Female Stonechat at north end of Southern Cemetery near allotments. Also single Fieldfare and Meadow Pipit
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Aug 25 3:18 PM, 2022
Originally posted today by Tony O’ Mahoney:
2 tree pipits at north end of Southern Cemetery near the allotments
Pete Hines said
Sun Dec 26 12:27 PM, 2021
Dipper on Chorlton Brook just east of Chorlton Park near Metrolink Bridge (Tony O'Mahony)
Pete Hines said
Fri Sep 10 4:30 PM, 2021
Tony O'Mahony found 2 Spotted Flycatcher in Southern Cemetery this morning, at least one still present this afternoon, along the Oak Avenue north of Nell Lane
I saw a firecrest today at Chorlton Park at 14.10. It was in the same location near the brook and the holly tree.
Pete Hines said
Sun Jan 24 7:36 PM, 2021
Just a heads up here folks. I don't usually broadcast 3rd hand news but this seems plausible.
I've had a report of a Firecrest in Chorlton Park near the brook and holly trees at the end of the row of trees that goes down to the middle of the park.
I'd bet it's the Platt fields Park bird I found last month moved down along the brook.
Joel Tragen said
Thu Mar 26 10:10 PM, 2020
Around soil heaps at north end of Southern Cemetery 2 Robin 7 Blackbird 4 Greenfinch 1 Dunnock
Pete Hines said
Mon Sep 9 9:26 AM, 2019
Yesterday 8th September 2019
Wheatear - 1 on soil heaps at north end of Southern Cemetery 13.30 (Tony O'Mahony)
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 9th of September 2019 09:26:48 AM
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 9th of September 2019 09:27:23 AM
Pete Hines said
Thu Aug 8 1:05 PM, 2019
Spotted Flycatcher in NW corner Jewish section of old cemetery
(Tony O'Mahony 11.22)
No sign of the Whinchat found by Tony O'Mahony this morning
Blackcap 2 Willow Warbler 1
Pete Hines said
Tue Aug 21 2:26 PM, 2018
Northern Wheatear - first-year male at Southern Cemetery, on the hedge behind the new grave working at the north end before flying into the allotments at 12.20. Found by Tony o'Mahony late morning.
Male Stonechat at the north end near the allotments.
Info thanks to Tony O’Mahony
Pete Hines said
Wed Mar 7 2:17 PM, 2018
North side 11.50-13.00
Redwing - at least 70 Goldcrest - 1 Buzzard - 1 circling overhead
No sign of yesterday's Stonechat
Pete Hines said
Tue Mar 6 2:34 PM, 2018
Stonechat - male at the north side of Southern Cemetery at the soil mounds and brambles west along the fenceline bordering the allotments. Reported by Tony O'Mahoney at 12.17 and still present when I left at 13.45.
Green woodpecker heard calling fairly distantly from somewhere around the park area just.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Wed May 24 10:02 PM, 2017
Fledgling house sparrow, mistle thrush and magpie in the park this evening, and a family party of great tit. Also about:
1 chiffchaff 2 blackcap (three territories in here now, I think) 5+ goldfinch c20 house martin 2 song thrush 10+ swift 1 great spotted woodpecker (first I've had in here for a couple of years, I think) 6+ ring-necked parakeet 1 black-headed gull
Sparrowhawk seen dipping down into the trees adjacent to the brook and allotments yesterday evening.
James Richardson said
Thu May 18 8:52 AM, 2017
Mike Chorley wrote:
I think it's an important factor, Maggie. The biggest population of House Sparrows near me in Oldham is in exactly the sort of area you describe, which I remember from when I lived in Chorlton as a student in the 1970's. There's a good population of House Sparrows near my family's home just outside Liverpool, where most of the gardens still have plenty of hedges and shrubs, but you'll struggle to see any in the centre of either Manchester or Liverpool now.
The only population of house sparrows I know of in Manchester city centre is where I live in St John's Gardens and constitutes around 15 birds. Even then they only seem to nest in the back of the barristers chambers on St John Street and nowhere else, as nowhere else has numerous missing bricks and gaps under tiles etc. They seem to be birds of habit and don't stray more than a couple of hundred metres from the colony base. The area also has diverse feeding opportunities - lots of seed feeders throughout the year, lots of trees, shrubs and grassland for invertebrates during the breeding season, only a single cat (as far as I can see). The presence of insect rich shrubbery at this time of years seems particularly important as the birds at present are feeding in 3s and 4s in the native hedge I planted, taking beakfulls of insects back to the chicks. They seem to require a mixture of these conditions to thrive. The properties on St John street are presently being renovated, putting this colony at risk of extinction, and I have made contact with the council several times re this. They seem not to be taking any real notice so I'm going to look at putting some sparrow terraces up in the next few days.
Steven Heywood said
Wed May 17 11:58 PM, 2017
Sounds right to me. I live on the Stretford/Urmston boundary and up to about eight years ago there had been a definite slump in sparrow numbers. Then a neighbour a few doors down let their rambling rose (a big Paul's Himalayan) cover their entire fence and the top of their garage (which houses a steamroller). Now there's usually a couple of dozen sparrows doing the rounds of the gardens.
Mike Chorley said
Wed May 17 10:26 PM, 2017
I think it's an important factor, Maggie. The biggest population of House Sparrows near me in Oldham is in exactly the sort of area you describe, which I remember from when I lived in Chorlton as a student in the 1970's. There's a good population of House Sparrows near my family's home just outside Liverpool, where most of the gardens still have plenty of hedges and shrubs, but you'll struggle to see any in the centre of either Manchester or Liverpool now.
maggie mackay said
Wed May 17 9:59 PM, 2017
Wonder how much the wish to tidy up gardens comes into this? Streets in Chorlton which had noisy hawthorns and tall privet hedges full of tumbling sparrows have seen these refuges cleared away as the houses have changed hands. Places once so cheerfully noisy are silent now.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Wed May 17 8:09 PM, 2017
Couple of house martin over the park area earlier this evening, first local ones I've seen this year. Few swifts about, too.
Tony Coatsworth said
Sun Apr 30 8:53 AM, 2017
I've been doing the BBS survey around Southern Cemetrey/West Didsbury for 18 years now.
Shocking decline in House Sparrows from around 20 down to just 2 today.
On the plus side I've gained Ring-necked Parakeet (8 today) and Chiffchaff.
Starlings seem to be hanging on with small groups around Cavendish Park and in the Cemetery.
Green woodpecker heard yaffling fairly distantly whilst in the park this morning; from the west, either in or beyond the allotments, by the sounds of it.
Also around:
2 blackcap 1 chiffchaff 2 willow warbler 1 nuthatch heard briefly c10 house sparrow 2 chaffinch 1 greenfinch 2 bullfinch 2 or 3 mistle thrush 1 ring-necked parakeet over
Chris Jackson said
Sun Mar 12 11:37 AM, 2017
A green woodpecker in Southern Cemetery. Only second I've seen in south Manchester in the past few years.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Mon Jan 2 5:52 PM, 2017
A very happy new year to all.
An hour and a half or so in the park late this afternoon yielded:
2 goldcrest 2 coal tit 2 treecreeper (or one twice) 2 nuthatch 5+ house sparrow 8+ goldfinch 1 chaffinch 2 bullfinch 10+ redwing 2 (or 4) song thrush 4 jackdaw 1 jay Black-headed, common and lesser black-backed gulls over Plenty of the usuals.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sat Nov 26 4:21 PM, 2016
A foggy and cold couple of hours in the park early this afternoon:
1 goldcrest (probably another, going on calls) Plenty of long-tailed tit 1 nuthatch 8 house sparrow 10+ goldfinch 3 chaffinch 1 redwing 3 mistle thrush 2 jay 5 jackdaw 1 kingfisher 5 ring-necked parakeet (three of them over) 25+ black-headed gull 8+ common gull
Also c30 starling, 5 redwing and 2 mistle thrush seen along Sandy Lane.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Saturday 26th of November 2016 04:22:24 PM
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sat Oct 22 3:33 PM, 2016
A rather coughy and spluttery couple of hours in the park late this morning and early this afternoon still yielded a fair few birds:
1 goldcrest 3+ coal tit Long-tailed tit everywhere 1 treecreeper 1 nuthatch seen, and heard calling several times c10 house sparrow 2+ bullfinch 1 grey wagtail 3 or 4 jay c10 jackdaw 29+ black-headed gull 1 common gull
All the usuals.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Oct 2 10:33 AM, 2016
Stonechat present at the north end near the soil heaps this morning.
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
Shannon Llewellyn said
Fri Aug 26 9:31 PM, 2016
Kingfisher in the park again this evening. One or two chiffchaff calling, too.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Wed Aug 24 7:42 PM, 2016
40 or so house martins feeding high over the park area this evening, and a single swift passing through.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Tue Aug 16 9:31 PM, 2016
An hour in the park this evening yielded:
7 mistle thrush 1 kingfisher 1 sparrowhawk
Very quiet otherwise, though.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Fri Jun 3 10:45 PM, 2016
Fledgling wren, nuthatch and robin in the park this evening. Nice to see, first non-mistle thrush fledglings of the year.
Also about, singing chiffchaff and blackcap, house martin, mistle thrush, jay, swift, ring-necked parakeet and grey heron.
Raven heading west, calling over Chorlton Park this lunchtime.
My first Chiffchaff of the year in Chorlton Park this lunchtime.
Brambling chorlton park near small pond in centre of park
2 Fieldfare Southern Cemetery in new cemetery
100+ redwing over at 08:30
Originally posted this morning by Tony O’ Mahony:
Whinchat at north end near soil heaps
Raven 1 over NE @13.47 "cronking"
Willow Warbler 1 juvenile, north end by the allotments
Whitethroat 1 juvenile, ditto
Fieldfare 50 >S
Redwing 46
Skylark 1>W
Meadow Pipit 1>S
Redpoll 3
Siskin 2>S
Reed Bunting 1
Ring-necked Parakeet 19
Jay
No sign of the Stonechat
Stonechat female still present at the north end by the allotments this morning
Fieldfare 4
Redwing 14
Ring-necked Parakeet 10
Female Stonechat at north end of Southern Cemetery near allotments. Also single Fieldfare and Meadow Pipit
Originally posted today by Tony O’ Mahoney:
2 tree pipits at north end of Southern Cemetery near the allotments
I've had a report of a Firecrest in Chorlton Park near the brook and holly trees at the end of the row of trees that goes down to the middle of the park.
I'd bet it's the Platt fields Park bird I found last month moved down along the brook.
2 Robin
7 Blackbird
4 Greenfinch
1 Dunnock
Wheatear - 1 on soil heaps at north end of Southern Cemetery 13.30 (Tony O'Mahony)
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 9th of September 2019 09:26:48 AM
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 9th of September 2019 09:27:23 AM
Stonechat 1 male on spoil heaps at the north end
Common Whitethroat 1
Meadow Pipit 1
Buzzard 1
No sign of the Whinchat found by Tony O'Mahony this morning
Blackcap 2
Willow Warbler 1
Goldcrest 1 in song
Stock Dove 1
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Tuesday 24th of April 2018 02:42:42 PM
Redpoll 2
Siskin 1
Goldcrest 1
Kestrel 1
Skylark 1
Meadow Pipit 1
Male Stonechat at the north end near the allotments.
Info thanks to Tony O’Mahony
Redwing - at least 70
Goldcrest - 1
Buzzard - 1 circling overhead
No sign of yesterday's Stonechat
Meadow Pipit 1 on the soil mounds
Woodcock present in Southern Cemetery today.
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
1 chiffchaff
2 blackcap (three territories in here now, I think)
5+ goldfinch
c20 house martin
2 song thrush
10+ swift
1 great spotted woodpecker (first I've had in here for a couple of years, I think)
6+ ring-necked parakeet
1 black-headed gull
Sparrowhawk seen dipping down into the trees adjacent to the brook and allotments yesterday evening.
The only population of house sparrows I know of in Manchester city centre is where I live in St John's Gardens and constitutes around 15 birds. Even then they only seem to nest in the back of the barristers chambers on St John Street and nowhere else, as nowhere else has numerous missing bricks and gaps under tiles etc. They seem to be birds of habit and don't stray more than a couple of hundred metres from the colony base. The area also has diverse feeding opportunities - lots of seed feeders throughout the year, lots of trees, shrubs and grassland for invertebrates during the breeding season, only a single cat (as far as I can see). The presence of insect rich shrubbery at this time of years seems particularly important as the birds at present are feeding in 3s and 4s in the native hedge I planted, taking beakfulls of insects back to the chicks. They seem to require a mixture of these conditions to thrive. The properties on St John street are presently being renovated, putting this colony at risk of extinction, and I have made contact with the council several times re this. They seem not to be taking any real notice so I'm going to look at putting some sparrow terraces up in the next few days.
Sounds right to me. I live on the Stretford/Urmston boundary and up to about eight years ago there had been a definite slump in sparrow numbers. Then a neighbour a few doors down let their rambling rose (a big Paul's Himalayan) cover their entire fence and the top of their garage (which houses a steamroller). Now there's usually a couple of dozen sparrows doing the rounds of the gardens.
Wonder how much the wish to tidy up gardens comes into this? Streets in Chorlton which had noisy hawthorns and tall privet hedges full of tumbling sparrows have seen these refuges cleared away as the houses have changed hands. Places once so cheerfully noisy are silent now.
I've been doing the BBS survey around Southern Cemetrey/West Didsbury for 18 years now.
Shocking decline in House Sparrows from around 20 down to just 2 today.
On the plus side I've gained Ring-necked Parakeet (8 today) and Chiffchaff.
Starlings seem to be hanging on with small groups around Cavendish Park and in the Cemetery.
2 blackcap heard calling
3+ goldfinch
1 chaffinch
1 grey wagtail heard over
2 song thrush
2 mistle thrush
1 kingfisher
1 grey heron
Also around:
2 blackcap
1 chiffchaff
2 willow warbler
1 nuthatch heard briefly
c10 house sparrow
2 chaffinch
1 greenfinch
2 bullfinch
2 or 3 mistle thrush
1 ring-necked parakeet over
An hour and a half or so in the park late this afternoon yielded:
2 goldcrest
2 coal tit
2 treecreeper (or one twice)
2 nuthatch
5+ house sparrow
8+ goldfinch
1 chaffinch
2 bullfinch
10+ redwing
2 (or 4) song thrush
4 jackdaw
1 jay
Black-headed, common and lesser black-backed gulls over
Plenty of the usuals.
1 goldcrest (probably another, going on calls)
Plenty of long-tailed tit
1 nuthatch
8 house sparrow
10+ goldfinch
3 chaffinch
1 redwing
3 mistle thrush
2 jay
5 jackdaw
1 kingfisher
5 ring-necked parakeet (three of them over)
25+ black-headed gull
8+ common gull
Also c30 starling, 5 redwing and 2 mistle thrush seen along Sandy Lane.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Saturday 26th of November 2016 04:22:24 PM
1 goldcrest
3+ coal tit
Long-tailed tit everywhere
1 treecreeper
1 nuthatch seen, and heard calling several times
c10 house sparrow
2+ bullfinch
1 grey wagtail
3 or 4 jay
c10 jackdaw
29+ black-headed gull
1 common gull
All the usuals.
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
7 mistle thrush
1 kingfisher
1 sparrowhawk
Very quiet otherwise, though.
Also about, singing chiffchaff and blackcap, house martin, mistle thrush, jay, swift, ring-necked parakeet and grey heron.