Spent three mid afternoon / evenings earlier in the week looking at the large gulls: 500 or more Herring Gulls one evening, also five G. B.-b. Gulls, but best was a superb ad. Yellow-legged Gull on the small 'island' next to 'Gnome Island' one afternoon. Also, on two days, a L. B.-b. Gull ringed as a chick on Walney Island in July 2022 was the same bird as seen by both Pete Hines and me in January on Turn Moss, no other sightings since ringing.
The Black-headed Gulls included 17 locally ringed birds, also a Norwegian bird ringed as a chick nr. Oslo on 11/6/22, seen again at Oslo in May 2023, but not again until at SQ this week.
19 Cormorant included the previously reported Puffin Island bird Green ZRE.
A great crested grebe was on Trafford wharf this evening at 10.15pm whilst on my way home from work. A black headed gull looked to be just sat sleeping along the path near the edge but on closer inspection it appeared to be dead. No signs of any roosting ducks yet.
An adult Black-headed Gull blue 2R44 ringed at Salford Quays on 3rd December 2019 and resighted there on 7th February 2020 was seen on 25th September 2023 at Siauliai, Lithuania (1,666km E).
Whilst driving home from work around 2.10pm along wharfside way I noticed a grey heron flying over towards clippers Quay then as it got closer it turned slightly & then there was an egret flying towards it as if it was coming from clippers quay, it looked big but looks can be deceiving especially when driving, most likely to be a little egret, anyhow I lost view as it headed over towards white city retail park.
A flight (collective noun) of 36 cormorants in the main Central Basin at 8.00 am, yesterday, 12th July. Except they were on the water. Perhaps we should call them a flotilla? Or raft?
-- Edited by Colin Wood on Thursday 13th of July 2023 07:15:04 PM
A Firecrest was picked up a little earlier today (probably having struck a window) outside Dock House, Media City, Salford and released again unharmed on site.
4 sand Martins Male stonechat Singing chiffchaff 2 kestrels 1 buzzard over 1 meadow pipit over Cormorant with green darvic ZRE Distant binocular view of 2 buzzard & 2 peregrine together over salford/city centre.
Around 4:30pm at least 52 Pied Wagtail were seen feeding on the flotsam and jetsam floating between Media City and the Lowery with many flying back and forth from the Lowery. On my way back to the car at 5pm, I noticed about 100+ Pied Wagtail roosting in 2 of the Sorbus trees and bushes(one tree with a street lamp almost underneath) outside Imperial Point carpark entrance . Quite a sight and very noisy.
A decent roost of large gulls on the quays tonight,in excess of a1000 birds when I left including a 2nd w. Caspian Gull. Still plenty of birds coming in to roost when I was leaving,and plenty flying in as I was driving back down M602. There was also a pre roost gathering of about 300 large gulls on Man Uniteds north car park.
I received an email today regarding the cormorant I seen on 10th July & 31st July with green darvic ring ZRE. the email was from Stephen Dodd & the cormorant was ringed as a nestling on 2nd July 2021 on puffin Island, Anglesey.
Went to get on the tram at wharfside to head into the city centre around 1.45pm & I could see a large mass of gulls on Trafford wharf, by far the most gulls I have ever seen on here, I tried a count but seeing that the majority of them were lesser black backed gulls I just tried to just count them, I gave up when I got to 600 knowing that there was a great deal more down towards mode wheel locks, unbelievable, there were several Herring gulls there & the rest seemed to be black headed gulls. An amazing sight for here for me
1 sand martin seen flying around Pomona whilst changing tram at cornbrook.
10+ sand Martins, nice to watch as I haven't seen any since May 5 Swifts 1 kingfisher 1 common sandpiper
Trafford wharf
The usual black headed, Herring & Lesser Black backed gulls Cormorant with green darvic ZRE, I did send an email to puffin island cormorants soon after seeing it on 10th July but had no reply. 2 chiffchaff
A common tern was on Trafford wharf this afternoon. 1 great crested grebe Several Swifts high up 1 Swallow 2 peregrine falcons at media city Cormorant with green darvic ring ZRE
Lesser whitethroat heard & seen inbetween Weaste etw & Manchester ship canal next to allied Mills. Also in the same area... 4 blackcap 2 chiffchaff 3 buzzard 2 peregrines seen over media city, then one (female) came towards allied Mills. On the ship canal... 2 great crested grebes 1 tufted duck
A lot of gulls on the choppy water this afternoon: a couple of hundred black-headed gulls and about a hundred herring gulls; a couple of dozen each of common gulls and lesser black-backs. I'd promised myself I wasn't doing any serious gullwatching, just going for a walk, so a yellow-legged gull insisted on flying across my line of vision.
Also a couple of sinensis adults amongst the cormorants.
Hi Steve, just incase you couldnt find on Twitterthese appear to be North West ringed birds and probably either Steve Christmas or Scott Petrek ringed individuals.
A walk along Trafford wharf for an hour from 11.15am...
2 peregrine falcons over together calling, one then headed in the direction of pomona, the other I watched heading over man utd football ground then lost to view as it went into a stoop. All the usual gulls.. Lesser Black backed gulls Herring gulls Common gulls, a bigger count this time with at least 39 Black headed gulls including blue darvic 2R41. 12 coots 4 moorhens 12 cormorants 13 mute swans 3 Grey wagtails 1 Grey heron 1 collared dove
120+ large gulls, mostly Herring gulls 4 Lesser black-backed gulls 1 Great black-backed gull Plenty of Black-headed gulls but a distinct lack of Common gulls. 3 colour ringed (1 yellow & 2 dark blue) Black-headed gulls, only read 1 (2V18).
Possible 3rd Winter Caspian gull in the raft of large gulls by the Lowry. (Not confident of this species so I'll be consulting the references when I get home and checking my photos. Will delete this post if it turns out I'm just having a giddy spell.)
Yep, just giddy. From a distance, and from the back of my camera, it looked dark-eyed.
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 3rd of October 2021 08:15:32 PM
-- Edited by Steven Heywood on Sunday 3rd of October 2021 08:16:19 PM
Both peregrines on view this early afternoon, it looks like these have failed at the nest site yet again, from my observations both adults came in with prey tucked in for themselves & then stashed the rest in their larder. Couple of photos of the male, he did have an extra long bill back in March, looks like it has now broke off.