9.45-10.25am 2 Goosander -pair displaying 7 Teal - 4m, 3f 1 Buzzard flew into swampy area trees 1 GS Woodpecker 2 Mute Swan 1 Redwing 1 Moorhen 2 Coot Lots of common birds singing plus a Blue Tit doing his parachute display flight.
10:30 - 11:00 2 Mute Swans 1 Canada Goose 7 Farm yard ducks 1 Buzzard in the swamp trees before being chased off by 2 crows 2 Long tailed tits 1 Treecreeper site first
11.15am-12.15pm Warm sunshine, lots of birds singing
Prince's Park: 2 Treecreeper 5 Teal
Boathouse 'old tip': It's a while since I've been here but I was appalled to see that the 'improvement' works have ripped out an entire reedbed that is a breeding area for Reed Bunting and a number of other species and probably had Water Rail in winter. However that large expanse of open water that it has created had: 50+ Tufted Duck 48 Canada Geese 1 Mute Swan 2 Coot 1 Moorhen 1 Grey Heron
1 Goosander (m) - then flew off towards MS Canal 1 Kingfisher 1 Grey Heron 4 Teal (2m 2f) 1 Cormorant over 2 Bullfinch - pair 3 Mute Swan -2 ad 1 juv Also the white farmyard ducks still but now only 7 birds!
2.30-3.15pm 14 Teal - (6m, 8f) a new site record for me. Lots of noisy displaying going on! 1 Goosander (f) 1 Kingfisher 1 Redwing 1 Moorhen 23 Canada Geese Now only 8 White farmyard ducks!
09:00 - 10:00 this morning. 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1F 1 over 2 Song Thrush 5 Redwing 1 Grey Heron 1 Jay 1 Goosander F 1 Kingfisher 2 Moorhens lots of Blue/Great Tit's Robins ,Blackbirds Mallard and 9 Farmyard Ducks.
Walk round the Old River Irwell 10:15-11:20 3 Wren 5 Goldfinch Buzzard still there being harassed by a Crow and a Magpie Robin 8+ 1 heron Goosander 2F 1M Boathouse end. Teal 3m 2f 1 Bullfinch M 1st this winter 2 Moorhen 2 mute Swans
I must have just missed you Phil. I was in the park 11.20-12.10pm ! Sightings much the same but a couple of interesting additions:
1 Blackcap - male - in bushes at end of Highbury Ave was a big surprise (winter site record for me!) The Buzzard sat in the trees in the swampy section then flew off south after being mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows - also a site first for me! 1 pair of Goosander at Boathouse end (I didn't go down far enough to the firestation end to see the other pair) 3 Kingfishers - 2 birds together perched on the same branch (presumably a pair with one bird calling repeatedly to the other and seemed to be doing a bit of displaying to the other) also 1 single bird further along at the Boathouse end - site record for me! 1 Reed Bunting (f) - near Boathouse - another site first for me! 1 Nuthatch - called from high up in one of the tall poplar trees but I couldn't see it. 5 Mistle Thrush 2 Mute Swans 3 Teal (2f 1m) 1 Heron 2 Cormorants overhead 1 Moorhen 9 white Farmyard ducks still - the 10th bird the other day was separate from the regular group of 9. It is intriguing as to where these birds have come from!
Walk through the park and around the old river Irwell 10:00-11:00 1 F Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Buzzard in the trees in the swamp section a site first for me. 2 pairs of Goosander fire station end boathouse end. 3 Teal 2f 1m. 1 Heron 1 Cormorant 2 Kingfisher's together near the Riverside outfall flew off towards the boathouse. 2 Mute Swans lots of Mallard and the farmyard ducks back to 9.
2 redhead Goosander still on old river Irwell at Boathouse end. No sign of the pair at the firestation end though. Also: 1 Kingfisher 4 Teal (3f 1m) 2 Mute Swan at least 14 Mallard 2 Redwing 2 Song Thrush 20+ Goldfinch Now 10 white farmyard ducks!
2 pairs of Goosander on the Old River 1 pair at the boat house and another at the fire station end a site first for me Teal 2 f 1 m The farmyard ducks are back to 9, 1 looking a bit worst for wear. 9 Long tailed tits.
14:00 Half hour walk with the dog's 3 Teal 2m 1f 1 Kingfisher rear of Boathouse White farmyard Duck's still there only seen 8 lot's of Blue Tits,Great Tits seen.
4.15-4.45pm A rather windy half hour walk this afternoon in the park. Main highlights:
Flock of c.50 Swift, c.15 House Martin, c.10 Swallow all swooping very low to ground and within a couple of feet of me at times giving great views - especially the Swifts. Even people passing by were taking note. 1 juv BH Gull on it's own in middle of football pitch hunkered down and looking rather vulnerable.
08:00 - 08:30 Well done on the Jay Steve never seen 1 down there. 3 Chiffchaff 1 Willow Warbler 1 Bullfinch (m) Great Spotted Woodpecker (Asleep) 2 Teal pair 2 Mute Swan Displaying and mating.
No Waxwings this morning 8am 6 blue tits 3 Great tits 4 Chaffinch 3 f 1m 2 Grey Heron 2 Song Thrush 1 Mistle Thrush 2 Dunnock 2 Long Tailed Tits 2 Teal 1 Great S Woodpecker over Riverside east towards Boathouse 2 Tufted Duck 1m 1f 1 Chiffchaff
9.45-10.30am Minimum 28 Waxwings near Boathouse pub (more heard nearby). All flew over river to new housing estate at 9.55am. 2 Curlew over south 3 Chiffchaff (2 singing) 2 Sand Martin east 1 Bullfinch - m 4 Teal - 2 pairs Pair Mute Swans 1 GS Woodpecker
10 waxwing in tall poplars in Prince's Park, Irlam at 8.10 today. Flew off eastwards. Also, singing chiffchaff, song thrush, chaffinch, goldfinch, great tit. 3 redwing A brambling was alternating between the normal flight call and a sort of subsong.
I went to look for the Waxwings this morning (9.30am) and numbers had built to c.40 in trees at bottom Highbury Avenue Irlam first for me (and not for the want of trying!!) Also: 1 Cormorant on old river Pair Mute Swans 1 Tufted Duck - m 1 Redpoll over 2 Oystercatchers over 1 Grey Heron 1 GS Woodpecker drumming 2 Chiffchaff singing 1 Bullfinch 2 Wrens
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Thursday 11th of April 2013 10:53:32 AM
Was in the park 17:30 ish seen the same... Redwings 2 Bramblings 1 Heron 10 Goldfinch 1 G S Woodpecker 1 Robin 4 teal New to this but seen 2 what looked like wheatear's
7.00pm 1 singing Chiffchaff - my first of the spring 4 Teal (2 pairs) flock of 17 Redwing feeding on football pitches 2 Mistle Thrushes (feeding with the Redwings) 2 Long-tailed Tits
The normally productive pair of Mute Swans in Princes Park only have 2 half grown cygnets this year. Last year they raised 7 and two years ago they raised 8. Mink?
3-4pm 2/4/11
Buzzard over
Singing Chiffchaff
Resident pair of Mute Swans - male sat on nest, female close by
8 Tufted Duck
Pair Teal
GS Woodpecker drumming