I havent been been physically up to my patch walk over the last few days
- but drove around the patch and was very pleased to hear first singing Chiffchaff this morning
Phil Barnett said
Mon Mar 6 12:54 PM, 2017
Little Grebe - pair back on the lake performing trilling duet - this is about a month earlier than the last 2 years Reed Bunting - returning male singing
lee bailey said
Tue Feb 7 6:42 PM, 2017
Yesterday in the garden. 1 ringed Starling...( thought it might have been a European ringed bird,but no!..ringed on Nov 19th 2016 at Orrell!,distance travelled 4km!!!). Also today near (i think its Cleives hill lane,Aughton 4 Waxwing) slightly out of area!!!.
lee bailey said
Fri Nov 11 2:13 PM, 2016
Nov 11th.
(7:08 am), south west over lafford lane 1 Merlin. Garden Willow tit 4. School lane..Chaffinch 30+,Brambling 2 (fem). Fieldfare 300+ and Redwing 400+ south west.
Saturday Marsh Harrier - female / imm, flew from Lafford lane direction straight over the house and then towards the Beacon
lee bailey said
Mon Oct 31 11:37 AM, 2016
Monday oct 31st. Swallow 1(south) at 11:27 am. wood pigeon 3,000+ (s). In the garden 4 willow tit's, 2 Greywag tail. Numerous Blackbird,Redwing and fieldfare. C snipe (sw). Tawny owl calling in the garden at 4:40 am.
Phil Barnett said
Fri Oct 28 12:22 PM, 2016
10.30 patch 6 Crossbills - flying east one singing in flight
lee bailey said
Thu Oct 27 6:03 PM, 2016
Thursday october 27 th. A kingfisher on the concrete blocks in the water at the concourse in skelmersdale.. was a nice sighting today. Roby mill this am, 1 woodcock, numerous redwing, fieldfare south. A Raven over (sw), and a female merlin chased piedwag tails over lafford lane. A 1st win Greywag tail in the garden along with 3 willow tits. A starling in a flock of 100+ with white leg ring,black letters.. unable to read it yet..but keep trying.
Phil Barnett said
Thu Oct 20 10:47 AM, 2016
7.30 patch Brambling 1 Chiffchaff 1 Teal 8 on the lake - I often see the odd ones on the lake - but a small flock (a Spring of Teal) seems to be sticking around this Autumn Pink-footed Goose 58 East Redwing c40 milling around
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 20th of October 2016 10:49:44 AM
Phil Barnett said
Wed Oct 12 9:08 AM, 2016
7.00 - 8.45 patch Jack Snipe 1 flushed from the lake edge Teal 5 on the lake Redwing c 1,500 south Fieldfare 120 s Siskin 2, Redpoll 2 Pink-footed Goose 75 s
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 12th of October 2016 10:23:43 AM
Phil Barnett said
Thu Sep 22 1:30 PM, 2016
7.30 patch influx of Song thrushes c 20 - mostly olive brown contact calling 'continental' birds also c30 flighty Blackbirds - presumed immigrants Blackcap 1 Chiffchaff 5 willow tit 1
Phil Barnett said
Fri Aug 26 9:31 AM, 2016
6.30 patch Tree pipit - I grounded Chiffchaff - 21 calling / singing Willow warbler 4 Blackcap 1 Barn Owl 1
no viz mig at all
Phil Barnett said
Sat May 28 7:48 AM, 2016
I have surveyed and mapped all the warblers on my Roby mill patch
The results are my blog http://robymilling.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/warbler-survey.html
Patch 4.30 - 7.30 (s - singing) Spotted flycatcher 1 Garden warbler 1 (s) Grasshopper warbler 9 (s) Whitethroat 22 (s) Willow warbler 28 (s) Blackcap 7(s) no sedge warblers or Lesser whitethroats
The derelict farmland East of Mill Lane / Beacon Lane gets better every year as it get more overgrown - now fantastic habitat for Grasshopper warblers, Willow warblers, whitethroats
Using an app with GPS, I am mapping all the singing Warblers on the patch.Previous years counts for several species, were significant at a country level so I wanted to attempt to verify the numbers I had been getting and make sure I was over-counting.Far from over-counting however, it looks like I may been under-counting
Blackcap map attached (24 singing males) - this isn't the final assessment however, I'll probably find some more, but on the other hand I'll probably fail to re-find some of these
also Reed bunting 4 (s) Lesser Redpoll 2 Willow tit 1
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 5th of May 2016 09:13:21 AM
lee bailey said
Sat Apr 30 11:54 AM, 2016
North over Dean wood area 1 Osprey..(11:47 am).
lee bailey said
Fri Apr 22 4:08 PM, 2016
school lane..following tractor(ploughing)..13 Blackheaded gulls and 1 adult summer and 1 2nd yr Mediterranean gulls.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 22nd of April 2016 04:56:46 PM
5.30 patch (s = singing) Tree Pipit - 1 (near Beacon) Lesser whitethroat 1(s) Common whitethroat 2 (s) Grasshopper warbler 1(s) Blackcap 9(s) Chiffchaff 15 (s) Willow warbler 25(s) Linnet 2 (s) Lesser Redpoll 1 Siskin 5 Etc
lee bailey said
Tue Apr 19 4:09 PM, 2016
Few swallow's and House martin north this afternoon. In the garden nuthatch,Bullfinch,siskin,Goldfinch two pairs Blue tit nest building; male House sparrow in nest box. c buzzard and Sparrowhawk over.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 19th of April 2016 04:28:11 PM
Patch 6.30 Grasshopper Warbler - 2 reeling Kestrel - 1 Stock dove - 1 Teal - a pair on the lake Tufted duck - a pair on the lake Dabchick - pair Siskin - male display flight - something I've seen quite a lot recently Redpoll - 2 over (+2 on niger feeder) Yellowhammer - 2 singing Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Swallow x3 Willow tit etc
yesterday Chiffchaff - 22 singing
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 15th of April 2016 08:41:28 AM
lee bailey said
Thu Apr 14 8:10 AM, 2016
7:20 am. Redstart 1-m , knowles farm. +chiffchaff 5,Willow warbler 7 and Blackcap 3-m. Garden 2 Willow tit. Also Walthew green 3 yaffle's Green woodpecker..(also heard same area on monday).
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 14th of April 2016 08:25:03 AM
Phil Barnett said
Wed Apr 13 7:49 AM, 2016
6.45 Grasshopper Warbler - 1 reeling near colledge farm + Swallow back at Knowles farm
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 13th of April 2016 09:07:51 AM
Phil Barnett said
Fri Apr 8 9:43 AM, 2016
6.00 patch (s - singing) Chiffchaff - 27 (s) Willow Warbler 15 (s) A lot of the 'new' warblers were concentrated near the beacon suggesting a fall of migrants rather than, necessarily, returning breeding birds. Blackcap 3 (s) Little grebe 2 Siskin 2 (s) Linnet flock of 25 Red-legged Partridge 2 Buzzard 2 Pied wagtail - male back at college farm
lee bailey said
Fri Apr 8 7:42 AM, 2016
7:15 am..1(singing)+1 willow tit scrub bushes at the front of the house;quick dash through to rear and 4 in the garden on sunflower feeder and bird table. Also over (east at 6:50 am 3 c crossbill(calling). Nuthatch,Great Spotted Woodpecker, siskin 2 in /around the garden. skylark singing school lane.
lee bailey said
Thu Apr 7 4:03 PM, 2016
Today..3:38pm..Wheatear over north east. Garden Willow tit 4,Siskin 4 and 1 male Bullfinch.
lee bailey said
Wed Apr 6 4:13 PM, 2016
2 Siskin and 5 Willow tit in the garden.
Phil Barnett said
Wed Apr 6 8:35 AM, 2016
6.30 patch Shelduck 1 over flying east Little grebe - pair back at the lake - trilling duet Chiffchaff - 15 (singing) Willow warbler - 5 (singing) Blackcap - 1 (singing) Meadow pipit - 30 north
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 6th of April 2016 08:36:57 AM
6.30 patch Chiffchaff - 17 singing (it was 8th April last year before these numbers were noted singing - so much earlier arrival 'in force') Goosander - 1 Willow Tit - 1 singing
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 30th of March 2016 10:21:01 AM
lee bailey said
Sat Mar 26 7:24 AM, 2016
Yesterday am/pm Siskin 23, Willow tit 2 in the garden. At dusk 1 Woodcock roding..
lee bailey said
Thu Mar 24 2:07 PM, 2016
Garden.. Willow tit 4, Siskin m-8,f-4. Nuthatch 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 2. Nice to hear Green Woodpecker around again,its years since they bred at the old brick works/Holland hall area of Lafford lane... nice one!!!.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of March 2016 03:26:01 PM
Phil Barnett said
Thu Mar 24 8:27 AM, 2016
6.00 patch Green Woodpecker - repeatedly yaffling - a nice patch first Shoveler - pair on the lake Chiffchaff - 2 singing Willow tit 1 A few 'alba' wagtails and meadow pipits north
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of March 2016 09:09:41 AM
lee bailey said
Wed Mar 23 7:20 PM, 2016
Garden today..Willow tit 2, Siskin m-1,f-1, Nuthatch 2, Goldcrest 1. southwest Raven 1, Redwing 4 north and Sand martin 1..northwest. Woodcock 1-roding pm.
Phil Barnett said
Wed Mar 23 11:54 AM, 2016
Patch 6.00
Crossbill 1 over Goosander 6 Siskin singing during display flight
Meadow Pipit c20 N (similar trickle north on last 3 days)
lee bailey said
Tue Mar 22 4:34 PM, 2016
4:30pm.. adult male STONECHAT..at knowles farm..veiwed from bedroom window..alittle cracker!!..roll on spring!.
Phil Barnett said
Mon Mar 21 9:23 AM, 2016
7.00 patch Crossbill 1 calling over Trickle of meadow pipits north - about 25 Willow tit 1 Red Legged Partridge + Lapwing, 'song'
Garden today 4 Willow tits and 2 siskin also pair of Goldcrest. At knowles farm a singing Blackcap. on the golf course 2 Jack snipe. This evening 3 roding +2 other Woodcock over/around the village.
lee bailey said
Fri Mar 4 11:18 AM, 2016
Garden..Robin 4,Blackbird 5, Blue tit 24, Great tit 15, Coal tit 8, Willow tit 4, Goldfinch 5, Chaffinch 22, Siskin 7, Dunnock 4, Magpie 4, Wood pigeon 3, Jay 2,Collared dove 1, Starling 3, Wren 1. Lesserblack backed gull 50 (south west). House sparrows 15. School lane and knowles farm 3 Song thrush.
Phil Barnett said
Thu Mar 3 9:22 AM, 2016
Patch 6.30 Goosander 1 Teal 2 Tufted Duck 3 Barn Owl 2 Siskin 1 (also in in the garden)
Song Thrush 13 singing last year I estimated a patch population 25 pairs - this is a high figure given other counts in the Lancs Bird reports and published data of breeding densities
They should be fairly easy to survey - the song is loud, they sing together at dawn, and the position song post(s) is fairly stable
- on the other hand, beacuse the song is far carrying, can I be sure that the bird I heard on my left is the same as that which I'm now hearing on my right, later in my walk.
- also did I double count when adding together counts from different part of the patch?
The best way to get an idea of the accuracy of my, last year's, count (and hopefully callibate the accuracy of my other species counts) is to map the singing males.
Using an app with GPS make this fairly easy
Attached is my song thrush mapping from this morning - 13 singing males - the coverage is about 50% of the patch - I will fill in the missing parts of the patch subsequently
7:46 am..Peregrine over Lafford lane..chasing jackdaw's and wood pigeons.. Garden 5 Willow Tits..(seem to like feeding in the honey suckle..8 foot from the house)..
I havent been been physically up to my patch walk over the last few days
- but drove around the patch and was very pleased to hear first singing Chiffchaff this morning
Little Grebe - pair back on the lake performing trilling duet - this is about a month earlier than the last 2 years
Reed Bunting - returning male singing
1 ringed Starling...( thought it might have been a European
ringed bird,but no!..ringed on Nov 19th
2016 at Orrell!,distance travelled 4km!!!).
Also today near (i think its Cleives hill lane,Aughton 4 Waxwing)
slightly out of area!!!.
(7:08 am), south west over lafford lane
1 Merlin.
Garden Willow tit 4.
School lane..Chaffinch 30+,Brambling 2 (fem).
Fieldfare 300+ and Redwing 400+ south
west.
SE (AM), Pinkfooted geese.. 160+200+10+200+150
+140+22+300+80+20.
Whooper swans 8(SE)..And 44 yesterday.
wood pigeon 9,000+,Redwing 200+,meadow pipit 16,
piedwagtail 8,Greywagtail 1.
Garden..Goldcrest,willow tit 2, numerous blue,great,
coal tit,Great spottedwoodpecker.
Disused tip (am)..Barn owl.
Dusk yesterday Woodcock.
Lafford lane am..Yellowhammer 7.
Patch this morning
250 Pink-footed Geese - s
Saturday
Marsh Harrier - female / imm, flew from Lafford lane direction straight over the house and then towards the Beacon
Swallow 1(south) at 11:27 am.
wood pigeon 3,000+ (s).
In the garden 4 willow tit's, 2 Greywag tail.
Numerous Blackbird,Redwing and fieldfare.
C snipe (sw). Tawny owl calling in the garden
at 4:40 am.
10.30 patch
6 Crossbills - flying east one singing in flight
A kingfisher on the concrete blocks in the water at the concourse in skelmersdale.. was a nice sighting today.
Roby mill this am, 1 woodcock, numerous redwing, fieldfare south.
A Raven over (sw), and a female merlin chased piedwag tails over lafford lane.
A 1st win Greywag tail in the garden along with 3 willow tits. A starling in a flock of 100+ with white leg ring,black letters.. unable to read it yet..but keep trying.
7.30 patch
Brambling 1
Chiffchaff 1
Teal 8 on the lake - I often see the odd ones on the lake - but a small flock (a Spring of Teal) seems to be sticking around this Autumn
Pink-footed Goose 58 East
Redwing c40 milling around
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 20th of October 2016 10:49:44 AM
7.00 - 8.45 patch
Jack Snipe 1 flushed from the lake edge
Teal 5 on the lake
Redwing c 1,500 south
Fieldfare 120 s
Siskin 2,
Redpoll 2
Pink-footed Goose 75 s
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 12th of October 2016 10:23:43 AM
7.30 patch
influx of Song thrushes c 20 - mostly olive brown contact calling 'continental' birds
also c30 flighty Blackbirds - presumed immigrants
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 5
willow tit 1
6.30 patch
Tree pipit - I grounded
Chiffchaff - 21 calling / singing
Willow warbler 4
Blackcap 1
Barn Owl 1
no viz mig at all
I have surveyed and mapped all the warblers on my Roby mill patch
The results are my blog
http://robymilling.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/warbler-survey.html
169 singing males -
38 Whitethroat,
33 Blackcaps
7 Garden warblers
2 Lesser whitethroats
46 Willow warblers
36 Chiffchaffs
7 Grasshopper warblers
sadly no Sedge warblers this year
1 Swift over the garden
Patch 4.30 - 7.30 (s - singing)
Spotted flycatcher 1
Garden warbler 1 (s)
Grasshopper warbler 9 (s)
Whitethroat 22 (s)
Willow warbler 28 (s)
Blackcap 7(s)
no sedge warblers or Lesser whitethroats
The derelict farmland East of Mill Lane / Beacon Lane gets better every year as it get more overgrown - now fantastic habitat for Grasshopper warblers, Willow warblers, whitethroats
Using an app with GPS, I am mapping all the singing Warblers on the patch. Previous years counts for several species, were significant at a country level so I wanted to attempt to verify the numbers I had been getting and make sure I was over-counting. Far from over-counting however, it looks like I may been under-counting
Blackcap map attached (24 singing males) - this isn't the final assessment however, I'll probably find some more, but on the other hand I'll probably fail to re-find some of these
also
Reed bunting 4 (s)
Lesser Redpoll 2
Willow tit 1
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Thursday 5th of May 2016 09:13:21 AM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 22nd of April 2016 04:56:46 PM
5.30 patch
Grasshopper warbler 7
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Common Whitethroat 4
etc
5.30 patch (s = singing)
Tree Pipit - 1 (near Beacon)
Lesser whitethroat 1(s)
Common whitethroat 2 (s)
Grasshopper warbler 1(s)
Blackcap 9(s)
Chiffchaff 15 (s)
Willow warbler 25(s)
Linnet 2 (s)
Lesser Redpoll 1
Siskin 5
Etc
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 19th of April 2016 04:28:11 PM
6.30 patch
2 Whitethroat - singing
2 Grasshopper warbler
Patch 6.30
Grasshopper Warbler - 2 reeling
Kestrel - 1
Stock dove - 1
Teal - a pair on the lake
Tufted duck - a pair on the lake
Dabchick - pair
Siskin - male display flight - something I've seen quite a lot recently
Redpoll - 2 over (+2 on niger feeder)
Yellowhammer - 2 singing
Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Swallow x3
Willow tit
etc
yesterday Chiffchaff - 22 singing
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Friday 15th of April 2016 08:41:28 AM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 14th of April 2016 08:25:03 AM
6.45
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 reeling near colledge farm
+ Swallow back at Knowles farm
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 13th of April 2016 09:07:51 AM
6.00 patch
(s - singing)
Chiffchaff - 27 (s)
Willow Warbler 15 (s)
A lot of the 'new' warblers were concentrated near the beacon suggesting a fall of migrants rather than, necessarily, returning breeding birds.
Blackcap 3 (s)
Little grebe 2
Siskin 2 (s)
Linnet flock of 25
Red-legged Partridge 2
Buzzard 2
Pied wagtail - male back at college farm
6.30 patch
Shelduck 1 over flying east
Little grebe - pair back at the lake - trilling duet
Chiffchaff - 15 (singing)
Willow warbler - 5 (singing)
Blackcap - 1 (singing)
Meadow pipit - 30 north
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 6th of April 2016 08:36:57 AM
9.30 patch
Blackcap - 1 singing
Patch 7.00
willow warbler - 4 singing
Chiffchaff 24 - singing
Tawny Owl - 1
Willow tit - 1
6.30 patch
Chiffchaff - 17 singing (it was 8th April last year before these numbers were noted singing - so much earlier arrival 'in force')
Goosander - 1
Willow Tit - 1 singing
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Wednesday 30th of March 2016 10:21:01 AM
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of March 2016 03:26:01 PM
6.00 patch
Green Woodpecker - repeatedly yaffling - a nice patch first
Shoveler - pair on the lake
Chiffchaff - 2 singing
Willow tit 1
A few 'alba' wagtails and meadow pipits north
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of March 2016 09:09:41 AM
Patch 6.00
Crossbill 1 over
Goosander 6
Siskin singing during display flight
Meadow Pipit c20 N (similar trickle north on last 3 days)
7.00 patch
Crossbill 1 calling over
Trickle of meadow pipits north - about 25
Willow tit 1
Red Legged Partridge + Lapwing, 'song'
Patch 6.30
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Tawny Owl 1
Goosander 1
Raven 1
Meadow Pipit1, Skylark 1, Fieldfare 2 > North
Patch 6.30
Goosander 1
Teal 2
Tufted Duck 3
Barn Owl 2
Siskin 1 (also in in the garden)
Song Thrush 13 singing
last year I estimated a patch population 25 pairs
- this is a high figure given other counts in the Lancs Bird reports and published data of breeding densities
They should be fairly easy to survey - the song is loud, they sing together at dawn, and the position song post(s) is fairly stable
- on the other hand, beacuse the song is far carrying, can I be sure that the bird I heard on my left is the same as that which I'm now hearing on my right, later in my walk.
- also did I double count when adding together counts from different part of the patch?
The best way to get an idea of the accuracy of my, last year's, count (and hopefully callibate the accuracy of my other species counts) is to map the
singing males.
Using an app with GPS make this fairly easy
Attached is my song thrush mapping from this morning - 13 singing males - the coverage is about 50% of the patch - I will fill in the missing parts of the patch subsequently
7.30 patch
Raven 1
Goosander 2
Tufted Duck 6
Barn Owl 1
Lesser Redpoll 1
Buzzard 1
Patch 7.00
4 Ravens, 2 pairs in prolonged squabble with tumbling etc. 1 pair landed on roof
Goosander 1
Red Legged Partridge 2
Yellowhammer song
-- Edited by Phil Barnett on Monday 29th of February 2016 08:49:43 AM
Patch
Goosander 5
Tufted Duck 2
Barn Owl 1
Bullfinch 2