Common Sandpiper (found by Brian Swan and still present 09.00)
Oystercatcher (2)
Curlew (1)
Stock Dove (1)
Little Owl (1)

Cheers, John

Wednesday 18th April 6pm

Nothing at all at Church Lane.

Old Hall Lane:
1 Red Legged Partidge
2 Common Buzzard
2 Oystercatchers on the golf course
3 Skylarks singing over the airfield
3 Swallows also skimming around the airfield close to the road
1 Pied Wagtail
3 Curlews

Church Lane:
No sign of Little Ringed Plover this morning. 4 Stock Doves on cricket pitch.

Old Hall Lane:
Usual Fieldfare flock
9 Stock Doves
3 Oystercatchers in group display on AVRO golf course
2 Curlews
3-4 Wheatear
2 White Wagtails
c8 Meadow Pipits
1 male Sparrowhawk

Cheers, John

Little Ringed Plover was still present at 7.00 yesterday evening.

Here are the sightings from during Cricket practice.

1 Swallow Hanging around B.C.C., with many Canada Geese hanging around in the fields and Mallards.

Also, a very large bird of prey, (bigger than a Buzzard), flew over very high without even a single wing beat, of course, I was without optics so I cannot confirm what it was. Possibly an Osprey?

I didn't know that there was a Little Ringed Plover on the flood!

12.45 Church Lane
1 Little Ringed Plover still present
+ 1 Little Owl

Woodford Area (06.30 - 07-30) in awful weather

Church Lane

1 Little Ringed Plover
8 Canada Geese

OLd Hall Lane

2 Buzzard
1 Wheatear
59 Fieldfare

Cheers, John

Mark Rigby wrote:

---

John Rayner wrote:

---

Church Lane (16.40 - 15.20)

3 Little-ringed Plovers

Cheers, John

---

Not bad for 22 hours and 40 minutes-that's like birding in Oldham

---

Judging by the speed I got down to Church Lane I probably arrived the previous afternoon

Original post now corrected.

Cheers, John

Yes please Phil.

Adam
The 3rd one revealed itself after you had gone, great record. Sandpipers next?

Phil

Church Lane, not sure what the time was, I just jumped in the car and went.

This was too good a local rarity to miss, and as luck would have it I was off work today so was able to respond to Phil Hampsons phone call instantly.

2 Cracking little birds and right on the doorstep too.

Church Lane (16.40 - 17.20)

3 Little-ringed Plovers (found by Brian Swan this afternoon) caused a major twitch for this Stockport Borough rarity. 3 waders/8 birders

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Monday 16th of April 2012 08:08:10 PM

On the flood at 7.45am

4 lesser black backed gulls
1 common gull
3 Canada geese
5 stock doves

In the lanes

3 chiffchaff
Little owl
5 swallows
3 song thrush and all the usuals



-- Edited by Lynne Webster on Monday 16th of April 2012 03:35:21 PM

Absolutely nothing on the flood this morning, apart from a Pied Wagtail and a Husky which decided to go for a swim.

But there were two Swallows in the field behind, And a Fair few Meadow Pipits Overhead and the usual hedgerow birds.

One Chiffchaff on Moor lane with three Pied Wags On Woodford Cricket Club.

Quick whizz round this evening on the bike.

Chuch Lane:
1 Kestrel
3 Rooks
3 Mallards

Old Hall Lane:
5 Pheasants
2 Reed Buntings
1 Common Buzzard
1 Lapwing
Lots more ploughing but htis time on the areas next to the runway

Absolutely nothing on the flood this morning at 7.15am, but I saw my first swallow of the year at this site, returned to the usual gathering place of the telephone wires by the farmhouse.

Also, there was a flock of about 10 meadow pipit plus one mistle thrush feeding in the field opposite the stables, all put to flight by a passing kestrel.

Meadow pipit at this site is a new one for me

Church Lane Floods, 19:00

5 Greylag Geese at back of field (the most that I have seen here)
4 Canada Geese
4 Mallard
1 Jackdaw
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Mistle Thrush

Willow Warbler singing from the tree behind the cottage opposite Bramhall Cricket Club.

Church Lane (06.30 - 07.30, 08.30 - 08.45)

Two visits, in part with Brian Swan, Phil Hampson and Barry Shaw. It's beginning to pull in the waders again.

Curlew 1+1H
Oystercatcher 3
Wheatear 2 males
Cormorant 2
Stock Dove 2-3
Jay 2
Little Owl 1
Swallow 1

Cheers, John

Thursday 12th April 7.15pm

Old Hall Farm/Lane

3 Wheatear in the field past the stile on the right hand side.
1 Cormorant in tree close to river
1 Oystercatcher
3 Curlew
2 Skylarks
15 Lapwings
3 Linnets
1 Canada Goose
1 Red Legged Partridge on Old Hall Lane

Church Lane Flood (mark 2). After the fog lifted this morning there was considerably more water than yesterday. It's looking quite good again.

Greylag Goose 6
Canada Goose 2

Cheers, John

Church Lane

Not quite dead yet after recent rains. Only 3 Mallard today but still potential for Little-ringed Plovers or Yellow Wagtails.

Old Hall Lane:

Fieldfare 22
Redwing 1
Meadow Pipit 16

Cheers, John

Tuesday 10th April 7.15pm

3 Lapwings
1 Reed Bunting
1 Kestrel
2 Common Buzzards sat together in a dead tree

Monday 9th April 3pm

Church Lane:
3 Rooks
5 Stock Doves

Old Hall Lane:
2 Lesser black-backed gulls sat on the runway
2 Sylarks
5 Lapwings

Sunday 8th April

In nasty drizzle, not a lot to report.

1 Common Buzzard
4 Skylarks singing over the runway
2 Curlew on the airfield
6 Linnets
20 Lapwings

Church Lane to start with,

1 Kestrel
1 buzzard
6 Canada geese
1 moorhen
1 Greenfinch

Then a quick trip down Old Hall Lane:

Linnets which were feeding in the field just next to Old Hall Farm,
Woodpigeons were here also
2 Curlew on the Aerodrome
2 Lapwing on the Golf course,
And 1 Swallow Which came from over the Aerodrome and then dissapeared over the Golf course, first one of the year for me!

Thursday 5th April 6.00-7.15pm

First Swallow of the year for Woodford (for me) this evening. Just the one.
1 Curlew seen following/chasing off a Common Buzzard. 2 others seen.
4 Oystercatchers
3 Skylarks in the ploughed sections of Old Hall Farm
3 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Herons
30+ flock of Linnets
1 Nuthatch
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
15 Lapwings
1 Reed Buntings

Sunday 1st April 7pm

1 Sparrowhawk
1 Common Buzzard
1 Oystercatcher on the golf course
8 Curlew on the airfield
16 Linnets
1 Skylark
13 Lapwings
1 Reed Bunting
No Sand Martins for me yet

church lane (seen from cricket pitch)

5 curlews
2 buzzard
2 moorhen
1 kestrel

Church Lane (empty of water and birds)

Oystercatchers 2 (cricket pitch)



Old Hall Lane (07.30 - 08.45)

Sand Martin 3
Curlew 4
Jackdaw c300
Skylark 9
Lapwing 12
Curlew 4
Tree Sparrow 7
Linnet 8
Reed Bunting 2
Nuthatch 1
Jay 2
Greylag Goose 2
Oystercatcher 2
Red-legged Partridge 2
Buzzard 1

Cheers, John

29th March 8.00 am
From the bridge
3 Sand Martins milling around
1 Snipe over
1 redpoll over
etc

On 27th I heard what I was 95% sure were the distant calls of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker from the direction of Dairyhouse wood - went back to see if I could confirm - no sight or sound today

28th March 6pm

Church Lane:
Really nothing of note here this evening. Just the usuals now.

Old Hall Lane:
2 Common Buzzards
2 Curlews on the golf course
3 Skylarks. 1 taking a dust bath on the public footpath towards the bridge.
1 Pied Wagtail

Not a lot else though.

28th March (06.35 - 07.00)

The show appears to be over for this year - no water left.

Mallard 4
Canada Goose 2
Fieldfare 5

It is amazing what a tiny stand of casual water can attract. For those who haven't visited - the water at its prime was less extensive than, for example, Kingsway Business Park and is heavily disturbed with a footpath within a few metres.

This year's records include:

Almost certainly a Red Kite (multiple reports but not seen by birders)
Redshank (on 3 dates)
Dunlin (on 4 dates, max 3)
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Little Egret 1
Mediterranean Gull (adult)
Shelduck (pair)
Wigeon (on 4 dates, max 8)

All of the above are scarce/rare in Stockport Borough as we are usually deprived of any decent wader habitat.

In addition it was a stop off point for many Teal (max 16), Curlew (max 11), a pair of Oystercatchers and an early Wheatear (on 17th March)

Cheers, John

Church Lane 7pm

4 Mallards on the mud that was once a pool, and that was it. Not even the Oystercatchers were there this evening.
A Nuthatch close to the cricket club.
Lots of the usuals around too.

Church Lane (6.30 -- 7.00):

Hardly any water left now but still an amazing number of ducks crammed into what was left.

Teal (16)
Mallard (17)
Oystercatchers (2)

Cheers John

10.30 am Old Hall Farm - down to the Dean
1 Wheatear near the stile
plus the usuals

-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Monday 26th of March 2012 11:41:02 AM

Church Lane 6am
1 Little Owl
2 Red Legged Partridge at the bus stop on Chester Road in the mist.

Old Hall Farm 5pm
2 Skylarks
1 Common Buzzard
3 Stock Doves
1 Kestrel
33 Lapwings
1 Pied Wagtail
Chiffchaff heard in the distance. First of the year for me here.

Quick visit 1.30-2.30
Church Lane:
2 Oystercatcher
3 Lapwing
Stock Dove
3 Common Buzzard

Old Hall Lane:
2 Curlew
2 Skylark
14 Lapwing
2 Mandarin-pair
10 Linnet
Reed Bunting
Common Buzzard
40 Fieldfare
Bullfinch

This evening 6pm

Church Lane:
1 Grey Heron
2 Canada Geese

Old Hall Lane/farm:
3 Curlew
2 Oystercatchers
2 Pied Wagtails
35 Fieldfares
50+ Jackdaws

This morning provide a highlight of 7 teal, 8 mallard and little else aside from the usual hedgerow species and 3 fieldfare. A flyby black-headed being the only gull.

Water level continues to fall quickly.

Phil

Church Lane 6pm

1 Little Owl
1 Lapwing

Old Hall Farm

2 Kestrels
2 Common Buzzards
3 Curlew
2 Goosander (male & female)
1 Reed Bunting
11 Lapwings
5 Mallards
9 Pied Wagtails
Tree Sparrows heard

Church Lane 06.30 - 07.00 (with Phil Hampson & Barry Shaw)

The show is almost over unless there is more rain very soon. There are still enough muddy fringes to attract a Little-ringed Plover - but it wasn't today.

3 Lapwing
9 Teal
6 Mallard
3 Canada Geese

Cheers, John

6.00 - 6.40 am Walked round the perimeter of Golf Course then down to the bridge

Chiffchaff 1 singing
Fieldfare c 100
Linnet 40
Siskin 1
Goldfinch 2
Reed Bunting 2
Curlew 5
Pied Wagtail 1
Oystercatcher 2
Lapwing 4
Buzzard 1
Teal 2 on the Dean
Stock Dove 2
Red Legged Partridge 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming

06.15 - 07.15. With Phil Hampson and Barry Shaw:

Church Lane:
Teal 4
Mallard 10
Canada Goose 2
Oystercatcher 2
BH Gull 2
Fieldfare 10
Kestrel 1

Old Hall Lane:
Red-legged Partridge 2
Pheasant 5

Cheers John

Tuesday 20th March 3.45-5.00pm

Must have just missed you Tom.

Church Lane:
2 Oystercatchers
10 Lapwings
1 Common Buzzard
1 Little Owl
1 Lesser black-backed gull

Old Hall Lane:
3 Common Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Skylark (singing over the airfield)
1 Curlew heard

20/3/12 16:00-17:00
First visit to this site (Old Hall Lane/Airfield) - Stock Dove 20, Linnet 45, Lapwing 20, Curlew 5, Reed Bunting 3, Fieldfare 65, Skylark 2 singing, Buzzard 2, no sign of any Tree Sparrows

A visit this morning from 06:10 - 07:00 produced nothing additional to the usual species and there was not a gull in sight. The water level has fallen noticeably since yesterday.

Phil

Morning visit to Church Lane Flood (with John R, Barry S and Lynne) produced very little by way of gulls, 2 lbb and 1 black-headed!

4 teal and 1 wigeon on the flood.

Afternoon visit to same site produced 2 lbw and 3 black-headed gulls. 2 buzzards.

Phil

Nigel Troup wrote:

---

An adult Med Gull was with c20 Black-headed Gulls and two Lesser Black-backed on the edge of the flood just after 8.00 this morning. The flock was flushed, but settled back at the far end of the field. It was still present when I left at 8.30. This was more than ample compensation for the absence of waders.

---

Annoying or what !!! I was there in the rain from 6.30 - 7.15 with Phil Hampson and (in part) with Phil Barnett and Lynne Webster.

There were 13 Teal and only 10-12 Black-headed Gulls plus the 2 Lesser-black Backs. I went through the gulls and noted that only 4 were in summer plumage the majority being 1st winters.

Then I went back again 09.00 - 09.30 (again with Phil H) when it was virtually birdless after we had watched 10 Teal depart. A Greylag flew south followed by 3 more.

Cheers, John