0800/1230 Hrs 5/9 degrees, cold easterly with hail and sunshine.
Blue Tit....many nesting, pair in garden box have fledged approx 7 young.
Great Tit....usual numbers 2 pair in boxes feeding young.
Coal Tit...best numbers for a long time, one pair feeding young in nest in stone wall, never had much luck with this species using nest boxes.
Long-tailed Tit.... Several pairs around the route, been watching a pair in bramble at river side, they have not fledged yet.
Chaffinch.....good numbers all round route.
Goldfinch....still several small charms feeding high in alders, no nesting activity seen.
Bullfinch....one pair are nesting opposite my house, only saw one more male at Ewood bridge, this is very poor numbers, there are some past breeding sites I have not checked, will try these in next few days.
Greenfinch....none seen, a friend in Irwell Vale has a pair nesting in high conifers in his garden.
Nuthatch.....best numbers ever recorded, possible 12 nest sites, three definate sites with young being fed in two, one pair in a box.
Treecreeper.....only one pair and one individual seen, no nesting activity witnessed.
Robin....good numbers with much nesting, no young seen yet.
Wren....excellent numbers all round, lots of nesting and singing, no young seen.
Dunnock.... Usuall numbers, birds carrying food.
Blackbird.....poor numbers, one ground nest along cycle track, some singing males.
Song Thrush..... Two nest sites on railway bank and one in hedge at Alderbottom, usual numbers.
Willow Warbler.....higher than usual numbers all round the route, in the sunshine lots of song.
Chiffchaff.....again higher numbers than usual, plenty of song, one bird flying carrying dry grass.
Blackcap......three singing males, one female (first this year).
Goldcrest......one pair on river side at Ewood bridge.
Greywagtail....three pair on the river, possible nest under construction at Alderbottom.
Dipper.....four pair between Stubbins and Ewood bridges, this is two less than last year (I could have missed a pair). One pair feeding young in nest, others have completed nests.
Kingfisher.....present in two territories.
House Sparrow.....poor numbers, both sites in Stubbins and Irwell vale are depleted, Chatterton site seems stable.
Mallard.... many males evident, odd female around rest will be sitting, no young seen yet.
Canada Goose.... Three pair with sitting birds all on lodge edges, these are not on the route, checked yesterday.
Grey Heron....one over.
Woodpigeon......usual high numbers with many nests
Collared Dove.....only one pair seen.
Great Spotted Woodpecker.....several pairs with established nest sites.
Green Woodpecker.....one pair actively nesting in Strongstry.
Jay.......only one pair seen.
Jackdaw.....plenty of nesting in roof tops in the villages.
Carrion Crow.... Several nest sites mainly in and around Irwell Vale.
Rook.... Several over flying from and to Shuttleworth.
Black-headed Gull...plenty over, with some in wet fields.
Pheasant....one pair in Chatterton woods.
In conclusion, not bad concidering the temperatures, I was away last week so missed the snow, some of the above have done well to keep their young alive through the past conditions.
Checked a usual Whitethroat site but no sign, I have reinstated four nest boxes and added two more in the hope of the arrival of Spotted Flycatcher in the next week or two.
Regards Brian.
-- Edited by brian on Tuesday 3rd of May 2016 01:11:57 PM
Strangely enough I saw no Swallows or Martins this morning, after writing the above report and a bit of lunch it was dog walking time in pin meadow, lovely sunshine and 12 degrees (tropical ! ) and huge nest digging activity on the river bank by 20 + Sand Martins, and over head were a dozen Swallows and three House Martins.
Yes that is pin meadow, that pair of Grey Wagtail look like they are nesting in the wall by the river, the railway embankment from Stubbins to Irwell vale is excellent habitat for most of the Warblers, and very busy this year.
