Stretford

Partially leucistic carrion crow, Lostock Park

Had a wander round the local patch which was pretty quiet all told. The partially leucistic carrion crow was on the football pitch again and I managed to get a better look at it. It has white on its flanks and on parts of its tail as well as on the wings. I fancied it also has white on its nape but I couldn't be sure with the view I got.

Seeing as how the weather had cleared after the rain I moved on to Stretford Meadows. The chiffchaff calling by the Newcroft Road nursery was the only warbler on the meadows, a real contrast to earlier in the year. The open ground was largely quiet of birds, just woodpigeons and magpies and a single wren in a bramble patch. One surprise was finally getting a proper view of the pheasant I've been hearing all year, only briefly as as soon as he spotted me he disappeared into the long grass by the cricket ground. Plenty of birds flying overhead: a steady stream of woodpigeons, a family of five carrion crows and a few black-headed gulls. A kestrel patrolled the top of the mound then moved on to quarter the rough ground on the Northern margin of the meadows. A sparrowhawk flew high and purposefully over the Eastern end to go and terrorise the gardens of Stretford.

Stretford Meadows

A mixed tit flock skittered about the path by Kickety Brook. The long-tailed, great and blue tits were accompanied by a couple of very smart looking juvenile chiffchaffs in fresh tawny plumage and a smart male goldcrest that dived for cover every time the camera focussed on it.

Passing under Chester Road towards Stretford Ees there was an almighty racket going on in the trees: at least two magpies were having a shouting match with a couple of jays and the jays were winning.

Stretford Ees was even quieter than the meadows: woodpigeons and jackdaws flying overhead and a couple of goldfinches in the hawthorn bushes. I got to the pool at the end of Kickety Brook where there was just the one moorhen feeding in the weeds.

Stretford Ees
The pool at the end of Kickety Brook

I decided to go through Turn Moss and get the bus home. I was most of the way along Hawthorn Lane when the peace was broken by a juvenile ring-necked parakeet flying over.

A nice Sunday pootle around.