Had Three new birds today on my feeding station out side my flat in Radcliffe. 1 Siskin on feeder 1 Mistle Thrush on Apple and 1 goldcrest on fat feeder.
Also had 40+ Goldfinch, 15 Chaffinch,6 Greenfinch,8 Collard Dove,7 Feral Pigeon, 1 Wood Pigeon,1 Redpoll, 2 Magpie,5 Blackbird, 2 Bullfinch, 7 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 2 Robin, 1 Pied Wagtail, 7 Starling and 1 Dunnock
Not seen House Sparrows, Coal Tits, Willow Tits or Jackdaws for about 2 weeks now.

Just had a Grey Wagtail in the garden feeding on the apples.

Star bird this morning in my Cheadle Hulme garden was a male Sparrowhawk. Didn't stay too long but was only 10 feet away on perch, face on. Absolutely stunning!

An absolutely amazing morning in the garden (Cheadle) - after overnight snowfall of about 3cms.

Star bird was male blackcap after earlier female visits.

Flock of mixed finches with 30 Goldfinch, 8 Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch and 4 Bullfinch (1m/3f).

Tits included Blue (4), Great (3), Coal (1) and Long-tailed (3).

Singletons of GS Woodpecker (f), House Sparrow (m), Nuthatch, Redwing, Dunnock and Collared Dove.

3m/1f Blackbird and 2 Robin seemed more intent on chasing each other than feeding!
2 Starling, 3 Carrion crow, 13 Feral and 4 Woodpigeons, and only 3 magpies.

Fly-overs by 2 Mallard, Herring and BH Gull and a large skene of about 90 unidentified geese flying east to west (possibly following Mersey valley).

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow !!!! Rick.

-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Saturday 18th of December 2010 12:45:31 PM

-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Saturday 18th of December 2010 12:54:55 PM

I have a flock of starlings roosting every eveing in a big connifer tree in my garden, must be round about 300 birds. great to watch, must be amazing when you see them in their thousands!! Not had much on my feeders, even though i get plenty of birds in the trees

Just looked out of my lounge window as a grief-rider had taken to the snow covered fields outside

A bird flew in and landed within my view and never moved. It seemed unusual and it sat motionless as if it were perplexed at the recent snow fall. Once it turned around, it was plain to see, it was a Woodcock!!!
Then the local bullies (Magpies) turned up, surrounded it and eventually it flew off with 6 Magpies in hot pursuit....never thought l'd see a Woodcock in Cheetham Hill

Two garden ticks , within the space of half an hour yesterday afternoon.. Firstly was a single siskin, which visited the feeders with a mixed finch flock...Then twenty mins later, a pied wagtail came down during the heaviest snow flurry, and spent about five minutes cleaning up under the feeders Also ........... 24 goldfinch , 9 greenfinch , 2 great tits , 3 blue tits , 1 male blackbird , 1 robin , 2 collared doves ,, and about 30 semi -feral pigeons !!!! Oh , and a male sparrowhawk ,which has started to regularly gatecrash the party , and sit in the pear tree !!! Watch those bird numbers drop ,before the Great Garden Birdwatch !!! Cheers Chris

Carrying out final tidying of garden for 2010 between 12.30 to 14.15.

1m/1f Mallard and 1 Grey Wagtail in brook at side of garden.

1 wren and 2 treecreepers at bottom of garden and nuthatch heard in woods beyond.

Sparrowhawk (poss female by size) passed over just below tree line scattering the mixed finches and tits on feeders closer to house.

Rick.

Stephen Ormrod wrote:

---

Highlights in my Radcliffe garden this Dec include...

- 2 Redpolls (brief visit)
- 2 Coal Tits (almost resident) hoping they may nest in the conifer
- An immature female Sparrowhawk using the Rowan as a perch, she comes really close at times and spies on us eating our breakfast from the closest fence post!
- 12+ Long-tail tits with 2 Goldcrests amongst them

-- Edited by Stephen Ormrod on Monday 13th of December 2010 01:41:26 PM

---

Redpolls may have visited my feeders just of Stand Lane Radcliffe 13th Dec
had 2 feeding on nyger seed with goldfinches.

Thanks for additional info re bird feed, Graham.

Recent visits to my garden:-

1 female Blackcap on Sat 11th and again today at 13.00. (PM sent to Judith).

Today also flock of mixed finches -
Goldfinch 17
Bullfinch 1m/2f
Greenfinch 4
Chaffinch 2f

Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 2
Coal Tit 1
Long tailed Tit 7
Dunnock 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 1m/1f
Carrion Crow 2
Grey Heron overhead.

Rick.

Rick Donkin wrote:

---

Thanks for that Mike - I'll pop into the Wythenshawe B&M when next in the area; I currently get my seeds etc from Dogano stall in Stockport Market which I find to be reasonably priced - but it still costs a fortune at this time year.
Rick.

---

Hi if you go to civic center try pound stretchers the 1 near asda there doing 50 fat balls for 6.99 and shentons farm opposite the bulls head handforth they do 12.5kg of seed for 7 50

Single Redwing feeding on the ground this afternoon in my garden,[suburban garden in Prestwich].It was searching amongst the leaf litter on the edges of the lawn,[which blackbirds have been doing for several days since the ice has thawed].
Regular visits by a Nuthatch to the Black Sunflower seed feeders for several weeks now.

Thanks for that Mike - I'll pop into the Wythenshawe B&M when next in the area; I currently get my seeds etc from Dogano stall in Stockport Market which I find to be reasonably priced - but it still costs a fortune at this time year.
Rick.

see my post below Rick. You want to get to B&M

Just watching 25 to 30 Goldfinch in a feeding frenzy on sunflower heart feeders in my garden in Cheadle.

Also ;
Greenfinch 2
Chaffinch 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Dunnock 2
Great Tit 2
Blue Tit 4
Coal Tit 1
Long tailed Tit 7
Bullfinch 1m/2f

Costing me a fortune in seeds/nuts and fatballs, but certainly well worth every penny!
Rick.

-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Friday 10th of December 2010 11:35:13 AM

Hi folks, get yourselves to your local B&M bargains. Seed and nuts is far cheaper than Wilko. I got 2 bags of seed and 3 bags of nuts for less than £5

M

Nuthatch back today spent 35mins in and around feeders

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Steven Higginbottom wrote:

---

Marsh Tit-4

---

Might need to check the identification of those Steven. Four Willow Tits in your garden (in Radcliffe I believe?) would be great but Marsh Tits...

---

Hi Ian they could have been Willow tit as i tend to get the two mixed up. Have not seen them for about a week now. But their black cap seemed to be dull and not glossy if that helps. I might have a photo of one, on my camera will check and email it to you if that helps.
Cheers Steven

8.30- 12.30
A morning off work meant that I could see what birds have been visiting my garden in Swinton and the first surprise was 3 Reed buntings flying in with a flock of Goldfinches at 9am.
Also;

13 LT tits
1 Coal tit
5 Blue tits
2 Great tits
2 Jays
1 Jackdaw
5 Blackbirds
1 Mistle thrush
11 Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
1 Goldcrest
3 Siskin
2 Magpies
3 Hedge sparrows
10 House sparrows
23 Starlings
1 Wren
and 3 Cormorants over

-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Wednesday 8th of December 2010 05:43:17 PM

Interesting post John. I too have seen a reduction in various types of tits coming to the feeders and table in my garden. I normally get Long Tailed Tits in the garden once or twice between late November and early December and other more common tit types all the way through the winter. The LTT's have been in this year as usual, but other tits seem to be a little more elusive this year for some reason. The birds were there in the spring/summer this year because I remember my feeders and table being full of juvenile birds. I dont think it is the cold weather, as it was colder than this last year.
I havent experienced a decline in House Sparrows like you. They come into my garden in good numbers, along with Robin, Blackbird, and Dunnock. For some reason I havent seen a Wren for a long, long time in the garden.

M

Steven Higginbottom wrote:

---

Marsh Tit-4

---

Might need to check the identification of those Steven. Four Willow Tits in your garden (in Radcliffe I believe?) would be great but Marsh Tits...

Yes i have noticed a decline in the numbers of House sparrows-5, Wood Pigeon-2, Marsh Tit-4, Coal Tit-5, Starling -30 and Goldfinch-30(still got about 40 feeding on nyger seed) visiting my feeders. But have an increase in Blackbirds+8, Robin+3, Blue Tit+7, Great Tit+5, Greenfinch+6,Bullfinch+2, Collard Dove+5, Feral Pigeon+8, Jackdaw+6 and Black Headed Gull flock of about 12 visiting every day since it snowed . This might be due to me running out off sunflower hearts and using black sunflower seeds untill i can source some more bulk sacks off sunflower hearts.

Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

Don't know if anyone else has witnessed this, but there has definitely been a big reduction in the number of birds coming to my feeders since the weekend. I'm guessing that goldfinches and chaffinches have moved on, but as for house sparrows and various species of tit, I'm hoping that they are not perishing at the rate they appear to be. Using a couple of my feeders as barometers, consumption has dropped by about 50% since the end of last week. The nyjer feeders have barely been touched for two days now (there were ten birds around them last week). And just after I'd ordered more seed !!

The only 'exciting' garden bird sighting recently came when I went out to top up the feeders at about 7.40 last evening, and as I looked up at the brilliant display of stars, I caught sight of what I thought was a slow, dull meteor. When I actually got focused on it, it was an owl flying at about 60- 70 meters up going north. It wasn't a tawny (wings too long), but telling a short-eared from a long-eared in those conditions was a little bit beyond me!!

---

I have had more visitors,this week than ever before-2 kg nuts since sunday gone,had a redwing yesterday on apples I put out which was a first,and 3 goldfinch today,first of winter,and approx 10 chaffinches,plenty spadgers,blue tits,great tit ,coal tit,long tailed tit, great spotted woodpecker -and all while i was at work and I live in almost town centre Warrington,so quite pleased with the feeders this winter

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 7th of December 2010 08:40:39 PM

Don't know if anyone else has witnessed this, but there has definitely been a big reduction in the number of birds coming to my feeders since the weekend. I'm guessing that goldfinches and chaffinches have moved on, but as for house sparrows and various species of tit, I'm hoping that they are not perishing at the rate they appear to be. Using a couple of my feeders as barometers, consumption has dropped by about 50% since the end of last week. The nyjer feeders have barely been touched for two days now (there were ten birds around them last week). And just after I'd ordered more seed !!

The only 'exciting' garden bird sighting recently came when I went out to top up the feeders at about 7.40 last evening, and as I looked up at the brilliant display of stars, I caught sight of what I thought was a slow, dull meteor. When I actually got focused on it, it was an owl flying at about 60- 70 meters up going north. It wasn't a tawny (wings too long), but telling a short-eared from a long-eared in those conditions was a little bit beyond me!!

My garden in Shaw1 hour today
4 blue tits
2 coal tits
4 great tits
house sparrows too numerous to mention
1 Tree Sparrow
I white house sparrow ( she just keeps on coming back every day)
2 blackbirds
6 collared doves
2 magpies
7 pigeons
3 squirrels
4 greenfinch
8 goldfinch
2 male chaffinch
1 female chaffinch
2 robins ( 1 at either end of garden)
4 dunnock

A 1 hour garden watch this pm in Stott Drive, Flixton produced:

Reed Bunting 10
Chaffinch 1
Song Thrush 1
Missel Thrush 1
Starling 4
Robin 2
Dunnock 2
Blackbird 2
Hs. Sparrow 4
Magpie 2
Woodpigeon 2
Feral Pigeon 8
Gt. Tit 1
Blue Tit 2
LT. Tit 10

Not bad for some seed, fruit , fat and bread.

Over Breakfast this am:
1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker ....male
Pair Blackbirds
1 Dunnock
2 Goldfinch
1 Greenfinch
5 Starlings
1 Carrion Crow
3 Blue Tit
1 Robin
2 Collared Doves
2 Magpies
No major ID problems here I think!

Originally posted by Graham Smith today:

Live in Wythenshawe and had the following in and around garden

7 blackbirds
1 mistle thrush
3 coal tit
2 great tits
8 blue tits
2 dunnock
1 robin
1 wren
20-25 house sparrows

in a tree at back of house 1 heron


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 1st of December 2010 08:01:26 PM

Raven over my house at 2.30 pm heading SE and calling.

Spotted Flycatcher briefly at the top of next door neighbours tree this afternoon at 2.20pm !

Whilst in the back garden in Irlam last night looking for meteors (!) I heard a Common Sandpiper calling overhead at 11.15pm.

I saw 8 meteors!!!

Decided to add my garden list, this is for birds that have actually landed in my garden ( back yard) & visited my feeders at one tree hill.

Blackbird
song thrush
collard dove
wood pigeon
ferel pigeon
dunnock
greenfinch
long tailed tit
starling
great tit
house sparrow
blue tit
coal tit
magpie
jackdaw
carrion crow
goldfinch
robin
wren
black headed gull


If i was to count birds flying in through my air space it would include:

lapwing
swallow
house & sand marten
swift
pied wagtail
grey wagtail
sparrowhawk
kestrel
peregrine
heron
cormorant
oystercatcher
canada goose
pink footed goose
mistle thrush
redwing
chaffinch
mallard
and lastly and most amazing a juvenile gannet a few years ago.

I think thats about it.

John,

According to the Stockport Times there are indeed six peacocks on the loose and have been since May. They escaped from their home in Bramhall and have since been seen in Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall and Hazel Grove.

I guess you must have been out when they called.

Adam

I was edging the lawn this morning and found an unmistakeable peacock feather.

Anybody know if there have been any on the loose in the Hazel Grove area?

Cheers, John

sat enjoy the peace and quite when i heard a right noise outside the front window, took a look and there in the tree and on the phone wires was 8 long tailed tits making a right racket. There where flitting up and down for a good half hour before disappearing. Not had long tails round since early spring great to see them again

Longtailed Tit nest in my garden has finally produced 5 scruffy fledglings.
Was watching them for about an hour this morning feeding on the seed container.
I feel like a proud father.

Sat 3rd July 13.45

Family group of Bullfinch just landed on seed feeders - 1 adult male and 1 adult female with 4 juveniles.

Also 2 newly fledged Dunnocks and juvs of Blue Tit (2), Gt Tit (1), Greenfinch (2), Robin (1) and Goldfinch (2) in last few days.

Rick.

3 of the fledgling crows have now left the nest - leaving just 1 - which has been keeping low in the nest during the very blustery wind we have had so far today.
Rick.

Nesting Crows have reared 4 offspring - 2 are much bigger than the others and looked ready to fledge yesterday evening. Today, however, because of the rain all 4 are still in the nest.
Rick

Monday 12th 17.30
Sparrowhawk scattered the local feral pigeons from roof and just about everything else from feeders in garden.

Tue 13th 08.15
Bullfinch 1m/1f
Greenfinch 2
Dunnock 2
Robin
Blackcap 1f
Goldcrest
Great Tit 2
Blue Tit 3
Carrion Crow nesting at bottom of garden. Female on nest - male constantly on guard and always fighting off neighbouring nesting magpies 5 trees away.

Pipistrelles regularly flying just before dusk. (I know they are not birds but they have wings and fly!).

Rick.

Sunday 11th April.

Female Blackcap amongst usual birds and at 23.35 a Tawny Owl calling in tall beech tree at bottom of Garden.

Rick.


-- Edited by Richard Donkin on Monday 12th of April 2010 02:44:09 PM

Sam Ridgway wrote:

---

The Heron called yesterday

---

Which Heron?

Today : 1 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
+ Blavkbirds
+ Blue Tits
+ Gt Tits
+ LT Tits
+ Wren
+ Sparrows
The Heron called yesterday

over last few days had the following - thees are maximum counts of birds at any one time not totals over the few days

7 blackbirds on the garden at the same time - 5 male & 2 female all seem quite friendly
4 robins
2 dunock
30+ goldfinch
25+ greenfinch
7 bluetits
5 great tits
8 chafinch
1 brambling
4 collared doves
4 wood pigs
20 + magpies some in garden some in field behind
9 stalings
1 nuthatch
2 songthrush over
2 tawny owls heard only
2 coal tits
4 crows in field behind garden
5 jackdaw in field behind garden

cheers

Andrew

birds fledged on Thursday, luckily for me they seemed to wait untill we got home at around lunch time. sat and watched 3 come out and the mrs got some great pics of the second one as it flew straight at us and ended up sitting in a planter for 10 mins. At least one more was in the box but didnt come out during the following hour.

Andrew

Radcliffe-5.15p.m. Buzzard being harassed by 2 Black Headed Gulls, only the 2nd seen over garden in the 15 years I've lived here.
Cheers Ian

Great tits have nested in a box in my garden this year, i am waiting with anticipation as to see how many will fledge. Parents have been feeding none stop for a while now and the chicks are getting louder by the day i think they will be off any time now.

Also of note over the last few days

2 Jays
gs woodpecker
2 nuthatch
juve blue tits
greenfinches
goldfinches
buzzard

Andrew

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 1st of December 2010 07:58:51 PM