Sand Martin, Fairbrother Street, Salford, 28.03.07 (Geoff Hargreaves)

a hand held shot of a very difficult species to catch in flight!

Sand Martin, Elton Reservoir, 01.05.07 (Adrian Dancy)

Sand Martin, Fairbrother Street, Salford, 10.08.07 (Geoff Hargreaves)

Sand Martin, Radcliffe, 15.05.08 (Adrian Dancy)

Sand Martins, Elton Reservoir, 03.05.09 (Adrian Dancy)

doing what come naturally...

Sand Martin, Elton Reservoir, 03.05.09 (Adrian Dancy)

House Martins, Dover Lock, 13.07.08 (Geoff Hargreaves)

Collecting mud by thr Dover Lock pub

Swallow, Elton Reservoir, 01.05.07 (Adrian Dancy)

Swallow, North Wharf, Salford, 06.06.07 (Geoff Hargreaves)

Swallow, Elton Reservoir, 24.07.07 (Adrian Dancy)

a juvenile bird

Swallow, Hand Lane, Leigh, 23.06.08 (Jon Taverner)

Swallow, Salford, 10.04.09 (Adrian Dancy)

Richards Pipit, Rumworth Lodge, 27.10.06 (videograbs by Phil Rhodes, edited by Tony Disley)

a great find and the first images of the species taken in the county

Meadow Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 09.04.06 (Paul Hammond)

Meadow Pipits, Blackstone Edge, 29.04.09 (Adrian Dancy)

Meadow Pipit, Blackstone Edge, 29.04.09 (Adrian Dancy)

Meadow Pipit, Blackstone Edge, 29.04.09 (Adrian Dancy)

Meadow Pipit, Pennington Flash, 30.05.09 (John Tymon)

Tree Pipit, Irlam Moss, 18.05.08 (Steve Collins)

a very obliging bird that took up a territory along 12 Yards Road and liked to sing from telegraph poles

Tree Pipit, Irlam Moss, 18.05.08 (Steve Collins)

Tree Pipit, Irlam Moss, 18.05.08 (Paul Heaton)

Tree Pipit, Irlam Moss, 18.05.08 (Paul Heaton)

Water Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, October 1983 (Roy Travis)

Rock Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 09.04.06 (Rob Adderley)

a Scandinavian, 'littoralis' bird which caused some confusion due to it's apparent white outer-tail feathers!

Rock Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 09.04.06 (Rob Adderley)

Rock Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 09.04.06 (Paul Hammond)

Rock Pipits, Audenshaw Reservoir, 14.10.06 (Rob Adderley)

3 birds, which easily constitutes the highest count ever recorded in a photo taken in the county!

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blackstone Edge Reservoir, 29.03.07 (Simon Hitchen)

littoralis race, record shots but more than adequate to confirm the identification

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blackstone Edge Reservoir, 29.03.07 (Simon Hitchen)

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blackstone Edge Reservoir, 29.03.07 (Simon Hitchen)

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blackstone Edge Reservoir, 30.03.07 (Sean Gray)

check out Sean's own excellent photos on his website at www.grayimages.co.uk

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Blackstone Edge Reservoir, 30.03.07 (Sean Gray)

have you checked it out yet? www.grayimages.co.uk

Rock Pipits, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 16.03.08 (Rob Adderley)

one bird clearly showing characteristics of the Scandinavian race littoralis

Rock Pipits, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 16.03.08 (Rob Adderley)

Rock Pipit, Castleshaw Reservoirs, 12.11.09 (Mark Rigby)

Rock Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 21.03.10 (Rob Adderley)

Rock Pipit, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 24.03.10 (Rob Adderley)

Rock Pipit, Elton Reservoir, 01.04.10 (Paul Wilson)

Rock Pipit, Elton Reservoir, 02.04.10 (Dennis Atherton)

Showing characteristics of littoralis

Rock Pipit, Elton Reservoir, 02.04.10 (Dennis Atherton)

Showing characteristics of littoralis

Rock Pipit, Elton Reservoir, 03.04.10 (Steven Astley)

Showing characteristics of littoralis

Yellow Wagtails, Irlam Moss, 13.05.04 (Steve Nelson)

Yellow Wagtail, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 23.04.06 (Paul Hammond)

Yellow Wagtail, Elton Reservoir, 20.04.07 (Adrian Dancy)

Yellow Wagtail, Elton Reservoir, 20.04.07 (Adrian Dancy)

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 24.07.07 (ian McKerchar)

a quite advanced juvenile

Yellow Wagtails, Irlam Moss, 24.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

Four juveniles out of a group of 13 in horse paddocks

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

another quite advanced juvenile

Yellow Wagtails, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

Two juveniles obviously not from the same brood, note the very different stages of moult with the bird in the foreground much more advanced

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

a juvenile bird, looking superficially like a young Pied Wagtail but notice especially the slight yellow coming through on the rear flanks and underbody and the olive feathering appearing on the scapulars and mantle.

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

the same juvenile with a nice strong head pattern

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Ian McKerchar)

a female on 12 yards road, hence the terrible heat haze off the tarmac!

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 31.07.07 (Steve Nelson)

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 01.08.07 (Steve Nelson)

Yellow Wagtails, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 17.04.08 (Rob Adderley)

Yellow Wagtails, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 17.04.08 (Rob Adderley)

with a White Wagtail behind them

Yellow Wagtail, Irlam Moss, 11.05.08 (Steve Nelson)

Yellow Wagtail, Elton Reservoir, 19.04.09 (Paul Wilson)

Yellow Wagtail, Elton Reservoir, 19.04.09 (Paul Wilson)

with Highland Cattle for comparrison!

Yellow Wagtail, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 02.04.10 (Rob Adderley)

Yellow Wagtail, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 03.05.04 (Rob Adderley)

male Blue-headed (flava) Wagtail with metal ring on the right leg

Yellow Wagtail, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 03.05.04 (Rob Adderley)

male Blue-headed (flava) Wagtail

Grey Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 30.09.07 (John Tymon)

Grey Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 10.04.09 (John Tymon)

Grey Wagtail, Burrs Park, 24.05.09 (Adrian Dancy)

Pied Wagtails, Albert Square, Manchester City Centre, 02.02.07 (Adrian Dancy)

a closer look at some of the birds in this traditional roost.

Pied Wagtails, Albert Square, Manchester City Centre, 02.02.07 (Adrian Dancy)

a roost of aboput 100 birds in trees underneath the town hall clock!

Pied Wagtail, Ashworth Moor Reservoir, 29.09.07 (David Winnard)

Pied Wagtail, Ashworth Moor Reservoir, 29.09.07 (David Winnard)

beautiful shot of the wing!

Pied Wagtail, Ashworth Moor Reservoir, 29.09.07 (David Winnard)

Pied Wagtail, River Irwell, 12.01.08 (Adrian Dancy)

Pied Wagtails, St.Anne's Square, Manchester City Centre, 10.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

Pied Wagtails, St.Anne's Square, Manchester City Centre, 11.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

Pied Wagtails, St.Anne's Square, Manchester City Centre, 11.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

Pied Wagtail, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtail, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtails, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtails, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtails, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtails, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

Pied Wagtaisl, St.Annes Square, Manchester City Centre, 23.12.08 (Adrian Dancy)

roosting birds taken using flash photography

White Wagtails, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 14.04.07 (Rob Adderley)

White Wagtail, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 07.05.07 (Rob Adderley)

with a male Wheatear!

White Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 07.04.09 (Rob Adderley)

White Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 07.04.09 (Jon Taverner)

White Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 07.04.09 (Jon Taverner)

White Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 07.04.09 (Jon Taverner)

White Wagtial, Pennington Flash, 09.04.10 (John Tymon)

White Wagtails, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 11.04.10 (Rob Adderley)

White Wagtails, Audenshaw Reservoirs, 11.04.10 (Rob Adderley)

White Wagtail, Pennington Flash, 13.04.10 (Jon Taverner)