A pleasant visit this afternoon despite the weather around pots & pans.

If I counted every ring ouzel I seen it would be 18 but I believe numerous sightings were duplicated, because myself & other walkers on & around pots & pans accidently disturbed them. The most I seen at once was 5.
At least 7 wheatears
2 buzzards
1 kestrel
1 raven
3 red legged partridge
2 oystercatchers
2 great black-backed gulls
Numerous meadow pipits & skylarks
1 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff, 1 blackcap & 1 nuthatch on the walk up.

At least 13 ring ouzels seen this afternoon in the fields below pots & pans & white brook Lane, a couple did eventually get closer as I sat patiently.
Also 4 wheatear, 3 willow warbler.

Did WeBS counts yesterday after looking at the weather forecast!

Surprised to see a Moorhen sitting on a nest already at Manns.

A couple of rather late Swifts in amongst the House Martins overhead this afternoon. Seen the odd one most days this week.

Along Chew Valley Road this morning on the way to Dovestone:

1 blackcap
2 nuthatch
1 house martin
3 grey wagtail
1 dipper
4 swift
1 great spotted woodpecker

Dipper on the Tame near Kingfisher pub this morning.
2 blackcap singing along Chew Valley Road

Walking from Binn Green over sheep fields to field with newly renovated cottage;

2 willow warbler
1 swallow
8+ meadow pipit
3 pied wagtail (one collecting nesting material)
1 wheatear
3 - 5 ring ouzel
2 red-legged partridge
2 lapwing
1 curlew heard fairly distantly
1 kestrel

General roam around the area today with Mike A.

Good start on the lower slopes of Pots and Pans with a flock of thrushes in one of the sheep fields downhill from the footpath extension of White Brook Lane (Long Lane?), containing a minimum of 12 Ring Ouzels (including at least 2 females), 2 Mistle Thrushes, a male Blackbird and a female Wheatear. They were flushed onto the lower slopes of Alderman's Hill by a passing cyclist then started to feed back onto the fields when everything was scattered by a female Sparrowhawk powering through.

Made our way round to Binn Green where there was still some food in the feeders to attract a variety of species including at least 4 Siskin (2 smart males), Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue, Great and Coal Tits and Nuthatch. Usual rainbow of male Pheasants cleaning up under the feeders, with Dunnock, Robin and Wood Pigeons. From there around Yeoman Hey to Ashway Gap where a couple of young Mistle Thrushes were feeding in the picnic area. Following the quieter path through the remains of the woodland produced another pair of Siskin drinking at a hidden pool, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and an unseen Chiffchaff. We headed on Kinder Intake Plantation for a bit of a fungal foray then back down to Dovestone Reservoir (3 Canada Geese, 2 Black-headed Gulls and around 20 Mallard), along Bradbury's Lane (a Raven gronking along above the plantation in the opposite direction) and down again to Chew Brook where at least 3 Dippers were having territorial disputes with a lot of calling and splash-downs. Two birds in particular really doing for it over a few yards of river with one in particular doing a lot of posturing with drooped wings as it bobbed incessantly. A Jay seen from the bus pass on Chew Valley Road was a nice end to the day.

late afternoon/evening visit to intake lane to try for the ring ouzels that steve had this morning, unfortunately couldn't find any in the hour I was there. no stonechat either.

2 little owls
1 raven
1 kestrel
1 buzzard
several lapwings, red-legged partridge & red grouse.

a walk over to pots & pans was more productive...

3 ring ouzels, 2 males 1 female
1 wheatear
several red-legged partridge
several meadow pipits
3 siskin over

Intake Lane: 09.00 - 11.45

A much more successful day than yesterday (see Mossley thread).

Five Ring Ouzels in field with hawthorns near the old barn. All seemed to be males.

Also: pair Stonechat, pair Little Owl, Lapwings and a Raven overhead... and several more Red-legged Partridges! Still no Wheatear though.

March WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
2 Mallard
1 Moorhen
1 Lapwing
1 Canada Goose

more birds here than for some time...

but less than usual at Royal George Mill + Manns:
19 Canada Geese
10 Mallard
1 Little Grebe
3 Moorhen
2 Mute Swan (usual pinioned bird + another)

Febuary WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): two anglers - one human, one avian (Grey Heron). Dipper and Grey Wagtail on Chew Brook.

Royal George Mill + Manns:
27 Canada Geese
21 Mallard
3 Goosander (2 male, 1 female)
1 Little Grebe
5 Moorhen
2 Mute Swan (usual pinioned bird + another)

Dipper in full song on Chew Brook near Holmforth Road & The Clarence late this afternoon. Also another seen very briefly on the Tame near the Kingfisher pub.

January WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): nothing at all again on the lodge - apart from five anglers!

Royal George Mill + Manns:
83 Canada Geese
13 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck (male)
1 Little Grebe
8 Moorhen
1 Cormorant
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

This site has suffered from the loss of anglers. Since fishing was banned by the owner, most of the footpaths have become completely overgrown and now the dilapidated footbridge has been removed, preventing access to most of the lodge. Don't know whether accurate wildfowl counts can continue...

December WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): nothing at all on the lodge - apart from four anglers

Royal George Mill + Manns:
131 Canada Geese
66 Mallard
3 Tufted Duck (one male)
2 Little Grebe
13 Moorhen
1 Cormorant
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
64 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull

November WeBS count: Waterside Mill (Tanners): just one Moorhen

Also two singing and displaying Dippers on Chew Brook.

November WeBS counts:

Royal George Mill + Manns:
13 Canada Geese
91 Mallard (second highest site count ever)
7 Moorhen
3 Grey Heron
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
14 Black-headed Gulls

and good to see John Spalding.

October WeBS counts: lovely weather for ducks - pity there were so few!

Waterside Mill (Tanners): just one Grey Heron and one Moorhen

Royal George Mill + Manns:
2 Canada Geese
9 Mallard
8 Moorhen
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
32 Black-headed Gulls

This site used to be a farm with a few caravans. Now it's a camping site with a few fields

September WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): just one Moorhen and one Grey Heron

Royal George Mill + Manns:
3 Canada Geese
51 Mallard
3 Moorhen
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
9 Black-headed Gulls

+ at least 6 Sand Martins still present

Another visit to do the BTO Heronry Census this damp morning.

NO apparently occupied nests this time. Larsen trap (with Magpie) if field just across the river as well. Something fishy going on, it seems to me

Wednesday 25th April 2018, 2.00pm.

8 House Martins around Well-i-Hole bridge

Chew Valley Road, this morning:

3 coal tit
10 house sparrow, with a pair collecting nesting material
1 swallow
1 grey wagtail
1 dipper (these two seen from the bridge over the Tame)
1 sparrowhawk

Nuthatch along the start of Holmforth Road, and willow warbler and great spotted woodpecker heard around here too.

Sheep fields from Binn Green to beneath the obelisk (where the ruined cottage was, which is now a nearly completed new house):

1 willow warbler
3 linnet (a new species for me around here)
17 meadow pipit
2 pied wagtail
2 skylark heard singing
3 mistle thrush
Jackdaw, rook and carrion crow
1 green woodpecker heard distantly (probably not far out of the village itself)
2 curlew
1 grey heron over

Intake Lane 5 Red Grouse 1 Merlin c20 Lapwing River 1 Dipper 1 female Goosander 2 Grey Wagtail George Lodge 2 Tufted Duck (drake & female)

This morning 7.45 - 8.45

Heronries Census: only 2 nests seem occupied - rather late this year?

Down on the river: Dipper nest-building, Grey Wagtail.
Not heard a Chiffchaff yet this year - and this is one of the best sites I know for them

-- Edited by Steve Suttill on Sunday 1st of April 2018 09:25:55 AM

Yesterday morning (3rd March). Walked up from Bockin to Intake Lane and as far along the lane as was sensible given the snowy conditions and increasingly vicious wind.

Collared dove at Bockin.
Red grouse just above the intake wall.

Apart from that, just the usual jackdaws, magpies, blackbirds etc. Numbers small, and all keeping to the lower slopes.

Saturday 6th January 2018, 3.15pm. A very brief stop off, en route home.

Royal George Mill Lodge.

5 Goosander (2 males, 3 Redheads)
The pinioned Mute Swan
1 Canada Goose

9 Moorhen feeding in the fields between Manns and the campsite

Royal George Mill lodge:

6 Goosanders (3 adult males, 3 redheads)
1 Little Grebe
1 Kingfisher
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
No Canada Geese!

on River Tame nearby:

1 Dipper (unringed)
2 Cormorants
1 Grey Wagtail

December WeBS counts - in the snow, but only 5% of water surface frozen

Waterside Mill (Tanners): no water birds at all (and very few others)

Royal George Mill + Manns:
37 Canada Geese
32 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck (female)
1 Little Grebe
3 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
6 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Intake Lane:

Just 1 Red Grouse in rough field but more calling from the moor. Pair of Ravens over.
Foraging in lower fields: c60 Jackdaws, 30 Black-headed Gulls and 20 Starlings.
Also: 3 Mistle Thrush, 5 Magpies, Blackbird, Dunnock, Wren and Chaffinch.

Warlow Clough: Kestrel and another Red Grouse.

Moor edge, Mossley: 2 Buzzards and another Kestrel.

Intake Lane:

5 Red Grouse in rough field and more calling from the moor above. Little Owl on drystone wall. 14+ Magpies.

Haven't seen any Stonechats for over three weeks (when I said they looked set to overwinter )
Guess they've moved to warmer climes like Brushes Valley

Down Friezland Lane; 9 Redwing foraging amongst molehills in horse field.

November WeBS counts - very chilly!

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
1 Mallard, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Grey Heron were only waterbirds present.
(also female Great Spotted Woodpecker on pondside tree and Red Grouse calling from the moor)

Royal George Mill + Manns:
76 Canada Geese
82 Mallard
3 Tufted Duck (1 males and 2 females)
4 redhead Goosander
just 2 Moorhen
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
74 Black-headed Gulls

Intake Lane and nearby moorland fringes: 10.15 - 12.00

At least 8 Red Grouse - including another (or the same as last week) perched on a Hawthorn.

Also noted: female Kestrel in Warlow Clough, pair Greenfinch, female Bullfinch, several Mistle Thrushes.

Larsen traps all removed.

Another walk around Intake Lane this afternoon - 13.30-14.30:

Life tick for me - never before have I seen a Red Grouse perched on top of a Hawthorn eating what few berries remain

As David Walsh has noted further down the valley, and a few locals have also noted, there has been a poor berry crop this year (with the notable exception of Holly) which may account for the paucity of thrush species: one Redwing, one Blackbird and one Mistle Thrush.

No Stonechats today.

The farmers Larsen traps, which were full of Pheasants last week, were empty, so I presume he's rounded up most of them now.

Intake Lane this afternoon - 13.30-15.15:

Spent most of time watching a pair of Stonechat which look set to over-winter. Both seemed to be finding plenty of caterpillars at the edge of the moor.

Also, Little Owl (not seen here for some time) and a female Kestrel. Red Grouse a-plenty, with most sitting on walls or fence-posts...

...and a very chunky-looking large finch with prominent white wingbars flew over heading South (can't think what it could have been, apart from Hawfinch

October WeBS count:

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
1 Kingfisher and 1 Grey Heron were only waterbirds present.
Also female Kestrel hunting and Red Grouse calling from the moor.

Royal George Mill + Manns:
70 Canada Geese
61 Mallard
5 Tufted Duck (4 males and 1 rather Scaup-like female)
1 Kingfisher
12 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
2 Black-headed Gulls

Also, probable sighting of John Spalding arriving as I left...

September WeBS count (it's that time of year yet again - my 21st year of counting these sites!):

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
1 Cormorant, struggling to swallow a large fish.
Also Grey Wagtail flying over.

Royal George Mill + Manns:
133 Canada Geese
17 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck (female)
1 Kingfisher
7 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

Also Dipper on the river.

7.30 am today. Significant swallow activity at Bockin: flock of 25 - 30 on the phone wires, flying around from time to time and then returning to the wires over a period of about half an hour before departing. I see that I recorded similar activity at a simlar date in a previous year.

Dipper on the Tame by The kingfisher pub this morning, and another shooting through.

Pair of grey wagtail over the same area, and 20+ house martin along Chew Valley Road.

Flock of around 30 meadow pipits on the sheep farms between Binn Green and the ruined cottage (being rebuilt, by the looks of it).

Tremendous amount of house martin activity at Bockin this morning between 7.00 and 7.30. Flocks of (mostly, if not completely) young birds whirling around my house twittering. I opened the bedroom window and there were about 20 on the roof right outside my window, and another 50 or 60 on the telephone wires across the lane. These took off and flew around from time to time, always calling, but returning to the same spot, till they gradually moved on, in smaller groups, over a period of about 30 minutes. An hour later, one bird (tired? sick?) remains on my roof - for about 45 minutes others "visited" it in small numbers from time to time, fluttering around it and twittering, but they all seem to have left now. It turns round from time to time, but no more movement than that in the hour or so I've been observing. I'll keep an eye on it from time to time...

UPDATE - it has gone, somewhere around 10.30 am, so was presumably exhausted and resting, unless of course it has been taken by a predator.

-- Edited by Liz Headon on Friday 11th of August 2017 10:52:03 AM

Friday 4 August - 11.00 - 13.30

Walk up the Mossley/Greenfield border to the moor edge: a spectacular fight for aerial supremacy between a Peregrine and a female Kestrel. The outcome was obvious but the Kestrel put up a fight, jinking away from the larger bird and quickly gaining height before the Peregrine climbed and attacked again. This went on for some time before the Kestrel fled low across the fields.

On Intake Lane:
3 juvenile Stonechats (one being stalked, as noted here last year, by a juvenile Willow Warbler).
2 Lapwings, one an adult female, the other a just-fledged juvenile (very late).
Whitethroat.

Intake Lane this afternoon:

Couple of pairs of Lapwing still with small chicks, but all the rest have moved on.
Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Goldfinches, Wrens and Mistle Thrushes all with fledged young.
No Stonechats or Whitethroats though.

Four Sand Martins around Well-i-Hole farm yesterday were unusual for this area. Have they found a nesting site nearby?

Pair of Dippers feeding well-grown young in a nest on the canal side. Parents having to fly quite some distance to find food on the river and carry it to the nest. Have found two other local Dipper nests on the canal this year, but they have been much nearer to the river.

6.00 pm today. 2 swifts at Bockin, seemed to be "in the area" and feeding rather than quickly passing through like yesterday's bird.

Grey wagtail by the stream at Greenbridge Lane. I only saw one, but I'm hoping there's a pair.

Swift at Bockin just now (6.00pm) which surprised me given the chilly easterly breeze that still prevails. It appeared to be passing through rather than feeding.