ASTLEY, CHAT, LITTLE WOOLDEN AND ASSOCIATED MOSSES
Ian Woosey said
Sun Jul 29 10:59 AM, 2007
29/7/07 early morning
2 Little Owls (ad & juv) at the side of Olive Mt. Fm. and F63. The juv was on the ground just staring at me, then flew up into a tree where I spotted an adult,who must have been watching over it while it explored. (Site tick .............Ian, I can feel another Site List coming on ! ! ! ) Corn Bunting on wires F19 Besides the usual Tree Sparrows on Rindle Rd., there was a group of 13 here as well ; New Farm. F19 2 Willow Tit - Red Challis 23 Mistle Thrushes in the paddock next to Cherry Tree cottage F61 6 Grey Partridge F59 Red-legged Partridge - F63 4 Kestrels usual Yellowhammers, Linnets etc
Dave Thacker said
Fri Jul 27 12:35 PM, 2007
I have been to the moss 8 times since my last post and I have still not seen the Hobby.
This morning on Astley moss was a Sparrowhawk over f67 and a Buzzard over Rindle woods.
Chat moss f59 again 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Grey partridge in the waterlogged corner near the signal box. 5 Grey wagtails in f19 , 2 adults and 3 juv. 4 Grey partridge and 2 RL Partridge walking on the edge of 12 Yards road in front of my car before flying into f52.
Dave Thacker said
Tue Jul 3 8:27 PM, 2007
Chat moss today 14.30 -16.45 I had a couple of hours wandering around fields 58,59,60 and 61 on Chat moss looking for the Hobby.Alas I did not see it but I did flush a total of 22 Grey partridge from all 4 fields.Some of them were proper heart attack jobs as they waited until I had nearly stood on them before they flew up.
Field 58, 1 Buzzard over ,2 Whitethroats, 1 Sedge warbler and 1 GS Woodpecker, Field 59 1 Kestrel ,4 Skylarks, 2 Oystercatchers and 1 Snipe in the water logged corner near the rail crossing. Fields 60 & 61 both had large numbers of Mpipits,Chaffinches,Goldfinches and Yellowhammers flocking together.
Numbers of Swallows and Swifts seem to have dropped , I wouldn`t be surprised if they went back to Africa early after all this rain.
A word of warning if you go on foot like I did today, Most of the farms have their dogs chained up or fenced in, Moss side farm just passed the rail crossing has 2 Alsation mixed breeds one is chained up but one is loose and it will run out on to the road to meet you, not a pleasant dog.
Dave Thacker said
Fri Jun 29 10:19 PM, 2007
Astley moss this evening 19.30 to 21.45
2 Whimbrels flying low over the moss calling to each other. 1 Buzzard 2 Kestrels 2 Grey Partridge in f67
Chat moss 1 Barn Owl hunting on the edge of f14 ,it then flew over f12 and made two kills ,the owl ate the first kill and then caught another vole and carried it towards f44.
Ian Woosey said
Tue Jun 26 12:46 PM, 2007
26/6/07 early morning
Hobby - chasing Swallows over field 58, just past Moss Side Farm. Corn Bunting on wires side of field 59. Also in this field - Oystercatcher & Grey Partridge. juv Tree Sparrow nr.Birch Farm (60) f/imm Yellow Wagtail on fence behind Olive Mount Fm. 2 Red-legged Partridge & 2 Grey Partridge along side of 63 2 Kestrel over 64 very distant Buzzard (could even have been in Cheshire ! ) small numbers of Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Linnets, Stock Doves, Whitethroats etc many Swifts & Swallows
James Walsh said
Fri Jun 1 10:09 AM, 2007
Thursday 31/05/07
garden warbler @ sj 700932
take new moss road off the road inbetween lower irlam and cadishead, park at the small car park on the left after 500 yards & walk ahead for 300 yards along the woodland trust trail, on os map it's called new moss wood, also 1 grey partridge, c15 common whitethroat, 3 blackcap, song thrush, yellowhammer, jay, 2 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff
olive mount farm area - 4 corn & 1 reed bunting & 10 yellowhammer
Geoff After looking at Ian`s excellent photo`s of the Whimbrels at the peat pools which he took a couple of weeks ago and which flew off just before I got there, I was lucky enough to see one this morning. The Spotted flycatchers were a bit of a surprise and a good sighting as on the whole the moss was very quiet today.I could not find the Stonechats off Rindle road or any Wheatears at all.
Geoff Hargreaves said
Mon May 28 5:40 PM, 2007
dave,just the one whimbrel and a couple of spotted flycatchers,both lifers for me if i get to see em ,i,ll call in again tuesday night and keep my eyes peeled
cheers geoff
Dave Thacker said
Mon May 28 5:22 PM, 2007
Between 10.30am - 2.30pm today
Peat pools were very quiet , just the Plovers and Reedbuntings and 2 Buzzards over
Over and around Astley Moss and Rindle road, 2 Buzzards 5 Yellowhammers 6 Tree sparrows 8 Reed buntings 2 Jays 2 Skylarks 4 Mpipits 2 Whitethroat 2 Willow warblers 1 Whimbrel and 1 Sparrowhawk over Bedford moss
Chat moss 1 Whitethroat perched near Birch farm 2 Buzzards over f63 2 Spotted Flycatchers perched on the fence at Hope Cottage farm opposite entrance to Larkhill farm. I watched one bird for 10 minutes then it was joined by the other , they flew off towards Larkhill farm. Plenty of Lapwings in the fields and also a lot of young Pied wagtails about. Rest of the moss was very quiet.
Also of note were 2 Oystercatchers sat on the building next to the BOC carpark again beside the A580 in Swinton as I travelled to the moss this morning.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 10:40, 2007-07-30
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 10th of February 2012 07:53:18 PM
2 Little Owls (ad & juv) at the side of Olive Mt. Fm. and F63. The juv was on the ground just staring at me, then flew up into a tree where I spotted an adult,who must have been watching over it while it explored. (Site tick
Corn Bunting on wires F19
Besides the usual Tree Sparrows on Rindle Rd., there was a group of 13 here as well ; New Farm. F19
2 Willow Tit - Red Challis
23 Mistle Thrushes in the paddock next to Cherry Tree cottage F61
6 Grey Partridge F59
Red-legged Partridge - F63
4 Kestrels
usual Yellowhammers, Linnets etc
This morning on Astley moss was a Sparrowhawk over f67 and a Buzzard over Rindle woods.
Chat moss f59 again 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Grey partridge in the waterlogged corner near the signal box.
5 Grey wagtails in f19 , 2 adults and 3 juv.
4 Grey partridge and 2 RL Partridge walking on the edge of 12 Yards road in front of my car before flying into f52.
I had a couple of hours wandering around fields 58,59,60 and 61 on Chat moss looking for the Hobby.Alas I did not see it but I did flush a total of 22 Grey partridge from all 4 fields.Some of them were proper heart attack jobs as they waited until I had nearly stood on them before they flew up.
Field 58, 1 Buzzard over ,2 Whitethroats, 1 Sedge warbler and 1 GS Woodpecker,
Field 59 1 Kestrel ,4 Skylarks, 2 Oystercatchers and 1 Snipe in the water logged corner near the rail crossing.
Fields 60 & 61 both had large numbers of Mpipits,Chaffinches,Goldfinches and Yellowhammers flocking together.
Numbers of Swallows and Swifts seem to have dropped , I wouldn`t be surprised if they went back to Africa early after all this rain.
A word of warning if you go on foot like I did today, Most of the farms have their dogs chained up or fenced in, Moss side farm just passed the rail crossing has 2 Alsation mixed breeds one is chained up but one is loose and it will run out on to the road to meet you, not a pleasant dog.
2 Whimbrels flying low over the moss calling to each other.
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrels
2 Grey Partridge in f67
Chat moss
1 Barn Owl hunting on the edge of f14 ,it then flew over f12 and made two kills ,the owl ate the first kill and then caught another vole and carried it towards f44.
Hobby - chasing Swallows over field 58, just past Moss Side Farm.
Corn Bunting on wires side of field 59. Also in this field - Oystercatcher & Grey Partridge.
juv Tree Sparrow nr.Birch Farm (60)
f/imm Yellow Wagtail on fence behind Olive Mount Fm.
2 Red-legged Partridge & 2 Grey Partridge along side of 63
2 Kestrel over 64
very distant Buzzard (could even have been in Cheshire !
small numbers of Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Linnets, Stock Doves, Whitethroats etc
many Swifts & Swallows
garden warbler @ sj 700932
take new moss road off the road inbetween lower irlam and cadishead, park at the small car park on the left after 500 yards & walk ahead for 300 yards along the woodland trust trail, on os map it's called new moss wood, also 1 grey partridge, c15 common whitethroat, 3 blackcap, song thrush, yellowhammer, jay, 2 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff
olive mount farm area - 4 corn & 1 reed bunting & 10 yellowhammer
astley peat pools - 4 lrp, 2 rp, 2+ oystercatcher, 3 redshank
-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 10:11, 2007-06-01
After looking at Ian`s excellent photo`s of the Whimbrels at the peat pools which he took a couple of weeks ago and which flew off just before I got there, I was lucky enough to see one this morning.
The Spotted flycatchers were a bit of a surprise and a good sighting as on the whole the moss was very quiet today.I could not find the Stonechats off Rindle road or any Wheatears at all.
cheers geoff
Between 10.30am - 2.30pm today
Peat pools were very quiet , just the Plovers and Reedbuntings and 2 Buzzards over
Over and around Astley Moss and Rindle road,
2 Buzzards
5 Yellowhammers
6 Tree sparrows
8 Reed buntings
2 Jays
2 Skylarks
4 Mpipits
2 Whitethroat
2 Willow warblers
1 Whimbrel and 1 Sparrowhawk over Bedford moss
Chat moss
1 Whitethroat perched near Birch farm
2 Buzzards over f63
2 Spotted Flycatchers perched on the fence at Hope Cottage farm opposite entrance to Larkhill farm. I watched one bird for 10 minutes then it was joined by the other , they flew off towards Larkhill farm.
Plenty of Lapwings in the fields and also a lot of young Pied wagtails about.
Rest of the moss was very quiet.
Also of note were 2 Oystercatchers sat on the building next to the BOC carpark again beside the A580 in Swinton as I travelled to the moss this morning.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 10:40, 2007-07-30
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 10th of February 2012 07:53:18 PM