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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
Post Info TOPIC: Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
Copland Smith


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RE: Alexandra Park, Whalley Range
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Dawn today
shoveler 2m 1juv m
Buzzard over flying north
Ringnecked parakeets. 2 flocks (23 & 15 AT LEAST) flew west of south at sunrise. Direction of Southern Cem & Chorlton WP


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Copland Smith


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pair of Shoveler on lake 10:50 today. still no Mergus

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Copland Smith


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10:35
Still no sawbills


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Pete Hines


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09.35

Carrion Crow 47

No sawbills

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Copland Smith


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10:53 am Alexandra Park "lake"

1 Goosander redhead - flew East at 11:02
No RB Merganser
2 Heron


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Copland Smith


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Return of the Mergi.

11:40
Redbreasted Merganser 1
Goosander redhead 1


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Shannon Llewellyn


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No sawbills whilst I was here today from just gone 9 to just before 12, either. What there was:

8+ goldcrest
3 nuthatch
1 grey wagtail
3 song thrush
25+ redwing
11 mistle thrush
5 ring-necked parakeet
6 moorhen
8 coot
7 tufted duck
4 mute swan (3 adults all with blue darvics: 4CUN, 4BUT, 4CLX)
1 grey heron
83+ black-headed gull
2 common gull
1 lesser black-backed gull


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Pete Hines


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Copland Smith wrote:

Yesterday (Friday 24)
12:40
4 Goosander (all redhead)
1 Redbreasted Merganser

12:10 today
No Mergus at all!
2 Heron (1 in each bay, steeple-stemmed)




I made two visits here this morning plus one to Platt Fields Park, no Mergus species at either, they must be somewhere.

1 Herring Gull yesterday

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Copland Smith


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Yesterday (Friday 24)
12:40
4 Goosander (all redhead)
1 Redbreasted Merganser

12:10 today
No Mergus at all!
2 Heron (1 in each bay, steeple-stemmed)


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James Walsh


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Red-breasted Merganser still present mid-afternoon

-- Edited by James Walsh on Friday 24th of November 2017 09:29:29 PM

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PHIL GREENWOOD


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Just before 1100 2 male Goosanders came in, flew around the lake, then were lost to sight but they didn't land.
Soon after 1 of the Goosander females departed east.
The other female Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser remained.

I assume the Merganser is a female with it's bright red bill?

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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 together

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Copland Smith


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5 Goosander (1 out of water on S bank)
1 Redbreasted Merganser

Redwings, Mistle thrushes & Blackbirds vey active

12:10 today


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Joel Tragen


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12:45-13:00
1 red-breasted merganser
5 goosanders
11 tufted ducks
1 grey wagtail

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Pete Hines


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09.10-09.25

Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 6 (5 redhead)

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Pete Hines


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09.05-09.50

Red-breasted Merganser still present
Goosander 4 redhead
Fieldfare 2+
Ring-necked Parakeet 27+


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bernard hooley


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Red Breasted Merganser showing well at 1 pm. Diving constantly. Came up with
a reasonably sized fish, promptly dived bombed by 3 Black Headed Gulls,but
managed to swallow it ,thwarting the gulls.

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Pete Hines


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08.25-09.15

Red-breasted Merganser flew in alone at 09.05
Goosander 3
Cormorant 1
Herring Gull 2
Common Gull 1
Ring-necked Parakeet 62+
Goldcrest 4
Grey Wagtail 2
Redwing - several
Goldfinch 16+

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Tony Coatsworth


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Think everyone went to see the Red-breasted Merganser today !



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Zoe Barrett


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Red-breasted merganser seen briefly this afternoon just before it went dark. It was present with 2 redhead goosanders then flew off to roost.

Also around 43 Ring-necked parakeets in the trees

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Mark Burgess


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Red head Red-breasted Merganser still present at 10.30, Associating with a male and female Goosander.

-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Sunday 19th of November 2017 02:19:12 PM

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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1 flew in with 2 redhead Goosander at 08.22
Goosander 8
Siskin 1 over

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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1 still present this morning
Goosander 7
Ring-necked Parakeet c40
Coot - white darvic DZF (presumably ringed here)

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Paul Heaton


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Red breasted Merganser still present up till 14.15 

Nuthatch , ring necked parakeets  large mixed tit flock in trees  

keep birding 



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 17th of November 2017 04:49:14 PM

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Tim Wilcox


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Red-breasted Merganser still present at 1.20pm
Goosanders now 15

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Friday 17th of November 2017 01:22:47 PM

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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1 still
Goosander 13

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James Richardson


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Really nice comparison photos there :)



Pete Hines wrote:

Red-breasted Merganser 1. It took flight with 7 Goosander at 16.06 but split from the group as the others headed off south-east, circled the lake before heading south-west, back towards Platt Fields.

Goosander 13. First one at 16.02 then 7 at 16.06 flew south-east, presumably to roost at Broad Ees Dole, leaving 5 remaining at 16.20

Ring-necked Parakeet 66 at 16.20




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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1. It took flight with 7 Goosander at 16.06 but split from the group as the others headed off south-east, circled the lake before heading south-west, back towards Platt Fields.

Goosander 13. First one at 16.02 then 7 at 16.06 flew south-east, presumably to roost at Broad Ees Dole, leaving 5 remaining at 16.20

Ring-necked Parakeet 66 at 16.20

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Pete Hines


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Red-breasted Merganser 1 ( relocated from Platt Fields Park) Goosander 12

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Copland Smith


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11am Today at the lake:

10 Goosander present, including 4 adult males

4 Mute swan including 1 1st winter

14 Canada goose

23 Mallard
5 Tufted duck

6 Coot
7 Moorhen

54 Blackheaded gull (plus 35 on the football field, making 89)

1 Grey heron

1 Grey wagtail

plus Ringnecked parakeets over.


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Pete Hines


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Goosander 10 early afternoon
Treecreeper 1

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Pete Hines


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Goosander 12 at 13.00 yesterday

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Steve Costa


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12/11/17, 16:20

Naked eye observation as I came out of the café - c10 ring-necked parakeets flew into the park (to roost?)

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Pete Hines


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Goosander 7

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Copland Smith


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10:30 last night - male Tawny Owl hooting repeatedly for some time at the Demesne Road end of the park


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Copland Smith


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9:15am

Redwing 6 flitting from Holly to Holly (Demesne Road end)
Carrion Crows

Lake

the usual Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Moorhens, Coots

no Goosanders

Linden Avenue

Ringnecked Parakeets very active
Rook 22 - a visitation in the Linden tops. They were repeatedly chasing the Parakeets.

9:40
Lake
1 Goosander male


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Copland Smith


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At 4:30am today, female Tawny Owl heard calling in the Park (kevick) repeatedly, close to Demesne Road and then the calls receded further north. Magpies immediately kicked up a rattle of alarm calls that went on for nearly half an hour, although I didn't hear the owl again.


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David Morris


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Only 4 Goosander on the lake approx 3:00-3:20pm- 3 females/juveniles, 1 male. Other highlights: Grey Heron- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet- 3 Song Thrush- 1

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Copland Smith


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16 Goosander early yesterday (Thursday) according to Tony O'Mahony

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David Morris


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Counted approx. 10 Goosander on the lake this afternoon, 3 males and maybe 6-7 females/juveniles. Before I could confirm the count some dogs ran towards the lake and despite the barrier the birds got scared and flew off!

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Copland Smith


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13 Goosanders on the Alex Park lake today, most of them around the new floating island, which is there to add aquatic vegetation and good fish habitat, which is, of course, good for Goosanders.

Also Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck as usual, with lots of Feral Pigeons and Blackheaded Gulls and some Ringnecked Parakeets screeching over.

Tony O'Mahoney reported a Pochard a few days ago.


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Copland Smith


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The usual lake denizens [Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Grey Wagtail]
but they've been joined by a male Goosander.


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Copland Smith


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Sunday 23 October 2016 am

Alexandra Park Lake

Mute Swan 2
Canada Goose 24
Mallard 45
Tufted Duck 10

Coot 6
Moorhen 6

Black-headed Gull 75

Grey Wagtail 2


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Copland Smith


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Yesterday (Tue 19 Jul 2016) saw the usual Park pond residents - 4 mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted, Coot, Moorhen, 4 Terrapins, with Feral Pigeons, a couple of Carrion Crows and a few Blackheaded Gulls flying over. And, of course, Ringnecked Parakeets all around. Difficult to count now that the leaves are hiding them, but there hasn't been a single day without hearing or seeing them since I moved here in January. 4 flew past last month, 2 of which had shorter tails and were presumably juveniles. Last night at 10.30, I heard a Tawny Owl for the first time here.

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Copland Smith


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Swifts screaming this morning - my first of the year.
4 Swallows skimming the water yesterday.

The usual lake population - Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot
but the young Herons have flown the South nest.

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Copland Smith


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The usual lake population - Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot and Herons - 3 young in one nest and one in another I think. On the floating pallet, usually occupied by Tufted Duck, 2 terrapins were sunbathing (Yellowbellied Sliders, I think). Nuthatches, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers about the park, plus Ring-necked Parakeets.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 23rd of April 2016 03:46:43 PM

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Ian McKerchar


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Swallow by the lake this morning and a Chiffchaff singing at north end.

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

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Copland Smith


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As I had begun to suspect, the head of one of the 2 Goosanders on the lake is now clearly darkening, so a Redheaded juvenile is coming out as a drake. The other is very red, so I think we have a pair. Photos through today's snow are not very clear but I'll get a clear picture of both to show the difference when the sun comes out.


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Copland Smith


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I did another count today with a view to mapping the seasonal changes in bird attendance around Alexandra Park Lake. These are minimum counts.

Blackheaded gull 211
Common gull 4
Lesser blackbacked gull 7

Heron 3 (1 on north nest)

Mute swan 4
Canada goose 25
Mallard 11
Tufted duck 23
Goosander 2 redhead

Moorhen 3
Coot 3

Parakeets 5

Plus away from the lake:
Mistle thrush; Blackbird; Robin
Blue tit; Great tit
Wren; House sparrow
Carrion crow
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Feral pigeons
Nuthatch
Treecreeper (yesterday)




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Copland Smith


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During the last week, there has usually been a single redhead Goosander on the lake. Both the north and south Heron nests have been busy with pairs nest-building and mutual-preening. Parakeets have become even noisier. There were 8 feeding in the conifer next to the south Heron nest, plus others spiralling around. 13 is my maximum definite count so far.

Lake: Moorhen; Coot; Mallard; Mute swan; Canada Geese; Tufted duck; Blackheaded gull; Common gull; Lesser blackbacked gull.

The fields have had their usual thrushes - mainly Mistle and Redwing. In the short time since I moved here, as well as Robins, I've seen Song, Mistle, Blackbird (including Luke, a leucistic bird - see picture), Redwing & Fieldfare. I'm waiting for a Ring Ousel.

A Nuthatch joined the Blue tits at my feeder on Demesne Road yesterday.



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