pair Ring-necked Parakeet
3 (2m 1f) Shoveler
4 (2m 2f) Goosander
1 Little Grebe
3 Goldecrest
Gt/sp Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Redwings

Sounds like a decent afternoon in the park Bman. Sorry you missed the parakeets. The resident pair were putting on a good show yesterday morning when I was there, but they do sometimes disappear completely, probably to feeders in nearby gardens.
declan

3pm-4pm sunday first time we have been to Alexandra park birding, we saw
2 grey herons (around pond and in trees )
2 gs woodpeckers ( in ash tree near pond )
5 long tailed tits
20+ redwings (on football pitch and in trees nearby)
~5 mistle thrush (mixed with redwings on pitch)
5 goosander 1f 4m
~6 tufted duck
plus regular pond life, moorhens fighting, canada geese, coots, mallards m and f, bh gulls swooping on heron in tree, magpies, pidgeons, robin and some finches which we never got to identify as light was fading!
all in all glad we went (except for not seeing the parakeets and sparrowhawk) the parakeets being the reason we went !!! Not complaining tho.

-- Edited by Bman at 17:16, 2009-01-25

A large group of gulls lifted off the adjacent school playing field as I drove past at 8:00ish, probably as many again but included many Common Gulls.

There were also very large numbers of gulls on Hough End fields this morning.

Nice flock of c90 Redwing and a dozen or so Mistle Thrush on the playing field this morning. Also c100 BH Gulls, and 2 Stock Dove with c50 Woodpigeon
8 Goosander (5 males), 2 R N Parakeets, male Sparrowhawk and usual other stuff.
declan

At about 4.45 3 flew east over the platt lane complex by platt fields park, so maybe these were from alexandra park perhaps on their way to Audenshaw.

Probably, 8 Goosander (5m & 3f) have been the maximum at CWP since 2nd Dec 08.

Goosander numbers back up to 8 again today. Not sure where they go when not here - Chorlton WP?
also 2 parakeets, and usual other stuff around this afternoon

lunchtime today:

Goosander numbers now down to 3 (2 males)
15 Tufted Duck
1 Cormorant
Woodpecker drumming
2 Stock Doves with woodpigeons
large finch flock in high tree tops - 50+ but hard to see - mostly seemed to be goldfinches but few chaffinches and greenfinches too
at least 5 Redwing still around

Nuthatch, goldcrest, mistle thrush, song thrush, blackbirds, wren, tits and robins all in song - felt like spring.

no sign of any parakeets today

-- Edited by declan savage at 18:38, 2009-01-20

Hi Declan

Woopdeckers are missing from my county list (nor are they in any of my field guides). Can you give more precise details of where I can find them!

Steve

10.30 - 11.30 this morning:

6 Goosander
11 Tufted Duck
pair of Bullfinch (first I've seen here)
5 R N Parakeets
c30 Redwing
1 Stock Dove
Treecreeper
2 Nuthatch
2 G S Woopdecker
5 Goldcrest

Mistle Thrush, Wren, Blue Tit and Great Tit all singing in the sunshine.

Iwas using the lazy option - peering through railings as I drove past!

Rob, I had a walk round the park this morning from 8.30 to 9.15 and there were still 8 Goosander present. As you say, they are easy to see, at very close range.
Also 2 RN Parakeets, 1 GS Wpecker, c50 Redwing and other usual stuff this morning.

Declan

At least 3 Goosander still present and presenting good photo opportunities.

brief midday visit:

8 Goosander (5 males)
9 Tufted Duck
c50 Mallard - much greater numbers than usual
male Shoveler
grey Heron
Cormorant
sparrowhawk
2 parakeets
GS woodpecker
c25 Long tailed Tits
plus usual stuff

lunchtime today:

38 species in 40 mins, including:

Goosander - 1 redhead
Shoveler - 1 drake
Pochard - 1 female
Sparrowhawk - male in tree on island being mobbed by 2 R N Parakeets
and 3 Jays before flying off
Siskin 4
Redwing c20
Moorhen - 16 - highest count by far
Grey Heron 1
Common Gull 2
G S Woodpecker 2, incl 1 drumming
Treecreeper 1
Nuthatch 2
Goldcrest 2
Long-tailed Tit c30
Mistle Thrush 7
loads of Magpies everywhere - counted at least 40

13.30 - 14.30

still 5 Goosander (3 males) despite pond being 80% frozen; also male Shoveler and 4 Tutfed Duck.
Grey Heron 1
Sparrowhawk 1
GS Woodpecker 2
Ring-necked Parakeet -2 by pond
Nuthatch 1
Redwing c20
BH Gull - 34
Goldfinch - c40
Jay -3
Grey Wagtail -1
Pied Wagtail -4
Long-tailed Tit - c30 on island

15.00-15.25

5 Goosander (3m 2f)
5 Tufted
2 Ring-necked Parakeet (m & f) by the pond were later relocated on feeders across the road at Alexandra Park House, 28 Alexandra Road South (viewed from inside the Park).

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 18:56, 2008-12-28

6 Ring-necked Parakeet by the pond, containing three adult males flew off in the direction of Whitworth Park at 16.18 today
2 Cormorant & 4 Tufted on the pond on 31st Oct

1 drake Shoveler
2 Tufted
1 juv Cormorant
Gt/sp Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Goldcrest

15.15

4 Tufted ducklings on the pond
Male and female Ring-necked Parakeet perched right above my head on a low dead branch of an ash tree by the pond

Hi Declan

Yes, your Birdtrack sightings will be logged for the Atlas.

Many thanks, Steve

I used to live in Rusholme and regularly walked through Moss Side and the Crescents, it probably helped looking like a scruffy birder/biker

-- Edited by Tony Coatsworth at 19:59, 2008-05-09

Steve,
I already record everything on Birdtrack - will it not therefore already be logged for the Atlas?

I understand that Declan was brought up in Belfast, so Alex Park shouldn't worry him...

Declan: can you make sure you enter up the Tawny Owl on the Atlas website? Not many people are doing nocturnal or crepuscular (great word that!) visits and we risk under-recording Tawny Owls, etc. Don't suppose you get many Nightjars though...

cheers, Steve

Not that brave really Tony - its where I live. There were 3 of us - safety in numbers, and all that. Actually its pretty safe most of the time if you keep your wits about you. I've been more nervous at times at other better known (non city centre) sites (ones with hides and visitor centres and everything) when representatives of the local population have hurled verbal abuse and on one memorable occasion released a not-so-friendly pair of pit bulls in our direction. Never had that anywhere round the city centre.

-- Edited by declan savage at 08:39, 2008-05-09

You're a brave man wandering round there that time of night !

this evening, 8.00 - 9.00pm

Tawny Owl - 1
Ring-necked Parakeet -4
Tufted Duck - 2
Mute Swan - 4
Grey heron - 1
Grey Wagtail -2
GS Woodpecker - 1
Treecreeper -1
Nuthatch - 2
Mistle Thrush -2
Song Thrush (2), Willow Warbler (2) and Blackcap (1) all singing

This morning, 8.00 - 8.30

Usual species including:

Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 1
Tufted Duck 4
Coot pair with 2 chicks
R N Parakeet 2
G S Woodpecker 2
Stock Dove 2
Collared Dove 2
Grey Wagtail 2
Redwing 1
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Goldcrest 2
Jay 1

Usual stuff in the park this evening, plus male Sparrowhawk again, and a small influx of Tufted Duck (13, compared to usual 4 or 5), and a female Pochard. 2 Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff singing in the evening chorus.

Did my TTV survey for Whalley Range (incl Alex Park) yesterday.

New birds for the year were 1 each of singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap, plus the following more usual stuff (list includes nearby streets, gardens etc):

Mute Swan 6
Canada Goose 29
Tufted Duck 5
Mallard 19
Moorhen 5
Coot 4 adults, 2 chicks
BH Gull 1
Woodpigeon c50
Feral Pigeon c70
Collared Dove 4
GS Woodpecker 3
R N Parakeet 3
Pied Wagtail 1
Grey Wagtail 2
Wren 20+
Dunnock 15+
Robin 20+
Blackbird 30+
Song Thrush 7
Mistle Thrush 6
Goldcrest 2
Long-tailed Tit 3
Blue Tit - lots 40+
Great Tit 20+
Treecreeper 2
Nuthatch 2
Starling 20+
Jay 4
Magpie 40+
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow 6
House Sparrow 28
Chaffinch 8
Goldfinch 16
Greenfinch 1

37 species altogether which isn't too bad for an inner city area. Quite a bit of breeding activity observed but I won't say what on here after having my wrists slapped (quite rightly) by Mr McKerchar last week for an earlier post.

Declan

8.00 -8.30 am today.

very little on the pond/lake - usual swans and canada geese but only a handful of mallard and no sign on tufties, herons, goosanders or cormorants.

sightings elsewhere in the park included:
Sparrowhawk - 1
GS Woodpecker 2
Stock Dove 1
Woodpigeon 59
R N Parakeets - 3,
Grey Wagtail 1 male
Mistle Thrush 2
Song Thrush 2
Blackbird 6
Nuthatch 2
Treecreeper 1
Goldcrest 3
L T Tit 4
Jay 2
House Sparrow 2



-- Edited by declan savage at 20:30, 2008-04-03

circuit of the park this evening from 6.30pm to 7.00pm.

5 parakeets (at least) in trees near the pond.

pair of Goosander fishing, plus 2 Cormorants, 3 Tufted Duck and usual swans, canada geese, mallard, coot and moorhens.

GS Woodpecker and Nuthatch heard as well as other common woodland species.

best of all, watched a male Sparrowhawk attempt (but fail) to catch a Pippistrelle bat over the pond.

morning off work, so had couple of hours (9.00-11.00) to spend in the park. Came up with the following:

Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 1
Mute Swan 6
Canada Goose c30
Mallard c25
Tufted Duck 4 (3 males pursing 1 female)
GOOSANDER - pair back again
BH Gull - c20 over
LBB Gull - 1 over
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon 35+
STOCK DOVE 2
Collared Dove 1
RN PARAKEET 2
G S Woodpecker - pair, calling and chasing one another
Pied Wagtail 2
Wren 4
Dunnock 3
Robin 10+
Song Thrush 1
Mistle Thrush 5
Redwing still c30 present
Blackbird c15
Goldcrest 2
Blue Tit 20+
Great Tit 7
Long-tailed Tit 4
Nuthatch 2
Treecreeper 1
Jay 3
Magpie 20+
Carrion Crow 6
Starling 2
House Sparrow 2
Chaffinch 10+
Goldfinch 3
Greenfinch 2

female Pochard on lake this morning (8.00), plus usual stuff including:

Mute Swan 6
Tufted Duck 4
Grey Heron 1
Cormorant 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Collared Dove 3
Ring-necked Parakeet 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Pied Wagtail 1
Redwing - about 30 in treetops, many singing
Mistle Thrush 5
Song Thrush 3
Goldcrest 2
Nuthatch 1
Treecreeper 1
Magpie c25
Jay 1
Starling c30


-- Edited by declan savage at 20:47, 2008-03-17

14-03-08 8.00 -8.40 am

Mute Swan 6
Canada Goose c30
Mallard c25
Tufted Duck - pair
Cormorant 3
Grey Heron 2 (1 ad, 1 imm)
Sparrowhawk - 1 over
Moorhen 6
Coot 9
Black-headed Gull -6
Common Gull 2
Woodpigeon c40
Feral Pigeon c50
Ring-necked Parakeet - pair in large tree with broken branhes on island
Great Spotted Woodpecker - pair together in main avenue parallel to Alex Rd
Grey Wagtail - 1 m
Pied Wagtail - pair
Wren 2
Dunnock -2
Robin 5
Song Thrush 3
Mistle Thrush 4
Blackbird c20
(no Redwings)
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit - c20
Blue Tit c15
Great Tit 10
Treecreeper 1
Nuthatch 2
Magpie c30
Jay 6
Carrion Crow 4
Starling 2
House Sparrow 4
Chaffinch 3
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 11

Alexandra Park (around the small lake/ pond) - 8.00 - 8.30 am today.

7 ring-necked parakeets - lots of noise - in trees on small island on the lake (see other thread)
pair of Goosander on lake
1 GS Woodpecker drumming and calling
2 Goldcrest
1 Treecreeper
45- 50 Redwing
1 Nuthatch
4 L T Tits
2 Cormorants
4 Tufted Duck

usual other stuff too.

A pair of Ring-necked Parakeets were inspecting a cavity in an old forked ash tree at the north end of the pond before flying off north-east at 17.15
50+ Redwing (many in song)
3 Gt/Sp Woodpecker (1m, 1f & 1 heard drilling)
1 m Sparrowhawk
1 horrible hybrid goose, Greylag x Swan Goose type?, which was at Chorlton WP briefly this morning.

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 19:59, 2008-02-27

Cheers Pete. I'll keep the parakeet sightings going on the other thread from now on. I'm off to portugal for a week tomorrow, but will be back in the park on my lunchbreaks next week.
Declan

Great to hear news from Alex Park Declan. I'm amazed at the Goosanders. I know Tony O'Mahony has recorded Firecrest and I think Spot Fly there in the past. I know it's a bind but it would be useful if you could cross-refernce the parakeet sightings to the sth mcr parakeet thread just to keep them all in place ( there have been a couple of other parakeet sightings, Whalley Range and Platt Fields that have 'gone missing' ). I've a colleague who lives in the park-house by the pond and I've asked him to let me know of any, though he's not a birder. Cheers

Pair of Goosander back on the lake today, along with usual waterfowl. Woodpeckers (2), parakeets (2), nuthatches (2), goldcrest (3) and treecreeper (1) among the trees.

A lunchtime stroll around the park today (1.00- 1.45) produced:

Mute Swan - 6 (3 ads, 3 imm)
Canada Geese - 51 incl apparent Canada X Greyalg hybrid
Mallard - 30 odd
Tufted Duck - 3 males
Sparrowhawk - 1 over
Moorhen -6
Coot - 7
BH Gull - 12
Common Gull -1
Herring Gull - 1 2nd w
Woodpigeon - c50
Feral Pigeon
Collared Dove - 2
Great Sp Woodpecker - 2 calling noisily, chasing one another - courtship?
Ring-necked Parakeet - 1 in trees along road at S boundary of the park
Pied Wagtail -1
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Redwing - 84 on central grassy area
Mistle Thrsuh - 9
Song Thrush -2
Goldcrest -1
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit - 11
Nuthatch - 2
Starling - c30
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow -2
Chaffinch
Goldfinch - c20
Greenfinch

Called into the park on my way to work this morning (8.40 -9.15) , to see if the 2 parakeets were still around (saw them on monday). They were there in the same holly bushes just east of the lake, being very vocal, a m and f. I was surprised by how much other stuff was around too - Its only a short walk from home but I never expect there will be much to see there. Best birds this morning were a pair of Goosander on the partially frozen lake, with usual Canada geese (31) mallard (16), BH Gulls, coot (2) and moorhen (3). A GS Woodpecker was drumming in tall trees close to the lake, but hard to see most of the time. I counted 33 Redwing in the same trees, but suspect more were around, and there was a mixed finch flock totalling approx 40 birds in the tree tops, mostly Goldfinches, but at least 8 Siskin, and a few Greenfinch too. Mistle and Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robin, Wren and Chaffinch were all in song despite the murky weather. All in all, an unexpectedly good morning.