Hobby over Moss Road/Nook Lane at 1050 then flew towards the Peat Pools.

Early morning mooch through Rindle Wood and SSSI.

2 Cuckoo - both males.
1 Whimbrel - f69
2 Oystercatcher
5 Greylag - Bedford Moss
2 Tufted Duck (m,f)
2 Teal (m,f)
1 Swallow - through north.
1 Sparrowhawk - female.
Plus a possible Hobby. I watched it hurtle across the line of the trees by the railway line but the light wasn't great. Certainly had the jizz of a Hobby though.

As I made my way back to Rindle road it became apparent it was going to be a busy morning down there. No less than 12 cars parked up and several birders already mooching around. Bumped into a few of them too. Nice to meet Richard Norris, Jon Bowen and moors moocher Andy Makin who was enjoying a lowland mooch for a change.

Sadly, no sign of any Cranes while I was down there.

Also managed to fall over in a puddle whilst trying to duck under the gate to Rindle Track. Got covered in mud - what a plonker!!

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Please remember though, view Astley/Bedford Moss only from the circular footpath and do not access the mosses themselves.

---

Just re-read my post and it could be taken that I meant on the actual re-wetting area /SSSI. I should make it clear I meant on the path adjacent to it.

As for the cranes liking a wonder, I'm a bit confused now. If Roy saw them drifting SW at 12.30, it makes the report of them being on the Astley SSSI a bit odd, as I arrived at around 1pm. Perhaps I've got wires crossed somewhere.

Hobby over SSSI now

Three Cuckoos chasing each other over the SSSI at the moment. 2 males, 1 female

Amongst other sightings today were a remarkable 15 Buzzards all sat together in a field on Chat Moss (field no.22). Disturbed by a tractor they took to the air and remained in a tight circling ball before dispersing in various directions.

Clearly the Cranes enjoy a wander!

At 11:30 this morning they were seen circling over the very northern end of Chat Moss at around 250 feet, slowly drifting SW (info thanks to
Roy Rhodes).

At just before 3pm they were then seen heading very low towards their current roost site from further south on Chat Moss (for which an extensive search for viewing the roost site today proved it is absolutely not possible and landowners in the area are not going to grant permission to view either).

Please remember though, view Astley/Bedford Moss only from the circular footpath and do not access the mosses themselves.

3.30-7pm with jo keene.

1 cuckoo (male) flew over towards sssi & landed on a dead tree. in the 30 mins off watching it,it just sat there being quiet still good to see & first off the year for me & a lifer for jo.
1 whimbrel f69, first off the year for me & lifer for jo.
1 wheatear (male) f19
1 buzzard f21
2 red legged partridges (woodstock farm) another lifer for jo.
2 swallows (woodstock farm)
2 oystercatchers f68

rindle feeding area...

reed buntings, yellowhammers, tree sparrows plus usuals.

plenty off willow warblers, chiffchaffs & blackcaps singing all around.

no signs off any cranes.

nice to meet dave thacker again

and thanks jo for the pleasure off your company,keep building on your list


-- Edited by steven burke on Friday 27th of April 2012 10:39:58 PM

-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 28th of April 2012 06:34:25 AM

Whimbrel still present this morning.

Cheers
Jason

Roy had them at 11:30 Craig and I never doubted where you meant on the path , there is a great viewing area over Bedford Moss and a couple for Astley Moss SSSI which are clearly visible from the path and are perfectly acceptable to use.

Not sure whether the Cranes wonder or wander though Craig

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 27th of April 2012 08:11:44 PM

Spent a couple of hours in the Rindle woods area this afternoon. On arrival I was reliably informed that the Cranes had spent some time on Astley Moss re-wetting area before flying back onto the mosses south of the railway. As usual for me, I was 1/2 an hour too late.

A walk through Rindle woods onto the re wetting are produced very little out of the ordinary, lots of willow warblers, tits and finches. There were two Cuckoo's at the top end of the wet area, a female bubbling away, followed shortly after by cracking views of a male less than 30m away.

A band of rain pushed a number of swifts through with about 40 in the air at once.

Forgot to add...nice to meet Martyn Jones


-- Edited by Craig Higson on Friday 27th of April 2012 04:02:48 PM

-- Edited by Craig Higson on Friday 27th of April 2012 04:03:23 PM

Both Cranes flew SW over Chat Moss as viewed from Astley Road at 07:35 this morning.

Info thanks to Brian Fielding

Mark Rigby and I arrived on Astley Road this evening and were debating where would be the best vantage point. We were about to go over the railway line, when I spotted the 2 Cranes in flight, flying north east at 1950. They seemed to land in the general area where they were seen this morning. At 2017 they both flew back south west and landed out of sight. We scanned the area but were unable to find them again. We didn't see them fly out of the area, so it is quite likely they will still be around. Scanning from Astley Road is probably the best way to see them.

The 2 Cranes are still present on Chat Moss this morning. They are unfortunately on private farmland though, with no possibility of being overlooked from any other vantage point. Access has been attempted to be obtained but but has been (currently) declined by the landowner due to several genuine reasons. If they fly south during the day (towards Rixton/Risley) they would be viewable from anywhere along Astley Road, Chat Moss.

19.55 21-00 With Melanie Beckford

Went looking for Cuckoo (which we didnt see) but ended up with 2 Common Cranes!

at about 8.40 we heard the distinct call of Common Cranes and we soon had 2 birds fly low over the fields in between field 69 and notice board alongside Astley Moss SSSI, they then appeard to come down on bedford moss. After about 10 Minutes Melanie then spotted them coming straight towards us and they flew about 10 feet above us and headed south.

Also present

Whimbrel - field 69
4 Yellowhammer
2 Tree Sparrow

19.00-20.00
rl partridge
curlew over
lapwing
yellowhammerx2
whitethroat
chaffinchx2
mallardsx6
pheasantsx4
Cheers Jay
No cuckoo again(typical)

At 8:55pm both Cranes were seen to fly off south from the moss and high over the railway.

Info thanks to Simon Johnson

2 Common Cranes flew onto Astley Moss tonight at 8:40, viewed from the notice board alongside Astley Moss SSSI, accessed via Rindle Wood, off Rindle Road. Under absolutely no circumstances must any observers attempt to access the mossland at any time. View only from the footpath along the moss.

Info thanks to Simon Johnson

Cuckoo, seen off by a Magpie, flew into huge tree towering over a greenhouse by the signal box.

Cuckoo calling on a fence post in field 69...

late news for sunday 22nd apr 2 singing male grasshopper warbler in field at junction of moss lane and rindle late evening also male whitethroat in area as per previous post and barn owl showing well.

Barton Moss and Croxden 3-4pm

fields 9 & 10

1 Snipe
c.20+ Tree Sparrow
2 Willow Tit
5 Grey Partridge - 2 pairs + a single
2 Reed Bunting
c.20+ Linnet
flock of 43+ Stock Dove
200+ Woodpigeon
3 Buzzard
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Skylark

Croxden

1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
stunning male Linnet singing
pair Mallard
3 singing Willow Warbler

Add to early post 3 Wheatear and 2 singing male cuckoo off Moss Lane; keep your ears peeled ! There is more to birding than sighting!

Thanks , fingers crossed l get one tomorrow evening. I went this this morning, l had to leave at twelve but never heard or saw owt !!

Melanie Beckford wrote:

---

Was the bird seen, male or female ?

---

Hi Melanie

It was a male.

Was the bird seen, male or female ?

Good views this evening of a Cuckoo perched on a fence post in field 69. It was seen first in the trees beside the rail track as it flew up from Chat moss but it was disturbed by a train. A couple of minutes later it was spotted by Mark Rigby perched on the post. It flew around a couple of times and was last seen heading East past the signal box.

Also seen in f69
Whimbrel
Curlew
3 Mistle thrush
4 Yellowhammers
2 Tree sparrows

Seen flying over,
3 Buzzards
Grey Heron
2 Curlew
6 Black headed gulls
Pied wagtail

Nice to finally meet Riggers and Karen Foulkes again

2.30 to 4.15 this afternoon, with John Parkinson.

Whimbrel...1 feeding field 69
Curlew ...1 calling and flying over SSSI
Yellowhammers 12
Buzzard...1
Reed Buntings....8
Mistle Thrush...3
Song Thrush ...1
Willow Warbler...1
Cuckoo heard calling 3 times and glimpsed by John.

Whimbrel and two Fieldfare in Field 69 to 10.00am
Cuckoo calling around the SSSI
Whitethroat and reeling Grasshopper Warbler junction with Great Moss Rd

A quick look around this evening after work turned up;

Field 69
Whimbrel
3 Fieldfare
4 Yellowhammer
Blackcap singing in the woods
Sparrowhawk sat on a fence post eating a meal
3 Curlew and 2 Oystercatchers over all heading Northwest
Buzzard over

Also a Buzzard was stood in the middle of the field by Nook lane eating a Rabbit while being mobbed by 2 Magpies and 2 Crows.

Much the same as Martyn, we were there earlier and saw...

Whimbrel in field 69
Mistle Thrush
Male Pheasant with two females
Fieldfare

Swallow on the telegraph wire, along Rindle Road.
Raven also on the wire, towards the back of the barn conversions.

We also had four Willow Tit, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting and a singing Blackcap

No Cuckoo seen but...
there's always tomorrow

Found some pellets so l'm off to dissect them..

Just a quick half hour down Moss Lane and Rindle Road - not much about.

Moss Lane
Several Lapwing on the ground in ploughed field next to Cob and Plods
2 Black-headed Gulls circling low over the field and occasionally dropping down - possibly after eggs in nests?
Wood Pigeons in many areas
Pheasant heard

Rindle Road
Whimbrel in f69
Mistle Thrush in f69
2 Buzzards circling fairly low over Rindle Wood, one with quite a few feathers missing from one wing
A further 2 singles of Buzzards over Astley and Bedford Moss
5 Yellowhammer on ground in far corner of potato field
1 Tree Sparrow and 1 Reed Bunting on ground in potato field
Several corvids, mainly Crows
Dead Lesser Black-backed Gull is still in f69

Feeding Station
Nothing at all due to no feeders and no seed on the ground - forgot to bring some

I didn't have time to look in Rindle Wood today

Very nice to meet Melanie Beckford and Simon Warford again.

Picked up a dead Chaffinch from Manchester Road in Astley on the way home

15.30-19.15pm
No sign of the Cuckoo and I only heard it 3 times all evening as it called in the distance.
Not much about again probably due to the tractor spraying in the potato fields early on.
Birds seen this evening;
30+ mixed flock of Yellowhammers, Chaffinch and Reed buntings
6 Tree sparrows
3 Kestrels including one being dive bombed by a Mistle thrush
7 Buzzards
2 Oystercatchers
Willow tit
3 Goldfinch
3 Grey Herons
2 Tufted duck
9 Teal
Chiffchaffs and Willow warblers singing all over.

A distant Cuckoo is calling from Bedford moss at the moment.

12.45 Whimbrel;50 Fieldfare in field 69

cheers Colin

1400-1600 Chat & Barton Mosses
Female Marsh Harrier hunting over Croxden and surrounding fields 9 & 11.
Corn Bunting singing from the tops of the oil seed rape crop in field 10.
Pair of Yellow Wagtails back on field 8, first this season.
Single female Wheatear also on ploughed section of field 8 near railway end.
Good numbers of Partridge 5 pairs, 3 of which were flushed by the Harrier!
Linnet flock of ~60 birds still present, flirting between fields 8/9/10.
3 pairs of Kestrels and 3 pair of Buzzards over Barton,Chat,& Irlam mosses.
Cheers Ian.

10.00-11.15 am with Dave Evans

F69
17 Fieldfare
1 Whimbrel

Bedford Moss
1f Marsh Harrier

Total of 37 Fieldfare in f69 this evening, they all flew North at 6.15pm.
Also 7 Buzzards
Peregrine over Rindle road at 17.45 heading West

Eddie's right about not putting any poison down to control the Rats. Very close to where the feeders were put up are Water voles and a family of Stoats.

Astley moss this weekend over a couple of visits

Not much about
20+ Tree sparrows in the ploughed field next to Rindle hedges
4 Willow tits together
3 Curlew
2 Oystercatchers
5 Teal
2 Gadwall
5 Meadow pipits
2 Skylarks
5 Buzzards
4 Swallows over
20+ Sand martins over

Edit, Also 2 Siskin seen and plenty of Willow warblers about

-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Sunday 15th of April 2012 04:43:37 PM

Just to set the record straight I started the feeding station at Rindle some years ago paid for by Leigh Ornithological Society. When the feeders were taken I stopped putting any feed down. Rats maybe a problem to some people but to start putting poison down would endanger other wildlife, don't Buzzards/foxes feed on carrion and such like. Eddie King.

Pete said

"Sensibly feeding should be stopped for a while so that the rats go elsewhere,or failing that poison is put down to wipe them out,because judging from the number of rat holes present,there is a serious problem here"

I wouldn't encourage talk about poison just in case Water Voles are about and somebody in Authority who knows no better thinks poison's a good idea.

17.15-20.15
I got absolutely soaked

Astley moss
2 Swallow over
2 Curlew
Max count of 32 Fieldfare but only 12 when I left.
2 Pied wagtails
Sparrowhawk
5 Jays
5 Teal
2 Snipe
Grey Heron
4 Chiffchaffs
At least 12 Willow warblers seen/ heard mainly around the SSSI
2 Grey Partridge
9 Yellowhammers
2 Tree sparrows
Coal tit
4 Lapwings
4 Black headed gulls
2 Buzzards heard only

Nook lane
2 Red legged Partridge
18 Stock dove
3 Swallow over heading North

Chat moss
Curlew over
2 Little Owls
Song thrush

Regarding the missing feeders at Rindle, as Pete Berry states Brown rats are becoming a big problem in the ditches beneath the bushes where the feeders were placed and it would be better for the time being not to put seed down.

Having said that the 'Rats' that took my 6 port metal feeder full of mixed seed in less than two hours after I put it up in the bushes must have been carrying wire cutters as I securely [ so I thought] wired the feeder to a large branch.

Rindle Road and SSSI and surrounding hedgerows 1pm-2.30pm.

15 Fieldfare
7 Willow Warbler
4 Chiffchaff
12 Tree Sparrow
1 Jay
Plus many Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch and Greenfinch

Mike Unsworth

11.00am-1.00pm

A tour of Irlam and Chat Mosses and Croxten on my bike

Lots of Chiffchaff, Willow Warblers and 2 Blackcaps singing as well as the usual songbirds all over. Also most fields seem to have a pair or two of Lapwings

Main highlights:
Croxten
1 Curlew on the flooded pools near entrance - then flew towards f62
1 Mallard - m
1 Pied Wagtail - m
5 Black-headed Gulls
1 Meadow Pipit
3 Swallows over
2 Buzzard

Olive Mount area
3 Curlew - 2 in f63, 1 in f62 (the bird that flew from Croxten)
2 Buzzard

Salford Anglers Pool:
1 Coal Tit

Irlam Moss
no sign of any Wheatears in f16
1 Skylark
2 Yellowhammers - pair
pair Kestrels around Birch Tree farm
heard Tree Sparrows at Woodbarn Farm

I cycled to the very end of Astley Road where it meets the railway and the NW corner of f59. Never been down this little stretch before - mainly due to rogue farm dogs! But took my chance today. Inside the grounds of the very end house is a pool that had 2 pairs of Tufted Duck on which was a surprise. They seemed wild enough and probably the origin of the pair seen on Astley Moss on Wednesday which is literally a quick hop over the railway from here.











-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Friday 13th of April 2012 09:45:53 PM

Regarding recent posts re. mising feeders,having seen the vast number of rat holes beneath the feeding station I would imagine that the rats are climbing up in the trees to get at the food and are probably knocking the feeders down,which then up in the ditch,never to be seen again.Sensibly feeding should be stopped for a while so that the rats go elsewhere,or failing that poison is put down to wipe them out,because judging from the number of rat holes present,there is a serious problem here.

1 Green Sandpiper and a pair of Tufted Ducks on Astley Moss this morning

16:30-17:30
Astley Moss plus surrounding farmland from Moss Lane, Rindle Road, Nook Lane
15 Stock Dove
2 Redshank
12 Lapwing
2 Curlew
Sparrowhawk
35 Fieldfare
Willow Warbler
~10 Reed Bunting
~20 Yellowhammer
35+ Tree Sparrow

2 Brown Hare

17.45-20.00 this evening.

Astley moss
Wheatear in the fields beside Moss lane
22 Fieldfare
Song Thrush
9 Mistle thrush
2 Curlew being mobbed by 2 Lapwings
2 pair of Oystercatchers flying around, calling all the time
2 pair of Grey partridge
6 Yellowhammers
5 Tree sparrows
Treecreeper
Tawny owl
Snipe
2 Teal
23 Mallard, all males except for 2 females
21 Black headed gulls
5 Buzzards
Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrels
Chiffchaff and Peacock heard

Irlam Moss 4.30pm-5.30pm

Quick hour after the heavy rain.

f16
7 Wheatear together in the sheep paddock at the back of f16
2 Curlew before flying off N
pair of Buzzard copulating on a fence post
pair of Kestrels

f44
6 Skylarks
2 pairs of Yellowhammer
2 Pied Wagtails - both male
70+ Woodpigeon
6 Stock Dove

f52
2 pairs of Lapwing