Brief description of our garden 60 yards long x10 yards wide which is 70% lawn. The left hand side as we look from the sofa is a mature tight Hawthorn hedge whilst the right hand side is a 5 foot wooden fence. There is some bamboo and a 15 foot apple tree at the top end whilst a 55 foot Silver birch is in the top l...
We are on a five year old Barratt development on the northern side of Northwich with similar developments both alongside and across the road. The River Weaver is three quarters of a mile to the north and Northwich Woodlands, incorporating Neumanns & Ashtons Flashes is a similar distance to the s...
There have now been a few recent instances of birders encountering individuals armed with firearms in the county and in some cases discharging them, on or near public property or public rights of way, most recently including Elton Reservoir, Rumworth Lodge and Bickershaw Country Park. Whilst som...
Small south facing garden with no trees but benefits from spare land over the fence to the south containing hawthorn, elderberry & plenty of brambles & is only 10 yards from the Bridgewater Canal. 50 yards to the east is Bedford Brook & a private woods which is where the majority of birds c...
South'ish facing mature garden, Large Oak tree, tall Bamboos and evergreen shrubs etc, Separated from the Bridgewater Canal tow path by a 80/100M linear woodland, Chiffchaff heard singing Monday morning, 2 days later that last year Bullfinch herd this morning Curlew also heard distantly burbli...
The much loved Manchester Festival of Nature is back, but this year it's virtual! The Manchester Festival of Nature 2020 is on Sunday 28th June 2020 via the Twitter page @MancNature #MFoN Join local conservation organisations on Twitter on Sunday 28th June for a host of live events, workshops and fi...
Yesterday a Great White Egret was reported in a field near Brook House Farm, about a mile north of Mottram St. Andrew. No sign later in the morning but during a wider search in horrendous conditions I refound it by the River Bollin as viewed from the footpath running by Newton Hall Farm. It was later seen...
Sightings from today: 1 Sparrowhawk in display flight and over the garden. 1 Buzzard came in quite low then went higher a circled around mewing. Singing Starling from a rooftop doing a cracking job of mimicking a Curlew! Pair of Blue Tits making regular visits and prospecting the next box. Pair of Woo...
Bit late to this to be honest. So far its pretty dismal with just the usual fare on offer despite spending most mornings before working at home, lunch and a couple of hours after work too. Hightlights definitely the three Oystercatchers and a singing Skylark. So far today (Sunday 11th) have added Chif...
Dear members and friends, I am delighted to inform you that the Society has been given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. (M.B.E.)This is a wonderful achievement, and a major honour for the Society to receive this prestigious award. I am very proud of the groups' achievements since its fo...
I was wathching the Coot chicks on the nest yesterday when the adult came in with food and passed it to one of the chicks. Can anyone id the food item, ive been looking at it for ages and cant make it out in the picture attached. Thanks in advance.
Wood Warbler singing this afternoon. Park (safely) on Carrwood Road and walk 100m south on footpath. Cross brook at footbridge and the bird was singing c30m along the east bank. Info thanks to Geoff Lightfoot. Cheers John
I'm a keen birder and already own a Swarovski ATS 80 HD, with a 20-60 zoom. I've tried using my iPhone camera with mixed results as its almost impossible to keep the camera in the correct place. Could anyone advise me which is the best camera and set up. The Nikon 1 seem popular however I'm open to any sugge...
In view of the slight relaxation of the lock down rules how do you interpret the latest government statements and will they change your birding behaviour? I am particularly interested in this from an 'over-70s' point of view. It would appear that people can now drive any distance to open spaces provi...
Had a Peregrine chasing the Lapwings in the area between Matalan and Central Tyres in Bolton at 1pm today. Put the flock up off central tyres roof and chased them for about 5 mins without catching anything. Looked like a juv, certainly behaved like one. Cheers Dean. -- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednes...
The 'special moments' thread made me think of this. It is almost 5 years since my best ever discovery and back then I wrote an article recalling the event for the Greater Manchester Bird Report. Unfortunately there hasn't been a report since 2011 so, rather than leave it unread, I thought it was approp...
All- apologises for confusion yesterday when I posted lockdown lists to county garden lists. I rarely access the website on my PC and its so obvious but on my mobile there was no indication this topic had been set up. Thanks for being directed to the correct place. I live in Royton and have done so for 22 y...
Our house is in 'top Ducky' with a smashing view across Manchester from the front, and the back leads into Gorse Hall. It's quite steep with a small pond near the top. Tidy in places but messy in others. Feeders busy today with 3 Bullfinch, 3 Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tits and a Song Thrush underneath being t...
Had a brand new species for the garden in Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire, today. From 1-30pm-1.39pm in our back garden was a gorgeous Willow Warbler, absolutely radiant in the sunshine. We have had Chiffchaff & Blackcap in the past so nice to add a new warbler species -- Edited by Doc Brewster on Mo...
So, apparently there's a lockdown garden bird race happening on Saturday 16 May... check out #gardenbirdrace on Twitter for details.
Edit: or here for those non twitterers: https://curlewsfeathers.wordpress.com/ -- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Sunday 3rd of May 2020 05:15:41 PM
Thought this may be an appropriate place to put in ideas about this. Have a pretty good list for my lockdown in Dukinfield but after nearly 6 weeks of looking still no Pied Wagtail. Must know every rooftop from my bench scoping spot but not a sight nor sound. As for Great Spotted Woodpecker....
Hi all, I hope everyone is well and bearing up in these challenging times. It’s great to see the forum being used so vigorously through the lockdown though and is exactly as I’d hoped, in that it would keep people going strong and enthusiastic, as much as can be currently anyway! Looking ahead to a tim...
Our house was built in 1905 and is opposite Dukinfield Park which is a smallish manicured park with some hard playing surfaces, a swing park, cut lawns, flower beds with mature trees quite a few of which are berry bearing trees. We have houses to each side, the back looks across the gardens of the adjace...
i think we found a lime hawk moth caterpillar in our front garden in Denton today. Is that likely? No idea about moths at all! -- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 20th of August 2017 09:42:12 PM
A newish build estate (c. 2003) with not much vegetation in the immediate area. Tops of mature trees in Astley street park visible and can hear birds from here which has allowed me to add a few species to the garden list in the past. Otherwise most species are added as fly overs or heard at night records Cu...
A typical suburban garden in a 1930's built housing estate on the outskirts of Manchester. Lawn, shrubs, small apple tree, bird feeders (suet and sunflower hearts). Staple fair of House Sparrow (max count 24 recently), Starling (come for the suet), Robin (single), Dunnock (single), Wren (single...
Pretty predictable garden birds. Male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Collared Dove and Robin all on feeders (some more successful than others). Had Bullfinch in the Winter but they seem to have moved on. Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Dunnoc...
