First returning Willow Warbler of the year this morning in Dukinfield, on Coopers Ride. Also 2 Sand Martins just around the corner near the canal, first ones back in the area. Chiffchaff still singing behind Whitelands Garden Centre.

This evening another Chiffchaff behind Asda, another regular site.

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Friday 9th of April 2010 05:52:44 PM

This afternoon on a walk following the course of the river Tame and along the Peak Forest Canal

3 Grey Wagtails including 2 males, I could hear others calling from the canal bank on the river below
Dipper appeared to be unringed
Pair of Mistle Thrushes at Portland Basin
22 Canada Geese Portland Basin
Chiffchaff between Portland Basin and Plantation Farm showing very well
Mallard
Long Tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Dunnock
Robin
Wren
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Magpie
Crow

Female Sparrowhawk perched on aerial of Station pub in Ashton, gave great views as it flew low towards the railway line
Also 3 Goosander (2 drake) on river this evening

Coopers Ride, Dukinfield
1st visit, nice walk that I never knew about (cheers Karen!)
kingfisher- flew up river towards Stalybridge
2 mallard
pair goosanders
4 woodpigeon
2 magpie
4 blue tits
4 great tits
3 blackbirds
2 longtailed tits
6 goldfinches
2 rooks
song thrush
robin
heard wren
no dippers



-- Edited by Rachael Hill on Sunday 28th of February 2010 07:59:18 PM

Nice to be able to still see birds (just about) after 5pm.

3 Goosander on River in Dukinfield (2 drake)
Cormorant over

TWO ! one legged black headed gulls this morning on top of Tameside College Building.

A short walk this afternoon, river still fairly high

Riverside Road from pavement

Dipper unringed
2 Moorhen
4 Mallard (2 drakes)
40+ Feral Pigeon
6 Magpie arriving for roost

Coopers Ride

3 Goosander (2 drake) pushed off by oblivious dog walker. I've noticed they rarely fly when disturbed just swim out of sight round the bend in the river.
Kingfisher approached flying over rough ground and then continued along course of river.
Dipper (presumably same bird from earlier) flew down river, calling and appeared to land in one of its favourite areas
2 Wren
2+ Bullfinch
4 Great Tit
Blue Tit
Robin
30+ B H Gull
2 L B B Gull
1 Common Gull
1 Canada Goose over
2 Woodpigeon
2 Pied Wagtail, one of which appeared to fly towards Ashton, perhaps going to roost.

Aside from my two Fieldfare in the garden today, I had a flock of 9 over.

I also went for a walk along the pavement and then onto the snow covered Coopers Ride.

1 Kingfisher showed extremely well
Mixed Tit flock 12 Long Tailed 8 Great and 2 Blue
Bullfinch
5 pairs of Mallard
pair Goosander
2 Robin
10+ Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Magpie roost seemed to be building
2 LBB Gull
15+ BH Gull
1 Common Gull
Grey Heron

Also watched an imm Cormorant circling, obviously looking for somewhere to land. I peered over the bridge and the Cormorant swam out from underneath, dived, resurfaced and then flew away up river but was circling again. This is the first time I have seen Cormorant on the river.

It's also the first time I have seen the river with ice on it!

Hi Karen,

Have you seen the male Mandarin on the Huddersfield canal outside Tesco's Stalybridge. He's in with a flock of mallards and seems quite happy though a little bossy!

I went down to the river in Dukinfield for the last time this year this afternoon and was not to be disappointed.

I was able to watch a Kingfisher fishing out in the open
A pair of Goosander were also down towards Asda along with a pair of Mallard in spite of the presence of a fisherman close by.
There were also a couple of Moorhens, one on the river and one foraging in the leaf litter
Plenty of BH Gulls going over towards Audenshaw possibly
A couple of Long Tailed Tits were out and about and a Goldfinch was the only finch around.

Also plenty of birds around the garden. Still lots of Blackbirds and Blue Tits.

Tawny Owl hooting late last night (11.45pm) at front of house.

Today lots of Blackbirds around including 7 on the lawn at once.
Wren, male Chaffinch, male Bullfinch and good numbers of Blue and Great Tits and pair of Coal Tits all frequent visitors to the garden over the last three days.

Collared Doves displaying and indulging in some mutual preening.

Had to kick neighbour's cat out

Tawny Owl hooting again tonight, even though the weather's disgusting!

Also earlier today Peregrine seen from the house.

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Monday 14th of December 2009 10:24:10 PM

Had me first mooch along Coopers Ride for a while.

Heard Dipper calling and it came and landed close by, almost crash landing A silver ringed bird, started to sing and then flew down river. I looked at the slab he had been on and it was obviously a regular spot River still very full and quite fast flowing so not many rocks visible at the mo.

Also three Goosander present (2 males)

2 separate flocks of Long Tailed Tits, one with at least five birds (was watching Dipper while they passed through behind me) and the other with at least 15 birds (on other side of river without bins)

Grey Heron and lots of extra sand banks (no doubt caused by recent rain)

Am

All reports from Ashton under Lyne

c50 Lapwing flying towards Gala Bingo, didn't have time to go and look though.
300+ Starling seen from office mid morning

No sign of any Lapwings on Gala Bingo at lunchtime

3.25 Peregrine flying south
10+ Pied Wagtails going to roost

A quiet week this week, with the change in daylight hours, no after work birding to be done

A heron around a couple of days
Dipper this morning, singing again
5 Crows also

Pied Wag roost back in Ashton in usual area on Thursday, they've been putting the Xmas lights up recently in their usual trees so lots of disturbance, and still plenty of leaves on trees so unable to count yet.

Karen

The Dipper was singing this morning

Pied Wagtail numbers in Ashton on the rise, should get a better idea of numbers next week

Karen

10/10/09

A Dipper gave excellent views, very close on occasion, there only seems to be one in the area near Asda from Coopers Ride at the moment.

Kingfisher also flew up river
Grey Heron on river
Mixed Tit flock still around
5 Wrens
3 prs Mallard
2 Moorhen
Still lots of Blackbirds

c.20 BH Gulls and 3 LBB Gulls around Tulip Foods
9 Magpies also in this area

Thanks for all of that Karen.I will have a wander some time.

Geoff (and anyone else who's interested)

It's like anywhere, if you put the time and effort in. Sometimes I don't see very much, and other times, you don't know where to look. I've seen more this year because I've been working in Ashton. I normally look from Dukinfield Bridge near Tulip Foods, the area known locally as the Piggeries; I walk up the river on the pavement most nights, even in the rain! Unless its flooded the bridge is the best area to see the Dippers.

Then there's a footpath near Tulip Foods called Coopers Ride, this comes out near Asda in Ashton. It goes under Tulip Foods conveyor belt, where you'll hear the sound of squealing pigs and also not a very nice smell, but if you persevere, you can get rewarded, normally nothing out of the ordinary, but it's easy to become blasé about Kingfishers, Dippers and Goosanders, the star regulars. This footpath can get very muddy after heavy rain and is often full of dog faeces and if the local Reporter is to be believed, full of syringes, (although I've never seen one).

The canal's not too far away, the river and the canal run almost parallel with one another at this point. Definitely worth a look

Like anywhere, if you put the legwork in, and the time and the effort, you never know what you might find. I'm still hopeful of a Med Gull on Tulip Foods' roof!

If you want any more info, let me know

4/10/09

I spent a lot of time down by the river watching the Dippers yesterday, the male was singing again
Also saw a fantastic Kingfisher which landed in a tree directly in front
9 Mallards, including what looked like a family group of 5
Mixed tit flock appears to have increased in number with c.30 Long Tailed, 3 Great and 1 Blue
1st winter Grey Wagtail
Blackbirds very conspicuous

Tulip Foods

40 BH Gulls
3 LBB Gulls
1 Grey Heron on container

5/10/09

2 Dipper, the male still singing this morning
2 Moorhen this evening

River Tame Dukinfield

28/09/09

Dipper am
2 Goosander pm
2 Moorhen

29/09/09 pm

4 Goosander (all f/1st winter birds)
Grey Heron
Kingfisher flying up stream

4 Goosander on river this morning

The ringed Dipper singing this afternoon
Also Kingfisher back and forth a couple of times
6 Mallards, very little else though

Sightings in the last couple of days

16/9

Dipper from Dukinfield bridge am

pm
6 Goosander (female or young birds, including one that attacked a drake Mallard!)
Juv Grey Heron
Jay over

17/9
ad Grey Heron am

pm
Dipper near Asda
Dipper from Dukinfield bridge
Kingfisher perched on rocks on opposite side
Moorhen

15:30 hrs. - River Tame, Dukinfield Bridge -
1 Dipper
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Grey Heron

-- Edited by Alan Turner on Tuesday 15th of September 2009 06:04:43 PM