Of note... 2 Dunlin in beautiful summer plumage 2 Common Redshank 2 Black-headed Gulls 1 Whitethroat in full voice and full view (surrounded by flies but not seen flycatching) 1 Lesser Whitethroat in full voice over near the little brick building (sub-station???) but NOT SEEN 1 Goldfinch 2 male Reed Bunting Few Corvids around
a walk round today 12 april 2015.blackbird....,wren....,robin....,dunnock....,great tit....,blue tit....,canada goose 2 pair....,chaffinch 4 in song....,woodpigeons...,c.crow sat on nest....,lapwing 3....,linnet 3....,skylark 4....,meadow pipit 1....,mallard 5 pair....,moorhen 2....,reed bunting 3 m in song...,magpies...,jackdaws...,b.h.gull 3...,l.b.b.gull 1 1st winter...,goldfinch 6....,grey heron 1....,chiffchaff 2 in song....,willow warbler 3 in song....,teal 2 pair....,song thrush 1....,h.sparrow 4...,pheasant calling....,starling 7 and 1 fox.thanks john
birds seen today are ,oystercatcher 4 in flight....,lapwing 4....,h sparrow 5....,chaffinch 8...., long tailed tit pair building nest...,blackbird....,skylark 2 in song...., meadow pipit 2....,c.crow....,woodpigeon 15....,great tit 3 in song....,reed bunting 2 in song....,moorhen 4 birds....,redshank 1....,mallard 2 pair + 1m....,coot pair...., chiffchaff in song....,bullfinch 1 pair.thanks john
a walk round today,,,mallard 5,,moorhen 4,,skylark 7,,long tailed tits,,great tits,,robin,,wren,,meadow pipit 3,bullfinch calling,,blackbird,,chaffinch,,reed bunting 2 in song,,kestrel male,,magpie,,canada goose 7,,redshank 1,,teal 2m,1f,,goldfinch 5,,water rail calling,,coot pair,,chiffchaff 1 in song,,redwing 4,,starlings,,b.h.gull 13,,heron 1,,l.b.b.gull 3,,ringed plover note of interest,i ve been watching kingsway business park since 2008,and so far i have seen 81 species of birds, john webb
Afternoon tacho break, 45 minutes produced very little except a male Sparrowhawk that came dashing towards the wagon and perched up close on the 'Private Land' signpost at the parking roundabout providing an excellent opportunity for a decent photo!
Other than that the only birds were flyovers... 2 Black-headed Gulls 2 Carrion Crows A few Jackdaws and Magpies
A lone sand martin flew through this morning, heading SE, at circa 8:50 am. I'm fairly confident that this is my earliest ever in Milnrow and its environs.
All the Gulls were put up by the sudden appearance of a Kestrel but I also think the LB-b Gull may have spooked them. Only the Common Gulls returned with the LB-b Gull still flying round.
Not a single bird on the main area which has plenty of water now. 1 Carrion Crow balancing in the wind on road sign at mini roundabout 1 Magpie on boundary mesh fencing near to factory 4 Black-headed Gulls over but didn't stop
Approx 11.30am, quick look in whilst on way home from Huddersfield. Lapwing - probably around 70 Black-headed Gulls - around 40 Few Carrion Crow Kestrel - 1 hunting near last roundabout before M62
Nice to record a single Water Rail on one of the various small ponds.They all look good for this species .Perhaps there are more? Water Rail 3 pied Wagtail 10 meadow pipit Cheers Alan
Kingsway does seem to be a good location for Jacksnipe,it was nice to record this species today.Its strange that this time last year we had counts of over 100 common Snipe.This year we are lucky to see two or three ,what has happened? 1 Jacksnipe 3 Snipe Here's Alan
Hi Alan,
Weren't the very large flocks of Snipe at Kingsway around two years ago and not one year? I know as we all get older we try to be a bit more economical with the truth about the years passing....so using your formula of one for every two, I'm pleased now that I've still got my 30th birthday to look forward to!
Pleased to read that you are still digging out some good birds like Jack Snipe at Kingsway.
Kingsway does seem to be a good location for Jacksnipe,it was nice to record this species today.Its strange that this time last year we had counts of over 100 common Snipe.This year we are lucky to see two or three ,what has happened? 1 Jacksnipe 3 Snipe Here's Alan
-2 Skylark inadvertently flushed at close range -1 very active Wheatear -Linnet and Goldfinch in small groups -Magpie / Carrion Crow / Jackdaw few of each - 2 Woodpigeon - possible Redstart heard near the old brick building
...and a 'possible' Ring Ouzel over in direction of M62. Blackbird shape and giving a kind of a 'chuck' sound, could've well been a Blackbird but my thought was it was flying higher than I'd've expected a Blackbird to, possible R.O. on it's way out? Maybe.
A Greenshank currently (08:30) at the back of the area. Not much water to attract the birds and there's lots of vegetation that could be hiding any others that may be present.
Just looked at some of the poor distance shots of some of the Linnet flock and as suspected it looks like there's Redpoll (presume Lesser) and what looks like Chaffinch in there too. The dark wing bars on these 2 species have given the illusion as being a lot darker. They were at distance and very mobile so that's my excuse.
Huge flock of Linnet with some other finches noticeably darker brown in colour, very mobile over the pools which have retained quite a bit of the rain. At least 40+ birds 4 Goldfinch 1 Kestrel 4 Lapwing 2 Black-headed Gulls 2 Herring Gulls 3 Swallows 1 House Martin 2 Meadow Pipit flushed within feet 3 Skylark flushed within feet 4 juv Pied Wagtail Carrion Crow and Magpie dotted about
Surprisingly, despite the warm weather, there's actually some remains of the pools.
No waders of any sort seen 4 Skylark (flushed accidentally within feet) 2 Reed Bunting 1 male Kestrel (hovering then hunting low over ground) 1 Jay 5 Carrion Crow (2 sunbathing)
The following I can only give approx numbers due to flight nature of the species or the birds being obscured at ground level by vegetation...
Sand Martin approx 5 - 10 House Martin approx 15 - 20 Swallow approx 25+ Black-headed Gull 10+ flying in but lost them
...and on the ground... Woodpigeon Pied Wagtail Starling
Quick visit whilst up at Hollingworth Lake, had trouble posting this due to poor signal, seem to get an on and off data signal up there. Was hoping for a Green Sandpiper but didn't manage one whilst I was there.
Of note... 2 Skylark 6 Green Plover Oystercatcher heard, I looked up and as suspected it was just a flyover, it didn't land probably due to the ever decreasing puddle as you rightly point out Chris, there's hardly anything left of it!
Other birds...a few Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaws, and a flock of about 20-25 Starling.
Finally caught up with a Rochdale bird that as eluded me for many a year.I was out checking the flash when Simon fantastically found a couple of Little Egrets.The birds only stayed a short while flying off to the East around 1100hrs. Well done Simon another Kingsway bird.What will birders think in years to come when they eventually build a large shed on our ever surprising Kingsway.Cheers Alan
Although it is quite late for Barnacle Goose, I have noticed on birdguides that there have been some fairly late flocks passing along the east coast during May, and it has, of course, now been proven that wild Barnacle Geese have made it to Greater Manchester :)
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