Tony O'Mahony found 2 Spotted Flycatcher in Southern Cemetery this morning, at least one still present this afternoon, along the Oak Avenue north of Nell Lane
Just a heads up here folks. I don't usually broadcast 3rd hand news but this seems plausible.
I've had a report of a Firecrest in Chorlton Park near the brook and holly trees at the end of the row of trees that goes down to the middle of the park.
I'd bet it's the Platt fields Park bird I found last month moved down along the brook.
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Northern Wheatear - first-year male at Southern Cemetery, on the hedge behind the new grave working at the north end before flying into the allotments at 12.20. Found by Tony o'Mahony late morning.
Stonechat - male at the north side of Southern Cemetery at the soil mounds and brambles west along the fenceline bordering the allotments. Reported by Tony O'Mahoney at 12.17 and still present when I left at 13.45.
Fledgling house sparrow, mistle thrush and magpie in the park this evening, and a family party of great tit. Also about:
1 chiffchaff 2 blackcap (three territories in here now, I think) 5+ goldfinch c20 house martin 2 song thrush 10+ swift 1 great spotted woodpecker (first I've had in here for a couple of years, I think) 6+ ring-necked parakeet 1 black-headed gull
Sparrowhawk seen dipping down into the trees adjacent to the brook and allotments yesterday evening.
I think it's an important factor, Maggie. The biggest population of House Sparrows near me in Oldham is in exactly the sort of area you describe, which I remember from when I lived in Chorlton as a student in the 1970's. There's a good population of House Sparrows near my family's home just outside Liverpool, where most of the gardens still have plenty of hedges and shrubs, but you'll struggle to see any in the centre of either Manchester or Liverpool now.
The only population of house sparrows I know of in Manchester city centre is where I live in St John's Gardens and constitutes around 15 birds. Even then they only seem to nest in the back of the barristers chambers on St John Street and nowhere else, as nowhere else has numerous missing bricks and gaps under tiles etc. They seem to be birds of habit and don't stray more than a couple of hundred metres from the colony base. The area also has diverse feeding opportunities - lots of seed feeders throughout the year, lots of trees, shrubs and grassland for invertebrates during the breeding season, only a single cat (as far as I can see). The presence of insect rich shrubbery at this time of years seems particularly important as the birds at present are feeding in 3s and 4s in the native hedge I planted, taking beakfulls of insects back to the chicks. They seem to require a mixture of these conditions to thrive. The properties on St John street are presently being renovated, putting this colony at risk of extinction, and I have made contact with the council several times re this. They seem not to be taking any real notice so I'm going to look at putting some sparrow terraces up in the next few days.
Sounds right to me. I live on the Stretford/Urmston boundary and up to about eight years ago there had been a definite slump in sparrow numbers. Then a neighbour a few doors down let their rambling rose (a big Paul's Himalayan) cover their entire fence and the top of their garage (which houses a steamroller). Now there's usually a couple of dozen sparrows doing the rounds of the gardens.
I think it's an important factor, Maggie. The biggest population of House Sparrows near me in Oldham is in exactly the sort of area you describe, which I remember from when I lived in Chorlton as a student in the 1970's. There's a good population of House Sparrows near my family's home just outside Liverpool, where most of the gardens still have plenty of hedges and shrubs, but you'll struggle to see any in the centre of either Manchester or Liverpool now.
Wonder how much the wish to tidy up gardens comes into this? Streets in Chorlton which had noisy hawthorns and tall privet hedges full of tumbling sparrows have seen these refuges cleared away as the houses have changed hands. Places once so cheerfully noisy are silent now.
Green woodpecker heard yaffling fairly distantly whilst in the park this morning; from the west, either in or beyond the allotments, by the sounds of it.
Also around:
2 blackcap 1 chiffchaff 2 willow warbler 1 nuthatch heard briefly c10 house sparrow 2 chaffinch 1 greenfinch 2 bullfinch 2 or 3 mistle thrush 1 ring-necked parakeet over
An hour and a half or so in the park late this afternoon yielded:
2 goldcrest 2 coal tit 2 treecreeper (or one twice) 2 nuthatch 5+ house sparrow 8+ goldfinch 1 chaffinch 2 bullfinch 10+ redwing 2 (or 4) song thrush 4 jackdaw 1 jay Black-headed, common and lesser black-backed gulls over Plenty of the usuals.