James Walsh wrote:

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Jack Lane Nature Reserve

Garden Warbler, flycatching & showing well on bushes above the reeds from the footpath through the reedbed
Water Rail, walked over the footpath and showed again briefly
2 Reed Buntings (male & female)
2 singing Reed Warbler
1 Common Buzzard

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thanks again for a great day out james, some good birds seen throughout the day

My first Swifts of the year, with 2 over Flixton this afternoon.

Monday, April 22nd pm.

Walk from Stott Drive, via Jack Lane to Ship Canal.

Stott Drive:

Waxwing 35
Grey Heron 1 low over front garden.
Kestrel 1
Coal tit 1 singing.
Blackcap 1 singing.

Jack Lane NR:

Water Rail 1 heard.
Reed Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 1 singing.
Chiffchaff 1 singing.
Moorhen 1
Reed Bunting 2

Canal/ETW:

Cormorant 2
Oystercatcher 1
Pied Wagtail 12+
Grey Wagtail 1
Swallow 10+
Bullfinch 1
Mute Swan 8ads 3imms.
Mallard 7
Greenfinch 4
Starling 30+
BH Gull 20+
LBB Gull 3

Even better, but 2 male Blackcaps now perched in my Mountain Ash Tree. Brilliant to hear their beautiful song, especially so close to the house.

16/4, Tuesday pm.

ETW/Ship Canal:

BH Gull 10+
Swallow 10+
Sand Martin 3
Mute Swan 2ad 3imm
Grey Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 10+
Cormorant 1
Magpie 30+

Along River Mersey:

Kingfisher 1
Sparrowhawk 1

FlyAsh Hill:

Buzzard 2
Teal 1 pair
Little Grebe 1
Linnet 1 singing

etc.etc.etc.

11 Chiffchaffs singing in total, on whole walk.

Irlam Locks 7.30am

A pair of Mandarin ducks between Irlam Locks and railway viaduct, this is a new species for me on my local patch,
other species nearby Kingfisher (2) Gadwall (4), Teal (4) several Mallards and a Great Crested Grebe.
Chiffchaff at Jack Lane N.R. no signs of any other migrants.
Kevin

Large thrush flock this morning Fieldfare Redwing c50+, mixed finch flock Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch, Redpoll . Willow Tit Coal Tit, etc.
best bit of the morning was bumping into Mr McCabe who was on a Chiffchaff hunt the same as me, birders we are all the same...

Keep Birding

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 18th of March 2013 07:57:02 PM

6 Buzzard circling high over the Mile Road just before 1pm this afternoon.

Late mention from Monday, 25th Feb.

From Flyash Hill were seen:

Goosander 2m 2f flying east along River Mersey.
Cormorant 1 as above.
Teal 5+
Gadwall 1m 1f
Moorhen 1
Buzzard 2
Bullfinch 1 "singing".

Wednesday, Jan. 16th.

Highlights.

A male Goosander flying south over Flyash Hill. 10+ Redwings and 10+ Fieldfares also seen from the hill.

10+ Siskin at Dutton's Pond, plus a singing Song Thrush. 1 Willow Tit nearby.

At the ETW/Canal were 8 Lesser Redpolls. Also, 16 Mallards, 4 Mute Swans, including 2 adults with rings VJ6 and SYC, 2 Grey Wagtails, 150+ BH Gulls, with just 1 Common and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 50+ Pied Wagtails, 20+ Starlings, 30+ Magpies and 2 Cormorants.

First Redwing of the autumn over the house early afternoon.

Along the mile road today, about 16.00 hours a steady stream of swallows flew low over the stubble field, approx 70+ over 10mins.

Late post for Yesterday - 6.30pm Irlam Locks 1 Grey Wagtail c.25 Pied Wagtails - looking like they were getting ready roost 1 Grey Heron 7.50am 10 Swallows gathered on wires

Monday, June 18th.

Usual walk from home.
Highlight was a second-summer Mediterranean Gull, with 2 adult and 3 immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 immature Common Gull and a number of Black-headed Gulls, all helping to clean up Wellacre School field after the Boys' lunch break.
Plenty of the usual stuff.

Wednesday, May 23rd.

*another Whimbrel* over Flixton. Just the one this time.

Also a Yellow Wagtail flying west over Fly-Ash Hill, presumably on it's way to Chat Moss.

Also around the Hill and lagoons:

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1m
Sedge Warbler 1 singing.
Reed Warbler 1 singing.
Skylark 1 singing.
Tufted Duck 1m 1f
Stock Dove 2
Swifts/Sand Martins/Swallows/2 House Martins.
Blackcaps/Whitethroats/Chiffchaffs/Willow Warblers.
Pied Wagtail 2

Whimbrel 2 flying North over Stott Drive, calling at 1450.

House Martin 3 around Woodsend Shops.

Had a pleasant hour round there last night, till around 7.30pm.

(Not been there since my cross-country runs from school 40 years ago!)

ETW/Canal and environs

A great display of Swallows and Sand Martins assembled on the telegraph wires at the ETW - strangely no House Martins amongst them at that point.

2 (possibly 3) Grey Herons
1 male and 1 female Goosander
1 male Gadwall
plenty of Mallard scattered about including a couple in the locks
9 Mute Swans on the northern side of the locks with another under the railway bridge to the south
2 Cormorants
Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler heard and seen
Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits
Chaffinch heard
Carrion Crow
Magpies
Wood Pigeon
Blackbird
House Martins/Swallows over the fields




-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 9th of May 2012 02:26:21 PM

Belated report for 28/4/12.

Jack Lane:

Reed Warbler 1 singing.

ETW/Canal:

100+ Hirundines, mainly Swallows, then Sand Martins, then House Martins.
Grey Wagtail 2
Kingfisher 1
Mute Swan 1 pair adults.
Oystercatcher 2
Black-headed Gulls
LBB Gulls and 1 Herring Gull flying upstream (NE).
Kestrel 1m
Grey Heron 1
Pied Wagtail 3

General Sightings:

Sparrowhawk 1
Bullfinch 1
Chiffchaffs/Willow Warblers/Blackcaps.
etc.etc.etc.

Thursday, 12th April, pm walk from Stott Drive to Jack Lane and on to MSC.

Highlights:

Willow Warbler 2 singing.
Chiffchaff 5 singing.
Sparrowhawk 1f.
Lesser Redpoll 1
Blackcap 3 singing plus 1 female.
Linnet 1
Cormorant 4
Kingfisher 1
etc.etc.etc.

Any extent of white on the head of a Cormorant is not necessarily indicative of the 'sinensis' race of Cormorant I'm afraid Michael. Their identification is in fact very difficult to say the least.

7.50am
A singing Chiffchaff in a tree next to MS Canal this morning

Wednesday, January 18th:

ETW/Canal:

Goosander 1m1f
Gadwall 2m2f
Mallard 7
Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 10+
BH Gull 60+
Starling 50+
Magpie 30+
Moorhen 1

Wellacre School Field:

Common Gull 14
LBB Gull 1
Treecreeper 1

Garden/Back Field:

Goldcrest 1 singing.
Song Thrush 1 plus 1 singing.

etc.etc.etc.

Monday, 2nd January 2012,pm.

37 species in total.
Highlights:

Flyash Hill:

Sparrowhawk 1m
Lesser Redpoll 12+
Teal heard on the River Mersey.
Cormorant 5 flying over.

ETW:

Pied Wagtail 40+

Dutton's Pond:

Grey Heron 1
Moorhen 6
Coot 2
Mallard 12+
Canada Geese 16

General Area:

Mixed flock of Fieldfare/Redwing/Missel Thrush 30+
BH/LBB/Common Gulls over plus 1 Herring Gull noted.

Irlam Locks, 19th Nov:

Black-headed Gull 154
Grey Heron 2
Great Crested Grebe 2
Pied Wagtail 1
Cormorant 1
Dunnock 1

An the ETW:

Pied Wagtail 74
Grey Wagtail 1

Info thanks to Phil Kelly