Short walk covering Stott Drive to Jack Lane, Dutton's Pond and back.
Buzzards 7 comprising 2 separate pairs and group of 3. Sparrowhawk 1 Meadow Pipit 1 Reed Bunting 2 singing in Jack Lane reed bed. Willow Tit 1 in copse just south of Stott Drive. Chiffchaff 1 singing from across railway line near flyash hill. 1 singing in alder plantation west of Dutton's Pond. Missel Thrush 1 singing near Wellacre School. Song Thrush 1 singing near Jack Lane. Have also heard from back garden 3 singing at dusk.
Wellacre School Field: LBB Gull 1 C Gull 6 BH Gull 200+
I have checked 80% of the River Mersey from Flixton Bridge to where it joins the canal, the only section I missed where it runs parallel to Carrington Road. Walked all the way to Barton Locks fron Irlam Locks no sign of the Smew. Several small groups of Tufted Duck along the canal also five Goldeneye plus Gadwalls, Mallards, Little Grebes, Canadian Geese, Cormorants, Coots, Mute Swans. At Barton Locks large group of Tufted Duck with about thirty Pochard couldn't see anything special amongst them.
The has definitely been a thaw since yesterday, has it gone back to Rosthern?
1300 - 1430 drove the length of the Irlam and Cadishead Bypass stopping where safe and scanning the canal, no sign of Smew. As well as the rest reported today on this thread 4 male Goosander down near the Cadishead/Glazebrook roundabout end. Also Kingfisher and 3 snipe at Irlam Locks.
Intended to go for the Smew this morning - glad I didn't had much more fun mopping up the water from a burst pipe in our kitchen - almost deep enough at one stage to have my own duck pond
11.30am - 12.30pm No sign of Smew between Irlam Locks and Irlam Container Depot on Northbank Industrial Estate but plenty of other duck as the Ship Canal is the only bit of water that isn't frozen
Smew (Red head) on Ship canal between Irlam Locks and the railway viaduct 14.00pm First I have seen on my local patch, other birds included Little Grebe (2) Great Crested Grebe (4) one Shoveler (m) 10+ Gadwall, Tufted Duck (m) a few Teal, numerous Mallard and Coot, 30+ Cormorants, Kingfisher and a Redshank. 600+ gulls mainly Black Headed with a few Common Gulls and Lesser B.B. Gulls
Just been clearing ice from the drive way, and had Peregrine swoop into the brushes after starlings, about 10 foot away. Missed all the starlings and headed out over canal towards Irlam. Ascot Drive flixton
Well, an imm male Sparrowhawk flew past the back garden this afternoon and disturbed about 50 Starlings that were chattering away in a tree at the bottom of the garden. It's quite a regular event but he doesn't seem to catch much, which of course is a problem for imm Sparrowhawks, as their survival rates aren't particularly good, by all accounts.
A walk from Stott Drive, to the Locks, along past Jack Lane, to Dutton's Pond and return home produced:
Locks and ETW: BH Gulls 120+ ( all seem to be adults ) Mallard 1f Swallows 10+ Pied Wagtails 1ad and 2imm Grey Wagtails 2imm LBB Gull 1
Jack Lane and environs:Reed Bunting 1 Chiffchaffs 4 Blackcaps 2 Willow Ws 3 Whitethroats 1 Bullfinches 3 Jays 2
I saw a bird of prey circling above Flixton (Irlam Rd / Brooklands Ave) at around 14:00. Did anyone else see it and even ID it? I only had my small bins to hand and could not make it out. I defiantly don't think it was a buzzard. Hope someone else saw it too! Didn't see in which direction it was going, it just disappeared.
Star bird was a Kingfisher on the remains of the island. Mallards 20+ad and 7juv. Coots 2ad and 5juv. Moorhen 1ad. Canada Geese 4ad and 6juv.
Flixton Sewage Beds( near Irlam Locks ):
Swallows/Swifts/Hs Martins/Sand Martins 100+ with majority Sand Ms. Probably 60+, 20-30 House Ms., 10+ Swallows and a few Swifts. Pied Wagtails 2m 1f. Sparrowhawk 1m. Just seen possibly same bird in my back garden.
GtSWoodpecker 1imm in back garden. Not at same time as above! Rooks 12ad incl. 2imm Woodsend Park.
Fly Ash Hill: 1m Kestrel pestering a Buzzard. Skylark 1 singing. Sedge W 1 singing. Linnets 3 Reed Buntings 3 singing in the lagoons. Whitethroats 4 singing. BH Gulls 2.
Jack Lane: Reed Ws 2 singing plus another seen carrying food. Reed Bunting 2 singing.
Whilst sat in my garden, Stott Drive, Cuckoo heard from the direction of Wellacre College field/Dutton's Pond area, between 1440 and 1500, Sunday 26th April.
early pm walk from Stott Drive to Dutton's Pond and Jack Lane.
Apart from the regulars, Stock Dove 1 Song T 2* * = SINGING Blackcap 5* Willow W 2* Chiffchaff 5* Miss T 1* Kestrel 1 Buzzard 1 Swallow 1 Sand Martin 1 Cormorant 4 Bullfinch 1 GtS Woodpecker 1
At Jack Lane reed beds, Reed W 1* Reed Bunting 2m 1f Moorhen 4 heard.
Tuesday, 14th April, had a look at the Davyhulme Millenium NR for a change.
No Tree Sparrows, only House variety around the car park. On the Ship Canal: Cormorant 5 Mallard 2 Tufted Duck 5m 1f Moorhen 1 plus 1 at pond Pied Wagtail 1 near Barton Locks BH Gull 1
On the Reserve: Linnet 1 Jay 3 Lesser Redpoll 1 Willow W 3 singing Chaffinch 3 singing Chiffchaff 3 singing Greenfinch 4 singing Swallow 1 Blackcap 1 singing Song T 1 singing Reed Bunting 1m at pond etc etc.
was on the other end of the lock today davyhulme millenium nr 2 heron there several siskin greenfinch chiff chaff robin song thrush 2 swift 1 swallow 2 cormorant mallard m & f dunnock loads of tree sparrow and house sparrow in car park very tame 11 mixed tufted on canal some juvenile m & f 1 raven crows and 1 bird we cannot identify! got some photos of nearly all today's birds including the what is it bird! oh and we made a brief visit to woodsend rd to see the rooks
-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Saturday 11th of April 2009 10:31:29 PM
Walk from Stott Drive to Jack Lane, down to Ship Canal and return.
Willow W only 1 singing. Blackcap 1 singing below railway line. Chiffchaff 2 "singing". Reed Bunting 1m Stock Dove 2 G Heron 1 GSWoodpecker 1 drumming in Wellacre School grounds. GtCGrebe 3 on canal just downstream from locks. Cormorant 4 over. Swallow 1 near rail bridge over canal. Coal Tit 2 Kestrel 1f etc. etc. etc.
water inlet repairs underway near locks but path alongside canal still not open.
This afternoon 2 Sand Martins noted as I watched a pair of Buzzards south of the fly-ash hill. Mute Swan appears to be sitting on what remains of the Dutton's Pond island.
This morning 1000am on Mile Road heading for Carrington first filed on right c100 lapwings and first field on left right at far end near bend in river flock of Canada geese, could make them out although in convoy with in laws definately 1 white goose with them. Was going to stop on way back but at 1100 no sign, going for mooch now.......
Flixton fields behind Arundel Ave well worth a look thismorning. Lots of Fieldfare, Redwing, finches, buntings, pippets, larks, wagtails, tits, starlings. Horsie people starting to disturb them though.
It was just a pure fluke, as I was waiting outside St. Michael's school for the wife who was in the transferred church service. I looked up to see a number of LBB Gulls flying SE I guess, towards the direction of the old Greyhound pub. A very starling-like bird, but not a starling, came over, low enough in the same direction, so as to see the general Waxwing colour scheme. Luckily, I'd got my eye in for the species last week, as I saw about 100 in Talbot Road, Hyde.