nick,had planned to try your patch at pomoma but audenshaw diver took a lot longer than i thought to find,and a lot colder than i would have liked, all of salford quays is 'brownfield' as i understand it so enjoy it while it,s there
Had a trip to Pomona this morning to see if I could find the Jack Snipe again, only to find the whole area has been site cleared and boreholed (with a couple of containers and a thunderbox). There were 9 Lapwings on the land (6 of which looked like they had paired up) which flew up to Vangaurds roof when disturbed. Approx 20 Mipits and 1 Redpoll only others of interest. Another of my winter patches stripped for development (the same happened last winter to my patch next to the JJB Soccerdome - now the Snowdome) !!!
All you folks working at the Quays: The roungh land at Pomona, opposite the Modwen Road estate and accessible from a roundabout on Chester Rd I seem to remember, has had breeding Little Ringed Plovers and Lapwings in the recent past. There's a national survey for the former this summer so any records of displaying birds would be useful, also for conservation purposes they are valuable (remember I pay birders for records needed by ecologicial consultants, which they have submitted to the database...one person has had hundreds of £££, and city centre records are the most wanted of any) The Quays is done as a BBS square by Alan Smyth, as well. Swans and pollution - there are frequently severe pollution incidents on the Quays. If you notice discoloured or sick swans, ring the RSPCA or myself immediately. Pollution should be reported to the EA.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
nick ,adam,nice to know i,ll be found if i expire out there,and i,m looking forward to spring and proper daylight, i work near the quay,s but can,t see from warehouse so early mornings it is.have you seen the 2007 birding tournament on the main site,you might want to join in before the osprey arrivesbut you will have to be up early to score.
I too work on the Quays (Magnetic House, opposite the Express Holiday Inn) and have a quick look around lunch. I haven't had Raven either but did have views of Peregrine nearly daily in December sat on the point of the War Museum. It was taking Pigeons, for breakfast, from the Hovis building opposite. I haven't seen it there since early January and strangly enough I haven't seen many Pigeons either ! I think they eventually cottoned on to what was happening ! They have recently started drifting back so am hoping the Peregrine will visit again. My best spot for the area was the Jack Snipe that I flushed at Pomona a couple of weeks back (and reported on the forum).
Hi Geoff - I cast a glance over the quays from various points and at different times in the day. (Im based in the Dock Office without any views). I saw a Dabchick last week (Tuesday 27th) upstream from Sam Platts. Your raven records interest me as does any peregrine records as I havent seen either in the area.
Good to know the area is watched and I will try and update the forum on my quays sightings.
urban birding at its best.clippers quay to pomona docks most weekday morning,s feral pigeon,house sparrow,blackbird,long tailed and blue tit,dunnock,coot, moorhen,b h gull,lesser black b gull, mallard,pied & grey wagtail,cormorant, starlings,kingfisher,mute swan ,grey heron.wood pigeon,wren,raven,tufted duck,canada goose,herring gull,lapwing g c grebe,skylark and last but not least, because it took all month to confirm i d little grebe
but you will have to be up early to score.