Male Whinchat on Chorlton Ees

Recently local birder, Pete Hines sent me a link to his You-Tube video of a male Whinchat on Chorlton Ees. This bird is, apparently, a summer visitor to the British Isles. Pete has provided some links, on his You-Tube posting, which will provide you with much more information on this bird. Here's the link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVNYYv_mDLs

Dave Bishop, April 2014

Rare Willow Tit Filmed on Ivy Green!

I bumped into local birder, Pete Hines the other day - and I'm glad that I did because he had some remarkable news. He had actually filmed a Willow Tit (a Red List species) feeding its chick on Ivy Green. You can see Pete's superb film here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-kFZSEWCh8

You can learn more about Willow Tits on the RSPB's website at:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/willowtit/index.aspx

Dave Bishop, 09.07.2013

Nest Box Checking, 2013

In 2011 FoCM obtained a Council grant which allowed us to put up 20 bird boxes on the Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green Local Nature Reserve (see John Agar’s blog entry for March 2011). We put up 10 boxes on the Ivy Green side of Chorlton Brook and 10 on the Chorlton Ees side.

Last year (15.01.2012) we checked to see if any of the boxes had been used over the previous nesting season, and to clean out those with old nests in. The results of this exercise are described in the blog post for 19.01.2013.

A couple of Sundays ago (17.02.2013) a group of us repeated the exercise. Again, it was John Agar’s son Mark who climbed the ladder and wielded the electric screwdriver to detach the boxes from their trees and then to re-attach them.

On the Ivy Green side of the brook all 10 boxes were still in place, but on the Chorlton Ees side only four of the original 10 were left (down from six the previous year).

Eight of the boxes we checked contained dry (-ish) nesting material and no eggs. We concluded that the occupiers of these nests had probably raised successful broods. Two boxes contained very damp material. This probably meant that these boxes had been penetrated by rain during the exceptionally wet summer of 2012; we couldn’t be certain if these soggy nests had contained successful broods (they could even have been abandoned part way through nest building). Three boxes contained un-hatched eggs and one contained a dead bird. Although the corpse was vey degraded, John thought that it was probably a Great Tit.

Most of the nests were, as we observed last year, constructed of moss on a foundation of dry grass. Nevertheless, a few contained fibres derived from human sources. Some contained bright red, wool-like fibres - which we couldn’t identify. There were also fluorescent, green-ish yellow fibres in some nests. FoCM member, Chris Hirst suddenly realised that these fibres came from tennis balls (!) Dog owners regularly take tennis balls into the area to throw for their pets to chase. The balls must, equally regularly, get lost and the nesting birds obviously see their bright, fibrous coverings as an ideal source of nesting material. I’m tempted to interpret the inclusion of these fibres as a form of avian interior decorating ... but mustn’t get carried away!

Even more bizarrely, a few of the damper boxes contained colonies of slugs. By coincidence a person from Inverness recently wrote to the Guardian about slugs in nest boxes; she wrote:

“Last autumn I took down the wooden bird houses from the silver birch and one of them when I opened it had at least 36 large slugs packed very, very tightly together in the box ... stuffed in. They appeared to be possibly hibernating although it was still early autumn and not cold. Actually looking at them it was rather like opening a tin of pilchards and seeing them all packed neatly and tightly together. I was so revolted that I could only rush to dispose of them and didn't even check whether they were alive or dead.”
None of our boxes contained that many slugs!

The above quote was contained in article by the Guardian correspondent, Jane Perrone (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2013/feb/20/slugs) and contains some surprising information, namely that the slugs in the box were, almost certainly a “non-social aggregation” and probably represented a strategy to conserve moisture (do slugs ever ‘aggregate socially, I wonder? Getting carried away again! Sorry!). Also a group of slugs is called a “cornucopia”. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll get an opportunity to use that fact in a social situation!

I think I’d better stop now ...

Dave Bishop (27.02.2013)

Checking the Nest Boxes on Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green

Last year (2011) FoCM obtained a Council grant which allowed us to put up 20 bird boxes on the Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green Local Nature Reserve (see John Agar’s blog entry for March 2011). We put up 10 boxes on the Ivy Green side of Chorlton Brook and 10 on the Chorlton Ees side.

Last Sunday (15.01.2012) four of us: Dave Bishop, John Agar, John’s son Mark and Mark’s wife Julie set out to see if any of the boxes had been used over the previous nesting season, and to clean out those with old nests in. John brought his extensible, aluminium ladders and Mark his battery powered, electric screw-driver.

On the Ivy Green side of the brook we were dismayed to see that the first two boxes we checked were lying on the ground at the foot of their trees. At first we suspected vandalism but then we noted that the screws holding the boxes to the trees had snapped and the boxes themselves had left indentations in the bark of the trees. We had fixed the boxes to the trees too tightly and the expansion of the tree bark, in the course of the year, had exerted enough pressure to snap the screws! Nevertheless, both of these boxes contained nests. The very first nest had a single tiny egg in it which had obviously failed to hatch (see the rather blurred photograph above).

Of the next seven boxes, one had fallen - but all seven contained nests. As well as the old nest the third fallen box contained cherry stones with small holes gnawed in them. Such holed stones are a sign of mice – probably Wood Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) – which had taken advantage of the fallen box for their own purposes.

We then moved across the brook to Chorlton Ees. It was a bit depressing to find that four of these boxes had gone missing. One had obviously been stolen because the thief had screwed the screw back into the tree (!) but there was no sign of the other three. We suspect that their screws had snapped and
the fallen boxes had been picked up and taken home to install in someone’s garden (at least, we hope that they’re being used). The remaining six boxes all had nests in them, although it looked as if one of the boxes had been abandoned part way through nest construction because wasps had taken up residence. You can see the remains of the wasps’ nest in the bottom photograph.

The nests we found seemed to be of two general types i.e. constructed almost entirely of moss or fibrous nests on platforms of grass stalks. The fibres used to construct the second type could have been synthetic, because some were green and others red. I suspect, though, that some of the fibres used
could have been dog hairs. Some of the old nests, mainly of the second type, were heavily contaminated with droppings and we suspect that birds had used them for shelter during bad weather.

All of the old nests were removed and discarded. The boxes then were cleaned out and returned to their trees, but this time the screws were not screwed in so tightly to allow for bark expansion.

John Agar’s conclusions on the significance of our findings are given below:

The likeliest species to have bred in our boxes are:

The Great Tit (Parus major) which is the largest and commonest European tit. This species breeds
in late April-June in deciduous woods, hedgerows, parks and increasingly in gardens. They nest in a hole of some kind, usually 3ft to 15ft above the ground, and often in tree stumps or walls, nest boxes and various other artificial sites such as drainpipes flower pots etc.

The Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) which is the only native bird with blue and yellow plumage. Its breeding habits are similar to those of the Great Tit.

The Coal Tit (Parus ater) which is the smallest European tit being slightly smaller than the Blue Tit. This species breeds in coniferous woodlands but is increasing seen in deciduous woodlands and gardens.

Nests

All three species are remarkably similar in their choice of nesting material. Both sexes carry dry grass and
moss into the hole and lining it with hair, down or wool.

Eggs

All three species lay large clutches of eggs: Great Tits 8 -15, Blue Tits 9-12 and Coal Tits 7-12. There is
a remarkable similarity in the colouring i.e. white with red or reddish brown markings. The egg of the Great Tit is the largest but Coal Tit eggs are larger than those of the Blue Tit - even though it is the smaller bird.

In all three species the eggs are incubated by the female for between 14-18 days, during which time she is fed by the male bird. Hatchlings are fed by both parents and leave the nest after 2-3 weeks,

Remarkably all of our nest boxes had been occupied, although it`s not possible to know if all were successful. However, there was no evidence of dead nestlings in any of the boxes. Ideally the boxes
should have been cleaned out in the autumn when the nesting material would not have been so wet and degraded. I think it reasonable to assume that a good number of nestlings had fledged.

Given that the nesting material of the three species is so similar it is not possible say what number of each were present. It would require observation to be carried out when feeding was in progress. We’ll try to make these observations this year. I would expect that Great/Blue were in the majority with just two three pairs Coal Tits.

Finally, if anyone reading this has ‘rescued ‘any of the four missing boxes from Chorlton Ees, please, please, please make sure that you clean them out before the nesting season starts in a couple of months time!

Dave Bishop and John Agar, January 2012

New Nest Boxes on Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green

Recently, with the aid of a grant from the City Council, FoCM were able to purchase a number of bat boxes and twenty bird nesting boxes.

Ten of the bird boxes have been sited on the Chorlton Ees side (south side) of Chorlton Brook and ten on the Ivy Green side (north side).
The boxes are located both within the woodland and on the woodland edge adjacent to paths and open grassland.

The boxes are positioned so that their entrances face north/north east and this orientation shields the entrances from direct sunlight and the prevailing westerly winds.

There are very few mature trees on Chorlton Meadows because, prior to landfill, they were part of the flood plain of the river Mersey and used for grazing cattle. What is to be seen today is plantation woodland, thirty to forty years old - and certainly no older than fifty years; these trees are too young to have developed natural nest holes. Given good management and a hundred years there will, perhaps, be no need of nest boxes.
In the wider countryside there are fewer old trees available, due, in part, to the modern practise of lopping branches or clear felling trees at the first sign of rot (Health and Safety) thus denying birds of natural nest holes in which to raise their young and provide refuge in the winter months.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and The British Trust for Ornithology give guidance on the size of aperture for boxes depending on what species it is hoped to attract 25mm for Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) 32mm Great Tit (Parus major) But all our boxes are 32mm as we believe that this provides access to many woodland species. In the wild natural holes in trees do not appear in any particular shape or size.

The value of nest boxes as shelter in winter is illustrated by the fact that sixty Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes) have been counted occupying a single box!

By installing these boxes we hope to attract a greater number of species which can only add, especially in spring, to the enjoyment of all who use our local green space. We will add more boxes as funds become available.

All of the boxes have been numbered and their exact locations measured using GPS. They will be monitored to determine which species use them. Sadly we seem to have lost one box already - we think that it has been stolen.

We would like to thank Mark Hackett and Mark Agar who did the hard work of putting up the boxes.

John Agar, March 2011

Flooding and Gulls at Fletcher Moss

I took a walk along the river bank to Didsbury and Fletcher Moss park the other day. The sports fields on either side of Stenner Lane were still under water as a result of the heavy rain and flooding of a couple of weeks ago. I must say that the whole scene looked dramatic and spectacular but what added to the drama were huge flocks of gulls which had congregated on the fields. I think that they were mainly Black-headed Gulls - but I'm not too hot on gulls. They were extremely noisy and were occasionally 'spooked' by something and then took off in great wheeling clouds. I assume that they were feeding on worms and other invertebrates driven to the surface by the flood-waters.

Of course these fields were once water meadows and have been regularly inundated like this for centuries. Water meadows used to be among our most biodiverse habitats, but a few decades ago these particular meadows were converted into regularly mown sports fields - which are virtual wildlife deserts. I wouldn't mind but they don't even seem to get used much - perhaps a few hours a year by a few young men. After the recent floods they are bursting with life (i.e. bird life) again, for a few weeks, before going back to boring, lifeless mown grass.

But I believe that the Environment Agency have now got plans for massive engineering works to 'protect' these sports fields from flooding. Several of these fields are rugby fields and, like golfers, rugby players tend to be influential people - so their playgrounds need to be protected, at all costs, from the inconvenient 'forces of nature' (even though it could be argued that establishing a playground in a floodplain, and expecting it to remain flood-free, is arrogant and silly!).

I feel more sympathy for the allotment holders of the adjacent Stenner Lane Allotments whose plots were also flooded. At least growing vegetables on an allotment is a healthy and sustainable activity and allotments are also much richer in wildlife than sports fields. I believe, though, that the allotment holders have been told, by the EA, not to eat their carefully nurtured vegetables because they might be contaminated by sewage and heavy metals. And there was I thinking that the Mersey was now a clean and healthy river - silly me! Perhaps the EA should be expending more effort in stopping sewage and heavy metals getting into the river, rather protecting a few rarely used sports fields ... ?

Dave Bishop, February 2011

Jackdaw City!

My house is near to the Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green SBI and just outside of the the Chorltonville estate. I live on Brookburn Road - the extension of which becomes Claude Road in Chorltonville.

For some years there has been a flock of Jackdaws in this area and in previous years they have numbered between about 50 and 100 birds; but this winter (2010/11) the flock size seems to have exploded - and there now seem to be 100s of birds in the flock (perhaps as many as 1000). Every evening, about 4 or 5 pm, they start noisily congregating in tall trees along Brookburn/Claude Road and along Chorlton Brook which runs parallel to these roads behind the houses.

The Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) is the smallest member of the Crow Family (Corvidae). It is mainly black in colour with a grey nape to its neck. Its call is either a clipped, metallic ‘kow’ or ‘kyow’ sound or a softer ‘chack’ (which is probably the source of the common name). A big flock of these birds creates an amazing racket, which I find rather cheering – especially on a cold winter evening. Their flight and gait are much quicker and jerkier than other members of the Crow family.

Traditionally, Jackdaws have tended to prefer open and cultivated country with rocks, crags and old trees. They have also tended to be frequent on sea coasts and in towns and villages, especially around cathedrals, castles and ruins and to nest in holes in trees, rocks and buildings (ref. ‘The Birds of Britain and Europe’ by H. Heinzel, R. Fitter and J. Purslow, Collins, 3rd ed. 1974).

I have to say that none of this sounds much like Chorltonville – or much of South Manchester, for that matter. So I spoke to Judith Smith, County Bird Recorder for Greater Manchester who replied:

“Many thanks for this interesting record. There is no doubt that Jackdaw is a rapidly expanding species in Greater Manchester, utilising chimney pots as people have changed to gas/electricity from coal (but how they avoid getting carbon monoxide poisoning I don't know!). Not knowing the area particularly well, I can't really hazard a guess as to why the roost has suddenly increased so much ...”

Nevertheless, she also tells me that a local bird watcher is ‘on the case’. He believes that Brookburn Road/Claude Road is only a pre-roost site and he is trying to find out where the birds are going later in the evening. If I find out any more I will post it here.

Dave Bishop, February 2011

Owl Boxes on Ivy Green

Recently we received a cash grant from Manchester City Council which has allowed us to purchase some bird and bat boxes for the Chorlton Ees and Ivy Green Local Nature Reserve. The credit for this must go to our Treasurer, John Agar who worked tirelessly to secure the grant.

We agreed that part of the grant should be spent on owl boxes. John researched this subject on the Internet and found a fascinating website called, ‘Gods Own Clay’ (www.godsownclay.com). The authors of this website live in the Weald of Kent and it covers the wildlife of this specific corner of the county, but with a particular focus on Tawny Owls. Among much other information the website contains a useful comparison of commercially available owl boxes. Those sold by a company in Burnley, called Valley Bird Boxes, were particularly highly recommended for the following reasons:

• Professional design and sturdy construction.

• Lots of room inside.

• A ledge for any chicks to perch on: apparently these chicks are rather prone to falling out of the nest and the ledge is an all-important safety feature.

• Ease of cleaning.

They seemed ideal for our purposes so John contacted Ian Waddington of Valley Bird Boxes and arranged to purchase two boxes. You can see a picture of one of these boxes in the top photograph above.

The boxes have to be mounted quite high up on the trunk of a sturdy tree and this is a specialised job requiring appropriate equipment and climbing skills.
John and I identified, what we believed to be, two suitable trees on Ivy Green and Ian and his son Sam came down and fixed a box to each of these trees. Sam did the climbing and the fixing and it looked like strenuous job requiring a good head for heights. You can see Sam working up a tree in the lower photograph.

All we have to do now is to wait for some owls to find the boxes.

For the record, a Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) is about the size of a pigeon. It has a rounded body and head, with a ring of dark feathers around its face surrounding the dark eyes. It is mainly reddish brown above and paler underneath. These birds usually start to nest from late February/early March onwards. They used to nest in rot holes in old trees but there are far fewer of these now than there used to be and modern arboricultural practices lead to far fewer rot holes in younger trees.

You might like to have a wander around Ivy Green to see if you can spot these boxes, then, having spotted them, you might also like to make a record if you see any owls using them. Please drop us an e-mail and let us know if you do see any.

Just a word of warning: I’ve read that owls can be aggressive if they’ve got chicks in the nest – although this should only be a problem if you do something silly like climbing the tree and trying to see inside the nest!

Dave Bishop
November 2010

A reminder for this coming Sunday’s Birdwatching For Beginners (winter migrants) walk

On Sunday 21st November 2010, Friends of Chorlton Meadows members will be leading a Birdwatching For Beginners walk. It is a free two-hour walk around Chorlton Meadows and Sale Water Park, with the intention of getting beginners young and old into birdwatching.



FoCM members will be on hand to point out any winter visitors and other birds that make their home in this beautiful mixture of grassland, woodland and water habits.

Timetable For The Day
9.45 – 10.00 Meet at Mersey Valley Visitors' Centre, Rifle Road, Sale (near Sale Water Park).
10.00 Introduction, housekeeping and walk plans
10.05 Walk along Sale Water Park to bird hide at Broad Ees Dole nature reserve
10.35 From Broad Ees Dole along River Mersey to Chorlton Ees
11.15 Walk around Chorlton Ees and Chorlton Meadows to Jackson’s Boat
12:00 Arrive back at Visitors’ Centre for final review and dispersal

Bring binoculars if you can, though some provided by Friends of Chorlton Meadows members will be available on the day.

Report (rather late!) on the Birdwatching For Beginners walk on 6th June 2010

12 hardy people attended this event, taking place on a drizzly Sunday around Sale Water Park and Chorlton Meadows. The walk encompassed a variety of habitats around this diverse part of the Mersey Valley.

FoCM member John Agar had arranged for the feeders outside the visitors’ centre at Sale to be topped up with food, and, sure enough, his foresight paid dividends as, waiting for everyone to arrive, we were lucky enough to watch a Greater Spotted Woodpecker repeatedly come to take food. This gave us all a chance to test out our binoculars, many of which loaned to us by the Mersey Valley and Countryside Warden Service. Thanks again to them for their assistance on the day.

We set off towards the dipping pond adjacent to the visitors’ centre, pausing along the platform to take in the terrain over the marsh. As if on cue, soon after our arrival, we were treated to the sight of a Kestrel appearing overhead and taking up its distinctive hunting behaviour by hovering above the marsh, only a few feet above us. Even better, we witnessed it make a successful kill, a few of the mammal knowledgeable among us even able to identify the prey dangling from its talons as a short-tailed field vole, which the Kestrel took to a nearby tree to eat. This was a wonderful piece of luck (for us, not the vole!), and goes to show you never know what you’ll see, even on what at first seemed like a wet day, low on promise.

Our walk continued along the brook towards Sale Water Park, from the banks of which we added to our list a Sedge Warbler, betrayed to us by its messy trilling call. Our patience paid off as we were also able to catch glimpses of this elusive bird as it volleyed in and out of cover.

Around the lake we added many more species, including Lapwings, Little Grebes and a family of Mute Swans by the bird hide at Broad Ees Dole.

Our final stretch took us through Chorlton Ees, some of the eagle-eyed among us picking out from nearby woodland a number of Herons hidden among the branches. This was the Heronry, a place where Herons nest and breed, and one of Chorlton Meadow’s ornithological jewels. The more we looked, the more we saw, including one posing at the top of a Larch, silhouetted against the sky analogous more to a mango grove than a beauty spot 2 miles outside the city centre!


Our final ‘star’ species was the Reed Warbler, singing constantly from cover in the reed beds at the heart of the meadows. Hearing this bird’s repetitive and chirring song, as opposed to the more variable song of the Sedge Warbler, enabled us to put our ears to the test and appreciate that for many bird species it’s the aural realm where they’re best admired. A few of us saw the bird occasionally flit through the reeds, but it largely remained in cover, brilliantly camouflaged against last year’s dead reed stems.

For more information on the birds in and around Manchester, pay a visit to the Manchester Birding website, where, among many gems, you can find up-to-date records for what’s been seen in and around Chorlton Meadows:

http://www.manchesterbirding.com/

A complete list of birds we saw on the day.

Blackbird - Sale Visitor Centre
Black-headed Gull - Broad Ees Dole
Blue Tit - Sale Visitor Centre
Canada Goose - Broad Ees Dole
Carrion Crow - various locations
Chaffinch - Cow Lane
Chiffchaff - Broad Ees Dole/River Mersey
Coot - various locations
Cormorant - flying east to west towards Sale
Goldfinch - Stretford Ees/Turn Moss
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Sale Visitor Centre
Great Tit - Sale Visitor Centre
Greenfinch - Hardy Farm
Herons and Heronry - Broad Ees Dole, Chorlton Ees
House Martin - Stretford Ees/Turn Moss
Kestrel (successful kill) - Sale Visitor Centre
Lapwing - Broad Ees Dole and Stretford Ees
Little Grebe - Broad Ees Dole
Long-tailed Tit - Broad Ees Dole/River Mersey
Magpie - various locations
Mallard - Sale Water Park
Moorhen - Various locations
Reed Bunting - Sale Water Park and Chorlton Ees
Reed Warbler - Chorlton Ees
Robin - Cow Lane
Sedge Warbler - Sale Visitor Centre
Song Thrush (star singer!) - Stretford Ees/Turn Moss
Swallow - Mersey overflow
Swan with 6 signets - Sale Water Park
Swift - Stretford Ees/Turn Moss

Julian Robinson, August 2010

A reminder for this coming Sunday’s Birdwatching For Beginners walk

On Sunday 6th of June 2010, Friends of Chorlton Meadows members will be leading a Birdwatching For Beginners walk. It is a free two-hour walk around Chorlton Meadows and Sale Water Park, with the intention of getting beginners young and old into birdwatching.

FoCM members will be on hand to point out any summer visitors and other birds that make their home in this beautiful mixture of grassland, woodland and water habits.

Timetable For The Day

9.45 – 10.00 Meet at Mersey Valley Visitors' Centre, Rifle Road, Sale (near Sale Water Park).
10.00 Introduction, housekeeping and walk plans
10.05 Walk along Sale Water Park to bird hide at Broad Ees Dole nature reserve.
10.35 From Broad Ees Dole along River Mersey to Chorlton Ees.
11.15 Walk around Chorlton Ees and Chorlton Meadows to Jackson’s Boat.
12:00 Arrive back at Visitors’ Centre for final review and dispersal.

Bring binoculars if you can, though some provided by the Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service will be available on the day.

Chorlton Ees Heronry

Above is Thomas McEldowney's wonderful picture of a pair of the Herons which are currently nesting on Chorlton Ees.

Thanks, Thomas!

March 2010

Gatley Carrs in February by Peter Wolstenholme

I'm afraid I'm a bit late in posting Peter's report this month. This is entirely your editor's fault - sorry, Peter!

Between midday and 4 pm on the 6th at least ten flocks of Pinkfooted Geese flew west towards Martin Mere from East Anglia and towards month end two more flocks followed. Tens of thousands were still wintering in East Anglia at month end so there is still scope for further birds flying over in March before the flocks finally depart for Iceland.

Vegetation has been slow to develop because of what is billed as the coldest winter for thirty years, but the Alder Catkins are still to be seen by the stream and both Daffodils and Snowdrops were budding or in flower by month end. Birds of prey this month have included Sparrow Hawk, Buzzard and Kestrel.

By month end Robins are again present in pairs. Hedge Sparrows are in song as are a much smaller number of Wrens than in the autumn. Despite the cold weather there are plenty of species of birds in song, which had not been heard earlier in the winter. A pair of Mistle Thrush are in territory and their slurred song is to be heard at the west end of the poplar plantation. The repeated phrases of Song Thrush are now a feature in several parts of the reserve and the slow dreamy song of Blackbird is again a sound to be listened for from now until the summer. The cheery song of Chaffinch has been a sound we have heard towards month end. Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Nuthatch and Goldcrest have all joined the chorus and it is worth listening out for the drumming of Great Spotted Woodpecker against the trunks of mature trees. In the late evening listen for the hooting call of nesting Tawny Owls.

Do not forget to continue feeding the birds in early spring. Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Blue, Great, Cole and Longtailed Tits have all been visiting bird tables and bird feeders. Fat balls, peanuts and birdseed are all eagerly devoured as the number of insects for the birds to feed on remains pathetically low. During the latter half of the month a male Blackcap has fed on fat and once even ventured to sing for a few minutes. Blackcaps during the winter months are likely to have come from Germany or further afield. Our summering Blackcap are likely to come back in early April, together with other migrants from southern Europe or Africa.

When the pool has been unfrozen during February there have been up to four pairs of Canada Geese prospecting for nesting sites. Up to five pairs of Mallard are also there. Heron hunt on the pool and a pair of Moorhen are in the vegetation. The stream attracts a pair of Grey Wagtails. A Snipe has appeared on the pool but there have been no sightings of Kingfisher since December. Cormorants are still fishing along the cleaner waters of the Mersey.

Up to forty Blackheaded Gulls are feeding on the playing field to the west of the wildflower meadow and by month end there were already a couple with the blackheads of summer plumage.

With best wishes for the warmer spring weather.

Peter Wolstenholme RSPB, Manchester and SK8

Gatley Carrs in December 2009 & January 2010

This is Peter Wolstenholme's midwinter report from Gatley Carrs at the eastern (Stockport) end of the Mersey Valley:

Early December temperature remained largely above freezing point. Several flocks of Pinkfeet flew high overhead in a westerly direction. Again there were small numbers of Canada Geese which were either at tree top height or on the pool when it was unfrozen. The first signs of spring were along the stream with blooming alder catkins and pussy willows. Siskins, Redpolls, Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch fed among the alders.

Very cold weather with heavy frost and deep snow in early January brought Redwing and Fieldfare foraging in gardens for berries and apples. One or two Blackcaps appeared after the snow - probably winter visitors from central Europe. A Kingfisher on Christmas Day on the stream brought a flash of colour but there have been few seen since the very cold snap. The stream hosted Snipe and Gray Wagtail. During the colder weather Herons visited the stream and garden ponds and even foraged for carrion in the snow.

Throughout the period there were Kestrel, Sparrow Hawks and Buzzard visiting the Carrs. Birdsong has come from Collared Doves, Wood Pigeon, Robin and Dunnock but the numbers of singing Wrens has dropped as numbers have diminished with the cold weather. The milder weather of January has brought back the bright cheery phrases of song from the Song Thrush for the first time since very early autumn. During the next two months there should be plenty of new songsters as the spring chorus of birdsong begins to get established.

Bird feeders have attracted Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Blue, Great, Coal and Longtailed Tits. Birds have fed on Fat Balls, Peanuts, Pale bird seed and Blackbird seed. Some species especially Goldfinch are doing very well with flocks of 60 to 100 gathering in the treetops while others such as Wren seem to have dropped in numbers. Goldcrest have held on in the conifers near the entrance.

In the morning of mid January up to 30 Blackheaded Gulls fed on the playing fields - still in winter plumage. Flocks of up to 80 Jackdaws flew over to roost in late afternoons in a northerly direction and in the evening the hooting of Tawny Owls has come after nightfall.

A bird visit to the Solway Estuary in January brought sightings of an American Wigeon among European Wigeon and over 300 Whooper Swans at Caerlaverock, Purple Sandpiper and Greenshank on the shore at Southerness Point and over 10,000 Barnacle Geese on Blackshaw Merse

With best wishes,

Peter Wolstenholme RSPB Manchester and SK8

Kestrel on Hardy Farm

To the left is Thomas McEldowney's stunning picture of a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) hovering over Hardy Farm. I've put some more of Thomas's Kestrel pictures on the Picasa web album - brilliant photos, Thomas!

It's sad to relate that, according to the RSPB, Kestrels have been declining lately and are now on the 'amber' list. Nevertheless, this is probably the commonest British raptor whose habitats include moor, heath, farmland and urban areas. It also likes motorway and major road verges where you've probably seen it hovering and looking for the voles, and other small mammals, which form its prey.

It's thought that the major reason for the decline in Kestrel numbers is the continuing intensification of agriculture and the degradation of habitats generally. As we all know, Hardy Farm is currently under threat - so will we lose our Kestrel's from there as well?

For more information on Kestrels go to the RSPB website (link in panel to the right) or the 'Birds of Britain' website (www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/kestrel.asp).

Dave Bishop, December 2009

Gatley Carrs in September by Peter Wolstenholme

Here is another of Peter Wolstenholme's reports from Gatley Carrs:

As the leaves begin to fall and change colour we realised that by mid month autumn was with us. Early in the month House Martin, Sand Martin and Swallow hawked for insects over open water and the trees, but they have all become scarcer as the month progressed.

Bird song during the month has come from Robins, Wren and Coal Tit, even an occasional burst of song from Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Blackcap has called. From mid month in early morning there have been Meadow Pipits as they fly south from northern and southern Europe. Bird feeders this month have begun to attract Bullfinch, Greenfinch, and Titmice. Juvenile Goldfinch and Longtailed Tits mirror the effects of a successful breeding season on the reserve.

The pool has attracted Heron, Snipe, Moorhen and Little Grebe. Up to 20 Canada Geese have overflown our reserve on their way to regular feeding grounds such as Poynton Pool. There have been up to ten Mallard on the pool, the males are coming out of drab non breeding, or eclipse, plumage and regaining the brighter colours of autumn and winter. In tall trees along the pool edge Great spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Tree Creeper have called and fed. Grey Wagtails have been appearing along the stream edge and there have been a couple of reports of up to three Kingfishers.

Birds of prey this month have included Kestrel, Sparrow Hawk and a pair of Buzzard.
Jays are patrolling the oak trees for ripe acorns and they are now burying them for a later feed as autumn turns to winter.

Insects this month have been a little less obvious than in the brighter sunnier days of summer. Dragonflies have included a Brown Hawker early in the month and several Common Darters over the pool. Butterflies seen have been scarcer but we have had Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White and, on the woodland edge, the Speckled Wood.

A recent film on television showed Himalayan Balsam on the upper reaches of the River Ganges in India. The cotton bales, and Balsam, brought in from the orient during the 19th and 20th centuries ended up here on the Mersey and its tributaries so that Himalayan Balsam is now widespread in Gatley Carrs!

By mid month Pinkfeet from Iceland and a few Whooper Swans have already reached Martin Mere on the Lancashire coast, so that soon there may be Pinkfooted Geese winging cross country towards East Anglia over Gatley. Towards month end Siskin appeared, a winter visitor from further north, feeding among the Alders.

Best wishes

Peter Wolstenholme RSPB, Manchester and SK8

Gatley Carrs Wildlife and Natural History by Peter Wolstenholme

Peter Wolstenholme is an RSPB member with a special interest in Gatley Carrs at the eastern (Stockport) end of the Mersey Valley. We would like to thank him for giving permission to post his report for July and August 2009 on this blog.

Vegetation by mid to late summer is getting rather drab, as spring gives way to late August most of the vegetation is mature and trees and bushes are fruiting. Sloes, Blackberries, red berries of Arum lilies, Sycamores and Horse chestnuts are all fruiting.

Among the dying flowers of the rosebay willow herb there are probably Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillars munching away at the stems of the plants. I have certainly seen these huge caterpillars in past years on the Carrs.

In July there were damsel flies such as Banded Demoiselle and the abundant plants of nettle provide vast reserves of food for caterpillars of butterflies, such as Peacocks, Commas, Small Tortoiseshell, and Red Admirals. Other butterflies this summer have included Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Large and Small Whites, Holly Blue and Common Blue. A flew Painted Ladies have been noted on the reserve but not the millions seen in some parts of Britain.

In August the most splendid dragonfly present on the reserve - often feeding close to the pond - was the very large brown dragonfly with brown wings - the Brown Hawker (Latin name Aeshna Grandis). It is well worth looking for this dragonfly at this time of the year on sunny days.

Until the end of July the skies above the Carrs were dominated by the sickle winged flight of the Swift and its diagnostic screaming call. During August bird song faltered as Blackbird, Song Thrush, Whitethroat and Blackcap ceased singing. However Robin and Wren sang right through July and August. A pair of Reed Bunting sang and produced a brood of young by the pool. Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk put in brief visits. During August chiffchaff and Coal Tit sang and Wood Pigeon and Collared Dove cooed from the hedgerows.

During August the pool was often a centre of interest as both an adult and immature Heron put in an appearance. A pair of Moorhen had three young and there were also a few young Mallard and Canada Geese. There were Grey Wagtails along the banks of the stream and a few records of single Kingfishers - the bitterness of mid winter apparently meant they made no attempts to breed by the stream around the pool.

The trees around the pool attracted Tree Creeper, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. There were also young Long tailed Tits, Goldfinches and Greenfinch foraging in the bushes.

The last day of August found six Swallows feeding over the meadow. Two were adults with deeply forked tails and the others were shorter failed juveniles being fed on the wing by their parents. The same day on a Farm Reserve on the Wirral a Hobby was hawking overhead before its fairly imminent return to the tropics.

The tall stems of the brilliantly flowered Purple Loosestrife were by the pool at month end

As August ends summer migrants are still with us but soon the first winter migrants will be coming through the reserve as autumn comes in September.

With best wishes to you all.


Peter Wolstenholme
RSPB Manchester and SK8

Swallows

For some weeks now swallows have been gathering, in small groups, on the power lines near the river at Hardy Farm. Presumably they are getting ready for their long migration to Africa. I don't know very much about swallows or about their migrations. FoCM Treasurer, John Agar is a keen birdwatcher and offered to pull together some information on these subjects; below are his findings:

The Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

This instantly recognisable bird is regarded as the harbinger of summer. The arrival from winter quarters is generally early April but the vanguard may appear in early March often caught out by unexpected snowfall.

The favoured nest site is inside buildings. It builds an open nest of mud, cemented by saliva and strengthened with plant stalks and straw. The female lines the nest with feathers before laying eggs (4-5) which she incubates alone, between 14 and 16 days being fed mainly by the male. The young birds leave the nest after 19 – 23 days and are fed by their parents for a while. Two –three broods may be reared during the summer.

In late September and early October the birds form up in large groups ready for their return journey to South Africa. Unlike many other migrants they do not put on large reserves of fat since they feed during their leisurely return flight. They move Southward through Britain and across the Channel at its narrow eastern end. They continue South Westward through France and the Iberian Peninsula and across the Mediterranean. This 2000 Kilometre
(1,200 Miles) journey is completed in about 6 weeks and is thought to be made up of 10 legs i.e. 120 Kilometre a day, each of which forms just part of the birds day.

The birds are then presented with (as are many other migrant species) their most formidable barrier, the Sahara Desert. Many birds perish, however a bird with good food reserves and in good condition can cross the 1,500 Kilometre (930 miles) in a couple of days to reach the rich feeding grounds of the Niger River. Having reached this point the birds are only half way through their journey. Having negotiated this most difficult part of the journey they still face danger from predation by, amongst others, tribes-people who trap them for food. However by mid to late November they will be feeding right down on the Cape of Good Hope.

It is amazing to think that the chick from this tiny fragile egg can, with luck, in 4 – 5 months time be 9,000 Kilometres (6,000 miles) away in South Africa especially as it has never made the journey before.

The return journey in spring is much faster and can take as little as five weeks and is made more to the East. It is only in the last 60 years or so with the advent of bird ringing that accurate details of migration have become known. It was thought that Swallows hibernated in the mud of ponds probably due to their habit of gathering in large numbers in trees and reeds surrounding ponds prior to migration. Indeed it was suggested in 1703 that the birds wintered on the moon!

John Agar, 31st August 2009

House Martins near Ivy Green Road

On Monday morning I happened to be walking down Ivy Green Road and at the entrance to the Meadows, on that road, noticed FoCM Treasurer, John Agar, leaning on the metal gate and staring intently down the footpath. Naturally, I joined him to see what he was looking at. At first all I could see was a puddle in the middle distance – but as we watched some small birds swooped down and appeared to be drinking from the puddle. John explained that the birds were House Martins (Delichon urbica) and they were, in fact, gathering mud from the edge of the puddle to build their nests in the eaves of nearby houses. House Martins are in the same family (Hirundinidae) as Swallows and Sand Martins but are much less closely related to the superficially similar Swifts (Apodidae)(1).

John told me that he had been watching House Martins gather mud from this particular area, at this time of year, for at least 30 years. He believes that they prefer this particular spot because it is very open and they have a 360 degrees field of view. For several years now John has been bringing buckets of water down to top-up this puddle during dry spells. He notes that there are far fewer of these little birds present now than in the past. He believes that this probably due to the ever increasing desertification and degradation of these migratory birds’ over-wintering grounds in the Sahel region of North Africa. Having said that, other local birdwatchers tell me that several House Martins’ nesting sites have been destroyed in the recent mad scramble to over-develop Chorlton.

This glimpse of these remarkable birds reminded me of one the strangest coincidences of my life. In the early 1980s I first encountered the works of the Edwardian natural history writer, W.H. Hudson – particularly his book, ‘A Shepherd’s Life’(1910), which is, in my opinion, one of the finest books ever written about the English countryside. The republication of this masterpiece seemed to lead to several other of his books being republished around this time. Among these revivals was a book of his essays entitled, ‘Adventures Among Birds’ (first published 1913). This new edition (2) came out in late 1983 and I remember ‘pouncing on it’ with glee! I recall travelling back on the bus, from the centre of Manchester, to Chorlton, with my ‘prize’ and a copy of the Manchester Evening News (10th December, 1983 – to be precise). I first turned to the newspaper and read (as was my custom in those days) the ‘Country Matters’ column by George Hawthorne who described seeing a Red Squirrel in West Wales. He also lamented the fact that the native Red was being displaced by the introduced American Grey (a process which is still on-going, of course). I recalled seeing a Red Squirrel, about 9 or 10 years before, in the plantation of Corsican Pines which back the sand dunes along the North Norfolk coast, between Well-next-the-Sea and Holkham. I then turned to Hudson’s book and opened it at random to a page in an essay entitled, ‘Autumn 1912’. Imagine my amazement when I found myself reading a description of the antics of a Red Squirrel in exactly the same place that I had seen mine – in the same pine plantation!

Later in the chapter Hudson described how, in the cold, wet autumn of 1912, some House Martins had raised a new brood of chicks and were still feeding them, “... in a nest under the eaves above a sweetstuff shop, within two or three doors of the Wells post office.” He speculated that this particular pair must have produced at least 3 or 4 broods that year. He feared for the survival of the chicks and, “... the women of the house compassionately offered to take them in and feed them, in the hope of keeping them alive until the return of warm weather”. Nevertheless, the birds continued to feed their young and tried, and failed, to lure them from the nest. Then one day the parents abruptly vanished. Hudson procured a ladder and found the chicks dead in the nest. He suggested that, in this particular case, the brooding instinct had over-ruled the migratory instinct – but once the chicks were dead the parents had no option but to set off for Africa.
Oh yes, and I’m pretty certain that the, “women of the house” were my grandmother and great-grandmother – who, at that time, owned a sweet shop near the post office! Sadly, my grandmother died in 1966 – so I never got to ask her about meeting one of my literary heroes.

Dave Bishop, June 2009

References:

1. ‘The Birds of Britain and Europe’ by Hermann Heinzel, Richard Fitter and John Parslow, 3rd Edition, Collins, 1974.

2. ‘Adventures Among Birds’ by W.H. Hudson, Breslich & Foss reprint, 1983.

Ted Brooks: Local Bird Photographer

Last week I was walking near Sale Water Park and met a man photographing the herons on Broad Ees Dole. Seeing that he was using a rather nice digital SLR and a long lens, and me being a complete camera 'geek', I stopped to have a chat and to compare cameras. He introduced himself as Ted Brooks and told me that he lives in Chorlton. I asked him how he got interested in bird photography and he said:

"I am a member of Chorlton Golf Club and in 2003 I was made captain. After a very good year I found that I was getting very tired when playing golf. It was confirmed that I was diabetic so I decided to have a holiday in Kenya and it took off from there. As for photography, I have been interested and was semi-pro since the mid 1950s up to 1966 when I moved from London to Manchester."

I then told him about FoCM and this blog and mentioned that I thought that we didn't have enough pictures of birds and he very generously offered to send me some. I have posted Ted's beautiful pictures on the Picasa web album attached to the blog. To see these pictures go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/friendsofchorltonmeadows/birds

I am particularly pleased to be able to post some pictures of the kingfishers which are such a feature of Chorlton Brook and elsewhere: they are our very own 'living jewels' and never fail to delight everyone who sees them. I have long dreamed of taking such pictures myself - but Ted has beaten me to it!

Dave Bishop, March 2009