Another late post - Friday 24.11.23 from 2.15pm. Field 11/12 (the carrot field, with the 2 pylons close together). Stonechat - 2 m+ f together. Goldfinch - 10 feeding along F12 margin and the pathway. Pinkfooted geese - c160 flying N to S and dropping down to land in the distance. Also c 60 - flying S to N dropping down into similar area , probably Warburton/Carrington . Elsewhere - Kestrel - 2 hunting in different areas.
Horse paddock. Jay -1. Pheasant -2 f. Redwing - 2. F4. Kestrel -2 m+f. F5. Buzzard -1 (over). Pheasant -2 m. F14/15 margin. Stonechat -1f . F15. Linnet -6. Goldfinch -1 (with the linnet's). Skylark -25. Meadow pipit -12. Raven -1 (seen on dead elm tree on Dark lane, through scope).
Stonechat - 2 ( f12/13 margin). * CORN BUNTING* - 1 futher along the margin in a Goat Willow ( I've not seen one at Carrington for years ). Buzzard -1 . Jay - 1. Kestrel - 2. Starling - 20 on Pylon. Mistle Thrushe - 4 ( same pylon). Skylark - 5. Cormorant - 1. Wood pigeon - c50.
This afternoon from 1:30 pm. Stonechat - 4 (f12) with 3 chasing each other in f12. Buzzard - 10 (1f12 and 3 high over Bassel site , plus 6over Altrincham). Kestrel - 2. Jay - 2.
Northern fields. Path from Isherwood Rd butty van > horse paddocks > beyond Sale Sharks (off the field numbers map)
Wheatear 4. 1 in field next to Isherwood Rd opposite new housing, 1 in field next to Carrington Rd/Sale Sharks and 2 the next field in (with the pylon). Whitethroat 4 (1 pair) Oystercatcher 2 Yellowhammer 2
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Field 5 - Wheatear - 8 ( which is now 50% ploughed , and I saw the plough returning from working other fields later). Mistle thrush - 2. Pied wagtail - 2.
Elsewhere - Chiffchaff - 1 seen + 1 heard. Blackcap - 1 seen + 2 heard. Jay - 1. Bullfinch - 2. Buzzard - 1. Mistle thrush - 1.
Partridge 2 F1 Peregrine male patrolling F8 and stooping after a Feral Pigeon Skylark 10+ Redwing 30+ Fieldfare 40+ Stonechat 1 female under the pylons still F12 Chaffinch 96, c80 in F9 Linnet c150 F9 Reed Bunting 6+
Raven 1
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Tuesday 14th of March 2023 08:43:53 PM
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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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