Old Hall Farm 7.15pm

1 Grey Heron
6 Canada Geese
1 Linnet
6 Tree Sparrows
1 Pied Wagtail
6 Swallows
10 Sand Martins
3 Stock Doves
25 Starlings feeding on the ground
Lots of lapwings

Church Lane 06:20 - 06:45

Quiet.

2 lbbgull
1 black-headed gull
3 mallard

Phil

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 20th of May 2012 07:43:58 AM

Saturday 19th May 6am.

Just a Coot and Mallards this morning at Church Lane (We've been spoilt)
Hopefully something exciting will drop in again soon.

Wednesday 16th May 8.10pm

No sign of the Greenshank this evening when I left at 8.15pm.
Hopefully it'll be back in the morning.

Church Lane 6.30 am
Greenshank
Little Owl
Oystercatcher

Church Lane :

Greenshank still feeding at the flood (10.00)
Lapwing 2
Oystercatcher 1

Old Hall Lane :

Starling 85 (mostly juveniles)
Swift 12
Wheatear 5
Sand Martin 2

Ploughing again underway inside the airfield perimeter. Sad to see breeding Curlew, Skylarks and Lapwings scattering before the plough.

Cheers, John





-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 16th of May 2012 11:57:55 AM

church lane,7.40-9pm.

greenshank (first for the year) showing well,worth the trip.
1 little owl
1 curlew
1 great spotted woodpecker
1 swift
4 canada goose
6 mallards
1 moorhen
several swallows over fields.
oystercatcher,heard only.

nice to meet adam jones, nice to meet nigel troup again

Church Lane visit one:

Just after 7pm the Greenshank was still present, as were the two Shelducks which I was delighted at, as they were spooked just a couple of minutes later by a dog walker.

The Greenshank was also there when I left the second time at 8.55pm, as was Steven Burke. Nice to meet you Steven.

A Quick stop Before Cricket at 18:00:

2 Shelduck
3 Canada Geese
Mallard
Carrion Crows
Lesser Black Backed Gulls
Swifts
Swallows

That Greenshank was still there at 4.00 pm today.

It must have annoyed an Oystercatcher which was chasing it up and down the flood until they both took off and continued in pursuit in the air.

Church Lane 16.10 - 17.05

Greenshank took off at around 16.55 and appeared to drop in behind the grassy mound in the field behind the flood
Shelduck 2 (made a brief appearance for 12 minutes from 16.23 - 16.35)
Oystercatcher 1
Lapwing 2
LBB Gull 1
Swift 12

Old Hall Lane 17.10 - 17.45

Curlew 2 (bathing in a small stand of water by the runway)
Greenshank (flew in calling to join the Curlew then moved out of sight)
Wheatear 8

Cheers, John




-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 15th of May 2012 06:07:45 PM

Church Lane - 6.30 am
Greenshank still present

Church Lane:

Greenshank still present when I left at 8pm.
1 Little Owl
1 Common Buzzard

Church Lane (18.30 - 19.30)

Greenshank present for its 3rd day despite disturbance from a nearby cricket match, walkers, and dogs splashing around.

Also:

Lapwing 3
Curlew 2
Oystercatcher 1
House Martin 3

Cheers, John

Thanks John

The Greenshank was near to the road this evening and seemingly less susceptible to disturbance, certainly from the walkers.

2 Oystercatcher also present

Greenshank still present at 18.32 (Info from Karen Foulkes)

Cheers, John

Greenshank present this morning along with 3 oystercatchers, wheatear, shoveler and little owl.

Phil

Church Lane Flood:

I said I was only popping out for a minute, but ended up causing quite a stir this afternoon.
Thanks to John Rayner for confirming ID of the Greenshank. Really needed my scope to be sure but that was at home.
Glad so many could get along to tick it off.

Church Lane Flood:

Adam Jones found a GREENSHANK at approx 16.45 which was well twitched by local birders.

It flew high at 18.35 having been flushed by dog walkers (info from Mark Rigby)

This is the first local record for 15 years, when another turned up at the same site.

Cheers, John

Friday 11th May

1 Wheatear in the fields on the opposite side of the road to the runway this evening.
3 Linnets
1 Curlew
1 Pied Wagtail
11 Tree Sparrows
3 Skylarks
2 Swallows
Lots of Lapwings
1 Swift at Church Lane, but that was all.

Old Hall Lane

Wheatear 4
Skylark 8
Curlew 2

Cheers, John

Tuesday 8th May 7.00-8.15pm

Old Hall Lane:
Just as I was wondering if they'd come back this year, 10 Sand Martins started to swirl around the trees on the golf course. Good to have them back.
18 Swallows
1 Wheatear on the airfield
32 Lapwings
3 Lesser black-backed gulls over the airfield
5 Linnets
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Curlew heard
3 Skylarks
2 Greenfinch
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Tree Sparrows, with others heard close to the farm house

Church Lane:
1 Curlew
1 Oystercatcher
16 Canada Geese
5 Mallards
6 Swallows

Sightings from cricket practice:

Lots of Swallows about with a few singing too
1 Oystercatcher on the cricket pitch
1 Kestrel

I also spoke to two very nice birders who were watching the flood on my way home so I shall post this on their behalf as it was they who told me what was about,

Lots of Canada Geese
Mallards
Oystercatchers
3-4 Wheatear which dropped in very briefly
1 Common Buzzard
Lapwings
1 Lesser Black Backed Gull

Monday 7th May 7am

Church Lane:
1 immature Mute Swan
1 Lesser black-backed Gull
1 Herring Gull dropped in for a drink but flew off after just a few minutes
4 Mallards
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker heard

Old Hall Lane/Farm
1 Common Buzzard
2 Curlew
15 Lapwings
3 Wheatear
1 Reed Bunting
3 Pied Wagtails
4 Tree Sparrows

Church Lane was much busier when I passed at 2:15.

30 Black-headed Gulls (first I've seen in the area for about three weeks).
15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Oystercatcher
2 Jackdaw
2 Woodpigeon
3 Mallards
2 Canada Geese
1 Little Owl.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of May 2012 06:57:37 PM

Church Lane:
Virtually devoid of birds - 1 Oystercatcher
(2 Little Owls yesterday)

Old Hall Lane:
12 LBB Gulls (on newly ploughed field)
4 Wheatears
5 Linnets
5 Stock Doves

Cheers, John

Friday 4th May 5.45pm

Church Lane:
6 Canada Geese
1 Oystercatcher

Old Hall Lane:
5 Wheatears on the brown grassy areas just off the tarmac.
1 Skylark singing over the runway
7 Lapwings
3 Lesser black-backed gulls

Plus 1 Hare

Church Lane
06:40 - 07:40

Little owl, harassed by a pair of song thrushes
Lesser-black backed gull
Canada geese
Mallard
Whinchat on hedge on far side
Usual species

Phil

Early morning:

Church Lane:

Immature Mute Swan
8 Canada Geese
2 Greylag Geese
1 Oystercatcher

Old Hall Lane:

3 Wheatear
2 Red-legged Partridge
Usual breeding birds on airfield

Cheers, John

Sightings from during cricket training:

1 Sparrowhawk,
1 Oystercatcher,
Lots of Swallows,
Mallards
Canada geese,

Church Lane (06.45 - 08.10)

Oystercatcher 1
Whinchat (female on hedge)
Pair of Shelduck dropped in 07.55 - 08.05 then left high SW.

Old Hall Lane (07.00 - 07.20)

Wheatear 3
Oystercatcher 1

Cheers, John

John Rayner wrote:

---

Church Lane (06.45 - 08.10)


Whinchat (female on hedge)
Pair of Shelduck dropped in 07.55 - 08.05 then left high SW.

---

Why do the Good birds always turn up when I have no bins?

-- Edited by Rory Newton on Tuesday 1st of May 2012 08:07:35 PM

All sightings from Tony Broome:

Approx 17.55 a female Marsh Harrier flew over Church Lane Flood towards Woodford airfield.

Approx 19.00 a Common Tern flew through in the same direction.

(Not Woodford but earlier, at approx 10.30 an Osprey flew north past Poynton Pool and entered GM airspace somewhere near Fiveways).

Cheers, John

Church Lane this evening:

1 Oystercatcher
5 Canada Geese
3 Mallards
1 Lesser black-backed gull
1 Swallow
2 Greylag Geese (1 that was practically albino)

Old Hall Lane:
4 Skylarks
Many Lapwings displaying
1 Stock Dove
1 Pheasant

Sunday 29 April - 0615 to 07:00
Church Lane
4 mallard
2 lbbg
1 moorhen

In rain and hail.

Phil

Saturday 28th April 6.15am

Church lane:
Water levels back up to where they were in the winter, with little to no muddy margins visible.
Just 4 Canada Geese and 2 Lapwings this morning.
2 Swallows sat on a telephone line.

Old Hall Lane:
2 Common Buzzards
15 Lapwings on or around the fields bordering the runway.

Church Lane at 8.15pm

2 Common Sandpipers and 12 Canada Geese plus a few Mallards was all that was left this evening.

At 18:00 on Church Lane there was:

2 Little Ringed Plovers
3 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatchers
7 Canada Geese
3 Carrion Crows
2 Swallows
and a bloke flying a model hovercraft on the flood!

6.00 am Avro Golf Course
1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
4 Sand Martins

12.30 Church Lane
3 Common Sandpipers

Church Lane 7.30am

3 common sandpiper this morning

Church Lane 7pm

Much the same as Nigel's post below. We've had a cracking few days here.
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Grebe
2 Little Ringed Plovers
1 Oystercatcher
1 Little Owl
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Canada Geese
6 Mallards

There was a bitter wind this evening, it felt much cooler than the 8C on my car's dash.

On drawing up at Church Lane flood at about 6.30, I instantly found two Little Ringed Plovers at the North West end of the mud, close to the cricket ground perimeter. A Little Owl flew from a tree near the steel gate, across the lane and over the adjoining field to perch on the fence. Other than that, seven Canada Geese, two Magpies and a Woodpigeon were all I could find.

When I returned, however, an hour later, I quickly found both Little Grebe and Common Sandpiper (Southern side of the flood). I have to believe that they had been there all the time and that I'd missed them from my viewing spot on the road. A pair of Oystercatchers that flew in had definitely not been there earlier, nor a Swallow that passed through.

The intervening period was spent walking along Old Hall Lane. This was a fairly productive session:

Plenty of Lapwings, including three young in the field just before the bridge over the Dean.
Fieldfare (about 10, feeding with Starling and Mistle Thrush).
Skylark (two singing over the airfield).
Wheatear (one in the ploughed area on the airfield).
Two Pheasant.
Two flocks of Linnet (25 to 30 in total).
Three House Sparrows (no Tree Sparrows found).
A pair of Greenfinch.
10+ Goldfinch.
3 Stock Dove.

Church Lane:
Little Grebe and Common Sandpiper still (09.30)

Old Hall Lane:
2 Wheatears

Bridle Road:
3 White Wagtails

Cheers, John

Church Lane flood at 8.00am had:

1 little grebe
1 common sandpiper
6 greylag geese
9 Canada geese
2 lapwing
3 mallards in the ditches

Little grebe is a first at this site for me

My decision to "Just pop back to see what was around" was well worth it, with 2 Little Ringed Plovers again.
Also present tonight:

2 Oystercatchers
2 Wheatear

Church Lane 7.30pm

All the same as when Rory was there earlier today, with the addition of 2 little ringed plover and 1 oystercatcher.

A quick break from homework:

Church Lane:
2 Wheatear, (first of the year for me)
6 Canada Geese
3 Greylag Geese
2 Mallard

Old Hall Lane:

There were 10+ Lapwings
4 Skylark singing over aerodrome
1 Curlew
10 Fieldfare
100+ Jackdaws

Church Lane 12pm

A quick visit while the rain stopped.

3 Greylag Geese
7 Cananda Geese
1 Lapwing
1 Wheatear

Church Lane Flood (is filling up again nicely):

Wigeon (male)
Mallard 4
Lapwing 1
Wheatear 2
Swallow 2


Old Hall Lane:

Fieldfare 41
Redwing 2
Wheatear 5
Linnet 3

Cheers, John

Saturday 21st April 8am

Church Lane:
No sign of Common Sandpiper this morning.

Old Hall Lane:
1 Common Buzzard sat on the ground close to the runway
4 Skylarks singing
1 Curlew