Well It was a no show for the Harris Hawk but never mind. :0(

Not sure Colette as I have not been in for a few days. The bandstand area is/was the place to see it. It seems to ignore the squirells but feeds on the numerous rats in the area. I can't see any reason for it to leave as long as there is a food supply for it. If it has fed it will sit in a tree for hours and doesn't move much whilst digesting. Good luck.

6 male Pochard on boating lake
20 tufted duck
4 Mute Swan (2 ad 2 imm)
2 teal in swampy area
3 Nuthatch in swampy area trees
2 Jay
17 Greenfinch

Afternoon walk

3 Drake Pochard on boating lake (5 here on 30th) tend to hide behind the islands
9 Moorhen on boating lake
8 Rook highland cow field
3 Jay in woods
41 Mallard bandstand pond
Treecreeper near tram stop entrance
Nuthatch
Great-spotted Woodpecker
10 Coal Tit
3 Goldcrest
3 Stock Dove (north end if park)
Buzzard (north end of park)

Marvin Lewis wrote:

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Amongst the usual Gulls and Wildfowl on the lake,4 Goosander, 5 Drake Pochard and 2 Cormorant.
Flock of 10 Redwings amongsrt small group of Mistle Thrush and Goldfinch,on trees along path to Heaton Park Tram station.
Usual Nuthatches and Jays amongst the other common passerines.
Not seen the Harris Hawk escape on my last couple of visits,and I wonder if it has been reclaimed by the owner,[or it might have just not been around at the time of my visit.]

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On a pathway down to The Dell, on Boxing Day, my wife & I saw enough pigeon feathers within an approximate 2m x 1m area to suggest that the Harris Hawk had quite a tasty Christmas dinner not too much earlier.

Most of the ice over the lake has melted.I counted 14 Goosanders and 1 female Goldeneye amongst the Mallard,Tufted ducks and other regulars.
The Harris Hawk escapee in the Dell has become a local celebrity and had just caught a rat when I saw it this morning.

Goosanders showing particularly well at present,as the lake is partially frozen!
Nice group of Siskins amongst the Goldfinches and other finches/tits,in the trees adjoining the Lake car park.

11.30a.m. near the Dell with Martyn Jones.

Escaped Harris Hawk seen eating a Rat.

A stroll this morning in cold windy and showery conditions.Aside from the regular birds,highlights were:
Goosander x 13 including 3 Drakes in adult plumage
Drake Pochard x 2
A flock of Siskins high up amongst the birches at the far end of the lake,near to the car park.[Hard to count exact numbers;?15-20]
I also noticed a small group of immature larger Gulls amongst the usual Black-headeds and Commons,on the Papal monument field.I decided that they were most likely to be 1st.winter Herring Gulls,rather than Lesser Black=backed,but am not adept at Gull identification,and would welcome anyone else's views.I haven't noticed these Gulls there before.

Best place at Moore Vicky is the small group of trees right next to the car park, that's the lesser by the way.
cheers Jay

Having birded meticulously (why I'm not so sure, we reach for the nearest thing sometimes, I guess) I would say Heaton Park as being a difficult site to see Green and Lesser-Spotted Woodpeckers. The Lessers were around in Springtime and were still elusive, and I only recall Green once or twice them being reported via the Heaton Park thread - I know I'm echoing what Bill said here to an extent.

All add conclusively, but in order to assist I'd say that there's only a small chance of finding this Green here. I'd say Green is a difficult bird to see in Heaton Park given I've never seen or heard one even though I've been in there at every time of the year once, twice or thrice a month. Of course nothing is impossible and you really never know, but it isn't a stronghold or a place where they're regularly recently seen.

The best place in the county is Dunham Massey Park or Green Woodpeckers, although I'm not sure at this time of the year and I have had no hide nor hair on two or three previous recent visits - out of county, Moore nature reserve in Warrington is even easier - Phoenix Hide at Warrington end the views I had of this species were ridiculously good, and they didn't even have to yaffle they were just flaunting.

Cheers

Vicky,

I live quite close to Heaton Park. Although I have never seen one there myself, I was told by one local that the best place to see a green woodpecker is from the pathway at the back of the boating lake, i.e. opposite side to the cafe. Is this where you were looking?

Hello
Are Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers still being seen? Could anyone give me a more accurate location, there's lits of paddock and lots of trees. Would be a lifetime first to see one I'm just not sure I'm looking in the right places. Would be so grateful if someone could advise. Please.

Hi Steve,

Many thanks for coming back with that very interesting information. It's appreciated. I've reported the bird and its ring details today via the BTO/Euring website and await further details on its ringing origins, which I'll post on this thread on receipt.

Best wishes,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 29th of October 2012 04:17:18 PM

Still a group of 8 Gooosanders on the lake.They are all brown headed presumably female or juveniles.

nice evening in the park.Nothing too unusual but 8 female goosanders, 2 x great crested grebe and 1 x little grebe on the boating lake.

feeding on the grass near the water works
9 Mistle Thrush
91 Meadow Pipit
30 Pied wagtail

Greylag x Canada Goose hybrids occur there and may fit your goose Ben. It's best to be sure first though before suggesting the rarer species so please feel free to contact me to discuss this bird.

Hi Mike,

I took some pictures of it and was comparing it with what I've seen elsewhere. I wouldn't say i'm experienced in Goose ID and its probably a cross of some sort. i go to heaton park often and i see them often enough. they have orange feet (so not greylag or pink foot), are about the same build as the greylag but have black markings on the end of their bill. could that just be a juvenile greylag?

Ben :)

3 cormorants on the lake this morning.
numerous greylags as well as bean goose as well.
1 yellow wagtail on the farm wall.

Still around 2000 Swallow and 100 Sand Martin

Skylark flew se
8 Pinkfeet west 8.55

Late post for Thursday 13 sept

16 Pinkfeet east @ 8.11
400+ Meadow pipit sw
Singles of Siskin and redpoll heard
2000+ swallow present

10th September - pm.

On/around the boating lake - 1 Grey Wagtail, a drake Wigeon, a female type Shoveler and a Kingfisher. I was able to read the rings on the respective legs of the pair of Mute Swan today - the male had a metal ring on its left leg - ZY6042 - ringed as an adult here on 12/11/11. The female a blue darvic ring with white lettering VN4 on right leg - this was one of 2 cygnets ringed at Boarshaw Clough and Lodges on 10/10/10. Many thanks to Steve Christmas for the ringing info. Finally, the numbers of Embden Geese and feral Greylags and assorted in-betweenies appears to have increased substantially here this year.

The drake Mandarin was still on the woodland pond and there was also another Kingfisher (or more likely the same one from earlier?) seen here too. I spent a bit of time chatting to the workers at the nearby Heaton Park Farm, primarily to enquire as to the number of pairs of Swallows which may have bred there this year. I mentioned the relatively tame Mandarin on the pond and enquired if it might be an escape from their menagerie of animals and birds. They said not but mentioned that they did occasionally get people bringing in birds they wished to no longer keep (which they wouldn't take anyway) and wondered if someone might have left such a bird on the woodland pond as a way of getting rid of the bird? Just one possible suggestion for the presence of this bird here? Also in the farm buildings - an adult Feral Pigeon was regurgitating food down the throats of 2 fledged juveniles near the farm - what a lovely sight!

A flock of 200+ Starling were near the farm, a single airborne flock of 17 Mistle Thrush in the same area and a mixed flock of c20 finches - only Goldfinch and Greenfinch noted. Siskin(s) could be heard but not seen. A flock of 60+ hirundines feeding over the park appeared to be mostly House Martins.

Cheers,

Bill.




-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Tuesday 11th of September 2012 07:12:50 AM

2nd September - am.

A drake Mandarin was on the small woodland pond not too far from the park farm, the one which has the bandstand adjacent to it. I'd taken some bread to feed the ducks and it appeared out of nowhere and it scrapped with the Mallards and Moorhens for what it could get. I'm officially "The Worlds Worst Photographer" but it came that close that even I was able to get two half decent photos on my mobiles camera, so it made me ponder how "wild" this bird might actually be?

Also 3 Cormorant and 3 Teal on the Boating Lake. A small flock of c15 Siskin were in the trees near the lake. I've heard small numbers flying over in various parts of GM for a good few weeks now but this is the first flock I have come across "down" recently. c25 Starling, c70 Swallow and c10 House Martin were feeding and resting near the farm.

A display of vintage buses, cars and utility vehicles - the Trans Lancs Vehicle Rally - was on in the park. It was really interesting to talk to some of the people who had travelled good distances to look at these vehicles. Some of the old buses looked quite immaculate and were stunning and it made me feel quite nostalgic. It also made me realise that other people are as obsessive about their hobby as we birders are about ours!

Cheers,

Bill.


-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 12:40:00 PM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 12:40:53 PM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 2nd of September 2012 12:43:41 PM