Mandarin Duck 6. 3 pairs together on Sinderland Brook at Sinderland Green Wood Skylark 1 F26 Fieldfare 86 ranging between F69/F70/F25 Chaffinch 130 ranging between F71/F26 Linnet 70 again F71/76
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Decent hour here today, despite the cold wind and multiple off-road motorbikes.
6 Grey Partridge (2 F1, 2 F10, 2 F11). Woodcock flushed from old railway, flew across F9. Raven over F10. Good numbers of Skylarks across multiple fields.
Grey Partridge 6 (2 F1, 2 F2, 2 F11) Tawny Owl daytime singing male at the Old Orchard Raven 1 Skylark 65 (40 in F4, 25 in F11) Treecreeper 1 Redwing 85 by the Riding School Stonechat 3 usual pair by the pylons in F12, another female at the west end of F2 Chaffinch 80 in F9 Linnet 150 in F9
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If I didn't know better, I'd say that I've just seen an Osprey over Sale. I live close to the edge of Carrington Moss in the Manor Avenue/Moss Lane area and I just watched a large pale raptor with long cranked wings and comparatively short tail gliding and circling over the Avenue, I lost it behind a neighbour's house.
Bit late for an Osprey, but I couldn't make it into anything else (I'm very experienced with raptors, so it wasn't a Buzzard or a Red Kite!)
Grey Partridge 10, 8 F2, 2 F9 Skylark 70+ flushed from F4 by Sparrowhawk then headed south Chiffchaff 3 Redwing 13 Stonechat 2, pair along the track between F4 / F12 then under the pylon F12 Meadow Pipit 15 Chaffinch 80+ in F4 Linnet 14 F9 Redpoll 1 Siskin 2 Yellowhammer 4 F11
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Thanks for the replies John and Rob. I'll keep looking and see if it appears again.
I'm always amazed how many birds are high up and invisible to the naked eye. I often sit in the garden looking up with my binoculars,catching birds which must be hundreds of metres up. A very pleasant way of relaxing.
From those limited details, I'd say probable Red Kite
If the wings seemed paper-thin & level, with fingered wing-tips, floating almost paper-like in flight, that would confirm it for me; if they were thicker & shallow-V with more rounded wing-tips and purposeful flight then Buzzard
Hope those analogies make sense!
If you Google for pics, those will mostly be of adult birds close up, so don't rely on them. Also, light conditions can affect apparent colouration more than you'd expect, so don't trust that too much. Size is impossible to judge from a distance even for the most experienced observers
Think I may have seen a Red Kite this evening. Sat in garden in Flixton looking towards Carrington with binoculars. Large bird appeared in distance quite high up. Large wingspan, distinctly red and white underparts but couldn't make out the tail. Travelled a long way with no wingbeats. Definitely not a Buzzard, narrower wings. Any ideas?
Hi Brian, I dont think you will get many comments on this one. The tail wouldve been a key feature with this species, and theres always a possibility of sunlight affecting colouration. I suspect this one could remain unidentified. Cheers Rob
Think I may have seen a Red Kite this evening. Sat in garden in Flixton looking towards Carrington with binoculars. Large bird appeared in distance quite high up. Large wingspan, distinctly red and white underparts but couldn't make out the tail. Travelled a long way with no wingbeats. Definitely not a Buzzard, narrower wings. Any ideas?
Had a couple of hours here late morning. Made the mistake of walking around the outside path next to Shell, and discovered quite how many horseflies there are in the area. Most unpleasant.
Very hot so not too many birds
Yellowhammer, linnet, whitethroat, blackbird and swallow along edge of field 1.
Blackcap and pheasant heard and buzzard, whitethroat and yellowhammer seen around fields 24 and 25
And highlight was two yellow wagtail on hedge on edge of field 4
Mandarin crèche of 2 female and 8 duckling on Sinderland Brook Grey Partridge 2 F25 Lapwing 27 (26 in F26) Skylark 9 (7 in F26) Treecreeper fledglings Yellow Wagtail 1 male in F26 Yellowhammer 4
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Whimbrel 7. 2 still feeding in F8 for 3rd day (eBird report there from 30th April), earlier 5 flew low west, calling, over F4 at 08.12 Lesser Whitethroat singing male F8, prob same heard later from F1 Yellow Wagtail 3, pair F10, male F1 White Wagtail 2 in F9 Pied Wagtail 2 Wheatear 2 in F12 Partridge 4 in F4, 2 in F13 Raven 2 Yellowhammer 9 Skylark 12
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Not disputing the sightings Pete as I am aware other people have missed the wheatears and am totally aware there is a huge camber in this field. However the all the deep ruts have now been removed making it less attractive to migrants and that whatever has been planted is likely to grow quickly judged by adjacent fields.
For anyone visiting f4 to check for migrants be warned that it has been tilled and seeded today and if its anything like f11/13 will be covered in green vegetation within days. As I had been to Shell Pool reserve this morning I quickly checked the area at 11.30 and there were no birds on.
Redstart male in the south west corner of F1 along the fenceline Whinchat male in F4 Wheatear 2 in F4, 2 in F13, 2 in F1 Partridge 3, 1 in F2, 2 in F10 Oystercatcher 2 Lapwing 9 Skylark 12+ Willow Warbler 6 Chiffchaff 7 Blackcap 7 Meadow Pipit 10, 9 in F1, 1 in F11 Linnet 31 Yellowhammer 5
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A wander down Brookheys Road yesterday at circa 5pm produced three Mandarin, first a male flew between the two coverts towards the brook and then a pair flew around F32. A Ring-necked Parakeet was vocal in Hogswood Covert.
Wheatear x 2 in F4, Mistle Thrush x 3 in F4, Yellowhammer x 3 in F2, Grey Partridge x 2 in F11, Skylark x 6 in air at once, some singing. Several Chiffchaff most in song.
Red Kite 1 picked out at distance from the railway at the top end of Dark Lane looking south east as it flew north 11.06, then circling approx over the Man Utd training ground before continuing north (original and crop photo attached) Mediterranean Gull 2 adults circling over the power station next to Isherwood Road at 12.45, picked up on call Fieldfare c30 in F4 Grey Partridge 11 (5 in F2, 2 in F1, 2 in F10 and 2 F13) Lapwing 9 Raven 2 Skylark 9 Chiffchaff 7 Blackcap 1 Treecreeper 1 singing Linnet 38