06.44 - 06.50

Fewer Jackdaws today - perhaps some took a slightly different route but so far nowhere near the 3000+ of 2012.

Today 1218 with largest flock c550.

Cheers, John

17.40 hrs - one high up hirundine against the clear evening sky.

flying above j.sainsburys and heading east -probably a house martin.

andy

Down Torkington Road

19 Swallow gathered on wires
c15 House Sparrows in 1 flock

Cheers, John

Hazel Grove Golf Club

Male Buzzard carried large worm to nest where female is sitting. When the male left a pair of Crows then set about the female harassing from about 2 feet away, repeatedly calling and threatening mock aggressive bill pecking. I presume trying to drive the female from the nest to predate the young or eggs. Or perhaps just to defend their own territory. The male eventually returned and saw them off.

Also family of Mistle Thrushes (3 full grown young) and Coal Tits and Great Tits carrying food.

Cheers John.

Stockport Golf Club to Broadoak Farm 10.15-11.15

Has Spring sprung?
2 Swallow in and around the farm
6+ Chiffchaff
4 Common Buzzard
Kestrel
2 Bullfinch
Linnet
2 Meadow Pipit
Treecreeper
Nuthatch
3 Jay

Possible Willow Warbler trying to sing behind Broadoak fishing pond.

A first for the garden as a Raven called loudly overhead.

It flew towards Doodfield Stores where it nearly landed but was mobbed by a Carrion Crow.

Cheers John

Not a lot but did manage to find 1 Woodcock

Also
14 House Sparrows
2 Coot, 1 Moorhen on fountain pond
Flock of Long-tailed Tits
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
A few Bullfinches


Cheers, John

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07.10- 07-20

Large flocks of Jackdaws over - all NE.

The biggest flocks were 1000, 900, 600 and 450. Total 3,025.

I count these flocks in blocks of 100. I might be under-estimating what a 100 looks like but I am uncannily consistent with the totals. 3,025 today; 3,030 on 10th Nov; 3,070 on 27th Oct.

Cheers, John

Hazel Grove Golf Club:

Pond with new fountain:

1 juvenile Little Grebe (didn't see any adults)
1ad, 2 juvenile Moorhens
1 Coot


Cheers, John

18th August:

2 Swifts over the house flying west.

Cheers, John

8 Male Blackcaps singing this evening. 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers.

Cheers, John

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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You've ruled out Iberian Chiffchaff?

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Absolutely Rob

Didn't sound right. Didn't look right.

Cheers, John

Hazel Grove Golf Course

Most interesting bird was a presumed hybrid Willow Warbler x Chiffchaff.

It was a 'mixed singer' starting with a standard chiff, chaff, chiff, chaff, followed by a weak willow warbler descending trill. A dull individual without yellow tones but with the longer primary extension of a willow warbler.

Cheers, John

A work party at Hazel Grove Golf Course has just finished inspecting and cleaning out the 100 nest boxes that were erected earlier this year.

6 of these were either lost or stolen.

Of the remaining 94 no less that 68 contained some form of nest (13 of these still contained eggs or dead chicks.

Some of the 26 'empty' boxes still showed some evidence of occupancy, perhaps prospecting or roosting.

The overall occupancy was therefore at least 71.6%, a magnificent effort all round.

Cheers, John

John Rayner wrote:

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parkie1 wrote:

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The little Egret has recently taken up residence in Torkington Park and can be regularly seen feeding in the brook.It is getting more used to people and dogs and no longer flys off when they walk past.

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Since reading this note and as Torkington Park is only 1/2 mile from my house I've checked the brook at least twice a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. No sign of Little Egret although every dog walker I speak to has seen it. I've also been checking Darley Road fields without success (I seem to have missed it here by about an hour on Saturday). On top of this I've missed it at Beanleach Road by a couple of hours and also failed just over the border in Poynton. Some things are just not meant to be

Cheers, John

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Flocks of Fieldfares regularly appearing along the freight line in the Grove near Chester Road playing fields for the past couple of days.

A late afternoon stroll.

2 Coot on pond (no Moorhens and the only tree that gave nesting cover has been felled)
2 Goldcrests singing,
2 Song Thrushes singing,
5-7 Bullfinches,
1 Woodcock,
c12 Goldfinches,
lots of Great Tits and Blue Tits but nothing seen using any of the nest boxes.

Cheers, John

Andy Bissitt wrote:

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... a nest box scheme has been launched at the golf club to help resident birds like blue, great, coal ...

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Over the past few weeks I have been helping a small work party of Hazel Grove Golf Club members with their nest box scheme and today we put up the 100th nest box, 100 because this project forms part of the golf club's 2013 centenary celebratation (although there are still 2 Owl and 2 Kestrel boxes to be made and sited). Blue Tits were already showing an interest in 3 of the boxes almost as soon as they were erected. The boxes are all numbered and mapped so, hopefully, I will be able to monitor them and report on breeding activity.

Cheers, John

With Iain Johnson and John Rayner this am about 10ish

Little Egret visible from Brookside Garden Centre in GM.

With Iain Johnson am

No sign of Little Egret in Hazel Grove this am in very wet conditions

11.30 to 12 45am No sign of Little Egret today BUT Lesser Spotted Woodpecker between the stream and the railway gate/bar on road leading to HG golf course. Watched for 10 mins giving me superb views. It is so much smaller than the Great Spotted (also watched drumming today)
Almost the same size as the nuthach feeding next to it. Brilliant!
3 buzzards together over the golf course.
Regards John Tro

No sign of John Rayney or his nemisis, the little egret in the gloom of hazel grove this am.

One Little Egret (at last ) in field behind Darley Rd, Norbury Moor, on the GM side of the Norbury Brook.

Info thanks to Maureen Parker.

One Little Egret in the field behind Darley Rd, between there and Norbury Brook, around midday (information thanks to Maureen Parker).