This afternoon, from about 4.20 - 6. Quite quiet, people wise, considering what a nice afternoon it was; a very pleasant stroll around.
1 goldcrest 1 chiffchaff Lots of long-tailed tit (the most numerous small bird throughout the day) 2 goldfinch 1 kingfisher Ring-necked parakeet heard 6 moorhen c80 coot 18 gadwall 3 wigeon (only the second time I've had them here) 2 tufted duck 2 or 3 great crested grebe 7 mute swan 100+ black-headed gull
Usual water birds and an impressive rainbow, too.
Barlow Tip and Hardy Farm (visited earlier) were both pretty quiet; a couple of chiffchaff and a goldcrest were the best I could do here.
Two ospreys (possibly one osprey and something else - only a brief look at the second bird) seen from Chorlton WP area, circled then headed southwest. Sadly, out running so no camera gear to get a snap.
Mandarin Duck (1m) Mute Swan (7, 5juv) Cormorant (1) over BT Great Crested Grebe (1ad) Black-headed Gull (21+) Ring-necked Parakeet (4) Reed Warbler (2+, 1+juv) -the juvenile Reed Warbler was in the reedbed at the eastern end and was very fresh with an obvious gape. This is the first time I've been able to confirm breeding here and I wonder how many other years recently fledged juveniles have been seen.
Young Reed Warblers have been recorded several years in succession this century, though you will have to trawl back through this thread a few a years. I used to watch them from the boat whilst on water safety.
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Mandarin Duck (1m) Mute Swan (7, 5juv) Cormorant (1) over BT Great Crested Grebe (1ad) Black-headed Gull (21+) Ring-necked Parakeet (4) Reed Warbler (2+, 1+juv) -the juvenile Reed Warbler was in the reedbed at the eastern end and was very fresh with an obvious gape. This is the first time I've been able to confirm breeding here and I wonder how many other years recently fledged juveniles have been seen.
Mandarin (1m) under the willows on the western island. Mute Swan (7, 5juv) Great Crested Grebe (1) Common Gull (1) over the Mersey Black-headed Gull (c50) Stock Dover (1) over Barlow Tip
Lovely amble around the Mersey valley yesterday (Friday 3rd June), Kenworthy-Chorlton WP-Mersey-Chorlton Ees-Sale WP and back the same way. Over fifty species seen or heard, the highlights were:-
Reed Warbler - showing well at Chorlton and Sale
Sedge Warbler - singing and showing well on Chorlton Ees
Swifts, Swallows, House and Sand Martins - eye level views along the Mersey
Kingfisher - perched on flotsam around a storm drain for c5 mins near disused bridge
Grey Wagtail - lovely male, same place as Kingfisher
Buzzard - 3 birds over Chorlton Ees area interacting
Sparrowhawk - male soaring over golf course near Jackson's Boat
Kestrel - female hunting over fields behind Broad Ees Dole
Little Grebe - lovely views of 3 adults Broad Ees Dole
Jackdaw - mob of c20 watched at close quarters in paddock, Hardy's farm area
Greenfinch - several on Barlow tip including a smart male wheezing!
Lots of Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler
Stock Dove - 3 of this attractive and underrated bird, 1 of which showed well on the river bank
Reed Bunting - nice male with a beak full of insects Chorlton Ees on return leg
Willow Tit - working the tree line at the edge of Chorlton Ees
Bullfinch - nice male near Willenhall Lane exit of Kenworthy Wood
-- Edited by Mike Brown on Saturday 4th of June 2016 02:21:47 PM
Nice to see that the reed bed was being maintained today and that it didn't phase the reed warblers. 1 reed warbler 3 great crested grebes 3 male tufted ducks 2 grey wagtails on river 2 pied wagtails on river
-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Friday 20th of May 2016 05:27:51 PM
Maybe common is the wrong word but I'm sure they must breed at a low density in the wider area. I often spend long periods sky-watching on the tip in the vain hope of fly-over waders/raptors and this is usually when I pick them up. Might be worth a go for a couple of hours if you're really keen to get them on the list.
I used to do the same Liam, always hoped for an Osprey following the R.Mersey but always to no avail, but got Stock Doves
Maybe common is the wrong word but I'm sure they must breed at a low density in the wider area. I often spend long periods sky-watching on the tip in the vain hope of fly-over waders/raptors and this is usually when I pick them up. Might be worth a go for a couple of hours if you're really keen to get them on the list.
Just to add to the Stock Dove discussion, I've been birding the site on and off for the last 10 years and have been giving it a good go this year for Patchwork Challenge (Although sadly not for a couple of weeks). I record Stock Dove pretty regularly on Barlow Tip, often as flyovers but have flushed them from the deck, and have had them over Kenworthy too. I've had them on 4 separate occasions this year so far and according to Birdtrack have recorded them on 22% of my visits. They seem to be a pretty common bird in the Mersey Valley in general so hopefully you should catch up with one on patch soon Tim!
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 06:51:06 PM
Thanks Liam Hardly common! They've eluded me at Chorlton WP and in the Mersey valley for 16 years!
Just to add to the Stock Dove discussion, I've been birding the site on and off for the last 10 years and have been giving it a good go this year for Patchwork Challenge (Although sadly not for a couple of weeks). I record Stock Dove pretty regularly on Barlow Tip, often as flyovers but have flushed them from the deck, and have had them over Kenworthy too. I've had them on 4 separate occasions this year so far and according to Birdtrack have recorded them on 22% of my visits. They seem to be a pretty common bird in the Mersey Valley in general so hopefully you should catch up with one on patch soon Tim!
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 06:51:06 PM
I usually bird the Mersey valley, stretford ees to kenworthy woods, twice a week. It have gotten out of the habit of posting my sightings. Might have a look for that common sandpiper and still haven't gotten the reed warblers this year as well.
The Common Sandpiper was on the Parkway side of the kenworthy bridge Joel, flying to both sides on the stones. We last saw it head round the corner in the direction of Princess Parkway! You'll know that the Reed Warbler is in the small reed patch near the playground, singing & showing better than probably any Reed Warbler that I have ever seen before, the group will think they're always like that
I usually bird the Mersey valley, stretford ees to kenworthy woods, twice a week. It have gotten out of the habit of posting my sightings. Might have a look for that common sandpiper and still haven't gotten the reed warblers this year as well.
Never kept a site list, it's all in old notebooks like we used to do! With full descriptions of stuff I found (inc crappy drawings!) & got accepted like Ferruginous Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Red-crested Pochard & the like! In the halcyon days when the aythya flock was over 1000 regularly. Never got Ring-necked Parakeet though!! Nor Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but did have the Firecrest there one year. I never in all my walks had a Lesser Whitethroat though, even when birding mates such as Kevin McCabe & good birders like him joined me, so you did really well to get those the other day, but the habitat is perfect now for them & back in the day wasn't as good. The patch (I always have a defined patch rather than do sites) was from my house too (in West Didsbury) and had Ring Ouzel on it (got piccies!) and Wheatear was regular every year. How times have changed! As Joel says for him & Liam, for Shannon earlier this year & for my group today, we all saw Stock Dove over Barlow Tip, so that seems your best bet I'd say
Plenty of Bullfinches about today too, that was always a feature when I was there though, so that's still good
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 10th of May 2016 09:49:08 PM
I know, I have seen them over in the past but as a patcher prob only got them about five times a year (I was unemployed so walked the site every day!), got at least half the group onto them and my wife (a very good birder) saw them too, so IDed by at least 3 good birders. Had them throughout the Mersey Valley before, Tim, my last GM Bird Report that I have, before I left the County, was 1999 (the year I moved to Cheshire) and included in the Stock Dove summary were 20 at Chorlton Ees, just along the river from Barlow Tip!! Hopefully you'll get it on your site list soon, just go every day, worked for me
PM me your site list Paul! I've had Stock Dove close to home on the Fallowfield Loop but Chorlton WP would be good. Missing Raven too but I do have Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (twice!)
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!
I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!
We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future
An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.
Stock Dove is an excellent bird and would be a site tick for me
I have done it many times and came back to my bike with it being ok, I was just unlucky but when I do go back I will be on foot. Tim I have had stock doves several times when I was with Liam, I've seen them from kenworthy and Barlow tip. I would recommend just spending 15-20 minutes stood there sky watching.
I know, I have seen them over in the past but as a patcher prob only got them about five times a year (I was unemployed so walked the site every day!), got at least half the group onto them and my wife (a very good birder) saw them too, so IDed by at least 3 good birders. Had them throughout the Mersey Valley before, Tim, my last GM Bird Report that I have, before I left the County, was 1999 (the year I moved to Cheshire) and included in the Stock Dove summary were 20 at Chorlton Ees, just along the river from Barlow Tip!! Hopefully you'll get it on your site list soon, just go every day, worked for me (I was unemployed & did Chorlton WP daily!!)
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 10th of May 2016 09:26:40 PM
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!
I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!
We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future
An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.
Stock Dove is an excellent bird and would be a site tick for me
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!
I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!
We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future
An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it. No sign of any reed warblers, today or yesterday. 5th may, Barlow tip, kenworthy woods and water park 5 whitethroats 2 blackcaps 1 Chiffchaff 4 tufted ducks 1 great crested grebe Today, Barlow tip and water park 3 whitethroats 1 blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 1 willow warbler 7 tufted ducks 1 great crested grebe
Sorry to hear about your bike Joel- I was hoping to start cycling to Chorlton WP rather than driving to be a bit more eco-friendly, stuff like this puts me off!
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it. No sign of any reed warblers, today or yesterday. 5th may, Barlow tip, kenworthy woods and water park 5 whitethroats 2 blackcaps 1 Chiffchaff 4 tufted ducks 1 great crested grebe Today, Barlow tip and water park 3 whitethroats 1 blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 1 willow warbler 7 tufted ducks 1 great crested grebe
Early morning walk/cycle around Chorlton Water Park, Chorlton Ees and Sale Water Park, 630 - Noon.
The Reed Warblers are definitely present, watched both flitting about for 30 mins around 7 am, I think they keep their heads down once it gets as busy as it was today!
Otherwise pretty much what Steve said, lots of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. There was A Garden Warbler singing from deep cover about 50m downstream of the bridge at Jackson's Boat but I couldn't see it, try as I might. Also of relevance, 1 Willow Tit in trees adjacent to the slipway about 30m past Broad Ees Dole. 1 lapwing and 6 Little Grebes on said reserve. Oh yeah, 2 Ring Necked Parakeet in Wythenshawe Park, in large oaks close to the Wythenshawe Rd entrance.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 6th of May 2016 05:29:11 AM
Lesser Whitethroat singing in Hawthorns along the tarmaced road towards the M'way. Near the barred metal gate on the left headed south but moved further down. The same or a different Lesser Whitethroat heard behind a Whitethroat between Gropper hill and the river.
Of interest was that the bird in the Hawthorns I first heard above my head unseen for over a minute making a faint jumbled subsong like a very quiet Garden Warbler. It was easily drowned out by a Dunnock that set up camp nearby. Then finally it moved, came forward enough to catch a glimpse and broke into a familiar loud Lesser Whitethroat rattle. Then it flew across the road and started up again, eventually showing well in good light back on the left side. I can't find this subsong on xeno-canto but it certainly issued from that bird and certainly left me puzzled.
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Thursday 21st of April 2016 08:35:11 PM
Wander round this afternoon with Joel Tragen and Elliot Montieth:
Goosander (1m) flew west over Barlow Tip Tufted Duck (3,2m) Cormorant (1) Buzzard (4) Sparrowhawk (1+) Lesser Black-backed Gull (7+ ad) Stock Dove (2) Kenworthy House Martin (1) Sand Martin Swallow Willow Warbler Chiffchaff Blackcap
highlights from yesterday 1 cormorant 3 goldeneye, 2 females and 1 male 4 tufted ducks 3 great crested grebes 3 mute swans 1 adult lesser black-backed gull 50+ sand martins (20+ on the river which later joined the ones on the water park) 2+ swallows (2 seen on the river but saw another one over the water park with the sand martins) 1 chiffchaff
Goldeneye (3, 1m) Goosander (1) flew west over Barlow Tip. Tufted Duck (5) Kestrel (1) Barlow Tip Sparowhawk (1) Buzzard (2) Lesser Black-backed Gull (2ad) flew northwest over Barlow Tip Black Headed Gull (2) Stock Dove (2) Barlow Tip Great Spotted Woodpecker (2) Barlow Tip Swallow (2) Sand Martin (2) Willow Wabler (3m) Blackcap (4+m)
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Sunday 10th of April 2016 02:14:44 PM
Oystercatcher (1) flew SW over the river just to the east of Jackson's Boat Goldeneye (3) Tufted Duck (9) Buzzard (4) Sparrowhawk (2) Swallow (2) along the river Sand Martin (c5) along the river Willow Warbler (1) Blackcap (3)