Tyldesley Loopline and Environs

A quick walk round my local patch before tea produced:

• Kes, our resident Kestrel hunting and perched in a tree
• Luke, our local leucistic Blackbird who I see quite frequently
• 3 Chiffchaff singing
• 1 Song Thrush
• 4 Robins
• Several Blue Tits and Great Tits
• 2 Magpies
• Many Blackbirds and Woodpiegons
• Another acrobatic Grey Squirrel

Tyldesley Loopline and Environs

A quick walk round before United play City in the FA Cup this afto produced:

• 1 Jay (I've finally found one here)
• 1 leucistic Blackbird - must be the same one that appeared in my garden
• Several other Blackbirds
• Loads of Robins singing away and posing for photos
• Several Chiffchaff, one of which was quite obliging for photos
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Goldfinch
• Bullfinch
• House Sparrow
• Magpie
• Woodpigeons
• Carrion Crow over

Under a Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

A Singing Chiffchaff

Dandelion

Jay

Robin on Ground

Robin Closeup

Robin in Tree

Blossom

Woodpigeons

Luke - our local leucistic Blackbird

Silver Birch Tree

Tyldesley Loopline and Environs

I've finally got round to starting a new thread on the Manchester Birding Forum called 'Tyldesley Loopline and Environs'.  This is a narrow strip of land that centres on the old railway line route in Tyldesley which separates the main road from the large housing estate down below. 

The railway line which used to run to Worsley and Eccles was scrapped by Beeching in the 1960's and in this area it's been turned into a wooded pathway by planting a variety of trees about 25 years ago when I first moved in.  I, and a few neighbours who moved in 1982-3, have still got some of the cinders and rocks in my garden because we used to raid the disused trackbed for rockery and other materials for our newly-built houses and gardens.

This is now my local birding patch as it's only about 500m from where I live and I intend to post my sightings here at least once a week.  So watch this space!

On my trip out tonight I saw the following birds:

• 3 Chiffchaffs singing and two seen
• 1 very vocal Wren
• 2 Robins proclaiming their territory
• 3 Blackbirds
• 1 Goldfinch
• 2 Magpies
• 2 Great Tits
• 2 Blue Tits
• 1 Carrion Crow over
• Several Gulls over
• Numerous Woodpigeons

Aye Jim lad !

But the surprise of the evening was a green coloured Parrot or Macaw with a yellow and reddish underbelly and a greyish head. It was tame and ringed and it flew down on to my back whilst I was photographing it munching the blossom.

I walked with it on my back (aye Jim lad) for a few hundred metres but it flew off when I opened my car door. Anyone know what this bird might be and if I should I report if somewhere?

Who's a pretty boy then?

And no, I haven't put it on my life list.

Postscript:

Thanks to Steve Christmas on the Manchester Birding Forum this parrot has now be identified as a Senegal Parrot - cheers Steve!