Oldham: Werneth & Chadderton

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

RE: Oldham: Werneth & Chadderton

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

No Webs today as per BTO instructions, so a quick turn around the local park this afternoon. Hardly any people and not many birds!

Robin several S
Great Tit several S
Blue Tit several S
Wren 2 -one S
Blackbird 2 M
Chiffchaff 1 S from somewhere upwind - could just hear odd snatches
Starling 3
Carrion Crow 2
Magpie a 'murder' of 13 along one of the boundary fences.
Feral Pigeon several
Wood Pigeon 3

A Dunnock was singing from the hedge opposite as I got back and half-a dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls of various ages had a squabble over the industrial units.

With the hills shrouded in mist/smoke/low cloud? for most of the last few days there's not been much to report apart from the usual gulls, crows and pigeons, but late yesterday afternoon I was able to pick out a Common Buzzard well over in the direction of Ramsbottom , then last night around 8 p.m. a female Sparrowhawk was up close by slowly circling west to east. The Carrion Crows are gradually assembling something beginning to resemble a nest but at a maximum of two twigs a day it looks as if their work has been deemed 'non-essential construction.' The local Blue Tits however are putting much more effort in and zooming back to the hedge with beak-fulls of newly emerged Acer leaves on a regular basis.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Out for an exercise/shop walk this a.m. along a different route and another singing ChiffChaff on the tram embankment at Alder Root. 1st Small Tortoiseshell of the year here too and a couple of Peacock butterflies at other points on the circuit. Other birds: Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Starling, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Pied Wagtail, 2 singing Robins, singing Wren, possible Blackcap, Great and Blue Tits and a singing Goldfinch right over my front door

Scoping over the last three days has picked up a very late in the day Great Black-backed Gull powering through east to west at almost 8 p.m.,a pair of Cormorants heading in the other direction on Monday afternoon, a pair of Mallard, another very distant hirundine sp. (prob House Martin), along with the usual gulls, crows and pigeons. Different numbers of Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk each day, yesterday having the most sightings with two's and threes of each species up at once including one very distant Common Buzzard whose descent in a series of hovers had me checking the head pattern very carefully after being off watch when the Pilsworth Ospreys were up on Monday! Fly past Canada Geese this morning were an uncommon occurrence.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Turn around my local park again today. Only 1 Peacock butterfly in the scrubby area but a singing Chiffchaff made up for the lack of insects. My first singing bird of the year after one lurking in ivy in Norfolk in January. Pair of Robins, singing Nuthatch, 2 Wrens, 2 Blackbirds, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, 2 Magpies, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Goldfinch completed the list for the park. Another Chiffchaff was singing nearby.

Did some scanning from my living room this p.m. No Osprey for me either, plenty of Gulls, mostly Lesser Black-backed, a couple of Magpies, some nesting Jackdaws, at least one Buzzard mobbed by Carrion Crows and on my last sweep, around 7.45 p.m. my first hirundine of the year. Unfortunately it was above the skyline so just a silhouette but definitely a Martin sp rather than a Swallow.

Andrea Wilson · Status: Offline

The usual suspects at the feeders and garden environs in Garden Suburb, with a couple of exceptions. Brief visits from a male bullfinch, two Greenwich (feeders) and a male pheasant on the school field.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

First scan this a.m. and an immature female Peregrine having breakfast on the top of the Hartford Mill chimney. smile

The view from my window just got a bit more interesting.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Quick last scan after a quiet day picked up a Peregrine (male from the proportions) on the top of the tower of the mostly demolished Hartford Mill. Probably wondering where the supply of Feral Pigeons, Jackdaws etc had gone. Didn't stay long, flying north-east and lost to view behind Rowntree House.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Finally twitching pays off! I must have been one of the few people at Tesco (other supermarket's available) not that bothered about hanging around a car park doing nothing in less than spring-like weather. Didn't even need my thermals. biggrin

A Golden-winged Warbler was obviously not on the cards but some late staying Waxwings would have been nice. wink

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My exercise/weekly shopping trip was surprisingly quite in terms of birds, apart from the slightly Hitchcockian collection of corvids outside the flats. I've got used to the recent increase in Carrion Crow activity but it seems the turf war is back on and escalated with one pair having called for back up. Now 5 of them are swooping, cawing and chasing about the place, which probably explains why the nest outside the kitchen window hasn't progressed from something even the most laid-back Wood Pigeon would regard as "not fit for purpose". More sinister was the quartet of magpie in one of the trees, all cackling like very hammy auditionees for Shakespeare's Weird Sisters as I passed. A Jackdaw quietly collecting nest lining material made up the numbers.
Apart from them all I saw was one Feral Pigeon, a small group of six Starlings and a couple of Goldfinch. Maybe the lack of edible litter after last weekend has lead to the scavengers moving elsewhere.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

I have a good clear view north from my living room window across to Winter Hill and Ashworth Moor, so I thought I'd set up my scope and take the odd scan round as the days go on, carefully avoiding the tower block off to my right! A couple of brief looks today picked up an acrobatic Sparrowhawk heading west and later in the afternoon a Common Buzzard doing a circuit east to west and back somewhere towards Summerseat. Initially mobbed by a Carrion Crow on the outward circuit, then dive-bombed by a Lapwing on it's return. Also the strange sight of an aircraft passing through the red haze above Horwich Moors around 7 p.m. I thought it was just a standard vapour trail but looking through the scope it then seemed like a fire-fighting aircraft dropping flame-retardant as the 'trail' thickened, except that there was a distinct 'vapour trail' left behind in the air and another 'tail' behind the plane as it climbed steeply east. Maybe that's how the process works, but it gave the odd impression of a smoking plane climbing rapidly away east. confuse

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

It seems the turf war between two pairs of Carrion Crows displaced by the demolition of a near-by mill is over and the victorious pair have decided to nest in a Sycamore outside my kitchen window. smile

It will be interesting to see how they get on, as the local Magpies are already eyeing up evileye

proceedings,and there's an established Jackdaw nest under the eaves of a neighbouring house. Given that one of the pair arrived with nest material then seemed confused as to where the nest was or had forgotten that they had already started one five feet higher up I may have got the pair that prove the exception to the rule about crows being intelligent!

On the subject of forgetfulness and intelligence disbelief

, I forgot about our own local Curlew-Starling, calling from an ivy-covered tree in Werneth Park yesterday. Reminded me of my first visit to Lindisfarne just short of 50 years ago when we had a similar experience trying to locate the wader among the chimney pots of the houses in the village.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

My permitted exercise took me just down the road to Werneth Park. Unsurprisingly there were more people in it than usual on a Wednesday afternoon (12 including me) but apart from sidestepping the odd jogger on the narrow outer paths -always a hazard biggrin

- it was easy to maintain social distancing, especially if you know the hidden bits.

Usual suspects:
Blue Tit
Great Tit calling and singing
Long-tailed Tit
Wood Pigeon
Feral Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Blackbird singing
Robin singing, intermingled with
Goldfinch singing - rather odd effect as the birds were in very close proximity and the phrasing just overlapped
Nuthatch singing - near a former nesting site
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

1 possibly 2 Coal Tits singing in the trees outside our flats today. Certainly located one, apparently singing off against another across the road but couldn't actually find the latter. Later a Blue Tit tried and failed to see it off. Have seen them nearby in Werneth Park quite often, but the first time I've seen one anywhere around the built-up area.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

A charm of at least 12 Goldfinch picking insects out of the lichen on a sycamore outside my kitchen window brightened the washing up on a very grey day

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

3 House Martins hawking at around eaves height on Frederick Street
1 Swift hunting slightly higher up
1 male Peregrine over SW

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

A third House Martin nest active on Frederick Street. The site seems more exposed - south facing wall, but tucked well in behind the fascia board so hopefully they won't bake if we get another mini-heatwave.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

The local Swifts on Schofield Street seem to have an active nest. Two birds left the nest site in quick succession as I was passing today.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

C 6 Swifts in a low-level screaming party along Sheepfoot Lane by the side of Oldham Royal at lunchtime today.

markwoodhead · Status: Offline

Red Kite flying South crossed A627(M) at 08.40

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Second House Martin nest active on Frederick Street.

Spotted a pair very active on a new-build in Failsworth this a.m. while out shopping there.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

One occupied House Martin nest at last year's location on Frederick Street.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Two House Martins prospecting around the area of last year's nests on Frederick Street this afternoon.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

2.45 p.m. Pair of Peregrines, judging on size difference, headed roughly west over Windsor Road this afternoon. Caused some upset among the local pigeons.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Unexpected bit of audio-mig this morning, with a Crossbill going over Werneth around 11 a.m. among the Meadow Pipits.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

I have two Peanut feeders in Foxdenton park Chadderton and this morning Two Jays feeding on one of them.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

1, possibly 2, more House Martin nests active along Frederick Street. First time for several years there has been any sign of breeding activity in the area.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Two pair of House Martins nesting in eaves of Sportsmans Arms Denton Lane Chadderton Very active.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

House Martin bringing food to the nest on Frederick Street today.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

At least 1 of two House Martin nests in use on a house on Frederick Street today. There were signs of recent visitors around the other nest too, but only two birds seen on the wing earlier in the week.

A pair of swifts were at just above rooftop level over the Manchester Road/Heron Street junction at around 4.15 yesterday.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Oystercatcher seen on football pitch Foxdenton park Chadderton.Thursday mid day.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 18th of May 2018 12:34:04 AM

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Single oystercatcher flew over Foxdenton park 1pm could not believe my eyes.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 19th of April 2018 10:51:57 PM

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

The Nuthatch are very vocal and active around a window frame on the side of the hall.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Pair of Nuthatch now resident in Foxdenton Park.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Single Kestrel hovering over Foxdenton park today mid day

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Two Kestrel hovering over Foxdenton Hall foxdenton Park mid day.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Firecrest yesterday in Chadderton Hall Park. My first thoughts was a Goldcrest but getting a proper view saw the red markings on the head. Sadly no pics as I had my 10mm lens fitted

Andrea Wilson · Status: Offline

Charm of 20 Goldfinch making the most of the Niger seeds this weekend, briefly joined by a pair of Siskin and a very fleeting visit from a woodpecker- a first for me at home.

Andrea Wilson · Status: Offline

Wheatear briefly resting on my neighbours roof on Garden Suburb this afternoon, a first for me this year.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

We now have five Heron and one less young Moorhen.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Four Heron returned to Foxdenton park at lunchtime today. Stalking the four remaining Moorhen juveniles.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Cormorant diving for fish Foxdenton park big pond 1230hrs watched for 20mins non stop.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Flock of about 40 plus Long tail tits on Broadway near Newman college early this afternoon.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Two Peregrine over Fields new road and Denton Lane Chadderton within the last hour No camera cry

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Kestrel hunting adjacent to Foxdenton park Car park today. Becoming a regular sight lately. Pity it will soon loose it's hunting ground as the Foxdenton development has started that will take away the green space.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

A comparatively low-flying Peregrine (female judging by bulk) made a sweep from Manchester Road towards Old Lane and then round towards the Freehold tram stop this evening around 6.30.

Also at least 1 House Martin hawking over Werneth Park and male Blackbird with a beak-full of worms.

Charlie Garrity · Status: Offline

Five Sparrowhawks hunting around Denton lane on Sunday.

Swallows openly feeding young around Sensory garden Foxdenton park.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 3rd of July 2017 11:34:30 AM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Originally posted today by Charlie Garrity:

Foxdenton Park, Chadderton:

We have had a small Heron resident on the pond for a couple of weeks but yesterday 4 Herons. The 3 surviving Mallard ducklings had better watch out.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

A Peregrine spiraling up over the Westwood area this afternoon around 4.30 p m until lost in the glare.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

First Swallow of the year, right over my local patch, was a nice reward for an unexpected chore. smile

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

My first local Chiffchaff of the year for me this morning, with a bird singing from the section of disused railway line between Ashton Road and the bypass.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Female Blackbird carrying food - Lansdowne Road, near the Diodes factory. First local evidence of breeding this year smile