Sat 22nd Feb (9:30 - 11:15)

Walked from Stakehill up to Tandle Hill and back. While passing through Stakehill, of note were

- c30 Redwing
- 1 Goldcrest
- 1 Nuthatch calling

1st June.

One of a pair of Lesser Redpolls collecting a large billfull of the fluffy down from a Bulrush head for nesting material alongside the Rochdale Canal this morning. This appears to be a good source of nest material for a few species, with both Sedge and Reed Warbler seen doing the same in last few weeks and Goldfinch also seen doing so in the past.

Cheers,

Bill.

Green Woodpecker heard, tracked and finally seen in the Woods behind the College approx 1220hrs today!

Also Dabchick / Little Grebe pair seen on Lords Wood Pond.

Kaz

Originally posted by Richard Belter today:

Green Woodpecker heard yaffling in fields behind Hopwood Hall College.

Hi Charles

I am not very experienced with Hawks, other than kestrels, Red Kites and Buzzards (All of which I have possitively identified at some time or another. It definately was not one of these . Have just had a quick look at Red-tail Hawk pics and remember it as being much lighter in colour. It was however fairly large (It was its size that alerted me to it) so I did not immediately think of a Peregrine .

Having said that Bill Myerscough, who posts on here, tells me he sees one regularly a little further over Boarshaw where I live. Not seen it myself yet though

Regards

Dave

Davidcaron62 wrote:

---

Have seen it a few times during the summer. It perches on various lamp posts along the link road. Usually early in the moring 5.30am ish but once about 5pm. I didn't know what it was at the time but definitely not a Buzzard.

---

Hi David,

I have spoken to my sister a couple of times about this bird now and she's now not sure that it was a Peregrine. When I showed her a photo of the Red-tailed Hawk (thinking that she might have seen the escaped bird that is in the Oldham area), she seemed to think that looked more like it. Her ID skill have room for improvement clearly! (as do my own)

so, I'm really not sure what it was. My sister has since changed jobs and is no longer taking that route in the morning.

regards

Charlie

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Wednesday 12th of October 2011 10:13:24 AM

Hi Charles

Have seen it a few times during the summer. It perches on various lamp posts along the link road. Usually early in the moring 5.30am ish but once about 5pm. I didn't know what it was at the time but definitely not a Buzzard.

Regards

Dave

Thought I'd pass on a sighting from my sister who has been driving through here on her way to work and has on at least 3 occasions in the past fortnight reporting having seen a Peregrine (presumably one of the Rochdale birds) perched by the roadside on the Slattocks Link Road - behaviour that I'd more commonly associate with a Buzzard. [She's not a birder as such, but she does know her Peregrines from her Buzzards]. I wondered if anyone else in the area had seen the same bird.

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Monday 28th of February 2011 09:52:58 PM

A quick walk along Stake Hill Lane at lunch time was rewarded with a Goosander landing on the Angling Reservoir just before the church at Slattocks and a pair of Coal Tits in the hedgerow along with the usual.

3rd April. 1 flushed Woodcock, a singing male Lesser Redpoll was a nice surprise , a flock of c10 Linnets were feeding on a field trampled into a muddy mess by horses - possibly signs of the start of the summer influx of this species? Carrion Crows and Long-tailed Tits were nest building. Cheers, Bill.