As I was about to leave the office earlier, I heard the Black Redstart singing. Went over to the window and looked up just as the bird was flying across from the Town Hall right towards me, at eye level. He must have landed a few feet above my head on the Extension roof.
16.50 Black Redstart heard singing from a roof on the section of St Ann Street south of the square, then moved down across Deansgate to St Mary's Street on the roof of the building facing the side of Kendals before relocating to the far side of Parsonage Gardens. Was meeting friends for meal/theatre so couldn't pursue it any further.
Black Redstart singing this afternoon (4pm) from the roof of St Anne's Church. Then flew up St Anne's Street and onto rooftops at the junction of Cross Street and Chapel Walks.
Caught up with our resident Black Redstart again today at 9:25 on the chimneys of the Waterhouse pub on Princess Street, singing and showing well. Brilliant to catch up with so many birders this week Steven, Adrian, Steve, Shannon. Hope to see you all around soon. Im going to start spreading out my search in hope to find more Black Redstarts in the surrounding areas of the city centre.
6:00pm today, on the roof of Carlton House. Was there for a minute then flew in the direction of the town hall and another bird joined. Possibly a pair? impossible to id the 2nd bird though.
Well said Rob. After watching the same bird as yesterday again today I feel more confident that this bird is in fact a juvenile male, after factoring in the plumage along with how vocal this bird has been behaving it only adds to this assumption.
I'm certainly no expert but in my view I wouldn't assume that just because it's in female looking plumage that it is a female. Some males never develop the plumage you associate with males, and remain looking like females or immature males. It's called NEOTONY according to something I've read online with reference to Nigel Odin who runs Landguard Observatory where they've rung hundreds of Black Redstarts. They also say singing females have been noted too! Confusing or what?
I wonder how important the green roof on the Town Hall extension is for black redstart foraging.
If it's used regularly I bet there's some good views from inside the building over the green roof.
It was also a female I saw before Steve. Based on location id presume it is the same bird as Stevens post. Fingers crossed we have a male looking for her somewhere in the city centre.
Steven's photos definitely look like a female, but there are two reports of singing, so presumably we have a pair? Fingers crossed for successful breeding this year...
Black Redstart singing from back of Bootle Street old police station just across from Albert Square at 10.45am. I was delivering to the back of the new Rudy's Pizza, I couldn't locate the bird though as the yard to the old police station is currently closed and under development so visibility to any open rooftops there is limited.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Tuesday 17th of April 2018 11:36:57 AM
black redstart in albert square feeding & calling on the town hall & carlton house at 2.55pm.
Black redstart actually landed on the ground just around from the town hall later on, a nice surprise to see it like that, managed a couple of shots.
-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 15th of April 2018 08:22:56 PM
a few pics from todays black redstart, always high up, as usual. earlier this afternoon it seemed to favour the roof tops inbetween Hilton street & dale street, lever street & little lever street, I watched it on & off between 1.15-2.30pm. then as I was at the tram stop in st peters square at 4.40pm it was singing & showing on the town hall, probably saying goodbye
Black redstart feeding on carlton house, Albert Square at 3.45pm.
and seen again feeding on buildings next to st marys church behind brazenose house at 5.40pm.
-- Edited by steven burke on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 10:36:37 PM
Black Redstart singing between Concert Lane and Spring Gardens behind Rosso restaurant whilst I was delivering this morning approx 11am. Pretty much same location as Adam heard it on Monday.
Female Black Redstart seen on Faraday Street between back of Port Street Beer House and The martial arts centre on Friday at 8:30pm. Flew off towards Newton Street.
Black Redstart heard singing from the new building going up in St Peter's Square, on Moseley Street, close to Princess Street at 7.40am. Then heard again from George Street, but not seen.