stretford tip/meadows

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

RE: stretford tip/meadows

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

Excellent news about the forthcoming maps .
Ps. My avatar was phone-scoped to the right of middle/kestrel hill (with the cricket club to the right ) in the dip . They seem to favour that area for hunting .

Copland Smith · Status: Offline

I'm in the process of making a series of Mersey Valley maps for birds & butterflies. I'll have a go at the Stretford & Urmston ones, then, and I'm happy to adopt Middle Hill. I call it Kestrel Hill.

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

No map as I know of, but I enter from the Poplar rd. entrance then walk slightly uphill...Walking across the small flat top you come to a substantial dip and incline to another mini hilltop with a large concrete manhole cover on it. (Motor way to your left ) this is what I call the "middle hill" as it again tappers down (with the cricket club to the right) eventually to the garden centre entrance to the tip.
As the little hilltop is nearly central to the tip I refer to it as that, as some birders I know ask for directions / locations and there aren't too many features on there. It would be a good thing if someone did a map as it might encourage more birders to visit the location.

Simon Gough · Status: Online

Late post for Monday 2nd May

Around 830-1000 with Chris Chandler

A fairly quick spin round the site hoping to hear or see Grasshopper Warbler. No sign at all, it was pretty breezy but seemed sheltered enough at the bottom of the site near the cricket ground. We saw plenty of Whitethroat but other than Dunnock and Meadow Pipit that was about it.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

The Middle hill ?

I approach the Meadows via Kickerty brook over the motorway footbridge, Has anyone done a map of the meadows ?

Shrike was an excellent find well done Peter Reeves..

Keep Birding

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

A quick visit this afternoon.
Stonechat 1 m (on the middle hill at first) .
Whitethroat 2.
Reed Bunting 4.
Blackcap 4 (3m, 1f) in clearing between St.Matthews school Poplar rd. and the tip.
Goldfinch 3.

steven burke · Status: Offline

evening visit.

2 grasshopper warblers in different areas, both seen but one eventually showing really well down to about 15ft.
3 chiffchaff
2 blackcap
1 whitethroat
2 swallow
5 linnet
4 reed bunting
2 stock dove
1 kestrel
2 pheasant

JamieDunning · Status: Offline

phillipskelly wrote:

From 7.15am until 1pm.
Spotted Flycatcher 1 .
Grasshopper Warbler 2 (1 seen , another heard in different location ) .
Bullfinch 1 m.
Reed Bunting 8 (5m , 3f)
Meadow Pipit 2 heard .
Greenfinch 1 heard .
Buzzard 1 over Urmston lane boundary .
Long-tail Tit 4.
Dunnock 4 (2 pair ).
Lapwing 1 over M 60 .
Cormorant 1 over heading south.
Chiffchaff 1 seen and 2 heard.

Go on then, I'll bite.
The Spotted flycatcher seems a phenomenally early record Phil.
What were the circumstances here?

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

pm visit

Linnet 1
Stock Dove 7
Pheasant 3
Kestrel 1

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

From 7.15am until 1pm.
Spotted Flycatcher 1 .
Grasshopper Warbler 2 (1 seen , another heard in different location ) .
Bullfinch 1 m.
Reed Bunting 8 (5m , 3f)
Meadow Pipit 2 heard .
Greenfinch 1 heard .
Buzzard 1 over Urmston lane boundary .
Long-tail Tit 4.
Dunnock 4 (2 pair ).
Lapwing 1 over M 60 .
Cormorant 1 over heading south.
Chiffchaff 1 seen and 2 heard.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Grasshopper Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 3
Raven 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 1

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

No further sign of the Great Grey Shrike so far this morning.

Yesterday the bird was in the area adjacent to the M60 close to the footbridge that crosses it from the meadows.

Info and images of the bird thanks to Peter Reeves

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

A Great Grey Shrike was seen and photographed here on Sunday morning (yesterday). Further details will be posted as and when I have them.

Chris Sutton · Status: Offline

Quick scan as I passed through on my bike;
- Stonechat (1) male
- Buzzard (2)
- Kestrel (1)

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

No short- eared owl but Raven on pylon at Bradley lane .
Also seen -
Goldfinch 20
Meadow Pipit 5 heard
Long-tail Tit 10
Jay 2
Didn't do a full circuit and didn't come across the usual grey partridges ,
I just walked around the central hill checking for Short-eared owl .

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

This afternoon - distant and brief view of a small flock of
aprox. 20 Goldfinch.
Longtail tit flocks x2 of 8 and 10 birds.
Common Buzzard 1.
Grey Partridge 4.
Redwing c 10 .
Meadow Pipit 4 .
Starling c 200 in a mini - murmeration around a pylon adj. M60.
Bullfinch 1 heard .
Plus several Robins , wrens and magpies about.

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

The clearing s/o St. Matthews school basket ball crt. and the wooded area of the tip between 11 - 12.30pm. . . . Blue tit 13 . . . Gt. tit 6 . Goldfinch 5 . Chiffchaff 1 Blackbird 3 juv. Blackcap 3m + 1f + 3 juv . Reedbunting 1 . Mistle thrush 1. Long-tail tit 9. Bullfinch 1 heard. From 12.30pm on the rest of the tip. Long-tail tit c10. Goldfinch flock of 67 juveniles and 1 adult . Spent a lot of time just watching the the goldfinch feeding on the thistle seed heads.

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

In addition to my last post - I used the Poplar rd. entrance to the tip . (Off the A56 Chester rd. ) And turned left at the Solidago Canadensis and Basketball court.

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

From 11- 2 pm. . Between the wooded boundary of the tip and St. Matthews primary school in a clearing containing elder, hawthorn, willow and lots of rosebay willow herb and a bit of bramble: a mixed flock consisting of . . . Longtail tit x c20. Chiffchaff x 2 . . Bullfinch x 1 m. Great tit x 4 . Blackcap x 2 . . And a bird glimpsed in a small dead hawthorn which might have been a garden warbler but not sure. . . I waited about 30mins and all the birds (as above) returned

. But the one in the hawthorn was a Spotted Flycatcher ! ! and this time I had my scope on the tree just in case, and nearly got it phone- scoped . Elsewhere on the tip there was only :- Common Buzzard x 1 . Jay x 2 . Grey partridge x4 . . . Chiffchaff x 2 heard on the perimiter . Also c 50 Goldfinch feeding on thistle seeds .

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

A short mooch on the tip today (which looked really good with waist high grasses and lots of thistle in seed). . . . Not much seen or heard except . .. . Buzzard x1 over. Sparrowhawk spiraling high above and aprox Goldfinch x 50 moving around the sycamore and scrub oak trees (inc. at least 10 young picking insects off the oak ).

phillipskelly · Status: Offline

Chiffchaff x3. Whitethroat x 5. Reedbunting x 3. Swift x 2. Grey partridge x3. Pheasant 5 heard +1flushed. Cormorant x 2 over . Greenfinch x 2 . Lapwing x1 over. Blackcap x 2 . Sedge warbler x 2 .

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Nick Hilton wrote:

Joel
Number of ways;
Drive down to the bottom of Newcroft Road, park up and take the cinder track left (east).
Drive down to the bottom of Lesley Road, park up near the cricket ground, follow the track round the ground and onto the old tip site.
If public transport, bus down the A56, get off near Stretford Tip (Household Waste Recycling Centre), find footpath adjacent that leads onto old tip site.
Google earth it, you will clearly see the tracks and the bridge Tim refers to. Good luck.

NB I've only ever cycled there. It's off route 62 - the Trans Pennine Trail. They have been closing this stretch which is being tarmacced (more than you'll find on any roads!) but it's open for the weekend. Cycle from Chorlton Ees

Nick Hilton · Status: Offline

RE: stretford tip

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

Hi I have never been to the tip and would quite like the see the whinchat. Please could someone tell me how I would be able to see it? Also how do I get access to it and where is it?

-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Friday 1st of May 2015 04:03:26 PM

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Male Whinchat still present 3.55pm today near the bridge over the motorway. A splendidly bright bird

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Male Whinchat and two Wheatears present this afternoon.

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

Colin Nicholls · Status: Offline

Yesterday...

1 Kestrel hunting
1 Buzzard, hounded by a couple of Magpies - then by what looked like a Sparrowhawk (didn't have bins with me to be sure)
5 Meadow Pipit
7 Goldfinch
2 Wood Pigeon

steven burke · Status: Offline

2 chiffchaffs
c20 swifts
3 swallows
3 greenfinches
1 skylark
5 goldfinches, over
5 reed buntings plus 4 juveniles
4 whitethroats plus 5 juveniles
2 kestrels

info thanks to phil Kelly.

steven burke · Status: Offline

this afternoon..

4 chiffchaffs
2 skylarks
1 blackcap
2 greenfinches
1 kestrel
4 reed buntings
5 whitethroats
3 pheasants
4 linnets
2 long tailed tits
2 wheatears

info thanks to phil Kelly.

Ian Boote · Status: Offline

Grasshopper Warbler, Chiffchaff, willowarbler, linnet, skylarks, meadow pipits and a little grebe on a nearby pool and some new plants including Crataegus laevigata, known as the midland hawthorn in flower.

steven burke · Status: Offline

28-3-13

1 kestrel
1 buzzard
8 meadow pipit
3 skylark
2 mistle thrush
4 great tit
1 wren
3 dunnock
4 mallard
5 woodpigeon
5 greenfinch
1 linnet

info thanks to phil Kelly.

steven burke · Status: Offline

24.3.13

1 kestrel
1 buzzard
2 meadow pipits, another 5 heard
3 greenfinches
1 dunnock
3 skylarks

info thanks to phil Kelly.

steven burke · Status: Offline

post for yesterday 16/3/13

c50 meadow pipit
9 reed bunting
2 great spotted woodpecker
2 mallard
10 goldfinch
1 redwing
across the m60...
1 sparrowhawk
13 lapwing

info thanks to phil Kelly.

Nick Hilton · Status: Offline

24/01/13 1300 2 Raven flying south

steven burke · Status: Offline

late post for yesterday 15th april. 12-2pm

1 sparrowhawk
3 swallows
4 mallards
1 dunnock
2 kestrels (1 on m60 lamp column)
4 chiffchaffs
2 buzzards
1 robin
1 long tailed tit
1 skylark
4 buzzards seen over carrington.

info thanks to phil kelly.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

19.02.12 (Poplar Road entrance)

Long-tailed Tit 5
Coal tit 1
Great Tit 5
Blue Tit 4
Greenfinch 4
Bullfinch 1m
Jay 1
Mistle Thrush 1

Main tip-

Skylark 5
Meadow Pipit c20
Reed Bunting 1
Dunnock 3

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 20th of February 2012 01:52:46 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Today around midday:

Greenfinch 5
Reed Bunting 14
Skylark 6
Whitethroat 11
Linnet 7
Chiffchaff 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Swallow 2

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

3rd April 2010:

Greenfinch 1
Chaffinch 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Chiffchaff 2
Reed Bunting 4
Skylark 4
Heron (over ) 1
Linnet 1 f
Kestrel 1 f
Buzzard (over ) 1

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Saturday 12th March:

Kestrel 2
Reed Bunting 5
Goldfinch 5
Greenfinch 3
Buzzard (over ) 1
Skylark 5
Meadow Pipit 24
Long-tailed Tit 4
Fieldfare 10 (in the adjacent cricket club)

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Originally posted by Judith Smith, 07.11.10 at 8:35pm:

Lesley Rd end - a Water Rail on the little stream and 2 Buzzards (a tetrad with no records at all so far, so paid it a visit today - 27 species in total)

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

Went for a good walk round this afternoon in the vain attempt to spot a waxwing or two on the many berry trees and bushes, alas no luck, in fact there is a distinct lack of most varieties of anything on here at the moment other than hse sparrow, wood pidgeon and still not seen but heard goldcrest.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

still as quiet as ever on here although there seem to be several chaffinch around the new open area of the goldcrest habitat, there are signs the goldcrest have returned but not sure if they now just visit and move away for the night .

First afternoon off in ages and to my annoyance from 12.30 to 2.30 the whole fields were being cut up by a gang of five lads taking turns on an offroad motorbike, no wonder it's quiet.

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 21st of September 2010 10:40:22 PM

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

Been very quiet over the last fortnight here, this week has seen a little more activity but nothing special other than now 3 confirmed skylark juveniles active mainly around the edges of the paths munching on the many insects about at the moment. Very easy to get close without knowing it as the grass is so long.

Still some linnet around showing some probable breeding behaviour (taking food back to a bramble bush), may be a second brood for this year, I'll keep my eyes out for confirmation. Several greenfinch and house sparrow in their normal place, although the recent work on the area has impacted on their little haven as the paths have been widened and several of the bramble bushes are now gone.

Still not sure where the goldcrest are, several goldcrest calls near the allotments but too limited to get a good spot to exact whereabouts, but one thing is for sure they're not where they were!

The work on the drains has cleared a very long stretch of the edge of the wooded area and is pretty much 400metres long give or take a metre or so. Areas i never had access to before are now wide open. It has been covered with a soft mix of pebbles and cement but is still soft underfoot so maybe things can grow back over time.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

first confirmed fully fledged skylark today :) sat on one of the paths with a parent watching over it, good views through bins, stock doves were the most abundent bird today, not much else other than a single chiff chaff being friendly.

On a sad note the area the goldcrest reside has been cleared to replace a main drain, the area which is down by the allotments used to have a small two foot wide single file "track" between the trees and bushes it lead no where or so i thought, it actually leads to a main drain manhole. From the manhole which is at the bottom of Peter Wood gardens there is now a 200 metre long and 6 metre wide path which it appears is going to be partially concreted over to cover the top of the drain. The goldcrest are still about as I could hear them somewhere around the allotment so I'm sure they'll be ok but the area they most frequent has sadly gone!

On a lighter note four fledged swallow have taken to sitting on the phone line outside my bedroom window the last few mornings they still have white downy feathers on their upper and lower body. I have no idea where their nest has been but it must have been close!

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

Been very quiet on here over the last fortnight, the grass is now 4ft almost everywhere off path.
Whitethroat and reed bunting are the most abundant bird, several song thrushes singing, hse sparrow, wren, goldcrest and greenfinch still show well, wood and town pidgeon are plentiful but the goldfinches and linnet are nowhere to be seen or heard as for the skylark other than a brief burst of song I've not had much of a sight of them for over a week as I said though the grass is very long so lets hope their still active.

There have been two kestrel hunting as a team most days from their behaviour I would guess one is a juvenile learning the skills of it's parent as today i watched it catch something then play with it for a few seconds then drop it without devouring it all so I wandered over to where it dropped it which luckily for me was right by a path there i found a shrew with it's insides missing!

There seem to be more grasshoppers this year than any other and there are not so many crickets about.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

Thought i may as well update the thread as I've not posted in a while, I've been on almost every day in the last month and almost every species in my previous list has full fledged young except for the skylarks who i am sure are close to doing so, in addition to the list are goldcrest and wren both with several young the goldcrest seem to be having a very good year as today i counted 6 individual juvenile birds within the family group these all seem to be the same age so i assume the same brood, very obliging for their portrait today too!

The most sucessful broods so far seem to be goldfinch and the linnets, the goldfinch flock has almost tripled to approx 18 birds in the last few weeks whereas both pairs of linnet has 4 young in tow and all seem now very capable fliers.

Whitethroat have also done not too bad with several young in and around the area, Only seen 1 lesser whitethroat youngster (never saw the adult though) near the cricket club, song thrush and mistle have young in tow as do the chiff chaff and willow warbler, i hear sedge warbler near the horse paddock at the end of the lesley rd no idea how it's been doing!
No blackcap since early april! and reed bunting appear to have had poor success maybe due to the kestrel as they were very visible early on.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

This evenings walk was notable by the absence of any whitethroat of either variety!
I went with the specific goal of seeing the lesser whitethroat that i observed for a good 10 minutes yesterday, sadly not today.
Plenty to see though....

goldfinch were the most active bird today (counted 9 all in 1 flock)
willow warbler (3)
house sparrow (7)
reed bunting (3 including a single fluffy ball that resembled a male!)
linnet (5, looked like a family group to me as the adults sat in watch as the young flew between two bushes learning their new found flying skills!)
skylark (4, 1 very active carrying caterpillars)
mistle thrush (2)
starlings (10, in a flock)
stock dove (2)
woodpidgeon (8)
rook (2)
crow (3)
blackbird (4, 2+2)
plenty of swift (30+)
swallow(12 - 15)
cormorant (5, over)
heron (1,over)

no signs of the kestrel

I have to admit to not watching the starlings that live here with any enthusiasm until i saw Mr Atkins breeding survey section and am ashamed to say have never counted them until today.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

long patient walk round this late afternoon/early evening reveal most notably
single lesser whitethroat (visible for quite some time near the cricket club)
skylark (6 individual birds)
reed bunting ( 6 only1 female spotted)
whitethroat (3 inc 1 juvenile)
linnet (1)
mistle thrush (1)
also male kestrel again active i watched it take something from beside one of the bushes, probably a bird as it definetly was not a frog or a vole!

The kesrel returned after about 40 mins this time it left over the motorway empty handed.

brandon mulhern · Status: Offline

single almost fully fledged reed bunting was the first thing this evening, plenty of adults about also,
4 skylark
whitethroat
linnet
rook
and the kestrel active as we left.