Really nice walk through the woods, along the river and up the top field despite the ice and wind.
An hours walk and I saw:
30+ redwing
Fieldfare
Song & mistle thrush
Male bullfinch
Dipper
Goldcrest
Great, blue and long tailed tit
Robin
Blackbird
Mallard
Moorhen
Heron
Chaffinch
Treecreeper
Buzzard
Kestrel
Jackdaw
Carrion crow
It was great to see such a variety of species.
3 female Redhead Goosander on river upstream from Quarry Bank Mill this morning. Also very close encounter with Buzzard that landed on a post just 6 foot away next to the mill and sat there watching me
The first house martin broods have taken to the wing this week at the prison, and as I stepped out into the sterile area this morning something had the birds panicking and coming together en masse, calling frantically. I didn't see what was causing it, but it did give me a chance to judge numbers properly, and I'd certainly say 60+ were on view. I don't think breeding numbers have been quite up to recent years (c10 pairs I'd guess) but, surprisingly given the weather at times, productivity seems to have been very good... so far.
First proper showing by house martins today. Counted 15 in the air at once, but I'm sure there would be others out of view. You just don't see breeding numbers anywhere but here these days, certainly in Cheshire.
The pair of Dipper were showing well near to the bridge across Quarry Bank Mill. Typically, I didn't have my camera and they were showing off in front of the crowds. Great to see them so close.
Was delighted to see a pair of Dipper on the Bollin by Quarry Bank Mill - a very pleasant surprise, though scrolling down through the thread i see they have been noted in the Styal area. I don't recall from the Cheshire Bird Reports this being within their range in the '80's though i may well be wrong?...
One Buzzard was perched among the huge beech trees on the steep bank opposite the mill.
__________________
Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
A pleasant dog walk in awful conditions which was even too wet for the ducks. No sign of the usual Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker or Kingfisher but plenty of Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits. Saw my first Yellowhammer of the year on the top fields walking towards Quarry Bank Mill and a Grey Wagtail by the waterfall close to the mill.
House martin numbers are high just now, but figure could include some early young (heads of young seen poking from nests on Monday this week). Even so, 15 pairs is probably a conservative estimate. Naturally, all of this action attracts attention, and a hobby was seen hunting them over the prison on Monday morning.
First appearance of the house martins in any number today, certainly at least 12, maybe up to 20 at one time but hard to count. Also first juvenile starlings on the wing giving their tell-tale calls. It's funny that however bad the winter/spring, their young are always on time (first week of May).
Birds seen from office window today included swallow, lapwing and buzzard. A chiffchaff heard as I walked from the prison car park in the morning was the first incoming migrant of the year.
3 or 4 house martins were still around on Thursday 1st, but could not be seen when I arrived at a frosty Styal yesterday morning. That's probably it for this year sadly.
Thank you so much for your post of 11th Oct 2012. I was almost certain that I saw a lesser spotted woodpecker today at Styal woods and your post has given me the confidence to claim it. It was with a flock of long-tailed tits and a treecreeper
-- Edited by gillian notheis on Saturday 20th of December 2014 09:14:40 PM
Looking back at last year, I see that the martins were still at the prison on 5th Oct. When I returned to Styal after a three week break on 29th Sept., they had already gone. If last year I thought it a sign of a mild winter to come (and it was), what does it mean for this year? Actually I think they went because the number of insects at the back end of the summer was worryingly small (moths, butterflies, dragonflies, even wasps seem to have crashed in places due to the earlier lack of rain then a poor August). Many birders are a bit blase about insects, but when they reach a certain low level, many bird species will crash in the UK even more so.
They say that the current younger generation are losing or have lost their connection to the 'wild' world. I returned to work today after a day off to find a notice attached to a door into the inner courtyard warning of swallows nesting above the door (with obvious results for the unwary!). Needless to say, they are house martins. It seems that the human 'connection' to nature was probably never there if 'grown-ups' can't tell a house martin from a swallow at point-blank range.
Incidently, the nest has been used previously, with success, and is pretty unusual for only being about 3.5 meters off the ground, the heads of the young being easy to see with the naked eye. I guess it's a preferred site as it has people passing through the door every few seconds which must deter possible predation by the numerous jackdaws and magpies. It's a good year for the birds by the looks of it, with 40+ visible in flight this morning, for example. I think that's more than I've seen everywhere else combined this year.
As Quarry bank mill is in Styal news reaches meet that a Goosander has breed just above the wier and produced 5 chicks belived to be the 1st time this has happened here
A minimum count of 15 house martins over the prison this morning. It certainly appears to be the largest number 'on site' that there has been for a few years which is uplifting.
My first migrant non-chiffchaff was over the prison yesterday morning - a sand martin, which hung around for about a minute. Makes a change from 'house' types, and not often seen at Styal.
By the way, please see my previous message which I had forgotten about. Who needs the Met Office? A new career beckons.
Remarkably three house martins were back around the prison today having last been seen seven days ago. Just shows you what can stick around in mild conditions. Anyone else seen any recently?
At long last. A local hobby! They must have an inbuilt sense of timing because I'm fairly confident that some (the first) house martins fledged this morning, and lo and behold, there's suddenly a hobby hanging in the wind over the prison checking out the 'form'. Martins are doing well, and with the weather to come, more broods likely.
2 house martins back at the prison today. Outrageously, they are earlier by four days than last year despite what this spring has shaped up like so far! Here's hoping for good numbers, and attendant hobbies!
Last Friday on the Moray Coast I was watching up to half a dozen House Martins flying around the car park and harbour at Hopeman. By chance the couple parked next to our van were from the house where they were still visiting nests. Good luck to all these late leavers. I also wondered if they would make it back to Africa.
Still a single house martin hanging round the prison about 3.50 p.m. First I'd seen since last Thursday when there was still one in a nest being fed. Maybe this was the bird. Don't rate it's chances of reaching Africa now.
One nice sunny day and suddenly the view from the office window is brought to life. First a hobby came to look over the house martins nesting around the prison in good numbers. Next, something even better as had never seen a dragonfly at Styal before. A female demoiselle (almost certainly banded) landed on the security fence just outside the window for about 30 seconds. Whether it got out without drawing the attention of all the resident birds, I don't know. Great twenty minute period though.
Just something to indicate how far things are running behind this spring, first house martins (3) turned up on Thursday - a whole week later than last year. At least there's no shortage of mud to rebuild with this year!!
First House Martin was back last Tuesday (12th) just having a quick look to make sure the prison was still in one piece! Then there was one again briefly on the 13th before three were together making their familiar trilling calls yesterday. Won't be long I hope before it's a daily sound of the summer.
What must be the last house martins in the area continue to hang around the prison. I can't check too closely, but I think some young are still in the nest.
A nice bit of office window birding at the famous HMP establishment today. I heard the nesting house martins giving alarm calls. This is usually because a magpie or jackdaw is nearby, but I always check just in case. This time I saw a 'swift' shaped bird over the prison, but in a long glide which swifts don't do. It then began to flap in a familiar fashion and I knew it was a hobby. It had just gone out of sight then so I craned to look round the side of the window just in time to see it doing a couple of loop the loops with a house martin about three feet in front of it trying to evade the inevitable. They both then dropped below a fence so I'll never know what the outcome was.
Not bad getting a year tick from your desk, and following on from lesser spotted woodpecker earlier in the spring. Who is it who has a quote at the bottom of their messages about no one ever wished they'd spent more time at work? You're wrong mate!! (at least at Styal).
I wish I had seen that; they are very twitchy about that sort of thing for good reason but sometimes miss the obvious loop-holes. They are used to me now, but when I first started and went out exploring the grounds at lunch time around the perimeter fence, I soon had an OSG bearing down on me to ask what I was up to. Now I don't get a second glance. I don't have bins, of course, which can be a drawback, but I have had good stuff like lesser spotwood, spotted fly, lesser whitethroat, hobby, raven, and the mega, rough-legged buzzard. It's good for butterflies too.
Andy i posted my bins incident in the buzzard section under county sightings, i was sat outside the gate waiting for Gary from stores to escort me in (as it happened we exchanged stock outside) i was watching the 2 buzzards getting lower and lower so naturally i got the bins out and stood by the van to watch them, big mistake!! The gate officers both told me in no uncertain terms to stop what i was doing, anyway they ended up doing nothing more than saying i am not coming in with bins in the van, which would never happen anyway, they with my mobile always go in the lockers! As Gary and me were loading up the buzzards or 1 at least came low right over our head and pounced on something in the area behind the works dept!
Don't know how often you visit the prison, but I work there permanently and know how decent it is for birds (my list is about 60 off the top of my head). If you want to know more, let me know.
You must tell me about the binocular incident. I can imagine that would not have gone down too well.
not too far out of county but thought it worth posting Was working at styal prison again today (never got the bins out after last months episode!) 2 buzzards hunting very low around prison ( i did notice quite a few small rabbits in the layby's so maybe thats why they are there ) 7 or 8 house martins, they are a summer regular apparently and have been building nests already. 2 swallow 1 raven 6 or 7 carrion 2 jackdaw 2 goldfinch 1 dunnock several starlings and blackbirds
-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Friday 1st of May 2009 06:39:21 PM
