North part of the park

Ad Hobby flew through south
2 juvenile Peregrine
Sparrowhawk
3 Swift

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Sunday 19th of August 2012 07:33:19 PM

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Sunday 19th of August 2012 08:06:49 PM

late post from yesterday 24th

Peregrine and Buzzard over childrens play area at about 5pm

24 Common Scoter currently on res might be worth checking other waters

1 Black necked Grebe - spent a long time tucked in the bay on the Bury side of the spit, but eventually headed out into the middle - to Manchester borough :)

Currently on res
15 drake Common Scoter
3 Black necked Grebe

This is a permit only site but viewing can be made off the pumping station on Heywood Road from outside the perimeter fence

4 Tufted Ducks
1 Great Crested Grebe
Many Canada goslings

Chiffchaff and Blackcaps singing in different places

Today.

It was like Blackpool beach here today, what with the fair on and stuff

The best of the birds was a Pied Wagtail feeding a juvenile in the paddock inside farm (containing a goat)
2 Tufted Ducks on the lake
Blackcaps ands Chifchaffs heard
Nuthatch seen
Loads of Jackdaws

plus the usuals

Family party of 5 Treecreeper - adults feeding youngsters (up the hill from tram stop entrance)

Great spotted Woodpecker
Sparrowhawk
Male Bullfinch
100+ Swift

Had a stroll round yesterday evening and then completed my BBS this morning. Saw my first local swift last night on the Bury Old Road side, plus a Garden Warbler in trees near the boating lake cafe about 7pm last night, a first for me in the park .

This morning I had a dozen Swallows, a treecreeper, GS Woodpeckers, Willow Warblers, Blackcap and Lapwing all holding territories along my transects, whilst a few Common Sandpiper flitted about near the top end. No sign of the usual wealth of Grey or Pied Wags though, not sure where they were hiding!?

Overall from the last few weeks walking about the park a number of species appear to be having bumper years, with at least 7 pairs of GS Woodpeckers, possibly up to 9 pairs of Nuthatch, 4 pairs of Treecreeper and more pairs of Chaffinch than usual. Greenfinch seem to have been hit a little, possibly due to the disease throughout this species in recent years, but Bullfinch are still hanging in their with at least one pair around.

Of the migrants, Blackcap are up from normal years, with at least 10 singing males around the park, with 4 Chiffchaff about average, but Willow Warbler are up on normal, unless they are just passing through, but at least 6 singing males have been in similar spots for the best part of two weeks now, so more than usual one or two birds!?

Look forward to a bit more sunshine to bring in some more migrants though, as no sign of Common Whitethroats yet, but until then there is always something of interest in the park .

A leucistic House Martin tonight - all white body with black wings and tail

5.45 -6.45

53 Arctic Tern in total all moved ENE by time I left
single Common Tern in amongst

also

Swift
6 House Martin
350 Swallow
200 Sand Martin

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Wednesday 25th of April 2012 10:45:41 PM

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Thursday 26th of April 2012 08:56:13 PM

Swift
8 House Marin
2 Sparrowhawk

Took my school's Wildlife Explorers club to bandstand pond 29th, before our holidays. We saw treecreeper, nuthatch and GS woodpecker, but never seen LS woodpecker. Where can they be seen? Which horse paddock?

Some good passage north this morning

Rock Pipit NW calling
255 Meadow Pipit NW (biggest groups 30 and 40)
4 Pied Wagtails nw
45 Redwing north
Dunlin north
Cormorant west
7 Sand Martin north
6 Swallow north
2 Siskin nw

Several Nuthatch calling and 2 Stock Dove

3 Wheatear
2 Swallow
30 Sand martin
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
2 little ringed plover
3 Cormorant
Buzzard
2 Siskin
20 Meadow Pipit

all in the park this morning

-- Edited by Simon Johnson on Friday 6th of April 2012 07:27:13 AM

North part of the park

from a vantage point scanning the area

11 Common Buzzard - scattered about biggest Kettle 6. 2 birds displaying
5 Sparrowhawk 2 birds displaying
2 Krestel
Raven flew se
Great spotted woodpecker calling
Nuthatch calling

Stubble field
3 Grey Heron
25 Linnet
7 Stock Dove

32 Meadow Pipit north
Curlew west
27 Lapwing east
2 Cormorant nw

A couple of hours early morning with Simon Ghilks

No sign of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

At least 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3+ Nuthatch
1+ Treecreeper
c10 Siskin
30-40 Redwing seen, although we could hear many more

Good to see and hear most of the other common woodland species, despite the slight nip in the air

Hi Simon

Was the Lesser-spotted near the horse paddock, I thought I
got a glimpse of it on Tuesday.

Regards Alan Flavell.

Early morning before work

possible Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming from same spot heard it calling last week
4-5 Great Spotted Woodpecker (4 Drumming)
4 Treecreeper (pairs near bowling green with one signing and in highland cow field)
4 Nuthatch

Other sightings from around the Highland cow field
10 Siskin flew over (north)
Gadwall - drake flew over
6 Meadow Pipit in a birch tree
130 Redwing
Bullfinch
6 Mistle Thrush
Grey Heron

Walk round a busy park this afternoon

Great crested Grebe boating lake
67 Fieldfare north
100+ Redwing
6+ Mistle Thrush
3 Nuthatch
3 Goldcrest
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard soaring over boating lake

100 + Redwing
5 Siskin
40 Magpie
Jay
Great spotted woodpecker
Sparrowhawk
4 Grey Heron over
5 Stock dove

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker heard calling this morning.

For directions:access the park from the tram stop entrance and walk left, up the hill where the fenced off field is which usually contains Highland Cattle. At the top of the hill there are scattered trees (containing 100 Redwing this morning too) and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling in these trees.

Info thanks to Simon Johnson

Circular walk from the southern carpark up the west side to the reservoir and then round back to the carpark. Quite noisy due to the funfair and sunday traffic.

- pr Herons building a nest on one of the islands on the boating lake
- pr Great Crested Grebes displaying
- Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck and BH Gulls on the lake.

Mainly Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits in the trees, but Magpies and Woodpigeons everywhere.
- 1 Jay
- 1 Sparrowhawk mobbed by crows
- singing Greenfinch, Wren and Song Thrush

Some movement north up the valley

13 Skylark
71 Feildfare
10 Redwing
50 Starling
40 grey geese
42 Great Black-backed Gulls
15 Herring Gull
3 Common Buzzard


in Park
30 Fieldfare
Kestrel