Early evening walk with Lucas around Secret Lake area, Levenshulme. A few swimmers in the lake and interestingly a full compliment of Hirundines.
- Sand Martins, small group c15 dropped in, literally to cool off, some landing on the water momentarily to drink. - 4 House Martins - 7 Common Swift - 5 Swallows - 1 Sparrowhawk over - Moorhen with newly hatched brood - singing Chiffchaff
An early evening walk around the Secret Lake with my lad produced
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet low over towards Sandfold La tip - 4 Common Swift - 2 House Martin - 1 singing Blackcap - 1 singing Greenfinch - 1 singing Song Thrush - 4 ad Moorhen - 4 ad Coot + 2 imm - No sign of any Great Crested Grebes
Thanks for that Simon. I had an idea theyd be fairly local, yeah 4DBU was ringed there as one of a brood of 8. Shame their breeding attempt didnt work out this year on the Secret Lake, maybe down to immaturity being their 1st time. Cheers
The Secret Lake swans mentioned below have both turned up on Sheldon Pool at Ashton Moss, they have been there since at least the 8th July. The female 4DBU was hatched and ringed on Sheldon Pool in 2018. They are with two immatures, 4DLZ and 4DNH, these two were ringed as cygnets at Etherow in October 2020.
- No sign of Tufted Duck, a short stayer - 1 imm Great Crested Grebe - 2 Chiffchaff - 1 Blackcap - 11 Common Swift - 4 House Martin - 5 Swallow - 1 Kestrel - Greenfinch seemed to be prevalent on site with a few singing males around
Tuesday evening walk round Secret Lake with Lucas.
- new in 1 Tufted Duck (m) - 1 Great Crested Grebe only (immature) - 6 ad Coot (3pr) 2pr with well grown young, 1pr with 1 tiny chick - 4 Moorhen - 2 Chiffchaff - 1 Song Thrush - 1 Ring-necked Parakeet over - 2 Swallow
As a matter of interest, both Mute Swans now look to have departed.
Walk round Secret Lake, Levenshulme, with Lucas last 2 evenings.
Monday. - 5 Ring-necked Parakeets over south - 2 Blackcap - 1 Chiffchaff - 5 Swallow - 2 Common Swift - 1f Bullfinch - 5 Great Crested Grebe - 1 Grey Heron low over
Tuesday after the match - 2 Blackcap - 6 House Martin - 4 Swallow - 8 Common Swift - 2 Song Thrush - 1 Greenfinch - distant Whitethroat singing - only 3 Great Crested Grebes visible
Usual stuff around and also Mute Swan 4DBU appears to be feeding ok on both occasions.
Thursday evening and Friday evening at secret lake near the cycle loop, Levenshulme.
Of note? - c30 Common Swift swirling around - 4 House Martin - 2 Swallow - 1 singing Willow Warbler - 2 Blackcap - 1 Chiffchaff - 1 pr Great Crested Grebe with well grown young - 2 pr Coot both with well grown young
Also 1 pr Mute Swans that have been here a while, 4CLA (m) & 4DBU (f). They?ve failed to breed despite trying, 4DBU was on a partially obscured nest up at the top end a few weeks ago but it hasn?t worked out for them. I thought she possibly looks a little bit malnourished, and her neck a little bit thin with what looks like a lump halfway down.
50 swift en route is my best count of the year so far. 2 Goldcrest, 4 Bullfinch, 8 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 5 Ring Necked Parakeet, Great Spotted Woodpecker.
- 2 Willow Warbler - 2 Chiffchaff - 3 Blackcap - 1 Common Whitethroat - 1 pr Mute Swan - 1 pr Great Crested Grebe with well grown youngsters - 2 pr Coot both with well grown youngsters - 6 House Martin - 2 Swallow - 2 Common Swift
2 Willow Warbler this morning. One at Donkey Sanctuary, 1 in Gorton Cemetary. Also 12 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 5 Ring Necked Parakeet, Goldcrest, 3 Bullfinch.
Levenshulme & surrounds. Afternoon walks with Lucas from Barlow Rd - Longford Rd Z-bends along the main loop path to Highfield CP and then along the paths back to Longford Rd bridge in a triangle if you like.
Lots of birdsong and mainly usual stuff around incl... - 1 Chiffchaff near allotments - 1 Treecreeper heard (couldnt find it tho!) - 4 Song Thrush - 2 Mistle Thrush - 1 singing Wren - c25 Goldfinch near golf course - c30 House Sparrow on allotment bushes - lots of Blackbird / Robin / Blue Tit / Great Tit - 1 Ring-necked Parakeet on golf course - few Pied Wagtails on golf course - 1 female Sparrowhawk over Barlow Rd
Parts of the main path and connecting trails to Highfield CP are closed at various points due to surfacing work, it is mainly woodland type muddy soil paths in that area and they have put in edging stones and laid hardcore probably for tarmacking over.
2 Chiffchaff, with a 'new' one between bridges 25 and 26. Also 3 Nuthatch, Goldcrest, 12 ring Necked Parakeet, Great spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush.
A walk down towards Highfield CP on the Levenshulme part of the loop yesterday afternoon, not been in ages.
A large flock of c35/40 birds moving through the trees lining the golf club and the main loop path, I thought these may have been dispersing by now and getting ready to pair up for breeding. Numbers only estimated as some were silhouetted, the calls gave many species away.
- 4 Lesser Redpoll at least (firstly picked up on call then seen) - 1 pair of Bullfinch - 1m Chaffinch - 1m Greenfinch - c8 Goldfinch - c10 Long-tailed Tit - 4 Blue Tit - 2 Great Tit - 5 Blackbird (3m) - 1 Ring-necked Parakeet sat in the tree in their midst
2 Chiffchaff, one perched by Boothsdale Crescent, the other near Donkey Sanctuary (07.20). Also 3 Goldcrest, 2 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Ring Necked Parakeet, 7 song Thrush, Bullfinch.
Last 2 evenings a walk with Lucas and the dog through part of Highfield CP, Levenshulme.
Of note... - 1 Chiffchaff - 1 Coal Tit - 4 Long-tailed Tits - 1 Sparrowhawk over - 1 Jay - 3 Ring-necked Parakeets on golf club (only 2 tonight)
...and an odd looking Carrion Crow both times on golf club. Partially leucistic with white wings but its got a pale grey back and rump giving it a tricolour effect, managed an iPhone image in flight. I dont think its a hybrid, just leucistic variation.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Saturday 5th of September 2020 12:12:29 AM
Early evening walk with Lucas and the dog around Nelstrop Rd and Highfield CP on the Levenshulme part of the loop.
Of note... - 5 singing Blackcaps (1 slightly more Blackbird toned and I was leaning towards Garden Warbler but it went quiet as I approached on the path so I didnt get a better earshot or a sighting) - 2 singing Chiffchaff, 1 seen - 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Ring-necked Parakeets heard on golf club - 1 Sparrowhawk being followed by c15 Starling near the Z-bends - 1 Song Thrush right near my feet - Long-tailed Tit family of 12 minimum - 1 Swallow and 1 House Martin together, over
Been on a few walks during the last week or so but Ive been mad busy having eyes in the back of my head as Lucas has decided hes got a turbo boost for crawling and he started walking the other day without the aid of his push along musical walker so I forgot to post any sightings. My apologies as I cant remember the exact days I saw what but I know what I saw and heard and its much the same as Ive seen in recent weeks, again the sightings are from the Levenshulme part of the loop near Highfield CP.
- Ring-necked Parakeets heard on Houldsworth Golf Club - 1 Common Whitethroat also heard on Gokf Club - Blackcaps still in abundance - Chiffchaffs also - 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - lots of Song Thrush - 1 Long-tailed Tit family - male Greenfinch - Bullfinch pair - 2 Jay - a lot of Wren activity - 1 Kestrel hovering over the allotments
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 15th of June 2020 07:29:50 PM
Tuesday 2nd June. Evening walk with Lucas around Highfield CP and surrounds
Of note...
- Garden Warbler heard again and is deep into the inaccessible part of the woods, there is a small clearing where I heard it, so you can see any birds flying over or if moving around the outside of any bushes, but no path into the main area and its quite dense with brambles etc so its impossible to go and find it.
- 8 Blackcap heard, 4 seen inc m+f together - 3 Chiffchaff, 1 close up feeding in the bushes - 2 Ring-necked Parakeets in tree on golf club - 1 Sparrowhawk circling over Z bends being tailed by a few House Martins, a Swallow, and other lbjs
Spent the morning having a good look round the Abbey Hey part of the loop from Falmer Close to Boothdale Drive, and around the meadow, which I was told this morning is 1 one of only 2 that are protected locally.
Of note... - 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat (1 in meadow near allotments, 1 on top of a Conifer near Wright Robbie) - 4 Blackcap seen, more heard - 3 Chiffchaff, 2 doing a sing off and chasing each other - 1m Greenfinch well camouflaged singing right above my head - 2pr Bullfinch - 1m Chaffinch - c10+ Common Swift - few Swallow - 1 Mistle Thrush - 2 Song Thrush - 1 Jay - Ring-necked Parakeet heard over - plenty of House Sparrow in the meadow and near Ackroyd allotments which was a good sign
Plenty of usuals seen too including Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Starlings. A good mix of everything in this area
Evening walks with Lucas and the dog on the Levenshulme part of the loop around Highfield CP / Fallowfield Brook / Nelstrop Rd North.
Friday 29th May. - 1 Ring-necked Parakeet over Z bends - 7 Blackcap - 2 Chiffchaff - 2 Song Thrush - 1 Jay - 5 Long-tailed Tits
Saturday 30th May - 2 Ring-necked Parakeets over allotments - Lesser Whitethroat heard near Golf Club (not seen) - 4 Blackcap - 1 Chiffchaff - 1 Treecreeper briefly but I lost it - 4 Song Thrush - 2 Jay
Sunday 31st May - 2 Ring-necked Parakeets over Highfield Woods - 8 Blackcap (3 in 1 tree alone) - 2 Chiffchaff - 1 Kestrel over allotments
Also Im sure I heard a Garden Warbler a couple of times over the weekend but there was that much bird song that it was difficult to locate and was possibly deeper into the inaccessible area of the woods so its just a probable.
Thanks for posting the Abbey-Hey part of the loop Chris.
Bit more open with a wider path than the Highfield CP woodland part that I take Lucas for a walk round. Nice to walk along a visually different and aesthetically pleasant part of the Loop. Halfway along the path there?s a scrubby meadow a bit reminiscent of the Woolston Eyes meadow. Dropped Lucas off at nursery earlier and decided to try my luck on the same stretch as Chris mentions.
- 4 Lesser Whitethroat inc 3 singing males (all 4 seen) - 1 Common Whitethroat singing on top of a bush in the meadow - 3 Chiffchaff singing, 1 seen - Blackcap heard all over (3 seen) - 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Bullfinch pair - 2m Greenfinch - 2 Jay - lots of Swift over
Late lunchtime walk with Lucas in much the same area as below.
Of note... - Blackcap + Chiffchaff singing from the allotments - More Blackcap seen and heard in Highfield Woods - Chiffchaff heard only - 1 male Greenfinch - Long-tailed Tit family again
Sightings are getting a bit sameish from this area, let me know if it gets a bit boring!