The weather over the next few days looks extremely promising for drifting central european migrants over to the UK and more specifically the east coast. Anyone planning a day to Spurn etc? A poorly car means I'm looking for a seat across there
37 Barnacle Geese briefly this afternoon at this high-altitude reservoir just in GM, seen by Jeff Cox then flushed by a helicopter and flew to White Holme next door(Yorks). Good photo on Calderdale Birds blogsite. Thanks to Alan Nuttall for the information.
I've just caught a house sparrow in my back garden - it appears to have injured its wing, it cannot fly and I don't want one of the local cats to get it.
Can anyone suggest who I could contact/what I should do next?
Thanks
Whilst waiting for the well documented North Cheshire Hobbys this evening I was distracted by a very distinctive two note call - very piercing and one knew I was not familiar with.
I couldn't get on to the bird, until it flew past me and away, a non descript leaf warbler.
On checking calls this eveni...
Following yesterdays cracking Curlew Sandpiper at Elton, Ive been ploughing through my many Elton Bird reports since 1983 (and county bird reports) and found the following previous records of Curlew Sandpiper at the site-
Juv 19th September 1989 (the year after I started watching Elton)
Juv 1...
a Sunday morning walk along the walks over the tops near edge lane and bunrt edge on sunday morning, a couple of sparrowhawks showing nicely sat on posts, around four kestrels and one hobby, loads of meadow pipits and greenfinches and swallows but sites of the day was of four wheaters along the fences a...
One of the best sites in Kuwait (Jahra East Outfall) is threatened by proximal development which threatens to compromise the quality and productivity of this paradise nestled within a wider desert for wildlife.
More info Here on Jahra East Outfall...
Currently got a juv little grebe !! in a box waiting to go to 3 owls in the morning.
poorl little blighter flew into the wall at work " The Car People " on ashton moss. and just sat by the doors looking all dazed. Will email some pics to Ian over the next couple of days.
Andrew
Just to let everyone know that Adrian Dancy, our WeBS counter, is without his computer at present, but hopes to be sending out forms shortly. The first count is 20th September. If you need to contact him, he is on 0161 234 5381 (home), 0161 234 3537 (work) or 07776407928 (mobile) There is a list of the dat...
I've just had a detailed summary of House Martin nests at Northenden from Peter Helm. In 2008 there were 13 nests. This year, the same locations were checked and only 5 found.
That about sums up the House Martin situation this year.
It's raining again in this part of the world, and with the athletics not back on until teatime, I was faced with the choice of doing some Killer Sudokus, or swatting up for a forthcoming birding trip, or submitting this.
This won. So here's what's involved:
Often, when driving on a longish twitch wi...
I'm trying to locate Phil Jennison, so that I can use a photo of his in the 2008 county report. If anyone knows him, pleae ask him to contact me as soon as possible.
Big thanks first of all to this forum and members who helped us organise our holiday especially Mel B.
I realy dont know where to begin but the island is such a beautiful place and for birdwatching its paradise.
Visits to Calgary,Iona,grass point,loch na keal,glen more,laggen,tobermory are all w...
I don't know if your aware but large numbers of Albatross chicks and numerous other seabirds chicks are literally being eaten alive by mice(which are close relatives of our house mouse).There are over 1 million seabirds nesting on Gough Island including the critically endangered Tristan Albatro...
Whiteholme I hear you say,Where is it?.Its a Pennine reservoir just above Rochdale. If you stand on the West side of the reservoir you can toss a stone into the Greater Manchester county.
I have been watching Whiteholme now for well over Twentyfive years.Why bother?its difficult to get to,hardly e...
I do no serious wildlife photography these days except on a casual basis using my wife's little digital Cannon Ixus 60 which gives passable results (but nothing like the quality stuff as evidenced on this site for example).
I have bucket loads of slides going back 25 years from lots of trips using con...
I've jsut had to buy a new printer, so have a few unused b/w and colour cartridges which are no use for the new printer. They are for use on an Epson Stylus Photo 810/820/830/830U/025/935/C50. If anyone can use them, send me a PM.
Just a word of warning be very careful when handling sd cards out of the camera and into readers,as for the second time today i lost all the pictures on a card,and i had some stonking snipe shots,due to a small peice of plastic breaking off the edge of a card,once that happens the 2 contacts connect and all...
Some might think that this would be better placed in the 'out-of-county' birding section but as it has a great deal of relevance for us in Greater Manchester, here it is. I've often been accused of being 'over-zealous' in my removal and protocol of the posting of breeding species in the county but I'm a...
For those with a broader environmental interest the website below might be useful. Very much a work in progress but some interesting information there.
Mike
www.magic.gov.uk
And an example of the type of information available:
www.magic.gov.uk/staticmaps/national.asp
Just got back from a school trip this week in and around Normandy, France. Not much time for birding but highlight for me, (new ticks)
White stork flew over me no more than 3 or 4 metres above me
barnacle goose
also 50+ shelduck on the island to the side of Le Pont De Normandy bridge
cuckoo
little egre...
Plea for help, lady wife has just booked 2 weeks in Santorini going 28 July. Anybody out there ever been?, are there any recommended birding locations, any help gratefully received.
Cheers Ian
The last of the Swifts have left the area of Houghton Lane, Swinton. Every year fewer and fewer birds return. We used to have 3 pairs nesting in the eaves of our house, now it's down to 2 and the groups of birds that used number 10 to 15 flying around screeching has now been reduced to about 5 or 6. The Rspb are...
Hobby(Adult) again hunting on fields 98/99 next to Barton Airport flew off towards Bontany Bay woods this afternoon at 1630, they must be breeding local has anybody pin-pointed a possible location?
