4.40pm - A female Yellow Wagtail briefly landed on the road in front of my car whilst driving on Black Moss Rd near Black Moss Farm this afternoon. It flew over the hedge into the field opposite farm.
John Doherty said
Thu Jun 20 5:20 AM, 2013
Walk from the Rope and Anchor pub south of the moss down the Transpennine Trail towards the sewage works
Lots of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat a few Willow Warblers. 2 Buzzards together 6 Yellowhammer, with 5 heard singing and one coming down to the path before a cyclist sent it scarpering. 1 Jay usuals.
Richard Would said
Thu Jun 20 12:33 AM, 2013
Not really Carrington Moss exactly, but I went for a bike ride along the Mersey today. I was on the cycle path parallel to the Carrington Spur Road and saw a Hobby overhead. I carried on along the river bank towards the path to Kickety Brook or whatever daft name they call it. On that bend in the Mersey, there are always a fair number of Swallows and the Hobby was there again, harrassing them. I got good, though brief views before it disappeared behind the trees towards the M60.
Nick Hilton said
Sun May 12 5:48 PM, 2013
This morning on a walk down Birch Road, onto Sinderland and back via Brookheyes; 3 pairs of Grey Partridge of note.
Steven Nelson said
Wed May 8 4:16 AM, 2013
5.50pm - field next to Shell NR 1 Oystercatcher 3 Canada Geese 6 Lapwing c100 Rooks and a few Jackdaws
The wagtail in the field 187 images is a (the) Channel Wagtail.
James Walsh said
Sat May 4 3:10 AM, 2013
Channel Wagtail showing well field 187 4pm, also 4 Wheatear, 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Linnet
1 Grey Partridge near Brookheys Covert
Steven Nelson said
Sat May 4 2:22 AM, 2013
Managed a quick stop off on the way home to see the Blue-headed (Channel?) Wagtail in f187. Certainly an interesting bird. Pete Hinds already there filming the bird - Nice to meet you Pete. It flew off SW at 6.05pm towards f189
Also c5 Wheatear 2 Skylark 1 Yellowhammer
Martyn Jones said
Fri May 3 8:31 PM, 2013
Boy, when I set off for Carrington Moss this afternoon did I NOT know what a can of worms I'd open today. I got the text from Ian about the Blue-headed Wagtail in f187 and thought that it would be a nice little afternoon jaunt over Warby Bridge towards Dunham Massey. I found the place OK thanks to the field number and the map and even got a good place to park, but then the wait began. For well over an hour and a half I paced up and down the public footpath alongside the ploughed field with my scope and bins with nothing to see on the ground but four Wheatears, two Pied Wagtails, two Skylarks and a number of Chaffinches flitting around. Whilst I waited I took some photos of the Wheatear, one of which came quite close, but the light wasn't good for most of the time and the wind kept whipping up mini-sandstorms along the path.
And then I saw a flash of yellow in the distance, and I'd cracked it - the Blue-headed Wagtail (a lifer for me) had appeared and was busy running up and down the furrows, with a Pied Wagtail in tow for some reason. The bird was well over a hundred metres away and so although I took loads of photos, none of them are any good. Anyway, satisfied I found the bird on my small twitch from Tyldesley, I walked back to the car and was about to set off for Dunham Massey Park in search of woodpeckers, when James Walsh arrived with his mate Sean. I told him I'd seen the bird and got some photos, but it had now disappeared. Just before I showed him the record shots on the back of my camera, he asked me if it was a 'Channel Wagtail' - wha???? I knew nothing about this 'issue' and so James kindly explained about flava flava and flava flavissima as well as flava x flavissima! - see what I mean about the can of worms?
After looking at my photos several times, James thought that this bird wasn't the Channel Wagtail he'd seen recently and said it was 'probably' a Blue-headed Wagtail - good enough for a novice like me, but it you want to join the debate, look at my crappy record shots on my blog: gt-birding-scrapbook.blogspot.com. Nice to meet James and Sean, and Tim Wilcox cycled in to join us just before I left.
P.S. I've since read Ian's excellent article on this website about these birds and also the previous discussion posts in this forum, and so I'm now a lot more enlightened - thanks chaps
Update: I've just had a PM from Ian to say that this bird is in fact a 'Channel Wagtail' and I've just noticed that James has reported it as such - well, it's still a new bird for me
-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Friday 3rd of May 2013 08:49:17 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 3 6:50 PM, 2013
Male Blue-headed Wagtail on Carrington Moss on ploughed field (number 187) south of Birch Farm, Moss Lane.
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
Pete Hines said
Fri May 3 5:01 AM, 2013
Mike Passant wrote:
Hi Pete, I had a look at your video of the "Channel" Wagtail this evening. (I appreciate the difficulties of videoing in bright sunshine and the consequent problem in trying to assess tonal contrasts etc. and also of course the problems of auto- focusing in rank grass).
From what I could make out, the bird's lilac - shaded head, white throat (not just its white chin) and supercilium all seemed to tick the right boxes, though I couldn't for sure pick out a sufficiently defined white sub ocular speck to say it was there, or get a really clear impression of its ear covert pattern; (perhaps in the field you gained a clearer impression).
My only previous field experience of the form was last spring up here at Bishop Middleham where we were fortunate to have a classic "channel" type alongside both standard Yellow Wagtails and at least one Blue -headed as well for some weeks. These put on quite a show and provided really useful and repeated comparisons, with the Channel type instantly picked up initially on head shade, with the relatively extensive white throat as a prime support feature, alongside its facial markings.
I had barely heard of this hybrid form until I had earlier come across Ian's i/d article.
I think it's a really fascinating area due to the almost certain likelihood of "back crosses" also sometimes occurring, giving rise to the potential for a degree of "stretch" in these plumage characters. An interesting form to find would be a Channel x Yellow, or a Channel times Blue-headed;- how would the head tones look on a male of one of these? - All good stuff!
Regards, Mike P.
I'd watched all the videos of Channel Wagtails on You Tube last night and that Bishop Middleton bird is indeed what you would call a classic. The Carrington bird does have a clear sub-ocular patch.
James Walsh said
Fri May 3 4:33 AM, 2013
Hobby drifted north over Dunham Road around 11:50am
Doc Brewster said
Fri May 3 4:30 AM, 2013
This bird matches very well the bird wholeheatedly IDed as 'Channel Wagtail' that we had on the Marbury Patch recently. We, like Mikes post, surmised at back-crosses such as Yellow x Channel Wagtail as a possible parentage. But both ours and the one videoed by Pete don't really fit the latest ID criteria of pure Blue-headed wagtail. As Pete says flava wagtail may be as good as it gets
Mike Passant said
Fri May 3 4:12 AM, 2013
Hi Pete, I had a look at your video of the "Channel" Wagtail this evening. (I appreciate the difficulties of videoing in bright sunshine and the consequent problem in trying to assess tonal contrasts etc. and also of course the problems of auto- focusing in rank grass).
From what I could make out, the bird's lilac - shaded head, white throat (not just its white chin) and supercilium all seemed to tick the right boxes, though I couldn't for sure pick out a sufficiently defined white sub ocular speck to say it was there, or get a really clear impression of its ear covert pattern; (perhaps in the field you gained a clearer impression).
My only previous field experience of the form was last spring up here at Bishop Middleham where we were fortunate to have a classic "channel" type alongside both standard Yellow Wagtails and at least one Blue -headed as well for some weeks. These put on quite a show and provided really useful and repeated comparisons, with the Channel type instantly picked up initially on head shade, with the relatively extensive white throat as a prime support feature, alongside its facial markings.
I had barely heard of this hybrid form until I had earlier come across Ian's i/d article.
I think it's a really fascinating area due to the almost certain likelihood of "back crosses" also sometimes occurring, giving rise to the potential for a degree of "stretch" in these plumage characters. An interesting form to find would be a Channel x Yellow, or a Channel times Blue-headed;- how would the head tones look on a male of one of these? - All good stuff!
Regards, Mike P.
Pete Hines said
Fri May 3 3:49 AM, 2013
Rob Creek wrote:
Pete Hines wrote:
Re Flava Wagtail. Something didn't sit right with me with the bird I saw from the onset and I suspect Channel Wagtail. I've knitted some footage together...
Alright Pete, Some good footage there. Very difficult this one, it appears to be Channel Wagtail but personally, and only my opinion, I would go for Blue Headed Wagtail. It seems to be a much paler head than the Blue Headed we had at Audenshaw Res a few weeks ago (I missed the Channel last week) although sunlight could be a factor in your bird. Have you read Ian's article about Channel / Blue Headed Wagtail ID? Very interesting and shows an example of what I would've thought was Channel that is infact Blue Headed. Cheers Rob
I read the article as soon as I'd uploaded the footage onto the computer late last night. It had been eating away at me all afternoon and that's the best there is to go on as I'd not knowingly seen a "Channel" before. I've yet to see a picture or video of a Blue-headed that looks like that bird and Channel in the article fitted best. Such is the complexity and variation in the Flava wagatail complex Id be happier to leave it at that, a Flava wagtail sp.
Rob Creek said
Fri May 3 3:16 AM, 2013
Pete Hines wrote:
Re Flava Wagtail. Something didn't sit right with me with the bird I saw from the onset and I suspect Channel Wagtail. I've knitted some footage together...
Alright Pete, Some good footage there. Very difficult this one, it appears to be Channel Wagtail but personally, and only my opinion, I would go for Blue Headed Wagtail. It seems to be a much paler head than the Blue Headed we had at Audenshaw Res a few weeks ago (I missed the Channel last week) although sunlight could be a factor in your bird. Have you read Ian's article about Channel / Blue Headed Wagtail ID? Very interesting and shows an example of what I would've thought was Channel that is infact Blue Headed. Cheers Rob
Pete Hines said
Thu May 2 4:48 PM, 2013
Re Flava Wagtail. Something didn't sit right with me with the bird I saw from the onset and I suspect Channel Wagtail. I've knitted some footage together...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhxJ0eE17aA
James Walsh said
Thu May 2 3:16 PM, 2013
Wednesday May 1st
Between 5:30pm-7:30pm didn't see any Wagtails on the deck, just heard 1 flava as it was flying over
1 Red-legged Partridge feeding with 2 Grey Partridge in sandy field adjacent to Dunham Road / Carr Green Lane
Doc Brewster said
Thu May 2 2:57 PM, 2013
Cheers guys
Heading out that way early but knew if I logged on you would come up with the goods. Thanks again, especially for the bird list Henry. I will take a look if I get the chance after an appointment near there
Henry Cook said
Thu May 2 5:41 AM, 2013
Doc Brewster wrote:
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Male Blue-headed Wagtail just to the west of Carrgreen Lane in paddock to south of track this morning.
Info thanks to Henry Cook
Is that the Carrgreen Lane off the B5160 Dunham Road SE of Mossbrow? Been asking a couple of Carrington Moss regulars where it was & they hadn't heard of it, but I found the above mentioned one in the trusty Manchester A to Z
Yep that's the place Doc. Grid reference is SJ71378865 and the field number is 217 on the Carrington Moss map.
I believe the bird was seen again by Pete Hines at 2pm before it flew NW towards field 158.
Some of the birds seen in this part of the moss on my BBS included:
1 Cormorant - over 2 Grey Partridges 5 Stock Doves 10 Wheatears 2 Yellow Wagtails - including the flava ssp 10 Skylarks 10 Swallows 1 House Martin 21 Common Whitethroats 3 Chiffchaffs 3 Blackcaps 7 Linnets 1 Lesser Redpoll - over 24 Yellowhammers 2 Reed Buntings
No Tree Sparrows or Sedge Warblers which I usually get here.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 2 5:30 AM, 2013
That's right Paul, its the only Carrgreen Lane there is but isn't the Carr Green Lane which has been stated elsewhere (why can the information services not just copy what the see instead of presuming something else?) as the latter doesn't exists it seems
Doc Brewster said
Thu May 2 5:25 AM, 2013
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Male Blue-headed Wagtail just to the west of Carrgreen Lane in paddock to south of track this morning.
Info thanks to Henry Cook
Is that the Carrgreen Lane off the B5160 Dunham Road SE of Mossbrow? Been asking a couple of Carrington Moss regulars where it was & they hadn't heard of it, but I found the above mentioned one in the trusty Manchester A to Z
Pete Hines said
Thu May 2 12:33 AM, 2013
1st May
Blue-headed (Flava) Wagtail at Carrgreeen Farm in cattle field F217 and on roadside hedge 14.00 -14.10 when flew NW over F158.
1 Tree Sparrow F152 1 Grey Partridge F160
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 2nd of May 2013 12:34:13 AM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 1 4:53 PM, 2013
Male Blue-headed Wagtail just to the west of Carrgreen Lane in paddock to south of track this morning.
Info thanks to Henry Cook
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Mon Apr 22 12:43 AM, 2013
Correction. All in field 5 not 6.
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Sun Apr 21 5:22 PM, 2013
Sunday, April 21st. Walk from Isherwood Road to ETW.
Yellowhammer 14 in field 6. White Wagtail 3 in field 6. Reed Bunting 2 in field 6. Mistle Thrush 2 in field 6 Lapwing 2 in field 6. Skylark 1 singing field 6. Blackcap 5 singing. Chiffchaff 2 singing. Willow Warbler 2 singing. Willow Tit 1 singing.
etc.etc.etc.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 21st of April 2013 06:01:38 PM
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Apr 20 3:10 AM, 2013
Only thing to add to others below is presence of a few brambling still, in trees just inside the Shell nature reserve.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 20 12:28 AM, 2013
Vaughan Evans wrote:
8 yellow wagtails at ETW - in horse paddock to right of main path/road through the plant (between silos and farm)
Originally posted by Vaughan Evans: -
16 at 5:15pm - all in the paddock nearest the fence - non with unusual heads though
Vaughan Evans said
Fri Apr 19 11:26 PM, 2013
8 yellow wagtails at ETW - in horse paddock to right of main path/road through the plant (between silos and farm)
Nev Wright said
Fri Apr 19 11:21 PM, 2013
f36 At least 4 Wheatear still present this 3pm
Tony Darby said
Fri Apr 19 9:41 PM, 2013
Nice to meet you Paul, the next time I need my scope carrying around I'll bear you in mind. Around the moss there were a further 12 Wheatear in f25 and 15 in f2 feeding alongside 3 Skylarks. Also a flock of 50 Linnets on the remains of the stubble on f4
Paul Dewey said
Fri Apr 19 7:09 PM, 2013
Still at least 25 Wheatear in what I assume is field 36, ploughed one.
Also
Whinchat
Yellow wagtail
White wagtail.
Nice to meet another forum member, Tony Darby who kindly let me look through his scope to confirm the Whinchat.
Rob Smallwood said
Fri Apr 19 1:23 AM, 2013
Wow!
Vaughan Evans said
Fri Apr 19 12:34 AM, 2013
Now its stopped raining a quick scan produced a count of 36 birds - the field has just been ploughed so i guess there are alot more i cant see
Vaughan Evans said
Fri Apr 19 12:27 AM, 2013
At least twenty wheatears currently in field 36 - bring a coat.
Vaughan Evans said
Thu Apr 18 5:40 PM, 2013
41 and a single yellow wagtail. I imagine the true total was quite a bit higher
I had popped to the ETW first where there were twenty or house martins by the farm but then the rains came so I retreated to the car - would be interesting to know what was on the treatment plant itself.
Another wheatear in field 44 along with a few skylarks and a couple of yellowhammers
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Thursday 18th of April 2013 06:56:17 PM
Nev Wright said
Sun Apr 14 3:57 AM, 2013
Amazingly still loads of Brambling around..I counted 27 this afternoon along the border of f4!
John Doherty said
Tue Apr 9 11:24 PM, 2013
PHIL GREENWOOD wrote:
Monday, April 8th, walk around.
Peregrine 1 sat on electricity sub station. Buzzard 5 Kestrel 1 Meadow Pipit 2 Brambling 10+ alongside road to the losers training ground. .
That's the Aon training ground to you...
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Tue Apr 9 9:47 PM, 2013
Monday, April 8th, walk around.
Peregrine 1 sat on electricity sub station. Buzzard 5 Kestrel 1 Meadow Pipit 2 Brambling 10+ alongside road to the losers training ground. Stock Dove 30+ Rook/Jackdaw 150+ Woodpigeon 400+ Willow Tit 1 Redwing 20+ Fieldfare 6+ Chiffchaff 2 singing. Skylark 1 singing. Yellowhammer 6+ Reed Bunting 2 Lapwing 15 in field 10. Also 12+ on ex Basell Site. Ringed Plover 1 on ex Basell Site.
Pete Hines said
Fri Apr 5 8:38 PM, 2013
c32 Brambling mobile between F4 and F2 included some fine summer plumaged males 1 Harris Hawk F2 1 Grey Partridge F2 1 Chiffchaff
Tim Wilcox said
Mon Apr 1 1:42 AM, 2013
This afternoon c.1.00-4.00pm with Tony Darby and a little time with Nev Wright too
Sinderland Brook at Brookheys Fm Teal 11 Wren 1
Sinderland Green f65-66 Fieldfare 80
f25 Redwing 68 Jays 2 at the bridge Siskin 11 Yellowhammer 28 Linnets 22 Reed Bunting 5
f24 Stock Dove 2
f1 Lapwings 20 Yellowhammer 4 Siskin 2
f1 Grey Partridge 3 found by Nev sat on newly ploughed earth behind the hedge Buzzard 2 Harris Hawk 1 Redwing 20 Fieldfare 2 Chafinch c.70 Brambling 24 counted including one near breeding plumage male - maybe more Skylark 1 sang briefly
01/03/2013 - 10.15am - Fields along Black Moss Road:
2 Grey Partridges 103 Lapwings - good count for the area, hopefully mostly intent on breeding locally 84 Black-headed Gulls 2 Stock Doves c200 Woodpigeons 3 Skylarks - singing 1 Tree Sparrow 5 Yellowhammers - dispersing from winter flocks now
James Walsh said
Fri Mar 1 4:55 AM, 2013
4 Red-legged(type) Partridges just south of the road between ASF & Brookheys Covert
Ran into taller vegetation, difficult to id for definate, possibly some Chukar influence ?
B Benson said
Mon Feb 25 4:37 AM, 2013
Harris Hawk seen by myself for the first time today. It was perched on a telegraph pole near the south Shell fence to the East of the flare. It isn't at all bothered by human company and when i whistled at it I received a loud squawk back. For a few seconds I thought it was going to take off and come towards me but luckily for me it just stayed where it was. It had a very large chest. Would this be its crop full of Woodpigeon as there are hundreds in the area?
It is a magnificent bird near to and that beak is something else.
John Doherty said
Sun Feb 24 11:57 PM, 2013
Pleasant few hours on the moss this morning - blue skies were there behind the grey clouds!
16 Bramblings among a few hundred Chaffinch in the trees at the bottom of F4 near the outermost MU barrier.
4 Yellowhammer + 20 Reed Buntings near F1
4 X Buzzard 3 x Kestrel 2 Herons
steven burke said
Tue Feb 19 3:52 AM, 2013
11-3.30pm
massive flock off finches around f4 easily over 500 majority chaffinches also... bramblings 40+ linnets 30+ 5 yellowhammers 6 reed buntings + goldfinches 78 lapwings & 2 golden plovers being disturbed by a peregrine falcon over shell & harris hawk sat on one off the towers calling, was sat in tree in old orchid later on. 4 bullfinches old orchid 1 willow tit in corner off f4/f5 then into mufc training ground 3 fieldfares over mufc training ground 5 stock doves f5 2 skylarks f5 1 kestrel f4 4-6 buzzards soaring around a lovely day out
Nick Hilton said
Mon Feb 18 12:13 AM, 2013
17/02/13 1400 Flock of circa 70 Fieldfare in F62
Rob Smallwood said
Sun Feb 17 8:44 PM, 2013
Doh - missed you, and thus the crane by about 20 mins!!
Lots of Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat a few Willow Warblers.
2 Buzzards together
6 Yellowhammer, with 5 heard singing and one coming down to the path before a cyclist sent it scarpering.
1 Jay
usuals.
1 Oystercatcher
3 Canada Geese
6 Lapwing
c100 Rooks and a few Jackdaws
2 Brimstone butterflies - Swiss Cottage
1 Speckled Wood- old orchard
1 Grey Partridge near Brookheys Covert
Also c5 Wheatear
2 Skylark
1 Yellowhammer
And then I saw a flash of yellow in the distance, and I'd cracked it - the Blue-headed Wagtail (a lifer for me) had appeared and was busy running up and down the furrows, with a Pied Wagtail in tow for some reason. The bird was well over a hundred metres away and so although I took loads of photos, none of them are any good. Anyway, satisfied I found the bird on my small twitch from Tyldesley, I walked back to the car and was about to set off for Dunham Massey Park in search of woodpeckers, when James Walsh arrived with his mate Sean. I told him I'd seen the bird and got some photos, but it had now disappeared. Just before I showed him the record shots on the back of my camera, he asked me if it was a 'Channel Wagtail' - wha???? I knew nothing about this 'issue' and so James kindly explained about flava flava and flava flavissima as well as flava x flavissima! - see what I mean about the can of worms?
After looking at my photos several times, James thought that this bird wasn't the Channel Wagtail he'd seen recently and said it was 'probably' a Blue-headed Wagtail - good enough for a novice like me, but it you want to join the debate, look at my crappy record shots on my blog: gt-birding-scrapbook.blogspot.com. Nice to meet James and Sean, and Tim Wilcox cycled in to join us just before I left.
P.S. I've since read Ian's excellent article on this website about these birds and also the previous discussion posts in this forum, and so I'm now a lot more enlightened - thanks chaps
Update: I've just had a PM from Ian to say that this bird is in fact a 'Channel Wagtail' and I've just noticed that James has reported it as such - well, it's still a new bird for me
-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Friday 3rd of May 2013 08:49:17 PM
Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony
I'd watched all the videos of Channel Wagtails on You Tube last night and that Bishop Middleton bird is indeed what you would call a classic. The Carrington bird does have a clear sub-ocular patch.
Hi Pete,
I had a look at your video of the "Channel" Wagtail this evening. (I appreciate the difficulties of videoing in bright sunshine and the consequent problem in trying to assess tonal contrasts etc. and also of course the problems of auto- focusing in rank grass).
From what I could make out, the bird's lilac - shaded head, white throat (not just its white chin) and supercilium all seemed to tick the right boxes, though I couldn't for sure pick out a sufficiently defined white sub ocular speck to say it was there, or get a really clear impression of its ear covert pattern; (perhaps in the field you gained a clearer impression).
My only previous field experience of the form was last spring up here at Bishop Middleham where we were fortunate to have a classic "channel" type alongside both standard Yellow Wagtails and at least one Blue -headed as well for some weeks. These put on quite a show and provided really useful and repeated comparisons, with the Channel type instantly picked up initially on head shade, with the relatively extensive white throat as a prime support feature, alongside its facial markings.
I had barely heard of this hybrid form until I had earlier come across Ian's i/d article.
I think it's a really fascinating area due to the almost certain likelihood of "back crosses" also sometimes occurring, giving rise to the potential for a degree of "stretch" in these plumage characters. An interesting form to find would be a Channel x Yellow, or a Channel times Blue-headed;- how would the head tones look on a male of one of these?
- All good stuff!
Regards,
Mike P.
I read the article as soon as I'd uploaded the footage onto the computer late last night. It had been eating away at me all afternoon and that's the best there is to go on as I'd not knowingly seen a "Channel" before. I've yet to see a picture or video of a Blue-headed that looks like that bird and Channel in the article fitted best. Such is the complexity and variation in the Flava wagatail complex Id be happier to leave it at that, a Flava wagtail sp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhxJ0eE17aA
Between 5:30pm-7:30pm didn't see any Wagtails on the deck, just heard 1 flava as it was flying over
1 Red-legged Partridge feeding with 2 Grey Partridge in sandy field adjacent to Dunham Road / Carr Green Lane
Heading out that way early but knew if I logged on you would come up with the goods. Thanks again, especially for the bird list Henry. I will take a look if I get the chance after an appointment near there
Yep that's the place Doc. Grid reference is SJ71378865 and the field number is 217 on the Carrington Moss map.
I believe the bird was seen again by Pete Hines at 2pm before it flew NW towards field 158.
Some of the birds seen in this part of the moss on my BBS included:
1 Cormorant - over
2 Grey Partridges
5 Stock Doves
10 Wheatears
2 Yellow Wagtails - including the flava ssp
10 Skylarks
10 Swallows
1 House Martin
21 Common Whitethroats
3 Chiffchaffs
3 Blackcaps
7 Linnets
1 Lesser Redpoll - over
24 Yellowhammers
2 Reed Buntings
No Tree Sparrows or Sedge Warblers which I usually get here.
Is that the Carrgreen Lane off the B5160 Dunham Road SE of Mossbrow? Been asking a couple of Carrington Moss regulars where it was & they hadn't heard of it, but I found the above mentioned one in the trusty Manchester A to Z
Blue-headed (Flava) Wagtail at Carrgreeen Farm in cattle field F217 and on roadside hedge 14.00 -14.10 when flew NW over F158.
1 Tree Sparrow F152
1 Grey Partridge F160
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 2nd of May 2013 12:34:13 AM
Info thanks to Henry Cook
Yellowhammer 14 in field 6.
White Wagtail 3 in field 6.
Reed Bunting 2 in field 6.
Mistle Thrush 2 in field 6
Lapwing 2 in field 6.
Skylark 1 singing field 6.
Blackcap 5 singing.
Chiffchaff 2 singing.
Willow Warbler 2 singing.
Willow Tit 1 singing.
etc.etc.etc.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 21st of April 2013 06:01:38 PM
Originally posted by Vaughan Evans: -
16 at 5:15pm - all in the paddock nearest the fence - non with unusual heads though
At least 4 Wheatear still present this 3pm
you in mind.
Around the moss there were a further 12 Wheatear in f25 and 15 in f2 feeding
alongside 3 Skylarks.
Also a flock of 50 Linnets on the remains of the stubble on f4
I had popped to the ETW first where there were twenty or house martins by the farm but then the rains came so I retreated to the car - would be interesting to know what was on the treatment plant itself.
Another wheatear in field 44 along with a few skylarks and a couple of yellowhammers
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Thursday 18th of April 2013 06:56:17 PM
That's the Aon training ground to you...
Peregrine 1 sat on electricity sub station.
Buzzard 5
Kestrel 1
Meadow Pipit 2
Brambling 10+ alongside road to the losers training ground.
Stock Dove 30+
Rook/Jackdaw 150+
Woodpigeon 400+
Willow Tit 1
Redwing 20+
Fieldfare 6+
Chiffchaff 2 singing.
Skylark 1 singing.
Yellowhammer 6+
Reed Bunting 2
Lapwing 15 in field 10. Also 12+ on ex Basell Site.
Ringed Plover 1 on ex Basell Site.
1 Harris Hawk F2
1 Grey Partridge F2
1 Chiffchaff
Sinderland Brook at Brookheys Fm
Teal 11
Wren 1
Sinderland Green f65-66
Fieldfare 80
f25
Redwing 68
Jays 2 at the bridge
Siskin 11
Yellowhammer 28
Linnets 22
Reed Bunting 5
f24
Stock Dove 2
f1
Lapwings 20
Yellowhammer 4
Siskin 2
f1
Grey Partridge 3 found by Nev sat on newly ploughed earth behind the hedge
Buzzard 2
Harris Hawk 1
Redwing 20
Fieldfare 2
Chafinch c.70
Brambling 24 counted including one near breeding plumage male - maybe more
Skylark 1 sang briefly
F32 - 265 Woodpigeon
F31 - 4 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing
F36 - 6 Lapwing, 1 Skylark
2 Grey Partridges
103 Lapwings - good count for the area, hopefully mostly intent on breeding locally
84 Black-headed Gulls
2 Stock Doves
c200 Woodpigeons
3 Skylarks - singing
1 Tree Sparrow
5 Yellowhammers - dispersing from winter flocks now
Ran into taller vegetation, difficult to id for definate, possibly some Chukar influence ?
Harris Hawk seen by myself for the first time today. It was perched on a telegraph pole near the south Shell fence to the East of the flare. It isn't at all bothered by human company and when i whistled at it I received a loud squawk back. For a few seconds I thought it was going to take off and come towards me but luckily for me it just stayed where it was. It had a very large chest. Would this be its crop full of Woodpigeon as there are hundreds in the area?
It is a magnificent bird near to and that beak is something else.
16 Bramblings among a few hundred Chaffinch in the trees at the bottom of F4 near the outermost MU barrier.
4 Yellowhammer + 20 Reed Buntings near F1
4 X Buzzard
3 x Kestrel
2 Herons
massive flock off finches around f4 easily over 500 majority chaffinches also...
bramblings 40+
linnets 30+
5 yellowhammers
6 reed buntings
+ goldfinches
78 lapwings & 2 golden plovers being disturbed by a peregrine falcon over shell & harris hawk sat on one off the towers calling, was sat in tree in old orchid later on.
4 bullfinches old orchid
1 willow tit in corner off f4/f5 then into mufc training ground
3 fieldfares over mufc training ground
5 stock doves f5
2 skylarks f5
1 kestrel f4
4-6 buzzards soaring around
a lovely day out