A WARNING TO WEAR LONG PANTS DOWN HERE,THE HORSEFLYS ARE MANY AND LOOKING FOR SHORTS WEARING PEOPLE LIKE ME. TWO NASTY BITES ON BOTH CALFS, REGARDS MIKE.
Just been going through my notes from todays trip to the Forest of Bowland and looked again at a siting we had:-
Big bird - buzzard sized hanging in the air with dangling legs - soaring on flat wings (unlike Common Buzzard). Viewed through scope as distant. Five fingers to wing tips. No colour/markin...
I included a bit about a Hobby that we saw yesterday evening in another posting and Ian Mc made the following request:-
"Your Hobby must be worthy of a mention in the county bird sightings forum Sid. Others might miss it here and with them altogether we may be able to build a better picture of thei...
It cannot have gone unnoticed these last few years how the media, trying to be "trendy," have got it hopelessly wrong; - as is often the case.
The BBC in particular thinks that the term "twitcher" has superceded "birdwatcher" (or "birder"), and that t...
Just had a trip for an hour down Moss Lane. It runs into the old southside airport raod, Altrincham Road that is now traffic free and belongs to the National Trust. Sometimes like Blackpool but most days quiet. Usually see a few greater spotted woodpeckers in the first woods on the left but not today. Sa...
I included a bit about a Hobby that we saw yesterday evening in another posting and Ian Mc made the following request:- "Your Hobby must be worthy of a mention in the county bird sightings forum Sid. Others might miss it here and with them altogether we may be able to build a better picture of their s...
We have 21 pairs of Tawny Owls breeding this year in the Bury area. It's been a typical breeding season in as much that we have still birds on eggs and some that have fledged several weeks ago.
We started slowly. No sign of Tawnys at some sites where they had bred for several years. At other sites we have t...
Morning all!
Thinking of getting a new pair for my birthday in two weeks. Happy with the scope I have but my bins are not good. What would you suggest?
SMASHING HOUR SPENT WALKING DOWN THE FS AND ON DOWN THE TRACK PLENTY OF WHITETHROATS TO SEE AND GRASSHOPPER WARBLERS TO HEAR [AM I THE ONLY ONE TO FIND THEM ELUSIVE TO SEE]. THERE WHERE A FEW SAND MARTINS AROUND THE PEAT POOL, LACK OF DECENT FOOTWARE PREVENTED ME FROM GOING FURTHER. THE HIGHLIGHT WAS A FE...
I received a telephone call informing me a bird of prey was injured and taken in at the town hall/Central library. I asked a member of the RSPB to come with me since it was likely to rapidly attract media attention. My main concern was to get the bird, what ever it was, immediate vetinary help. On arrival a...
Last night during the heavy rain i noticed 2 Collared Doves which was sat on the top of the feeder stand and every few minutes they would lift up a wing for about 30 sec as though they was trying to get water to the under wing or was it to just let the water to run off their wings
This wemt on for about 20 Mins ne...
Just been sat in the Triangle in manchester city centre. Never ceases to amaze me at the Peregrines living right in the heart of town.
Whilst I am a professional photographer I was marvelling and congratualting one of the guys at a fabulous picture he had taken. An adult seizing a pigeon at the moment o...
Allan Rimmer and I did our second Waterways Breeding Bird Survey along the canal and river today. We had a family of 3 young Kingfishers, a Willow Tit family, a Hobby (first record for this survey which I've been doing since 1993), a small Sand Martin colony in a brickwork reinforcement wall on the cana...
Just noticed a report on Birdguides Bird News of an Osprey at Carr Mill Dam (Lancs) at 06:30 this morning (8th June). As this is approx 5miles SW of the Wigan Flashes it looks like this is the Wigan Flashes/Pennington Flash bird.
Just received an e-mail from LWT which might be of interest, as two of the sites mentioned are in GM:
Reserve Success
We are proud to announce that we have recently acquired 3 new sites, two as part of the success of our new Mosslands Living Landscape Project.
Freeman's Pools
Located in Lancaster...
As there has seemingly been no reports of Pied Flycatchers at Etherow Country Park this year could anyone with any details from this site, positive or negative, please contact Judith Smith or myself privately over the matter so we can ascertain a better picture. Very much obliged. -- Edited by Ian Mc...
Having watched the Red Kites on Springwatch, I had a thought about them.
Remembering when Buzzards were so uncommon 20-30 years ago and all of a sudden they seem to be everywhere, could the same thing possibly happen with Red Kites in say another 20-30 years time from now??
They certainly are gett...
2 Ospreys seen 1645hrs today flying over Warren Drive, Swinton. eastwards towards the direction of Swinton Park Golf Course. The birds were relatively low and clearly identifiable.
IM REALLY NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. IT WAS DEFINATLY A RAPTOR, IT WAS LARGE, HAD DARK UPPER PLUMAGE AND THIS IS THE UNSURE BIT ,I THOUGHT IT HAD LIGHTER CHEST, BELLY PLUMAGE. IT WAS HIGH AND HAD SLOW GULL LIKE WING BEATS SOMETIMES GLIDING. CAN SOMEONE COMMENT ON THIS SCANTY INFO AS I WANT TO CONVINCE MYSELF IT W...
A female with 15 ducklings on the Irwell at Springside, Walmersley, this afternoon. Fairly regular here over the last few years, but this might be the largest brood ever seen!
Not strictly birds...but found when doing TTV...for Dave Winnard really.
There has been the largest influx of Painted Lady butterflies ever into the UK (eg 18K over Scolt Head Norfolk recently)
I had 2 on my Billinge TTV this morning SD50F (one in GMC, one in Merseyside) and with SE winds I suspect w...
Had nice views of a Garden Warbler yesterday.It was on the footpath which runs parallel with the canal,on the way towards the Golf course and Teal Hide.It was singing beautifully aswell.
A NICE SHOW OF A SINGLE KINGFISHER ON THE RIVER GLAZE WHERE IT RUNS UNDER WARRINGTON RD NEAR THE GREYHOUND, INCIDENTLY CAN ANYONE OUT THERE TELL ME THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SEXES OF THE KINGFISHER, REGARDS MIKE
INCIDENTLY, THE RIVER GLAZE AND THE HOPE CARR NATURE RESERVE IS PRESENTLY A GREAT HOME TO THE WARBLER FAMILY, HOWEVER YET ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE IS UNDERWAY RIPPING THE GUTS OUT OF THE REED BEDS. A DIFFICULT ONE REALLY BECAUSE WE DONT LIKE TO SEE THE BIRD ENVIROMENT SPOILED BUT I THINK IT SHOWS...
