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Dropped into Bempton Cliffs for an hour on Tuesday. Wow what a place for sea birds. Found a Puffin myself !!! had seen 3 at flamborough half an hour before, but this was all the better because i found it myself. Also had 1000`s of kittiwake 1000`s of Guillemot 200 gannets Razorbill shags...

Thousands and thousands of Swifts, more than I've ever seen in my life, currently swarming over junction 22 and field to the East of M6

Female Goosander with 6 large young on the river Irwell this afternoon adjacent Bury Water Treatment Works.

4 Song Thrushes 5 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 2 Chaffinch 4 Mute Swans 2 and 2 Mallards 6 Coot 20+ Canada Geese 5 Goosander 3m 2f 10+ Moorhen Mallards Robins 2 Carrion Crow 2 Long Tailed Tit 4 Goldcrests 2 and 2 in different areas. Blue and Great Tits 1 Coal Tit singing 1 Dipper 1 Bullfinch m 1 Kingfisher on moat at the en...

....but there'll be lots of Jam, Clash, Buzzcocks, Pulp, U2 and much, much, more at the Sylvan in Timperley on Saturday 21st Feb - free admission, no ticket needed so if you are hanging around in Timperley that night pop in to the pub and see me and some mates enjoying our other Hobby (geddit?!) as XL5 roc...

I hate 'em!!!!!

recent bird sightings at pennington are: 9/7/2009: 2 green sandpipers 1 redchank 8 common tern 2 buzzards 2 stock dove 1 ring plover

A shameless plea here. Between now and 10th July, please visit Vote here Then select the 'best environment project' category and select RSPB Old Moor. Click on 'more details' and at the bottom 'vote here' The winning projec...

Have been asked by a friend of a friend, to pass on any sightings of a Harris Hawk (jesses attached) in the area, as he's lost one. Post or p.m. me. Cheers, Mike

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196206/Pictured-The-incredibly-rare-moment-hobby-falcon-wrestles-prey-mid-flight.html

Having decided my photography skills weren't getting any better whilst my field craft was getting there slowly I booked on to a days one to one tuition in birding and specifically bird photography on Sunday. Given that at the start of the day I was just about on full auto all the time I was really pleased...

Hobby flying over Bury New Road / Higher Lane, Whitefield this afternoon at 13:50 being harrassed by a Black Headed Gull.

2 Spotted Flycatchers were around the cottages at Barrow Bridge, Bolton today.

Excellent news of the Little Tern colony at Crimdon; 60 pairs have nested and 109 chicks have been ringed.

Single Hobby near to the A555 and the A34 junction near Handforth at 12 noon and heading east. Dave Ousey.

A Cattle Egret was at Belmont Reservoir yesterday but was harassed by the gulls, and there was no sign of it by 9.00 pm. It must be worth checking out Rumworth, Elton and obviously Pennington and the Wigan flashes, plus any fields with horses / cattle.

Ladies and Gents, Was thinking of purchasing a Gull ID book and was wondering if anyone had their own favourite that they could recommend... Thanks Steve

A European-wide survey of Golden Plovers & Lapwing is taking place over the coming week. BTO News says "Since the late 1970s wader experts across Europe have been gradually synchronising their counts of Golden Plovers. In October 2003 the best effort yet was achieved, with thousands of o...

any one seen a cinamon magpie in hale?

28/6/09 First things first - a bit of advice : Don`t go here when it`s SCORCHIO There is nowhere to hide 8+ Black Guillemot, 2 Puffin, 6+ Fulmar, Gannet, 10+ Kittiwake, 100`s of Guillemot & Razorbill, Rock Pipit, Peregrine, (pr) Stonechat, Yellowhammers & Linnets.

The Rochdale Observer reports that a Red Kite was found exhausted in Ashworth Valley, Rochdale last week and taken to the Three Owls Bird Sanctuary where it was rehabilitated and has now been re-released - but unfortunately in north Wales. Don't know anything more about this story but sounds pretty...

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...