Chorlton ees

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

RE: Chorlton ees

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

At least 4 Wheatear at Hardy Farm this afternoon around 3pm

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

Pair of Wheatear on the ploughed up area of Hardy Farm this am (still there when I left 5 mins ago).
the male allowed very close views. Good photo opportunities!
A site first for me. Great to see a bird that I have previously travelled to see, just 100m from the back door!

Paul Dewey · Status: Offline

Late post for yesterday, Whitethroat singing briefly at Hardy farm, approx 50yds down path towards Chortlton from Jackson's Boat

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

A nice male Wheatear on the previously burnt area of the meadow.

Fiona Moate · Status: Offline

Think I may have seen a wheatear on the football pitch as I was going by Chorlton Park from a bus on Barlow Moor Road yesterday. It flew low & then walked about on the grass.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

1 Redpoll
1 Buzzard
1 Goldcrest in song (also in my garden daily)

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Tuesday 16th of April 2013 09:17:40 PM

Ollie Wright · Status: Offline

Steve, was it you who found the Killdeer as well?

steven burke · Status: Offline

After no joy with the turn moss redstart, I have located a male redstart at 10.50am on chorlton ees. It is about 500 yards downstream from Jackson boat off the footpath at the side of the river where there is a brick walled footpath and the grass has been burned. This on the opposite side of Jackson boat.

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

Hi Ollie
I've had the following message from Dave Bishop, chair of Friends of Chorlton Meadows, in relation to the Chorlton Ees arsonist:

"Description - over 50 slim build, white hair, blue track suit bottoms, limp,oil raincoat - registration number of vehicle with authorities. Details from a reliable source."

So, if you see a person of this description setting a fire and you happen to have a camera handy ... But, remember, don't put yourself at risk!

Ollie Wright · Status: Offline

Not a lot was around on a walk after work, but my first Swallow of the year hawked by near the reedbed. Perched Kestrel at Jackson's Boat looked good through the scope at very close range.

Has the grass around the reedbed area been burned for a reason, or has some idiot gone mental? Either way, the scorched ground seems to suit Carrion Crows, 40-50 of them were all feeding together there when I passed by.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

pm

Redwing 47 with one singing
Chiffchaff 1

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

8.30am - 10.30am
Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming
Jays - group of six , very active and noisy, flying around Hardy Farm
Sparrowhawk flying over Jackson's Bridge
Buzzard mobbed by two angry crows
6 Teal on the river between Chorlton Ees and Sale Water Park
Siskin x2, Willow Tit x 2 and Coal Tit x 2 at the heronry - first time I've seen Willow Tit in Chorlton.
Cheers
Ben

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Siskin
2 Goldcrest
1 Meadow Pipit (Hardy Farm)
5 Teal
2 Snipe (Hardy Farm)
1 Stock Dove (Hardy Farm)

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Male Stonechat on the bank of the River Mersey this morning; seen from the steps (on Cow Lane, Sale WP) up to the Mersey, but on the Chorlton Ees side.

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

Hardy Farm 9.30-10.30am - no parakeets this am!

2 Mistle thrush
2 Song Thrush
6 Redwing
Great-spotted Woodpecker, initially drumming, then flitting between trees
Greenfinch
Jay
Common Gull
+ 3 Goosander on the river by Jackson's Bridge

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

2 Fieldfare on the footaball pitch, Hardy Farm
1 Buzzard over the Ees / Hardy Farm

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

I've just had a call from Jude Eccles in Chorltonville who has just successfully released a Ring-necked Parakeet which had been trapped in her chimney this morning !

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Hardy Farm (early pm)

7 Snipe on the ripped up ground
1 Buzzard
6 Fieldfare
1 Mistle Thrush in song
1 Skylark
(no Parakeets)

Chorlton Ees

1 Skylark over
1 Kestrel (very obliging)

Ivy Green

10+ Siskin

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Fantastic picture Ben

Ben Smart · Status: Offline

Ring-necked Parakeets have definitely taken hold at Hardy Farm, Chorlton. I'd not seen them here until Jan 5th, but have had 4 sightings since. Today there were 7 flying around Hardy Farm, over the football pitch and on to the floodlights. They were escorted by the Parrot (?Orange-winged Amazon Parrot). Also present was a group of 6 Fieldfare (under the trees behind Redland Crescent), 2 Jays and a Sparrowhawk overhead.
photos of parrot, fieldfare etc at flickr

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Colin Wood wrote:

I assume the 'otter' I saw at around 4.00pm today, swimming from the large island to the bankside at Chorlton Water Park, was in fact a mink?

Correct Colin. Mink have been a big problem in the Valley for a number of years now

Colin Wood · Status: Offline

I assume the 'otter' I saw at around 4.00pm today, swimming from the large island to the bankside at Chorlton Water Park, was in fact a mink?

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

A dozen or so Redwings at Hardy Farm, easily seen from the riverbank just East of the
Metro bridge construction site, getting stuck into the well laden hawthorns.

Ian Keith · Status: Offline

Almost certainly a Mink. A few photos of the local Mink from earlier this summer. In recent years Otters have been reported from the Bollin, the Irwell and the Mersey estuary so although its very unlikely to have been an Otter its not impossible.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

1 Buzzard
1 Kingfisher ( Chorlton Brook)
1 Redpoll (heard only)
2 Siskin (Ivy Green)
20+ Redwing
1 Nuthatch
1 Goldcrest
1 Reed Bunting
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker

Paul Wilkins · Status: Offline

The Dry Weir and adjacent field

Moorhen
Mallard
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Grey Heron

Paul Wilkins · Status: Offline

Very quiet around lunch time today but:

Wood Pigeon (in numbers)
Magpie
Goldfinch (many small parties)
Blue Tit
Sparrowhawk
Jay
Blackbird
Swallow
Chaffinch
Carrion Crow
Whitethroat
Robin
Common Sandpiper (juvenile flying fast and low upstream along Chorlton Brook)
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Reed Warbler

Paul Wilkins · Status: Offline

Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Blackbird
Grey Heron (over)
Magpie
Swift (2 over)
Chiffchaff (at least 3 singing)
Blackcap (5 or 6 singing)
Sedge Warbler (2 singing)
Whitethroat
Reed Bunting (10 incl. 5 singing)
Wren

River Mersey Chorlton Ees to Chorlton Water Park

Canada Goose
Cormorant (flying downstream)
Swift (12)
Black-headed Gull
Grey Wagtail

I was looking for the Dipper but no luck. However I did bump into Liam Langley on Barlow Tip which was good.

Tony Coatsworth · Status: Offline

Very wet underfoot.

Buzzard
30+ Swift over river
Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff still singing.
Bullfinch
Several male Reed Buntings

No sign of Willow Tit

Gervase Cooke · Status: Offline

Lovely evening stroll last night mostly in and around the meadow.
The place was thronging with song (almost drowned out the motorway

) and has got incredibly overgrown in the last couple of weeks so most of this list was heard and not seen.

2 male Chaffinch (1 seen)
5 or 6 Common Whitethroat (3 seen)
2 Reed Warblers
1 Greenfinch heard in the trees in the reed bed
1 Sedge warbler (seen)
5 chiffchaffs
3 Blackcaps (1 seen)
8+ Reed Buntings (4m, 2f seen)
Countless Wood Pigeons gorging themselves
Just a couple of Swifts
3 Wrens
Several singing Blackbirds and Song Thrush
1 Heron nearly fledged still on the nest preening itself
1 Lesser Black Backed Gull

Ollie Wright · Status: Offline

Just checked through my records, as I remembered seeing a Willow Tit along the riverbank in Chorlton Ees area once - it was on February 10th 2010. I can submit this on Excel sheet to Ian Mac, if it's not too late to do so.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Unfortunately Phil, whilst I wholly appreciate you've taken the offer up to submit your sightings and am very, very grateful indeed for it, so many others, in fact probably the majority of this forum, haven't. Posting of important sightings throughtout this forum without formally submitting them continue to increase and I cannot hide my frustration at watching so many good records go to waste. I can only surmise that the kudos of letting others know what you've seen on a public forum is more important than the future (and present) welfare of the birds themselves. Surely not?

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Pete Hines wrote:

It's gone a bit off thread now, though still a relevant topic. Re Willow Tit status at Chorlton WP. I wrote annual reports for CWP, Kenworthy Woods & Barlow Tip from 1999 to 2010. A summary :

1999 to 2009 = no records.

2010 = 2 records. 1 on 24th Jan Barlow Tip (Bill Myerscough - on only his 2nd visit), 1 on 11th May Barlow Tip (Phil Owen - I couldn't locate a subsequent sighting of yours on the Forum).

2011 = 2 records. 1 on 12th Jan at Barlow Tip (reported to me by an unknown MOP), 1 on 21st Nov near VC (Chris Green - Forum).

2012 = 2 records so far both from Graham Smith via Forum. 2 at the dipping pond 12th Feb (so these could easily frequent the feeding station there) and 1 on 7th April, no location given.

It'll take some time to summarise back to '77

Off topic slightly more but it's a very important point:

Many of the above records never even existed!

Few of those records posted or claimed on this forum in recent years of this now Red List species have been formally submitted to the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group and so can form no part of the definative county database or be used in any future conservation issues at this site or with the species in general. So to all intents and purposes they never existed.

And that, is a real shame...

Gervase Cooke · Status: Offline

Re Willow Tits

Well this is all very interesting.

I now feel tremendously fortunate to have seen that pair last week.

Seems like it's by no means as common a sighting as I'd thought. Previous posts didn't seem to raise much of a stir.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for them again but won't hold my breath!

Thanks for all the info. The Birdwatch article should prove helpful if I ever do come across them again. Given the damp wood near the Sale Water Park feeders I would have thought that was a good spot.

The pair I saw were giving a medium sized Elder a real working over. Not so damp except the nearby island in the reedbed.
They eventually headed off in the direction of Chorlton Brook.

Cheers
G

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

It's gone a bit off thread now, though still a relevant topic. Re Willow Tit status at Chorlton WP. I wrote annual reports for CWP, Kenworthy Woods & Barlow Tip from 1999 to 2010. A summary :

1999 to 2009 = no records.

2010 = 2 records. 1 on 24th Jan Barlow Tip (Bill Myerscough - on only his 2nd visit), 1 on 11th May Barlow Tip (Phil Owen - I couldn't locate a subsequent sighting of yours on the Forum).

2011 = 2 records. 1 on 12th Jan at Barlow Tip (reported to me by an unknown MOP), 1 on 21st Nov near VC (Chris Green - Forum).

2012 = 2 records so far both from Graham Smith via Forum. 2 at the dipping pond 12th Feb (so these could easily frequent the feeding station there) and 1 on 7th April, no location given.

It'll take some time to summarise back to '77

Phil Owen · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Unfortunately Phil, whilst I wholly appreciate you've taken the offer up to submit your sightings and am very, very grateful indeed for it, so many others, in fact probably the majority of this forum, haven't. Posting of important sightings throughtout this forum without formally submitting them continue to increase and I cannot hide my frustration at watching so many good records go to waste. I can only surmise that the kudos of letting others know what you've seen on a public forum is more important than the future (and present) welfare of the birds themselves. Surely not?

Totally agree Ian and I certainly hope this isn't the case.

As previously discussed under the General Discussion section (and I can only speak for myself here) I was geniunely unaware that the Forum was no longer used for sightings and will obviously ensure that future sightings are submitted via alternative routes.

Indeed, some of my own records from Ringway have been rather annoyingly been "lost in the system" due to the obvious unawareness of the change in method for submissions.

These may have been useful as ammunition against development on the land for example.

Hopefully everyone can "do their bit" on this and ensure that records are formally submitted for future use.

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 08:10:35 PM

Phil Owen · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Pete Hines wrote:

It's gone a bit off thread now, though still a relevant topic. Re Willow Tit status at Chorlton WP. I wrote annual reports for CWP, Kenworthy Woods & Barlow Tip from 1999 to 2010. A summary :

1999 to 2009 = no records.

2010 = 2 records. 1 on 24th Jan Barlow Tip (Bill Myerscough - on only his 2nd visit), 1 on 11th May Barlow Tip (Phil Owen - I couldn't locate a subsequent sighting of yours on the Forum).

2011 = 2 records. 1 on 12th Jan at Barlow Tip (reported to me by an unknown MOP), 1 on 21st Nov near VC (Chris Green - Forum).

2012 = 2 records so far both from Graham Smith via Forum. 2 at the dipping pond 12th Feb (so these could easily frequent the feeding station there) and 1 on 7th April, no location given.

It'll take some time to summarise back to '77

Off topic slightly more but it's a very important point:

Many of the above records never even existed!

Few of those records posted or claimed on this forum in recent years of this now Red List species have been formally submitted to the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group and so can form no part of the definative county database or be used in any future conservation issues at this site or with the species in general. So to all intents and purposes they never existed.

And that, is a real shame...

As you are aware Ian, certainly for my sightings anyway, you kindly cleared up the obvious confusion, where the sightings from this Forum were previously used for the County Report but this is obviously no longer the case.

I have since received the details regarding the up to date submission of records and will make sure these are formally submitted

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 06:04:42 PM

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

I think it's no coincidence that Willow Tit has been recorded on this side of the Mersey more often in the last year or two. At the same time the destruction of habitat by Jackson's Boat and Sale WP for the new tram line saw much damp woodland next to the golf course get chopped down forcing them elsewhere. Pleased to see they've found another place to live. Perhaps there will be more CWP feeder sightings this coming winter.

Phil Owen · Status: Offline

Pete Hines wrote:

I assume you mean the Sale WP feeding station there Phil, where they were regular in winter. I've never heard of them being at the Chorlton WP car park feeding station.

A quick browse on the CWP thread = 3 reports since April 2011, 2 near dipping pond 12/12/11, 1 no location 8/4/12 1 near VC 21/11/11 (SWP?), none for Barlow Tip or Kenworthy.

So presumably recently recolonising along the Mersey Valley though sparse in numbers.

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 4th of June 2012 09:37:44 AM

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 4th of June 2012 09:39:07 AM

Totally agree with you Pete, questioning whether they were actually on Sale WP rather than Chorlton WP.

I did ask the the same question to be honest when speaking to the birders I was talking to but they were adamant they were on Chorlton WP feeding station last winter, though I've never seen them there.

I was particularly interested to know at the time that it was definitely Chorlton and not Sale as firstly Willow Tits are hard to come by at Chorlton and secondly it was a good bird for my 2011 Manchester Borough list.

I also noticed checking back Pete, that you posted a report of a Willow Tit on Barlow Tip on 12/01/2011.

One of my sightings is also on the forum from 11/05/2010 on Barlow Tip which was my first ever at the site. I also remember seeing one later a few weeks later as well.

Hope this helps.

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Monday 4th of June 2012 10:21:10 AM

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Monday 4th of June 2012 10:22:11 AM

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

I assume you mean the Sale WP feeding station there Phil, where they were regular in winter. I've never heard of them being at the Chorlton WP car park feeding station.

A quick browse on the CWP thread = 3 reports since April 2011, 2 near dipping pond 12/12/11, 1 no location 8/4/12 1 near VC 21/11/11 (SWP?), none for Barlow Tip or Kenworthy.

So presumably recently recolonising along the Mersey Valley though sparse in numbers.

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 4th of June 2012 09:37:44 AM

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Monday 4th of June 2012 09:39:07 AM

Phil Owen · Status: Offline

Pete Hines wrote:

Liam, I spent almost every day of 13 out of the last 14 years at Chorlton WP as a warden there and have never in that time nor have I in birding there since April 1977 have I ever recorded them there.

They used to be around Chorlton Ees from mid 70's to 80's (?) then dissapeared and it's just in recent years they seem to be making a comeback, probably with birds dispersing more widely in the winter, perhaps from Carrington Moss moving up along the Mersey Valley (?).

Since this forum began in 2006 in think there have been only three postings for Willow Tit on the Chorlton WP thread.

I must have been very lucky then Pete to have seen them twice on Barlow Tip.

I've also heard reports from other birders that they were at the feeding station during previous winters? but not posted on here.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Liam, I spent almost every day of 13 out of the last 14 years at Chorlton WP as a warden there and have never in that time nor have I in birding there since April 1977 have I ever recorded them there.

They used to be around Chorlton Ees from mid 70's to 80's (?) then dissapeared and it's just in recent years they seem to be making a comeback, probably with birds dispersing more widely in the winter, perhaps from Carrington Moss moving up along the Mersey Valley (?).

Since this forum began in 2006 in think there have been only three postings for Willow Tit on the Chorlton WP thread.

John Rayner · Status: Offline

Gervase Cooke wrote:

Re Willow/Marsh Tits

Willow tit would constitute a lifer for me so it's quite important.

Hi Gervase,

This article might be of interest

http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?cate=23&topic=119&item=486

A more recent separation feature (claimed to be definitive) is a pale spot on the base of the upper mandible of a Marsh Tit.

http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Willow-Marsh-Tits.pdf

I've never been able to see this in the field myself although I have tried. But I've just looked at a couple of this website's gallery photos of Willow Tit and they both show a pale spot - presumably a trick of the light (or perhaps it's not as good a feature as supposed)

Cheers, John

Gervase Cooke · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

No Marsh Tits recorded at Barlow Tip I'm afraid, not for the past 20 years at least, though they are often misidentified.

You may need to buy a new bird guide too Gervase, as 'hammering their food with their bills' is one of the worst/most incorrect identification features I've ever heard for seperating those two tits

.

Thanks Ian, Yes my memory was that it was Willows that had been reported on Barlow tip. But when I saw this pair on the Ees I thought it too good to be true so plumped for Marsh.

It is a very old guide of my parents that said that about the hammering. I've certainly never seen it written elsewhere.

Great to have all this chat about it as I'd often wondered.

Now I just ned to see theme again so I can hone my id skills. What to look for, darker cheeks? Longer black nape? Cap glossiness???

Anyway. Lifer for me then. And on my local patch. Ace. Not only that they were such a pretty sight and so close. That area next to the Reed Bed in the meadows is a an amazing spot.

Cheers

Gervase

Liam Langley · Status: Offline

On the subject of Willow Tits where are the best places in the Chorlton WP/ Barlow Tip area to see them and at what time of year?

I've never seen one in the area and would really like to add the species to my Chorlton WP list. I visit regularly so maybe I'm just overlooking them. Any help would be really appreciated.

Also the birds at Leighton are definitely Marsh Tits but I agree that "hammering food with their bills" is a weird clinching feature.

Cheers, Liam

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Gervase Cooke wrote:

Re Willow/Marsh Tits

That's interesting. I am right in thinking that nationally Marsh are much more common though aren't I.

Willow tit would constitute a lifer for me so it's quite important.

I thought I remembered others posting about them on Barlow Tip.

I've only seen Marsh tits a couple of times at Leighton Moss. I distinguished them there by the fact that they were hammering food with their bills. I have guide book somewhere that said that only the Marsh does this.

Gervase

No Marsh Tits recorded at Barlow Tip I'm afraid, not for the past 20 years at least, though they are often misidentified.

You may need to buy a new bird guide too Gervase, as 'hammering their food with their bills' is one of the worst/most incorrect identification features I've ever heard for seperating those two tits

.

Phil Owen · Status: Offline

Gervase Cooke wrote:

Re Willow/Marsh Tits

That's interesting. I am right in thinking that nationally Marsh are much more common though aren't I.

Willow tit would constitute a lifer for me so it's quite important.

I thought I remembered others posting about them on Barlow Tip.

I've only seen Marsh tits a couple of times at Leighton Moss. I distinguished them there by the fact that they were hammering food with their bills. I have guide book somewhere that said that only the Marsh does this.

Gervase

As Ian says Gervase, they'll almost certainly be Willow Tits.

Marsh Tits are extremely rare now in Greater Manchester compared to say 20-30 years ago.

Willow Tits are localised in Greater Manchester in such areas as Wigan Flashes, Pennington and Carrington amongst others but the Mersey Valley also has a small population and I have seen them at Sale Water Park and on Barlow Tip at Chorlton.

I would be amazed if they weren't Willow Tits to be honest.

Cheers

Phil

Gervase Cooke · Status: Offline

Re Willow/Marsh Tits

That's interesting. I am right in thinking that nationally Marsh are much more common though aren't I.

Willow tit would constitute a lifer for me so it's quite important.

I thought I remembered others posting about them on Barlow Tip.

I've only seen Marsh tits a couple of times at Leighton Moss. I distinguished them there by the fact that they were hammering food with their bills. I have guide book somewhere that said that only the Marsh does this.

Gervase

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Willow Tit must be classed as a resident here now with the increased number of sightings of late.

Had a look early afternoon, only
4 singing Reed Warbler + others
4 singing Sedge Warbler + others