CITY CENTRE MANCHESTER SITE LISTS

With a fair proportion of county birders working in the city centre many record regular sightings and also keep lists and despite it's apparently 'sterile' birding environment there have been many unusual sightings from within the heart of the busy city over the years.

For the benefit of these lists, I have designated the city centre as everything inside the inner city ring road, that is (from the western side working clockwise) Trinity Way, Miller Street, Swan Street, Great Ancoats Street, Mancunian Way, Dawson Street with the new link to Irwell Street, back to our starting point at Trinity Way.

61- Ian McKerchar

Having worked in the city centre for 15 years now (as of 2007) and being fortunate (or is that unfortunate) to be out and about in the city both day and night and to have access to areas not open to the public has allowed me to record some species that otherwise I would never have seen. Good city centre species include Buzzard (overflying), Oystercatcher and Dunlin (both night migrants overhead), Common Sandpiper (flushed off a sand bank on the Irwell by Trinity Way whilst out training with work!), Common Tern (a few now seen overhead), Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Linnet (both in scrubby areas between Fairfield Street and the Mancunian Way, not accessible by the public), Goldcrest (including birds seen in the Christmas Tree in Albert Square and along Deansgate near the John Rylands Library), Tufted Duck and Pochard (on the Irwell by Trinity Way) and all the usual Waxwing, Peregrine and Black Redstarts. Having never actually bothered to keep a list before I now wish I'd have seen the Port Street Wheatear which, whilst admitting at the time that it was an excellent bird so close to the city centre I really couldn't raise the enthusiasm to go and have a look at, despite passing it several times!

50- Steve Suttill

Having worked in the city for years now Steve has amassed a considerable list, including some very good species such as Kingfisher, Goosander, Waxing, Buzzard, Black Redstart and especially Wheatear, a bird which spent a few days in Port Street car park! added Tufted Duck, January 2010

43- Simon Johnson

Simon has worked in the city centre since moving to Manchester and his list includes Peregrine, Black Redstart, Waxwing and a dead Woodcock that unfortunately doesn't count!

36- Tony Coatsworth

With plenty more to go at Tony already has good site birds of Peregrine, Black Redstart and Waxwing.