Hooded crow still present today at Haydock Island, view from the layby east of the M6 on the west bound carriageway of the A580. Today it was feeding on a stubble field alongside the road with rooks, jackdaws and carrion crows.
i pulled into the layby at 11.05 am & left at 11.30am & was watching the hooded crow the whole time I was there, I walked up a little as it took a short flight further to my right.
Hooded crow still present at Haydock Island today, this morning it was distant in the field with the hay bales, this afternoon quite close to the layby on the west bound A580. Seven species of corvid in and around the fields today, hooded crow, carrion crow, rook, jackdaw, raven jay and magpie! Looking at the photos, the bird is just about as pure as it gets, I can't see even a hint of hybrid.
We saw it from the layby (St Helens), and the bird was with the hay bales & on the manure heap (also St Helens). The bird flew around close to, but not crossing, the border
Hooded crow with corvid flock at Haydock Island. Park in layby on west bound A580 and look north towards the race course. The flock can be distant at times. The bird looks to be a pure hoodie to me. These fields are in St Helens, Merseyside, but they are right on the border of Greater Manchester (see map). Anybody who wants to try to add this species to their Greater Manchester list could do worse than take the first minor road left from Haydock Island when heading east on the A580 and park up immediately and then walk towards the race course following the public footpath (P1 on the map). The fields on the right are in GM, those on the left Merseyside. As far as I know the bird has not been seen in GM so far but the flock does occasionally go missing from Haydock island and these fields look good for corvids.
Juvenile glaucous gull and adult Iceland gull commuting between Penkford Flash, Earlestown and Lyme and Woods Pit tip, yesterday and today. Both have also been in fields near Haydock Park on the Manchester side of Haydock island.
In fields by Lady Hill Plantation today, 16 Buzzard, 86 Lapwing and 6 Golden Plover. Viewed from the gate for Lodge Lane pumping station alongside the A49, half-way between Holiday Inn and Haydock Island
25 Buzzard this afternoon stood in the same field as Kevin's sighting below, between Haydock Park Racecourse and East Lancashire Road by Lady Hill Plantation
-- Edited by dave broome on Sunday 1st of November 2015 06:53:34 PM
Originally posted by Kevin Forde late yesterday evening:
08.15 hrs
Approximately 15 Buzzards in the field, east of M6 and Lodge Lane (A49), North of East Lancs Road (A580), west of Sandy Lane and south of Haydock Race Course. All on ground feeding. Lady Hill Plantation.
Imm gannet flew west surprisingly low over m6 c.100 yards north of haydock island at 5 43 this afternoon. Frustratingly about 300 yards out of manchester!
But within ST Helens ... we'll have that record thanks!
Imm gannet flew west surprisingly low over m6 c.100 yards north of haydock island at 5 43 this afternoon. Frustratingly about 300 yards out of manchester!
Yellowhammer carrying food, fledged Linnets and Reed Buntings and a male Bullfinch at Lyme and Wood Pits Country Park, Vista Road today. Male Sparrowhawk nearby bathing in a puddle
A distant Marsh Harrier spooked over 200 gulls feeding in the ploughed field alongside the M6 slip road which leads onto the A580. I saw the gulls fly up as I had just turned onto the East Lancs road, I pulled onto the grass verge and saw the Harrier through the cloud of gulls in the direction of Haydock racecourse. A quick check with my binos confirmed it was a female/juv Marsh Harrier
I think that this sighting was just out of the Manchester area.
