Stonechat 1 first-winter / female, flew across river from Chorlton to Sale and perched up by the footpath before lost to view, c25m upriver from the tram bridge at 15.50 Woodcock 1 flew over Jackson's Boat bridge at 17.27 to Hardy Farm Kingfisher 1 on rocks at riverside before flying over old UMIST field Ring-necked Parakeet 9 (6 by Jackson's boat bridge) Grey Wagtail 2
I saw a female/first winter Stonechat in more or less the same spot on 10 Oct. It flew from the fence below the raised bank on the north side of the river on the edge of the old cowfield between the dry weir and the tramline. I lost it in the cowfield. Possibly one knocking around...
Stonechat 1 first-winter / female, flew across river from Chorlton to Sale and perched up by the footpath before lost to view, c25m upriver from the tram bridge at 15.50 Woodcock 1 flew over Jackson's Boat bridge at 17.27 to Hardy Farm Kingfisher 1 on rocks at riverside before flying over old UMIST field Ring-necked Parakeet 9 (6 by Jackson's boat bridge) Grey Wagtail 2
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Sparrowhawk(f) this morning around the football ground .. seeing it most mornings low through the trees Buzzard - heard calling from the cow field area Redwing - small flock over Ring-necked Parakeet - 6 over Reed Bunting 3 Grey Wagtail 1 C
1 goldcrest 3 chiffchaff 1 treecreeper 1 nuthatch 11+ goldfinch 1 greenfinch 1 chaffinch 7+ bullfinch 2 or 3 grey wagtail (all over) 6 jay (a couple of others along the river) 2 water rail heard 1 goosander over (following the river north) 5 cormorant (one over, four sat on pylon on Sale WP side of river) 1 kestrel 2 buzzard
1 willow tit in area between Metrolink bridge and golf course.
Evening visit.
Tawny owl blending in nicely with a tree trunk, moving occasionally to have a preen, more heard.
Nuthatch & goldcrest with a long tailed tit flock.
2 swallows
2 house Martins
6 swifts
1 grey heron.
A single Common Tern flew up river towards Didsbury this evening just before 9pm. Viewed from the meadow pond, it was flying quite high along the river adjacent to Sale WP. A first for me on the Ees.
Other than that nothing special to report this evening.
A juvenile green woodpecker was another nice surprise for me this morning in the tall trees at hardy farm next to the football pitch. Plenty of warbler activity from blackcaps, whitethroats & Chiffchaffs all with juveniles. Kingfisher heard.
At 5.35pm I picked up a bird just flown into trees at the cow field, thinking it was a female sparrowhawk that was hanging around it in fact turned out to be a juvenile cuckoo nice rufous brown colouring, long pointed wings & & long tail as it flew off as I was just about to get a photo of it. It flew off towards the Orchard & I spent over an hour looking around but could not relocate.
1 kestrel 1 buzzard 2 grey heron Pair of pheasant, could hear what may of been juveniles with them in the long grass. 2 jays 5 ring-necked parakeet 2 collared doves 2 stock doves 4 bullfinch 1 reed bunting Swift, swallow & house Martins.
A pm wander around today, from and back to Jacksons Boat, highlights included 6 Chiffchaff, 3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Common Buzzard, 14 Swallow and 2 Reed Bunting
Here today, from about nine through to mid afternoon:
14 chiffchaff, one with a beak full of food calling repeatedly 13 blackcap 6 whitethroat 4+ reed warbler, one gathering insects (in exactly the same place as last night; hello again) 1 coal tit 2 willow tit 2 treecreeper 4 goldfinch 1 greenfinch 2 chaffinch 6+ bullfinch, including juveniles 7 reed bunting 1 house martin 2 swallow 5 song thrush 2 jay c10 swift, scooting around the old cow field, but no hobbies on their tails. 3 (at least) water rail calling at the meadow pond 2 sparrowhawk, one with prey 1 or 2 buzzard
Probably the hobby noted below this evening; too brief for 100% confirmation, but impression was of strong facial markings and rufous to the rear. Gutted though, if I'd been in any way competent in getting my bins to my face it would have been a quick, but cracking view. Balls.
Also about:
5 chiffchaff 3 balckcap 3 whitethroat 3+ reed warbler, one collecting insects 3 reed bunting 5+ house martin 10+ song thrush 1 jay 10+ swift 1 grey heron heard
Hobby chasing a swift over the cow field, looked to be catching up with the swift but lost behind the trees. Water rail heard & seen on meadow pond. 1 kestrel 19 swifts 3 house Martins 3 sand Martins 1 swallow 1 willow tit 3 reed warbler 5 whitethroat 4 blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 1 great spotted woodpecker 1 stock dove 8 reed buntings 2 bullfinch 4 ring-necked parakeets
7 chiffchaff 4 blackcap 5+ whitethroat c4 reed warbler 7+ reed bunting 10+ song thrush 5+ swift 1 kingfisher (flushed from the meadow pond; not had that before)
Hardy Farm, Barlow Tip and surrounding habitats, from early to late morning:
1 goldcrest heard singing 9 chiffchaff 4 willow warbler 9 blackcap 6 whitethroat 2 willow tit 1 treecreeper 1 nuthatch heard Goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch 3 bullfinch 2 reed bunting heard singing 1 sand martin c5 house martin 5+ swallow 1 pied wagtail 4 grey wagtail (including 2 fledglings) 4 song thrush 1 mistle thrush heard singing 1 jay 15+ swift 1 collared dove 1 stock dove Two mallard broods; one of 10 very young chicks, one of 4 older ones. 1 black-headed gull 2 buzzard
Ees itself afterwards, in the rain for about an hour and a half:
6 chiffchaff 2 blackcap 5 whitethroat 1 or 2 reed warbler heard singing 2 goldfinch 3 chaffinch 7 reed bunting 2 song thrush 2 stock dove over 3 or 4 grey heron, including at least one large chick on nest 1 herring gull over
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Saturday 20th of May 2017 04:17:19 PM
Enjoyable early walk from 05:45 from hardy farm through chorlton ees to broad ees dole, past sale ees and back, for dawn chorus day.
Highlights were probably a total of 7 warbler species, plus others as follows.
Blackcap,
Willow warbler - hardy farm,
Chiffchaff,
Sedge warbler x4 - chorlton ees,
Reed warbler x 1 - chorlton ees,
Whitethroat x several,
Lesser whitethroat x1 - near small pond with orange water on way to sale water park next to Mersey.
Reed bunting x several,
Swift x3 chorlton ees,
Swallow x4 river Mersey,
Willow tit - chorlton ees,
Stock dove x 2,
Bullfinch x several,
Kestrel x2,
Grey wagtail x1 River mersey,
Plus all the usuals.
-- Edited by James Richardson on Saturday 6th of May 2017 09:36:30 AM
Afternoon visit before the rain set in mainly around the meadow field/ pond.
1 willow warbler which later flew off over the river to sale water park. 4 chiffchaff 4 blackcap Inc a female 4 reed bunting 3 willow tit 1 buzzard 7 sand Martins over 1 grey heron 1 great spotted woodpecker 1 ring-necked parakeet 2 grey wagtail on the brook.
My post from 7th April has a mistake which I have only just noticed ! I put 5 reed warblers, it should be reed bunting, oops
-- Edited by steven burke on Friday 14th of April 2017 08:39:00 PM
9 chiffchaff 4 blackcap 2 willow tit, 1 with metal ring on left leg 7 sand martin over meadow pond/river then over to sale water park 2 grey wagtail 2 great spotted woodpecker 2 buzzard 1 kestrel 2 reed bunting 3 grey heron 2 stock dove 3 ring-necked parakeets song thrush singing all around water rail heard at meadow pond.
I walked the Meadows in yesterday's afternoon warmth, looking for butterflies mainly. (A solitary Comma braved the breeze.)
Wherever I walked, Chiffchaffs were singing, plus the usual common birds. I waited at Meadow Pond for some time and eventually heard the pig-squeal of a Water Rail, but it refused to show itself. Buzzard over.
Finally managed to get out and enjoy the nice weather. Not too much seen as I didnt have my bins. Hay meadow 4 buzzards displaying 3 ring necked parakeets over Meadow pond area 3 sparrowhawks, 2 males and 1 female 1 buzzard high up 1 water rail heard
1 goldcrest heard 12 chiffchaff (most singing) 1 blackcap 1 willow tit 1 treecreeper 4 goldfinch 2 greenfinch 2 chaffinch heard singing 2 bullfinch 3 reed bunting 2 grey wagtail 2 song thrush 7+ jay 1 raven over 3 great spotted woodpecker (one drumming, one calling, one flying) 2 stock dove over 2 water rail (one heard only, one popping out onto the path(!) for my first ever sighting here) 4 grey heron 1 sparrowhawk Buzzard(s) heard several times.
Hardy Farm, Barlow Tip and river, late afternoon:
2 goldcrest (one singing) 11+ chiffchaff (most singing) 3 dunnock bouncing around each other, wing-flicking like mad. 6+ goldfinch 4+ greenfinch (one in display flight) 1 chaffinch 2 bullfinch 4 reed bunting 10 sand martin (seen from Barlow Tip, over Chorlton Water Park) 25+ redwing 1 song thrush 2 mistle thrush 2 jay 3 goosander (one over) 1 buzzard
Sunny morning walk. Aside from usuals a willow tit with a metal leg ring was seen near the small reedbed (too small to see any info on it).
Also 2 meadow pipits over heading north west.
Lots of chiffchaffs and 4 buzzards.
Kingfisher (1) - flew across the football training field on Hardy Farm from the sewage pump station area. Nuthatch (1) - exploring a hole which the ring-necked parakeets are also interested in. The parakeet just sat and watched from a nearby tree. It will be interesting to see how that dynamic works out !
Of note in the area in the last few days; Buzzard (4) - circling high Plenty of Ring-necked parakeet in the area but first time I have had them land in my garden
Warm spring evening around Chorlton ees and along the Mersey yesterday evening. Highlights amongst usuals were 3 Willow Tits, several Reed Bunting and this male Sparrowhawk sat about 10m above my head by the bowling green car park. Location given away by Blue Tit warning calls.
Afternoon walk around ees, of note:
1 sparrowhawk
Lots of Bullfinches
Chaffinches
Lots of territorial behaviour from blue and great tits
Water rail heard, possibly 2
Pair of willow tit
Buzzard heard
2 raven over
6 gadwall over
Morning walk around Hardy Farm. Birds around the fenced off training pitches ; Redwing 24 Mistle thrush 12 Great Spotted Woodpecker (2) over Redpoll heard in the orchard
Interesting the redwing and mistle thrush have turned up again after a week or so. Seems to be when its windy...... or more likely the day after the pitches were used.
Morning walk around Hardy Farm was very quiet. Only exception was a bird we don't see very often on the Ees;
Grey Partridge (1) - flushed from the NE corner of the new fenced training pitch area and flew to scrub outside the SW corner
PS; great spotted woodpeckers have been drumming this week on the sunnier days. 1 woodcock at dusk last week on Hardy farm. 1 Greylag over at dusk last week flew over cow field.
Morning walk around Hardy Farm. Birds around the fenced off training pitches ; Redwing 3 ...... 30 two days ago Mistle thrush 2 ............. 10 two days ago Stock dove 2 Reed Bunting 3 Goldfinch c 20 Starling c 50 Ring necked parakeet 2 over Mute swan 1 over Great spotted woodpecker 1 over Kestrel 1 over
Chris ........ Flock of redwings feeding with the mistle thrush most of the week great to watch
-- Edited by Chris Sutton on Wednesday 1st of February 2017 06:24:54 PM
Blackbird (c. 30) Blue Tit (12) Chaffinch (small flock of 10 and 4 individuals) Jackdaw (4) Wood Pigeon (30+) Sparrowhawk (1 female resting in a tree top) Great Spotted Woodpecker (2) Buzzard (1 perched low in a tree) Magpie (c. 20) Bullfinch (group of 5) Grey Heron (3) Great Tit (12) Carrion Crow (3) Robin (5 but many more singing) Wren (1) Black-headed Gull (6 over) Ring-necked Parakeet (3 seen but, judging by the noise, they were part of a sizeable flock).
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 29th of January 2017 06:19:09 PM
report from yesterday. Walked from Jacksons Boat around the Ees and over to Stretford jay 1 blue tit 4 chaffinch 1 magpie 8 black headed gull 11 robin 5 wood pigeon 7 nuthatch 1 great tit 2 long tailed tit 8 mallard 10 ring necked parakeet 7 mute swan 2 carrion crow 6 redwing 5 mistle thrush 2 fieldfare 2 Canada goose 15 feral pigeon 23
An hour walk around the ees while wife and son napped. Been long over due.
Absolutely beautiful. The colours are muted but fallen leaves and bleached out grasses make for stunning views. Even nearly got sort of nearly lost in a scrub patch between the brook and the playing fields with a couple of rusted out car wrecks.
Lovely male kestrel at hardy farm
4 separate Buzzards
2 Goldcrest
Nutchatch
Treecreeper
Pair of Bullfinch
Goldfinch
Great, blue and Long tailed Tits
Ring Necked Parakeets in a couple of separate locations.
Usual other suspects
New's years resolution. Get down there more.
Found out this week that Long Tailed Tit in Spanish is Mito. Might start using that as it's a lot shorted to say and type.