20th February.

At least 90 Redwing indulging in their communal twittering subsong in Agecroft Cemetery this morning. It was loud enough for me to hear from at least 200 yards away whilst walking alongside the R. Irwell. I detoured back through the cemetery and stood alongside the trees and enjoyed and marvelled at the babble. Spine tingling! Also the odd Goldfinch and a single Siskin amongst this flock.

Also a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a pair of Mistle Thrush and another bird singing loudly nearby.


Cheers,

Bill.

A Redshank flew over Liverpool street this morning at 10.05am heading Northwest.

A flock of aprox 20 (very fat) Waxwings came to visit us at the cross lane delivery office at 10am today. They had a small feast on the berry bushes and then flew off towards Trafford road.

A flock of 32 Lapwings flew over Liverpool street heading North east this morning at 7.50am.

A Peregrine was perched on the Liverpool street gasometer at 12.45pm this afternoon. Two Magpies decided to try to move it off by sitting each side of the falcon and doing a bit of calling,wing flapping and just jumping about. After 5 minutes the Peregrine launched itself off the gasometer and scattered the Magpies.

19th January.

Nice walk this morning alongside R. Irwell - down river from Agecroft Bridge to Littleton Road Bridge.

On the river there were totals of - 4 Teal (2 separate pairs), 21 Tufted Duck, 48 Mallard, 1 Moorhen, 1 Snipe, 13 Goldeneye, 8 Little Grebe, 4 Goosander and c120 Canada Geese. Also 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 singing Grey Wagtail.

Land adjacent to river - 3 Coal Tit, 3 Bullfinch, 1 Greenfinch, c20 Redwing, c10 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Siskin flying over calling, 2 pairs of Magpies nest building.

On Littleton Road playing fields - c45 Lapwing foraging on the grassland. Some birds were quite vocal and aggressive and 2 birds fought briefly. Probably stressed out looking for food? One bird looked like it might have got something but was being pursued relentlessly by a small posse of Black-headed Gulls, before an immature larger gull came in and took over the chase! A solitary Fieldfare was foraging amongst the Lapwings. Also on a small area of short rough grassland at the side of the playing fields it was a bit of a surprise to find a small flock of c12 Meadow Pipits and a single Skylark. Other Skylarks were heard calling but could not be located - possibly flying over?

Hard to count the gulls on this stretch this am as they were flighty and well spread out along the river and on the playing fields but minimum counts of 250 Black-headed Gull, 50 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 15 Common Gull and 3 Herring Gull. There were 2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls on the playing fields on 8/12/12.

A small flock of c25 Linnet were foraging on the banks on this stretch of the Irwell on 7th January '13.

Sadly, no sign on several visits of any Green Sandpiper(s) on this stretch of the Irwell so far this winter. At least 1 has lingered here over the previous few winters.

Cheers,

Bill.

River Irwell adjacent to Peel Park

4 Teal
9 Goldeneye
40 Tufted Duck
5 Little Grebe
1 Moorhen
5 Mallard
10 Black-headed Gull
5 Cormorant

River Irwell (adjacent to Peel Park) WEBS

14 Goldeneye
46 Tufted Duck
3 Cormorant (1 white head bird)
1 Little Grebe
1 Coot
1 Moorhen
10 Mallard
20 Canada Goose
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
50 Black-headed Gull

also 2 Grey Wagtail

-- Edited by James Walsh on Thursday 17th of January 2013 03:17:04 PM

Thanks, James. I hoped you'd be on to this!

Saw a raven being mobbed by carrion crows and black-headed gulls above the Lowry Shopping Mall at Salford Quays today at around 11.00 am. Anyone else catch this? How unusual is it for a raven to be seen here in Salford?

This morning
Oakwood park beside the A580

Great spotted woodpecker
Nuthatch heard only
3 Jays
2 Mistle thrush
2 Long tailed tits
Coal tit
2 Carrion crows
Sparrowhawk over

WEBS River Irwell adjacent to Peel Park

31 Goldeneye
22 Tufted Duck
3 Teal
3 Little Grebe
3 Mallard


Peel Park

2 Siskin
2 Coal Tit
2 Goldcrest
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Treecreeper
10 Goldfinch
c30 Long-tailed tit
2 Mistle Thrush

Monmouth Park.

11 to 11.30 today.

Waxwings.....19
Mistle Thrushes....6 (5 on one branch right in front of me!)
Redwing....5
Starlings....45
Great Spotted Woodpecker....1
Feral Pigeon....4
Woodpigeon...3
Blue Tit...2
Carrion Crow..1

Nice little park too!



-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 23rd of November 2012 05:49:45 PM

10 Waxwings in Ordsall Park off Trafford Road at 2.35 today, showing incredibly well.

Info thanks to Simon Johnson

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 17th of November 2012 02:46:28 PM

Great spotted woodpecker flew across the east lancs at wardley , 1610 today.

Caught the first train from Bromley Cross to Salford Crescent. In Peel Park for 7.20am and spent the rest of the morning along the Irwell to Clifton CP.
Common birds throughout, but even though the wind wasn't too strong woodland birds were scarce.
Selected birds :-

Peel Park to Cromwell Road :-
4 Little Grebes
5 Cormorants
29 Canada Geese at Cromwell Road bridge.
39 Mallards
17 Tufted Ducks
1 male Sparrowhawk. Appeared from nowhere along narrow path by Frederick Road bridge, before flying low across the river. It was so close I actually ducked out of the way.
100+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Common Gulls
3 Moorhens
1 Coot
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Mistle Thrush
3 Bullfinches

Cromwell Road to Littleton Road (The Cliff) :-
4 Little Grebes
1 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron
20 Canada Geese on playing fields + 9 on river.
3 skeins of Pink-footed Geese. All SE. 8.27am = 200, 8.32am = 250, 9.05am = 150
34 Mallards
10 Tufted Ducks
2 Goldeneyes
8 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
2 Moorhens
2 Meadow Pipits
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Mistle Thrush
5 Chaffinches
5 Greenfinches
4 Goldfinches
3 Bullfinches

Littleton Road to Agecroft :-
11 Canada Geese
12 Pink-footed Geese. SE. 9.47am.
45 Mallards
4 Tufted Ducks
2 Lapwings
150+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
5 Goldfinches
2 Siskins

Agecroft to Clifton (M60)
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
16 Mallards
2 Teal
5 Moorhens
5 Black-headed Gulls
1 Kingfisher. It looked bright green in flight with the way the light caught it.
2 Grey Wagtails

4pm Buile Hill Park (next to golf course) Sparrowhawk locked in air to air combat with a crow! Both crash landed in a tree and carried on fighting and screeching at each other before the Sparrowhawk managed to escape and flew off towards Gore crescent.....Not something you see everyday!

A wing-barred warbler was seen briefly at 4:50pm, 1 observer, north side of Peel Park, amongst large passerine flock, c50 Long-tailed, 2 Coal, c10 Blue, c5 Great Tit, 3 Goldcrest & 2 Treecreeper

The flock is very mobile & ranging around the River Irwell, Peel Park & the playing fields to the north


River Irwell WEBS count

1 Goosander
2 Tufted Duck
8 Mallard
1 Common Gull
2 Cormorant
2 Moorhen

Hi just had a walk down by the irwell. A yellow browed warbler with a mixed flock of tits and goldcrests. Called once and flew to my side of the river and fed in sycamore. The area it was favouring was the last tree on the left before the first bridge from down the ramp next to maxwell building down to the river. At 10 am.
Hopefully gets picked by everyone, my 7th yellow browed of the year!
Kev

A couple of buzzards been knocking about all week off the M61 slip road off the east lancs, near linnyshaw moss. think Dave thacker mentioned them in an earlier post, monday- both were sat on the fence next to the motorway 100 metres apart. thursday one swooped from a tree into the field and appeared to be worming. and today a very pale bird was perched at the top of a tree near to the bridges that cross the east lancs.

12 Redwing over Liverpool street this morning at 8.10am heading Southwest. Also a single Buzzard very high over Regent road at 12.30pm heading West.

6 more Snipe flew over Liverpool street this morning at 10.10 am all heading West.

House martin heading south west over ellenbrook 1400 today.

1 buzzard soaring over wardley woods off the east lancs 1430 today.