No sign of the Mediteranean Gull this afternoon up until 14.15 and not many gulls present anyway - half dozen each of Lesser Black-backed and Herring (including 2 on the School playing fields, 2 Common Gulls and around 20 Black-headed Gulls. Bonus as I was leaving of a Raven which dropped in and was immediately surrounded by around 50 Carrion Crows and a few Jackdaws, while another Raven flew low overhead. Not the place I expected to see my first Raven of the year and certainly not on the ground
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Thursday 7th of March 2024 07:52:13 PM
No signs of any Mediterranean gulls. 300+ black-headed gulls 15 common gulls 1 Herring gull 1 lesser-black backed gull 2 ravens over heading towards sale water park.
Second visit 4-5pm...
1 adult Mediterranean gull with metal ring on right leg eventually found on field on the left as you come down turn moss Road towards the car park. 500+ Black-headed gulls 28 common gull 3 Herring gulls 2 lesser-black backed gulls Sparrowhawk over getting mobbed by a crow 1 mistle thrush
From 2:45pm today on the 2 mainly flooded areas at the Stretford Cemetery end and between the top of TM Car park/ Hawthorn lane. c2000 gulls ,the majority being Black- headed gull with quite a few Common gull (stopped counting at 40 by dog walkers) but probably a couple of hundred maybe . Also not many Lesser Black-back gull about 10. Nothing special found before most gulls left around 4pm except an adult Common Gull which had a thinner,flatter head, not rounded as usual which I thought was just a poor quality specimen.
Ring-necked Parakeet 71 > west or south west Swallow > 5 south Redwing 115 > south or south west Pied Wagtail 4 > south Meadow Pipit 66 > south Chaffinch 16 > south Redpoll 5 > south Siskin 1 > south
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Tuesday 10th of October 2023 10:07:44 AM
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Lesser Black-backed Gull 59 on the Playing Fields early morning Herring Gull 8 with the above Black-headed Gull 2 flyover Common Whitethroat young have fledged Reed Bunting pair still feeding young, as with the above in Rosebay Willowherb in the uncut corner
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Eventually found the redstart after over an hours search around 12.40pm. It was back in the south west corner where Pete first found it. Other birds of note... Chiffchaff Blackcap Grey heron Nuthatch Ring necked parakeets
A very tame Skylark on the football pitches today, allowing dogs to go right up to it before flying away a short distance. First Ive seen here. Also a Kestrel patrolling the fields and a Sparrowhawk displaying high overhead towards Stretford Ees.
Most of the gulls have now gone, either they have run out of earthworms, or are sick of being chased around by dogs. Couple of peak counts in last few days:
Common Gull - 326; L. B.-b. Gull 111. Don't think Herring Gulls got over 25.
One of the German Black-headed Gulls:
Ringed as adult female, breeding, on 30th May 2020 at Riether Werder, Germany (53 42 23 N; 14 16 03 E).
Seen there again 9th May 2021, then seen at Old Moor RSPB, Barnsley on 10th March 2022, next at Turn Moss on 12th January 2023, 1093km. from ringing site.
The other German Black-headed Gull:
Ringed as pullus on 1st June 2020 at Altfriedland, Markisch - Oderland, Brandenburg, Germany (52 38 N; 14 14 E).
Still there on 25th June 2020, but seen once in each of October & November 2020 at Queen's Park, Crewe, then at Sale W.P. in November 2021, February 2022, and four times in Nov. - Dec. 2022, then Turn Moss on three days last week.
Just to add that there is also a 'northern type' adult ssp. argentatus there -- very little black, but a lot of white in wing tip, very big bird as well.
Also an unusual 2cy L. B.-b. Gull -- very white head and breast, very small and long-winged. Just 74 L. B.-b. & 20 Herring Gulls counted, but likely several more present.
Black-headed G. Saw a new German bird & a new Norwegian bird. The latter ringed as a pullus on 12th June 2022 near Oslo. Today's sighting was the first since then.