17 lapwing
Reed Bunting
Meadow pipit displaying
Willow warbler
Common gull
Many swallow
Swift

Melanistic rabbit

This evening 6.30 - 7.30pm

Sparrowhawk
Bullfinch (male, nice!)
2 Skylark
2 Greenfinch
Linnet
Whitethroat
Great tits with young

Also heard only:

Willow warbler
Blackcap
Pheasant
Long-tailed tit

Cheers,

Steve.

Yesterday evening 6.30 - 7.30pm

Skylark (singing)
Willow warbler
Whitethroat
Greenfinch
Swifts
lots of House sparrows

A largish gathering of Starlings (murmuration) around 200+ strong was near the golf club. I scanned for a lingering Rose-coloured, but without joy.

Cheers,

Steve.

Yesterday evening 6.30 - 7.30pm

Skylark (singing)
Chiffchaff
Willow warbler
Whitethroat
2 Linnet

Cheers,

Steve.

10-11 this am: Skylark in full song Lesser redpoll House Martin Swallow 2 meadow pipit willow warbler

Yesterday afternoon:
6 Common Whitethroat, 1displaying
8 Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
3 Lapwing
Skylark
Kestrel
Numerous Swallow
Pied Wagtail
2 Blackcap

10-11 am. Around cenotaph:
5+ Meadow Pipit
4 Lapwing
2 Pied Wagtail

Originally posted by Vicky Sumner today:

2 Lapwing on Werneth Low

Not a lot about and really freezing cold as the breeze picked up.

A few winter thrushes

Blackbird 5
Fieldfare 3
Redwing 2
Meadow Pipit 3

Cheers, John

Woodcock flying over Joel Lane last night towards the Low. I'm going to try to get up there tonight to see if it's travelling along the same flight path. When I say fly it was more like a football with wings and a long beak. It didn't look like it would be able to fly that far!

8pm
Kestrel
12 or so Linnet
2/3 House martin

2pm

a mixed flock of Redwing Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush about 20 in number

Visited Great Wood this am
Treecreeper
Blue tit
Great tit
Coal tit
Nuthatch
Robin
Chaffinch
Wren heard only
Magpie
Redwing eight probable over
Jay

Sunday 30th Oct. 07.00 hrs - 08.00hrs

Bothamshall Wood.

Pretty quiet.

1 Nuthatch seen...... several more heard.
1 Pied Wagtail.
5 Jay.
5 Bullfinch.
3 Chaffinch.
3 Redwing.
Flock of 60+ Starling over.

Roger

3 REDWINGS over the Woodley end of the Low at c 9.40 a.m., otherwise no 'proper' migrant activity at all, unless you count c40 meadow pipits.

19 House Martins
4 Lapwings in a field and in the air.

A walk around the top tonight produced a Reed Bunting. Very nice,very loud and very close(with bins anyway)

Nothing else about, but the RB was most welcome.

2 Wheatears
3 Lapwings on field adjacent to Etherow CP - no sign of breeding but the first record in that area for a number of years. Generally within the area there seems to be fewer than ever breeding birds. Didn't think they could get any less but I was wrong.

08/04/11 - 1130hrs.

Joel Lane car park to Monument.

5 Buzzard (1 heavily mobbed by 3 Carrion Crows)
1 Kestrel (m)
3 LT Tits
5 Skylark

Still no Lapwing in any surrounding fields.


Andy.

3.30pm - 5.30pm 6 Wheatears 47 Fieldfares - came down to feed at Windy Harbour - gradually flew off east in small flocks. 1 Kestrel - carrying what appeared to be a vole/shrew 1 Sparrowhawk - low over visitor centre. Many of the fields have been slurried so not much chance of any Lapwings breeding - land management leaves a lot to be desired. Last year part of a breeding sight for Whitethroats was destroyed at Windy Harbour in May after a pair had established territory. Another birder tackled the voluntry wardens carrying out the work and was told that they had been told by the warden to do it !!!!

Sat 5th March. 07.15 - 08.10.

BothamsHall Wood.

Pair Mallard wandering about in the marshy field.
Single Canada in field next door (not wandering about) ???
Greenfich.
Goldfinch.
Chaffinch.
Nuthatch.
Mistle Thrush.
Plenty of Great Tits.
5 separate pairs C. Crows.
Sparrowhawk heard several times but not located.

Lapwing in field on opposite side of Stockport Road.

Roger.

Thurs 20th Jan.

14.45 - 16.45. Very misty, damp, and freezing cold, both top & bottom.

Top of Low quiet. Flock of Longtails (9) on Quarry car-park.

Bothamshall Wood. Nothing moving, conserving energy I suppose.

5 Chaffinch.
Great & Blue Tits.
c 300 Jackdaws over on their way to roost.
Pair of Carrion Crows.
PeeWit heard but not seen..... down near the Hall itself.

Roger.

Mon 27th Dec. 14.15 - 16.30

Conditions Sub-Tropical.

1 Lapwing on the marsh........ still Billy No-mates.
5 Mistle Thrushes....... one guarding a well berried Holly just past the 2nd cattle-grid.... the Blackbirds seemed to be winning the battle through sheer weight of numbers.
1 Kestrel (F)
1 Goldcrest within touching distance.
And a 90% sure Woodcock....... took off out of the bracken/brambles and twisted away through the trees and over the hill....... couldn't get my bins on it due to doing my Torvill & Dean impression on an icy slope....... no wonder it shot off !

Roger.

Checked out the marsh this pm where Ian recorded Jack Snipe but drew a blank. Still a small area ice free. One lone Lapwing still present but a real bonus was a Woodcock flying past and landing near the lane.
A Buzzard was perched on top of a pine tree in Botham's Hall Wood (officially Great Wood - but never referred to as this by locals since time immemorial!) and a Treecreeper gave close range views.
Plenty of Redwings but there has been an absence of Fieldfare this winter.

Walking back along Mottram Old Rd, a Blackbird had a remarkable escape flying under a car doing 50+ mph and emerging having shed a couple of small feathers and landing briefly 4ft in front of me, a little dazed looking before flying off strongly.

dropped off a christmas present for the birds this afternoon and was rewarded with:

1 buzzard at close range being mobbed by 2 carrion crows
2 lapwing
1 common snipe
blue tit
long-tailed tit
magpie
black-headed gull

2 - 3.30pm

2 Ravens on the deck feeding showing very well. Also sustained low flight views
2 Buzzard
1 Lapwing
200+ Redwings
c20 Fieldfare

Checked Highcroft on way up no sign of Waxwings only one small berry tree but still plenty of berrys.

Most paths are now deadly as drizzle on top of ice on return- Werneth Low currently best avoided although roads mostly clear.

Nothing around the pool today at 3pm except for a forlorn looking Lapwing - sadly it would appear that somebody earlier today was determined to see Jack Snipe as there were fresh footprints around the pool and snipe had probably been flushed. Must have been keen to climb over a solid barb wire fence in this weather. Totally unnecessary as birds will feed despite somebody standing on the lane close by.
As I was walking away a lone Commmon Snipe flew in just after sundown and commenced feeding.
Nearby by side of road 1 Fieldfare, 1 Brambling (f) and 2 Bullfinches.
On Green Lane a party of 15 Siskin feeding on alder were frightened off by a (m) Sparrowhawk crashing into the trees. Didn't get anything but had gone in with such force that it took a while to untangle itself and was hanging upside down for a time.

With Iain Johnson early pm.

Great Wood LNR

11 Snipe
1 Jack Snipe
2 Raven
Treecreeper

The Snipe were visible from the main footpath with no disturbance to the birds.

Visited Great Wood LNR which is located at the bottom of Werneth Low for an hour this morning.

Upon parking up, I noticed a small muddy area/ rush fringed pool which contained 14 lapwing which were spooked as I exited the car. As they were flushed I noticed a smaller, brown wader which turned out to be a common snipe. Further examination revealed up top six snipe and a very obliging Jack Snipe stood stood out in the open in classic 'freeze' pose on the edge of the water. Watched it for about 20 mins along with the common snipe which were feeding freely in the field.

Other birds included
a further three lapwing
grey heron
robin
blackbird
carrion crow
wood pigeon
coal, blue, great and long tailed tits
nuthatch
treecreeper
GS woodpecker

Iain Johnson wrote:

---

No sign of the Marsh Tit though

---

'alleged' Marsh Tit

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 28th of November 2010 05:43:04 PM

10am to 2pm with Karen F.

Flushed two snipe on one of the lanes leading upto Werneth Low then a chance conversation with a local birder who reported seeing a Marsh Tit on Friday resulted in an extended walk which produced

fieldfare
redwing (10+)
kestrel
GS Woodpecker
B, G, C and LT Tits
Stock Dove 1 (like buses now for Karen!!)
Robin
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song and Mistle Thrush

No sign of the Marsh Tit though

6 Common Snipe
1 Jack Snipe
1 Fieldfare
1 Kestrel
1 Cormorant through

early morning 8 to 8.30am

2 fieldfare
carrion crow
jackdaw
magpie
wood pigeon
robin
dunnock
3 BH Gull
blackbird

werneth low surroundings

blue tit
great tit
LT tit
robin
dunnock
jay (carrying acorns)
magpie
jackdaw - circa 100 in a ploughed field
carrion crow
wood pigeon


and..........................stock dove!

also saw a red admiral butterfly, my second butterfly today (first was above swallows wood and was probably a peacock).

Viewed Godley from Werneth Low this morning

c150 Lapwing
4 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
c50 BH Gull

Also 10 Fieldfare through

11/10/10 13:00 - 14:20 Circular walk

3 Robins
2 Dunnocks
1 Great Tit
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
4 Carrion Crows
4 Jackdaws
3 Jays
3 Magpies
11 Starlings
2 Meadow Pipits

Werneth Low 2.30pm - 4.30pm

1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Ravens
10 Snipe
2 Chifchaffs (1 singing)
24 Meadow Pipits - 1 flock
14 Swallows and 3 House Martins heading south

6/9/10 14:00 - 14:50 Circular walk

Very quiet

2 Carrion Crows
1 Rook
2 Magpies
1 Jay
2 Swallows
1 Blackbird

Morning walk along Cowlishaw Road/Werneth Low Road brought the following :

1 Buzzard
7 Goldfinch
1 Female Redstart
1 Wheatear
5 Blackcap 4 Male/1 Female
2 Whitethroat
11 Swallow
2 Swift
2 Pied Wagtail

RBA report a singing male Wood Warbler this morning at the bottom of Apethorn(e?) Lane near Werneth Low CP.

We Three went round the Golf Course in the valley behind Compstall and up onto the Low, and then across the top.

8 Raven
Green Woodpecker
Kestrel
Redwing
Fieldfare
Coal/Blue/Great & LT Tits
2 Buzzard
Mistle Thrush
Treecreepers
Crows and other stuff






-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Thursday 26th of November 2009 08:18:50 PM

Well. I know it's counted for WeBS...

Hi Steve, I had a nosey round the Res. yesterday, and it is a closed site. No way to view at all.

P.S. As an aside whist we are in the area - anyone been to Swallow's Wood - Hollingworth(Hyde) at all?

One of "my" Bird Atlas counters had some hassle from UU staff at Godley Resr as it is a private site. I had to provide him with an introductory letter on BTO headed paper to enable him to survey the site.

Steve

Hi Andy, it was not a lot to go at at 40x from Windy Harbour, but my first thought was Lapwings? then as I had no experience of that action, I dismissed it. But at that mag. and distance, they must have been of significant size to register and make me think like you.
Perhaps they were, it would be about 3.30pm, which was the time I saw the flock of 30+ yesterday wheeling around before I assume going down to roost, so we know they are in the area.

I might go and look at the Res. generally. it seems the entrance is up the first road after the railway on the Mottram Road coming out of Hyde. i.e past Morrisons.

Cheers

geoff

edit - a wen site for info of sorts.
[ www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/leisure1.htm]

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Wednesday 7th of October 2009 11:20:09 PM

That's not a lot to go on Geoff, but I did the same with my binoculars last Sunday and I was pretty sure they were lapwings. It set me thinking about access to that site. I know Robert Adderley used to send reports from Godley and was going to ask him if that was no longer possible for some reason.

Cheers,

Not much about, but a kestrel was "working" Also I put my scope on Godley reservoir at 40x and could make out some "black and white things" flitting around just over the water. Any ideas?

32/35 Lapwings wheeling around for 5 mins, and then swooped low and went in the Denton area, presumably a rooftop roost?
A couple of Pied Wags and a meadow Pipit

Probably (but not certainly) the same one was over Compstall (former) library car park at about 2.30. It flew in from Etherow C.P. airspace and was then seen distantly over Redbrow Wood. I presume it must have doubled back towards Werneth Low? Also saw one yellow wagtail at Compstall ETW, and saw buzzard and heard raven from same spot. Yellow wagtail is a 'mega' for this area (I've seen more hobbies locally)!!!

A Hobby was hawking Swallows on reverse slope of Werneth Low (Compstall side) behind Hare and Hounds pub at 2.45p.m. today, moving off towards Windy Harbour. Info thanks to Antony Marriott