08.30-13.00

Walk from Isherwood Road to Sinderland Green and Brookheyes Covert.

5 Chiffchaffs

11 Yellowhammers (including a pair carrying nesting material & 2 more seemingly established pairs)

2 Kestrels ( inc. a male catching earthworms near the flare stack)

Field 26 held a huge flock of Meadow Pipits, with upto 12 birds at a time bathing in the puddles on the cinder track.

Also in field 26, 4 Reed Buntings, 20+ Redwings flushed from the hedgerow as did a single Mistle Thrush.

8 Fieldfares rested on a tree by field 71, but then a huge flock of them erupted from field 72, 80+ at least, many of them then settled in the trees of Sinderland Green Wood.

In the hedgerows near Brookheyes Covert were 1 Goldcrest (f) and 3 Goldfinches, which were involved in a ferocious territorial dispute.

A single Skylark was in field 4, and 6 more in field 25, 2 of them having a quite vicious fight.

The only Buzzard was one over Dark Lane NR. The nearby rookery appears to hold 26 nests.

Walk between Sinderland Green and Dark Lane this morning. Plenty of chiffchaffs but no other migrants.
Field 69 - still about 70 fieldfares, but only a handful of redwings.
Field 25 - very few chaffinches, but a flock of least 20 bramblings with about 30 linnets, and single bramblings in three other locations.
Sinderland Brook / Dark Lane - 1 Mink.
Brookheys covert - Green woodpecker heard several times (it was also near to here on 19th March)
Field 32 - at least 20 Yellowhammers, but I havnt seen a Reed Bunting in this area in the last two weeks.


-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Thursday 27th of March 2014 10:47:18 AM

Just failed to make my intended first visit to this site today, having been delayed at Dunham Massey (surprisingly large numbers of people, which might have something to do with not seeing very much).

However, driving along Sinderland Lane there were two male wheatears on the ploughed field just to the South (34 I think) which brightened up the afternoon. Must return to visit properly.

Following yesterday's report from field 23, I spent about 2 hours (13:00 - 15:00) looking for Wheatears between Dark Lane and Sinderland green, but found little of interest except for a Merlin over field 27, and an unusually large number of Linnets (probably at least 70) on field 25. The large flock of Chaffinches seems to have left. I noted that field 27 and part of field 25 have been ploughed since Wednesday.

Three Wheatear in field 23 this afternoon.

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

Beautiful weather this morning with 48 species in a 1 km square (SJ7390) in two hours, but apart from my first chiffchaffs of the year (sinderland woods and dark lane) nothing really out of the ordinary but teal counts on sinderland brook were unusual at being over 20 - probably disturbed by the large numbers of runners on Sinderland Lane (or more likely to be the cheering crowds!). Numbers of Meadow pipits were also unusually high - I assume that the migration to the hills has started! There are still good numbers of yellowhammers and reed buntings in field 27.

Difficult weather this morning - rain stopped but still very windy so difficult to hear birds.
f25 - about 200 chaffinches with a few bramblings - the latter difficult to count as I never saw more than 1 at any time, but at least one male and one female, but I would guess that there are at least 4-5. Linnet flock has increased again to november numbers of about 40.
f27 - large number of yellowhammers and reed buntings - probably about 40, of which about one third were reed buntings. Very mobile and difficult to count.
Tiny ditch between f68 and f69 - one kingfisher in exactly the same place as about three weeks ago. Local farmer said this was only the third time he had seen one on his land in at least twenty years.
Otherwise very quiet with no early migrants - I have seen curlews flying over the river Mersey at Moore which isn't far away but I haven't found any on this patch yet.

13.30-16.00

1 female Merlin in field 11, 6 Fieldfares in field 25. 60+ Redwings by field 1.

1 Skylark singing over field 25, 9 Yellowhammers near old orchard, 1 Kestrel over field 26.

Also 6 Buzzards soaring over the moss, plus a dead one near the old orchard.

There were excavators digging a trench across field 4, where a huge flock of Chaffinches were a year ago. No birds at all there today.

6th feb.

c120 redwings in trees adjacent to riding centre.

f5, 5 yellowhammers, 4 reed buntings, 5 meadow pipits.

orchard, 8 bramblings, c200 chaffinches, c20 yellowhammers, c10 reed buntings, 1 treecreeper, 8 redwings, 2 goldfinches, 1 buzzard, 1 wren, 2 jays, great spotted woodpecker heard.

info thanks to phil Kelly.

I had an excellent, close up view of a Merlin this morning at 09:20 . It was on the wires above the path between fields 25 & 27, I got within 20 yards. Im sure it was female, could there be 2?

Walk from Sinderland Green to Dark Lane 10:00 - 12:00.
Fewer birds than normal but a lot of hedge and tree cutting in progress
Highlights:

f26
2 ravens on pylon, >2 buzzards (1 on same pylon as ravens but a few minutes earlier)

f27
male merlin (present since mid november)

f25
chaffinch flock still > 150 but very mobile (and it is a very big field!)

Sinderland woods
Very little apart from 7 teal at western edge

Walk from Sinderland Green to Dark Lane 9:40 - 11:30.
Birds appeared to be hard to find and numbers generally lower than usual.

Highlights:

Sinderland Green
2 Tree Sparrow

f25
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
At least 2 Bramblings in with about 200 Chaffinch
20 Linnet
25 Stock Dove

f27
Green Woodpecker heard several times to the South (near to Brookheys Covert), but not seen.
4 Tree Sparrows near to railway track

Walk from Sinderland Green to Dark Lane 8:00 - 10:30.
Highlights:

Sinderland Green
40+ Goldfinch
2 Tree Sparrow

f72
80+ Tree Sparrow
15+ Reed Bunting
2 Yellowhammer
4 Partridge

f25
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
50+ Chaffinch
8 Linnet
18 Stock Dove

f67
90 Fieldfare
Merlin (has been present in area since mid-November)
2 Ravens

15.00-16.10
Short walk from Firs Wood to Swiss Cottage and back
Generally quiet

Highlights
2 Stock Dove overhead
3 Buzzard about

f5 - stubble field
23 Linnet
2 Reed Bunting
3 Goldfinch
2 Yellowhammer

f7 - ploughed previously
3 Pied Wagtail
Magpies
2 Mistle Thrush

Firs Wood
27 Redwing

and a cycling Tim Wilcox! Happy New Year!

Nev

Very large flock, several hundred strong of mainly skylark and chaffinch, with a few others such as yellowhammer in amongst currently in stubble field between old orchard and flare stack.

Morning walk from Isherwood Road to the ETW.

Buzzard 1
Lesser Redpoll 10+
Bullfinch 1m
Linnet 20+
Willow Tit 1
Missel Thrush 1

Quick walk this afternoon.
2/3 Bullfinches, 3/4 Redwings, loads of Fieldfares, 2/3 Jays etc. Small flock Linnets.
Peregrine seeing a Buzzard off over f5.
Kestrel f1

Quick keep fit bike ride across the Moss this afternoon, no binoculars.
Few Jays, 2 or 3 Buzzards and a Kestrel.
Large flock of Fieldfares in trees around fields 2 and 11. Don't know how many, not good with flocks, but there were more than a hundred, I reckon.
Nice to see. Plenty of finches and tits, don't think there were any Bramblings, but I was too quick to ID them. Go greased lightning....

-- Edited by Richard Would on Tuesday 3rd of December 2013 04:23:37 PM

f5 hedges..
10 fieldfares
30 redwings
50 chaffinches
10 linnets
2 song thrushes
4 blackbirds
1 goldcrest
10 long tailed tits

f4 hedges/orchard..
50 goldfinches
5 greenfinches
1 reed bunting
10 yellowhammers
10 fieldfares
10 redwings
20 chaffinches
1 sparrowhawk over f4

f12..
1 buzzard
3 yellowhammers
1 reed bunting
3 skylarks
still no bramblings.

info thanks to phil Kelly.

-- Edited by steven burke on Monday 25th of November 2013 06:32:19 PM

Short walk yesterday around fields 2, 1, 10 11, 4 & 12 between 11.30 and 1pm. Very few birds (fields are still unploughed) but a good number of mixed thrushes in the hedge by the public footpath between field 2 and the chemical works, including several Redwing and one Fieldfare. Female Stonechat in the bushes between fields 4 and 13, the first Stonechat I've seen on the Moss for several years.

f5 c150 linnets, c30 goldfinches
f13/15 1 common buzzard
f23 1 pied wagtail

a very quiet few hours. info thanks to phil Kelly.

f71 (North of Sinderland Green Wood) at least 55 Tree Sparrows (and I certainly missed a few in the thick hedge) with buntings and finches.
f25 at least 310 chaffinches - again almost certainly an underestimate.
Also peregrine and two raven yesterday f25.

f13/15 approx 200 goldfinches, 400 meadow pipits, 200 linnets
35 skylarks
3 jays
2 willow tits in hawthorn bush.

f11 1 kestrel

swiss farm, c200 linnets/ goldfinches on bt wire.

no signs of any bramblings, yet.

info thanks to phil Kelly.

Sunday afternoon walk.

Buzzard 5+
Kestrel 1f
Sparrowhawk 1f
Skylark 2
Yellowhammer 1
Reed Bunting 1
Redwing 2

plus a flock of 60+ possible finches in field 5 but too far away to identify precisely.

etc.etc.etc.

Thanks again Tim.

First the good news. As there are hides, we went to Risley Moss. The bad news, they shut on a Friday. So across to Pennington, but no rain all day.

Regards

Geoff

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

Thanks Tim, I only asked because I am a little fragile at present(bad foot), and we might go there tomorrow, and I do not feel like standing and walking all day, especially as it is due to rain as well.

---

Oh dear! Neither is a good place to visit with a bad foot! You can walk for many miles on either Mossland. I usually use a bicycle for both. We're talking 5-9 miles here for even a small circuit and there might be nothing at all for quite long stretches.

Thanks Tim, I only asked because I am a little fragile at present(bad foot), and we might go there tomorrow, and I do not feel like standing and walking all day, especially as it is due to rain as well.

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

Thanks Nick.I assume it is the same for Astley?

---

Hi Geoff

Both Carrington Moss and Astley Moss are areas of flat, working farmland. No hides are necessary or indeed appropriate to the environs. However they are great places for birding; especially in winter

Thanks Nick.I assume it is the same for Astley?

Afraid not Geoff.

Are there any Hides on this patch please?

As I was coming down Mile Rd last night at 1800, the lapwings were just landing in the left hand field, but werent there this morning...

Mile End Rd this evening 5.20pm:-

2 Snipe flying around with a mixed flock of c20 Lapwing and c60 Starling.

Quick walk over the Moss from Sale between about 12 and 2pm.

Jays very much in evidence all over the Moss, doing the acorn thing I suppose.

7/8 Buzzards, Kestrel and a Peregrine over F19/27 area, could have been two.
Odd Skylarks, Goldfinches etc

Friday, August 30th. Walk from Isherwood Road to ETW:

Buzzard 5
Green/Goldfinch 100+
Tree Sparrow 2
Meadow Pipit 1
Reed Bunting 1
Linnet 1
Starling 20+
Blackcaps
Chiffchaffs
Willow Warbler 1

Buzzard 2
Willow Tit 1
Sand Martin 1
Blackcap 2m
Chiffchaff 5+
Pied Wagtail 1
Greenfinches
Goldfinches
Woodpigeons
etc.

Yesterday

1 Raven circling high above Sinderland Green
at least 3 Tree Sparrow + feldgling

c150 Hirundines feeding over f12/ f13/ f4 area. Mostly Swallows and Sand Martins + a few House Martins.
The finch flock at Swiss Cottage seems to be growing; they're now dropping down on to the rape crop to
feed.

Swiss Cottage Farm this morning.
A nice flock of c100 Goldfinches feeding mostly on thistles.
1 adult +1 juv Whitethroat.
4 Linnets, 2 Greenfinch and a Skylark carrying food.
2 Yellowhammers.

Yesterday, Sunday, with Tony Darby 9.30am - 12.30pm

No sign Little Owl at Brookheys Covert in any of the lone trees in the field or on any posts

Grey Partridge 2 running along path between f24 and f25

Yellow Wagtail 2 on path between f4 and f12/13 one of which was a bright male and the other a very pale (almost grey and white) female and quite probably the individual photographed by Pete Hines at Altrincham ETW on 3 May (see photo gallery)

Tree Sparrow, 3 Linnets and a family party of Blue Tits at Swiss Cottage Farm. Also good numbers of Greenfinch here plus 7 or 8 elsewhere around the Moss

Fresh Gatekeepers and second generation Small Tortoiseshell in good numbers and a few Meadow Browns around

Oddly no raptors at all

1 Little Owl & 2 Grey Partridges, field adjacent to Brookheys Covert @ 7pm

Dave Cropper wrote:

---

It's always difficult trying to pinpoint where you might see the Hobby. The only consolation is that this is the third summer at least that they have been in this area and in view of juveniles being seen last year at least one pair is probably breeding close by. There is a very obvious dead tree on the edge of Sinderland Green woods which was favoured as a perch last year but I have seen them across a wide area. Good hunting!

---

Probably the same birds that have been seen at Risley for several years. Not a million miles as the crow flies.

I saw one on two occasions recently, once flying over the Carrington Spur road and again about half a mile along the Mersey towards Stretford, chasing hirundines.

It's always difficult trying to pinpoint where you might see the Hobby. The only consolation is that this is the third summer at least that they have been in this area and in view of juveniles being seen last year at least one pair is probably breeding close by. There is a very obvious dead tree on the edge of Sinderland Green woods which was favoured as a perch last year but I have seen them across a wide area. Good hunting!

Took a look round F1 this evening around 8:30pm.
No Hobby and very few hirundines, but no horseflies either

I saw a big raptor soaring high over to the South-West(ish). Wasn't a Buzzard or a Harrier, put me in mind of an Osprey, but wouldn't like to say at that silly range.
The sun was catching it, looked like it had a lot of white or very pale plumage.

Little Owl by the Cattery again, both on telegraph pole and in the tree.

-- Edited by Richard Would on Thursday 18th of July 2013 10:23:17 PM

I got there at 10:15, no sign of the Hobby. Hung around for 20 mins but beat a retreat due to the horseflies.

Currently watching a Hobby actively chasing hirundines near F1

Also of note Little Owl in usual tree F32, 3 Yellow Wagtail and first 2 juv Buzzard of the season.
Good numbers of the usuals suggesting the summer might not be a write-off for breeding after all.

-- Edited by Dave Cropper on Thursday 18th of July 2013 10:44:47 AM

Good views of 2 Tree Sparrows at Swiss Cottage Farm, confirming previous not so good views there.
f Kestrel at Brookheys Rd, no jesses that I could see. Unfortunately no Little Owl either.

Little Owl seen in similar area mid morning, in tree along lane adjacent to Brookheys Covert & flying over the fields here

Also a Kestrel with what appeared to be jesses

Little owl on BT wire adjacent cattory 7.59am Sinderland rd.

Info thanks to phil Kelly.

Single Yellow Wagtail F115 mid-pm today.