Just started to watch the birds at the feeders 2.30pm when they exploded !!
Looking up I saw a Sparrowhawk coming from over the terrace roof, past the feeders which continued on toward Chester rd , chasing a Goldfinch (which continued to call) for about 300yds before giving up and drifting back empty handed .
The ferral pigeon clean up crew always spot the danger first .

Around 12pm today.
Flock of c20 birds alternating between the street tree feeders and the backyard feeders mainly juvenile Goldfinch (10 on one feeder including a Greenfinch with no fighting ! ) .
Also present - 2 adult blue tit.
1 adult Greenfinch with a lack of feathers on it's head , looking in poor condition, also with a large redish growth on it's upper mandible. It was feeding furiously until there was an explosion of feral pigeons and everything else in and around the feeders ... probably the Sparrowhawk about (but I saw nothing) .
The juvenile Goldfinch have done really well this season - my last 20kg bag of sunflower hearts lasted just 19 days ,phew!
Starting a new 20kg bag today.

Juvenile Goldfinch begging food plus other juveniles feeding themselves today with several adults.
Two juveniles showing early stages of adult plumage emerging with small black patches of the face - mask occuring, one of them showing a little red also.
At least one Greenfinch seen, plus two Blue tit.

Late news for Sunday - A Sparrowhawk made an attack at the base of the tree at 10.45am scattering 20+ ferral pigeon, then dissapeared over the beech hedge at the rear of the feeders and left in the opposite direction.
Not sure if it caught any prey as it flew behind some birch trees and out of sight .

On my way back from the gym tonight at 6.24pm. I saw 2 Common Buzzard flying low (40-50ft) over Chester rd.shops Gorse hill, about 300yds from the Burleigh rd.street tree feeders.
All the local pigeon community were up and about I panic mode.
The Buzzards headed off towards the Trafford Park area,so I rang my neighbour Sue to keep a look-out for them. Sue informed me that they were present over Burleigh rd. and the feeders Twice today at 4pm. and 4.50pm. being mobbed by gulls.

I've just been informed by my neighbour Sue , that a large bird with a yellow beak , mottiled chest and yellow legs which she thought was a Buzzard landed briefly at the top of the tree with the feeders in it about 6.30pm.
Sue isn't a birder but has a keen interest in birds/wildlife , and I think she knows the difference between a Sparrowhawk and a
Buzzard,because I've pointed them out on the door-step several times.
After a careful "grilling" I tend to agree with her that it was a Buzzard.
I'm just sorry I missed it .

Sparrowhawk circling high over Burleigh rd. tonight 7.45pm then heading towards Old Trafford area.

This morning while up the ladder filling the feeders there was a young Goldfinch begging food about 6 foot above me, I was glad when it left because it was so loud being close up .
Minutes later as I put the ladders away 4 new Goldfinch youngsters turned up followed by 3 very young Blue tit using the fat log as well as the sunflower hearts.
Greenfinch adults have been present several times - but no more juveniles since the one on 2 June.
Goldfinch adults are constantly present.

All through June juvenile and adult Goldfinch have been attending the feeders regularly (including newly fledged begging food from parents in the last week).
Blue tit adults and juveniles have also been using the feeders but I think it's mainly one pair with 2 juveniles.
Greenfinch have been present quite often , probably 2 pair but No juveniles .
Its nice to see the Goldfinch doing so well sometimes feeding until 9pm.
1kg of sunflower hearts only lasts a day .

For the week ending Sun11.05.17 -
Blue tit feeding 1 young which was also feeding itself on the fat block and sunflower seed.
Great tit feeding on the fat block.
Goldfinch adults and juveniles (sometimes 4 juv.at a time ) .
Greenfinch (2 adults usually ) but no young yet seen .
Starling in 6's and 7's using the fat block, also juveniles x4 on the block feeding and learning to fight for the food they need.
I had to move the fat block because adult Starlings were scrapping on every visit,disturbing other birds. I also put a fresh one up on Thursday and had to replace it on Sunday !
Its almost 50% eaten already today .
My backyard feeders have been used frequently and need filling often , with Goldfinch sat on the yard walls and backdoor as well as the BT pole /wires waiting for a chance to get a place at the feeders .

Earlier today -
Goldfinch 8 ( 6 adults and 2 new juveniles trying to land on the feeders properly, often overshooting and probably the same ones which were on my backyard feeders this morning ) .
Greenfinch 2 .
Blue tit 2 ( one looking a bit tatty ) .
Woodpigeon 2 ( taking only the ripe cherry fruit from the very tips of the branches often slipping off followed by lots of flapping . The ferral pigeons never attempt this ) .
Starling 1 only taking ripe cherries (I tried one yesterday and spat it out .... yuk !) .

Straight after filling the feeders there were -
Goldfinch 4 (including 2 young feeding themselves ).
Greenfinch 2.
Cormorant 1 circling overhead then heading east.
Also visits by a pair of Blue tit and occasionally 2 Great tit .
Its been a very noisey day today with bin -wagons up and down the street and lots people walking beneath the feeders, plus car doors slamming but although the birds are constantly disturbed they keep retuning .
The feeders in my backyard are constantly being used by Goldfinches and also a Woodpigeon hoovering up the dropped seed.

Three swift high over the feeders at 7pm tonight. Also more seed being taken from the feeders especially with the longer time available for taking food.

There's been a Feral pigeon showing a bit of ingenuity at the feeders over the last few weeks.
It can't land on or near the feeders but it has discovered a way to climb to them using its wings and feet.
I've had to move it on gently with a prod or two (it might have been a bit deaf).
There has been 2 pigeons with the same plumage very similar to a Rock Pigeon, ie. grey back, 2 black wing - bars but one had a white patch on it's back .....that was the one climbing to the feeders . I gave it the nickname " Columba Bob"feeder thief !
Anyhoo , as I returned from Burton Mere on Saturday (4.30pm) I found Columba Bob expired in the road at the feeders a bit flat in parts.
This morning 6am ish I heard a racket of lesser black-back gulls over head butt didn't get out of bed and then a carrion crow calling constantly. Looking at Bob's carcass later, there was almost nowt left . It must have been a sight to see, but I missed it. A Buzzard was also seen over today ,mobbed by lesser black - back gulls.
There was one thing left of Bob - it's stomach contents..... no intestine etc. just part digested seed which won't be there long. Its great how nature recycles.

Thanks for the reply to James Richardson .
Sightings from 12.30 to 1.30pm. -
Goldfinch - mainly 3's and 4's with a maximum of 9.
Greenfinch - 1 on 2 occasions.
Robin - 1.
Blue tit - 2.
Blackbird - 1 ( which didn't visit the feeders but was in adjacent tree ).
Carrion Crow - 2 together, close by on one of the Birch trees which the 2 Magpies were claiming on 11.12.16 .
Ps. A Goldfinch was in full song on two occasions, but only when it was separate from any others. When others joined it, it became silent. Usually on the feeders the Goldfinch don't sing , just use bubbles and squeaks or the aggressive nasal sound to bully others from the best spot . But what a lovely song .

-- Edited by phillipskelly on Friday 17th of March 2017 02:38:07 PM

A Woodpigeon now taking advantage of the tree's Inflorescence , sat at the top of the tree eating whole buds and flowers accompanied by a bee .

Cold weather with a slight snow flurry yesterday and today have reduced the amount of birds on and around the feeders, with only around 15 birds max at any one time mainly Goldfinch with occasional visits from 2 Greenfinch, 1 Chaffinch , 2 Blackbird.
4 Carrion Crow have been very active overhead as well as the usual Black-headed gulls and Lesser Black-backs (no change with the amount of feral pigeons blocking the pavement ) .
Ps. My neighbour has noticed a Wren spending a lot of time in our backyards and has been feeding it.

Again there are good numbers of birds attending the feeders this afternoon c40.
I've noticed that the numbers increase as the weather becomes slightly milder, and when the temperature drops to around freezing point nubers drop . I thought it would be the opposite way round. Where do the birds go , maybe to the city centre for warmth 4 miles away ?
Goldfinch - 40 (at 2.15pm) .
Earlier... Chaffinch - 1 (a rare visitor to the street which has been present several times this week ).
Blackbird - 2 (m+f with the male preferring to take sunflower hearts dropped into forks or on the floor rather than eat berries of the adjacent Sorbus tree).
Greenfinch - 2
Also seen regularly - 2 Blue tit and sometimes - 2 Great tit.

About 40 Goldfinch at a time occasionally visiting the feeders , but numbers dropping down to 10's and 20's .
No Greenfinch seen today , but a Blue tit has in and out a few times.
A Grey Wagtail was hanging around the bins this morning in the back entry rear of Burleigh Rd. houses (bin - day Friday ).

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 23rd of December 2016 04:25:27 PM

Not much seed taken from the feeders over the last three days (or from my backyard feeders) , but quite a few Gold and one or two Greenfinch together with a pair of Blue tit and a couple of House Sparrow turning up each day.
But around 12pm today there were 40+ birds on and the feeders, until passers-by , cars , plus a pair of noisey Magpie disturbed them several times. Now (1pm ) there are the usual 15-20 mainly Goldfinch attending.
The Magpie pair seem to be going over last year's nest sites - with one to the rear of the feeders (which they always abandon) and one in a tall Birch tree 30m away. The Magpies had a bit of a scrap yesterday with a pair of Carrion Crow over the birch tree nest and lost. Having won the nest one Crow left and the other picked at the nest for a while then left itself.
Ps.there does seem to be an increasing number of Carrion Crow on roofs etc. whenever I walk through the Gorse Hill area.

Again 30 - 40 finches present on the feeders at times , mainly Goldfinch with just one or two Greenfinch turning up - also present occasionally two Blue tit , as well as a solitary House Sparrow.
As you can imagine with so many birds present , at times its hectic - a bit like a WWE tag match with birds ejecting other one another off the feeders ..... survival means no queueing allowed .