Sunday 12th July early evening at Parr Brow, a scattered stream of Black-Headed and Lesser Black-Backed Gull drifted quickly southwards feeding on flying ants. Soon afterwards a frenzied and vocal flock of 100+ Swift appeared high over the garden and drifted gradually east
Several hundred large gulls at Chanters this morning, mainly Lesser Black Backs and a few Herring Gulls in the mix. A very interesting LBB Gull with bright pink webs and legs.Structually identical to the accompanying LBBS, seem to remember we had a few similar birds at Richmond Bank over the years,presumably just an odd LBB ,couldn't unfortunately turn it into anything rarer !!!
Thought I'd have a wander up Common Lane this afternoon. There were a couple of Linnets,Greenfinch, singing Goldfinch, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and a male Reed Bunting along the lane,plus a few Swallows over the farm. On the adjacent fields a nice flock of gulls, mainly Lesser Black Backs (250 +),about 15 Herring Gulls,8 Black Headed Gulls including 2 juveniles(first of year for me). In with the LBBS was an adult either Yellow Legged Gull or Lesser Black Back x Herring Gull hybrid. Unfortunately as only had my bins I couldn't get enough on it to be certain of its id.
Early a.m. at Parr Brow, between Wellington Drive and Turncroft Farm:
Wednesday 16th October 35 Blackbird, 28 Robin, 11 Redwing, 7 Song Thrush and 4 Goldcrest in the hedgerows, also present 25 Collared Dove Vis-mig Redwing 289 S to SW Meadow Pipit 14 S Linnet 16 S Chaffinch 3 S Redpoll 1 N Greenfinch 1 N
Thursday 17th October 26 Blackbird, 18 Robin, 2 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush in the hedgerows Vis-mig Woodpigeon 250 S Stock Dove 1 S Jackdaw c150 S Redwing 251 S Meadow Pipit 7 S Linnet 2 S Siskin 5 S, 1 N
Thursday 3rd Oct, at Parr Brow, 10 Song Thrush among at least 33 Blackbird in hedges between the end of Wellington Drive and Turncroft Farm, 2 Snipe, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff
258 Meadow Pipit south in 1 hour at Parr Brow this morning. Included flocks of c90 and 66 that were grounded in pasture at the top of the Tyldesley Banks, possibly due to rain shortly beforehand, which then departed south from the ridge and off out towards the airspace over the mosses. Another 40 or so remained around the pasture.
Other birds moving S or SW were 4 Cormorant, 13 House Martin, 6 Swallow, 8 Chaffinch and 5 Greenfinch
An adult Great Black-Backed Gull went E and 5 Jay moved west along the ridge, including one without a tail which flew in from the NE like a giant moth !
Three skeins of Pink-Footed Geese flew SE over the Little Hulton-Walkden area c45 at 08:38, c90 at 08:45 and 55 at 09:12
Other birds present included 17 Collared Dove, 1 Skylark, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff and a vocal Song Thrush which dropped in from the NE
25 Meadow Pipit south in 30 minutes at Parr Brow this morning and min 5 locally breeding House Martin still feeding
At Stour Road public open space birds included 30 Blackbird, mostly feeding in one concentrated area, 5 Goldcrest and a Kingfisher calling from New Hall Moat
3 Raven south over Parr Brow today, other birds included 1 Peregrine south, 3 displaying Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, a 1 hour count of 13 Meadow Pipit south/south-west and c70 House Martin on the roof of a house
Second-winter Caspian Gull on the roof of Poundstretcher, Tyldesley Road 14:20-14:28 (officially just in Atherton as its over the brook, but closer to Tyldesley town centre)
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-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 13th of February 2018 10:26:34 PM
2 Ring-Necked Parakeet this afternoon alongside the unsurfaced section of Garret Lane, in a London Plane on the boundary of Garret Hall Primary School and the field with a pond in it
-- Edited by dave broome on Wednesday 29th of June 2016 09:40:06 AM
Football training back on Garrett Hall school field for the summer and if tonight's hour from 6.30 is anything to go by will be an enjoyable birding hour each week!
Single buzzard over, Hobby sent Swallows into a panic as it hunted over Garrett Hall lane, Great Spotted Woodpecker in trees around field and most surprising of all 6 Ring Necked Parakeets in large tree in Northeast corner from 6.30-7ish very vocal and active then flew into the Cemetery area.
Elliott St This am House Martins over Town Hall I didn't have time to look due to work commitments but they must still have a small colony in the streets at rear of Town Hall.