Nice one on the Little Gull Steven, as far as I'm aware that's another new species for Salford Docks (unless anyone knows of any previous records)
Good things happenin around the Costa del Salford :)
Hi James
I've looked back in the BTO records I can access and there is no previous record of Little Gull.
In five years of, virtually, daily visits on the Quays I didn't have any decent gulls (white wingers, Little or even a Med !) I knew it would happen, work moved me off the Quays last Oct and you've had Med and Little since, typical !!! Keep it going.
thanks james for the earlier post, little gull & common terns still present this morning. little gull was still present at 4pm but no terns & another brief look at 8pm no little gull or terns.
1 sedge warbler (first for the year) was lovely surprise this morning singing and showing well, it also seemed to have no tail feathers whilst first watching for the sedge a female whitethroat appeared and flew off further along the hedgerow. no signs off either bird at 4pm.
other birds at 8 pm...
6 swifts 8 sand martins 4 swallows 1 herring gull 2 l b b gulls
popped down after work 5.30-7.30pm glad i did,also james walsh & phil kelly present from 6pm..
1 little gull, 1st summer. (first for the year) a lovely looking bird 2 common terns 1 grey wagtail 20+ swallows 4 sand martins 2 herring gulls 4 l b b gulls 50+ b h gulls 10 mute swans 14 canada goose,inc 2 creamy coloured birds 7 mallards
terns & little gull still present at 8pm when phil left.
5 goosanders over 16 mute swans 8 canada goose 1 coot 1 cormorant 3 mallards several starlings around collecting food.
after work 5-5.20pm...
5 arctic terns 4 swallows 7 sand martins singing blackcap in nearby trees 50+ b h gulls 3 l b b gulls 4 cormorants 9 mute swans 12 canada goose 8 mallards 2 crows 4 magpies 2 goldfinches again several starlings around collecting food.
no signs off the swifts.
-- Edited by steven burke on Thursday 26th of April 2012 06:44:32 PM
passed by the quays on my home from work at 5.30pm only to find lots off terns feeding & resting on the long black & yellow bouys,was not to sure that they were arctics at first but after returning with my bins & scope (plus james walsh) they were in fact arctic terns a count off around 120+,but 50+ did move on before i did manage to return. still 70+ at 7.15pm.
also.. 1 grey heron, 4 swallows, 2 sand martins & b h gulls.
-- Edited by steven burke on Wednesday 25th of April 2012 08:06:42 PM
James, I noted the good number (by local standards) you reported at Pomona yesterday. For those that have paired up I wonder where they move onto as I don't recall seeing any in the area in the late spring/summer months ??
I'm not working on the Quays any more so my sighting oportunities (for here and Pomona) have reduced.
Hi Nick, there were high numbers (by local standards) of Goosander around the Docks yesterday, perhaps attracted by the large shoal of bream in the Pomona area
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12 mute swans 37 canada goose 18 mallards 50+ b h gulls 2 g b b gulls 1 common gull 1 l b b gull 1 goldfinch 4 crows 3 coots 1 moorhen 1 dunnock 4 magpies 1 grey heron 8 woodpigeons 3 greenfinches
1 goldeneye (male,still got only half a left wing) opposite imperial war museum. 12 mute swans 33 canada goose 4 cormorants 100+ b h gulls,mostly over 3 l b b gulls 1 grey heron 1 pied wagtail 5 mallards 3 coots 4 crows 6 magpies 1 moorhen 11 goldfinches 4 woodpigeons 2 blue tits 1 blackbird 2 greenfinches 1 robin
31 Starlings on the 2 cranes @ Ontario Basin Also 2 Coot, 3 Canada Goose & 5 Mallard Ontario 2 Coot St Louis Basin (one with 2 rings, red & white) 1 Coot Francis Basin
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Just gotta say loving birding in Salford more each day, have done the twitching thing, the international birding thing, but nowt beats seeing birds on your doorstep
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The Meds were seen in flight from Trafford Wharf (the path on the south side of the docks by Sam Platts) at 11.25am today
Yesterday one was on the water close in to this path at 4pm, & also they were seen around Old Trafford (aka The Swamp) & the KFC on the Chester Road early/mid afternoon
There are usually quite a few people feeding bread to the gulls & ducks around the Quays, & these are attracting good numbers of gulls, so the Meds might drop in anywhere around this area
So my advice is to use your loaf (!), check all these areas & you might get a decent photo, they are superb breeding plumaged adults
-- Edited by James Walsh on Saturday 10th of March 2012 04:45:52 PM
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1 adult s'pl' Mediterranean Gull Trafford Wharf at 4pm then flew towards Pomona
Increased BH gull numbers around the Docks, c300, including 1 leucistic w'pl adult
A large breeding colony of BG Gulls usually settles down on a private site about this time of year, a leucistic bird has been present for the past 4 years and 1/2 Mediterranean Gulls, they have breed here before, perhaps this year they will settle down again.
Congrats to Steven for this find, thanks for the heads up, glad that I got onto the Quays to get one of these birds on the patch, the 2nd record for the site
PS Being a City fan, I'm glad that the Theatre of Shi*e isn't in my patch lol :)
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the 2 adult sp mediterranean gulls were picked up at the car park opposite east stand off mufc ground at 1.40pm. i picked up on the calls (they were the only noisy gulls) and found the 2 white wingers,i followed them up sir matt busby way towards chester rd then back down towards the quays then lost them. at 2.10pm i found them again giving excellent views flying low on sir matt busby way/chester rd outside the chippys,not bothered by the traffic & public they even had a brief landing on the pavements i also folowed them up to kfc car park where they were trying to pick up food off the ground. the only problem i did have was NO CAMERA because i was on my home from work,never mind still fantastic to see. i did however come back at 4pm armed with my camera but guess what,no signs,typical.
Both the Mediterranean Gulls were in and around the the Old Trafford football ground car park and around the junction of Sir Matt Busby Way and Chester Road at 1:40pm .
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 9th of March 2012 03:55:38 PM
peregrine falcon flew off the appartment block at the lowry outlet mall at 5pm,headed into trafford park but returned 10 mins later & landed back on the appartment block but soon dissapeared after a couple off minutes.