1 Kingfisher - Boathouse end of old river. 35 Black-headed Gulls - 14 of which were perched in riverside Alder trees! I've seen this behaviour a few times in the park at a couple of different locations around the park. 1 Cormorant 2 Moorhen Lots of Blue and Great Tits very active
2 Siskin plus a number of others heard - these are infrequent visitors to the park and have been around form couple of weeks now. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 8 Long-tailed Tit 1 Jay 6 Mallard c.20 Goldfinch all singing togetbher at the top of a large tree 2 Mistle Thrush 1 Song Thrush
14.00-14.45 Quite a nice selection of birds today despite the strong wind.
Pair of Goosanders on old river Boathouse end. Some mutual head-bobbing going on - presumably displaying. 3 Siskins seen - more heard nearby 1 Nuthatch 2 Great spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other 1 Grey Heron 1 Cormorant c.55 Lapwing over 1 Goldcrest 3 Goldfinch 5 Mallard
1 Jay 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Mixed flock of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits
Of greater note: No sign of any Teal yet this winter. 2-3 pairs are usually present from mid/end of October onwards. Maybe the mild autumn (until today!) has been a factor.
A noisy family party of 8 Jays around the 'Old River' Irwell fire station end. Wikipedia says they have 4-6 eggs so if this family had 6 plus the 2 adults then that's about right. Hopefully they bred in the park. 4 Moorhen - 1 adult Moorhen feeding 2 newly hatched young plus nearby a fully grown youngster from earlier in the season.
1 Redwing singing at the top of a tree 2 Teal - both m 1 Nuthatch calling 1 Mistle Thrush Lots of common bird activity including a Magpie collecting nesting material.
Not had chance to get out with work but my late night walk in through the park with the dogs you get to see lots of birds at roost mostly pigeons but spotted the Buzzard tonight roosted here from spring last year also
1 Water Rail - my first here for about 4 years 3 Teal (1f, 2m) 1 Nuthatch 2 Coal Tit c.15 Redwing - being very vocal Lots of the usual common birds singing But 1 Canada Goose that has been frozen in the ice for at least 24 hours has moved after being coaxed with bread but appears rather weak.
2 Goosander (1m,1f) flew over heading towards the old tip area lake 10 Redpoll feeding in larch trees next to Boathouse then flew off 2 Nuthatch 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Bullfinch (m) 25 Black-headed Gulls on river plus c.30 on football pitches 1 Coot 1 Moorhen 4 Long-tailed Tits
11am-12pm Walk round the Old River: 1 Grey Heron at the Boat House 1 Goldcrest in the Hawthorn opposite the Pub site first Fire Station end 1Nuthatch on a garden fence far side another first
7 Redpoll feeding in a small birch tree allowed me to approach quite close but the birds were silhouetted against a grey sky and I didn't have my binoculars. But at least 1 bird was obviously a good third or so larger in size than the others and got me wondering if it could have been a Mealy Redpoll.
You must have been in the park the same time as me Phil! I did a circuit of the old river to see if the Goosanders were still there but they weren't so I carried on to the 'old tip' area to see if they had relocated there - which they had! Some similar sightings as yours but a few additions:
Old River area: 2 Jay 1 Sparrowhawk - seen twice (may have been the same one on the tip area) 1 Bullfinch 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Grey Heron 1 dead drake Mallard Good numbers of the usual common birds feeding around the swampy area
Late post for yesterday afternoon in fading light: 5 Teal (2m & 3f)
Quick half hour round the river: Fire Station end 1 Jay 1 Kestrel F 2 Mistle Thrush Boat House end 1 Grey Heron 1 Grey Wagtail first seen for a while Coot,Moorhen
Park and Fire Station end 11am-12pm 1 Treecreeper 2 Coal Tits 1 G.S.Woodpecker 4 Teal 2 pair Great Tits,Robins,Blue Tits and Chaffinch Old river Boat House end 6 Goosander 2 M 4 F 8 Long Tailed Tits 1 Treecreeper at the Boat House. 1 Wren
-- Edited by Phil White on Saturday 13th of December 2014 12:11:46 PM
A rather concerning sight of 1, possibly 2, dead Mute Swans floating in the small lake. Two large white objects in the water. 1 close enough to identify, but the other too distant so hard to be sure if it was definately a swan but it was certainly a similar size 'object' to the first bird. I didn't have my binoculars so it was difficult to tell. One dead swan could be put down to natural occurances but if the second white object is a swan as well then it seems a bit more sinister. Should I report them?
Other sightings (fortunately all alive!) 2 Chiffchaff - 1 bird singing! 1 Sparrowhawk 7 Gadwall 10 Long- tailed Tit
C 50 Geese over north in the dark 20:45 again very noisy.
Canada's Phil! I often see and hear them over my Irlam house in the evening and as you say, sometimes they fly in darkness. They always seem to be heading north obviously to a roost site but I don't know where (Pennington maybe?). Sometimes they are bearly above rooftop height and numbering about 50 or so in one or two flocks. Would be interesting to know where they commute to. I presume it's the flock that frequents Prince's Park.
Hi Steven thought they were Canada's they flew back in again this morning about 05:45 like you said very low over the houses I am just off broadway so when they take off from Highbury end of the River they Wheel right to take them north right over my house very low and noisy a beautiful sight if only brief
-- Edited by Phil White on Wednesday 10th of September 2014 09:29:50 PM
C 50 Geese over north in the dark 20:45 again very noisy.
Canada's Phil! I often see and hear them over my Irlam house in the evening and as you say, sometimes they fly in darkness. They always seem to be heading north obviously to a roost site but I don't know where (Pennington maybe?). Sometimes they are bearly above rooftop height and numbering about 50 or so in one or two flocks. Would be interesting to know where they commute to. I presume it's the flock that frequents Prince's Park.
Lots of Geese coming on going late last night and early this morning over my Irlam home during darkness onto the Old River never got to see them but very noisy.
-- Edited by Phil White on Tuesday 9th of September 2014 05:31:13 PM
1 Nuthatch - first one I've seen here for quite a while. 2 Goldcrest 1 Willow Tit c20 House Martin and a few Swallow hawking insects over the river. 3 almost full grown Mute Swan youngsters seem to have been abandoned by their parents but seem to be doing well. 1 Coot
Also I found a baby Grey Squirrel on the ground making a right racket. It was still blind so had obviously fallen from the nest. I left it where it was and went to get my daughter to show her. When we got there just a few mins later it was gone!!
1 Willow Tit - first one I've seen here for a few years 1 GS Woodpecker 1 Blackcap - singing Numerous young birds heard calling around the park from trees and vegatation but difficult to see.
10.30am Pair of Gadwall - noteworthy here despite regularly occurring on nearby MS Canal Coots - 2 birds on nests + 1 brood of 3 half grown chicks + 1 brood with 1 almost full grown chick singing Blackcap & Chiffchaff Plus usuals!
2 Grey Wagtails - pair at swampy bit 1 Buzzard - again in trees at swampy bit 2 Chiffchaff having a skirmish 1 Blackcap 4 Teal - 2 pairs 1 Oystercatcher over north noisily 1 Mistle Thrush
Quick circuit of the old river Irwell and park 12.15-12.45pm before a cold, wet and windy, fruitless 3 hours at Binn Green waiting for the Two-barred Crossbill !