Raven calling over Woodhouse Lane three days in last 5 - in the mid reaches over the at housing. About 7pm tonight it passed over quite high, calling, and made off south west.

Canada Geese c 70 on Greenbooth.
Stonechat pair, Mallard with 5 small chicks and Reed Bunting feeding juvenile - Higher Naden.
c 4 other Reed Buntings singing throughout valley.
Wrens x 2 singing, so at least some survived the winter here - or have moved back since.

Belatedly - when I was loading the car for my holiday at 4.30 am on 15th May a cuckoo was calling from the Shawfield area. Texted my son from Greece to encourage him to stick his head out of his bedroom at 5 each morning to see if there was any repeat but the idea didn't seem to appeal to him.

21st April.

I too spent the morning at Naden. I spotted a male Stonechat, male Sparrowhawk, Common Sandpiper, female Chaffinch nest building and several Lesser Redpoll were seen and heard.

Perhaps the most noteable feature of the morning however, was the continual southerly passage all morning of certainly hundreds of Lesser Black-backed Gulls over the valley. I gave up counting at 300 around mid-morning and noisy passage continued throughout the morning, before appearing to tail off towards midday. Heading for the tip at Pilsworth? If it is still there? Pilsworth is roughly SSW of Naden.

Cheers,

Bill.

Walked over first light...0500 till 1400..

2 Grey Partridge by Fletcher Bank.
2 Grasshopper Warbler by Ashworth Moor Res
Naden Valley;
2 Grasshopper Warbler by Upper Res
3 Whitethroat
5 Blackcap
Many Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
6 Wheatear
Lots of Meadow Pipit, Skylark and Linnet


Rob Archer

rob archer wrote:

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14 Goosander ( 1m 13f..Poor lad!)

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or jammy beggar!!!!!! depends on your point of view, i suppose

Walked over from Rammy..0630 till 1420,, Lots of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks on the Moors. c 20 Curlew throughout the day 1 m Stonechat 3 Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff m Peregrine 14 Goosander ( 1m 13f..Poor lad!) 2 Lesser Redpoll Lots of Goldfinch and Chaffinch 2 Green Woodpecker Rob Archer

Walked over early doors via Ashworth Res and Knowl Hill..0515 till 1330..Saw these;
1 Tawny Owl, a Badger and 2 Foxes in Fletcher Bank Woods.
Lots of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks on`t Moors..
Ashworth Moor Res,
2 Wigeon( m f)
3 Goldeneye( 2m)
2 Teal (m f)
17 Lapwing
2 Oystercatcher
8 Goosander
Canadas and Mallards
2 Reed Buntings
4 Grey Heron over
On the way back m Peregrine over the Res.
2 Kestrel.
Little Owl (h)

Greenbooth Res.
f Peregrine making half hearted grab for a Moorhen
1 f Goldeneye
2 Linnet
Little Owl (h)
1 Oystercatcher

2 Sand Martin over Peel Briow in Rammy

Rob Archer

Valley pretty well scoured of smaller birds - in fact saw only one crow.

Greenbooth
Very little ice. Goosander Mx2, Fx3. Mallards x 10. C Geese x 25.

Lower Naden
Water surface open at the Middle Naden Overflow. Goldeneye Mx2, Fx1. Moorhen ice skating.

Middle Naden
Completely iced over

No sign at 4pm.

surely a first for the area - 5 Brent Geese on Greenbooth Resr this morning.

Early morning walk BH Monday 7.30-8.30. Took Greenbooth Road from Norden, walked past Dr Dam, up the steep dam at Greenbooth and then over the fields to Woodhouse Lane. Not much around really. Grey Heron on fishing platform at Dr Dam along with 1 female mallard. Usual tit flocks in wood up to Greenbooth. Gull flocks on sand banking ar Greenbooth (presumably Black Headed but couldnt make them out without spotting scope). Lots of Swifts in fields near Woodhouse Lane and a Jay in tree at bottom of Woodhouse Lane

16th August.

9.45am - 2.15 pm.

No sign of the male Redstart in the tree although it did contain a Spotted Flycatcher. A female Redstart was seen in a different part of the valley. 4 probably 5 Whinchats were present, a party of at least three together foraging off a stone wall on the western side of Naden Middle Reservoir. A male was in another part of the valley. 9 Stonechat - a gathering of 5 immatures in varying plumages were in close proximity to the party of 3, possibly 4 Whinchat and an obvious family party of 4 Stonechat were in another part of the valley. Also 2 Wheatear and a juvenile Robin were seen. A family party of Goldfinch, including recently fledged begging young, were in one of the plantations. A pair of Linnets, a group of 8 juvenile Pied Wagtails, a Kestrel, several Reed Buntings and Willow Warblers seemingly in almost every patch of bracken! 16 Canada Geese and a single Common Gull was amongst the Black-headed.

Cheers,

Bill.

15th August.

7.45 to 11.15 am.

First visit to this area. A really beautiful valley but a quite enormous and challenging area to cover for birdwatching! Parked in Wolstenholme Fold walked past Doctor Dam and up the east side of Greenbooth Res. to the top end of Naden Lower Res.

Highlight was a good showing by a male Redstart foraging from a hawthorn tree next to a brick outbuilding near the Water Works House on the east side of Naden Lower res.

Also in the same area Blackbird carrying food, Chaffinch carrying food, Willow Warbler carrying food and a single fledged juvenile also seen. Plus Raven, Sparrowhawk, c40 Goldfinch, 2 Linnet, family party of Reed Buntings, juvenile Stonechat. Green Woodpecker also heard here and near Doctor Dam. Nuthatch near Doctor Dam as well as a family party of Greenfinch. 3 Coal Tit, 1 Goldcrest, a few Meadow Pipits, c55 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant and c20 Mallard on Greenbooth Res.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 15th of August 2010 12:46:19 PM

Pair of Stonechats on bracken beside Lower Naden. Young in nest type behaviour.
Family party of Carrion Crows lunching on a frog.

Monday 7th June

Oystercatcher feeding in valley again.
Mistle Thrush family party.

Wren x 1 - my first since the winter here.

Wheatear - 3 juveniles adjacent Middle Naden.

Did not encounter any stonechats.

Mid-morning. Very quiet but glorious.

Higher Naden
Wheatear males x 3.
Reed Bunting male x 1 and one above Middle Naden
Linnets x 2

Greenbooth Res
G C Grebe x 1

Just one Wren again near the Water House.

Haven't heard a Curlew yet from the Reddyshore Top area where there is always a pair.

Holt Wood
Chiffchaff x 1
Willow Warbler x 1
Nuthatch x 1

Rainshore Lodge
Willow Warbler x 1

Greenbooth
Cormarants x 3 - diving at the shallow end
Great Crested Grebe x 1
Goosander pair + browhnead
Oystercatcher x 1 - again feeding on the soft ground of Lower Naden 'dam'.

Greenbooth Wood
Green Woodpecker calling and one calling from trees on the west bank.
Willow Warbler x 1

7-4-10 11:00--16:30
First time round -- waters very empty of birds, no raptors seen all day but lovely walk.

Greenbooth Res:
3 Mallard
2 Pied Wagtail
1 Greenfinch

Naden Higher Res (dry):
2 Mallard in rivulet

Knowle Hill:
1 Fieldfare
2 Skylark
26 Wind Turbines

Ashworth Moor Res:
1 Canadas
Curlew heard
Meadow Pipit

Greenbooth
Oystercatcher x 1 feeding on grass beside the rill joining Lower Naden to Greenbooth
Moorhen x 1 ditto - then flew down banks of res to join another.
Great Crested Grebe x 1
Goosander brownhead x 1
Green Woodpecker at Brown Hill farm top of Woodhouse lane, then calling from trees on west bank of res.

Higher Naden
Stonechat male x 1 singing
Wheatear x 4

Greenbooth
Green Woodpecker calling from a thorn near the dam and calling later at Greenbooth Wood.
Canada Geese pairs x 3
Goosander Brownheads x 3
Wheatear x 2
Swallow x2

Water House
Wren x 1 - first here for weeks
Blackbirds x 2
Lower Naden
Wheatear x 1
Sparrowhawk x 1 soaring

Rainshore Lodge
Heron x 1
Moorhen x 1
Mallard pair x 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker near the farm

09.15 - 11.15

Rainshore Lodge
Goosander brownhead x 1
Mallard x 2
Kestrel x 1 upstream

Greenbooth
Goosander brownheads x 3 near the quarry
Goosander males x 3 at Lower Naden outlet
Canada Goose x 15

Lower Naden
Stonechat pair on wall / bracken - in defiance of the winter!

Water House
Reed Bunting singing
Blackbird x 1
Chaffinch singing

Quite a few Pipits about.
Goldfinches- plentiful, and chaffinch.
Wrens - none seen or heard in the valley ( nor last week.)

Shawfield
Green Woodpecker calling about half a mile off Woodhouse Lane towards Shawfield.

10.15 - 11.45 am

Greenbooth Res
Canada Geese c 14
Goldeneye - males x 2, females x 2 - almost a blast from the past up here.
Mallards x 6

Greenbooth Wood
Kestrel x 1
Long Tailed Tit pair
Coal Tit x 1
Chaffinch in song
Great Tit x 2
Blackbird x 1
Crows c 10

Naden Dean
Green Woodpecker x 1 - calling persistently from the big ash tree. About as far up the valley as I have seen one personally.
M.Pipit x 1

Woodhouse Lane
Lapwing pair on adjacent meadows - as last year
Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1
Long Tailed Tit x 1
Redwings - numerous
Greenfinches - numerous

In the last 4- 6 weeks hundreds of 'whips' planted on the sides of the valley in bracken beds, between rushes and on the higher moor as it falls to the valley. Many planted on ground where wolves must have passed since the last tree fell. I presume this has been done under the auspices of United Utilities. Wouldn't it be nice to think they have taken best advice on tree species used ref soil, location and environment - and the fact that this is South Pennine moorland edge.

Had a mooch round Lower, Middle and Higher Naden;

2 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
6 Mistle Thrush
32 Mallard
24 Canada Goose
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
12 Goldfinch
1 Stonechat
2 Linnet
1 Blackbird

Wildlife Sightings on the Wildlife Forum

Dave

A pleasant stroll around here this afternoon,

Green Woodpecker
Raven
60+ Swallow

nothing much else, but plenty of other wildlife sightings on the wildlife forum.

Dave

Sat 29/8/09 17:00 - 19:30

Mallard 4 (Dr Dam) + 8 (G/booth) + 11 (M Naden)
C Goose 52 M Naden

Mixed Tit flock G/booth woods(?) - L tld c 20, Blue c. 10, Great 4+ Coal 2+ Wilow Warbler 1+
Jay

KEstrel

Stonechat M + imm H Naden next to Tardis

H Naden mud looks promising for waders - probably need to be there early morning to prevent disturbance

Stonechat family party on bracken above Naden House c 6-8 birds. Whitethroats x 3 also in the bracken.

Kestrel x1. Sparrowhawk soaring over Greenbooth.
Canada Geese c 12, Mallards x 6 throughout the valley.
Wheatear pair at Naden Dean.
Chaffinch's plentiful - even in the sparse trees at Naden Dean
Stonechat - very agitated pair at Higher Naden.

Sunday 19th April 09.30- 11.30
Doctor Dam :Green Woodpecker calling in wood for several days.Chiffchaff still present
Coot x 2
Greenbooth : Great Crested Grebe x 2, Canada Goose x 6, BH Gulls x 2. Green Woodpecker calling west banks of res. Willow Warblers plentiful in the larches etc. Pheasants x 3 on fields above
Naden Res - Wheatear Mx 2, F x1. Willow Warbler at Naden Dean. Linnet x pair.
Stonechats - nil throughout the valley.
Woodhouse Lane - Willow Warblers singing mid reaches and farther up. Lapwing pair still on adjacent field. Swallows x 3

09.45 - 12.00
Doctor Dam : Chiffchaff singing; Green Woodpecker, Coal Tit pair.
Naden Wood: Jays x 2
Knowl Farm / East Knowl : Curlew x 1, Wood Pigeon x 13, Crows x 13
Lady Lees - lots of Goldfinch song
Greenbooth : Green Woodpecker calling; Willow Warbler x 1 in song

16.00 - 18.00 Doctor Dam: Chiffchaff x 1 Willow Warbler x 1 in subdued song Greenbooth : Goosander Male and Female x 1 Great Crested Grebe x 1 Woodhouse Lane: Lapwing pair on adjacent field where a pair turned up late last Spring. Counted as a bonus these days.