Birds around Manchester (1 Viewer)

[rezMole]

Think it was Black-winged Stilt

 

[Rob Smallwood]

BW Stilt did indeed nest there and came within an ace of fledging a chick before a presumed predator stepped in.

There was a less celubrious but relatively unusual Knot there this morning. Water Rail is a possibility there too.

There is a thread dedicated to reports from the site on the Focalpoint Optics forum.

As ever, lots of local Manchester info on:

www.manchesterbirding.com and its associated Forum.

 

[2520years]

Thanks for the link, it brings back memories. I played on Smith's field as a kid but wouldn't have noticed hobbies, or even sparrows then to be honest. I was under the impression there are no decent birds in Timperley!

 

[Rob Smallwood]

The Great White Egret is still around - Rindle Road, Astley Moss off the East Lancs - mornings, and early are best as the bird frequents roadside ditches until disturbed then moves to a private site with no access.

Photos courtesy of Mike Ribbands.

 

[Nightranger]

HI...Ever seen Green Woodpeckers around Manchester my b/f Mark wants to see one and hasn't yet !

Reddisher Woods on the side of Holcombe Hill is a good place although they can be difficult to spot. I have seen a juvenile at Knob End (stop giggling at the back) at the Farnworth end of the Bury - Bolton canal.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

See here for the latest additionsd to South manchester's growing array of exotics...

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=131192&highlight=rosella

 

[rezMole]

There's a good article on the Manchester Birding Website covering occurence, sexing and aging waxwings and it's well illustrated with photos of birds from Greater Manchester this winter.

Link to Waxwing article

 

[Johnny Allan]

Hi there,

I'm trying to find out which Counties still use the Watsonian Vice County system to record birds in and which go by whatever the political boundary may change to (and why).

The Watsonian Vice County system was set to accurately record and compare historical and modern data and it seems that there can be/is confusion when some counties no longer use this system whilst others do. Does anyone in your county have a view on this ? Discussion here if anyone has a comment:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=142074

ps this is not about getting more or less county ticks, more a question about uniformity in recording.

Johnny Allan

 

[lazza]

Wow... what a neglected thread! Anyway, it may be nearly 4 years since the last time anyone did any birding in Manchester, but I'm going to post anyway!

Was down in Cheshire with work this week, and heading back home (via Preston), I stopped off at Orrell Water Park to eat my butties, and had a wander around the various lakes and pools. And an hour's amble gave a good list of birds.

The feeding station was very busy:
Chaffinch 15+
Brambling 4+ (possibly more, but were less easy to count as they flew in, took a seed and flew off)
Greenfinch 3
Bullfinch 1f
Blue tit 8+
Great tit 2+
Blackbird 3
Robin 2
Reed bunting 2
Collared dove 2
Willow tit 1

On the main lake by the car park, nothing too interesting:
Black-headed gull 100+ (including two ringed birds but couldn't make out any details)
Mallard 30+
Canada goose 25+
Coot 2
Moorhen 6

In the woods and bushes at the south end of the park, and the surrounding farmland:
Long-tailed tit 4
Wood pigeon 10+
Dunnock 1
Magpie 8+
Crow 3
Kestrel 1

And upstream from the park:
Grey wagtail 1

So 23 species in all; not bad for a lunch break at a new site

 

[Sharpbill]

I work in Brookside business park Chadderton and the Wince brook runs thro it. Regular birds on the brook are a female grey wagtail, a dunnock, long tail tits, and at the moment later in the day house martins buzz the brook and bridge taking insects in flight....

This first post on Birds around Manchester mentions Wince Brook, an under-watched urban local patch. 10 years on and there currently an over-wintering Siberian Chiffchaff at this site.