An hour or so in warm evening sunshine. Few birds of note but talked to the farmer who currently has sheep in the quarry area. The reedy field between the quarry and the road is under threat. I was asked, with nesting birds in mind, when would be the best time to cut it back. He rents the fields from the owner, who happens to be interested in trail-bike riding. That would explain the trail bike activity in the same area.
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Aug 11 10:05 PM, 2012
11 Aug 08.15 - 11.40 Pleasant in the sunshine but fairly quiet.
Of interest from the same vantage point on 28th June a flock of c45 Black-tailed Godwits flew SSE - but they were always in Derbyshire, never entered GM airspace and disappeared over New Mills. Compares nicely with today's Horwich Moor sighting.
Cheers John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Thursday 5th of July 2012 02:02:31 PM
John Rayner said
Tue Jun 26 2:31 PM, 2012
Family of Whitethroats (3 juvs) Garden Warbler singing from top on Hawthorn Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs also singing 1 Curlew and 1 Skylark singing 2 LBB Gulls 1 Buzzard c90 Lapwings 2 Little Owls in drizzle on drystone wall. As the rain began in earnest they didn't seek shelter but spread their wings wide with a belly down/head up posture and fluffed up their feathers. Some sort of feather cleaning technique perhaps.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 02:32:09 PM
John Rayner said
Thu Jun 21 5:11 AM, 2012
Some larger flocks forming
87 Lapwings c50 Starlings
But Curlew, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Willow Warblers are still singing.
Cheers, John
Geoff Walton said
Sun Jun 10 11:50 PM, 2012
Got out of the car today.
4 or so Lapwings 2 Meadow Pipits 2 Skylarks 1 Flying Curlew
2 male Linnet looking fantastic, and possible 2 female flying off as I approached. One male was on a post, and was amazing through the bins, singing away as well
Geoff Walton said
Sat Jun 9 12:42 AM, 2012
To avoid housework, went for a drive round the block in the rain
1. Curlew flushed by my horn on a narrow bend 2 Skylarks hovering 3 or 4 Meadow Pipits
John Rayner said
Sat May 26 7:00 PM, 2012
No Red Kites drifting by but...
1 Raven c150 Starlings 1 Buzzard 3 Redpoll 1 Linnet (male in fine plumage) 2 Reed Buntings plus the usual numbers of Skylarks, Curlew, Lapwing etc.
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Wed May 23 5:48 PM, 2012
07.30 - 10.00
31 Species in 2.5 hours is par for the course.
14 Golden Plovers (a non-breeding party still mooching around) 3 Curlews 11 Lapwings 1 Oystercatcher (heard) 7 Skylarks singing 7 Meadow Pipits 12 Linnets 6 Willow Warblers 8 Swallows 1 Whitethroat 2 Green Woodpeckers (heard) 4 Tree Sparrows 1 Stock Dove
[2 Brown Hares. Butterflies - Peacocks, Small Tortoishells, Green-veined Whites, Orange Tips and something suspiciously like Green Hairstreak near the quarry but it wouldn't settle]
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat May 12 8:29 PM, 2012
Despite the potential for something good up here it was fairly quiet as usual.
Swift 64 Swallow 2 Kestrel 1 Stock Dove 2 Wheatear 1 Buzzard 2 + Usual Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Lapwings
Cheers, John
Andy Bissitt said
Tue May 8 3:57 AM, 2012
Sorry there was no opportunity to post this yesterday, but there was a male Whinchat by the parking area at Ernocroft Ln feeding from the drystone walls.
Not much else was too exciting: 4 wheatear, 13 golden plover, curlew, a pair and a half reed buntings, the odd willow warbler here and there. Some things still to arrive you feel.
At least 4 Curlew on our patch 1 Skylark About 12 visible Lapwing in the usual place I meadow Pipit
John Rayner said
Sun Apr 15 10:49 AM, 2012
(07.00 - 10.00) A superb crisp morning walk in the sunshine.
Wheatear 24 (14, 1, 9) of which at least 18 were males Swallow 1 north Lapwing 24 Lesser Redpoll 4 Curlew 4 pairs Snipe (territorial calls heard briefly) Willow Warbler 6 Chiffchaff 3 Buzzard 2 Kestrel 2 (males in dispute) Fieldfare 63
1 long dead Badger
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 15th of April 2012 12:51:05 PM
Ken Dunning said
Wed Apr 11 2:41 AM, 2012
No Golden Plover for me 5.50pm to 7-10pm 2 Skylark 6 Meadow Pipit 2 Lapwing 2 Curlew 1 Kestrel 1 Green Woodpecker yaffling (no sight of it).
1 Brown Hare.
John Rayner said
Tue Apr 10 8:37 PM, 2012
Geoff Walton wrote:
Which field were the GP's in
Taking the farm track up to 'Robin Hood's Picking Rods' (and then Cown Edge) the GPs are in the first field on the left and so spend most of their time in Derbyshire. The track as far as the 'Rods' forms the county boundary and the fields on the right are often good for Wheatear etc and had Whimbrel last year (and are in GM ).
Cheers, John
Geoff Walton said
Tue Apr 10 6:26 PM, 2012
Up with the lark for two days John I went round late Monday afternoon, but to no avail.
Which field were the GP's in?
I looked for Lapwings on the corner field (in their patch) on the turn down to Little Mill Inn, but did not see any. Infact not seen any there this year yet. Perhaps it's me.
geoff
Geoff Walton said
Tue Apr 10 5:55 PM, 2012
Quite a lot of lapwings, and about 3 Golden Plover.
Eight Lapwings up in the air and flew accross to GM for a few secs.
1 Curlew flying across our patch, and small flocks of Meadow Pipits flying between GM and Derbyshire. Also a Skylark
-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 06:01:32 PM
John Rayner said
Tue Apr 10 4:31 PM, 2012
Intermittent showers (06.45 - 8.30). Nothing new this morning.
The Fieldfares seem to have moved through Golden Plovers down to 25 A flock of c20 Meadow Pipits Usual numbers of Skylarks singing and Lapwings displaying Reed Bunting taking grit from the road 1 very pale Buzzard 1 Weasel
No sign of those elusive Ring Ouzels
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Mon Apr 9 4:06 PM, 2012
Heavy rain (07.00 - 08.15):
433 Fieldfare in 3 feeding flocks (204, 139, 90) 92 Golden Plover 2 Little Owls
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Apr 7 7:28 PM, 2012
Similar to yesterday with the addition of:
2 Wheatear 3 Lesser Redpoll 108 Golden Plover (83 on the ground and 25 flying in from south)
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Apr 7 1:35 AM, 2012
A circular walk from Far Bradshaw - Gun Farm - Quarry - Clough End - Far Bradshaw. (occasional rain and still some quite deep snow patches).
Meadow Pipits 101 (inc 2 flocks of 22 and 70) Raven 1 Curlew 3 Skylark 5 Snipe 3 Kestrel 1, m Lapwing 17 Golden Plover 47+ (the rest probably just over a brow) Fieldfare 66 Chiffchaff 1 only Pheasant 5
Cheers, John
Robert Adderley said
Fri Apr 6 4:22 AM, 2012
86 Golden Plovers counted this evening.
John Rayner said
Tue Apr 3 3:58 PM, 2012
Low mist and poor visibility
Snipe 1 Golden Plover heard only Redpoll 2
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Mar 31 8:54 PM, 2012
Redpoll (1m, 3f) Raven 1 Fieldfare 100+
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Thu Mar 29 6:11 PM, 2012
Raven (2) Golden Plover (2) Green Woodpecker (H) Little Owl (2) And a fine flock of Fieldfare (238)
A beautiful morning with Curlews bubbling, Skylarks towering, Lapwings displaying and Meadow Pipits parachuting. The only thing missing were Snipe drumming but that's probably down to habitat loss.
Cheers, John
Robert Adderley said
Wed Mar 28 3:17 AM, 2012
Early evening visit birds observed included - 2 male Wheatears, 3 Golden Plovers and a Raven.
2 Little Owls 13 Snipe 200 Starlings in single, tight flock Only 2 Meadow Pipits
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sun Nov 27 3:52 PM, 2011
27th November
Very windy!!
In difficult conditions the best was a wisp of 23 Snipe in one small boggy area (but no Jacks). Little Owl sheltering from the wind. c120 Fieldfare in 1 flock feeding on hawthorns.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 27th of November 2011 06:04:34 PM
John Rayner said
Wed Nov 23 12:09 PM, 2011
23rd November
It's usually quiet up here at this time of year but today was exceptionally quiet
Fieldfare 204 Redwing 5 Raven 1 (my 1st here for some months) Meadow Pipit (only 2) Jackdaw (900 min at a pre-roost gathering) Snipe 2 Little Owl 1 Kestrel 1 Buzzard 2
I search the skies in vain for a Red Kite or two passing over from Elton but it was not to be.
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Oct 15 3:36 PM, 2011
Couldn't get away early so didn't arrive till 10.30 when most of the action had probably happened. Still it was glorious weather and bits and bobs noted were:
-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 15th of October 2011 03:39:17 PM
Rob Bell said
Mon Sep 26 9:50 AM, 2011
around the tops yesteday starting from Ernocroft Lane and doing a loop.
1 Goldcrest (in a conifer plantation) 2 Linnets (farm field) 1 Buzzard 1 Kestrel
John Rayner said
Tue Sep 20 5:42 PM, 2011
20th Sept (pm)
136 mixed flock of BH and Common Gulls 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Snipe 4 Chiffchaffs 1 Skylark 1 Little Owl 2 Swallows south Still good numbers of Meadow Pipits (probably c100) No Stonechat
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sun Sep 18 3:52 PM, 2011
18th Sep: 12.00 - 15.00
14 Common Gull 8 BH Gull 173 Meadow Pipit (good numbers including a single flock of 126) 15 Goldfinch 3 Greenfinch 2 Bullfinch 5 Skylark 2 Chiffchaff 1 Kestrel 1 Stonechat
[6 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoishell, 2 Speckled Wood, 4 Small White, 2 Green-veined White, 2 Silver 'Y'] [1 Common Darter, 1m Black Darter, 1 Southern Hawker]
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Sat Sep 17 6:28 PM, 2011
17th September (P.M. dodging showers)
61 Common Gulls 2 Jays 8 Swallows 15 Meadow Pipits 4 Skylarks 1 STONECHAT (immature male and now a scarce bird up here) 3 Little Owls (presumed family group)
[1 Wall Brown]
Cheers, John
Geoff Walton said
Thu Sep 1 5:05 PM, 2011
Just been here this afternoon. Just up the road by the Moorside A mix of Swallows and House Martins - about 12 in total. a couple of female Linnets A couple of Goldfinch.
Why is it that every time you spot them and stop the car to observe, another car is up your rear, and so you miss half the stuff. Too old for a bike
-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Thursday 1st of September 2011 05:49:46 PM
JamieDunning said
Wed Aug 31 10:42 PM, 2011
I Feel I should add that I see our pair of Ravens at Dovestone quite frequently. Can't speak for further of field in the peaks.
Phil Panton said
Wed Aug 31 7:45 PM, 2011
Was up there on Bank Holiday monday, hundreds of swallow along the route & a group of House Martin's near the Dog Kennels. Flocks of Linnet & Goldfinch. Female Kestrel & stood within 6 feet of a female Wheatear for about 10 minutes as it flitted along a drystone wall close to the Moorfield Pub. Its moments like that, that make it all worth while.
John Rayner said
Wed Aug 31 2:40 PM, 2011
Best bird by far today was an adult Grasshopper Warbler which gave point blank views out in the open for about 5 minutes (Cloughend) Also Green Woodpecker in this area Minimum 5 Tree Sparrows (Larkhill) plus others heard at Green Gates Farm 1 Swift over c40 Swallows 7 House Martins 68 Linnets 35 Meadow Pipits c50 Goldfinches + Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps. All this small bird activity attracted a small male Sparrowhawk
No Ravens (I have only seen a single Raven from 18 visits this year and that was back in March).
Also Speckled Wood and Peacock on the wing
Cheers, John
Joey Eccles said
Sun Aug 21 10:25 PM, 2011
Andy Bissitt wrote:
On another matter. Has there been some foul play at work in the Peak district relating to ravens as I'm just not seeing them up here at all? By now, you are usually tripping over them (9 at this time last year, I seem to recall).
Interesting that you say this Andy as the RSPB staff at Dovestone also hadn't seen any Ravens up on the moors above the reservoir for some months when I was there during late June. Apparently there would usually be a family parties knocking about and their absence was highly unusual.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Aug 21 8:56 PM, 2011
In view of the 'action' at Horwich, thought I'd see what migration was on offer here, but apart from a party of (at least) three SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, and dozens of meadow pipits, the answer was 'not much'. A flock of 20 mistle thrushes was the only other thing that made it into the notebook.
On another matter. Has there been some foul play at work in the Peak district relating to ravens as I'm just not seeing them up here at all? By now, you are usually tripping over them (9 at this time last year, I seem to recall).
John Rayner said
Wed May 11 4:09 PM, 2011
11th May p.m.
Usual fare plus Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler.
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Mon May 9 12:16 PM, 2011
9th May 08.30 - 11.00
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 (still reeling and showing well) Singing Skylarks - at least 8 Whitethroat - 3 Lesser Whitethroat (outside the area at Mill Brow) Swift - 3 Redpoll - 2 No Curlew/Whimbrel/Golden Plover seen/heard
Cheers, John
John Rayner said
Wed May 4 5:40 PM, 2011
3rd May - late news.
One of the many highlights of our 'Mayhem' birding day yesterday was the discovery of 4 Whimbrel on Ludworth Moor.
4th May 15.00 -15.30
4 Whimbrel still with flock of 12 Curlew. In furthest eastern part of the first field to the right of the Robin Hood's Picking Rods farm track. They are not visible from the road but can be seen with some difficulty from the track. They also get into the next field to the east (grassy and no sheep) towards Gun Farm where they are easier to see and count. Some of the male Curlew are extremely small and short-billed. Also 6 Wheatear here.
Further towards the Picking Rods a total of 64 Golden Plover (55, 7 & 2) all in GM.
Little Owl sunning itself near Pistol Farm.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 06:50:39 PM
An hour or so in warm evening sunshine. Few birds of note but talked to the farmer who currently has sheep in the quarry area. The reedy field between the quarry and the road is under threat. I was asked, with nesting birds in mind, when would be the best time to cut it back. He rents the fields from the owner, who happens to be interested in trail-bike riding. That would explain the trail bike activity in the same area.
Cheers, John
Raven 1
Peregrine 1
Kestrel 2
Buzzard 1
Meadow Pipit 13
Black-headed Gull 20
LBB Gull 3
Common Gull 1
Lapwing 4
Swallow 16
Linnet 6
Redpoll 2 (inc adult feeding juv)
Goldfinch 11
Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 4 (song)
Skylark 1
Bird behaviour and other wildlife posted elsewhere
Cheers, John
Lapwing c140
Starling c40
Raven 3
Curlew 1
Buzzard 1
Reed Bunting 5
Great spotted Woodpecker 1 female
Skylark 6 singing
Willow Warbler 2 singing
Chiffchaff 1 singing
[Brown Hare 1]
Of interest from the same vantage point on 28th June a flock of c45 Black-tailed Godwits flew SSE - but they were always in Derbyshire, never entered GM airspace and disappeared over New Mills. Compares nicely with today's Horwich Moor sighting.
Cheers John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Thursday 5th of July 2012 02:02:31 PM
Garden Warbler singing from top on Hawthorn
Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs also singing
1 Curlew and 1 Skylark singing
2 LBB Gulls
1 Buzzard
c90 Lapwings
2 Little Owls in drizzle on drystone wall. As the rain began in earnest they didn't seek shelter but spread their wings wide with a belly down/head up posture and fluffed up their feathers. Some sort of feather cleaning technique perhaps.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 02:32:09 PM
87 Lapwings
c50 Starlings
But Curlew, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Willow Warblers are still singing.
Cheers, John
4 or so Lapwings
2 Meadow Pipits
2 Skylarks
1 Flying Curlew
2 male Linnet looking fantastic, and possible 2 female flying off as I approached. One male was on a post, and was amazing through the bins, singing away as well
1. Curlew flushed by my horn on a narrow bend
2 Skylarks hovering
3 or 4 Meadow Pipits
1 Raven
c150 Starlings
1 Buzzard
3 Redpoll
1 Linnet (male in fine plumage)
2 Reed Buntings
plus the usual numbers of Skylarks, Curlew, Lapwing etc.
Cheers, John
31 Species in 2.5 hours is par for the course.
14 Golden Plovers (a non-breeding party still mooching around)
3 Curlews
11 Lapwings
1 Oystercatcher (heard)
7 Skylarks singing
7 Meadow Pipits
12 Linnets
6 Willow Warblers
8 Swallows
1 Whitethroat
2 Green Woodpeckers (heard)
4 Tree Sparrows
1 Stock Dove
[2 Brown Hares.
Butterflies - Peacocks, Small Tortoishells, Green-veined Whites, Orange Tips and something suspiciously like Green Hairstreak near the quarry but it wouldn't settle]
Cheers, John
Swift 64
Swallow 2
Kestrel 1
Stock Dove 2
Wheatear 1
Buzzard 2
+ Usual Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Lapwings
Cheers, John
Not much else was too exciting: 4 wheatear, 13 golden plover, curlew, a pair and a half reed buntings, the odd willow warbler here and there. Some things still to arrive you feel.
Peregrine - 1
Golden Plover - 18
Curlew - 1
Fieldfare - 10
Wheatear- 3
Whitethroat - 2
Willow Warbler - 7
Chiffchaff - 4
Not as good as you John.
At least 4 Curlew on our patch
1 Skylark
About 12 visible Lapwing in the usual place
I meadow Pipit
Wheatear 24 (14, 1, 9) of which at least 18 were males
Swallow 1 north
Lapwing 24
Lesser Redpoll 4
Curlew 4 pairs
Snipe (territorial calls heard briefly)
Willow Warbler 6
Chiffchaff 3
Buzzard 2
Kestrel 2 (males in dispute)
Fieldfare 63
1 long dead Badger
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 15th of April 2012 12:51:05 PM
2 Skylark
6 Meadow Pipit
2 Lapwing
2 Curlew
1 Kestrel
1 Green Woodpecker yaffling (no sight of it).
1 Brown Hare.
Taking the farm track up to 'Robin Hood's Picking Rods' (and then Cown Edge) the GPs are in the first field on the left and so spend most of their time in Derbyshire. The track as far as the 'Rods' forms the county boundary and the fields on the right are often good for Wheatear etc and had Whimbrel last year (and are in GM ).
Cheers, John
I went round late Monday afternoon, but to no avail.
Which field were the GP's in?
I looked for Lapwings on the corner field (in their patch) on the turn down to Little Mill Inn, but did not see any. Infact not seen any there this year yet. Perhaps it's me.
geoff
Eight Lapwings up in the air and flew accross to GM for a few secs.
1 Curlew flying across our patch, and small flocks of Meadow Pipits flying between GM and Derbyshire.
Also a Skylark
-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 06:01:32 PM
The Fieldfares seem to have moved through
Golden Plovers down to 25
A flock of c20 Meadow Pipits
Usual numbers of Skylarks singing and Lapwings displaying
Reed Bunting taking grit from the road
1 very pale Buzzard
1 Weasel
No sign of those elusive Ring Ouzels
Cheers, John
433 Fieldfare in 3 feeding flocks (204, 139, 90)
92 Golden Plover
2 Little Owls
Cheers, John
2 Wheatear
3 Lesser Redpoll
108 Golden Plover (83 on the ground and 25 flying in from south)
Cheers, John
Meadow Pipits 101 (inc 2 flocks of 22 and 70)
Raven 1
Curlew 3
Skylark 5
Snipe 3
Kestrel 1, m
Lapwing 17
Golden Plover 47+ (the rest probably just over a brow)
Fieldfare 66
Chiffchaff 1 only
Pheasant 5
Cheers, John
Snipe 1
Golden Plover heard only
Redpoll 2
Cheers, John
Raven 1
Fieldfare 100+
Cheers, John
Raven (2)
Golden Plover (2)
Green Woodpecker (H)
Little Owl (2)
And a fine flock of Fieldfare (238)
A beautiful morning with Curlews bubbling, Skylarks towering, Lapwings displaying and Meadow Pipits parachuting. The only thing missing were Snipe drumming but that's probably down to habitat loss.
Cheers, John
Green Woodpecker 1
Stock Dove 1
Lapwing 17
Skylark (minimum 4 singing)
Fieldfare 2
Pheasant 3
Grey Heron 1
More drainage and ditch digging in the nice habitat adjacent to the quarry.
Cheers, John
Buzzard 2 (possibly same bird)
Stock Dove 4
Lapwing 49
Starling c100
Snipe 3
Skylark 1
Coal Tit 1
Bullfinch 2
Goldcrest 2
Cheers, John
14:00
Short Eared Owl on Ludworth Moor yesterday behind the conifer plantation.
Also
2 fieldfares
20+ redwings
1 Common Buzzard
1 kestrel
Jack Snipe (1, accidentally flushed from a ditch)
Snipe 1
Buzzard 2
Kestrel 1
Fieldfare c25
Grey Heron 1
Otherwise quiet.
Cheers, John
A bleak and hail-swept place
Snipe 6
Little Owl 1
Fieldfare 25
Carrion Crow 64 (single flock)
Starling c200 (single flock)
Cheers, John
Highlights were
2 Little Owls
13 Snipe
200 Starlings in single, tight flock
Only 2 Meadow Pipits
Cheers, John
Very windy!!
In difficult conditions the best was a wisp of 23 Snipe in one small boggy area (but no Jacks).
Little Owl sheltering from the wind.
c120 Fieldfare in 1 flock feeding on hawthorns.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 27th of November 2011 06:04:34 PM
It's usually quiet up here at this time of year but today was exceptionally quiet
The total birds seen in 1 hour were
23 Starlings
4 Meadow Pipits
1 Snipe
4 Magpies
9 Carrion Crows
1 Grey Heron
20 Wood Pigeons
1 Jay
Cheers, John
Fieldfare 204
Redwing 5
Raven 1 (my 1st here for some months)
Meadow Pipit (only 2)
Jackdaw (900 min at a pre-roost gathering)
Snipe 2
Little Owl 1
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 2
I search the skies in vain for a Red Kite or two passing over from Elton but it was not to be.
Cheers, John
Skylark 5 (SE)
Meadow Pipits 26 (mostly SE)
Linnet 3 (SE)
Fieldfare 97 (NE)
Redwing Nil
Stock Dove 1
Redpoll 5
Siskin 10
Goldfinch 7
Greenfinch 2
Bullfinch 2
Buzzard 2
Kestrel 1
Little Owl 1
Butterflies on wildlife thread
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 15th of October 2011 03:39:17 PM
1 Goldcrest (in a conifer plantation)
2 Linnets (farm field)
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
136 mixed flock of BH and Common Gulls
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Snipe
4 Chiffchaffs
1 Skylark
1 Little Owl
2 Swallows south
Still good numbers of Meadow Pipits (probably c100)
No Stonechat
Cheers, John
14 Common Gull
8 BH Gull
173 Meadow Pipit (good numbers including a single flock of 126)
15 Goldfinch
3 Greenfinch
2 Bullfinch
5 Skylark
2 Chiffchaff
1 Kestrel
1 Stonechat
[6 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoishell, 2 Speckled Wood, 4 Small White, 2 Green-veined White, 2 Silver 'Y']
[1 Common Darter, 1m Black Darter, 1 Southern Hawker]
Cheers, John
61 Common Gulls
2 Jays
8 Swallows
15 Meadow Pipits
4 Skylarks
1 STONECHAT (immature male and now a scarce bird up here)
3 Little Owls (presumed family group)
[1 Wall Brown]
Cheers, John
Just up the road by the Moorside
A mix of Swallows and House Martins - about 12 in total.
a couple of female Linnets
A couple of Goldfinch.
Why is it that every time you spot them and stop the car to observe, another car is up your rear, and so you miss half the stuff. Too old for a bike
-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Thursday 1st of September 2011 05:49:46 PM
Can't speak for further of field in the peaks.
hundreds of swallow along the route & a group of House Martin's near the Dog Kennels.
Flocks of Linnet & Goldfinch.
Female Kestrel
& stood within 6 feet of a female Wheatear for about 10 minutes as it flitted along a drystone wall close to the Moorfield Pub.
Its moments like that, that make it all worth while.
Also Green Woodpecker in this area
Minimum 5 Tree Sparrows (Larkhill) plus others heard at Green Gates Farm
1 Swift over
c40 Swallows
7 House Martins
68 Linnets
35 Meadow Pipits
c50 Goldfinches
+ Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps.
All this small bird activity attracted a small male Sparrowhawk
No Ravens (I have only seen a single Raven from 18 visits this year and that was back in March).
Also Speckled Wood and Peacock on the wing
Cheers, John
Interesting that you say this Andy as the RSPB staff at Dovestone also hadn't seen any Ravens up on the moors above the reservoir for some months when I was there during late June. Apparently there would usually be a family parties knocking about and their absence was highly unusual.
On another matter. Has there been some foul play at work in the Peak district relating to ravens as I'm just not seeing them up here at all? By now, you are usually tripping over them (9 at this time last year, I seem to recall).
Usual fare plus Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler.
Cheers, John
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 (still reeling and showing well)
Singing Skylarks - at least 8
Whitethroat - 3
Lesser Whitethroat (outside the area at Mill Brow)
Swift - 3
Redpoll - 2
No Curlew/Whimbrel/Golden Plover seen/heard
Cheers, John
One of the many highlights of our 'Mayhem' birding day yesterday was the discovery of 4 Whimbrel on Ludworth Moor.
4th May 15.00 -15.30
4 Whimbrel still with flock of 12 Curlew. In furthest eastern part of the first field to the right of the Robin Hood's Picking Rods farm track. They are not visible from the road but can be seen with some difficulty from the track. They also get into the next field to the east (grassy and no sheep) towards Gun Farm where they are easier to see and count. Some of the male Curlew are extremely small and short-billed. Also 6 Wheatear here.
Further towards the Picking Rods a total of 64 Golden Plover (55, 7 & 2) all in GM.
Little Owl sunning itself near Pistol Farm.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 06:50:39 PM