Here for an hour late afternoon, as dark descended; nothing like the number of species found as post below, but counts were:
1 goldcrest 4+ grey wagtail (making a tremendous racket from the reed bed end, great to hear) 3 moorhen 61+ coot 13+ tufted duck 16+ gadwall 3 great crested grebe 10 mute swan 60+ black-headed gull, mainly over or departing 4 cormorant
Hobby circling high above the water park/River Mersey. In association with Black-headed Gulls but often above them. It looked as if they were all feeding on flying insects.
Quick visit this afternoon 13.47 - 15.20 with the following highlights:
COMMON SANDPIPER (1) flushed from the north shore at 14.03 and circled the lake calling although I didn't see where it went to. Only my third CWP record! Mute Swan (1) Tufted Duck (5, 3m) Buzzard (1) Swift (c15) House Martin (2+) Sand Martin (2+) Swallow Reed Warbler (1m) singing in the reed bed at the east end. Whitethroat (2m) Willow Warbler (1m)
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Monday 8th of May 2017 05:54:57 PM
Nice wander round this afternoon 13.42 - 14.56 with the following highlights:
LESSER WHITETHROAT (1m) singing along the river adjacent to Barlow Tip - a patch tick for me! Whitethroat (2+ m) Willow Warbler (2m) Swift (8+) my first of the year over Barlow Tip House Martin (2) over Barlow Tip Swallow Great Crested Grebe (3ad)
2 chiffchaff 2 blackcap 1 nuthatch 3 goldfinch 1 chaffinch (with no lower legs; was able to shuffle along the branch with what he had left whilst belting out his song) 4+ house sparrow 1 swallow 1 jay 1 moorhen 23 coot, a few carrying nesting material around 13 tufted duck Mallard & Canada geese 8 mute swan 1 great crested grebe 1 black-headed gull
Kenworthy Woods:
1 goldcrest 4 chiffchaff 7 blackcap 1 whitethroat 1 greenfinch 1 song thrush 1 stock dove over 1 buzzard
English Nature do issue a licence to remove Buzzards, but it is very complicated and you cannot just take any, the licence holders needs to prove the birds are doing damage to property livestocks or crops, in fact that goes for any removal or taking or wild birds.
It is a very difficult area of legislation and one that causes a lot of debate, the main thing here, is that the licence holder may be able to do it, but they cannot ask family or friends to help.
it is illegal to take or possess any wild bird or part of a wild bird, its eggs or nest, however if you have a general licence then as long as you apply the strict rules , you may be able to do so, but you may also fall foul of the law, if you stray from the conditions of licence.
It is a extremely complicated area.
Best just to watch, mother nature does a good job of keeping order.
Just met a dark haired young lad circa 16yrs who was out looking for Buzzard nests. Apparently his Dad had got a licence to take a young bird. Fortunately he's in totally the wrong area. Really surprised thought this kind of thing had died out years ago.
Take a young bird for what I wonder? I'm not aware of the existence of such a 'licence' (maybe someone on here is) though of course, while one may now be obtained to 'control' them, Chorlton WP would be extremely unlikely to meet the criteria for one of those! All around very 'fishy' to me
Just met a dark haired young lad circa 16yrs who was out looking for Buzzard nests. Apparently his Dad had got a licence to take a young bird. Fortunately he's in totally the wrong area. Really surprised thought this kind of thing had died out years ago.
As I had an emergency dental appointment in West Didsbury today I combined it with a visit to my old local patch and have a lovely, shortish, visit in the bright sunshine.
Highlights were up to 8 Ring-necked Parakeets, at least two of them 'singing' territorially from trees which they left but kept returning to to carry on repetitively 'singing'. I only checked out the eastern end of the lake but still picked up 3(2 drake) Goosanders and a female Goldeneye amongst the commoner waterfowl. Plenty of Tufted Ducks and a pair of Gadwall too as well as a female Pochard. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling on Kenworthy Fields and a few Redwings were flying about. At least 5 Nuthatches were seen, several visiting the feeding station.
Great to be back and a bonus to make up for my pain
25+ goldfinch 7 house sparrow 2 redwing 1 great spotted woodpecker 2 ring-necked parakeet 8 moorhen 30+ coot 8+ gadwall 4 shoveler 44+ tufted duck 19 pochard (one female) 2 goldeneye 4 goosander 6 mute swan 1 little grebe 4 (possibly 6) great crested grebe (two in an almighty scrap) 5 cormorant c130 black-headed gull 6+ common gull 1 lesser black-backed gull
Also what sounded very much like a linnet over the Barlow Tip end; only heard very briefly, and no chance of an ID on sight, so not 100% certain, but still, a pretty distinctive call.
A mixed finch flock of approx 60 birds, mainly Goldfinch with a small number of Siskins and Redpolls, on the Alders at the south side of the lake this afternoon.
Didn't pay a proper visit here today, but 10+ coot, 4 gadwall, 1 tufted duck and 7 mute swan were of the most interest when looking across the lake from Barlow Tip.
Hardy farm and Barlow Tip, from about 2 until dusk:
1 goldcrest Lesser redpolls heard, sounded perhaps five or so, so far as I could tell. 4 goldfinch 2 greenfinch 4 bullfinch c20 redwing 5 jay 6 ring-necked parakeet 1 goosander over 4 cormorant over 17 common gull 1 buzzard heard
Amazing impromptu visit today 12.26 - 14.34, highlights as follows:
SKYLARK (9) flew low east over Barlow Tip calling at 13.32. A patch tick! Willow Tit (1) calling repeatedly and showing occasionally in the area north of the path to the gas station on Barlow Tip. Only my second patch record! Wigeon (4) Gadwall (c13) Tufted Duck (c15) Common Gull (2)