Very quiet this week at Work, Sand Martin seen daily along with Swallow and Swift. Grey Wagtails seen Wednesday and today, Grey Heron seen Tuesday. Kingfisher seen Monday and heard only today. Grey Heron was seen with what looked like Crayfish on Tuesday morning.
Dipper again seen this afternoon at work, but this time cracking views, heard it calling at first then managed to locate and was seen on a branch and then onto exposed pebble area for a couple of minutes. Grey Heron also hunting.
Single Dipper seen yesterday and today 2 Kingfisher 1 Grey Heron Sand Martin House Martin Swallow Swift 1 Female Goosander, I would imagine a male was about but could only see female from the site I'm working on, I seen a pair last week on same stretch. 1 Grey Wagtail 3 Pied Wagtail
The footpath upstream of Cromwell Rd will be closed for several months as the EA are constructing a flood storage basin in the area of land in the cliff opposite Kersal dale. It is a pain you can't walk down there without making a big detour.
Adelphi bridge to Cromwell road:
Chiffchaff singing
Jay pair
Grey wagtail x2 pairs
Pied wagtail x 2 pairs
Tufted duck x4 pairs
Little Ringed plovers
Sparrowhawk
Goosander x2
Teal pair
Little grebe pair plus usual tits and finches
Ps John - which path did you take from Cromwell bridge to philips park as the bridge is closed?
Walk from Cromwell Bridge Salford to Philips Park, Prestwich produced
Swallow, Nuthatch, Lapwing, Teal pair, ten Goosanders, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Buzzards, many Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap in Philips Park Hall gardens, 1 Goldcrest in same conifer, Jays etc etc
-- Edited by John Doherty on Friday 10th of April 2015 09:52:36 PM
Footpath from Cromwell road to Castle irwell still completely closed off but highlights from this afternoon in heavy rain from Adelphi footbridge to Cromwell road:
Lapwing flying over Sparrowhawk Mute swan pair Coot pair - first time seen a pair here 3 Sand martins 1 Teal drake singing birds: Song thrush, Mistle thrush, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren, Dunnocks, Great tit, Blue tit Still no Chiffchaffs
River irwell near the university: 3 little grebe 8 tufted duck 10 mallard 14 goldfinches in peel park nuthatch heard in crescent meadows Lesser black-backed gull flying over cormorant flying over 2 moorhen lots of magpies and woodpigeons Great spotted woodpecker right next to crescent road
Amazed reading these posts. Shows what progress has been made since the early 70s when I worked at a computer centre on Mary Street adjacent to the river. In those days we used to joke that the river was so polluted you could walk across it - at least hop from one abandoned shopping trolley to the next. Our caretaker had an air rifle to fend off the coypu-sized rats. Birds were few and far between, the only relief came between June and August when a fabulous colony of swifts took over a derelict wharehouse on the Salford bank.
How well I remember those days Tim. We used to play by the river where it flowed to the east of the Ordsall area, and you describe it very well (although you haven't mentioned the smell). The nearest thing I have seen recently that reminded me of how it was then, was the pictures of the tsunami hitting the Japanese coast and pushing a huge wave of detritus along in front of it. The Irwell really was as full of rubbish as that. Still, you don't get the massive flocks of tufted duck and pochard that you used to get by Trafford Road swing bridge any more, so it's swings and roundabouts as always with birds.
Amazed reading these posts. Shows what progress has been made since the early 70s when I worked at a computer centre on Mary Street adjacent to the river. In those days we used to joke that the river was so polluted you could walk across it - at least hop from one abandoned shopping trolley to the next. Our caretaker had an air rifle to fend off the coypu-sized rats. Birds were few and far between, the only relief came between June and August when a fabulous colony of swifts took over a derelict wharehouse on the Salford bank.
Thursday 24th- 27 Tufted Duck just upstream of Trinity Way off Mary Street, also a Coot there around old brick structures exposed by low water levels; at least 12 Goosander from there downstream to Prince's Bridge off Water St; Grey Heron at the Irwell-Irk confluence; 10 Mute Swan by Water Street
A walk from Clowes Park to Prestwich Clough via Drinkwater Park:
Two separate Coal Tits singing from the suburban gardens near Clowes Park, a Greylag Goose stuck out like a sore thumb from the feeding Canada geese within the park. Grey Heron about the best on the river. Lots of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps about Murky pond in Drinkwater park produced a juvenile Coot squealing, to be fed by a parent which appeared (best sight of the day actually) and another Coot was nearby. Swallows around the old treatment works
A mega day's walk all the way from the city centre to Forest Bank Bridge upriver - about 5 miles all in.
Loads of good things seen:
On the river -
16 Goosanders in different groups, the highest featuring 7 individuals 40 or more Goldeneye, some in large groups. over 40 Tufted Ducks 7 Teals 4 Grey Wagtails Not a single swan
Trees along route:
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and another Woodpecker not able to be seen, but definitely drumming on a pylon! 2 cracking Song Thrushes seen singing away, and LOADS more heard. 6+ Mistle Thruses 2 Goldcrest at edge of playing fields opposite Kersal Dale, waited 20 minutes for them to show from the conifers, one did, then they both flew out. Pair of Coal Tits at the same location Handful of Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch seen throughout No Bulfinch 2 Jays together Redwing flocks in the tress on both sides of the river near Kersal Dale Some Starling Plus lots of the usuals
Football pitches (belonging to the Uni??) downriver from Agecroft Bridge - a mixed flock of Starlings and Fieldfares, about 80, feeding with a few Redwing and Mistle Thrush thrown in and some arriving from and departing to trees across the river.
Scrub near Forest Bank:
1 Kestrel in a tree. A single Buzzard over, escorted by ten or so Crows.
Drinkwater Park ponds:
A lone Great Crested Grebe 1 Grey Heron
Cheers
-- Edited by John Doherty on Wednesday 14th of March 2012 04:39:45 PM
-- Edited by John Doherty on Wednesday 14th of March 2012 04:50:25 PM
1 Green Sandpiper seen in flight several times 10 Goosander 1 Gadwall (drake) c20 Mallard 6 Goldeneye 2 Tufted Duck 1 Cormorant 1 Little Grebe 1 Grey Wagtail seen but may have been a pair around c30 Redwing in Agecroft Cemetery 1 Buzzard 1 Sparrowhawk