Sunday 12th July early evening at Parr Brow, a scattered stream of Black-Headed and Lesser Black-Backed Gull drifted quickly southwards feeding on flying ants. Soon afterwards a frenzied and vocal flock of 100+ Swift appeared high over the garden and drifted gradually east

Several hundred large gulls at Chanters this morning, mainly Lesser Black Backs and a few Herring Gulls in the mix. A very interesting LBB Gull with bright pink webs and legs.Structually identical to the accompanying LBBS, seem to remember we had a few similar birds at Richmond Bank over the years,presumably just an odd LBB ,couldn't unfortunately turn it into anything rarer !!!

Thought I'd have a wander up Common Lane this afternoon. There were a couple of Linnets,Greenfinch, singing Goldfinch, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and a male Reed Bunting along the lane,plus a few Swallows over the farm.
On the adjacent fields a nice flock of gulls, mainly Lesser Black Backs (250 +),about 15 Herring Gulls,8 Black Headed Gulls including 2 juveniles(first of year for me). In with the LBBS was an adult either Yellow Legged Gull or Lesser Black Back x Herring Gull hybrid. Unfortunately as only had my bins I couldn't get enough on it to be certain of its id.

Adult Iceland Gull with just over 500 large gulls in fields off Common Lane earlier this afternoon (images and video on website).

The same bird was somewhat unsurprisingly later in the roost at Pennington flash too.

A Cormorant was on a light column where the A580 East Lancashire Road crosses the Bridgewater Canal this morning

Vis mig at Parr Brow this morning 0700-0840

Redwing 639 (619 moving along the ridge and heading between ESE/SE, plus 20 S/SW)

Song Thrush 2 SW, 2 S, 1 N

Mistle Thrush 1 SE, 1 N

Meadow Pipit 69 S, 2 SW, 2 N

Swallow 1 S

alba Wagtail 8 S

Grey Wagtail 1 E

Greenfinch 4 N, 2 S

Goldfinch 34 N, 9 S and flock of 62 feeding

Chaffinch 3 SW, 2 SE

Bullfinch 3 NE

Reed Bunting 4 S

Other birds present included 1 Raven

 

 

 

Unsurprisingly little vis mig this morning at Parr Brow

07:00-08:00 birds moving south - 30 Meadow Pipit, 2

Grey Wagtail, 1 Alba wagtail, 3 Chaffinch, 3 Greenfinch 

 

258 Meadow Pipit south in 1 hour at Parr Brow this morning. Included flocks of c90 and 66 that were grounded in pasture at the top of the Tyldesley Banks, possibly due to rain shortly beforehand, which then departed south from the ridge and off out towards the airspace over the mosses. Another 40 or so remained around the pasture.

Other birds moving S or SW were 4 Cormorant, 13 House Martin, 6 Swallow, 8 Chaffinch and 5 Greenfinch

An adult Great Black-Backed Gull went E and 5 Jay moved west along the ridge, including one without a tail which flew in from the NE like a giant moth !

Three skeins of Pink-Footed Geese flew SE over the Little Hulton-Walkden area c45 at 08:38, c90 at 08:45 and 55 at 09:12

Other birds present included 17 Collared Dove, 1 Skylark, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff and a vocal Song Thrush which dropped in from the NE 

Dunlin flying roughly west early morning in darkness over Parr Brow. Calling loudly but sounded like it was possibly more than one bird involved

3 Raven south over Parr Brow today, other birds included 1 Peregrine south, 3 displaying Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, a 1 hour count of 13 Meadow Pipit south/south-west and c70 House Martin on the roof of a house

1 Ring-Necked Parakeet over Parr Brow this morning

Hobby over garden today headed west over trees at Astley street park

Willow Warbler singing in Astley Street Park this morning

A singing Chiffchaff was by St Georges Church this morning

2nd winter Iceland Gull on the roof of Poundstretchers at 3:20pm today.

Info and image thanks to Phil Rhodes

 

Iceland Gull typically not present when I arrived at 1:20, but nearly 300 gulls (mostly Black-Headed and Herring) were on Poundstretcher's Roof

Second winter Caspian showing well behind the first farm off Common Lane at 11:45 today

 

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Second-winter Caspian Gull on the roof of Poundstretcher, Tyldesley Road 14:20-14:28 (officially just in Atherton as its over the brook, but closer to Tyldesley town centre)

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-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 13th of February 2018 10:26:34 PM

Adult summer Mediterranean Gull flew low over Tyldesley town centre whilst I sat in traffic at c.7pm this evening

Raven low over the Stour Road public open space this afternoon 

Football training back on Garrett Hall school field for the summer and if tonight's hour from 6.30 is anything to go by will be an enjoyable birding hour each week! 

Single buzzard over, Hobby sent Swallows into a panic as it hunted over Garrett Hall lane, Great Spotted Woodpecker in trees around field and most surprising of all 6 Ring Necked Parakeets in large tree in Northeast corner from 6.30-7ish very vocal and active then flew into the Cemetery area. 

c.60 Redwing in fields south of new guided bus way and west of mossley common rd this am.

Small numbers of redwing heard over garden this evening

Elliott St
This am
House Martins over Town Hall I didn't have time to look due to work commitments but they must still have a small colony in the streets at rear of Town Hall.

Jimmy