Wigeon 5 (4m, 1f) Lapwing 1 (first of the year here) Black-headed Gull 325 Common Gull 3 Herring Gull 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull 8 Canada Goose 310
Old Hall Lane:
Tree Sparrow (1 in song) Stonechat 1 female Lapwing 3 Skylark 2
The old hangars with the nesting Gull colony on their roofs have been demolished. As an example 2 years ago there were 90 LBB Gulls and 13 Herring Gulls nesting.
Goldeneye female (local rarity) It was diving for 20 seconds at a time but as the water is about 15 inches deep on a grass base I am not sure what food it would find. It flew east after I watched it for about 15 mins so probably just a fleeting visit.
Sunday 11th. The 3 Whooper Swans remained till dusk and a female Pintail turned up in the afternoon. Monday 12th. At dawn no Whoopers or Pintail down on the water but 4 Wigeon and c300 Canada Geese. A pair of Pintails flew through at 07.30. Tuesday 13th. Zero birds on the water with the Canada flock grazing surrounding field. Dog walkers and model plane flyers not helping.
Old Hall Lane, 13th Oct.
c170 Pink-footed Geese SE c250 Redwings NE 3 Skylarks SW
Church Lane Flood: Now contains a reasonable amount of water, enough for a Little Grebe anyway. Lots of other birds but they were mostly Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls.
Little Grebe 1 Canada Goose 176 Black-headed Gull 301 Common Gull 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Old Hall Lane: After seeing several individual Tree Sparrows on recent visits, I came across a super flock of 30+ this evening. Feeding on the elderberries near the horse field and before the barns. This is the most I've seen here for many years. Other birds of note: 1 Reed Bunting 1 Stock Dove 2 Chiffchaff
Green Sandpiper on small patch of water on airfield. Viewable from perimeter fence. Oystercatcher 1 Lapwing minimum 28 Pied Wagtail flock of 10 House Martin c60
Highlights from a couple of walks along Old Hall Lane and Old Hall farm this weekend: 1 Tree Sparrow - seen both Saturday and Sunday in the same area. First here for a very long time. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Kestrels 5 Linnets 16 Swallows, good numbers of juveniles. 2 Grey Herons 2 Common Buzzards 1 Curlew Large flock of corvids consisting of: c75 Jackdaw 10 Carrion Crow 3 Rooks
A nice walk this evening which gave up some site favourites and regulars in the form of: 1 Skylark 7 Linnets 3 Sand Martins 1 Swift 1 Swallow 1 Blackcap 1 Kestrel 1 Common Whitethroat 1 Chiffchaff The now customary 8pm Thursday firework display did throw up 2 Shelduck (possibly long staying from Church Lane a few weeks back), and 2 Stock Dove.
Thursday 7 May 10:00
Pond on path off Church Lane
Sedge Warbler - seen and heard
Thursday 7 May 20:00 Swift over Bramhall village during clap for NHS
Friday 8 March 08:00 Sadly no sign of Sedge Warbler today
Friday 8 March 10:30 Blackcap singing in my garden close to Bramhall Village centre
3 Wheatear this evening in the same area as earlier. 1 male and 2 females Also 10 Stock Dove in this field with a few Woodpigeon 2 Shelduck still.
Gordon, I had exactly the same thoughts as you this evening. One female in particular was bulkier and darker and more buff in colour, and my gut instinct was wow that's a bit different. This one was actually being chased off by the male, who seemed to be paired with the other female. (Could be pure coincidence). Shame I couldn't spend more time with it or go home and get a scope. Great to see 3 here all the same. Took me back 10 years or so.
Church Lane
12:45
Male and Female Wheatear still in the field with stones on the other side of Church Lane opposite the Flood. This late in the Spring might they be of the Greenland subspecies O.o. Leucorhoa ? They look big.
2 Mandarin ducks in this field
Circa 12 Swallows over the same field
2 Shelduck on the Flood.
I didn't go that far down Dairyhouse Lane so missed the Lesser Whitethroat unfortunately. Did have Whitethroat Blackcap and Chiffchaff around the corner by the derelict farm, and a further 2 Whitethroat and Song Thrush around the pond further down. Also 4 Greylag Geese and a Buzzard flew over.
Lesser Whitethroat still present 1pm, but at the end of the road off Dairy House lane by the parking spaces on the left at the entrance to Total Fitness
The male Wheatear was there around 1.30 but occasionally moved into the longer grass. Also had a Whitethroat on the footpath off Blossoms Lane along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Didn't notice the Ringed Plover
Otherwise similar to Adam. Nice to know there is a Lesser Whitethroat on Dairyhouse Lane. Thanks Adam. Is that near the derelict farm near the bend?
After this afternoons heavy rain, 1 Ringed Plover At least 3 Little Ringed Plover (couldn't quite see all the verges) 2 Shelduck still 2 Oystercatchers on the cricket pitch 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 1 Chiffchaff
I carried on my bike ride to Dairyhouse Lane where I picked up 2 Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat too.
Church Lane: 5 Little Ringed Plover (22/4/20) 2 Mandarin Ducks (23/4/20) A Great Spotted Woodpecker has been drumming close to farm buildings near Chester Road over the last week.
Old Hall Lane: 2 Sand Martins (23/4/20) 2 Swallows 1 Willow Warbler singing beyond the golf clubhouse (19/4/20) Lapwings, Curlews, Skylarks and Linnets over the airfield regularly
Nice to see a male Wheatear today to add to the recent sightings at Church Lane. In the middle of the field across the lane to the floods.
The field looked a little roughed up in the middle compared to the other day which may have attracted it.
07:30 am
Three Ways Farm Blossoms Lane Woodford
Swallow
Perhaps a bit put out to fly thousands of miles and find its barn nesting site of last year has been concerted into a des res !
4 Shoveler still present this morning plus 7 Oystercatchers. I was informed a couple of days ago by another birder that a male Pochard was present on 20/2
Pair of Stonechats still 2 Song Thrushes 3 Lapwings 3 singing Skylarks (but for how much longer as house building continues apace? Skylarks, Lapwings, Curlews and Oystercatchers days as breeding birds here are surely numbered).