Mersey Valley

Stretford Meadows

It was mild and dry and the days are lengthening so while there were plenty of birds in the garden they were coming and going at their leisure. It's going to be colder again next week so I expect they'll stick around a lot more to keep topped up. The pair of great tits have come back this week, I've no idea where they've been. The male blackcap's become a fixture now, which is nice if only because I now have two species in this year's "There was a warbler here a moment ago" photo album. 

There's a lot of obvious pairing up going on out there. The great tits, coal tits, robins and collared doves have been paired up most of the Winter. I think it's a pair of goldcrests that are visiting, it's certainly a male and a female. The blue tits, blackbirds, jackdaws and woodpigeons are spending a lot of time making overtures at each other. And dunnocks will be dunnocks.

• Black-headed Gull 1 overhead
• Blackbird 1
• Blackcap 1
• Blue Tit 2
• Coal Tit 2
• Collared Dove 3
• Dunnock 1
• Goldcrest 2
• Goldfinch 2
• Great Tit 2
• House Sparrow 12
• Jackdaw 3
• Long-tailed Tit 4
• Magpie 1
• Robin 2
• Rook 1
• Starling 7
• Woodpigeon 1

Stretford Meadows

I had a late afternoon walk, starting at Stretford Meadows then nipping over the motorway to walk along Ousel Brook thence along the Mersey to Urmston and back home.

I kept to the bridleway alongside Stretford Meadows again today. A fair-sized mixed tit flock accompanied me part of the way in the hedgerows and there were plenty of magpies and robins on the open ground. The usual kestrels and the buzzard were notable by their absence, it was peak time for dog walking so it wasn't altogether surprising.

By Ousel Brook

Over the bridge and onto the path by Ousel Brook and the sound of rooks and jackdaws on the field behind the trees and a song thrush singing from deep in a copse by the motorway. A kerfuffle of woodpigeons heralded the arrival of the buzzard as it settled on one of the electricity pylons. A bit further on I was chacked at by a pair of great spotted woodpeckers.

The walk along the river was busy with people and (mostly) quiet with birds. The rooks were making a noisy return to the rookery by the path to Chester Road, a cormorant flew by and a pair of mallards fed by the side of the river. Further along there was more activity in the hedgerows with song thrushes, great tits and robins getting a bit of singing practice in before sundown. As I approached the stables on my way into Urmston I bumped into a female bullfinch feeding on bramble buds and a jay taking exception to a couple of magpies.

As the sun sunk slowly in the West I walked home through Urmston, every other tree down Railway Road holding a pair of woodpigeons, carrion crows or magpies settling down for the night.