30-40 Redwings circling Rochdale golf and rugby clubs this evening just after dusk today

Thursday 15th April 2021

2 Goosanders at Bridge 61 on the Rochdale Canal

2 Lapwings at Belfield on the River Beal

Juvenile Goosander on the Rochdale Canal associating with Mallards at Bridge 61

Buckley Valley 17:47 hrs

Two Red Kites drifted north over Buckley Hall prison and passed directly overhead as I stood in the field to the north. Their flight line would have probably taken them over Watergrove Reservoir.

Little gull (found yesterday by Kevin Lister) still at Spring Mill Reservoir, Whitworth today which is partly in Rochdale (and therefore GM). 

Record shot of the marsh harrier that drifted over Rochdale town centre whilst watching the peregrines yesterday 16th at 6.10pm heading in a westerly direction.



-- Edited by steven burke on Monday 17th of July 2017 12:33:16 PM

one ringed necked parakeet,seen calling in flight over turf hill rochdale,seen by john webb

birds seen around buersil heah,rochdale,,,,,kestrel 2 birds hunting,,,,,.common gull 5 AD,1 JUV,,,,,lesser black-backed gull 7 AD,1 JUV,,,,,herring gull 2 AD,1 JUV,,,,,chaffinch 2,,,,,house martin 9,,,,,,goldfinch 3,,,,,robin calling,,,,,blue tit 2,,,,,woodpigeon 30+,,,,,jackdaw,,,,,magpie,,,,c.crow,,,,,wren,,,,,long-tailed tit,,,,,starling 40 +,,,,,grey wagtail 1 calling in flight,,,,,willow warbler 1 calling,,,,thanks john

birds seen round buersil head rochdale,,,common buzzard 2 in flight,,,,,.swallow 8,,,,,.house martin 4,,,,,.goldfinch,,,,,.blackbird,,,,,house sparrow 12,,,,,.starling with juvenile,,,. chaffinch 2 mate in song,,,,,.robin,,,,,.wren,,,,,.dunnock,,,,,.woodpigeon,,,,,.blackcap 1 in song,,,,,.linnet 2 in flight,,,,,.swift 5.thanks john

juvenile dipper on the river in the town centre.

Shawfield > Fern Hill > Lanehead > Forsyth Brow > Greenbooth > Woodhouse Lane - 11th March
Goldfinch - Conspicuous and numerous throughout (except Forsyth Brow)
Robin - ditto
Greenfinch - x 3 at Shawfield x 1 at Greenbooth Wood
Sparrowhawk male x 1 at Fern Hill
House Sparrow x 5 near Lanehead. The old cottages there and the farms are good for them so there are many more than this.
Skyalrks singing at Forsyth Brow
Starlings x 20 at Forysth Brow
Skirting the moor, very few pipits and no curlew.
Lapwing - two pairs off Woodhouse Lane, as per recent years.

5th August.

Male Pied Wagtail feeding juveniles(s) in the tree right next to the main entrance to the M62 westbound services at Birch this morning.

Cheers,

Bill.


-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 5th of August 2013 09:44:27 PM

Old House Brook > Black Dad > Birtle Dene > Deeply Vale (Manchester side)
25th June
Whitethroats singing in good numbers throughout the walk - they appear to be at a peak in these parts.
Willow Warblers also in good numbers and a few pairs of bullfinches.
Buzzard mewing somewhere out of site.
Linnets appear to be very down in numbers generally, but a pair that slipped out of some gorse were silent so perhaps I overlooked some.

Roch Valley Meadowcroft Wood To Tyrones Bed 5th April

Struck by the number of nuthatches calling on different territories - probably 3 -4 locations in a relatively short walk. They are certainly doing well.

a female Tawny Owl calling from the same area today at abt 5pm.

Bill Myerscough wrote:

---

Out and about doing a site visit for my Winter Thrushes Survey this morning... A really beautiful autumn morning to be out of doors, enjoying the scenery, weather and birds and trying not to worry too much about getting stuck in or falling over in, above the ankles depth mud! The things we must endure in order to get the BTO the data they require!

---

Reminded me of the sign in the cafe at Old Moor saying how that eating their cake would help conservation. If it's good for the birds we must grit our teeth and do it - someone has to!

Late yesterday morning (23/10) there was a gathering of at least 53 Collared Doves together on telephone lines on a farm at Birch. This might possibly be a record count for this species in Rochdale MBC.

Cheers,

Bill.

The early visit this morning for my Rochdale Town Centre Breeding Birds Survey was generally quiet but there were a few signs of resident birds getting into the swing of things. Mistle Thrush, Collared Dove and Jackdaw all nest building....not the same nest of course! Pair of Long Tailed Tits collecting and carrying food, as was a single Song Thrush seen collecting masses of worms from the moist soil..... the other bird of this pair near the nest, was alarm calling vigorously when a pair of Jays came snooping.

The only migrant species seen/heard were singing 2 Blackcaps and a single singing Chiffchaff.

Cheers,

Bill.

Hi, does anybody know where the best place is to see a Comoront in Rochdale or just around Littleborough,
Thankyou,
Joshua.

10th June - am.

A visit to Rochdale Town Centre this morning for the second instalment of my 2011 Breeding Birds Survey and the challenges and delights of counting Feral Pigeons and corvids! However, the occasional wander off the set course to have a look at the Town Hall Peregrines and quick visits to a couple of the town centre parks produced some decent records.

A family party of Blackcaps seen in the small area of woodland (St Chad's Gardens?) between St Chad's Church and the Town Hall was a really nice sight. The male was seen feeding 1 juvenile, of which there appeared to be at least 3. A male Pied Wagtail was with 2 juveniles near St Chad's and also around the bowling greens of Broadfield Park. Also in the same park, a Greenfinch appeared to be collecting berries (which appeared to be unripe as yet) from an Amelanchier tree.

In Mandale Park - a family party of Wrens and a Song Thrush carrying food. A Willow Warbler and a Bullfinch were singing there too. Fledged Robins, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Woodpigeons and Magpies were seen/heard as well.

Cheers,


Bill

Buckley Valley 08:00 - 09:30 hrs. Plenty of interest here this a.m.

Highlight was a Reed Warbler singing from the Phragmites on the pond along Rydings Road just by the CCTV camera! The altitude here is 150 M above sea level. Only my 2nd ever Rochdale Reed Warbler. The first was found by Simon Hitchen at Hollingworth lake on 8th June 2008. Ill certainly be going back in a weeks time to see if it's still on territory.

Also seen:
a pair of Mute Swans

Family parties of Coal Tit (first time I've confirmed breeding in this area), Blue Tit and Great Tit - adults collecting food and juvs begging to be fed, so clear signs of dependency allowing the breeding code FL to be used.

Linnet 4 flew east

Willow Warbler - 2 singing and 2 calling continuously (a sure sign they have young nearby either in the nest or recently fledged.) Sure enough both calling birds (probably a pair) were carrying insects in their bills.

Whitethroat - 1 singing
Blackcap - a pair
Kestrel

Yesterday a Dipper was seen in Buckley Brook

Steve


-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Thursday 2nd of June 2011 11:14:18 AM

2nd March

Am.

Bowlee Community Park - last time here there were masses of birds on the playing fields...not a single one today!

However there was - 1 Kestrel, 1 Reed Bunting singing, 1 Mistle Thrsuh singing and 1 Moorhen on a small pond.

In the maize stubble fields around Bowlee village - c80 Lapwing, c70 Fieldfare and c130 Starling and 3 Stock Dove. Didn't bother counting the numerous corvids. What were probably 2 separate pairs of Tree Sparrows were seen about half a mile apart.

Cheers,

Bill.

Stanney Brook Park area

sightings included

6 teal
1 moorhen
1 song thrush
2 Bullfinch
7 greenfinch
5 goldfinch
1 redwing
3 fieldfare
1 great spotted woodpecker
2 goosander flew over
1 cormorant flew over

2 Woodcock yesterday in Rochdale Cemetery was a first for me at my old 'patch', a great sight, got such a buzz from seeing them so close to home

Loads of interesting fungi to....though of course all fungi are interesting

Dave