Manchester Birder's April 2025 Summary
Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Chough, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Crane, Snow Goose, Bee-eater, Cuckoo, Wheatear, Black Tern, Channel Wagtail, Black Kite. The driest start to a spring I can remember has been an interesting month. Clear skies for 3 out of 4 weeks meant that most migrating birds just sailed on through, not stopping for long anywhere local. That said, the week of the drizzle was pretty much as good as it's ever been for me locally, with three pleasing self-finds and plenty of miles in the legs checking as many locations in the area as possible. The undoubted birding highlight was the 2 minute encounter with a bedraggled Bee-eater in Astley Green that promptly vanished before anyone else could connect. That said, the Crane that landed at Little Woolden Moss gave me a different kind of joy - where you can share the experience with friends. Black Tern and Channel Wagtail completed the local exotica, and other migration hit with a bang in w...