I see Common Terns feeding on the Bridgewater canal regularly, never more than two but usually single birds between the RHS and Worsley filtration lagoons and seem to head off towards Blackleach
Been having small numbers (up to 4) going over the garden for the last couple of summers heading either southwest or northeast usually. Quite a regular occurrence and usually heading northeast late afternoon evening. Always assumed they were commuting between Pennington and blackleach?
I've seen them flying over my house heading towards the canal which is only a couple 100 yds away. I've always assumed that they were from Blackleach as that's the direction they come from.
Today, early afternoon, at the east end of Tyldesley, a Common Tern carrying a fish went NE over the Hough Lane/Manchester Road junction. It was presumably headed for Blackleach Country Park. It may have been coming from the nearby New Hall Moat, but probably more likely had been fishing the Bridgewater Canal or one of the ponds on the mosses. Wigan Flashes terns would regularly fish at sites as far away as Worthington Lakes, Orrell Water Park and Carr Mill Dam
Evening walk along the guided busway taking in Astley street park and the Stour road estate produced 6 singing Goldcrest, 2 pairs of Sparrowhawk, and several screaming groups of Swift
3.45pm. Lesser Whitethroat still singing and seen very briefly from narrow path, near bridge over a stream to the west of horse paddocks along Combermere Lane. Seems to move along hedgerow as distant initially but moved towards path area before going back.
Willow tit calling and showing well at the bottom end of Common lane this lunchtime and a singing Lesser Whitethroat along Combermere lane in hedges west of the horse paddocks.
Friday 17th Feb, a calling Golden Plover went west over the Bodmin Rd estate, i.e. roughly following the line of the Tyldesley Banks escarpment and approx 20 Siskin went low south over the estate
1027 large gulls in fields off Common Lane late morning including a good candidate for 2nd w. Caspian Gull, but unfortunately it started persisting down before I could get clinching views and had to retreat back into the car.
A 1st winter Caspian Gull in fields off Common Lane this morning in with a flock of 1152 large gulls,also at least 400 Black Headed Gulls in the fields.
1 Ring-Necked Parakeet low north over the town centre on 8/8/22 At Parr Brow/Mosley Common in the past few days, at least 1 Raven regular in past few days. At least 2 Bullfinch have been regular this past week along the Honksford Brook corridor downstream of St Johns Church
Early evening an area of heavy hazy cloud passed eastwards through Mosley Common, with squally gusts of wind, following it were 300+ Black-Headed Gull and 100+ vocal Swift, feeding high up, disappearing as quickly as they appeared
Unmistakable but as equally unexpected sound of a Quail calling twice over my Tyldesley house at c. 2.10am this morning. First call very loud second fainter, sounded as if it was traveling north
22 Lapwing were circling low around Parr Brow early this morning, a similar number seen briefly yesterday. Presumably using some of the local farmland.
I can't seem to find 'Yellow Legged Gull' in my (1964) 9th edition of The Field Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe by
Roger Peterson/Guy Montfort/P.A.D Hollom Guide as recommend by FRH...it took me ages to save for this with my paper round money ...surely I've not wasted my money have I?????
Until this is cleared up you don't mind if I refer to a YLG as a Herring Gull do you!!!
Approx 40 large gulls in the fields along Common Lane were mainly Lesser Black Backs but in with them a single adult Yellow Legged Gull ,a bit difficult to see as it was spending most of it's time sat down in long grass.
Approx 30 Shelduck flew east at 21:35 this evening over Parr Brow, in two flocks. Unfortunately didnt get a precise count as the first flock were out of sight by the time I had grabbed my bins. They werent particularly high up, but were going at some speed, calling with a lot of wing noise too.
Watched from the garden this evening, an adult Cormorant flew north over Mosley Common, then circled for about five minutes over the ridge of the Tyldesley Banks at Parr Brow, slowly gaining height, before heading off purposefully NE, giving the impression of a bird on migration. While I was watching it a Sand Martin flew west over the house
2 Siskin east over the garden today, 2 Buzzards also seen several times at one point very low over the rooftops. Small numbers of meadow pipit north in the morning.
-- Edited by Andy Isherwood on Saturday 10th of April 2021 04:46:06 PM
A massive increase in Lesser Black Backs numbers,obviously been a large return passage last couple of days with 448 in fields off Common Lane this afternoon. Also 105 Herring Gulls and a single adult Yellow Legged Gull, looked like the same bird that was at Beefold lane fields at last week. Pic of the asleep Yellow Legged Gull attached.