Thanks Andy, I did see one in that field about a week ago, but did not record it, as it was all I saw that session.
After seeing about four over a week or so in enemy terrority in the first field as you turn to the Little Mill Inn(where they are most years), I have not seen any there over the last two/three weeks. Perhaps they moved on? Nor have I seen any on the pond field either.

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

Noon

Afriad they were accross the path in enemy territory today John

Still, 3 Wheatear and 1 Skylark plus loads singing.

Not seen a lapwing for a while, infact not many at all this year.

---

Geoff,

There's been a couple of pairs around the parking pull in at the end of Ernocroft Lane for a week or two now. They are giving all the impressions of being interested in trying to breed in the very large field in front of you as you pull in. However, they have, as the saying goes, about as much chance as a lapwing in Ludworth of being successful. 'Mr Silage man' will be around very soon in the current growing conditions. This was the last field I ever saw yellow wagtail attempting to breed up here. The outcomes was never in doubt.

Noon

Afriad they were accross the path in enemy territory today John

Still, 3 Wheatear and 1 Skylark plus loads singing.

Not seen a lapwing for a while, infact not many at all this year.

Geoff Walton wrote:

---

Did not see any Golden Plover this luchtime. Just 3 Wheatear and a Skylark.

Where where they John?

---

Back of your field with the 5 Wheatear.

Cheers, John

Did not see any Golden Plover this luchtime. Just 3 Wheatear and a Skylark.

Where where they John?

29th April 14.30 - 16.00

Wheatear 6
Curlew 2
Skylark 4
Swallow 2
And nice to see the Golden Plover flock back for the first time this year. A flock of 74 including some spankingly bright males.

Cheers, John

PM today.
5 Wheatear
1 Swallow
3 Skylarks(at least)

April 25th - Early morning

Wheatear 2
Fieldfare 9
Little Owl 1
Swallow 2

2 more fields of rushes being strimmed

Cheers, John

1 Lapwing
loads of Skylarks
1 Swallow hunting

22nd April 07.30 - 09.00

4 Swallows
2 Green Woodpeckers
1 Litttle Owl
5 Wheatear

The field where one of the Grasshopper Warblers was reeling has been strimmed to allow cattle to feed

Cheers, John

06.30 - 09.45

Migrants represented by:

7 Wheatears
2 Grasshopper Warblers
1 Swallow
68 Fieldfares
Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs

Also:

4 Redpoll
1 Little Owl
1 Red-legged Partridge
3 Ravens (info from Rob Adderley)

Cheers, John

A number of Curlew flying this morning, although it might have been the same pair overtime.
2 Buzzards
Loads of Skylarks

5 Wheatears
5 singing Skylarks
1 Redpoll over
48 Fieldfare (ground feeding, not fly though)
4 Willow Warblers
1 Chiffchaff
2 Little Owls

Cheers, John

2 Pied wagtails in a a field near Smithy lane.

1 Curlew in a field on the right going down the hill on Gunn Road

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Tuesday 5th of April 2011 05:21:24 PM

Little Owl near Pistol Farm Green Woodpecker near Clough End Farm Cheers, John

1 male Wheatear on the wall down Smithy Lane (assume our patch) First of the year for me) John, where did you see the Green Woodpecker and little Owl please? Geoff

1 Wheatear (male) 1 Green Woodpecker (H) 1 Little Owl 1 Buzzard 101 BH Gulls (single flock) Cheers, John

Monday 28th Nothing on our patch, but two Curlew landed in ememy terrority to join a single Lapwing in the corner field as you turn to Little Mill Inn

Oh well. At least I saw it at its near best and have that to remember. The worry is that the next generation will see nothing at all up there in the way of bird life, and birdwatching as a pastime will gradually fade away. That's what the politicians, landowners and property developers want. They can all then get on with the real meaning of life, i.e. making money no matter what suffers in the process.

Hi Andy (B), This is cut from your General Birding Discussion post on S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). "... when you are seeing your birding patch torn apart (see John Rayner's Ludworth Moor entry for today), and bird life becoming scarcer ..." I do not wish to depress you further but I forgot to mention Far Bradshaw. The farmer here has fenced off the left hand field and introduced about 20 sheep. The last remnant gorse stands are being slashed and burnt. Presumably gorse and sheep don't get on. This is prime nesting habitat for Stonechats (should they ever return), Linnets, Greenfinches etc. Ludworth Moor is the only area of moorland habitat left in Stockport borough, no more than a few fields at the moment and it is dwindling so rapidly that I think it will be gone forever in a couple of years. The derelict Far Bradshaw farmhouse has recently been bought and the new owner has blocked off the outhouse window and roosting Barn Owls are a thing of the past. If he tidies up his back 'garden' that will be the end for breeding Grasshopper Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings etc. It's not a happy picture but nevertheless - keep smiling Cheers, John

Not much around the Clough End quarry due to a hunting party of 8 + 6 dogs (last seen working the area where I had seen the Grey Partridge ) Pair of Buzzards observed copulating. 2 Stock Doves. 1 Raven. 55 Meadow Pipits. Good passage including single flock of 47. No Golden Plovers in the field where there had been up to 100 last year. Probably due to disturbance by above hunting parties, off road bikers in the quarry, farmers speading slurry, rush habitat being cut and sprayed to allow infestations of sheep etc etc. Cheers, John

Curlews bubbling and Skylarks singing.
Meadow Pipits are paired off and parachute diving.
Pair Little Owls.
5 Teal (2m, 3f).
Many corvids and Woodpigeons but no Ravens or raptors.

Cheers, John

Had a nice walk with the girlfriend and the dog this afternoon. Very cold and grey with a bitter wind!!

Very quiet but highlights were:

Clough End
1 snipe (flushed)
2 green woodpecker (both flew from a small tree which I later went to investigate and found a large amount of droppings containing 'ant parts' wrapped in a white exterior)


Gun Farm
1 curlew (heard but not seen)
1 sky lark (heard but not seen)
6 stock dove

Unfortunatly no sign of the little owl or 5 grey partridge today.

A pleasant sunny afternoon walk with Scott Reid. Not many birds but there were some highlights.

c106 Lapwing including a single flock of c100
c80 Common Gulls
2 Tree Sparrows (Larkhill)
2 very vocal Green Woodpeckers (Cloughend)
A flock of 5 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Little Owl

Plus a Stockport Borough MEGA. A small covey of 5 GREY PARTRIDGE flew from close to the GM/Derbyshire border into Greater Manchester

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 09:13:21 PM

1st signs of spring today with 2 Skylarks in song.
Little Owl enjoying the sunshine.
Raptors represented by Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel
Vocal Green Woodpecker around Clough End
Usual Tits and Finches, 5 Reed Buntings (Larkhill) but, surprisingly, no Tree Sparrows

Cheers, John

Sorry fellow Ludites, I've not seen any bird to get excited about. This is just a call to arms.

I was up there last weekend, when a geezer on a powerful motorbike stopped just as I was about to climb the stile at the start of the path up to the pond and quarry. He asked me if I knew where the quarry was because, and get this, the owner had told him that if he thought it was suitable, he and his chums could use it as a motorcycling circuit!!! Much as though I thought of saying, 'Oh yeah, it's about 20 miles down the road', I knew that he knew he was close to it, so I told him the path on the other side of the gate lead to it. Anyway, he walked up there, took a few photos and was away. I did let him know that I did not think what he had in mind was conducive with the peace of the countryside (as far as it is round there), but I don't imagine that this put him off at all.

Anyway, this is just to say that if anyone sees anything going on in that area which they think might be preparatory work towards the formation of a TT training track, please can they tell me because Stockport Council (whom I have already alerted) would be eager to follow it up with the landowner (who lives in Hayfield; just out of hearing range of a Honda 750 it seems!!!).

Biting cold -3 deg. Only Larkhill had any birds, elsewhere deathly quiet. On the feeders:

7 Reed Bunts, 5 Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinch, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Tree Sparrows, 1 House Sparrow, Blackbirds, Robins, Blue/Great/Coal Tits, Collared Dove

Far Bradshaw: 2 Skeins (c180 + c60) Pinkfeet NW at 10.40 and Raven heard.

Cheers, John

Only the usuals this morning with the exception of a Chiffchaff heard at Larkhill.

Cheers, John

Dec 8th. (10.00 - 12.00)

Beautiful walking conditions today but only 23 species with an eye level fly-by Woodcock and 3 Tree Sparows the highlights.

Cheers, John

Dec 6th.

At long last

2 male Bramblings at the Larkhill feeders, plus 4 Tree Sparrows.

Cheers, John

Nov 24th:

45 Redwings (in 2 flocks 36, 9) but no Fieldfare
2 Reed Buntings
4 Tree Sparrows
2 Ravens mobbing a Buzzard

Cheers, John

Nov 16th. (09.30 - 13.15)

35 species including:

6 Collared Doves
3 Tree Sparrows
1 Raven
1 Treecreeper
3 Nuthatch
31 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
Little Owl (heard)
44 Comon Gulls

220 Pinkfeet (nw @ 12.20) were led by an unidentified brown wader with paler underparts. First thought was Golden Plover but it looked a size too big next to the Pinkfeet.


Cheers, John

Oct 30th:

Highlights
1 Teal
Green Woodpecker at the quarry.

Cheers, John

Oct 27th (10.00 - 15.30)

Noticably fewer Meadow Pipits (only 12)
But increase in Chaffinches (9)
Tree Sparrow (5)
Steady movement of Fieldfare (mostly NE with a total of 313)
Only a few Redwing (3)
Little Owl sunning itself (1)
Jays very active (6)
Coal Tit (1)
Buzzard (3)
Kestrel (2)
Raven (1)
Pheasant (only 1 ?)
Common Gull (104 in usual pre-roost)
Black-headed Gull (113)
Lapwings (98)
Snipe (1)
Teal (5)

A total of 33 species recorded in 5.5 hours. Horwich it certainly isn't

Cheers, John

John

I've also noted this behaviour (with Rowans). See my post on the 20/10/09 on the Salford Quays thread. I've seen them doing it on the Quays again in the last 2 weeks, one bird actually perched (if you can use that term for a gull) precariously on the top of a Rowan tree whilst picking off the berries.

Only noted with Black Headed, not seen any other species attempt it !!

Unusual behaviour indeed John and one I haven't witnessed for myself. I has been noted in the county before though and it even graced the pages of an old county bird report 'Black-headed Gulls eating Haws' and subsequently, the pages of British Birds too

22nd Oct

2 Flocks of Fieldfare (32 & 110) paused to feed briefly below the quarry before flying NW.

68 Common Gulls were roosting in a field with a similar number of BH Gulls. Unusual feeding behaviour from the BHGs as they hovered above hawthorns then repeatedly picked off single berries. About 6 birds were doing this at any one time.

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Friday 22nd of October 2010 04:59:39 PM

Just a quick afternoon stroll on a different route than Friday with the pick of the best being:-

Little Owl
Chiffchaff (heard)
3-4 goldcrest
a distant flock of large thrushes (c85) which I assume were fieldfares.

Oh well, back to work...

Fairly humdrum stuff this p.m.

Green woodpecker seen well
20 fieldfare (flocks of 12 & 8 going north east!!)
38 common gulls down
1 teal
1 snipe
the obligatory 2 ravens

plus this, that and the other. Please someone find a yellow-browed warbler soon and put us all out of our misery (I'm trying, honest!!).

12.30 - 16.00. Larkhill - Gird Lane - Hollywood End - Clough End - Quarry area.
Another sunny afternoon (it can't last!). Birds much the same as Monday:

4 Tree Sparrows
2 Buzzards
Many Redwings
3 Common Gulls
2 Ravens
29 Lapwings

Cheers, John

10.30 - 13.30

A nice potter round in beautiful warm sunshine. Most of the usuals present and the best bits were:

5 Tree Sparrows
2 Buzzards
Numerous small groups of Redwing (the largest 11) feeding on the abundant hawthorn and holly berries.
1 Common Gull flew west
2 Wheatears
2-3 Ravens
42 Lapwing in single flock
c50 Starling in single flock
2 Golden Plover heard but not seen.

Cheers, John

Far Bradshaw area:

c40 Goldfinches
3 Stock Doves
2 Buzzards
2 Jays
5 Reed Buntings
5 Pied Wagtails
2 Ravens
17 Meadow Pipits
1 Sparrowhawk perched
2 Bullfinches

No sign of Stonechat

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Monday 4th of October 2010 04:23:57 PM

9.00 - 11.30. A nice potter round in warm sunshine for a change.

Huge numbers of Goldfinches with 3 big flocks (76, 82 and c125) plus another 8 singles making a grand total of c291
Jay 4
Raven 2
Mistle Thrush 2 (including 1 singing)
Reed Bunting 8
Mipit 19
Wren 5
Snipe 1
Long-tailed Tit 16 (in 1 party)
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 2
Skylark 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (male perched atop a pylon)
Best of all a female/1st winter Stonechat below Far Bradshaw

Cheers, John

Not particularly exciting compared with elsewhere:-

2 ravens
2 swallows
2 tree sparrows
siskin heard
2 bullfinches
chiffchaffs heard
goldcrest
quite a big flock of goldfinches, but flushed by sparrowhawk and then mingled with meadow pipits so impossible to count properly.

Only sign of any movement was of two skylarks heading south quite high up.

Sunday 16.00 - 18.00

Best bird was a Teal on the Pond near the county boundary which flushed and flew into GM over the quarry. Also:

1 Great Spot
12 Meadow Pipits
1 Skylark
18 Goldfinch
9 Linnet
2 Reed Buntings
1 Willow warbler
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
3 LBB Gulls
c40 Black-headed Gulls
Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robins, Wrens
Various Corvids

Cheers, John

10.00 - 13.00

A single juvenile Wheatear and a male Sparrowhawk were the highlights from this morning.

Cheers, John

Oh, Spotted Flys are back are they, remember seeing a couple near the dog kennels at Mount View Farm around this time last year, will have to have a wander up there this weekend.

Wed 10.00 - 13.00

Nuthatch 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Jay 2
Whitethroat 1
Coal Tit 1
Buzzard 2
Spotted Flycatcher 2 (1 below April Cottage and 1 by the pool)
Bullfinch 2
Goldfinch 96 (including a flock of 51)
Mipits c40
Willow warbler 3
Chiffchaff 1 (singing)
Reed Bunting 3
Grey Wagtail 2

No sign of the Stonechat today although I didn't cover the Far Bradshaw area.

Cheers, John

John,

and to think I thought I'd let you down...

I saw the stonechat this afternoon and walked about the area for the next hour fretting that I couldn't let you know. Then when I got home I couldn't get on the internet in the time I had available to let you know. Glad you found out via the 'proper' hotline (although I'd rather find my own stuff in any case).

Anyway, I don't feel so quilty now and can add that I had a superb almost eye-level encounter with a hobby at the top of Smithy Ln. Green woodpecker at April Cottage was only other thing of note.

And yes, it was me off down to my butterfly hot-spots yesterday. In that wind, I had to find shelter. It was definitely worth it (as you'll know if you've had my e-mail reply).

Cheers,

Andy B

Mon 30th Aug 10.00 - 14.00

Nothing out of the ordinary at Far Bradshaw and yesterday's Whinchat seems to have moved on. Spotted Robert & Sonia Addeley about 1K away and after a quick phone call discovered they were watching a STONECHAT just below the small quarry. Must be post breeding dispersal as it's the first for the year up here. Let's hope it sticks around and finds a mate.

Also Whitethroat and 3 Wheatear.

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Monday 30th of August 2010 03:12:34 PM