Where abouts is this folks?

01/12/2009 - Fitting weather for the month we have just begun this morning, with a crisp frost evident. Lots of birds in the garden now, including 7 dazzling Bullfinches which decorate the bare-branched damson tree like rosy Ballballs. Other stuff on a local wander included:

1 Treecreeper
1 Goldcrest
2 Snipes
1 Grey Heron
2 Buzzards
19 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
3 Stock Doves
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
5 Starlings
1 Black-headed Gull


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 1st of December 2009 09:55:09 AM

1 Treecreeper this morning on the patch before I had to give up in the rain and for fear of being shot by the local shooters, nice.

15/11/2009 - Still pretty quiet locally, a bout of frosts will surely see some action but that's not forecast for a while. Still, a great count of Pied Wagtails feeding in the sheep fields this afternoon although Phil Owen told me he had c100 earlier on this autumn.

46+ Pied Wagtails
1 Grey Wagtail
c30 Starlings
1 Stock Dove
2 Common Snipes
11 Redwings
1 Lesser Redpoll

03/11/2009 - Not much been happening recently on the patch but birds seen have included:

3 Grey Herons
3 Common Snipes
1 Kestrel
4 Buzzards
1 Black-headed Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
300+ Woodpigeons
24 Fieldfares
61 Redwings
5 Pied Wagtails
4 Goldcrests
2 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting

28/10/2009 - After a significant influx of Fieldfares reported on the east coast yesterday I thought I'd get out early, just after dawn and get counting. In one hour 664 Fieldfares flew mainly in a SW direction in groups of upto 120. A brilliant sight and a patch record, the old record being 25 birds! What was strange was the lack of many other migrants in tow. Redwings only numbered c50, no real finch movement and a Meadow Pipit were all I could muster. Also around included:

2 Teals
2 Snipes
1 Kestrel
2 Siskins
12 Goldfinches
6 Greenfinches
2 Pied Wagtails
5 Jays (seemingly on the move in the same direction as the Fieldfares)

27/10/2009 - Sporadic garden watching this morning revealed more movement of the winter birds and increased numbers visiting the feeders. Stuff seen included:

1 Lesser Redpoll (flyover)
2 Siskins
6 Goldfinches
1 Jay
8 Redwings
8 Pied Wagtails (from the airport roost)
1 Grey Wagtail

I left the house thinking no level of local birding could compensate for not going to see the Eastern Crowned Warbler in Co.Durham today. Whilst mulling this over on my walk in the fields north of Shay Lane, a ball of large birds, silhouetted against the sky, revealed themselves to be c300 Pink-footed Geese as they weaved dynamic lines and v-shapes in the sky in front of me! A second patch record after the first earlier this season and a great sight to lift the spirits.

Other stuff seen from 32 species in an hour included:
9 Skylarks (a patch record)
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Pied Wagtails
2 Black-headed Gulls
2 Mistle Thrushes
22 Redwings
16 Starlings
3 Common Snipes
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard

Nice to see the Raven is back Phil. I checked the fields out this evening for the first time in a couple of weeks, and that carcass appears smelly enough for a whole flock of Ravens to drop in soon!

My sightings included:

19 Siskins (over, heading SE)
1 Reed Buntings (over)
10+ Redwings (surely due a Dusky/Naumann's Thrush soon...)
4 Common Snipes
8 Stock Doves (one of the highest counts to date here)
30+ Greenfinches (flocks building up in number)
12 Pied Wagtails (feeding around sheep)
1 Grey Wagtail
17 Starlings
2 Jays
2 Rooks
3 Jackdaws

Looking forward to another great autumn on 'the patch'!

Quick check round the patch in the fields North of Buttery House Lane 9.10am-9.50am showed the usual suspects and also:-

1 Raven
1 Rook
1 Nuthatch
2 Meadow Pipits

No sign of the Common Snipe from a couple of days ago.

Late afternoon/evening walk 4.30-5.50pm

A bit better birding wise due to the weather.

Pretty much same species as yesterday but also:-

Grey Wagtail
Great-Spotted Woodpecker
Grey Heron
Mallard
Chaffinch
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Bullfinch

The 3 Common Snipe were still present.

Lots of finch flocks so am hoping for a Brambling or two over the coming weeks.

Quick 45 mins with dog round the fields at Buttery House Lane 12.40pm-1.25pm produced the following:-

Blue Tit
Great Tit
L T Tit
Woodpigeon
Jackdaw
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Canada Goose (8 heading South)
Pied Wagtail (huge numbers in Sheep fields)
Buzzard (being mobbed by some very unhappy Crows)
Redwing (several feeding in Hawthorns)
Blackbird

Also,
3 Common Snipe flushed from one of the small pools
1 revolting smell from a sheep carcas but at least the Magpies seemed happy!!!

30/09/2009 - Viz-mig tailing off now towards the end of the month but still some stuff on the move:

1 Reed Bunting
12 Meadow Pipits
5 alba/yarrelli Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
100+ Woodpiegons
2 Jays
2 Song Thrushes
20+ Greenfinches

Grounded birds included 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Mallards and 2 Bullfinches

25/09/2009 -

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Reed Bunting
40+ Greenfinches
5 Goldfinches
29 Meadow Pipits
5 alba/yarrelli Wagtails
c150 Woodpiegons
2 Mallards
2 Grey Herons
8 Chiffchaffs

24/09/2009 - A good morning of migration with 86 Meadow Pipits (a site record) and 11 Pied Wagtails over. Nothing really in amongst that lot but in the hedges an arrival of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins was evident, probably still moving through to wintering grounds.

22/09/2009 -

1 Cormorant (heading SE towards Rostherne)
1 Kestrel
40+ Jackdaws (the most common corvid tonight, heading to roost along Brooks Drive)

19/09/2009 - One of the best times of year on the patch right now with the arrival of autumn and winter birds whilst many of the summer species are still about. This is making for large numbers of birds in an otherwise quiet area for birding. No scarcities today but there's always hope when so many birds are on the move. 40 species were seen in an hour partially thanks to a fall of passerines, and produced:

5 Blackcaps
25+ Chiffchaffs
1 Skylark
30+ Meadow Pipits
3 Pied Wagtails
1 Grey Wagtail
16 Swallows
15 Black-headed Gulls
1 Redwing (first of the autumn here, with Mistle+migrant Song Thrushes)
4 Song Thrush
16 Mistle Thrushes
2 Goldcrests
15+ Long-tailed Tits
1 Coal Tit
2 Bullfinches
20+ Greenfinches
2 Lapwings
1 Snipe
1 Stock Dove
150+ Woodpigeons
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 19th of September 2009 09:36:13 AM

18/09/2009 - Early morning migration check:

1 Snipe (first of the autumn here)
20+ Meadow Pipits
2 Pied Wagtails
5 Stock Doves (looked like migrants going over)
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
120+ Woodpigeons
1 Black-headed Gull
8 Grey Herons


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Friday 18th of September 2009 12:41:05 PM

17/09/2009 - Low, thick cloud levels and no wind made for good viz-mig conditions today. Stuff seen in the fields north of Shay Lane included:

53+ Meadow Pipits
1 Linnet
1 Grey Wagtail
10+ Chiffchaffs
2 Common Gulls
1 Black-headed Gulls
8 Grey Herons (gorging on rare newts in all probability)
2 Stock Doves
150+ Woodpigeons

15/09/2009 - Viz-mig has slowed down a bit with the windier weather here but a few bits on the move once more this morning:

1 Common Gull (ad w)
2 Black-headed Gulls
5 Meadow Pipits
11 Swallows
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Blackcap (male)
3 Great-spotted Woodpeckers
2 Bullfinches
5 Mistle Thrushes

14/09/2009 -

21 Pink-footed Geese (flew over S.E., first time i've seen this these here)
11 Canada Geese
1 Linnet
5 Stock Doves
10 Mallards
1 House Martin


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 15th of September 2009 09:03:48 AM

12/09/2009 - Back to normality on the patch today with 2 Ravens over high up, going north, 10+ Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap and 3 Stock Doves.

11/09/2009 continued...

1 HOBBY (juvenile over, new for the patch also)
4 Buzzards
14+ Swallows
2 House Martins

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Friday 11th of September 2009 12:35:38 PM

11/09/2009 - 1 WHINCHAT this morning in the large bullrush filled marl pit in the large sheep field, north of Shay Lane. Access off Buttery House Lane and take the first style on the right. A patch first and one I was hoping for this morning after the upland fall yesterday. Also about in a quick half an hour jaunt:

1 Grey Wagtail
2 Stock Doves
1 Treecreeper
2 Nuthatch
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Grey Heron

09/09/2009 - Calm conditions dominating for a pleasant change and signs of migration had upped a touch. Plenty of mipits, wagtails and pigeons on the move in particular. Sightings included:

1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
10+ Meadow Pipits
80+ Woodpigeons
3 Stock Doves
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Grey Herons
6 Mallards
1 Nuthatch
5 Swallows

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 9th of September 2009 09:29:18 AM

04/09/2009 - No sign of any Redstarts for you to twitch i'm afraid Geoff.
In windy conditions viewing wasn't easy for the passerines but 8+ Chiffchaffs in a big tit flock was a good count here. The only sightings of note was a Sparrowhawk which appeared to be a juvenile male. It hung in the air for a few moments until being chased off by an army of Crows and Magpies.
Thanks. Henry.

I'm heading out tomorrow morning hopefully to confirm its presence Geoff, so will report on here as soon as poss to let you know either way.
Henry.

Hope there,s not some conspiacy thingy going on here ,just the mention of a redstart has me twitching,i,ve never been down buttery house lane but I might hazard a guess a walk across( a to z page177 2 h or j )might just get me a county tick

pretty desperate now geoff:biggrin

I know exactly what you mean about the seeing of special events and no camera present Brandon. The other thing i've noticed, is that when I do have the camera, these special events don't happen so often. Probably all because I waste time fiddling with camera setting etc instead of looking at the wildlife around me.

03/09/2009 -

possible fem Redstart (in similar spot to previous years, first right over stile beyond Buttery House Lane and in hedge by the next gate over the stream, couldn't confirm before the rain started up again)
1 Raven (flew through quite high up)
3 Stock Doves
1 Black-headed Gull (on Ringway golf course)
1 Treecreeper
c20 Swallows
1 Buzzard


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Thursday 3rd of September 2009 05:17:25 PM

had to take a detour on the way to work this morning to drop someone at the hospital and on the way to Wilmslow through the lanes came across a very pale buzzard harassing two heron in the last field on the end of whitecarr lane, after the heron flew off the buzzard settled down in the bare branches of a tree in the same field and was joined by two magpie which were happy to sit in it's company! Oh and of course as is normal when i see good close sightings no camera available to photograph the action!!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 1st of September 2009 06:16:58 PM

13/08/2009 - A single Garden Warbler joined the throngs of commoner warblers moving through the area now, this morning, at the bottom of Buttery House Lane and just into the first field on the right. 1 Stock Dove and 1 Grey Heron also about.

07/08/2009 - Migration picking up now in the area. Looking forward to those early morning walks over the next few months.

Grey Wagtail - 1
Black-headed Gull - 2
Swallow - 30+ (mobbed a Buzzard, they looked like swarming insects!)
Willow Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 4
Grey Heron - 2
Stock Dove - 4
Bullfinch - 6 (3 juvs)
Goldfinch - 7 (feeding on creeping thistles)

I'll just have to upgrade to premium superduper nuts to tempt them back Sid. Nuthatches from miles around will flock back to the garden once more!

01/08/2009 - A bit of a treck out into the local area this morning through the squelshy, saturated sheep fields was met with a stiff chilly wind, vividly reminiscent of autumn already. A sample of the birds seen included:

KINGFISHER - 1 (Fittingly for this beauty of a bird, it performed a lap of honour around one of the sheep fields, calling intermittantly, before zipping off elsewhere)
Stock Dove - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Mistle Thrush - 2
House Martin - 4
Swallow - 20+
Swift - 30+

Henry, think we have your Nuthatches - there has been a pair in our garden for a while now but today we seem to have an increase - I have counted (seen and heard) at least 5 around the garden, back and front of the house

30/07/2009 - A pick-up in activity this morning in line with a little bit of decent weather for a change. The local nuthatches have completely vanished and gone quiet which is strange for this always conspicuous visitor to my garden and local area (the electricity board chopping down their nesting tree didn't help ). With the autumnal weather i'm hoping things start picking up soon migration wise.

3 Stock Doves (one by a nest site)
1 Grey Wagtail (flew over)
2 Meadow Pipit (flew over)
3 Chiffchaff (2 juvs)
6 Bullfinches (2 juvs)
7 Goldfinches (1+juv)
4 House Martins
50+ Swifts (big flock moving south)
4 G.S.Woodpecker
7 Mistle Thrushes
1 Buzzard (no nest this year)
5 Kestrels (3+juvs)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Pheasant
1 Grey Heron

Thanks. Henry.

26/04/2009 - It seems my little moan yesterday worked as one Lesser Whitethroat was singing and seemed back on territory in the fields north of Shay Lane this morning. Success! The habitat can't be considered good in quality though so here's hoping it sticks around. Also seen:

1 Wheatear (male)
2 Reed Buntings
4 Stock Doves
3 Swallows
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Sparrowhawk
plus a fox feasting on young lamb.


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 26th of April 2009 11:09:09 AM

25/04/2009 - A shortish walk checking out all of last years nesting sites for Lesser Whitethroat have revealed that there are none of these scarce migrants back sadly. The habitat has changed significantly in the last two years due to pressure from stock grazing which has totally removed the understorey of hedgerows. Sad news for the patch.
Only one Lesser Whitethroat has been around this spring which stayed for all of two minutes last week, before moving off northwards. There remains a small chance of a returning pair as a few spots look just about suitable but only time will tell whether they can re-establish a breeding population. Stuff seen:

1 Grey Heron
2 Canada Geese
6 Mallards
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrel
4 Lapwings
3 Mistle Thrushes
6 Song Thrushes
1 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
2 Reed Buntings

Well that's certainly a relief

Nothing!

What do I have to do to qualify (for what) then Vaughan?

Once you qualify Sid we'll let you know

OK guys you got me fooled - whats the big excitement ?

I agree Vaughan, words cannot describe the excitement!

21/04/2009 - 1 Lesser Whitethroat singing from the bottom of Shay Lane at the edge of the fields out towards Newall Green. First of the year here. Didn't hang around for long although the habitat is good for them. Lots of other warblers about (but few other migrants still) including:

2 Common Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
5 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
2 Swallows
1 Kestrel
1 Oystercatcher (flew over calling last night!)

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 21st of April 2009 09:34:24 AM

19/04/2009 - 2 Common Whitethroats (first of spring here), 1 Wheatear (fem) and 2 Canada Geese of note on the patch first thing this morning with a late frost overnight.

15/04/2009 - A blustery, drizzly, chilly walk meant for most of the birds keeping their heads low, nearly all bar the Swallows which have arrived in force now, 20+ in total. They were loving the wind and moving rapidly off north to be replaced by more birds from the south. Great to see migration in action so vividly like this. 1 Wheatear, 2 Stock Doves and 1 Willow Warbler remained.

14/04/2009 - Seen this morning in the fields north of Shay Lane up to Well Green:

1 Wheatear
4 Lapwings
1 Mipit
1 Willow Warbler
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
3 Swallows
1 Grey Heron
4 Mallards
1 Moorhen
1 Buzzard

11/04/2009 - A good time of year to get out on the patch first thing in the morning and tally the migrants. When it's sunny it helps too and this morning was excellent, no wind to chill the extremities and no rain to soak the skin. Stuff seen this morning in the fields north of Shay Lane included:

1 Wheatear
1 Skylark (over)
1 Linnet (over)
1 Fieldfare
2 Willow Warblers (singing)
2 Chiffchaffs (singing)
2 Blackcaps (singing)
4 Stock Doves (2 pairs singing)
1 Kestrel

10/04/2009 - A warm walk in the local area taking in Ringway Golf Course and the fields north of Shay Lane revealed loads of warblers including the first influx of Willow Warblers for the year. Sightings included:

1 Canada Goose (flew over)
6 Stock Doves
5 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Blackcaps
1 Reed Bunting
5 Lesser Redpolls
2 Siskins
6 Bullfinches