3 Cetti's Warblers on the North Bank of the Mersey (2 heard on South Bank towards #4 bed at Woolston also).
2 Jay, one Raven, Blackbird, lots of Magpies (24+), two Chiffchaff, Long-tailed, Blue Great and Coal Tits. Wrens, Robins, Reed Bunting all in sub/song.
Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed (6+) Gulls over and Cormorant and 4 Black-headed Gulls.
1 Kestrel and one Marsh Harrier soaring over #4 bed.
Two Oystercatcher over in flight and a Kingfisher on the river near the info boards.
2 Mute Swan, Mallard, Gadwall, Pochard (flight), Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, flyover Little Egret.
House Sparrows, Dunnock, Goldfinch and Green finch at the allotments at Kingsway Bridge with the dreaded Ring-necked Parakeets (5) having a good time on the fruit bushes.
Starlings (~50-55) on the electric pipes at the rowing club with a couple of House Martins and a few Swallows (5-7).
22 Ring-necked Parakeets into the roost at the Market Garden by Red Lane Allotments tonight. They are taking lots of fruit off the allotment at the moment our cherries, berries and apples are decimated.
5+4+6 flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets flew west past the House tonight at dusk, presume to roost at either the Red Lane Allotments / Market Gardens or Walton Hall area.
Edit: I will put in the none bird forum but neither ourselves or a few neighbours have seen any bats around here this year (bottom end Stockton Heath / Bridgewater Canal / Appleton up to the Reservoir) which is a worrisome deveopment.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 15th of August 2024 11:14:10 PM
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 15th of August 2024 11:18:24 PM
Blue and White Budgerigar past our house in Appleton near the Bridgewater Canal about 35 minutes ago if anyone hears of one lost. Looks like it was going to where the Parakeets roost at the old market garden near Red Lane Allotments.
Funny, I used to keep Budgerigars as part of my cage birds (98-2010s) and blue Budgerigar (Buggerigars) were always the escapists. Wonder if it was the RAF colours in them made them 'reach for the sky'!.
Since a month ago looking through my notes an absolute dearth of garden birds.
Not one tit species.
Blackbird one male occasionally and that is it.
No Dunnocks, House Sparrows, Wrens, Greenfinch, Goldfinch or Thrush.
Apart of course, from those bloody Ring-Necked Parakeets in our neighbours orchard and by Red Lane allotments 200yards away and seeming to use the Bridgewater Canal opposite as a flyway to screech up and down early morns.
South Warrington round Red Lane Allotments / Market garden along Bridgewater Canal up to 17 Ring-necked Parakeets roosting since last Sunday inc at least 6 juv. Tonight nice to see 11 Swift (only second sighting from house this year) in the local.
Juv Wren flew in through my kitchen window today, perched on the draining rack at the sink, looked at me confused and flew out again. Never had that before.
Mixed year for breeding in the garden, two successful Blackbird Broods, one Long Tailed Tit brood, two House Sparrow broods and three Dunnock broods from two pairs (I think). Juv Chiffchaff was around the other day in the trees on the lane next to the garden and adult again singing from there. Neither Blue Tit brood made it though cold spells killing them off leaving the sad task of clearing the next boxes.
Last couple nights 12, then 14 Ring-necked Parakeets have roosted in a tree to the South of Kingsway Bridge over the Mersey, only a few hundred yards from Woolston #4 bed!!!
And either the art class at school were having a joke or there was the ghostly dusty image of a Tawny Owl having hit a window at Bridgewater Higher School (upper site); no sign of an injured bird. Two pairs Herring Gulls appear to be nesting on the roof also!
First fledged young Long Tailed Tit just gone through the garden unfortunately 2 flew into windows which knocked them out butlittle chance of recovery .
Nice to find a pair of Ringed and a pair of Little Ringed plover on a soon to be Housing site near central Warrington yesterday and this morning ,hopefully both will get young off before they start the building this summer .
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 7th of March 2024 01:29:30 PM
North Appleton - garden list since lockdown. First Song Thrush for many years yesterday and then this morning three Curlew directly flew over NNW-SE taking the post March 2000 list for the Garden to a nice round half century.
North Appleton Tawny Owls tei-twoing each other near Red Lane Allotments at 10pm last night. Today 17 Ring-necked Parakeets hassling one of the Owls in daytime.
3-4pm had a look around for the Waxwing in the usual spots around Tesco, Kemmac Distribution (sketchy poss Yellow Legged Gull on roof), Battersby Lane and all other environs for Waxwing and only turned up 33 Starlings in a tree at Osnath works by Tesco, plus on the traffic light / street light at the A49 / Tesco Extra junction a male Peregrine. I'll take that as a year tick for my efforts!
Yesterday, as I was tarting to cook lunch wife asks me why I'm transfixed on the kitchen window........"I'm counting that Skien of Pink-footed Geese flying SE over Moore Nature Reserve"...................."Get looking at the Goose in the Oven and worry about birds on Boxing Day.......". Oooops!
Now its Boxing Day, 464 SE over Moore / Lower Walton at ~10:45am in three loose Skeins almost converging as one.
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 26th of December 2023 08:50:06 PM
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 26th of December 2023 09:13:14 PM
Short-eared Owl at Paddington Meadows recentley....I do pass this spot on the river every couple of weeks with the rowers, not yet seen myself but will be keeping an eye out
28 - 32 Waxwing at Forshaw Street / Battersby Lane, Warrington at times through the day. Calling nicely this afternoon when I had time to stop and watch as opposed to views from traffic queues to date this year. Around 3pm a second flock of 20 or so flew in twice from the direction of Winwick Road circling the trees the other group is roosting in before returning that direction (flocks have been seen near Tesco). A group of eight Starlings flew by the second time the mobile flock appeared to give a nice flight comparison.
2 waxwing marsh house lane car park Warrington at 9.50 as they went to leave at 10am unfortunately 1 was taken by sparrowhawk , the other flew back towards battersby lane .
2 Waxwing seemingly roosted at Battersby Lane and present until 09.20 when they flew off strong east . none present when I called in at 12.30 on my way home from the patch.record sjot of them below
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 13th of December 2023 03:27:52 PM
2,300 Corvids West over North Appleton towards the Capped Tip at Moore ~15:50 - 16:15, majority (JUST) Carrion Crow, most the remainder Jackdaw - always interesting to watch the Jackdaw flocks flying faster and through the Carrion Crow flocks, two Ravens and 15 Magpies in the same direction during the period. A small roost of Rooks appears to be forming near Red Lane Allotments by the canal.
The previous years Gull flightpath in a similar direction for an evening roost doesn't seem to be happening this year, used to be able to watch both flightlines from the same places (North Appleton, Moore, Lower Walton).
Delivering on Orford Lane near the Wolves Stadium early afternoon when I saw the report of c30 Waxwings in trees opposite Tesco. I made my way round there but they were all Starlings. Thats not to say there was some just before I got there?
I checked Battersby Lane round the corner (incidentally where they were a few years ago too) but no sign.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 8th of December 2023 08:43:42 PM
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 8th of December 2023 08:44:25 PM
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 8th of December 2023 08:45:10 PM
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 8th of December 2023 08:45:31 PM
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Friday 8th of December 2023 08:46:00 PM
2 Waxwings in car park at junction of marsh house lane and marsh lane mid afternoon but no sign of any at battersby lane where one was seen late morning
3 Waxwing still present at 3.30pm at Battersby Lane, at times they flew away for quite a while but came back . Getting mixed in with the Starling at times .
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 30th of November 2023 03:57:16 PM
Reports this morning of 11 waxwing heading towards the town centre from Woolston, anyone in the area check near Sainsbury's,Milner street and battersby lane they are the likely sights.
I have been checking the usual Waxwing sites in Warrington for Waxwing, none found so far but not a great lot of Berries at Milner street as most ofthe trees at vw have been removed ,but Battersby Lane heaving with Berries so anyone passing just have a quick look as im expecting them hopefully any day now ,but need more eyes when im working later in the week .
The last two dusks (15:30 - 15:50) with the cloudy weather 1450-1600 Corvids west over North Appleton then following the Ship Canal to roost, presumably from where they seem to descend over on the Capped Tip area at Moore. Quite a racket. 60% Carrion Crow, remainder mostly Jackdaw but at least one Raven observed following the main flocks.