Walked down Fishbrook to Ringley bridge and along the canal to Prestolee and back home via Fishbrook . Birds on the canal: Starling x 4 Robin x 4 Feral Pigeon x 6 Goldfinch x 3 Carrion Crow x 5 Wood Pigeon x 4 Blackbird x 5 House Sparrow x 10 Blue Tit x 3 Tree Sparrow x 1 Great Tit x 2 Common Buzzard x 1 Mallard x 6 Canada Goose x 2 Moorhen x 2 Magpie x 3 Lesser Black Backed Gull (over) x 2 Birds on the river: Goosander x 4 (2m 2f) Canada Goose x 3 Black Headed Gull x 4 Dipper x 1 Kingfisher x 4 Grey Wagtail x 1
My wife and I walked along the brilliant new towpath constructed by the Canal Rivers Trust on the Bolton - Manchester canal from Ringley to Nob End. 22 birds seen: Long Tailed Tit x 2 Cormorant over x 1 Yellowhammer x 1 (my first here) Herring Gull over x 1 Goldfinch x 4 Common Buzzard over x 3 Starling x 4 Blue Tit x 5 Feral Pigeon x 12 Chaffinch x 3 Magpie x 7 Canada Goose x 2 Grey Wagtail x 1 Carrion Crow x 6 Mallard x 4 Wren x 2 Moorhen x 2 Great Tit x 2 Wood Pigeon x 12 Blackbird x 6 Black Headed Gull over x 7 Collared Dove x 1
Quiet at Pilkington pit and adjacent areas of Waterdale Meadows - 1 snipe still, lapwings breeding, pair of tufted duck and several Gadwall. 2 pairs Stock doves at 13 arch viaduct
7.15-8.30 am - pair of adult Mediterranean Gulls flew low over SW around 8 am, 1 common Sandpiper on the river (no sign of Little ringed plovers), 7 lapwing, gadwall, 1 Sand Martin, several each of whitethroat, willow warbler, chiffchaff and Blackcap, no Acros or Locustella which surprised me a bit
A visit to the pool on the south side of the M60 with Stu Marsden was interesting with the following birds seen On the river: 2 Little Ringed Plover Several Teal,Gadwall,Mallard and 2 Goosander On the pool 6+Snipe With small numbers of Teal,Mallard ,Tufted Duck,Black Headed Gulls,Lesser Black Backed Gulls In the general area: 4 Buzzard,2 Swallow,several Sand Martin,Willow Warbler and singing Blackcap
4 Goosander (2m 2f).All four chasing about.The males not showing any preference for a single female , chasing each female alternately ,but having little success. 10am today.
Late post for yesterday. Two Jays screeching warning calls to each other on the perimeter of the old football pitch in Ringley Woods. Both seen briefly flying above the tree canopy
what you count on any personal list is quite rightly up to you and that's absolutely right but although Black Swans do indeed breed in small numbers in the UK they are all from captive stock and their population is too low and too scattered to suggest that it is self-sustaining. As, when and if, that population grows and does become genuinely self-sustaining their official status may very well change but currently at least they are not truly 'wild' and proving if they're captive birds or indeed off spring from feral breeding pairs is not possible.
Hi Mark consulted the BOUlist it told me nothing I didn't already know in the statement I made I was alluding to whether the birds I saw were birds that had bred in the wild or birds that had escaped from a bird sanctuary
late post for yesterday 2 black swans flying N W over ringley bridge at 10 .30 possible escapees but who knows
Not in any way meaning to sound sarcastic Bernard but I doubt they'll have flown all the way from Australia. I think we can be certain they're from captive origins
3 Buzzard 2 Sparrowhawk Kestrel 2,250 Feildfare south/se in lots of flocks 54 Snipe - plus 9 south in flock of Fieldfare 39 Mute Swan 7 Wigeon 27 Gadwall
Female Long-tailed Duck still present at 2:35pm today on the pool on the south side of the motorway. Park along Philips Park Road and follow the track south past the farm to view the pool from the public vantage point.
Long-tailed Duck (f) still present at 5.40pm. Good views from the slightly elevated open land to the southeast of the Lagoon. Fortunately the duck was at the eastern end of this lagoon too. Accesed via Philips Park Road, and continuing track, and then left over the Motorway footbridge, which carries the Outwood cycle Trail. Nice to meet Tony O'Mahony and Gary Crowder, Thanks to Steve Christmas and Ian for the info
-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 25th of May 2013 07:24:27 PM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
Female long-tailed duck with 6 tufted duck on the smaller pool south of the M60 at 0800 this morning. May be the recent bird from Silver Lane Pools. Really brightened up my BBS count!
The adult female mute swan has been killed feathers all over the place and the carcass eaten a lot! Lucky fox or unfortunately poachers dogs which have been there last few times - who knows!
Great crested grebe - good record 2 Little Grebe 30 Gadwall 42 Mallard 52 Teal 5 Goldeneye 3 Siskin Willow tit