Peregrine launched itself off Cargill (Trafford side of ship canal) heading towards Allied Mills (Broadway extension) at 4.10pm. Buzzard high over Weaste ETW at 2pm
8 Lt tits, 4 Blue tits and 2 Great tits in the low bushes outside my workplace on Liverpool street at 12.35pm today. Also 5 Pied wagtails running around Hope street at 10am.
Another section of the River Irwell from Littleton Road Bridge down river to St Boniface Bridge this morning produced the following sightings and totals:-
43 Goldeneye (20m) - in one group of 6 two males put on a lovely visual and vocal display to try and impress the four females, 9 Canada Geese, 55 Mallard, 37 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Wigeon (2m), 3 Goosander (2m), 4 Moorhen, 7 Teal (5m), 1 Cormorant and on a rubbly, shingly bit alongside the river at the back of the Cliff Sports centre a single Green Sandpiper. Possibly one of the two seen roughly 2 miles upstream yesterday? Just as I was approaching the St Boniface end of the walk a small goose flew upstream which sounded like and initially looked like a Barnacle Goose but as it flew quickly past at head height and looking at it without the aid of binoculars something just didn't look quite right. Also 3 Grey Wagtails.
In surrounding woodland etc - Nuthatch calling loudly from Kersal Dale, a Siskin flew over calling, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker was getting an interesting range of sounds from drumming on different parts of a dead tree, with a female seen and heard calling nearby. A flock of 5 Bullfinch. Singing Song Thrush and Chaffinch. 3 Fieldfare and 1 Redwing and a small flock of 7 Greenfinch.
Cheers,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 4th of February 2012 07:36:51 PM
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 4th of February 2012 07:47:25 PM
River Irwell - Agecroft Bridge downstream to the Littleton Road Bridge this morning.
In addition to the 2 Green Sandpipers downstream of the Agecroft Bridge, also in close proximity was 1 Snipe and perhaps more surprisingly 2 Dunlin foraging along the waters edge. Towards the Littleton Road end of this stretch, 11 Lapwing - a few foraging on the grass on the sunnier side of the river and others foraging and loafing on the nearby sports playing fields.
Also - totals of c125 Canada Geese, 49 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 3 Little Grebe, 16 Tufted Duck, 2 Goosander (a pair), 1 drake Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan and 18 Goldeneye (rafts of 8 - 1m,7f - and 9 - 5m,4f - plus a single male on its own). Also singles of both Grey and Pied Wagtail.
Cheers,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Friday 3rd of February 2012 07:00:16 PM
A great view of a low flying Peregrine as it flew over my Liverpool street workplace today heading towards Manchester at 13.15pm. A large bird, probably the female who looked stunning in the sunlight.
I had a walk along the Irwell from Agecroft this afternoon, 3 Goosander, 5 Goldeneye, 12 Tufties, 20+ Mallard, around 100 or so Canada Geese, saw the Sandpipers as they kept flying up and down the river when they were disturbed. Its a lovely place.
-- Edited by Louise Aspden on Tuesday 17th of January 2012 06:06:59 PM
This morning on the River Irwell between Agecroft Bridge and downstream to the Kersal footbridge there were totals of :- 5 Goosander, 39 Goldeneye (several generally small rafts of birds but with the largest of 19), 2 Green Sandpiper, 35 Mallard, 1 Gadwall, 9 Little Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 136 Canada Geese, 1 Moorhen and 28 Tufted Duck. 2 Mute Swan flew over.
A Mistle Thrush was singing in Agecroft Cemetery and 2 pairs of Magpies were fighting there. Several pairs of Magpies were seen in other locations messing about around nests. Linnet and Lesser redpoll heard.
I noticed about 20 Black headed gulls and 2 Crows flying around the Liverpool street gasometers today at 12.35pm. They all seemed very agitated and it was only when one of the crows decided to drop on to one of the support bars that I saw a Peregrine perched nearby, beside one of the main columns. Both Crows mobbed the Peregrine for a least 5 minutes while the gulls circled and flew between the supports. Eventually the Peregrine flew off with both Crows and most of the gulls in pursuit heading towards central Manchester
Journey along River Irwell this morning from Agecroft Bridge downstream for a few miles to St Boniface Bridge.
Totals on the river - 70 Mallard, 11 Goldeneye, 1 drake Gadwall, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Little Grebe, 3 Goosander, 26 Canada Geese, 14 Tufted Duck, 2 Moorhen, 9 Teal (inc displaying males), 1 Grey Heron and 2 Pied Wagtail.
Also unfortunately had really good views of a Mink entering what may well have been its living/breeding quarters - not sure what they are called... a minkery? a holt? Anyway, I stood totally still for a while and it finally came out and looked at me and then went back into its home.
Loafing and foraging on Littleton Road Playing Fields - 500+ Black-headed Gulls, 30+ Common Gulls and 15+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
I was really surprised not only to hear one Song Thrush singing but also to be able to count at least 4 singing loudly along the distance covered! Also Mistle Thrushes singing at Agecroft Cemetery and near The Cliff. Blackbird in sub-song. Great Tit singing too. Flock of at least 5 Bullfinch near The Cliff and c15 Redwing over the cemetery. 2 Jays. What sounded like a Kestrel "yikkering". Fieldfare heard only.
Just seen a chiff chaff / small warbler on Peel park outside the window of the canteen of Salford Uni maxwell house. Point blank sighting and was 100% a warbler. It was flitting around the trees high up as they do. Was defo not a wren or goldcrest. Strange for them to be around this time of year ?
Just after the very heavy rain this afternoon in my works yard in Salford two Robins decided to have a fight.
Both birds chased each other and landed close to where I was standing. It was beak to beak and the birds did not noticed me as I walked over and cupped my hands over them. With a Robin in each hand I checked them over, one bird had lost a couple of feathers around its cheek and beak and the other had lost some breast feathers and it had a tiny cut near its beak. Apart from that both birds were OK so I let them fly off.
The Black Headed Gull has in fact got a "new" hood already for the next breeding season.It will definitely have moulted its hood and has already replaced it.Several birds at Richmond Bank already have full/almost full hoods,so its not unusual to see the odd hooded bird by November.
Up to 20 Black headed gulls roost on my works roof throughout the day. While I was sat outside at 12.30pm today one BH gull flew off the roof and this gull still had a full brown hood covering its head. I always thought that BH gulls lost the hood when moulting takes place after the breeding season has finished and well before Winter. I watched this bird for about 20 minutes and the rest of its plumage seemed to be the same as the other BH gulls. Anyone any thoughts why this bird has kept its hood.