House Martins back on territory at Spring View Wigan tonight.

Jimmy

single Swallow on telephone wire at end of my street half way between Pennington Flash and Bickershaw Rucks @ 07.15 as I headed to Rucks

1 Swallow sat on telegraph wires along Peel Green Rd, Peel Green at 10.25am this morning.

Juvenile Iceland Gull briefly at Redgate Recycling this afternoon 3pm.
It circled over the 384 building but didn't land then headed off east with 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (possibly to Audenshaw Res?)

A male Pheasant was on the roof of a terraced house by the traffic lights at Marus Bridge, Wigan this morning

Male Bullfinch seen from the office window at Abraham Moss this morning. A 'from the office' tick

Chiffchaff singing from gardens in Brundretts Road, Chorlton this afternoon.

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

Juv Iceland Gull flying low around Redgate Recycling, Redgate Lane, West Gorton, with other large gulls at 13:20, which all appeared from the other side of Hyde Road. Subsequently sat with 30-odd other large gulls and 210 Black-Headed Gulls on the roof the Stoodley site, under construction and viewable across Hyde Road from Donnison Street

 

-- Edited by dave broome on Wednesday 8th of March 2017 01:50:57 PM

Buzzard over Didsbury village about 14:00

Cheers Steve.

A few tips for anyone visiting Redgate Recycling in Gorton. (hope you don't mind Ian).
They are building new properties on the land directly opposite the main recycling plant and if the Gulls are not on the 384 roof overlooking the main yard then it is worth checking the 'muddy foundations' behind 384 that is being prepared for building on, the Gulls do frequent here often, and another roof near Pottery Lane.
There is no general public access to any of the areas here that I know of and I would advise view ONLY from what I call the 'Triangle'...
Hyde Rd, Pottery Lane, and Redgate Lane form a triangle.
Failing that, they do scare the Gulls off routinely, so they could be at Smithfield Market a few minutes away!

This afternoon c 1.30pm, seen from Kenworthy Woods by Chorlton Water Park:

High towards town a pair of ravens, one tumbling several times in display flight.

Juvenile Iceland Gull currently present at Redgate Recycling on the 384 building.
Also adult Yellow-legged Gull hanging around too!

Wednesday 22nd Feb.
1 Yellow-legged Gull (near adult) at Redgate Recycling, Gorton at 2.14pm
Looks like it's the same individual that's been roosting at Audenshaw Res recently (many thanks Ian)


-- Edited by Rob Creek on Thursday 23rd of February 2017 10:02:38 PM

Just picked up a dead 1st winter Lesser Black-back gull off Chester rd. Gorse Hill at the crossing outside the shops.
Supprised how large it was in the hand poor thing.

Chiffchaff around the area I watch off Knott / Crime Lanes, outside Ashton.

Also goldcrest, bullfinch, 250 jackdaw over and teal, as well as shoveler (heading in the general direction of Crime Lake; another patch first, after the parakeets) and goosander (heading in the other direction) both over.

I have noticed plenty of activity from Pied Wagtails right by where I live in recent weeks. They are often flying around above the junction of Lane End Road and Burnage Lane [South Manchester for those who don't know it]. However today I saw four together feeding on the ground on the other side of the Kingsway and I happened to have my bins on me, allowing me to establish that there was an adult and 3 immature birds with some residual pale lemon yellow on their ear coverts. This tells me that they might well have bred on one of the flat roofs around the road junction, having dispersed from the river which is about a mile away as the crow flies. Or the wagtail in fact...

Anyway, it was nice if odd to watch the birds hopping about on the ground with loads of traffic all around them. Clearly there is plenty of food and I guess it is warm for roosting somewhere around here, maybe related to the big Tesco with 24 hour heating and light.

Tuesday 24th Jan mid afternoon.

Smithfield Market, Openshaw.

1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

I was collecting frozen seafood again from Sykes for our depot and decided to take a tacho break. A good decision because I ended up with prolonged views of the bird fairly close up, patrolling the area and then perched up on a van looking for fish scraps, especially favouring the 'bigfish littlefish' unit.

I love my tacho breaks.



-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 24th of January 2017 10:54:04 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 24th of January 2017 10:58:43 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 24th of January 2017 11:24:18 PM

Peregrine east over Irlam at 11.10am

I was speaking to the groundsmen at Sale Golf Club (near J6 of the M60) who reported seeing a bird with jesses a couple of weeks ago. From the description (size, white rump) it sound like Harris Hawk. Could well be the same bird seen by Chris and Chris.
regards
Chris

Harris Hawk low down on tree by junction 27 of the M60 a2 15.30. Best viewed from where Brinnington Road meets Carrington Road. Tree is on the bank of the motorway. 

Aberrant Carrion Crow on, St Clements Church roof Openshaw.With grey/translucent primary/secondarys.

Mixed flock of mainly redwing (20+), plus a few mistle thrush, flitting between trees across Princess Road next to MMU Birley Campus and Epping Walk footbridge (no Joy Division song title puns sorry, could soon get out of control). Also a couple of pied wagtails bobbing around the deserted MMU car park.

I had a general scout around the area. The fishing lodges off Elton Vale road had a dozen plus goosanders and when I got to the Castle Street area in Bolton, I had a very passing quick scout for waxwings but couldn't see any there and it was very foggy at the time- plenty of redwings though. Finally, back in Radcliffe, a kingfisher was seen along the reeds on the canal. That's that from me. Thanks.

tawny owl calling from bickershaw lane again this morning @05-55,
c80 starling over @07-30 presumably returning from roost,