Possible Chiffchaff today in the pine/yew trees next to cafe at 13:30, also 3x Nuthatch and 13x Common Gulls in playing field adjacent to Ryebank fields.

Flock of c50 Redwing this January. Two Fieldfare among them sometimes. 1 Redwing is a pale aberrant. Nuthatches near the cafe and diagonal path regularly.

Hi 

Yes a small skein of PF geese flew over my workplace on Kensington rd today going somewhat north of west, not the direction they went reliably last year which was more due west, I wonder where they are heading . Quite a rabble. Can be few more evocative autumn sounds than that.

Eugene Dillon-Hooper wrote:

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Skein of geese over Firswood just now very close to longford Park, only heard so wasn't able to identify. Anyone else see anything around 4pm to clarify? Seems to have been some pink footed movement around recently, which would have been a garden tick had I have been able to get a view!

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Eugene Dillon-Hooper wrote:

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Skein of geese over Firswood just now very close to longford Park, only heard so wasn't able to identify. Anyone else see anything around 4pm to clarify? Seems to have been some pink footed movement around recently, which would have been a garden tick had I have been able to get a view!

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Eugene you said Did it look like a large swift? Could have been a Hobby at a push? Been known to be described as a Swift on steroids... 

Well that is interesting as I've just seen a post from Pete Hines seeing a hobby at 3.15 at the meadow pond which would be not long before I saw this bird just a mile or two away. I had the impression it was smaller than a swift but it was the shape that got me in the glimpse I had. In a way it was shaped more like a house martin. Which could describe a falcon. It wasn't flapping. I guess just on a southerly wind. It was moving so straight and fast it didn't remind me of the flight habit of any of the hirundines or Apus. 

When you say described as swift on steroids do you mean the call?

Have to chalk that up as a maybe. Would have been a county first for me.

Cheers

As usual this from just near the park on the west side around sark road. 

This afternoon as I walked down the road I heard a swift screech over head. As I looked up I saw the bird flying fast and due north. It looked rather small and not quite the jizz of a common swift. Though the screech was certainly Apus.

Sadly no bins and it was out of sight very quickly

Any other possibilities?

Gervase Cooke wrote:

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Hi

 

Once again not quite Longford park but nearest site in the forum.

For all the years I have lived here (just off sark rd to the east of longford park) there has been an annual presence of a few common swifts. This year it's mostly 4 but as many as 7. In other years there have been more. They fly regularly over Peveril crescent, sark road and claridge road. Also I suspect Kensington, grange, Longford rd, newport etc. On claridge they fly particularly low swooping between houses at garden level.

I strongly suspect they are breeding pairs as numbers swell and late season screeching suggests fledged young to me. 

Question is does anyone know where they nest? I can't think of anywhere obvious nearby except perhaps St Clements Church.

Thanks

Gervase

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Hi

Once again not quite Longford park but nearest site in the forum.

For all the years I have lived here (just off sark rd to the east of longford park) there has been an annual presence of a few common swifts. This year it's mostly 4 but as many as 7. In other years there have been more. They fly regularly over Peveril crescent, sark road and claridge road. Also I suspect Kensington, grange, Longford rd, newport etc. On claridge they fly particularly low swooping between houses at garden level.

I strongly suspect they are breeding pairs as numbers swell and late season screeching suggests fledged young to me. 

Question is does anyone know where they nest? I can't think of anywhere obvious nearby except perhaps St Clements Church.

Thanks

Gervase

Hi All

I was in longford park yesterday afternoon and I left the car park heading into the park when I heard a Woodpecker. It was in the trees running alongside the athletic stadium, the Great spotted woodpecker was drilling for a second then moving on to another tree and it kept doing this. Unfortunately I could not get a picture. within the same area there was a female Nuthatch but she quickly gave me the slip. I enjoyed a good 1.5 hours wandering around the park seeing nesting Blue Tits, busy Coal Tits and some very fast Long-tailed Tits, numerous Woodpigeons and a couple of Collared Doves and of course many friendly grey Squirrels. Sparrows were chirping at each other. A couple of Robins came and kept me company until they got bored, It was most enjoyable.

-- Edited by ilb on Wednesday 18th of May 2016 06:44:05 PM

Hello,

Apologies if this is slightly off topic but found this thread checking for links for the new Disc Golf course and was very interested in the list of different species found in Longford Park.

I'm one of the volunteers that's been helping to install the new disc golf course in Longford Park. We're very keen to enhance the old pitch and putt area in terms of biodiversity - golf courses tend to be a bit of a monoculture and disc golf is a bit different in that thicker tree cover and bushy areas actually enhance the course design. We've been given a lot of choice in the species of trees planted (both in the course installation and as part of our community volunteer days... nearly 600 trees so far!) and we'd be keen to hear from the bird watching community if there is anything we can do (in terms of tree species, new bushes, hedges etc etc) that would help encourage rare species to the park and / or provide much needed sources of food etc.

We've tried already to plant things that will produce berries and some early blossoms to make it look good visually but if you have any suggestions we'd be very interested for any future planting areas.

You can either reply here or, if you prefer, email us info [at] manchesterdiscgolf .co .uk 

Kind regards

Steve

Manchester Disc Golf Volunteer

Siskin

Thanks Pete. Short and sweet. Bit like a Siskin. I'm just used to hearing those little wheezes in their song. A lighter version of Greenfinch wheeze.

Gervase Cooke wrote:

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On a stroll through the park with my little boy on board on Saturday I saw a small finch in a tree near the stables. It was silhouetted and I din't have binoculars. All I could tell was it had a very deeply forked tail and was singing continuously in a way that I am not familiar with. I don't know my little finch songs well I have to say but to me it wasn't Goldfinch which I know well (my mum calls them the chattering classes). It lacked the intermittent wheeze that I associate with Siskin. I've had a listen to some Linnet song on line but that doesn't sound quite right. Leaves Lesser Redpoll I'm guessing but can't seem to find a decent sound clip to compare. Can anyone help? It's only a 15 second snippet. Little thing just sang and sang.

Still some Redwing in the park last week. 

Was full of song on Saturday. Spring is coming. Exciting times.

 

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