I've posted a short video of these birds - an imm male or adult female with the adult male and watch out for a guest appearnce from a surprised looking Great Spot!
nice sunny evening so i had a look round the park and found one bird near basketball court and heard one calling behind me at same time,they are surprisingly hard to see with the naked eye ,once i took my bins off it it seemed to dissapear.
4 - 6 birds tonight putting on a good display after poor showings the evenings before - sunny evenings definitely best.
I now have a second report of 8 birds from a local.
Also of interest yesterday were a magnificent 20 Mistle Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a further belated report of a Lady Amhurst's Pheasant - presumably the bird reported from the nearby USDAW buildings last year?
juveniles........tips of flight-feathers and greater upper primary coverts and inner webs of primaries narrowly edged yellow, these edges wider than those present in fresh adult, up to 1 mm; tail shorter than adult.
I think that in the field this difference in the yellow edging can be detected, I'm trying to get photos to show the difference and this may untangle the age of some of the birds.
I'm also on the trail of a bird photographed (I think) three years ago at this site.
5.30 to 6.25pm 2 or may be 3 but did not show except for one which flew over my head. The joggers stop them calling and the rain was not encouraging them to show.
Managed to connect this afternoon with 2 adult Parakeets south west corner near Brighton Grove entrance, showing well despite the heavy intermittent downpours. Located easy enough by the call.
The rain finally stopped Went this evening between 7-8.15pm and saw 6 Parakeets in the same tree that Mevan saw them in on Saturday .Also heard another calling behind me as I watched the 6 birds perch around the nest hole in the broken branch.I do not think that this is the parakeets nest hole as a pair of GS Woodpeckers attacked any Parakeet that attempted to look into the hole and tried to chase them from the tree.
A local told me that she had seen a total of 8 Parakeets at once in the last couple of weeks and she was quite sure that they had bred this year in the park.
Great views tonight and thanks for the directions Rob.
Also what type of Parrot used to fly around Pennington Flash a couple of years ago. I saw it 3-4 times and was never sure what species it was ?
Although present all day they clearly come and go - it certainly seems as if the late afternoon and evening are best - I've yet to try in the rain though!
I`ve just had a wander around the park in the rain earlier this afternoon.No Parakeets showing but I got close to a Treecreeper near the small bridge over the stream and a pair of GS Woodpeckers in the Oak trees opposite the park lodge.Also 17 Mistle thrushes feeding around the grass areas and a Wood pigeon sitting on a nest beside the path. I will pay another visit for the Parakeets when the rain finally stops.
watched 5 birds flying round the park together calling loudly about 20:00. cracking close views of 3 of them high on a broken tree trunk looking into a hole. seemed to be pulling chunks of dead wood away and maybe feeding on grubs(?). thought id found a nest hole! the tree was directly to your right as you enter the gate infront the park house. thanks rob for the info
one showed well at about 5pm today in the right hand corner of the field to the right of the entrance on birch grove, others heard calling but not seen, thanks rob for directions.
rob,had a reccey this morning 6.30 7.30 super directions ect but it was raining so everything was sheltering thought i heard them but may be wishfull thinking i,ll try again thursday evening cos i need that tick.
thanks, i am working in the evenings this week so will go on sat or sunday about 5ish, thanks for the info and please keep this page updated if you can.
From the A6010 Wilmslow Road turn in toDickenson Road (still the A6010) and then 5th right in to Birch Grove. Park by the Park Lodge and gates near the sharp right bend and enter the park.
To find the birds use your ears! The can be very hard to find if silent, and still hard to see if noisy - but give themselves away by their whistling shriek call.
Try walking anti-clockwise around the park edge, and also up and down both sides of the stream through the middle of the park.
When feeding they can be approached with care - but will flush easily.
I saw them well around 5:00 p.m. on Suday - last year evenings were best too = with the bonus of the aroma of the Curry Mile to whet your appetite!
I'll be popping in late tonight to see if they are still roosting there - the did last year.
If visiting please take care not to disturb the birds - and watch out for urban Gt Spots and Nuthatches too.
hi Rob, could you please give me directions to the park and where you saw the parakeets, i am keen to see these birds as they are a county lifer for me, thanks.
