow, a magnificent female Goshawk drifted west, fairly low over my house in Astley.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've seen this and it undoubtably comes from the very well known falconer who lives about 400 yards or so west of me and flies a Goshawk . Still, a great bird and always nice to soak up those ID features

A group of 14 Blackbirds were chasing each other around my backgarden yesterday. Had seen one for a number of weeks and then suddenly 14.
Also, a Great Spotted Woodpecker visited my feeders last week. A first for my garden.

New garden bird for me, Kestrel!

Had 2 Buzzards over the top for the last couple of hours {wythenshawe]

A small sign of winter today as the usual flock that inhabits our estate during the shorter days was noted on a neighbour's larch feeding on the cones, viz c18 goldfinches and 4 or 5 siskins. A goldcrest was also in my garden for a while.

Saturday evening 5ish had a right food fest on feeders
10-15 long tailed tits
4 blue tits
3 great tits
and a 1st for a while 1 Nuthatch
15-20 house sparrows

Middleton

Lots of long-tailed tit in the garden today. A first for me.

Dave

Just had a Grey Wagtail feeding in the vegetation in the pond in our Hale garden

Good to see two Coal tits back in our garden after a bit of an absence.

A new garden tick for me at tea time today with not one but two Chiffchaffs in one of our trees.

1 oystercatcher high heading south/south westerly over my old trafford garden tonight at 8.10pm. also 16 house martin circling around having a feed & 6 swifts

Nick/Gary thanks for the comments - I think that the Sparrowhawk must have just been taking a break

Had a single Swift over the garden (Hale) this afternoon.

The sparrowhawk may have been anting .

sid ashton wrote:

---

Lying in wait?

We had what was for us a strange happening in our Hale garden this morning. Mrs A looked out of the kitchen window and noticed a bird lying on our lawn - looking through the bins it turned out to be a young Sparrowhawk, still with some white in its plumage.

It was there for about 20 minutes looking quite perky - at first we thought it may have been injured - a possible window strike. We decided to take a closer look and as soon as we got within 20m of the bird it was away, obviously not injured. During the time it was on the lawn we didn't see any other birds visiting our feeders. So my questions - is this lying in wait a hunting technique of Sparrowhawks and has anyone else ever seen it?





-- Edited by sid ashton on Tuesday 9th of August 2011 02:31:01 PM

---

The bird was probably just resting Sid. They do burn a lot of energy when hunting.

Sat in the mother inlaws living room watching Joey Barton falling to the floor from a slap from Grevinho whilst the family watched the Sparrowhawk fly into the hedge, take a sparrow then land on the lawn to consume it.
Apparently I should have been there!!!!!!

Thats 3 birds in the last three visits!

called on the mother inlaw in Bredbury (near Bredbury Hall) last night and she now reports the loss of a ringed neck dove to the local sparrowhawk.
He's not endearing himself to the trouble inlaw!

Lying in wait?

We had what was for us a strange happening in our Hale garden this morning. Mrs A looked out of the kitchen window and noticed a bird lying on our lawn - looking through the bins it turned out to be a young Sparrowhawk, still with some white in its plumage.

It was there for about 20 minutes looking quite perky - at first we thought it may have been injured - a possible window strike. We decided to take a closer look and as soon as we got within 20m of the bird it was away, obviously not injured. During the time it was on the lawn we didn't see any other birds visiting our feeders. So my questions - is this lying in wait a hunting technique of Sparrowhawks and has anyone else ever seen it?





-- Edited by sid ashton on Tuesday 9th of August 2011 02:31:01 PM

Had a Jay in the garden at 6.30 this morning. Only the 2nd one i've had. Our new puppy is getting me in the garden at all hours. I was listening to the Tawny Owls calling at 2am the other day

An oystercatcher flew over my house, calling, last night

Finally had a Nuthatch on the fat balls, in my garden at work today

Tawny Owl in trees at bottom of garden at 03.15 this morning, calling for about 10 mins before flying away through woods.

A lot of calling Nuthatches throughout the last week with many making visits to the seed feeders.

Bullfinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and the occasional Chaffinch also visiting feeders along with the usual Blue and Great Tits.

A pair of Collared Doves, 5 Dunnocks and 4 Blackbirds are regular visitors to the garden to pick up the seeds dropped from the feeders.

Rick.

-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Friday 5th of August 2011 07:26:19 PM

Good size flock of 16 LT Tits turned up in my garden yesterday evening at 8.35pm and another 9 visited the feeders at 7.45pm tonight

Probable Crossbill over my garden in Hopwood, Heywood at 14:30.

Tchip Tchip call finch flying E at a few hundred feet with eyes (no bins)

Just had a Nuthatch in the tree in my front garden here in Lowton. A very scarce bird around this area. It appeared at the end of a branch right in front of my window just as i eating breakfast. A cracking garden tick.

Flock of 100 plus Swifts over my garden (Aston on Mersey) today at 15.00, also 2 Buzzards.

Largest swift flock I have seen from my garden.