Another tale from Monarch hangar.
On Friday on arriving in work at 06.15 their was a Meadow Pipit inside the Hangar with a few spiders in its beak,I opened the Hangar doors and out it flew,Today getting to work at the same time,blieve it or not,another Meadow Pipit in the Hangar,it may have been the same bird that came back I dont know,Again I opened the doors but this time It didnt want to leave,I left the doors open for about an hour untill security told me to close them.
I didnt see the bird again so hopfully it got out.
I hope it does not come back as its a very dangerous place for a bird.

Tawny Owl calling away at 4.30am yesterday morning on Bailey Lane, Woodhouse Park (close to Manchester Airport)

60+ Swallows mainly juvs around Aircraft Hangars this Morning.
2 Willow Warblers on fence and ground next to Fire Station.
4 Linnet back of Monarch Hangar.
Kestrel catching something,looked like a Pied Wagtail

very quiet today - think the wind was keeping things hidden

Good numbers of Swallows and House Martins

Buzzards will often circle over Sunbank Wood in particular from mid-morning onwards into the afternoon.
Thanks.
Henry.

Airport Water Overflow Area
Green Sandpiper

Staff West Car Park
2 Linnets on Fencing
8 Goldfinch
32 Starling

Sunbank Lane Cattle Field

Grey Partridge
6 linnets
Lapwing

A good, amusing article and photo about it in last nights MEN!

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Well, I couldn't get a proven non feral UK immature Greater Flamingo past BOURC (due to not being able to prove it hadn't come from a private collection on the Continent, see the full article on the 'county rarity accounts' page on the website) so a mid-summer adult Lesser hasn't a cat in hells chance

---

No chance it could even go on my Manchester Borough List either unless Ian decides to change the rules??

Strange! & we don't seem to be missing any from the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust centres!!

-- Edited by Kane Brides on Tuesday 5th of July 2011 05:46:46 PM

1 Red-legged Partridge
2 Grey Partridge
Buzzard
juv Linnets
Reed Bunting singing

NB The Bull was in the Curlew field

Quick (and first) visit to Sunbank Lane area this afternoon, whilst passing on M56 -

Hundreds of Swallows.
1 Red-legged Partridge - year first.
3 Buzzards - 1 dropping into trees in distance.
5 or 6 Linnets - including what could have been 3 or 4 juveniles.
2 Curlews.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker calling in distance from Sunbank Wood.
Plenty of Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch with many juveniles of each.

Rick.

Mid morning visit to Sunbank Lane/Sunbank Wood:

Lots of Swifts and Swallows
6 House Martins
1 Grey Partridge
2 Red-legged Partridges
2 Buzzards
2 Linnets
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting
2 Treecreepers
2 Nuthatches with young

Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch and Goldfinch also all with young and 2 Swifts mating mid-air.


-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 31st of May 2011 12:25:47 PM

2 Grey Partridge still there - keeping low in the wind
Swift & Swallow zooming along the hedges
Common Whitethroat
Starlings amongst the cows (and big bull !)
2 House Sparrows by duck pond

errrrr...... well, 99.99% - they could of course have been red-legged partridge's wearing orange masks. For guide they were to the west side of the field about 10 metres from the hedge, a third of the way out across the field, though I guess they may have moved by now. One kept crouched low down (maybe a stealth partridge) the other very upright - must have been either on guard duty or had left his periscope at home.

I too had only seen red legged (partridge) there before actually.

Had a quick look around on te hway home from work last week - 2 Grey Partridge in the first field on the corner (by the pull over spot next to the tree)

Pleasant walk this afternoon with my brother Dave and the 2 dogs:

1 Lesser Whitethroat still singing away amongst the usuals.

Apparently there are still some Tree Sparrows just about hanging on in the area,according to the farmer who I had a good chat with and who seemed to know his stuff.

I'll keep searching the patch!!

Afterwards over to The Romper for a nice afternoon pint



-- Edited by Phil Owen on Saturday 21st of May 2011 11:12:07 PM

Had a walk around all Hangars this afternoon observing the Starlings and Swallows,
Found 8 Starling nests and 4 Swallow nests in the process of being built.
Also Magpie nest being attacked by a Crow,Magpies could do nothing about it.

While doing my Daily feed to my group of Starlings 20+,the one with a silver ring on its right leg turned up again,it was limping as though the ring was causing pain,The ring was low down resting on the foot.

-- Edited by Charles Coutts on Thursday 12th of May 2011 07:59:14 PM

Late afternoon walk round Sunbank Lane and Sunbank Wood:

Cuckoo still present, calling from Sunbank Wood briefly
2 Linnets
1 Lesser Whitethroat
Good numbers of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 10th of May 2011 11:57:24 PM

Cuckoo still present this evening, calling away in Sunbank Wood and then over at Cotterill Clough.

Managed to find a Lesser Whitethroat tonight rattling away in the Hawthorns (my first one at this site) and also present were:

1 Stock Dove
1 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Swifts
4 Swallows
amongst others

Nice early morning walk around Sunbank Lane and Sunbank Wood:

1 Cuckoo (singing in Sunbank Wood)
1 Linnet
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Treecreeper
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Buzzard
2 Red-legged Partridges
2 Grey Wagtails feeding young
2 Swifts
1 House Martin
Lots of Swallows
amongst others

Productive morning with Phil Owen - Sunbank lane - Sunbank Wood

2 Snipe
Red-legged Partridge
1 fem. Wheatear
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
2 Linnet

2 Ravens flew over, flew across from Styal area,loud cronkin to each other,then caught the thermals around Sunbank Wood area and had a good glide around at 16:30

Taxiway near Fire Station
2 Oystercatcher flew off towards Cargo Centre

Clough Bank Farm
2 Chiffchaff
4 Bullfinch
Robin still around with silver ring on leg
lots of pairs of Goldfinch
Heard Pheasant and G S woodpecker.

If you are on the public path alongside runway 3 I think you are just in Cheshire. I had a Skylark above me there Sunday on a bike ride