........ in continuation from my mini adventure that started in Lancaster - I arrived at Bryn station by 2:10pm, I walked it to Ashton in hope of the Hooded crow (I'm no stranger to long walks) which only took me 20 mins.
As soon as I was arriving, the Hooded crow took flight with two other birders there on the grass field. I went to a safe spot where I could see the crow in the distance to keep an eye on it. After 10 or 15 minutes, he flew towards the field and using a tree as a hide, enabling me to manage to get the attached pictures.
After a couple of minutes, he started walking away. I saw i had an opportunity to 'walk to the other end' using the pavement across the road with a couple of cars parked there in order to get the light behind me and to get ahead of him. But, unfortunately it didn't quite goto plan this time dispite watching my distance, but at least he didn't fly too far..... until someone else flushed it!
Nice to meet up with (i think your name was Keith- my apologies -never good at names) whome I last saw last in Neston a couple of years ago for a water pipit lifer.
Dimming light at 3:15, I decided to call it a day. I was thinking of going to my favourite cafe in manchester- but I decided to go straight home once I got on the tram. I'm really pleased things went very well today and I have benefited from this mini adventure!
3pm to dusk: No sign of the Hooded Crow either at the pub, or adjacent fields. Good to share the watch with Keith Williams, who had seen the two guys with cameras spook the Bird
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
My apologies for posting this on here, not least as I doubt very much it concerns any registered users of this forum (I've seen photos of one of the people involved and don't recognise him but they may well read it anonymously) but perhaps the two camera clad (and I will refrain from using the term 'photographers' as that's unfair on all the decent ones out there!) and camouflage wearing morons who were on site around 2:30 today and felt it necessary to continually flush the Hooded Crow on the heath at Ashton Heath Road until it had had enough and flew off, might consider just photographing trains or planes in future instead; you know, something you might not want to try and wander right up to
The Hooded Crow was on top of a lamp-post across the other side of the street when I arrived at 11am but it then flew off over the houses and hasnt reappeared. Dog central this morning
At 11.00 hrs the Hooded Crow was in the company of 3 of its black cousins at the top of a tall bare tree more or less facing the Eagle & Child on the opposite side of the Heath .... was there for a good 30 mins dropping to the ground once when the dog walkers vanished.
We viewed from the pavement where we pulled up .. having a laugh with the local residents who seem to be loving their new found fame !.
Roger.
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Blessed is the man who expecteth little reward ..... for he shall seldom be disappointed.
Hooded crow was showing well opposite the eagle & child pub on Ashton heath Road from 3.15pm, it flew into the nearby trees a couple of times & then on the ariel of a house as I was leaving. No camera with me as I came straight from work. Nice to see a few familiar faces. I keep my lists fairly quiet & personal with just several people knowing about them but thought I would share this one, the hooded crow is my 200th gm bird
called back this afternoon to try for better views of the hooded crow than yesterday, saw it again about 2pm perched in hedgerow on the heath across from the eagle and child pub for about 4 minutes , so glad i made the effort, cheers brian.
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
Saw the hooded crow this morning when it flew from the heath towards the racecourse, thanks for the info, great find and first for the county I believe!
The Hooded Crow was present till 10.55 when it flew towards Haydock Racecourse.
Relocated it on the racecourse at approx 11.45. Seen distantly perched on white rails with many other corvids but when I drove round for a closer view it had moved on again.
Also seen at the original site were 2 Ravens over, Rooks, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows and Magpies but I couldn't find a Jay for a clean sweep.
Cheers John.
-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 23rd of January 2018 03:35:11 PM
A few of my poor photos of the hooded crow attached. Just last week I returned from Cyprus where hooded crows were common town birds, and I barely looked twice at them. I was walking down Heath road this morning on my way to Sandy Lane to see if I could find the reported brambling flock when it suddenly dawned on me that I was walking past a hooded crow, but not in Cyprus, this was actually a Greater Manchester mega! The light was poor and I fired off a few poor photos and then put the news out, sparking a mini twitch! I didn't see any sign of the brambling. Obviously the same bird which before Christmas was seen several times from the layby near Haydock Island.
Hooded Crow still showing incredibly well with 2 Carrion Crows on grass at the fork of Heath Road.
Bird has apparently been present c2 months and looks very settled and is unbothered about dog walkers etc. Can flush off into nearby trees, bushes or roofs but soon returns.
Large flock of brambling, roughly 100 or so. Farmers field next to the path that goes from the end of Ashton Heath to Sandy Lane in Golborne. Along the haydock race course perimeter fence. Seen every day since Tuesday.
In a brief watch this morning 44 Chaffinch went north over Skitters Wood, including a high flock of 33 birds A Song Thrush went high north, as did a Blackbird and a Siskin. 1 Linnet and 3 Chaffinch went south. Only 8 Redwing, in various directions
4 Swallow south over Skitters Wood this morning, also south/south west 64 Redwing, 10 Chaffinch, 3 Grey Wagtail and 2 Song Thrush, with another vocal and greyish continental Song Thrush down for a while
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 21st of October 2017 09:20:58 AM
Ive been toying with the idea of getting some sound recording stuff to try to ID some of the bizzare noises Ive heard over my house - this might just have persuaded me to do it!!
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
Heard an unfamiliar strange sound over home and heading west c22:15 last night, which with the help of xeno-canto.org and recordings on Portland Bird Obs blog I've identified as being the flight call and noisy wingbeats of Common Scoter
They were the first Goosander and Kingfisher that I'd seen on there. The Muscovy 'George' is long gone alas. I like to imagine that it flew back to Central America
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-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 13th of December 2016 05:54:32 PM