3 Little Egrets back in the same field with the horses to the west of the path at the end of Cob Kiln Lane at 15.00 today.
Male and Female Goosander on the Mersey opposite the MetroVics Clubhouse.
Very large flock (50+) Collard Doves on the roof at the grain store/sheds between Ashton cricket club and MV Rugby Club. I've seen big groups of Collard Doves here before, but never quite this many. Feral Pigeons and Wood Pigeons also in large numbers.
Waxwing 1 in hawthorn with Chaffinches before flying across to tree top, then continuing east at 12.25. Cob Kiln Lane, open area with the pylon 53.441018, -2.345745
I had wondered where the cattle egret had got to when I walked past just after two. The little egret was with the horses at the far end of the field on the other end of the lane and a couple of dozen redwings were flitting about in the treetops by the stables with a handful of parakeets.
Cob Kiln Wood was *very* quiet even though it was the only bit of the area not heaving with people and dogs.
The cattle egret was back in the same field when I was walking back into Urmston at quarter past three. It seemed a bit more skittish than it was yesterday but it didn't seem to spoil its appetite for earthworms.
Cattle Egret still present at 13.45pm but had flown up into a tree from the field after being spooked by a couple of barking dogs. But it had to put up with a lot of Magpie attention.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Monday 1st of January 2024 05:50:12 PM
Cob Kiln Lane - very busy with family walks and cyclists. Cattle Egret still feeding at 1.00pm 1 Stock Dove near Mersey Bridge 2 Wood Pigeons Female Sparrowhawk 2 singles Grey Wagtails 2 Herring Gulls 2 Lesser Blackback Gulls Several Blackbirds 1 Robin! 1 Blue Tit! 2 Great Tits! 2 Carrion Crows! 30+ Magpies
Cattle Egret this morning.09.00 in horse field along Cob Kiln Lane left hand side of lane walking away from Urmston and passed horse supplies shop.
No sign of Little Egret
The Cattle Egret was still present at the horse paddock with a Little Egret on Cob Kiln Lane at 11.58. At 13.33 the / a Cattle Egret was at Watery Lane, by Ruby Farm, with a Common Gull when it flew west at 13.37 appearing to drop down behind the trees. No Egrets at cob Kiln Lane at 14.22. Pics of the Cattle Egret from both locations.
Raven 3 over Siskin 50 (in 3 flocks) Redwing 250+ Mandarin Duck 2
Interesting that Pete - I wonder if that makes it more likely the group of 5 I saw was either a mixture of Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets, or just Little Egrets with the Cattle Egret the following day being a solo traveller?
The group of 5 I saw Christmas day were too far away to discern without binoculars, but the Cattle Egret the following day was more co-operative. A couple of further pics below.
Yesterday while walking the dogs we came across what I thought at first were 5 Little Egrets, about 100 yards away in a field of horses. I didn't have my binoculars but took a picture with my phone to remind me to check again later. The birds were a bit too far away to see much detail and I didn't want to disturb them by going too near with my dogs.
Visited again today and had a better look at one which was there again - looked very much like a a Cattle Egret.
Main reasons for this conclusion was a small size compared to a Magpie and imm gull nearby, short yellow bill, head shape and shortish neck, dark but not black legs and no sign of yellow feet. Also the fact they seemed very comfortable amongst a field of horses.
I was able to take a few pictures with my phone through my binoculars and saw enough to be fairly confident this was a Cattle Egret and in all probability, based on size, activity and location, the five we saw yesterday were also.
The five seen yesterday and today's solitary bird all eventually flew off over the trees to the south-west towards the Mersey.
The location is in the horse field to the west of the path immediately after the stables and through the gate at the end of Cobb Kiln Lane.
Pink-footed Goose 18 > NW @ 11.06, 40 > W @ 12.10, another skein heard only Mandarin Duck 2 pairs on the River Mersey at Old Ea's Brook Teal 10 Little Grebe 3 Willow Tit pair at 53.438256, -2.352372 Redpoll 2 Siskin 5
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Dipper on the 'rapids' near the Riverbank cafe at the entrance to Kickerty Brook at about 12.30 today. Flew off downstream towards the Ashton footbridge.
First I've seen here in many years - aware they have been seen near the Mile Road, but not this far up.
Mandarin 5-7 3m 2f on river and pair in a tree on Old Eea Brook may have come from there Teal 15 Chiffchaff 8 Treecreeper 1 Redwing 96 Siskin 2 Yellowhammer 1 male
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Little Egret 1 flew overhead towards Ashton-on-Mersey Water Rail 1 walking between roosting Teal on small island in Mersey Redwing 115 Siskin 24 Teal 27
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