Took a walk along the Irk off Blackley New Road and and through Blackley Forest this morning.
-Goldcrest x 2 (could've been more but the trees were quite quick and they were moving quite quickly)
-Great tit 15>
-Dipper x 2 (1 flying downstream along valley stretch of the Irk, 1 flying upstream on Irk in the forest)
-magpie 15>
-Blue tit 15>
-Woodpigeon 8>
-Moorhen x 9 (1 male on frozen King William IV lake on Blackley New Road; 2 male & 1 female on the top lake; 3 male and 2 female on Irk)
-Mallard x 20> (4m 1f on King Billy; large group being fed near the Victoria Avenue entrance)
-Black-headed gull x 10 (over the KBIV lake)
-Mistle Thrush x 2
-Canada geese x 2 (top lake)
-Goosander x 3 (top lake)
-Coot x 1 (top lake)
-Grey heron x 1 (top lake)
-Wren x 1
-Blackbird x 2 (1m/1f)
-Robin x 1
-Grey wagtail x 1 (Irk in the forest)
Fri 28-Dec-12: (11:30 - 12:45) Cool and damp with some light rain.
Like most places at this time of year it was pretty quiet with most of the noise coming from Wrens in the undergrowth and assorted Tits amongst the birches.
- 1 Grey Heron - c20 Long-tailed Tit - c6 Great Tit - 6+ Blue Tit (several singing) - c27 Mallard on the River Irk
small numbers of Robin and Blackbird with Magpies, Crows and Woodpigeons up high in the trees.
Birds seen/heard include Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest singing, pair of Nuthatch and 1 other singing/calling, 1 calling Siskin over, Redpoll heard, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 2+ Jay, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Mallard, 1 Bullfinch singing, as were both Song and Mistle Thrush.
On Meadow area at top end of Blacley Forest and on the scrub and boggy area between the two Billy's.
Blackcap 1 Female at feedstation in a garden backing on to meadow/woods Bullfinches 2 Greenfinches 4 Nuthatch 1 Blue Tits/Great Tits Lontailed Tits 3 Wrens 3 Robins 6 Song Thrush 1 in Crem Black birds Jays 2 Crows Magpies Moorhen in small pond alongside Crem Mallard 2 in bog Heron 1 in bog
Hi Bill thanks for your comments. Living close by I intend to make fairly regular visits and report accordingly. Just to add retrospectively to the list:
Last summer I saw a Kingfisher both on the stretch of the Irk in the forest and also along the stretch at Blackley New Road. I have also seen a pair at Rhodes. I seem to recall that Kingfishers are territorial birds but I am not sure how big a pairing territory is so whether these birds were from the same pair or whether the sightings, all made on different days, represent different pairings I am not sure. I do hope though that in time I can detect various favoured fishing posts and possibly even a nesting site. A decade or so ago of course the very notion of Kingfishers on this stretch of the river would have been laughed at. The Irk really is a great testament to the gradual clean up of our local rivers.
As for other birds there were two goosanders on the Irk along Blackley New Road on November 18th and 19th and a single Teal on 12th December.
There were eight tufted Ducks on the upper King Billy also on 12th December and, on the 7th January, 6 or 7 Teal grubbing about and calling from the marsh between the Upper and Lower Billy.
Other Birds I saw in the forest last year but did not properly record at the time included:
As you say however this area does not seem to have been well monitored and I am sure that the list will grow significantly if it gets some attention. The habitat is fairly diverse with reasonable amounts of woodland, scrubland and grassland, several small lakes as well as bogs and marshes so there are great possibilities. Anyhow I hope to keep the page regularly updated and any additional sitings or reports from you and others will be greatly appreciated.
I really enjoyed reading your very interesting post on this under-visited area. I have dropped in on the area a couple of times in the last year and now that you have started a thread off, will retrospectively add some of my own sightings, just in case anyone is keeping records for the area.
On 16th January 2011 - there was a Grey Wagtail on the Irk in the forest, with a family party of 4 there on 24th May 2010.
Also on 16th January 2011 a Dipper was singing along this stretch of the Irk and a single bird was also seen there on 24th May 2010.
12 Goosanders (6 males, 6 females) were on Upper King Billy on 16th January 2011. Also on this date a Nuthatch was calling from the woodland adjacent to Lower King Billy.
The visit on 9th June last year found evidence of confirmed breeding for all 4 of the commoner tit species, as well as Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush. I would guess that Goldcrest might well breed in the cemetery, which appears to have plenty of suitable locations for them there.
Best wishes,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Tuesday 15th of February 2011 06:30:02 PM
Blackley Forest, the remnant of a Norman Deer Park (alas now little more than a wood) stands on the east bank of the Irk opposite Heaton Park. Directly to the north the Irk flows past Rhodes Lodges and Alkrington woods, whilst to the south and east it bends round and runs parralel to Blackley New Road. The wood itself has been spruced over recent years and there are good paths. The main canopy consists of Beech, Silver and Downy Birch, and Ash with Alder, Common and Sessile Oak and Willow. The wood includes open grassland and scrub to the east and a small lake 'the Upper King Billy" (the lower King Billy is just to the south bounding Blackley New Road. The wood is bounded here by Blackley Crematorium and cemetary. The Irk valley running along Blackley New Road has also been cleaned up and also has good paths. About 30 breeding species of bird have been recorded in the actual Forest, which is also home to four species of bat, foxes rabbits and although I have never seen one, hares also.
During a two hour visit today I saw the following birds:
Blackley Forest:
Greater Spotted Woodpecker 1 Wren 2 Bullfinch 1 m Jays 2 Blue Tits/Great Tits Crows Mallards (several pairs) Moorhen 1 Robin 4 Canada Geese 2 (on lower King Billy) Magpies Blackbirds
Blackley New Road - Irk Valley
Kestrel 1 (hovering over scrub) Goldcrest 1 Chaffinch 2 m & f Longtailed Tits 12 Blue Tits/Great Tits Wrens 3 Mallards two pairs Moorhen 1 Magpies Song Thrush 1
