evening stroll just a few birds to add to morning sightings
cuckoo showed briefly, started calling at 20-25 from behind stock pond but mostly well camouflaged, 2 grasshopper warbler reeling, 2 reed warbler flitting around reed beds at diggle flash, little grebe feeding a youngster on edge of reed beds could only see one young but may have been others within the reeds.

morning dog walk
1 blackcap, 2 whitethroat, 2 chiffchaff, several willow warbler, 5 reed bunting, 5 skylark, 2 meadow pipit, dunnock,wren,robin, blackbird, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, great tit, blue tit,3 mallard over,
diggle flash- 14 tufted duck, 11 coot, 6 mallard, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 1 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 7 black headed gull,

morning dog walk
2 whitethroat, 1 blackcap, 1 grasshopper warbler, 1m bullfinch, 5 blue tit, 2 chaffinch, 3 chiffchaff, plenty willow warbler and great tit, 7 reed bunting, 6 skylark, 1 pheasant seen 3 more heard, 1 water rail heard only from choked pond, robin,dunnock,wren, blackbird,magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow,
diggle flash- 17 tufted duck, 6 coot, 6 black headed gull, 2 mute swan, 2 mallard, 1 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe seen 1 more heard, reed warbler singing from reed bed,

cuckoo calling from behind stock pond at 20-35

Couple of hours today,

Male Cuckoo in C2
2 Grasshopper Warbler C7 and C8
2 Reed Warbler C3 and C4
5 Whitethroat C6,C8 and C10
1 Sedge Warbler C7
12 Willow Warbler, present in most areas
6 Chiffchaff
2 Little Grebe C10
5 Linnet C8
5 Skylark, mainly C8
7 Reed Bunting, mainly C8
9 Meadow Pipit, mainly C8
1 Kestrel C8

Plus all usuals.

single swallow over diggle flash this evening

This evening,

Single Sparrowhawk and Kingfisher to add to today's sightings, Sparrowhawk in C4 and Kingfisher on Fir Tree Flash.

09.40 - 13.00
1 Medditerranean Gull - adult flew SW over Nevisons Flash calling approx 12.30
2 Grasshopper Warbler - 1 in C4 showing down to 20ft the other reeling in C8
5 Whitethroat - 3 C4 & 2 C10
5 Reed Warbler - 3 NF & 2 central ditch
40+ Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
1 House Martin - C3
1 Swallow - C3
5 Water Rail - none seen , 2 Choke Pond, 1 Central Ditch & 1 NF
'4 Buzzard - 3 C10 & 1 C3
1 Kestrel - C10, first I have seen for some time
1 Willow Tit - C6
2 Little Grebe - C10
no sign of either Great crested Grebe on Fir tree Flash (nest was left unattended).
no Cuckoo for me yet forgot to include 1 Sedge Warbler - NF

-- Edited by Gordon Newman on Saturday 23rd of April 2016 02:07:44 PM

20+ willow warbler, 5 chiffchaff, a quick double blast from a cuckoo but pretty distant from where i was, it sounded like it was in the C10 valley so i had a stroll down that way but no signs of it and no further calls, double figures skylark and reed bunting, 2 pheasant heard only, plenty great tit, blue tit, robin and blackbird, 2 mistle thrush, 1 blackcap heard only, wren, dunnock, 3 goldfinch, 2 chaffinch, 3 lesser black backed gull over, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 16 tufted duck, 11 coot, 6 black headed gull, 1 common gull, 3 moorhen, 2 mallard, 2 mute swan, 1 little grebe,

An odd couple of hours on the Rucks from 4-6 today. Oddly quiet with the exception of numerous Willow Warblers - I stopped counting at 30!

Also Water Rail calling in a rusty puddle of reeds
3 Skylark
2 Blackcap

Sparrowhawk high over and 1 Common Buzzard. No Cuckoo - and no Grasshopper Warblers for me in spite of lurking around their preferred haunt for quite a while. Maybe my hearing got worse since last year?!

-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Thursday 21st of April 2016 10:20:53 PM

neither sight nor sound of cuckoo this morning, 3 grasshopper warbler heard only 1 seen but did give very good views, 2 mistle thrush, sedge warbler heard but not seen, 9 skylark, c20 reed bunting, 2 pheasant, 5 meadow pipit, 1 buzzard, 1 kestrel hunting over C8 , 5 chiffchaff, 8 willow warbler seen probably as many again heard only, great tit, blue tit, 1 long tailed tit carrying food, dunnock, wren, blackbird, plenty robin singing in the sunshine, 2 canada geese over, 3 lesser black backed gull over, magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow, 1 chaffinch,
C10 floods, mallard,coot, 1moorhen,1 little grebe, 1 grey heron,
diggle flash- 16 tufted duck,7 coot, 2 great crested grebe, 2 mute swan, 2 moorhen, 1 little grebe, 4 black headed gull.

Hour this evening,

Little Grebe and Great Spotted Woodpecker to add to today's sightings.

C5 has been completely destroyed by firebugs.

neither sight nor sound of cuckoo for me this morning, otherwise similar to Scotts sightings although i missed the swift and only saw 2 blackcap, 1 song thrush,1 f stonechat.


-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Wednesday 20th of April 2016 06:54:15 PM

Lunch time visit,

Male Cuckoo in C8 calling from trees behind Diggle Flash.
Grasshopper and Sedge Warbler present in C8.
Reed Warbler from C3
Plenty Skylark in most areas as was Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit.
Numerous Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler and 3 Blackcap.
Whitethroat single singing from top of C6
1 Swift





Kids have been setting fires again.

-- Edited by Scott robinson on Wednesday 20th of April 2016 02:46:29 PM

male cuckoo calling and giving excellent views from trees near intersection of new road and track leading down to current anglers car park, SE of diggle flash, one of the anglers told me he heard it yesterday afternoon, 1 grasshopper warbler, 11 sylark, 6 reed bunting, 3 meadow pipit, 2 pheasant, 2 chiffchaff, 7 willow warbler, great tit, 2 long tailed tit, blue tit, wren,blackbird,dunnock,robin,mistle thrush, magpie,wood pigeon, carrion crow, jay, 2 canada geese over, 2 mallard over,
C10 floods 2 shoveler, small numbers coot and mallard, whitethroat singing from wilow trees,
diggle flash- 14 tufted duck, 7 coot, 3 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 12 black headed gull, just had a glance through records for first cuckoo on this site for last few years 13/4/2015- 18/4/2014-15/4/2013- 20/4//2012

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Tuesday 19th of April 2016 11:19:05 AM

17.15 - 19.15
pretty quiet
1 Reed warbler
3 Blackcap
2 Swallow
pair of Little Grebe copulating - C10

morning dog walk- cold wind very quiet birdwise
3 chiffchaff, 2 willow warbler, smallish numbers great and blue tit, 2 long tailed tit, blackbird, robin,wren, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, 2 skylark, 4 reed bunting, 1 jackdaw over, 4 lesser black backed gull and 12 black headed gulls over,
diggle flash- 2 mute swan, 3 mallard, 2 moorhen, coot,tufted duck, black headed gulls,

early evening dog walk
6 chiffchaff, 5 willow warbler, 6 skylark, 8 reed bunting, 2 grey partridge, 2 pheasant seen 3 more heard, 1 swallow, great tit, blue tit, 3 mistle thrush, blackbird,robin,wren, dunnock,magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon including c40 in horse fields off bolton house road,
diggle flash, 16 tufted duck, 9 coot including 2 nest building, 3 moorhen,4 mallard, 1 little grebe, 1 great crested grebe, 2 mute swan, 14 black headed gull.

evening stroll- not much to add to morning sightings
2 grey partridge, 1 kestrel, 2 canada geese over, 1 grasshopper warbler heard only, 1 blackcap and 2 pheasant heard and seen as opposed to heard only this morning,

morning dog walk
1 blackcap heard only, 2 each of chiffchaff and willow warbler seen others heard, 3 pheasant heard only, 2 mistle thrush, blackbird, great tit, blue tit, 1 long tailed tit carrying either food or nesting material, robin, wren, dunnock, skylark, reed bunting, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 18 tufted duck, 10 coot, 7 black headed gull, 1 lesser black backed gull, 6 mallard, 2 mute swan, 2 moorhen, 1 little grebe,

morning dog walk
first grasshopper warbler of the year for me reeling in C8, 4 chiffchaff, 7 willow warbler, great tit,blue tit, 3 mistle thrush, blackbird, dunnock, wren, probable whitethroat at distance and didn't get bins on it before it had moved on but pretty sure it was a whitethroat, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, robin,skylark, reed bunting, pair shoveler, 6 coot, 1 moorhen and 2 mallard on C10 floods,
diggle flash- 17 tufted duck, 8 coot, 2 mallard, 2 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 2 little grebe seen 2 more heard, 2 great crested grebe, 4 lesser black backed gull over, 6 black headed gull,
2 herring gull just off site.

08.20 - 09.45
C3
2 Reed Warbler
1 Blackcap
6 Chiffchaff
15 + Willow Warbler
1 Greylag Goose
Great spotted Woodpecker drumming in opposite corners to each other
pair of Blue Tits nesting in old Woodpeckers nest

19.00 - 19.45
C3
2 Oystercatcher on football field
1 Buzzard glided 40 feet over my head, flew behind a tree ,and promptly returned in direction it had come from with 20 Carion Crow mobbing it

morning dog walk around most of the site, early part of walk in light rain
chiffchaff,willow warbler, skylark and reed bunting all into double figures, good numbers blackbird,robin,wren,great tit,blue tit and dunnock, 6 mistle thrush, 1 song thrush, 2 goldcrest, 1 swallow, 1 great spotted woodpecker, carrion crow,magpie, wood pigeon, perhaps more significant were birds i didn't see no jay,buzzard,kestrel, meadow pipit, long tailed tit or goldfinch,
nevisons flash- 2 canada geese, 2 coot,
fir tree flash- 4 canada geese, 7 mallard, 3 moorhen, 4 coot, 2 mute swan,
diggle flash- 18 tufted duck, 9 coot, 7 black headed gull, 1 lesser black backed gull, 2 mallard,2 mute swan, 1 little grebe, 1 great crested grebe,

morning dog walk- foggy first thing but nice once sun broke through
chiffchaff, willow warbler, goldfinch, chaffinch, dunnock, wren,blackbird,robin, mistle thrush, skylark,reed bunting, magpie,wood pigeon, carrion crow, long tailed tit,great tit,blue tit,
diggle flash- pair gadwall, 12 tufted duck, 8 coot, 7 black headed gull, 1 common gull, 2 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 2 little grebe, 2 great crested grebe, 5 mallard.

afternoon stroll
4 chiffchaff, 4 willow warbler, 1 goldcrest, great tit,blue tit, blackbird,mistle thrush, dunnock,wren, robin, reed bunting, skyl;ark, 4 lesser black backed gull over, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 8 coot, 5 tufted duck, 4 mallard, 1 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 2 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 1 common gull, 17 black headed gull,

Quick walk after hope Carr, lightshaw, and Pennington produced:

5 willow warbler,chiffchaff,
2 raven over, skylark,meadow pipit,

afternoon dog walk
3 willow warbler, 3 chiffchaff, 1 mistle thrush, 5 skylark, 5 reed bunting, 2 pheasant, great tit, blue tit, magpie, carrion crow,wood pigeon, blackbird,dunnock,wren,robin,3 goldfinch,1 buzzard,
diggle flash-11 tufted duck, 6 coot, 6 mallsrd,2 great crested grebe, 9 black headed gull, 2 lesser black backed gull, 1 common gull, 2 moorhen,2 mute swan, little grebeheard only,

morning dog walk
4chiffchaff, 5 willow warbler, 4 goldfinch 1 carrying nesting material, great tit,blue tit, 8 reed bunting, 3 meadow pipit, 9 skylark, 5 pheasant, blackbird,dunnock,wren,robin, 1 buzzard, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 18 tufted duck, 6 coot,5 mallard, 11 black headed gull, 1 common gull, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 2 moorhen, 1 little grebe,

06.00 - 09.00
2 Oystercatcher
plus usuals

09.00 - 10.45
C2
3m + 1f Wheatear
2 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
C3
4 Chiffchaff
5 Willow Warbler
C4
4 Willow Warbler

morning dog walk
1 treecreeper not seen very often on this site, 4 chiffchaff,3 willow warbler, 4 goldfinch, 1 collared dove, 7 skylark, 5 reed bunting, 2 long tailed tit, 2 mistle thrush, great tit, blue tit, dunnock, wren, blackbird, robin, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 16 tufted duck, 7 coot, 5 mallard, 2 mute swan, 2 moorhen, 1 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe seen at least 3 others heard, 1 common gull, 4 black headed gull,

morning dog walk
pair stonechat, 3chiffchaff, 3 willow warbler, 4 meadow pipit, 3 pheasant, 2 grey partridge, at least 12 skylark, 2 goldfinch, decent numbers blue tit and great tit,blackbird,robin, wren, dunnock, 1 canada goose over, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, 1 buzzard, water rail heard only from choked pond,
diggle flash- 14 tufted duck, 9 coot, 5 mallard, 7 black headed gull, 1 great crested grebe, 1 moorhen, 2 mute swan, little grebe heard only,

morning dog walk
1 chiffchaff, 3 willow warbler, great tit,blue tit, blackbird,robin,wren, dunnock,6 skylark,4 reed bunting, 1 mistle thrush, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 12 tufted duck, 5 coot, pair goldeneye, pair mute swan, 2 moorhen, 3 mallard, 4 black headed gull, 1 common gull,

morning dog walk- cold wind with showers and occasional sunshine
3 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff, 1 siskin, 3 goldfinch, 2 long tailed tit, 4 skylark, 4 reed bunting, 1 meadow pipit, 2 pheasant, blue tit,great tit, blackbird, robin,wren,dunnock, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon, 2 canada geese over.
Diggle Flash- 16 tufted duck, 5 coot, 2 mallard, 2 mute swan, 1 moorhen, 1 little grebe, 3 black headed gull,

evening stroll not a lot to add to morning sightings
pair goldeneye, mallard with ducklings but not sure how many saw at least 6 as they were heading into the reeds, 4 singing willow warbler heard only 2 seen, just off site in fields nr owens farm 2 great black backed gulls and 2 common gulls with black headed gulls,

morning dog walk
2 chiffchaff singing, 4 long tailed tit, 2 goldfinch, mistle thrush, blackbird, great tit,wren, robin,blue tit, 5 skylark, 6 reed bunting, dunnock, grey heron over, 1 buzzard, magpie,carrion crow,wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 12 tufted duck,6 coot, 2 mallard, 2 lesser black backed gull, 2 mute swan, 1 great crested grebe, 1 moorhen, 7 black headed gull, 1 cormorant,

morning dog walk lots of birdsong
3 willow warbler 2 giving good views singing, 1 chiffchaff heard only, 1 siskin with 2 goldfinch and 3 long tailed tits, great tit, 1 mistle thrush, robin,blue tit, wren, blackbird, dunnock, magpie, wood pigeon, carrion crow, 1 grey heron and 3 mallard over, golden plover heard over but couldn't see any,
diggle flash- pair goldeneye, 15 tufted duck, 6 coot, 5 mallard, 3 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 2 moorhen, 2 mute swan,1 common gull, 6 black headed gull, 1 cormorant.

08.15 - 09.00, C3 only, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rail.

afternoon dog walk- plenty of birdsong

2 chiffchaff first of the year for me, kestrel hunting nr top of new road first iv'e seen here for weeks, 1 buzzard, double figures skylark many singing, 7 reed bunting, several blackbird and robin singing ditto dunnock and wren, blue tit, great tit, 4 long tailed tit, 2 goldfinch, 1 jay, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, plenty black headed gull over + 2 herring gull and 5 lesser black backed gull,
diggle flash-14 tufted duck, pair goldeneye, 6 coot, 2 moorhen,2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 6 mallard, 5 black headed gull,

morning dog walk- pretty quiet birdwise
4 long tailed tit, 4 goldfinch,1 meadow pipit, 5 reed bunting, great tit,blue tit, robin, skylark, blackbird, dunnock,wren all in small numbers, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, 2 mistle thrush,
diggle flash- 1 canada goose, 13 tufted duck, 8 coot, 4 mallard, 2 great crested grebe, 2 mute swan, 1 cormorant, 1 grey heron, 3 black headed gull,

45 mins from 08.15 before work, C3 0nly
3 Bulfinch -1 m + 2 female (not seen any for quite a while over this side of rucks)
3 Chiffchaff
2 Water Rail
1 Buzzard

19.45
C3
200+ Sand Martin
3 Swallow

morning dog walk
skylark into double figures, 7 reed bunting, 1 meadow pipit, 1 cock pheasant, pair grey partridge, 3 goldfinch, blackbird,robin,great tit, blue tit, 1 long tailed tit, dunnock,wren, magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,
diggle flash- 5 adult mallard 1 of the females had 12 ducklings with her, 14 coot,12 tufted duck, 9 black headed gull, 1 moorhen, 2 great crested grebe, 1 grey heron,2 mute swan, little grebe heard only, 3 buzzards circling low over water and nearby field with a flock of 14 domestic/loft pigeons flying straight through them,

18.45 - 19.30
C3 Only
1 Woodcock
9 Swallow
1 Water Rail
1 Chiffchaff

morning dog walk- a bit shortened and didn't really do any counting due to early appointments
skylark, double figures of reed bunting and dunnock, great tit and blue tit, wren, robin, magpie, carrion crow, pigeon, 2 grey lag geese over, blackbird, 4 jackdaw over, 2 mistle thrush, 2 jay,
diggle flash- coot, 2 canada geese, 2 mute swan, 8 mallard, 4 moorhen, tufted duck, black headed gull, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 1 cormorant, willow tit heard but not seen,

morning dog walk
2 goldfinch,1 chaffinch, 2 mistle thrush, 1 song thrush, 6 skylark, 2 meadow pipit, 8 reed bunting, 1 cock pheasant, usual great tit,blue tit, robin,dunnock,blackbird,wren, magpie carrion crow and wood pigeon, 1 cormorant and 3 lesser black backed gull over,
diggle flash- pair goldeneye, 23 tufted duck, 17 black headed gull, 15 coot, 7 mallard, 5 moorhen,2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 1 grey heron,

Was nice to meet James and his Dad at last as well.
20+ Swallow to add to the list as well

quick walk 6 - dusk:

was nice to meet Gordan with my dad, had a great half an hour talk, hopefully see you again soon

120+ sand martin roosting on nevisons
1f sparrowhawk attacking the martins
2 fieldfare
3 greylag
2 tufted duck
2 water rail (nevisons)

lots of gulls over most of lesser black backed and herring

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 28th of March 2016 08:47:26 PM

11.00 - 12.15
C3 only
2 Chiffchaff
2 Water Rail
23 Redwing
3 Greylag Geese
1 Buzzard