04/06/2013 - Sightings from my late BBS visit:

2 Mallards
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzards
1 Oystercatcher - carrying a long worm over to the airport
30+ Swifts
2 Sand Martins
4 House Martins
1 Reed Warbler - site first, in pond behind the Romper Pub
1 Lesser Whitethroat
4 Common Whitethroats
4 Linnets
1 Reed Bunting

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 4th of June 2013 05:16:44 PM

1.00pm-3.00pm round Sunbank Lane and Sunbank Wood:

100+ Swifts
30+ Swallows
5 House Martins
3 Sand Martins
(all over the new mitigation ponds, brought in by the much increased insect activity)
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Treecreeper
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Jay
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Heron
1 Curlew
2 Pheasants (male and female)
2 Buzzards
2 Reed Buntings
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

A pleasant afternoon walk at 4.30pm round Sunbank Lane and Sunbank Wood with Rick Donkin:

41 species seen including:

1 Spotted Flycatcher (my first one for a while at this site)
1 Stock Dove
1 Treecreeper
1 Nuthatch
1 Reed Bunting
1 Jay
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
2 Linnets
2 Grey Wagtails (feeding young on the River Bollin)
2 Curlews
2 Bullfinches
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 House Martins
6 Rooks

Lots of Swifts and Swallows around too

9.30am-10.30am round Sunbank Lane fields and Sunbank Wood

Species seen:

Mallard
Buzzard
Kestrel
Oystercatcher
Curlew
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Swift
Swallow
House Martin
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Magpie
Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Linnet
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting

Also, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Orange Tip butterflies.

2 Grey Wagtails at Sunbank Lane this evening, otherwise fairly quiet.

2 Curlews and 1 Oystercatcher in the Sunbank Lane fields at 7pm this evening.

6.30pm-8.15pm round Sunbank Lane with Tony Coatsworth and Rick Donkin:

2 Curlew
2 Bullfinches
2 Linnets
8 Swifts
1 House Martin
10+ Swallows
1 Pheasant
1 Reed Bunting
2 Kestrels
2 Buzzards
1 Chiffchaff
2 Blackcaps
1 Common Whitethroat
4 Mallards
2 Mistle Thrushes
2 Collared Doves
6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 Skylark

Highlights from this afternoons trip include
Curlew on the field by the main road,
A female flavissma type yellow wagtail in the pool by the woods entrance.
Garden warbler not far from woodland entrance

J

-- Edited by JamieDunning on Tuesday 14th of May 2013 08:47:58 PM

Quick walk round at 8pm this evening:

1 Oystercatcher (feeding on Oak farm field)
2 Buzzards being mobbed by Carrion Crows
3 Linnets
5 Lesser-Black-backed Gulls

1.30pm-2.15pm.

2 Lesser Whitethroats (both singing on the track by the cottages when the showers had stopped)
1 Skylark
3 Linnets
4 Swallows
1 Kestrel
2 Swifts (first of the year here)

Congratulations to any Wigan fans who are forum members on your FA Cup win, defeating my beloved Manchester City. Gutted tonight but that's football!

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Saturday 11th of May 2013 10:51:04 PM

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 12th of May 2013 04:56:52 AM

A quick visit 11:15 to 12:15. Very blustery but thankfully dry.

1 Whitethroat carrying a beakful of flies.
Plenty of Chaffinch
2 Swallows

1 Lesser Whitethroat calling and singing along the track by the cottages.
Heard and seen on many occasions as it flew up and down the track and managed to
obtain a very good but brief view of it in the privet in front of the cottages until
it flew of again.

Nice to have met up with fellow forum contributor Paul Dewey again.

Rick.

8.15pm - 9.00pm round Sunbank Lane fields:

1 Lesser Whitethroat (again in usual spot by the cottages)
2 Common Whitethroats
1 Blackcap
1 Collared Dove
1 Reed Bunting
1 Pheasant
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Mallards
1 Song Thrush
1 House Sparrow
2 Swallows
8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (over)
amongst others

6.45pm-8.00pm round Sunbank Lane:
1 Lesser Whitethroat (singing and showed briefly down the track by the cottages on arrival)
2 Common Whitethroats
2 Blackcaps
1 House Martin (first of the year here)
8 Swallows
1 Linnet
1 Skylark
2 Bullfinches
2 Pheasants
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Stock Dove

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 7th of May 2013 09:24:42 PM

4.30pm-5.30pm round Sunbank Lane fields:

1 Lesser Whitethroat (rattling away and showing really well on top of the hedgerow opposite main lay-by)
2 Sand Martins (don't often see them here)
20 Swallows (6 resident birds and then a flock of 14 passing through)
2 Canada Geese (over)

11.45am-1.00pm with Henry Cook:

1 Lesser Whitethroat (first one of the year back at this site)
1 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
1 Herring Gull (over)
1 Stock Dove
1 Linnet
1 Pheasant
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Common Whitethroats
2 Blackcaps
2 Mallards
4 Swallows
amongst others

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 5th of May 2013 02:02:33 PM

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 5th of May 2013 10:20:46 PM

Tawny Owl in flight over Sunbank Lane cottages at 9.40pm tonight with a female calling nearby.

7.35pm - 9.15pm this evening in Sunbank Lane fields:

1 Short-eared Owl still present and seen well for 10 minutes at 7.45pm, but no further sign after that when the temperature dropped and the breeze got up a bit.

1 Tawny Owl (female) calling from Sunbank Wood.

6:30 to very late with Phil Owen.

No sign this evening of the Short-eared Owl but a surprise bonus of a Barn Owl more than compensated for its no show. Initial very close views of the Barn Owl, which we must have disturbed on our way back to our cars, was followed by at least 5 minutes of more distant views of it hunting over the far side of the fields before we lost it in the dark.
This was then followed by the distinctly different calls of two Tawny Owls from Cotterill Clough.
A fantastic end to a pleasant evening; and 3 owl species in 2 days!
Rick.

6.40pm until 9.45pm:

Another great evening at Sunbank Lane with Rick Donkin.

No sign of the Short-eared Owl that has been present the last couple of nights but:

1 Barn Owl (hunting the hedgerows of the 2nd and 3rd fields) giving us good views at 9.00pm for 5 minutes or so across the fields until lost to view.
2 Tawny Owls (calling away in Cotterill Clough)
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
2 Swallows
1 Common Whitethroat
1 Reed Bunting
Lots of Chiffchaffs

6:30 to dusk with Phil Owen and Rick Donkin

Short-eared Owl - hunting over fields and chased by Kestrel and Magpies

Meadow Pipit
Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Chiffchaff
Whitethroat
female Yellowhammer - first ever for this site

23/04/2013 - 12.30-1.30pm:

1 Kestrel
1 Skylark - singing
6 Swallows
1 Willow Warbler
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
2 Common Whitethroats

No sign of the Short-eared Owl or Redstart.

22/04/2013 - Short-eared Owl off Sunbank Lane this evening. Also Redstart still and 2 Ravens.

Info thanks to Phil Owen.

A great evening tonight from 6.45pm-8.30pm round Sunbank Lane fields:

I had finished checking the hedgerows with the male Redstart still present, when suddenly I got an all too brief and obscured distant view through the hedgerows of an Owl species which I initially thought may have been a Barn Owl.

I searched the area thoroughly and to my suprise came across a Short-eared Owl with prey in the field directly between Cotterill Clough and Sunbank Wood. It was perched on a soil heap that surrounded one of the mitigation ponds, where I managed to get great views and watched it for over 15 minutes before eventually it took to the sky and circled the fields once again before being lost to view.

Also present:

2 Ravens (my first here)
3 Swallows
1 Common Whitethroat
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
1 Bullfinch
1 Collared Dove
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
amongst others

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Monday 22nd of April 2013 10:55:58 PM

Very quick visit at 6.30pm:

Male Redstart still present in same area.

11.45am - 12.45pm round Sunbank Lane fields:

1 Redstart - Male (favouring the bottom end of the hedgerow that runs alongside the path from Sunbank Lane towards Cotteril Clough) still present when I left.
2 Wheatears
1 Reed Bunting
1 Common Whitetroat
5 Meadow Pipits
3 Swallows
2 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk

Couple of hours round with Phil Owen

pair of Wheatear
Skylark singing
Treecreeper Sunbank Wood
Nuthatch building nest hole
several Swallows
Blackcap - pair
Common Whitethroat by motorway
Chiffchaff

An hour or so round Sunbank Lane at 9.30am

2 Common Whitethroats
3 Chiffchaffs
3 Swallows
2 Meadow Pipits
2 Linnets
2 Rooks
2 Reed Buntings
1 Nuthatch
1 Skylark
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Oystercatcher
1 Goldcrest
amongst others

Quick visit to Sunbank Lane at 6.30pm:

1 Oystercatcher (Oak Farm)
1 Lapwing (Oak Farm)
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
1 Chiffchaff
2 Swallows

13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls over heading towards Rostherne Mere.

8.30am-9.30am round Sunbank Lane fields with Henry Cook:

1 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting (male)
1 Lapwing (over)
1 Oystercatcher (Oak Farm)
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
7 Meadow Pipits
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
amongst the usuals

No sign of the male Redstart unfortunatelty, despite an extensive search of the hedgerows

17:30 - 18:30

Knew it would be a good day when the first Swallows were back

Female Wheatear where male was a few days earlier, and 4 across the road.

Oystercatcher again by farm

A stunning male COMMON REDSTART - down track past cottages, follow new fence down to where it doglegs. Bird was flycatching here between fence and hedgerow then moved down to NE corner of Sunbank Wood.

Also Raven calling overhead - flew west over wood.

-- Edited by Tony Coatsworth on Monday 15th of April 2013 07:07:14 PM

An hour with Phil Owen 13:30 - 14:30

Oystercatcher
Kestrel
4 Meadow Pipits
Chiffchaff singing
20+ Redwings


-- Edited by Tony Coatsworth on Saturday 13th of April 2013 03:17:21 PM

male Wheatear near farm

Mallard
Kestrel
Goldfinches
Mistle Thrush
not much else

Quick chat with Phil Owen

31/03/2013 - 6.00-7.150pm with Phil Owen along the decimated Sunbank Lane. The oak trees chopped down to make way for airport expansion were over 150 years old, held breeding pipistrelle bats and well outdated the airport, a great shame:

3 Stock Doves
200+ Meadow Pipits
1 Linnet - singing male back for the summer

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 31st of March 2013 07:50:42 PM

What looked like 20+ Swans in the distance,quite low flying over Manchester Airport at 07-45 this morning
Heading south.

On a visit there with Tony Darby Sunday 3 March, after an unproductive trip to Dunham Massey, there were TWO Police vans patrolling Sun Bank Lane stopping people and questioning them (but not us). This happened to a woman we met on a bike who was studying the badgers. So if you hear complaints from GM Police that they lack resources bear in mind they have 4 staff in two vehicles available to patrol country lanes on a Sunday afternoon!

Charles Coutts wrote:

---

Is this the land next to Hasty Lane ? next to the shoebox hotels

---

It's the land to the other side of the main Wilmslow Road Charles, opposite the Romper Pub. The fields surrounding Oak Farm and Cotteril Clough.

Is this the land next to Hasty Lane ? next to the shoebox hotels

Freezing wind

2 Teal
4 Mallard
2 Moorhen

Kestrel

20+ Redwing, 2 or 3 Fieldfare

Strange plastic 'barrier' about 1 metre high all around the field boundaries - presumably where the new car park is being built, but what's the idea of the plastic?
To deter wildlife ??

Tony Coatsworth wrote:

---

Strange plastic 'barrier' about 1 metre high all around the field boundaries - presumably where the new car park is being built, but what's the idea of the plastic?
To deter wildlife ??

---

Looks like somebody is trying to capture GC newts for re-location or possibly prevent them from reaching a pond (or former pond). I'd be tempted to have a look in any buckets or similar containers installed at ground level along the fenceline. The GC newts are heavily protected with it being an offence to kill, injure, capture or even disturb them. It however appears to be ok to destroy their habitat or prevent them reaching former breeding sites.



-- Edited by Ian Keith on Sunday 10th of March 2013 03:41:57 PM

3.00pm-5.00pm round the fields of Sunbank Lane:

1 Woodcock
1 Pheasant
5 Meadow Pipits
3 Reed Buntings
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
2 Siskins
1 Kestrel
3 Buzzards
2 Mallards
17 Black-headed Gulls (over)

amongst the usuals.

Very sad to see so many trees chopped down to make way for the Airport re-development.

Beginning of the end for this area - most mature trees now cut down along the lane

Kestrel
Buzzard

and not much else - apart from Henry and his dog.

02/03/2013 - 10-11am in wonderful weather and good to bump into Tony C:

3 Buzzards
1 Common Snipe
1 Meadow Pipit

3 Teal

Sparrowhawk (unusual for here)

6 Mistle Thrush
8 Long-tailed Tit

Not much else :(

27/01/2013 - 1.30-2.30pm:

1 Kestrel
2 Buzzards
1 Red-legged Partridge
1 Grey Partridge
18 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares
20+ Redwings

Common Buzzard perched on Railway boundary fence at the end of the runway at 1330hrs

40+ Lapwings tried to settle on the airfield at 1:30pm only to be sent packing by the Bird Scarer.

18/01/2013 - 12 Lapwings in the snowy fields north of Sunbank Lane this morning and 1 Meadow Pipit over.

Raven flying over Monarch Hangar towards Sunbank Lane 08-45 This Morning
As I was cycling out through Security Gates Avro Way at 16-30, a Sparrow Hawk just missed me by a few feet,Direction Cargo Center towards LSG Skychefs at great speed,Good job there was no Ice on the road or I would have gone head over heels

Yes - there is usually a Kestrel sat in the dead-looking tree by the farm, looking from the stile across the road from the track to the cottages.

saw the hawk presumably the kestrel about 20 yards into sunbank lane sat in the tree on the right about 10' away as i walked back he flew off ocer the romper then i lost him