I am seeing regular evidence of Peregrine kills on Asley Moss East too Dave. Only today I found a fresh pile of Woodpigeon feathers on the bare peat from a very recent Peregrine kill (not wet and still not blown away by the wind so no more than several a few hours old .

8.30-11.30 this morning

Peregrine hunting at speed in the fields alongside Moss lane at 11.15am. In the last 3 weeks I have 6 sightings of Peregrines hunting over the mosses

Around Rindle and Astley moss

Hobby
5 Buzzards
2 Sparrowhawks
2 Kestrels ,both juv's
17 Lapwings
5 Goldfinch
3 Yellowhammers
1 GS Woodpecker
2 Jays
Heron

Willow warblers and Blackcap heard.
Not much about, the ferns are between 5-6' high and full of bugs and most of the small ponds are drying out.

Saturday 3rd July

Curlew
Yellowhammer
Swift
Swallow
House Martin
Kestrel
Goldfinch , Greenfinch, Chaffinch
Usual tits
Pheasant
Song Thrush
Wren

Female Marsh Harrier still present on Astley Moss East today though spending much time on private farmland on Worsley Moss too and very elusive.

Steven Nelson wrote:

---

Adult Med Gull still present at 12.10pm in field opposite pig field.
LBB Gulls quite a spectacle. Mostly adults but a few 1st & 2nd year birds.
Also 2 Herring Gulls, c.70 Black-headed Gulls and a large Starling flock c.500+ mostly made up of this years youngsters.

---

A single adult Common Gull also present and a pair of Little Grebes in the nearby River Glaze. According to the locals, large flocks of gulls have been hanging around the area for several weeks.

Adult Med Gull still present at 12.10pm in field opposite pig field.
LBB Gulls quite a spectacle. Mostly adults but a few 1st & 2nd year birds.
Also 2 Herring Gulls, c.70 Black-headed Gulls and a large Starling flock c.500+ mostly made up of this years youngsters.

Around 600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a single Mediterranean Gull feeding in the pig fields off Woolden Road, Cadishead Moss at 10am this morning.

Info thanks to Mike Baron

a good nights birding tonight around rindle road, loads of great spotted woodpeckers flying around the wood, also willow tit, wren, chiffchaffs, chaffinch, over the feilds were curlew, oystercatchers, a few kestrels and a single buzzard, best sight of the night was two mating sand martins on the phone wires, loads of swallows and swifts too, also two red legged partridge on the road

I cant wait to go here next weekend now, seems like my little owl hopes are getting better !

8.45pm-10.00pm Irlam Moss & Barton Moss

Tawny Owl flushed from Black Wood briefly by 2 crows before flying back in.
Little Owl on telegraph pole along Twelve Yards Rd close to junction with Astley Rd.
Corn Bunting heard singing distantly in f45 but I couldn't see it.

With Pete Berry:

Marsh Harrier still present on Astley Moss East this evening, once again headin SE over the railway. The state of moult and other plumage features of this bird seem to match up exactly with the images of the recent Wigan Flashes bird too, though I appreciate females will all be in varying states of primary moult now.

Two pairs of Yellow Wagtail look to have been successful off 12 yards road, Chat Moss. With some fully fledged juvs from one pair and the other with both parents carrying beakfulls of insects into the crops to their waiting clutch. Brilliant.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 26th of June 2010 08:26:09 PM

Nice find Ian, and not a bad photo

Keep birding

Female Marsh Harrier still loitering in the Astley Moss East area this evening and showing well albeit briefly before heading off SE over Botany Bay Woods towards fields 44/45 area?

Originally posted 25th June by Ian Moffatt

Barton Moss, 24.06.10:

Tetrads SJ79I/N
Roamed the above area,s freely today without restriction & with minimal disturbance whilst gathering important breeding imformation on our rapid declining farmland birds.
Good news
Spotted Flycatcher's back on territory where they successfully bred last year.
1st Corn Bunting this season again in usual haunt in fields 45/46.
Good numbers of Yellow Wagtails, females seen with food in five separate locations
details will be passed on to David Steel only.
Also
Yellow Hammers in 3 locations (numbers low)
Good numbers of Reed Buntings,Sky Larks & Tree Sparrows.
Sadly Partridges are really scarce located just a single pair.
On a positive note observed 2 families of Willow Tits.
Also had Buzzards,Kestrels, & Little Owls.
cheers
Ian.

Jake Caveney wrote:

---

Where is a good place for little Owls then ?

---

Hi Jake,

Try Goyt Hall Farm for Little Owl. One was regularly perching on the chimney stack earlier this year.

See 'Goyt Valley Local Nature Reserve - Offerton' thread for further details,

Cheers, John

I wouldn't dream of doing that Ian don't worry ! ahh well im still going to go down and see whats about, i will post my sightings next week......

Where is a good place for little Owls then ?

- Jake !

You do not need permits to access the footpaths as illustrated on the site guide on the Manchester Birding website but under no circumstances should you stray from these paths onto the moss itself, no matter how appealing it might seem. Not only is it a potentially dangerous place but you will also run the risk of disturbing not only the few breeding birds that are out there but also the fragile habitat itself.

As for Little Owl out there and around about, the chances are generally poor I'm afraid.

Im Visiting the Mosses next week for the first time... wanted to know if you can actually go there or do you need permits to access the area ? ....Also do you think iv got good chances of seeing a little owl next week ?

Many thanks !

jake

PS. off to the Farne Islands tomorrow !

Pete Berry and I had a female Marsh Harrier this evening along Astley Moss East (running alongside Botany Bay Wood). The bird was lingering in the area and often perching in trees, no doubt hoping to pick off the local Lapwing chicks, much as the local Buzzards have been doing of late!



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of June 2010 09:01:06 PM

Three juvenile ravens at the pig pens on Field 33 on Cadishead Moss this morning. Judging by the way they flew straight in I don't think it's the first time they've visited.

Irlam Moss 8.30pm - 9.45pm

3 Little Owls around Astley Road/Twelve Yards Rd junction this evening.
2-3 Spotted Flycatchers at a traditional breeding site!!
2 Yellow Wagtails
1 Pied Wag
1 calling Grey Partridge
1 female Kestrel
1 Buzzard
3 Sand Martins
2 House Martins
lots of Swifts & a few Swallows
3 Stock Doves
1 Pheasant
4 Yellowhammer
1 Tree Sparrow
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Magpie
lots of Whitethroats
20+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls all heading North
many very vocal Blackbirds - some mobbing the Little Owls

But - Not a single Corn Bunting seen or heard. Virtually extinct on Irlam Moss now!? Not had a single one this year. Very concerning. June evenings used to be a great time to hear and see them even just a few years ago.

A Green sandpiper was flushed from the scrapes this morning,
Also seen around Rindle and Astley moss were;

Cuckoo
2 family groups of Whitethroats
Blackcap
Willow warbler
Plenty of young Pied wagtails seen with also a single young Yellow wag
3 GS Woodpeckers
2 Jays
6 Buzzards
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk [m]

Also found another Blackbirds nest built on the ground with 4 ready to fly young in.

hot today, lots of biting midgys, the most sand martins i have seen at rindle road, passing through chasing the midgys all day, the usual swallows and swifts too, in the woods, willow warbler, blue tit, long tailed, great tit, chafffinch, lapwing and moorhen on the
scrapes, ont feilds were pied wagtail, yellowhammer, yellow wagtail, lots of kestrels today, single sparrowhawk being mobbed by crow, also today saw a swallow chasing off a kestrel

This is a really interesting observation....I believe young cuckoos retain the white head markings until their first moult, i.e. first Winter. I 've never read about a common cuckoo adult feeding a young of its own species tho' it seems well known that begging fledged cuckoos can attract passing passerines other than their hosts.

Chat Moss 1930hrs

2 Cuckoo perched on wires over field 58, One flew down onto the ground and flew back onto the wires with what appeared to be a worm in its beak and fed it to the other bird.

As the recipient was a browner bird with a white patch on its head, I assumed it was a juvenile bird, but it was being fed by an adult?

Then it struck me, the bird I saw had a long tail, which ruled out a juv bird!

After several phone calls and much reading of books It appears it was a pair of Cuckoo, with the female of the rufous morph, enjoying a little bit of courtship feeding, itself quite a rare observation.

It would be interesting to see if anybody else has seen this brown morph female.

pm
deadly quiet
linnet-1m
gs woodpecker-1 family party(thats the 3rd family party of woodys today)
garden warbler-1
few mippits
kestrel

On't moss this morning 9.30am - 11.00am.

3 Cuckoo (all very vocal)
2 Oystercatcher
3 Buzzard
Family of GSW in Rindle woods
Plus all the other usual stuff.

Lots of dragonflies about too - should be a few hobbies around down there soon hopefully.

Peregrine hunting over f9 & 10 at 5.15 pm putting up in excess of 70 Lapwings. Then flew of towards Botany Bay Woods.
Also:
1 half grown Lapwing chick in f8
1 Curlew f9
2 Oystercatcher f8
2 Grey Partridge (m & f) f9
2 drake Mallard f9
20+ Sand Martin and lots of Swifts over Croxten
1 Buzzard f9

Many thanks to all of you who replied to my post about the Hobby. In addition to the reply below I've had several PM's during the day all of which have confirmed it as a Hobby. It seems my pictures aren't bad for this type of bird - I guess once again I was expecting too much from my camera. Anyway, cheers mates.

Cheers Mark. Although photo 3 is the worst one, I included it because of it shows the 'red trousers' as you call them. It's what made my mind up and you've confirmed it, so thanks for helping a novice birder.

Martyn

Mark Rigby wrote:

---

Hi Martyn,

You did indeed see a Hobby last night. Hobby is a slightly smaller and generally darker bird all round, with a darker blue mantle and upperwing and darker underwing. On photo 3 you can clearly see the rusty red "trousers" and vent which separate it from Peregrine.

The chest of Hobby is more heavily/thicker streaked and along the body as opposed to across the body as on Peregrine.

Nice photo's!

Cheers

Riggers

---

Hi Martyn,

You did indeed see a Hobby last night. Hobby is a slightly smaller and generally darker bird all round, with a darker blue mantle and upperwing and darker underwing. On photo 3 you can clearly see the rusty red "trousers" and vent which separate it from Peregrine.

The chest of Hobby is more heavily/thicker streaked and along the body as opposed to across the body as on Peregrine.

Nice photo's!

Cheers

Riggers

I think I saw a Hobby over the SSSI last night. Or was it a Peregrine? I'd be grateful if anyone could help confirm this for me - there are some record shots on my blog. No sight or sound of the cuckoo though.

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 29th of May 2010 01:10:05 PM

28/5/10 7.30am - 9.10am Astley Moss SSSI

3 Blue Tits
3 Coal Tits (1 adult 2 fledglings)
6 Long-Tail Tits (2 adults 4 fledlings)
1 Chaffinch
1 Goldfinch
2 Linnets
2 Wrens
2 Carrion Crows
1 Jay
2 Magpies
5 Blackbirds
3 Song Thrushes
5 Mistle Thrushes
10 Lapwings
2 Meadow Pipits
6 Whitethroats
3 Willow Warblers
1 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
2 Reed Buntings
2 Yellowhammers
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Cuckoo showing well and 1 calling Bedford Moss
2 male Pheasants
12 Swallows
2 Sand Martins
1 Kestrel

28/5/10 9.10am to 10.10am Rindle Road to Red Chalis Farm

1 Blue Tit
13 Chaffinches
4 Goldfinches
1 Collared Dove
2 Magpies
6 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush with food
10 Lapwings
1 Skylark
3 Whitethroats
4 Willow Warblers
1 Yellowhammer
4 Swallows
c12 Sand Martins
c10 Swifts

Cuckoo and 2 Sand Martins flying over Rindle Road near to Moss Bank Farm 11.15am today.

Had an early start for an hour on the Mosses this morning before work [thanks to Ian for his new site guide giving me the confidence in which were the permitted paths]. Plenty of yellowhammers and other birds I expected to see but a flock of noisy canada geese was a bit of a surprise. The two highlights were very good but brief views of a Cuckoo at the point where the path crosses from the field edge to the moss edge - it flew from somewhere very close to where the path emerges to the silver birches behind the pool and then flew north east calling in flight. There was at least one other calling as well.

The best bit for me was finally finding a Garden Warbler [number 225 on my life list] which I heard near the rail line and finally saw after ten minutes of peering through the field boundary to the higher trees it was singing from.

Nice to see philip an John Ty ont moss today,the cuckoo started singing about an hour after you left, hopefully you will catch it next time philip,
also in the woods and around the border of the two private farming feilds today behind the woods were blackcaps, yellow hammers, lots of whitethroats and lesser whitethroats, willow warblers, great woody flying over, cuckoo not as vocal as usual, it was very hot today, good to see the first born dragonflys i have seen this year, loads of swallows as usual

Thanks Martyn, i think the photos look good, i think the slight sharpness that is not there is probably not there with all zoom lenses, the slight drop in quality is worth the useabiltiy of the lens, it is still much sharper than anything i could get digiscoping, if we want the spot on stunning sharpness then the only way to go is with a prime lens,
Best wishes Den,

Martyn Jones wrote:

---

Denis, I took these pictures (link below) of a Little Owl down Moss Lane a week or so ago on the same night I met you and saw the cuckoos. Is this the same bird?

Little Owl - you need to scroll down a bit.

The pictures were a bit dark because I just shot them on automatic being so surprised to see it - I didn't want it to fly off while I was fiddling with my camera. I've processed them a little, but all the background colour will be lost if I lighten them any more.

I saw your other post about lenses - I have a D90 with an older Sigma 50-500mm (Bigma with no OS or VR). Have a look at my latest pictures here - I'm really pleased with the Starling and Willow Tit pictures but I'm still not happy about its sharpness on distant birds. However, on fairly closeup subjects it seems OK without being stunning. What do you think?


-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 22nd of May 2010 11:34:25 AM

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 22nd of May 2010 11:36:40 AM

---

22/5/10 7.50am - 9.45am Astley Moss SSSI / Rindle Road

5 Blue Tits
5 Great Tits
1 Tree Sparrow
1 Dunnock
1 Chaffinch
5 Goldfinches
5 Linnets over
2 Wrens
1 Magpie
10 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes
2 Mistle Thrushes
9 Lapwings
2 Oystercatchers
7 Whitethroats
2 Willow Warblers
2 Blackcaps
1 Garden Warbler
1 male Reed Bunting
4 Yellowhammers
4 Pied Wagtails (1 adult 3 fledglings)
1 Cuckoo in flight (1 calling Astley SSSI and 1 calling Bedford Moss)
1 male Pheasant
2 Canada Geese
4 Mallards
4 Swallows
2 Grey Herons over
1 Kestrel
3 Buzzards

Dennis, I took these pictures (link below) of a Little Owl down Moss Lane a week or so ago on the same night I met you and saw the cuckoos. Is this the same bird?

Little Owl - you need to scroll down a bit.

The pictures were a bit dark because I just shot them on automatic being so surprised to see it - I didn't want it to fly off while I was fiddling with my camera. I've processed them a little, but all the background colour will be lost if I lighten them any more.

I saw your other post about lenses - I have a D90 with an older Sigma 50-500mm (Bigma with no OS or VR). Have a look at my latest pictures here - I'm really pleased with the Starling and Willow Tit pictures but I'm still not happy about its sharpness on distant birds. However, on fairly closeup subjects it seems OK without being stunning. What do you think?

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 22nd of May 2010 12:42:38 PM

yep, sounds right, thats good knowing it has been in the area for a few weeks, i will be having a good look for him in the future, a photo would be nice

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

i was not 100% sure last night so i did not post but after tonights little sighting and a better look at the way the little owl has that fast stumpy wing flutter i can now confirm a definate little owl last night around sevenish in the fields behind the new build houses next to the place where we park in the lay by

---

Dennis sounds like it may be the same bird that I found on the telegraph pole next to the houses when I arrived there at day-break a couple of weeks ago.

i was not 100% sure last night so i did not post but after tonights little sighting and a better look at the way the little owl has that fast stumpy wing flutter i can now confirm a definate little owl last night around sevenish in the fields behind the new build houses next to the place where we park in the lay by

sorry about that, my fault, i know the east peat pools and understand the confusion,

Re-edit...
The cuckoo was sat on the stumps last night around sevenish on the broken stumps near the scrapes just behind rindle woods, also skylark spotted by Keith and almost forgotten by me in the second field where the ring ouzel was hanging out

No problem Keith. The only pools as such you can be referring to are those marked 'C' on the guide. There are a few (not all fitted into the photo!) and were in fact formed by merely bunding and then flooding that small section so I'm not even sure quite how acidic the water in there is?

Thanks for that ,Ian. I am new to the Moss.
The one pool that I referred to was in the corner of( or adjacent to )the SSSI raised peat moss. Nearby was an information board showing the path round the Moss.
The path goes between the pool and the ploughed field.
I cannot see this pool on the site guide.
The board shows 3 or 4 other pools, referred to as the scrapes, further down the path. I have not got so far yet.
I have noted the location and access route of the Astley Moss East peat pools for a future visit.

I'm not sure who, where or why the new scrapes on Astley moss have been termed the 'peat pools' but it's probably best they not and are instead termed what they have been by it's regular watchers, as 'scrapes'. The reason is simply as 'the peat pools' has always been used for the Astley Moss East Pools and obviously it's easy to see how two sites in such close proximity could provide endless confusion

Great views of one or more Cuckoos. Twice on stumps near the peat pool and once on the highest top of Rindle woods, there being buzzed by Swallows.

By the way Dennis you forgot the Skylark.

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 21st of May 2010 07:50:03 AM

evening stroll with Keith around 7 ish, two red legged partridge in horse paddock, lots of mistle thrushes everywhere, meadow pipits, pied wagtails, yellow hammers, cuckoos ont Sssi moss, great spotted pecker flying over, lots of swallows, blackcaps and willow warblers in rindle woods, oystercathers in most fields, no wheatears, winchat or whimbrel tonight, cuckoo sat on the usual broken tree stumps next to the scrapes behind rindle woods



-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Friday 21st of May 2010 06:47:29 PM

2 Cuckoos showing well over Astley SSSI between 5.30 & 6.30pm.

15/5/10 7.30am - 10.00am Astley Moss SSSI / Rindle Road

4 Blue Tits
9 Great Tits
2 Tree Sparrows
4 Chaffinches
8 Goldfinches
3 Wrens
1 Treecreeper
1 Robin
c15 Woodpigeons
3 Carrion Crows
3 Magpies
2 Jays
10 Blackbirds inc white head
2 Song Thrushes
3 Mistle Thrushes
5 Meadow Pipits
1 Wheatear
7 Lapwings
3 Oystercatchers
2 Blackheaded Gulls over
8 Whitethroats
1 Willow Warbler
1 Blackcap
7 Reed Buntings
2 Yellowhammers
3 Pied Wagtails
1 White Wagtail
2 Cuckoos in flight
1 Pheasant
4 Canada Geese
2 Mallards
5 Swallows
2 Swifts over
1 Kestrel
3 Buzzards

Nice to meet a few fellow birders this morning.