Dear oh dear! I've just visited the new 'Burton Mere" visitor centre/hide and the other new hide with Tony Darby. The visitor centre does not work as a combined hide - far too much hubbub - and the window prohibits good scope viewing of the scrape in front of it. The other hide - ostensibly a 'proper...
I was leading two fungi forays over the last two Saturdays, despite the bad weather for fungi there were a couple of good finds; Lilac Dapperling (only known site in GM for this species) - stinks of moth balls. Tiger's Eye - no known previous GM records Fiery Milkcap - new specie...
Earlier this year I observed a rare bird for GM nesting. Duly reported it to the county recorder. Recently at the same site I noticed a large amount of repair work and a JCB that had driven back and forth over the nest site. No harm done breeding season over hope to see it next year. BUT is that a coincidence...
Hi guys, we're looking for some advice on the best places to watch owls of any kind but in particular Barn, Little and Short Eared. We would be very grateful if anybody could point us in the right direction. Personally I could sit and watch them for hours and would love to see some in their natural environ...
Ok you lovely people, i wanna pick your very knowledgeable brains if i may This late autumn i am thinking of going to Tarifa along the straits of gibralta, southern Spain, hoping for some great raptor migration action, i was wondering if anyone on here has been and can give me a few tips on the pla...
I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who might be willing to part with an Optolyth TBS 80 HD scope. This is an angled scope with Flourite coating on the objective lens. I know Optolyth have produced a number of these scopes over the years; however, I am most interested in one of the newer mode...
With the imminent closure of David Winnards Manchester Wildlife forum and website, David has approached me about hosting a wildlife section on my forum here instead. Having sounded out several birders it seems logical to do just that, especially as birders seem to like to included their wildlife s...
Unknown Rapter This bird appeared while i was watching a pair of Dunnock's playing in the buddliea in the corner of my garden. Please could some identify it for me I'm torn between Kestrel or Sparrowhawk Regards Ia...
Had a text off a friend of mine who was at Bempton today. Wanted to do a boat trip to the cliffs. He said they only operate on sat. I'm sure it was mid week when i went on one a few years ago. Anyone any info? He's coming home sat so any quick info would be very helpfull.
Cheers Dean.
8.45 - 10.00 out for brief walk with dogs before work, sunny then a heavy mist decended for a short while. Large numbers of Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Goldfinch & Skylarks passing over. Other birds included: Swallow 50+ House Martin10+ Sand Martin Reed Bunting 4 + Jay 8+ Pheasant - flushed by the dogs L...
I now have two Leica APO scopes to sell (don't ask - but no - I'm not dealing!). One is the straight version, the other is the angled. Each comes with a 32x eyepiece, and both have stay on cases. Both have slight marks on the objective lens, they are marks on the coatings, and do not show up or impede the view i...
RSPB walk today in beautiful weather. Birds seen included 50+ swallows lined out on the power line next to Bradbury's farm and feeding up over the grazing sheep. 2 wheatear still up near Chew Res. Lots of meadow pipits (at least 30 counted on a walk of 8 miles). 1 sparrow hawk soaring over Rob's rocks. 4 r...
i have just bought my first digital slr. how do i connect it to my scope. is it a universal connecter or do i need a speciel one . camera is sony, scope is camlink thanks, simon
on saturday afternoon 3rd sept. around 4.45 i was cyclin down the rochdale canal path between foxdenton lane and the boat and horses . there was a bright blue flash on the far side going from one bush to the other .seeing this i stopped only to see it go back the other way ,this has undoubtably got to be a kin...
Thanks to Paul Brady of the RSPB Dee Estuary Team, Manchester Birding has been very generously invited to an exclusive pre-opening guided tour of the brand new fantastic Burton Mere Wetlands at Inner Marsh Farm RSPB. The tour will be on the 14th September and as there's a maximum of 30 birders permitt...
Somewhat "pumped up" with enthusiasm over the phalarope experience from Saturday's trip down into Gr. Manchester, and while keeping one eye on the Wales/ South Africa Rugby match today, I was thumbing through old bird reports digesting previous phalarope occurences in the county and...
Chorley Photographic Society are holding an Evening with Ben Hall at 8pm on Monday 12th September. Entrance is by ticket only which are available in limited numbers on their website http://www.chorleyps.org/?page_id=2445 So far, tickets are still available. For those who have not heard of Ben H...
Just returned from our tour of South West Wales namely a week in Freshwater East and a week in Cenarth Falls Week1 Goldfinches Blue tits Great tits Blackbirds Chaffinches Robins Buzzards Kestrels Swifts Swallows Cormorants at least 200 Great black backs Black headed Fulmers Herring gull Oyster ca...
The Video Guide to British Birds (surely some of Wiganers still have videos?) by Birdguides, volumes 1 to 5 covering 260 species. Any offer considered, contact Phil on p.greenwood1@ntlworld.com -- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 3rd of September 2011 06:34:25 PM
After 3 hours on Pennington and it started to go dark, left for home extremely happy and chuffed with an afternoons birding,problem is when I have got home with my notes was identifying what I have actually seen , Have the RSPB pocket Book on Birds , can anyone recommend a book which will help with identi...
Hello, I have a confession and so to confirm rumours of the GM's birding scene worst kept secret, I would like to confirm that I am currently attempting a county year list for 2011. It had started out as a light hearted attempt by myself to see as many species as possible as until recently I hadn't spent th...
Since I couldn't find a thread for this site, I thought i'd start one . Its a brilliant little island, 6 miles off the Fife coast near to Anstruther. Its Britain's oldest bird observatory, based in the 'low light', the newest of the island's three lighthouses, and where we were staying (we bein...
Reluctant sale of the following items in excellent condition: Two year old Carl Zeiss Straight Diascope Victory 85T*FL with 20 x 60 lens. The scope comes with a superb Velbon Sherpa Pro PH-157Q tripod and carry case, Neoprene cover and a Velbon HC - 25/28 hide clamp. The complete package today would s...
Hawke blackwatch 8x42 porro (rrp was- £89). Missing the eyecups as these were poor quality towards the otherwise solidly-built bins that are otherwise fine and the optics are still suberb - £15 P.M. me or send text to 07783555780 Cheers, Mark -- Edited by Mark Evans on Saturday 14th of May 2011 11:47:...
FREE: (OR if you are generous, a small donation of £10 for Lancashire Wildlife Trust would be kind ) Various issues of "Birdwatch" & "BirdWatching" magazines (76 IN TOTAL), dating from 2004, the only stipulation being that they have to be collected (from Wigan), a...
i wanna pick your very knowledgeable brains if i may This late autumn i am thinking of going to Tarifa along the straits of gibralta, southern Spain, hoping for some great raptor migration action, i was wondering if anyone on here has been and can give me a few tips on the pla...
) Various issues of "Birdwatch" & "BirdWatching" magazines (76 IN TOTAL), dating from 2004, the only stipulation being that they have to be collected (from Wigan), a...