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

Football training again last night (not me, my youngest son!)
4 Great spotted woodpeckers flew from behind Garrett hall school north towards trees around tyldesley cemetary, 2 singles then 2 together all within a few minutes of each other. Also 3 grey wagtails flying around the school.

Lesser whitethroat in trees near the gatehouse pub this afternoon.

2 summer plumaged adult Mediterranean Gulls drifted east to west over Wayfarers drive, Tyldesley at 3.30pm today.

Singing Chiffchaff by Tyldesley rugby club this morning.

Raven seen over manchester road/sale lane area twice in last week. Also good numbers of juvenile starling in several flocks around town. Good density of blackbirds nesting around wayfarers drive and porterfield.

3 waxwing flew east over wayfarers drive towards Bodmin road area at 4 ish today also redshank south over jut before both great garden ticks!

Great news - someone else has hung a peanut feeder at the feeding station. If that was you, thanks very much - the more the merrier as they say. If anyone else is passing by and could contribute a fatball or some seed, I would be very grateful as we all know how expensive it can get. When the weather gets a little less windy I'll tidy the area up a bit.

Anyway, a site tick for me today was a Sparrowhawk which slowly circled the area over the feeding station and some nearby gardens before flying off. I had a great, abnormally long look through my bins - a magnificent sight.

On the feeders there were:

• 2 Jays which promptly removed all the loose peanuts I scattered over several tree trunk 'tables'. They even came back for more.
  
• Male and female Bullfinch
  
• 2 Robins
  
• 1 Dunnock
  
• 1 Blackbird
  
• 2 Blue Tits
  
• 1 Great Tit
  

In the area I also saw some Goldfinches and a Chiffchaff as well as the usual Magpies and Woodpigeons. I could also hear a Willow Tit and some Chaffinches but I didn't see them today. The pond has dried up and so the resident Mallards have moved on.

68 meadow pipit moved north over garden between 8.50 and 10.15am also several pied wagtail seemed to be on the move as well and small number f chaffinch. Most of the birds very low down in very clear conditions?!

A quick visit to the feeding station produced the following birds:

• Male and female Bullfinch
  
• Willow Tit
  
• Goldfinch
  
• 2 Great Tits
  
• 2 Blue Tits
  
• Robin
  
• Dunnock
  
• 2 Blackbirds
  

Also in the area:

• 2 Jays along cleared path
  
• Grey Heron on pond
  
• Chaffinches singing from bushes
  
• Greenfinch over
  
• Resident pair of Mallards circling the area and landing
  
• 2 Carrion Crows carrying nest building materials
  
• Usual Woodpigeons and Magpies
  

Also a Coal Tit singing from a tree on Merlewood Drive

Singing chiffchaff today heard from garden singing in southern end of astley park.

-- Edited by Andy Isherwood on Friday 29th of March 2013 05:45:44 PM

Only a brief visit to the feeding station today but a male and female pair of Bulfinches and 2 Long-tailed Tits down to 1 metre (which appeared on one of the feeders whilst I was filling another) made it worthwhile. I also saw a Willow Tit, Coal Tit, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Dunnocks, a male Chaffinch and a Blue Tit using the feeders and tree stump 'tables' as well as the usual Woodpigeons, Magpies and Carrion Crows in the area.

I do hope the Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers will return here this year, but I'm not sure due to the large number of trees that have been chopped down - it's looking very bare around here.

Small numbers of redwings moving south over garden on wayfarers drive today also single snipe flying round noisily at c.8am in every direction! Will be checking out the feeding station Martyn and will add to it whenever going past, the area round the pond seems to be best bet of keeping a wildlife haven here.

Today I ventured out for the first time in ages to see what further devastation had been wrought on the former Tyldesley Loopline by the proposed mis-guided busway as it is called by some. A single House Sparrow was singing from a rooftop aerial as I made my way to the patch of wasteland below the loopline where I was greeted briefly by a Grey Heron fishing in the small ephemeral pond we have here. Wandering through the woodchippings and remains of trees that were planted here when I first moved in over 30 years ago, it seemed that all there would be here would be a group of six Magpies and a few Woodpigeons. I've decided to try hanging a couple of home-made feeders in the hawthorns in the middle of this area and I'll report back if we get any birds using them regularly. I might try to move one of the sawn off tree stumps to use as a feeding table below it, but they're bloody heavy!

After I while I encountered some Chaffinches and a pair of Blackbirds chasing each other across the area of heather - yes, I know - heather! On walking up towards the road bridge on Hough Lane, and looking with dismay at all the extra trees that have recently been removed, I came across a Dunnock and a pair of Long-tailed Tits, as well as Robin. A Great Tit and some Blue Tits were seen on the way back as well as Wren, whilst I watched the mechanical monster removing even more trees with consummate ease.

In the words of Jurassic Park, I'm sure 'life will find a way', but we don't half make it hard for it to do so.

Good numbers of common species in astley park today over 30 blackbird, 13 redwing and 7 song thrush also mixed flock of tits contained at least 6 goldcrest, 3 coal tit and c. 35 long tailed tit. 2 very vocal nuthatch and single treecreeper. Had been lots of jay activity over my garden nearby last month or so ad had 3 on ground in park at one time.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 9th of November 2012 07:57:02 AM

Late report for yesterday (Sat 7 Jul)

First time I've been out since the recent deluges. In a warm sunny interlude I saw the following birds:

Chiffchaffs - at least three or four birds singing loudly with two seen
Whitethroat - seen singing (site tick for me)
Kestrel - perched in the trees
Great Tit
Blue Tit - heard only
Wren - heard only
2 Blackbirds
2 Woodpigeons
2 Magpies

There were also a couple of other birds singing which I couldn't identify - I need to brush up on my birdsong.

Andy Isherwood wrote:

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chiffchaff in with reasonably sized tit flock in tyldesley park this am also 2 great spotted woodpecker and small redwing flock

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There's an interesting programme on the beeb which has just started: Railway Walks. They probably will focus on the nature of the paths. I have regularly walked the defunct line that runs somewhere close to Dunham Massey and over into Lymm - would definitely recommend it for birders.

Today was the first sunny day for quite a while and so Sarah and I went for a quick walk round. It was nice to get out for the first time after Christmas and we saw:

Several Blackbirds, Great Tits and Blue Tits
2 Robins
A Chaffinch
A pair of Bullfinches (m & f)
A few woodpigeons
Loads of Magpies
and possibly a Jay disappearing into the trees.

The highlight was a kestrel being mobbed by a crow directly overhead as we walked along the footpath. We'll be very upset if our little patch of nature is totally lost with the advent of this damn tramway.

Happy New Year to one and all !!!