Just had an e-mail from Jon as hes just left the lake and there has been no sign all morning up to now.What I did notice last night was it was sticking with a female Tufted all the time,so may have followed that somewhere,but last night it looked really tired,so could have had a good rest then moved on further north as tends to happen with these American vagrants,that still migrate as though they are still in the USA,so could be in the Lake District now,but penny will be worth checking as the tufted may travel from Newton to the SE bay at penny. Glad I went last night as it was in the best condition of any Male ring necked duck I have seen in the wild. Lets hope it returns later today
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 8th of April 2014 12:51:46 PM
Great close views of the Ring-necked Duck between 6.30 and 7pm, despite it only occasionally lifting its head. Well worth it when it does so though - fantastic looking bird.
Good to meet everyone present tonight. The Ring-necked Duck spent most of its time resting with head tucked in. It raised its head probably once every 15 minutes, and you could see that it was actually awake for a while. Fantastic bird and well worth me pulling my hair out in traffic to get a Lifer! I need the Two-barred Crossbill to make it 3 Lifers in a week. (along with the Great-Grey Shrike yesterday)
There was 10 'brownhead' Goosanders on Sankey Brook, just south of Sankey Viaduct at 14.00 yesterday afternoon, unfortunately we flushed them and they flew off south.
Woke early and decided to do a breeding bird survey at the Parkside Colliery site (part of my Winwick patch)
It was cool at 5.30 am but got nicer as the morning progressed. As usual, the site was heaving with birds, though being early and cool, stuff only started singing in earnest by 6.30 am. Totals included 116 birds in song:
Lesser Whitethroat 1 in song Sedge Warbler 1 in song Reed Bunting 3 in song Yellowhammer 2 in song Grey Partridge 2 Meadow Pipit 2 in song Whitethroat 15 in song Chiffchaff 6 in song Willow Warbler 12 in song Blackcap 8 in song Stock Dove 2 Bullfinch 1 Kestrel 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 (inc. a pair feeding young) Robin 14 in song Great Tit 7 in song Blackbird 12 (7 in song) Jay 1 Mallard 4 Linnet 10 Goldfinch 2 in song Collared Dove 5 (2 in song) Song Thrush 7 in song Chaffinch 9 in song Woodpigeon 25 (3 in song) Carrion Crow 8 Magpie 7 Wren 12 in song Blue Tit 2 Swallow 9 House Martin 2 Dunnock 5 (3 in song, 1 feeding young) Mistle Thrush 2 Pheasant 5 Jackdaw 8 Feral Pigeon 11
Also scores of Rabbits, 1 Stoat and 1 Grey Squirrel.
Collin, i'm honestly not absolutely sure, its a bit difficult to say from the window of a train. It was around Earlestown station, sitting on a fencepost by the trainline. The passage of the train put it up, instantly recognisable by ring tail and white bar in the rump. Lovely looking bird, hope you find it.
Great news about the kingfisher being back not so much the Harris hawk! I've never seen a kingfisher up there am I looking in the wrong places, all I ever seem to see are teal tufties and the occasional lapwing, has he got a favourite perch?
Hi Anna
Welcome to Manchester Birding Forum.
The Kingfishers can be a bit elusive here - I see one probably around every half dozen visits.
From the main path where the benches are - look down the lake and to the left of the mud flat are some dead branches sticking up out of the water - they sometimes perch here. The last one I saw flew into the overhanging branches of a sycamore on the right - virtually impossible to see them once they are in there. I have also seen them fly down the little brook behind the path.
The best way to find them is to listen for their call which often announces their presence before you see them.
Great news about the kingfisher being back not so much the Harris hawk! I've never seen a kingfisher up there am I looking in the wrong places, all I ever seem to see are teal tufties and the occasional lapwing, has he got a favourite perch?