afternoon mooch around feilds behind rindle woods,

cuckoo flew over back towards chat moss, whimbrel in the second field back behind rindle woods with the ring ouzel also going back and forth in the same field, lots of whitethroats today, flock of linnets over, two mistle thrush, jay in the woods, buzzards soaring overhead, nice wheatears in the fields too

Nice to see John Tymon there, Did you get lost ont way to penny?

i hope you had better luck than me with photos, nothing good for me ont cuckoo and whimbrel front

Ring Ouzel still present mid-afternoon, showing well on and off, favouring the edge alongside the SSSI as usual.

Also still present Fieldfare, 7 Whimbrel and atleast 2 Wheatear.

A further 2 Wheatear were in the deeply furrowed ploughed field alongside Rindle Road just by the very yellow horse paddock.

This morning got the Maps + Travel Sickness Tablets out to see a County Lifer
7 Whimbrel County Lifer
4 Wheatear
1 Cuckoo seen 2 Heard
1 Fieldfare
No sign of Ring Ousel
1 Mr Broome
1 Mr Ashcroft Nice to meet you

Cheers Jimmy

4.30-7.45pm

In the fields behind Rindle woods
Ring Ouzel kept mainly in the bushes while the rain came down but eventually seen in the same area as Ian mentions below.
Fieldfare is still there
3 Wheatears
2 Oystercatchers
5 Mallard
Skylark

Whimbrels were flying in and out of the field all evening, 3 to begin with, max of 10, with 7 present as I left

Cuckoo seen perched in the trees at the edge of the SSSI, at least 2 others calling around the mosses

Bedford moss

Willow tit
Tawny owl
2 Tufted duck
Sparrowhawk[m] eating chaffinch
2 Linnets
4 Goldfinch

Field 67
2 Wheatears
2 RL Partridge
13 Magpies

2 Buzzards and 9 Herons over

Early afternoon today:

A single Whimbrel in the fields behind Rindle Wood was then joined by a noisy flock of 5 which flew in high from the south?

Ring Ouzel- the male bird still present and favouring the most northerly corner of the second ploughed field (alongside the SSSI). At one point it was chased from there across the full field and over to the railway line by a male Blackbird but it still returned to it's favourite corner and showed well.

Yellow Wagtail- 1 in the first ploughed field, bordering the woods.

Wheatear- 5 with 4 in the first ploughed field behind Rindle Wood and a single bird in field 67.

Cuckoo still calling loudly from the SSSI

Lesser Redpoll- 7

Single Whimbrel present in the fields behind Rindle Wood this morning. Also there Fieldfare, Grasshopper Warbler and 4 Wheatear.

In field 67, 9 Wheatear and single Yellow Wagtail.

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

5pm tonight:

7 Wheatear and 2 male Yellow Wagtail in the ploughed west end of field 67.

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood.

i am glad someone else had fieldfare, i was very surprised to see two of them last saturday with holly, i did not know they stayed this late,

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Ring Ouzel still present in the same field this morning. Also present 7 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatear and singles of Yellow Wagtail and Fieldfare.

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

---

Ring Ouzel still present in the same field this morning. Also present 7 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatear and singles of Yellow Wagtail and Fieldfare.

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

28/4/10 (pm)

With Mike Baron:

Ring Ouzel still present, up to at least 19:15
1 Cuckoo over, from Bedford Moss

(earlier sightings):
2 Gadwall over
2 Greylag Geese over
3 Buzzard

Ring Ouzel just flew back in to ploughed field at 17:50, after disappearing for over an hour. Info thanks to Ian Woosey.

Ring Ouzel still showing well albeit very elusive at times in the second ploughed field from the back of Rindle Wood. At 3:15 it was favouring the northerly corner alongside the SSSI (where the information board is) but could be an absolute swine to see as it rummaged about amongst thd furrows etc. The field looks flat but is actually far from it and there are more hiding places for it than you might think!

Seven Whimbrel still present and showing remarkably well plus Yellow Wagtail low over south, Cuckoo calling from the SSSI, many Yellowhammers in the ploughed fields with Blackbirds, a few Mistle Thrushes, Song Thrush, Meadow Pipits and the ever present Buzzards about.

Now 7 Whimbrel currently on the fields behind Rindle Wood and an absolutely stonking male Ring Ouzel in the same field 1:25pm atleast.

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

tuesday evening 7 ish till nine


Evening visit with Keith, Nice to see mel, also riggers, matt and chorley cakes

---

Shh not every's supposed to know I'm a local delicacy

Nice to meet you both as well

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

tuesday evening 7 ish till nine


Evening visit with Keith, Nice to see mel, also riggers, matt and chorley cakes


highlights were whitethroat, lots of yellowhammers, tree sparrows, reed bunting, oystercatcher, 6 whimbrel, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, mistle thrush, kestrel, buzzard and at around 8.30 a cuckoo flying behind rindle woods, the bird later became very vocal over the woods near the astley moss peat pools

Ps Matt did not have his gilfriend with him this time

---

Dennis, keep quiet about that!!

To add to Dennis' sightings, Riggers, Chorley and myself had Yellow Wagtails near the pig fields in feilds at the back, Swifts and Grey Partridge.

tuesday evening 7 ish till nine


Evening visit with Keith, Nice to see mel, also riggers, matt and chorley cakes


highlights were whitethroat, lots of yellowhammers, tree sparrows, reed bunting, oystercatcher, 6 whimbrel, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, mistle thrush, kestrel, buzzard and at around 8.30 a cuckoo flying behind rindle woods, the bird later became very vocal over the woods near the astley moss peat pools

Ps Matt did not have his gilfriend with him this time

Early afternoon with Pete Berry.

Male and female Yellow Wagtail in the pig field just north of Red Chalis farm, a favoured spot heaving of insects.

Good walk around this evening with Peter Baron and our class.

Cuckoo calling as l arrived at 7pm...

Heard two definitely calling from different places, then approx' 8.30pm-ish, we saw a Cuckoo flying across the fields and it settled on a tree near the peat pools (?)

Other birds around were Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Mipit, Lapwings, Yellowhammers and a Female Sparrowhawk.

Along the path near to the feeding station, was a little bonus....a couple of busy Stoats runnning to and fro

Nice to have Dave Thackers company this evening too!!


-- Edited by Melanie Beckford on Monday 26th of April 2010 10:50:45 PM

Cuckoo calling between 10.30 and 11.00...again from the area of Chat Moss.

Other birds seen and heard.

Whimbrel
Buzzard
Mipit
Lapwings
Chiffchaff
Pied Wagtail
Yellowhammers
GS Woodie
Mistle Thrush
Pheasant
Wheatear (f)
Reed Bunting

-- Edited by Melanie Beckford on Monday 26th of April 2010 10:33:44 PM

Irlam Moss 4.00pm - 5.30pm

Superb male Yellow Wagtail showing down to 10ft at the rotting potato piles between f44 & f51. Didn't have my camera though!

f23
2 Wheatear
2 RL Partridge
1 Buzzard on ground

f12
2 Wheatear
2 Swift over
1 House Martin over
2 Swallow

f52 - another Yellow Wag - heard in the long grass but couldn't see it

f14 - 1 Jay feeding along edge of field

f4 - 5 Swallow

General
6+ Whitethroat
7 Pied Wag
2 Stock Dove
5+ Willow Warbler
3 Yellowammer
2 Pheasant
17 + 7 Linnet
c.12 Lapwing
1 Kestrel

Moss Farm -new fishery ponds
2 Mallard
2 (pair) Shelduck - could be just introduced here for ornamental purposes

At least 3 Cuckoos around Astley moss this evening

The first bird called from the SSSI while I was walking in Rindle woods. I returned the call and was rewarded with great views as the bird flew around the fields behind the woods looking for me. After watching the Cuckoo for around 5 minutes it was joined by another which flew into the large tree at the beginning of Rindle wood and started calling. Both birds flew over the fields and into the trees at the edge of the SSSI then back into Rindle woods. A third bird was heard calling faintly from the direction of Moss lane which was later confirmed by Martyn Jones who also heard it.

Rindle woods
Treecreeper
5 Willow warblers calling
2 RL Partridge

6 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatear, 4 Mallard, 18 Lapwings, 11 Linnets, 4 Yellowhammers, 2 Skylarks and 3 Reed buntings were all in the fields behind Rindle woods

A pair of Blackcaps were on Bedford moss and 2 Goldcrests over

In the fields along Rindle road
2 Curlew
4 Whimbrel
1 Wheatear
2 Grey partridge along Nook lane

15 Herons over
2 Buzzard over

Nice to meet Martyn Jones this evening

An early morning visit to Astley Moss prior to being stuck at an all day rugby tournament in Rochdale didn't produced the hoped for Wheatear/Whinchat fall with only a single of the former on Moss Lane.

It did produce more wonderful Whimbrel however with a superb 10 individuals in total. With 6 in field 68 and 4 behind Rindle Road. Seemed to certainly be higher numbers of Whitethroats singing along Rindle Road too with a good supporting cast of Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Yellowhammers banging out song prior to the onset of rain again!

Rindle may see more Whimbrel than usual this year as although they have favoured the ploughed fields here in more recent years, their 'traditional' fields north of Astley Moss East and on Worsley Moss have been ruined this week by the pipeline cutting through them

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 25th of April 2010 08:01:27 AM

walk around behind rindle woods at one ish, a few yellowhammers in the field behind the woods with two very late staying Feildfares, lots of linnet, two whimbrels, wheatears, Female Blackcap, lots of willow warblers and single chiffchaff, sandmartins over 20+ hoping for Cuckoo but no joy,

Early afternoon:

Whinchat on Astley Moss East with 2 male Yellow Wagtails.

Lesser Whitethroat on Worsley Moss.

3 Wheatear along Moss Lane.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 24th of April 2010 06:53:40 PM

Afternoon walk down Rindle Rd and Moss Lane looking for cuckcoo.
No joy though but 3 wheatear on ploughed fields behind Rindle Woods and 3 more on
Moss Lane, also couple of Oystercatcher. Plus nice to be out seeing the usual stuff down there.
Cheers Phil

24/4/10 7.05am - 10.15am Rindle Road to Olive Mount Farm

3 stoats were seen this morning.

c40 Chaffinches
1 Goldfinch
10 Linnets
6 Yellowhammers
6 Willow Warblers
1 Blackcap
4 Reed Buntings
7 Tree Sparrows
3 Dunnocks
7 Blue Tits
8 Great Tits
2 Long Tailed Tits
2 White Wagtails
4 Wrens
2 Robins
2 Skylarks
3 Song Thrushes
5 Mistle Thrushes
c8 Blackbirds
8 Magpies
c15 Carrion Crows
c45 Woodpigeons
2 Collared Doves
2 Pheasants
c15 Lapwings
4 Mallards
3 Canada Geese
2 Grey Herons over
5 Swallows
3 Sparrowhawks (1 male 2 female)
3 Buzzards

1 Cuckoo heard again near Olive Mount Farm

Nice walk around Astley moss this evening with Melanie turned up 3 Whimbrel feeding in the fields behind Rindle woods with also a pair of Oystercatchers and usual Lapwings.

A Cuckoo was heard at 8.17pm from the direction of Bedford moss.

Better now thanks Mike, on his birthday too!

Hope he's o.k.

Set out for a good thorugh mooch around the mossland this afternoon, 3 Wheatear in field 23, a good flock of 49 Linnet in field 44 with atleast 2 Yellow Wagtails being elusive in the same field. Then got a call from my son's school telling me he wasn't well and had been sent home. Needless to say I didn't continue my mooch and made it home in record time!

This morning:

11 Wheatear and a single male Whinchat along Moss Lane
40 Meadow Pipits in stubble fields off Rindle Road

info thanks to Andy Isherwood

PM visit with Riggers

Single Whimbrel in ploughed field 68 - also in this field 50 Lapwing, Pair Oystercatcher, 7 Wheatear and 6 White Wag.

20 Mipits flew over Rindle road blogging about , 25 Swallow flew west and in Rindle Wood 6 Reed Bunt and 3 Yellowhammer.

Along Moss lane a further 12 Wheatear in the ploughed fields.

Also kestel and Buzzard

Nice to meet you Mike, gutted not to see or hear a Cuckoo especially as l've a week off and have been virtually everyday to Astley.

Enjoy Mull

Tue AM Astley Moss

No Cuckoo or Whimbrel

many Skylarks, Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Mallard on scrapes, 1 Swallow, 2 Reed Bunting (M), Kestrel and Linnet

Rindle Rd

Field 67 2 Curlew, Mistle Thrush
Field 68 Wheatear (F), Yellowhammer

Very nice to meet Melanie. Hope your group have more luck with the Cuckoo next week.

Irlam Moss
Whitethroat singing along Twelve Yards Rd near Woodbarn Farm this evening(8.30pm)

1900 -20.30

Cuckoo in the trees beside Bedford moss while another was calling from around Astley SSSI
Common sandpiper and a single Mallard duckling on the new ponds.
Snipe on the scrapes
Both male and female Blackcaps in Rindle woods with also GS Woodpecker and 4 Willow warblers
2 Buzzards over
Sparrowhawk over f69

Field 68 was being ploughed up this evening so no Curlew about but the Lapwings mobbed the tractor then went back to their own little patch of the field. Two Curlews heard calling from Chat moss. No Whimbrels about

astley moss pm
hobby -1 adult chasing linnets towards bedford moss at the end of moss lane
1 wheatear
lots of willow warblers.


-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 18th of April 2010 07:01:28 PM

18/4/10 1.00pm - 2.30pm Rindle Road to Olive Mount Farm

c30 Chaffinches
2 Bullfinches (1 male 1 female)
3 Goldfinches
c20 Linnets
1 Yellowhammer
1 Chiffchaff
6 Willow Warblers
6 Tree Sparrows
4 Blue Tits
5 Great Tits
1 Wren
4 Robins
4 Skylarks
1 Song Trush
c5 Blackbirds
6 Magpies
c5 Carrion Crows
2 Pheasants
c10 Lapwings
2 Curlews
1 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron over
2 Swallows
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard

Irlam Moss 4.30-5.30pm
pretty quiet overall. No Swallows or Wheatears. Only things of note were:
2 Curlew feeding in f12 close to Twelve Yards Rd
3 Chiffchaff & 2 Willow Warbler in Dixons Wood.
3 Mallard
1 Moorhen - ran over Astley Rd
Plenty of Lapwings - most fields seem to have a pair.

17.30-20.15

2 Whimbrel landed in the horse paddock part of f69 at 19.55 this evening, one bird very vocal which upset the 4 Lapwings in the same part of the field. They were still there when I left.

Also seen
7 Curlew
6 Buzzards
3 Herons
3 Canada geese over
Coal tit in Rindle woods
Still lots of Willow warblers especially around Astley SSSI
Not much else and no Cuckoos about

Nice to have a chat with Pauline Greenhalgh tonight

4 Whimbrel in traditional stop-over fields near Worsley Moss this afternoon, unfortunately with no public access.

17/4/10 7.20am - 10.10am Rindle Road to Olive Mount Farm

1 Swallow on telephone wire in Astley Green
1 Woodpecker drumming Rindle Wood
1 Woodpecker drumming Moss Bank Farm

c26 Chaffinches
2 Bullfinches (1 male 1 female)
3 Goldfinches
c20 Linnets
5 Yellowhammers
1 Willow Warbler
1 male Reed Bunting
5 Tree Sparrows
2 Dunnocks
12 Blue Tits
4 Great Tits
4 Long Tailed Tits
1 Pied Wagtail
1 female Greater Spotted Woodpecker
1 Wren
4 Robins
4 Skylarks
4 Song Trushes
c13 Blackbirds
3 Magpies
c5 Carrion Crows
c65 Woodpigeons
2 Collared Doves
1 Red Legged Partridge
7 Pheasants
c13 Lapwings
4 Curlews
2 Moorhens
2 Mallards
1 Grey Heron & 4 Grey Herons over
3 Swallows
2 Kestrels

1 Cuckoo heard nr Olive Mount Farm

18.00 - 20.30 this evening

No Cuckoos but all the heavy machinery has gone

Around Astley moss

Plenty of Skylarks and Willow warblers singing, only 1 Chiffchaff heard
GS woodpecker and a Goldcrest in Rindle wood
4 Mallard and 2 Teal in the new ponds
2 Woodcock over Astley SSSI
12 Canada geese over
5 Buzzards seen
2 Oystercatchers over f68
6 Curlew, two landed in the fields behind Rindle woods then flew to f68 where there were four more scattered around the field with plenty of Lapwings about.

Nice to meet up with Kevin McCabe and Geoff Riley tonight.

Well, I have tried and tried with them, contacting them by email, with no luck (not even a reply to my last offer of help) . Maybe others can succeed where I can't.

You're right Paul it is healthy but also pointless if we're not prepare to atleast attempt to do something about it. Manchester Birding is about improving our county birding amongst other things and it's all our responsibilities.

i have to say i do like people expressing their opinions openly (good and bad) as part of their sightings posts i think it's healthy.

Thanks for your reply Ian,

I am in the process of explaining my point to the LWT and I`m sure that they will explain their actions to me.

Gripe over

Cuckoo calling this morning at 5.55 - 6.10am around Astley moss
Also 5 Curlews in the fields

You are dead right Dave. There is little, in fact no point, in airing gripes on here as it achieves nothing for either side nor assists in our understanding of what's going on nor their's of where they're going wrong! Letting them know your point of view and concerns directly should force them into atleast an explaination.

I appreciate that apparently this current work has to be done but also that destroying nest etc on route could surely be avoided. It seems to me to be a case of local birders not being consulted/involved, a process which is undertaken would surely have avoided your perfectly understandable issues.

The only way forward is to attempt to address the issues directly and rather than just purely criticize to perhaps educate, assist and improve their understanding of our patches. I'm all for giving them the opportunity to listen and reply, I'm not saying it'll work and if not then they have no excuse. To that end I'll email you privately Dave.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 14th of April 2010 10:28:24 PM

Let's face it, I don't think many of us are impressed with LWT at present!

Cuckoo heard calling this evening by Dave Benson just before I arrived at Rindle . It was calling from the far side of Astley SSSI. I had a walkabout but could not find the bird.

Also seen
2 Curlew
Buzzard
5 Linnets
5 Reed Buntings
8 Yellowhammers
4 Tree sparrows
2 Grey partridge in the field field in front of Rindle woods
2 RL Partridge in f67
GS Woodpecker

The work in Rindle woods should be finished for 16/04 Unfortunately of the 3 LT tits nests that I have found there, 1 has been destroyed, it was right beside the path which has been ripped out, the second looks to have been deserted and the third has a parent in attendance.

I`m not too impressed with the wildlife trust at the moment and I intend to tell them why. If anyone else drove heavy machinery and ripped up the mosses ,it would be an act of vandalism.