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.
Walked around the woods this afternoon starting and finishing at the wooden walkway out into the Old Warke Dam The woods should be renamed Worsley water gardens after todays deluge Birds seen as follows. wood pigeon 12 teal 6 mallard 12 several paired off
tufted duck 4 (2m 2f ) mute swan 2 (1m 1f) black headed gull 16 Canada goose 1 robin 6 magpie 4 jay 1 great tit 2 blue tit 4 blackbird 5 moorhen 1
On the flooded field north off Grange road this am,
2 immature Mute Swan
31+ pied wagtail
Single lapwing
Black headed Gulls and Starlings in good numbers and birds arriving all the time.
2 Buzzard on Pylon near filtration lagoons.
Over the flooded fields off between grange road and filtration beds this evening c. 200 mixed swallow and house martin, 4+ Swift attracted 3 Kestrel and a juvenile Hobby which landed out of sight in a large tree in field between grange road and the M62.
3 Treecreepers 4 Nuthatch 3 Siskins 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Lots of singing birds including Goldfinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Robin, Wren, Coal Tit, Chaffinch 1 Grey wagtail 1 Sparrowhawk - a male flew low over Dam
sitting in the normal morning rush hour today, surprised to see a Buzzard sat on the grass in the middle of the roundabout near The John Gilbert, it seemed to think a small twig was a worm and then flew up into one of the trees on the roundabout.
Got a flock of redpolls visiting the garden feeding on the nyger seeds regularly for past three weeks. They are joined by Siskin goldfinch chaffinch & Greenfinch along with the regular garden birds including nuthatch.
I found a ringed goldcrest that had unfortunately hit lounge window . Sent details off to BTO to see where it came from.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 23rd of January 2016 07:20:17 PM
4 Kingfishers, 3 looked like juveniles. 2 Little grebes with 3 tiny chicks. 7 Grey wagtails including 5 juveniles 2 Herons Chiffchaff Sparrowhawk
Filtration lagoons 5 House martins 30+ Swallows all flying low heading South 1 Sedge warbler 2 Reed buntings Jay 2 Buzzards 2 Stoats, one jumped into the canal and swam to the opposite bank.
walked from worsley along the canal to monton then up the loop line to worsley woods birds seen as follows little grebe mute swan Canada goose 8 teal 8 mallard 12 tufted duck 9 moorhen 2 coot 4 common snipe 3 black headed gull 6 wood pigeon 14 collared dove 4 robin 10 blackbird 7 song thrush long tailed tit 3 blue tit 10 great tit 2 magpie 22 jackdaw 4 carrion crow 4 starling 4 chaffinch 7
9 Tufted duck 12 Teal Little grebe Common Snipe Grey heron 2 Nuthatch Jay Sparrowhawk (male) Large flock of 150+ Redwing flying north east Also a Mink was seen carrying a Brown rat near the overflow.
Walk through the woods this afternoon with my wife duration around 2 hours
Birds seen as follows
Blackbird x8
Mallard x8 with 8 young
Teal
Tufted duck x3
Robin x10
Nuthatch
Moorhen x4
Coal tit
Magpie x4
White duck x3
Great spotted woodpecker
Possible sighting of a lesser spotted woodpecker flying away from me . undulating flight and
Looked smaller than a great
House sparrow
Woodpigeon x4
Collared dove x4
Grey wagtail
Early afternoon Dam and woods 20 Tufted ducks 12 Teal 10 Mallards 4 White Mallards ( according to guide) Grey heron over cormorantx2 over Treecreeper nuthatchx2 Goldfinchx2 Male Sparrowhawk hunting the woods Usual Tits Fields opp Bridgewater School Jackdaw flockx20 Starling flockx20+ Mistle thrush Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
13.30-15.30 Dam and woods Tealx12 Moorhens and coots Mallardx6 Tufted ducksx10 Grey heronx2 over Nuthatchx2 Robinx4 Jayx3 Song thrushx2 Usual tits Magpiesxloads Highlight was a Male Sparrowhawk sat at the top of a tree, got right underneath till it spotted me. cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
Bullfinch 1m 1 f Reed Bunting 1m 1 f Redwing 12 Mistle Thrush Song Thrush Coot 3 Mallard 4 Teal 2 Cormorant
A Crane and a Grey Heron circled above Middle Wood and dropped in cork screw fashion, Amazing sight absolutely huge bird with its neck outstretched made the Grey Heron look small.
12.00-14.00 Woodlands and Dam Treecreeper Nuthatchx4 Magpiesxloads Usual tits Tealx8 Mallardx10 Song thrush and Moorhen at the Delph Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive