3.00-4.00pm Croxden

Fem/imm Merlin seen twice. Firstly at 3.20pm heading east to Barton Moss then it returned at 3.45pm and headed north over the railway.

Also:
2 Snipe
3 Meadow Pipits
0 Owls !

Other birds of note:
1 Kestrel hovering above M62
1 Buzzard - Raspberry Lane
1 Jay - Dixons Wood

11.30-4.30pm 39 species seen.
from rindle rd to woodstock farm,astley rd.
6-8 buzzards, good close view off 1 at woodstock farm about 15ft away from me with its back to me,quietly took my camera out but still heard me & did one
4 sparrowhawks,2 whizzing through the birds at the feeders at rindle rd,but failed to catch.
3-5 kestrels
1 lapwing,over rindle rd
at feeders,which were almost empty,had a little seed & crushed nuts with me so put in the feeders.
2 willow tits
2 yellowhammers, another 4 seen near rail crossing
4 coal tits
good numbers off tree sparrows & chaffinches (no brambling)
plus the usual blue/great/long tailed tits.
other birds around
good numbers off jackdaws, crows, starlings, wood pigeons, stock doves & also blackbirds especially down astley rd, mistle thrushes, redwings & fieldfares with them.
at least 3 song thrushes
30 + meadow pipits f19
5 skylarks
a single bullfinch (m) in hedges along f62
3 pied wagtails, olive mount farm
95 pink footed goose over north west

3.45-4.30pm
Croxten - no owls or Snipe either but everything frozen solid. But as I walked down the track towards the metal shed 2 Whooper Swans flew very low overhead calling and gaining height over Dixons Wood as they headed off east. They looked like they had just taken off from somewhere nearby.

7.30-12.15pm

A bleak looking Croxdens Peat works turned up two cracking Short eared Owls this morning. I had walked passed the first owl without seeing it and as I returned down the same path the bird flew up about 25' in front of me. It flew South over the peat cuttings flushing 8 Snipe and as it flew over the next path another SE Owl flew up out from the grass. The second owl flew towards me and dropped quickly down into a row of heather. The first owl flushed another 3 Snipe then dropped back down into the grass just before the trees near the metal containers. I found the first owl an hour later sheltering from the heavy rain hidden in the grass under a small Fir tree. If you decide to go and have a look for the birds please stick to the paths

Other birds seen;
40+ Mallard and 1 White duck in the water filled ditches beside Rindle road.

A steady stream of Wood pigeons [10,000+ birds] leaving the roost in Botany bay woods between 8 and 8.30am and heading out over the mosses.

Sparrowhawk chasing Starlings, seen on three occasions as up to 400 Starlings perched on the wires.

Rindle feeding track
While putting some seed into the feeders I noticed a female Brambling sat in the bush with 6 Chaffinch. Other birds around the feeders were;
2 Willow tits
3 Reed buntings
12 Yellowhammers
20+ Tree sparrows
Moorhen

Large flock of finches[170+] around Rindle hedges, mainly Chaffinch with at least 4 Brambling seen. Also 4 Grey wagtails with 13 Pied wagtails in the field.

Treecreeper in Rindle woods and 17 LT tits.

-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Saturday 17th of December 2011 04:32:25 PM

2 se owls on the old peat cuttings on croxdens peat works now

Afternoon walk around Rindle Road.

Buzzard,
Chaffinch flock of arond 150,
Tree Sparrow,
Jay,
Sparrow Hawk,
Mistle Thrush,
Goldfinch,
Pheasant,
Willow Tit,
Pied Wagtail.

Moss Lane just after midday today:

1800 Woodpigeon around the old sewage works and in the stubble fields there.
41 Skylark
400 Starling
Peregrine diving through the flocks.

Astley Moss early afternoon:

48 Tree Sparrow and 90 Chaffinch around Rindle Hedge. Feeders on the feeding track now empty.
2 Willow Tit
1 Coal Tit
2 Treecreeper
24 Pied Wagtail in field 69

11.10am
Merlin over southern end of Irlam Moss following the motorway and heading east towards Barton Moss

Also:
1 Kestrel

Popped down tonight for a quick look for the S.E.Owl that was reported a few days ago,no sign unfortunately but excellent views of a Barn Owl for at least 5 mins, that was at one stage hunting less than 5ft. from my car.It was almost dusk before the owl first put in an appearance.
There was also an albino Pheasant flying around tonight.

12-4pm
Rindle feeding track
40+ Tree sparrows
2 Yellowhammers
60+ Chaffinch
1 Willow tit
7 LT Tits
Kestrel
2 Jays
3 Fieldfare and 6 Redwing over

Croxdens peat works
2 Snipe
1 Woodcock flushed from the edge of the peat cuttings next to field 9
2 Grey partridge
100+ Crows on the peat including one bird with a couple of white wing feathers.
Sparrowhawk
8 Pied wagtails over
Buzzard

Nook lane
I parked for a while at the corner of Nook lane and Rindle road hoping to see the Owls which did not show this afternoon
I did see around 3000 Starlings putting on a show as they left the tip before going to roost.
20 Yellowhammers flew into the field beside Nook lane.
1000s of Woodpigeons overhead going to roost probably in Botany bay woods.
Kestrel hunting over the fields.

Good to meet Eddie King again

Great early morning trip to Moss Lane area 0830 - 11 today.

More than 1000 starlings on the electricity wires S of Moss Lane at 9am, gone when I got back at 10.30.

Walked through to Windy Bank Woods:

3 Redwing
1 Jay
1 pair Bullfinches
1 Kestrel on overhead wires
numerous chaffinch, blue tit, great tit.

Then en route back to Moss Lane

3 Fieldfare feeding in a field of winter crops at Netherbarrow Farm
2 Redwing in trees/bushes nearer the farm.
Flock of ?finches + definite yellowhammers on the stubble field SE of Netherbarrow - counted about 15 birds of which I think 5 or 6 were very yellow!

1 Kestrel on Moss Lane and a distant buzzard being chased by a crow same area.





-- Edited by Mark Lees on Wednesday 30th of November 2011 12:17:20 PM

Cracking last hour or so of daylight with my 3 yr old who has wanted to see an owl for ages!
best was brief views of a short eared owl hunting along ditch south of tip, viewed from nook lane which was grounded quickly by a pair of kestrel and didnt see it again (and my son missed it.) however whilst looking again, near dark a barn owl hunted along the ditch next to rindle road and right passed his side of the car
at least 9 different kestrel between here and west end of moss lane
4 covey's of grey partridge along moss lane totalling 32
several small flocks of fieldfare and c150 starling on wires along moss lane
over 150 lesser black backed gulls heading over towards pennington

will have another look soon
cheers
Andy

Rindle Road area
11.00 till 13.30
Buzzardsx2
Kestrelx2
Flock of V Finches
Flock of Crowsx20
Flock of Starlings(massive)
Flock of long tailed Titsx10
Jayx2
Bullfinch
Heard Partridge not seen
Wrenx2
V Tits,1Willow
Magpiesx3
Somebody flying a model aircraft over the SSSI made my Heart skip a beat,nevermind!
Cheers Jay.

Hi Martyn

As much as I hate the killing of any Wildlife the farmers and gamekeepers have a right to earn a living.
Moles can do serious damage to cereal crop fields as was evident in the fields around the SSSI last Summer.
I do know that the Moles are killed by using Scissor type traps which are more humane than using poison or gas. Even though we have had two hard Winters in the last two years the Mole population on the mosses seems to be increasing as there are now more and more Mole hills about.

As for the gibbet, it may not look pleasant but keep a look out for the Kestrel that sometimes picks up an easy meal

A quick walk round Moss Lane produced a flock of 200-300 starlings gathering on the telephone wires as well as 20-25 carrion crows in a tree north of the lane. A Kestrel was also in the area for a while.

Down Rindle Road I was appalled to find a 'gamekeepers gibbet' of moles strung up on a barbed wire fence in the field just before the signal box cottage. Does anyone know if this practice is still legal? It seems barbaric to me. (Pictures on my blog if you really want to see them - address below).

Down by the feeding station there were six fieldfare, a willow tit, two blue tits, a great tit, several tree sparrows, six collared doves and a chaffinch. At the far end of Rindle Wood in the trees near the pools there was a flock of six or seven long-tailed tits whilst a single yellowhammer perched at the top of one of the dead silver birch trees. A buzzard sat in the treetops on the far side of Astley Moss for a while and another Kestrel hovered over the moss in several places before landing in a dead tree on the edge of the pools, where I managed to get the only half decent photo today (also on my blog).

Unfortunately I didn't get to see a Treecreeper which was one of the birds I was hoping to see today. But I'll be back soon with some seed for the new feeders along the feeding station track.

Hi Steve

Dead on 2.20pm and I watched the bird for about 3 minutes so it was probably a different male peregrine.

-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Monday 21st of November 2011 07:54:35 PM

Dave - I think your Peregrine may have been a different bird. I noticed that you were on the moss at roughly the same time as me. Each time I saw my Peregrine it came from and went back towards Little Woolden Moss until the last sighting when it flew south. There is a bird that I often see on Barton Moss which could be your bird. They do range widely though so it could have been the same one. What was the time of your sightings ? Mine were roughly 2.20, 2.40 & 3.15.

1.30-3.15pm

I also had great views of probably the same Peregrine as Steve mentions in the previous post.

As I walked onto Croxdens peat works from the rail track the Peregrine flew East at speed just in front of me. It headed over the old peat cuttings then turned back and headed for the small holdings near Boag farm. It then put up over 400 Starlings which were in the fields behind Moss side farm. It doubled back again over the Peat works and headed off towards 12 yards road.

Also seen around Croxdens;
5 Snipe
2 Pied wagtails
3 Reed buntings
4 Wrens, one of which I watched checking the small cobwebs hanging in the tall grass.

About 25m from the rail crossing there were two dead Wood pigeons beside the track, probably hit by a train. A couple of Magpies and 8 Crows were enjoying a meal when a Buzzard dropped on one of the pigeons scattering the Corvids. A couple of minutes later the Buzzard just managed to avoid being a casualty itself as it left it very late to avoid a train which was passing.

Rindle road feeding track
10 Collared doves
2 Willow tits
At least 24 Tree sparrows around the feeders with another small flock near Rindle hedges
2 Yellowhammers
8 Reed buntings
60+ Chaffinch which mobbed a Kestrel who decided that he would perch in the same bush as the feeders.
11 Fieldfare over
8 Lt tits over

2.00pm-3.30pm Little Woolden and Irlam Mosses

A spectacular Peregrine display over Little Woolden Moss this afternoon. Adult male first seen to take off from the bare peat before disappearing behind trees. 20 mins later I inadvertently flushed a female Teal when suddenly the Peregrine reappeared and homed in on the Teal. Within seconds it was within a few feet of the panic stricken duck as it twisted and turned to avoid death. I could hear the whoosh of wings over my head. After a 30 second or so pursuit suddenly the Teal plummeted to earth and the Peregrine flew off. I was glad the Teal escaped as I had inadvertently put it's life in danger and would have felt bad if it had got caught! But that wasn't the end of the Peregrine show. Approx another 30mins after this 2 large Starling flocks flew overhead south totalling c.2000 birds when suddenly they merged to form one twisting turning flock as the Peregrine appeared again. It went straight through the flock fragmenting it but it couldn't quite catch one. The Peregrine headed off south towards Irlam still chasing the Starlings before lost to view in the distance. Alot of energy spent with no reward but awesome stuff!
Also:
LW Moss - 4 Snipe flying around in a group & 1 Hare
F14- 7 Grey Partridge & 1 Buzzard on ground

Otherwise very quiet!!

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 20th of November 2011 08:52:56 PM

With the feeding station at Rindle just having been filled by Eddie King this early afternoon, we were treated to really good numbers of Tree Sparrows with 48 on the feeders and track. A further 7 were also feeding on Pheasant feeders underneath Rindle hedge too, making at least 55 in the area. Needless to say, the seed didn't look like it was going to last too long!

60+ Chaffinch were feeding in the rough vegetation around the fence line in the middle of f69, often flying to and from Rindle hedge.

116 Fieldfare were in and around f69 and 4 Lesser Redpoll in Birch near the level crossing.

2.00 - 3.15pm
Seen around Rindle feeding track

32 Tree sparrows
5 Greenfinch
3 Willow tits
Usual Blues and Greats with also a Coal tit visiting the feeders
GS Woodpecker
5 Fieldfare
Sparrowhawk [f] again attacking the birds on the track

No Yellowhammers seen.

13/11/11 (am)

Astley Moss.
Nook Lane/Moss Lane area:

5 Buzzards
12 Grey Partridges (Turf Nest Farm)
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrels
2 Willow Tits
8+ Tree Sparrows (nr Sales House)
3 Yellowhammers

Skylarks, Meadow Pipits etc. Huge flock of Starlings along Moss Lane, possibly numbering 800-1000..

2.00 - 4.30pm

Croxdens
12 Snipe
12 Grey partridge
5 Tree sparrows on the large steel container
2 Yellowhammers
7 Reed buntings
2 Mallard
4 LT tits
5 Buzzards
300+ Jackdaws
2 Ravens heading East at 3.45pm

Great patience shown by Dennis in trying to get that perfect shot. At 2pm when I arrived he was just a big green blob with a hint of lens showing as he lay in the mud. He seemed happy enough so I left him to it and went for a walkabout. Two hours later on my return he was still there, I was just about to see if rigor mortis had set in when he popped up

Nice to see you again Dennis and Iain who also was around the moss.

Good luck Joe


If you read this Eddie i have filled up the feeders today and also threw a full large full tub all along the floor of mixed seeds and nuts, suets, mealworms, a good varied selection, and also Dave Thacker also threw a bag on the floor today too so the birds should be good for a couple of days at least,

Best Den

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

The feeding station track is seeded by the Leigh Ornithological Society, so no need to go armed with seed of your own. Refer to the site guide on the website for access and location details. Views can be reasonably close but obviously disturbance is not advisable and ideally it's always best to watch the feeders from no closer than the metal barrier

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of November 2011 06:19:48 PM

---

Cheers Ian, I might give it a go next weekend if I can get there!

The feeding station track is seeded by the Leigh Ornithological Society, so no need to go armed with seed of your own. Refer to the site guide on the website for access and location details. Views can be reasonably close but obviously disturbance is not advisable and ideally it's always best to watch the feeders from no closer than the metal barrier

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of November 2011 06:19:48 PM

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

This afternoon, 2-4

2 hours ditching on the track, high numbers of tree sparrows, blue tits, smaller numbers of chaffinch, great tit, long tailed tit flock passed through 8 ish, lots of sightings of at least 2 willow tit, i sparrowhawk (f) had a go at something, missed and passed over rindle woods, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 buzzards flying together, sighting of the day was 1 brambling (f) did not stop or feed, just moved along through the bushes, 3 collard doves, no yellowhammers today, 1 wren


Best Den

---

I've never visited Rindle road and keep meaning to. I've heard of the feeding track, do you fill it up yourself? Also, how close can (or should) you go, are they very tolerant? Its just I really want to get a good shot of a tree sparrow.
Cheers,
Joe

This afternoon, 2-4

2 hours ditching on the track, high numbers of tree sparrows, blue tits, smaller numbers of chaffinch, great tit, long tailed tit flock passed through 8 ish, lots of sightings of at least 2 willow tit, i sparrowhawk (f) had a go at something, missed and passed over rindle woods, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 buzzards flying together, sighting of the day was 1 brambling (f) did not stop or feed, just moved along through the bushes, 3 collard doves, no yellowhammers today, 1 wren


Best Den

Mid-afternoon today:

27 Tree Sparrow on or around the feeding station
2 Willow Tit on the feeders
Large numbers of Stock Doves in field 68 with flocks coming in from the south culminated in a count of 202
c4000 Starling put on an very impressive display around field 67/68 on wires and in the thick grass there. Eventually they thinned out slightly with many heading south over the railway and sitting on wires there instead.

7 Whooper Swans high s.w. over Astley at 4pm

12.45- 15.00

Rindle feeding track
23 Tree sparrows
4 Greenfinch
2 Goldfinch
8 Chaffinch
5 Collared doves
2 LT tits
4 Yellowhammers

A male Sparrowhawk flew in very low over the field and dropped over the fence onto a Chaffinch which was feeding on the seed. The hawk spent 10 minutes sat in the middle of the track eating his meal.

250 Starlings on the wires
21 Jackdaws mobbing a Buzzard high over the peat works.
Another 5 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk soaring around the mosses

Croxdens
7 Snipe
2 Teal
2 Mallard
3 Linnits
2 Pied wagtails
Kestrel
5 MPipits

7.15- 11.45am
What was supposed to be a quick visit after my night shift turned into a all morning walkabout due to the great weather

Rindle feeding track, the birds seem to appear within seconds of putting seed down.
3 Tree sparrows
3 Yellowhammers
2 Fieldfare
Coal tit
Reed bunting
and the usual Blue,Great tits and Chaffinches

60-70 Chaffinches in the Rindle hedge with also 15 Fieldfares
3 Pied wagtails on the dung heap with 2 Fieldfare and 2 Grey partridge in the fields
Buzzard and Kestrel over

Croxdens
Peregrine over scaring the Stock doves
2 Buzzard and a Kestrel over
2 Snipe flushed from the channels
Plenty of Pheasant all over the mosses

Not much about bird wise but a great mornings walk and it was also good to meet Judith Smith again

Early afternoon mooch down Rindless woods and SSSI.

c50 Teal
2 Yellowhammer
8 Tree Sparrow
6 Chaffinch
Large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing feeding on berries on Rindle hedge.
1 Snipe
2 Kestrel
12 Pheasant
1 Bullfinch
16 Long tailed tits
4 Great tits
8 Blue tits
1 Buzzard

Still good numbers of Dragonflies around too.

Rindle road
13.30-15.30
kestrelx1
Loads of Pheasants 25 plus
Robin
Wren
Various Finches
Mallardsx16
Buzzardx1
Magpiesx3
Jayx1
Long tailed titx2
Blue titx2
Great titx1
Student typesx10 all with Homework walking about on SSSI
Cheers Jay

Irlam Moss around Prospect Grange Farm 10am-1pm
c.500 Starlings on telephone wires
1 Buzzard
1 Skylark

Around Chat and Irlam Moss by bike 2.30-5.00pm
Fieldfare 200 along 12 yds Rd and f52 moving S
Redwing 20 s over f62
Grey Partridge covey of 5 flushed from f52
Buzzard 2 over f52 and Peat Works
Kestrels 4 f6, f9 2 , f12
Skylark 8 over f62 se
Meadow Pipit f62
Woodies 50
F Pigeon 150
Crows 67
BH Gull 50
All f45

Irlam Moss 10.15am-12.15pm
1 Peregrine over heading east
1 Buzzard
1 Snipe flew over south and off the moss towards Irlam

13:30-14:30 today:

70+ Linnet in fields and telephone wires off Moss Lane.
c700 Starling off Rindle Road.
570 Woodpigeon Bedford Moss.
518 Fieldfare flew mainly westwards (fairly low) in half an hour from 13:30-14:00, mainly across the SSSI but some also roughly along the tip road. No doubt more were involved but the rain at 2pm seemed to stop their passage, plus I fell asleep in the car around then (a hazard of birding in between night shifts ).

11.30 till 13.30
Poss Merlin on fence around Olive mount farm
3xkestrels
2xBuzzards
Flock of Feildfare 30 plus
Flock of Crows 20 plus behind Rindle cottages
Swallowx1
Various Finches
Long Tailed Titsx2
Male Pheasantx2
Loads of Jays
Cheers Jay

11.30-1.00pm Irlam & Barton Mosses

cracking hour and a half and a bit of a raptor fest

Highlight - A ringtail Hen Harrier quartering over f16 then across Twelve Yards Rd a few yards in front of me into f52 where it quartered the field for a couple of minutes then landed on the ground for a further couple of minutes. It then flew over into f62 at 12.45pm. crackin views!

Peregrine perched on pylon in f6 for at least 50 mins before flying off over the railway
2 Sparrowhawks
1-2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
2 skiens of Pink Feet over - c.40 NW at 11.30am and a noisy c.220 SW at 12.40pm
c.80 Fieldfare
c.10 Redwing
covey of 15 Grey Partridge - f9
42+ Tree Sparrows (35+ between f9&10 and 8 around f52
c.150+ LB-B Gulls circling high over Croxten
2 Willow Tits heard
20+ Skylarks
11 Meadow Pipits
4 Yellowhammers - f10
5 Linnets - f9
4 Goldcrests
3 LT Tits
4 Jays
1 GS Woodpecker heard

plus the usuals

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 16th of October 2011 02:10:42 PM

10.40am
2 Ravens flew south off Irlam Moss 'cronking' as they went.
12 Redwings over - 9 west & 3 east
2 Jays
2 Buzzards
4 LT Tits
2 Skylark over
2 Pied Wagtail over

Good luck through hedges and fields around morleys/tyldesley sewage works early evening found
1+ blackcap
58+ redwing
30+ fieldfare
14+ robin
11+ song thrush
25+ blackbird
1 treecreeper
2 willow tit
and c.100 finches, mainly chaffinch

Rindle road
12.00 till 14.00
Lets get the flocks out of the way
20 Lapwings flying towards Chat moss
50 plus Starlings
20 plus Fieldfare
10 plus v Finches
Buzzard getting a lot of attention off 2 Magpies
2 pied wagtails
3xJay
Male Pheasant with 4 Juvs
Heard partridge's calling not seen
Cheers Jay

Some aditional sightings from today

Raspberry Lane to 12 Yards Road circular. Highlights included:
chiffchaff in amongst the tit flocks - called briefly
2+ goldcrest
2 bullfinch
100+ linnet feeding in recently ploughed/ sown field off 12 yards road feeding with meadow pipit, goldfinch and pied wagtail
one sparrowhawk being mobbed by carrion crows above the same field
one yellowhammer
numerous blackbirds feeding on rosehips

1000-1430

Astley Road

Peregrine near motorway
Sparrowhawk (female)
c30 Swallows near Red Challis
100+ Skylark mostly moving through
6 Kestrel
8 Yellowhammer
4 Tree Sparrow
10 Long Tailed Tit
12 Mistle Thrush
11 Pied Wagtail

Rain stopped play

3.00-4.30pm Barton Moss and Croxten

2 male Brambling feeding on fallen beech mast on the road with a flock of c.30 Chaffinch near Barton Grange Farm by the fallen beech tree.
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
18 Canada Geese over north
60+ Linnet - f9
9 Tree Sparrow
1 Jay
50+ Stock Dove (including 40+ in one flock) with c.150 Woodpigeons -f9
25+ Carrion Crow - f9
6 Mistle Thrush
Family party of 8 Grey Partridge - f10

Croxten
1 Snipe
4 Reed Buntings

Rindle road 260 starlings on the wires 6 jays 7 mistle thrushes 4 lt tits Willow tit 2 flocks of grey partridge, 11&6 along moss lane.

10.45am

Fem/juv Merlin flew along the southern edge of Irlam Moss and west along Merlin Road !!! I saw one do exactly the same thing a few weeks ago! (See my post 6th Sept). Maybe this is a regular hunting circuit?

11.00 till 12.00
Long tail titsx8
Massive flock of Starlings on Rindle road
Sparrowhawk
Male pheasantsx3
Massive Buzzard(white underneath) back of SSSI in a tree
Cheers Jay

Still around 300 Starlings on the wires off Rindle Road this afternoon, plus 30 or so Chaffinch by Rindle Farm.

Along the path by the SSSI a large tit flock consisted of 28 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Chiffchaff, 9 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Willow Tit.

A further two Willow Tits were also by Rindle Wood.