Bury - North Manchester - UK (3 Viewers)

[shellduck]

By 2:15pm my hair was turning purple!Not a thing,unless you like travelling 15 miles to see Blackbirds.Bet they show tomorrow when Im back at work.

 

[kanebrides]

Shellduck,
You should have stayed in Lancashire as there where 10 Waxwings (Yesterday) on stocks-road. - Ashton-on-ribble

 

[craynerd]

Hi Guys

Well thanks for the welcome!! Great response. To be honest i read it on New Years Eve but didn`t have time to reply, so i have been visiting regularly! I`ve just moved house and in the process of getting connected to the internet so i shall be visiting daily very soon! Until then it`s only when i get a chance to gt to my parents house.

Anyway, thanks again! I`ll keep you posted on the locations that i get to that you have recommended!

Chris

 

[RJElse]

I never realised there were so many birders in this area. I live in Astley Bridge too. I had a look outside ASDA yesterday at late afternoon but couldn't see the waxwings.

Does anyone know if the red-necked grebe is still at Elton Reservoir? I saw it on the 18th December. 2 kingfishers there too.

Do any of the Bolton birders have local patches? Mine is Longworth Clough NR between Bolton and Belmont. Belmont Reservoir has a hide, although it is usually easier to view any birds from the road.

Cheers, Ric

 

[brian fielding]

greater manchester latest

I never realised there were so many birders in this area. I live in Astley Bridge too. I had a look outside ASDA yesterday at late afternoon but couldn't see the waxwings.

Does anyone know if the red-necked grebe is still at Elton Reservoir? I saw it on the 18th December. 2 kingfishers there too.

Do any of the Bolton birders have local patches? Mine is Longworth Clough NR between Bolton and Belmont. Belmont Reservoir has a hide, although it is usually easier to view any birds from the road.

Cheers, Ric

red-necked grebe was last seen before christmas and has now gone.yesterday at pennington brambling,siskin,willow tit and water rail at the feeding station, the bittern is still present.today whooper swan at castleshaw res on small pool below the lower res.i am again year listing the county this year, my total for last year was 170, so far this year i am on 60.i would be very gratefull for any news of uncommon species that anyone finds.

 

[psilo]

LOL what are you guys like and where did that extra waxwing come from? 4 waxwings have been there for 2 weeks and I have no idea where that other bird came from. They seem to be birds of habit often coming in around 11am but this last few days they have been alot more erratic. There are quite a few mistlethrushes around and they are quite aggresive and scare them away. I live about half a mile up the road from that asda and see them everyday. They are usually sat in the big tree above the berry bushes.
I have seent he brambling at pennington too. Am very surprised that there is only one.
Today I went to Moses gate country park and got excellent close views of goosander and Kingfisher on the main lake.

 

[craynerd]

Sorry for the quick post but someone is waiting for me to get of the net...But basically, if i get to the asda you are all talkin about, where exactly do i go and what do i do? Any conditions in which i shouldnt bother?

This will be my first true trip out going a few miles to make specific species spot!!!

Any tips welcome!
Chris

 

[brian fielding]

bolton waxwings

Sorry for the quick post but someone is waiting for me to get of the net...But basically, if i get to the asda you are all talkin about, where exactly do i go and what do i do? Any conditions in which i shouldnt bother?

This will be my first true trip out going a few miles to make specific species spot!!!

Any tips welcome!
Chris

hi Chris,head towards bolton on the A58 out of Bury,turn right on the Bolton ring road which is still the A58 crompton way.Keep going straight on untill you get to the the junction of the A666.Asda is now straight ahead,you will see some rowan trees on your left,the ones with the red berries.This is where to look.After 11am is usually best,they have not been reported for 2 days but dont let that put you off,good luck

 

[RJElse]

I had a quick look at ASDA yesterday and there were no waxwings, although it was late afternoon- they might have gone to roost early.

This morning I had a common crossbill near Delph Reservoir, the first i've seen there, and green woodpecker.

 

[brian fielding]

crossbill

I had a quick look at ASDA yesterday and there were no waxwings, although it was late afternoon- they might have gone to roost early.

This morning I had a common crossbill near Delph Reservoir, the first i've seen there, and green woodpecker.

could you please give me directions to where you saw the crossbill and let me know if you see it again

 

[RJElse]

could you please give me directions to where you saw the crossbill and let me know if you see it again

The crossbill flew from the plantation at SD695156 next to longworth road and headed south. I checked the wood at SD694140 later but no sign of it there.

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Astley Bridge

Think I was at the wrong Asda - No, I couldn't have been because some birders I met there responded on BF the other day. The only berry trees I saw were cotoneasters, not rowans. We were surprised as they seem to prefer rowans usually. There was one big berry tree at the side of the dual carriageway and one after you turn left at the next junction. They weren't reported on Bird Guides the next day. Half a dozen blackbirds & a mistle thrush were holding court there.

Will hope they get to Halifax soon. That's a shorter trip for me.

Sandra

 

[psilo]

Sandra you are right they are cotoneastor bushes and yes you were at the right asda. I havent seen them for 3 days now.

 

[craynerd]

Well i`m planning a trip Monday morning...any of you know if you’ll be there, don’t want to be the fool looking in the wrong direction!! lol

psilo, just checked out your website and your photographs are stunning. Once I’ve finished university and get some cash I will be definitely looking into getting some kit! Very inspiring!


Chris

 

[psilo]

Hi Chris thankyou for that. Im glad that you like them I cannot definatly verify this but my son (who has seen the waxwings at asda) went down late this afternoon with his mates shopping and said that the waxwings were there.
What time approx will you be going down monday Chris? I will probably be around then.

 

[rezMole]

Had a 3 hour stint at Pennington this morning. Pretty good morning despite not seeing the reported Green Woodpecker. Three bramblings almost mage up for that though. Anyway, just to give an idea of what's around on a "normal, cold, winter, Saturday morning", here's what we saw

Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
Goldeneye
Goosander
Pheasant
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Lapwing
Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Mew Gull
Herring Gull
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Willow Tit
Magpie
Crow
Chaffinch
Brambling
Greenfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting

 

[psilo]

Hi rezmole seems like you did quite well. I bet the grey weather kept people away too. Arent there supposed to be 2 green woodpeckers around? Im really hoping they will start to colonise pennington. Would be great to have them there. And a mew gull. Was that from horrocks hide? I wouldnt know one of those if it flew up and pecked me lol, nice one.
Were the bramblings at the feeding station? Have only seen one there in the last week.
I was at martinmere today which was pretty miserable. Looked briefly on the mere but didnt see anything out of the ordinary. There was a brambling around on the feeder at the janet kear hide but that is all.

 

[craynerd]

hi mate, i`ll be therefore 10am ish ....but seeing the list above maybe i would be wiser going else were rather than trying to target...especially for my first specific trip!

Chris

 

[brian fielding]

latest news

20 waxwings today on henry street in offerton,nr stockport.This is a traditional site so good chance of connecting there.The green woodpeckers at Pennington are usually on the far side of the ruck which is the green area which is visable from horrocks hide.Bramblings are usually at the feeding station.Whooper swan still at castleshaw res today

 

[saluki]

And a mew gull. Was that from horrocks hide? I wouldnt know one of those if it flew up and pecked me lol, nice one.

Hi Psilo,

You and I would probably refer to them as Common Gulls! You shouldn't have too much difficulty seeing them at the Flash.

I've lived within a stones throw of the Flash most of my life yet I probably only visit once a fortnight or so these days. When I was a kid my Uncle Albert was the caretaker at the sailing club, so my grandad would take my sister and I up to the club house, where we'd guzzle coke and crisps and watch the birds through my grandad's huge old naval binocs! It was a great place for birdwatching before the Country Park was there.

Pennington Flash has the potential to be one of the best birdwatching spots in the North West, yet Wigan Met. are unwilling to put any money into the place (have you seen the so-called hide overlooking the new islands? It's a disgrace!) preferring to spend it on other projects within the Wigan area.

Er . . . rant over! Sorry!

saluki