Jumbles to Bradshaw Cricket Club :- A pair of Grey Wagtails near the overflow. Another Grey Wagtail & a Dipper were by Bradshaw Works. 2 Common Terns with a Canada Goose & 5 Black-headed Gulls at Bradshaw Lodges. A Kingfisher flew past me by Bradshaw Cricket Club. Other birds along this stretch included a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Nuthatches, 1 Jay, & a pair of Bullfinches.
Longsight Park :- 2 Mallards & a pair of Dippers on the brook. Other birds seen around the park included 5 Black-headed Gulls, 20+ Woodpigeons, 1 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 5 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Nuthatches, 3 Jays, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, & Goldfinches.
Firwood Lodges :- Pair of Mute Swans, 2 Canada Geese, 4 Mallards, 5 adult Moorhens plus a very small juvenile, 4 Coots, 2 Swallows, 6 Blackbirds, 5 Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, a pair of Nuthatches, 4 Goldfinches, & a pair of Bullfinches.
Firwood Lodges :- 1 Grey Heron 2 Mute Swans 2 Canada Geese 14 Mallards Pair of Goosanders 8 Moorhens 1 Water Rail. Flew from by the path & I managed to pick it out amongst the bushes where it landed. Good views of it feeding. My only local site for this species. 2 Coots 2 Black-headed Gulls
FIRECREST. Finally after decades of checking through Long-tailed Tit flocks, & looking closely at all the local Goldcrests, I found my first local Firecrest. I was checking my 4th tit flock along the brook this morning, and for the second time today I found a Goldcrest with them. Then a brighter small bird showed a few feet from the Goldcrest. Very active but I soon got it in the bins to confirm it was a Firecrest. I then watched it for a while getting great views as it was in bare bushes, not high in the trees. It was by a stream which runs from some steps near Bradshaw Road down to Bradshaw Brook, not far from Bradshaw Hall housing estate on the Bradshaw side. The footpath off Bradshaw Road starts from more or less opposite the entrance to Bradshaw Meadows.
Bradshaw Lodges :- 2 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Nuthatches, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Bullfinches, & a mixed flock of Chaffinches, Goldfinches, & Siskins.
Dipper on the brook by the bridge at Bradshaw Hall. The only other birds on a fast running brook were 7 Mallards at the cricket club.
Very little about this morning on the brook and around woodland. 10.10am to 11.50am.
Jumbles to Bradshaw CC :- 2 Grey Herons, 1 Dipper, & 2 Moorhens on Bradshaw Lodges. A few Siskins & Bullfinches the best of the woodland birds.
Longsight Park :- 1 Grey Heron, 5 Mallards. Best of the woodland birds a Mistle Thrush & a Nuthatch.
Firwood Lodges :- 2 Mute Swans, 2 Mallards, 2 Moorhens. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker. Normally see House Sparrows in gardens near Crompton Way but this morning a small flock was in some scrub in the field below the lodges nowhere near any houses.
10.30am to 11.55am from Jumbles to Firwood Lodges. Thought having shelter from the wind would be better than staying on Jumbles. Still not much about though.
10.50am to 12.45pm from Jumbles to Firwood Lodges.
Grey Herons, Mallards, Black-headed Gulls, Woodpigeons, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Grey Wagtails, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes, Goldcrests, Willow Tit (new species for me down here, seen near cricket club), Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Dippers, Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches.
Jumbles overflow to Bradshaw :- 3 Mallards, 2 Black-headed Gulls, Woodpigeons, pair of Tawny Owls presumably with young due to their behaviour being harassed by lots of Blackbirds, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Grey Wagtails, 1 Dipper, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches, Treecrepers, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches.
Longsight Park, lots of dog walkers already about so not much to report (I am not having a go at them, they have as much right to be there) :- Pair of Tawny Owls having the same problem with Blackbirds, but this time I was able to see one feeding a youngster in it's man made nest box. The pair then made off to continue hunting.
Firwood Lodges & Firwood Fold :- Pair of Mute Swans, Mallards, Moorhens, Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, pair of Garden Warblers (one seen in flight and the other singing nearby), Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches, Magpies, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches.
A couple of hours this morning from Jumbles to Firwood Lodges.
Pair of Mute Swans, pair of Coots, numerous Mallards & Moorhens on Firwood Lodges. Grey Herons in various places all along the brook 1 Dipper near Bradshaw Hall, and a pair nest building in Longsight Park Grey Wagtails near Jumbles overflow Pied Wagtails on cricket field Garden Warbler heard singing by the Bradshaw Hall houses, not far from my annual sightings near the cricket club. Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, & Willow Warblers seen throughout, and Goldcrests also around a conifer behind the houses. Other species this morning :- Black-headed Gulls, Woodpigeons, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches.
2 Chiffchaffs on Ousel Nest Meadow & another one at Bradshaw Cricket Club.
4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers & at least 4 Nuthatches between jumbles overflow & Bradshaw Lodges.
Longsight Park :- 1 Kingfisher, 1 Dipper, & 3 Grey Wagtails. 3 Small Tortoiseshells.
Firwood Lodges :- Pair of Mute Swans, pair of Canada Geese, 5 Mallards, 3 Moorhens, pair of Coots, & a squealing Water Rail (still my only local site for the latter)
Not much along Bradshaw Brook from Jumbles to Firwood Fold. I only saw one Dipper (by Bradshaw Works), and surprisingly none spotted in Longsight Park. A Grey wagtail was again by the cricket club bridge.
No sign of the Tree Sparrow (it would also be a first for me locally Neil). Very windy in the open areas around the park. Great Spotted Woodpecker and a couple of Redwings the highlights.
A pair of Treecreepers were by the footbridge over the river going to Firwood Fold. The larger lodge had a few Mallards, a Moorhen, a pair of Canada Geese, a Sparrowhawk, and a couple of Goldcrests.
The two smaller lodges were much better :- 1 Grey Heron 3 Mute Swans 7 Mallards 4 Moorhens 2 Coots 1 Kingfisher giving cracking views
Nice walk through Longsight Park this afternoon alongside Bradshaw Brook,well where it wasn't too muddy!! Highlight was a tree sparrow at the entrance to the park from Longsight Lane, the first I've ever seen in this area.
Species seen: Tree Sparrow Pair of Dipper in the brook between the two bridges Pair Great Spotted Woodpecker Chaffinch Blue Tit Great Tit Jay Magpie Blackbird Robin Goldcrest Goldfinch Coal Tit Goldfinch House sparrow Dunnock Crow Wren Mute Swan (on lodge) Mallard Wood pigeon
-- Edited by Neil Collier on Tuesday 18th of February 2014 08:51:36 PM
A pair of Dippers on the brook by Bradshaw Lodges, and a pair of Grey Wagtails by the road bridge at Bradshaw Cricket Club.
A couple of Dippers were on the brook in Longsight Park, and by the play area by checking a small flock of Chaffinches I found a Brambling. A couple of Goldcrests were in the hedgerow by the golf course.
Firwood Lodges :- 3 Mute Swans. A pair on the smaller lodges, and the wintering one on the larger lodge. Pair of Canada Geese 2 pairs of Mallards 1f Goosander 4 Moorhens 2 Coots
A lady walking her dog in Longsight Park told me that a skein of about 50 geese had flown over earlier (presumably Pinkfoots), and she had watched a couple of Weasels rolling around together in the wet grass.
8.55 to 13.00. Ousel Nest Meadow to Firwood Lodges.
Grey Herons (3 at Bradshaw Lodges & 1 in Longsight Park) 1 Mute Swan at Firwood Lodges Numerous Mallards 1 Moorhen at Firwood Lodges Pair of Coots with 5 well grown juveniles at Firwood Lodges Woodpigeons, Great Spotted Woodpeckers 1 Kingfisher in Longsight Park Swifts, House Martins Dippers. 1 near Bradshaw Hall, 1 at Bradshaw CC, & 2 in Longsight Park Grey Wagtails. 2 at Bradshaw CC & 1 in Longsight Park 1 Pied Wagtail at Bradshaw Hall Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes Pair of Whitethroats on Ousel Nest Meadow Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches
Had a walk down from the jumbles to the cricket club yesterday afternoon 4/5/13 with my youngest daughter collecting a few tadpoles for our little pond. Species included:
Great spotted woodpecker Jay Treecreeper Heron Grey wagtail Dipper Willow warbler Long tailed tit Blue tit Great tit Coal tit Robin
Highlight for us both was watching a roe deer for 10 minutes and then seeing it cross the brook.
-- Edited by Chris brown on Sunday 5th of May 2013 08:29:23 AM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 5th of May 2013 09:31:00 AM
Longsight Park :- 1 Grey Heron, 4 Mallards, and a Dipper on the brook. Usual common woodland birds. In the hedgerow by the golf course I was convinced I was listening to a Nuthatch a couple of feet away. The only bird there though was a calling Great Tit.
Cricket Club to Jumbles :- Nothing unusual. Only birds on the brook were Mallards.
Jumbles to Bradshaw Lodges :- A flock of Long-tailed Tits included Blue Tits, Great Tits, 2 Nuthatches, a Treecreeper, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A Grey Wagtail on the brook.
Bradshaw Hall to Cricket Club :- 2 Dippers
Longsight Park :- 1 Dipper 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 1 Treecreeper with Long-tailed Tits
At 10.16am this morning after my annual check at the doctor's I was stood at the bus stop by the Bolton Castle pub when I spotted 7 Whooper Swans. They were flying from Harwood, over Crompton Way and the health centre, heading in the general direction of Doffcocker.
Should I start new lists for "birds on doctors's visits" and "seen from bus stops" I already have Oystercatchers on boths lists from here.
Jumbles to Bradshaw Cricket Club. fast running river and the crow scarer at Bradshaw Lodges meant there was not much about. The scarer did not put off the Jumbles terns when it was used for the first time during the summer. They were still catching fish on the lodges and carrying them to the Jumbles to digest whilst sitting on the buoys. 2 Canada Geese 6 Mallards 10 Woodpigeons 1 Wren 10 Robins 2 Blackbirds Mixed tit flocks 4 Jays 6 Magpies 2 Carrion Crows
Interesting to see what you put about the nuthatches David. I live only a couple of minute from grange road and in a normal year nuthatches would visit my garden only once or twice. A pair have been coming every day for about a month now!!! May be it has just been a brill year for them? Lovely bird to see doing well.
Jumbles overflow to Bradshaw Cricket Club :- 1 Grey Heron 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Dipper 10+ Nuthatches along brook + 2 more along Grange Road. Made up of 2 at Bradshaw Lodges, 5 seen together near Bradshaw Hall but there could have been more, and finally at least 3 in the cricket club area. When I started recording for Bolton Museum about 20 years ago the only known Nuthatches in the Bolton area were around the Rigby Lane area. I have seen them spread to the whole area since, but never so many in one area. Other species :- Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker (2), Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch.
Longsight Park :- 2 Grey Herons 2 Mallards 1 Kestrel 6 Black-headed Gulls 28 Woodpigeons 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 Grey Wagtails 3 Dippers 5 Swallows 2 Wrens 4 Robins 2 flocks of Long-tailed Tits Numerous Blue Tits and Great Tits 11 Magpies 1 Carrion Crow 1 Greenfinch 2 Goldfinches
Had a nice stroll around the park in Harwood this afternoon and enjoyed watching a couple of dippers feeding in Bradshaw Brook by the bridge at the back of the lower football pitch. Also a GS woodpecker, a nuthatch as well as the usual tits and blackies.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 23rd of October 2023 02:26:12 PM
