I've just (literally) at 23.30hrs had a significant (for here anyway) movement of Wigeon over my house. Judging by the number of calls and the very audible sound of lots of wings over 20 seconds or so I would 'guestimate' easily over 100 birds. Judging from their fading calls they sounded like they were moving NW. Possibilities of finding them at the Flashes tomorrow? Somehow I suspect they'll go straight through.
-- Edited by Craig Higson on Tuesday 23rd of March 2010 12:06:50 AM
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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
In Skitters Wood today a female Sparrowhawk caught a Magpie, whereupon every Magpie in Ashton-in-Makerfield seemed to appear to mob it!! Also 4 Crows, one with buff in the wings.
Also 5 Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail and G S Woodpecker
Gutted! a flock of c15 probable Brent Geese flew over the South Lancs (aka Three Sisters)Industrial Estate at about 09:20 this morning. I was halfway between my car and the office and so didn't have any binoculars (got some in the car but was too far away )... The ones that got away!
On a happier note, 2 Goldcrests in our garden this morning were the first this autumn.
Audible Migration over our garden between 21:00 and 23:00: A skein of Pink-footed Geese heading east at 21:00. 70 Redwing calls heard, if each call represents a flock then that would be quite a few Redwing. 2 Blackbirds also heard calling overhead.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Sunday 1st of November 2009 05:38:04 PM
Orange-Winged Amazon at Skitters yesterday. Then flew towards Jubilee Park area. I think one has been present for a couple of years in gardens near the town centre.
with the nights drawing in I thought I'd try and make the most of it... Rather than a visible migration (vismig) watch, I tried an audible migration (audmig) listen. The results are as follows: 2 Redwing 3 Mallard (or it could have been the same mallard three times) 1 noisy Pipistrelle Bat 1 Bottle of wine
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 6th of October 2009 12:14:26 AM
Kingfisher a few times over the past few days on Millingford Brook, moving noisily between Skitters Wood and the town centre. 2 flew through our garden a couple of evenings ago, in an arc from the brook, seemingly in a vocal chasing session.
Nice to see at least 2 pairs of House Martins nesting on the library (just to R of entrance) and back on the newish nrsing home opposite, all in the town centre.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
Stuck waiting for a bus for 1/2 an hourgerrad st and gas works site
a few feral pigeons,jackdaw,rook,crow,bh gull,plenty starlings,6 blackbirds,2 dunnock 1pied wag,and the then the bus came.
cheers geoff
That's one great thing out of many about birding Geoff. You can do it absolutely anywhere. Certainly helped the odd 2 hour wait at train stations on my travels around the country!
Could be, I remember free-flying Macaws at Haigh in the 1980's
2 Buzzards circling fairly low over the King George playing field near the town centre, mid-afternoon, then rose to a great height, presumably having found a good thermal, when they were briefly joined by a third bird. After that flew off north the 2 were dislaying and tumbling before flying off to the south-east.
Nuthatch calling in Skitters Wood, where the first singing Blackcap was on Friday
-- Edited by dave broome on Sunday 12th of April 2009 08:31:37 PM
the parrot has apparently been seen a few times recently in the same area by my sister while dog walking. maybe its just someone's pet and its allowed out into the trees?
A Dunnock singing it's liitle heart out early this morning on the garage roof. Maybe not very rare but fantastic to watch..... setting my alarm clock early again tmz