Hi Charlotte, could it not have been a corvid that had lost one or two of its middle tail feathers? I can't think of any fork tailed bird that match your description but i may be wrong
Hi Rob - yes, thanks, my mistake. I wouldn't have said it was a Bird of Prey. It didn't behave like one, and, what I probably meant, is that it wasn't the size of a Red Kite, so I ruled that one out. It looked bigger than a crow (maybe more towards the size of a raven, but the tail was wrong for a raven) and it also looked predominantly black (but that could have been due to losing the light).
Do you have any guesses on what it might have been?
Hi Charlotte. Regarding the fork-tailed bird... you state that it didnt look Raptor-sized. Raptors are different sizes, do you mean it didnt look like a Bird of Prey? Cheers
27/12/2020 - from 8:30am to 4pm (with a break in between):
Nuthatch
Teal
Gadwall
Little Grebe
Snipe
Heron
Mallard
Mute Swan (ringed)
Canada Geese
Redwing
GS Woodpecker
Coot
Moorhen
Dunnock
Longtailed Tit
Robin
Jay
Black Headed Gulls (one ringed)
- Something Corvid-looking flew over quite low with a very well-defined and distinctive forked tail. Didn't look raptor sized, and didn't look like a Red Kite to me.
-- Edited by Charlotte Harrison on Sunday 27th of December 2020 10:37:08 PM
Worsley Woods 11-13.45.
Buzzard,
Sparrowhawk (f),
2 Bullfinch,
Treecreeper,
Jay.
The Dam.
Initially I only could find 17 Common snipe but luckily a Buzzard decided to land right in the middle of them causing an eruption of Snipe. As they flew a couple of laps around the dam I counted 63 until they flew out of sight only to return a minute later. I counted 74 as they returned back to their favourite place in the cover to the right of the wooden jetty. I don't think that I have ever seen this many Snipe before around the dam.
11.00 to 14.15.
An excellent couple of hours in Worsley Woods
45+ Common Snipe scattered around the dam with more flying in as I was leaving.
Green sandpiper flushed from the water logged area near the motorway bridge.
Woodcock flushed from the area behind the dam.
Also seen,
3 Brambling along the cycle track
3 Lesser redpoll
2 Siskin
22 Redwing
3 Fieldfare
Nuthatch
Song thrush
3 Mistle thrush
Goldcrest
18 Tufted duck
Little grebe
3 Shoveler
Kingfisher
2 Jay's
Coal tit
6 Long tailed tips
Sparrowhawk
2 Cormorants over.
10 - 14.15.
Blackcap and 3 Jays in Wardley woods.
Around the Dam area.
7 Gadwall
17 Teal.
4 Shoveler
2 Little grebe.
Goldcrest
2 Greenfinch.
Good to meet up again with Dave Winnard.
No sign of the Yellow-browed warbler this afternoon.
.
The Yellow-Browed Warbler called just after I got out of the car at 10:38, in the vicinity of the tennis court. No further sign up to around 11:30 when one other border was still searching. 1 Redpoll over
The Yellow-Browed Warbler called just after I got out of the car at 10:38, in the vicinity of the tennis court. No further sign up to around 11:30 when one other birder was still searching. 1 Redpoll over
-- Edited by dave broome on Sunday 18th of October 2020 12:31:03 PM
Yellow-browed Warbler at Beesley Green, Worsley (Roe Green) in trees around the car park and bowling green off Greenleach Lane (bird is vocal currently).
10.15am to 13.15. Wardley woods Female Sparrowhawk 2 Great spotted woodpeckers 2 Bullfinch Jay Song thrush Worsley woods Small flock of 8 Long tailed tits and a single Coal tit Tree creeper On the dam. Kingfisher Little grebe 5 Gadwall 6 Snipe 5 Tufted duck 3 Grey wagtails 2 Buzzards over Male Sparrowhawk flying through the trees. Filtration lagoons Male Blackcap 7 Goldfinch.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 27th of September 2020 04:59:37 PM
Walked from the Old Warke dam through the woods to Roe Green,then along the loop line back to the dam. Species seen as follows. Starling x 6 Black Headed Gull x 18 House Sparrow x 3 Carrion Crow x 1 Goldfinch x 6 Magpie x 4 Mallard x 20 Mute Swan x 3 Herring Gull x 1 Coot x 6 Moorhen x 1 Robin x 4 Grey Wagtail x 1 Blackbird x 4 Wood Pigeon x 2 Wren x 6 Blackcap x 1 Tree Creeper x 1 Quite a few other birds heard ,but the canopy was so dense they were hard to find. I finished up with birders neck.
Tonight whilst coming home from work around 7:30pm along Leigh Road (Millionaires Row) I noticed a bird swoop down over the pavement at head height from a tree and suspected what it was. It perched up on a tree stump in the wooded area of Leigh Road in clear view and as I passed looked at the car, a fantastic Tawny Owl!
Treecreepers x2, Bullfinch x 2, Sisk in, Grey wagtail, Goldcrest.
On the dam.
17 Teal, 4 Tufted duck, Little grebe, 7 Snipe, 3 Herons and the usual Black headed gulls. It's a shame that some of the railings have been removed around the lake as dogs were swimming in the water near the wooden platform disturbing the 4 Mute swans.
Also I flushed a Woodcock in the old figure of 8 area in Wardley woods on the way home.
Late news from yesterday (30th April) Cettis warbler heard singing in bushes by side of M60 slip road at South end of filtration beds whilst I was sat in traffic c.6pm.
A wander around Worsley Woods including Old Warke dam this morning;
On the dam; 8 Snipe 42 Mallard 7 Tufted Duck 5 Mute Swan (the male is ringed, blue darvic 4DBC - Steve C, any interesting facts about this one??) 8 Moorhen 36 Teal 12 Coot 1 Grey Heron 26 Black-headed Gull 1 Little Grebe
In the area; Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits Nuthatch, Goldcrest Song Thrush
Five Bramblings seen with a flock of Chaffinch (30+) in the trees alongside the sheep field next to the Bridgewater school on Worsley Road this afternoon. Also two Rooks in the field with the many Crows and Woodpigeon.
Three visits in the last week along the canal and the filtration lagoons and I have not seen a single Swallow either nesting under the motorway bridge or feeding over the lagoons. Other birds seen include; Filtration beds, max numbers seen. 6 Reed warblers and plenty more heard. Sledge warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow warblers, 7 Reed buntings, 12 Long tailed tits , family group. 4 Jays, Song thrush, 3 Mistle thrush Goldcrest 2 Wrens Moorhen, 2 Coots, Garden warbler heard but not seen. 8 Swifts.
-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Thursday 21st of June 2018 09:02:07 PM
A Green woodpecker was a nice find this morning, seen in a small stubble field next to the motorway.
Follow the woods path to Roe green until the small wooden bridge. Cross over to the other side and follow the path back towards Worsley woods. This path rises up to the motorway, the stubble field is on the right just before the path drops down to the stream and the tunnel.
Yesterday evening c. 6pm 600+ Starlings murmurating (if that's the right term?!) over the filtration beds, watched whilst sat in traffic and small flocks arriving all the time.