Huge flock of Linnet with some other finches noticeably darker brown in colour, very mobile over the pools which have retained quite a bit of the rain. At least 40+ birds 4 Goldfinch 1 Kestrel 4 Lapwing 2 Black-headed Gulls 2 Herring Gulls 3 Swallows 1 House Martin 2 Meadow Pipit flushed within feet 3 Skylark flushed within feet 4 juv Pied Wagtail Carrion Crow and Magpie dotted about
Surprisingly, despite the warm weather, there's actually some remains of the pools.
No waders of any sort seen 4 Skylark (flushed accidentally within feet) 2 Reed Bunting 1 male Kestrel (hovering then hunting low over ground) 1 Jay 5 Carrion Crow (2 sunbathing)
The following I can only give approx numbers due to flight nature of the species or the birds being obscured at ground level by vegetation...
Sand Martin approx 5 - 10 House Martin approx 15 - 20 Swallow approx 25+ Black-headed Gull 10+ flying in but lost them
...and on the ground... Woodpigeon Pied Wagtail Starling
Quick visit whilst up at Hollingworth Lake, had trouble posting this due to poor signal, seem to get an on and off data signal up there. Was hoping for a Green Sandpiper but didn't manage one whilst I was there.
Of note... 2 Skylark 6 Green Plover Oystercatcher heard, I looked up and as suspected it was just a flyover, it didn't land probably due to the ever decreasing puddle as you rightly point out Chris, there's hardly anything left of it!
Other birds...a few Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaws, and a flock of about 20-25 Starling.
Finally caught up with a Rochdale bird that as eluded me for many a year.I was out checking the flash when Simon fantastically found a couple of Little Egrets.The birds only stayed a short while flying off to the East around 1100hrs. Well done Simon another Kingsway bird.What will birders think in years to come when they eventually build a large shed on our ever surprising Kingsway.Cheers Alan
Although it is quite late for Barnacle Goose, I have noticed on birdguides that there have been some fairly late flocks passing along the east coast during May, and it has, of course, now been proven that wild Barnacle Geese have made it to Greater Manchester :)
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I have to agree with Alan that these birds were striking both in their pristine plumage and their very wary behaviour, and were quite unlike the 'plastic' Barnacles you often see - their appearance during heavy overnight rain also makes me suspicious they could be wild birds on migration, but unfortunately without a wing tag or ring I guess we'll never know. Bet they are gone tomorrow though, and in Svalbard by the end of the week!
-- Edited by Simon Hitchen on Thursday 22nd of May 2014 11:27:22 PM
I added another site record for Kingsway this morning.Two splendid Barnacle goose with no rings and behaving for all intense and purpose like wild birds.Plastic I thought...fail the bread test..but why?its the correct time of the year for migrants,winds correct,low cloud over the Pennines.No Canada's for them to associate with.Why can we not record these birds? I know that it is very difficult to decide if any goose or duck is truly wild but these are the closest to wild Geese I have ever observed in Rochdale.Cheers Alan
A possible Garden Warbler was the main highlight, roughly in the spot last year - in the bushes along the path leading to the 'old house' from the main road - however it was not seen and subsequently stopped singing.
hundreds of hirundines whizzing around majority swifts & house martins with few swallows & sand martins, the swifts were awesome as they were whizzing past me within a couple of feet 1 oystercatcher 4 redshanks 3 dunlins 4 lapwings 2 willow warblers 2 linnets 4 reed buntings 1 skylark
Could anyone tell me the best place to park for here have never been and not quite sure where it is
Come off the M62 at Milnrow and there is a turn off for Kingswsy Business Park. I normally park on one of the roundabouts as the business park is incomplete and the roundabouts have mounds of earth acting as stoppers on some of the exits if you get my meaning. Cheers
Quick stop off en route back to the M62 after getting the Garganey. Cold and windy, not that much about. A few Lapwing A handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls 1 Common Gull standing out from the rest. 1 Skylark above. A handful of Meadow Pipit over. A few Pied Wagtail. Redshank heard but not seen.
An adult Yellow-legged Gull was present this afternoon loafing with other gulls on the frozen pool here before flying off east at about 1430. Presumably the same bird was also present last Sunday afternoon, although viewing conditions were much better today.
Singing birds across just part of the site this morning included 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroat and 13 Reed Bunting.
Visit this morning through to 2pm - Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, some singing Whitethroat - Alan Nuttall (nice to meet you Alan) had a Garden Warbler on the lane coming from the car-parking spot, but I couldn't relocate it, - 1 Coal Tit, 1 Grey Heron, Skylarks singing etc etc
Also, 2 Redshank, 2 Little-Ringed Plover, Lapwings, 1 White Wagtail
At 6.30 am - pair of Gadwall and 7 squabbling Moorhen and a Pheasant.
In the afternoon as bands of showers passed over - the Dunlin had increased to 4, 5 Yellow Wagtail (2 male, 3 female) and a small flock of 5 Greylag Geese dropped in during the middle of one of the heaviest showers.
TREE PIPIT 1 flew over calling and appeared to land in a tree between Kingsway and Stanney Brook. I later heard it call again and then was surprised to hear it singing briefly but couldn't relocate it after that Dunlin 3 Whitethroat 1 singing