Lapwings and golden plover in the pond field again 2pm. The gp have not been around for a week and a bit for me. A single skylark, and that was about it. Walked up to the picking rods, and saw nothing at all.
Geoff Walton said
Thu Mar 18 4:25 PM, 2010
Lapwings wheeling in various places. I stopped and watched for an hour.
Phil Panton said
Sun Mar 14 1:23 PM, 2010
Mid morning walk from Moor End Rd through to Glossop Rd
Mixed flock of about 8 Lapwing and 20 golden plover flew and wheeled around, finally landing in the pond field.
Hear skylarks, but could not see.
Geoff Walton said
Mon Mar 8 1:59 PM, 2010
At least 60 golden plover fly towards me and landed two fields down from yesterday. Very nice as I had my scope this time.
Geoff Walton said
Sun Mar 7 4:59 PM, 2010
Still could not find any tree sparrows despite walking up the track by the side of the garden.
A large flock of golden plover in the pond field opposite the track to the Picking Rods, plus lapwings in the usual place for me, but probably os our patch (field on the corner of Shiloh Road and the road to the Little Mill Inn)
Geoff Walton said
Sat Mar 6 12:51 PM, 2010
I drove up for half an hour this morning. Should have read about the sparrows first, I only saw starlings in the trees by the house.
Loads of lapwings about. My fav. time of the year for them. They were in all the usual places. Oh for 41 pages on them in the mag.
A heron in a field, and some skylarks probably just over the border by a yard or so.
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Mar 5 10:09 PM, 2010
John,
Glad you got to see some. In previous years, the location has just been given as 'Ludworth Moor', which I use as a generic description of the whole area. Also, the sparrows have moved around the Moor in the past. April Cottage was once the most reliable site, then it was the 'Trout Farm' house down Smithy Lane for a few years (they used to breed within the actual building). Now they are where they are purely because of the feeders and the farm buildings next door. It is quite a precarious existence. If something happens to the owner of Larkhill, they are finished. What has the countryside of the U.K. come to?
John Rayner said
Fri Mar 5 4:59 PM, 2010
Andy Bissitt wrote:
John,
You obviously haven't been reading your Greater Manchester Bird Reports for the last 15 years or so!!
Hi Andy,
I'm not a big collector of bird reports but did check last year's. Surprisingly, no mention of Tree Sparrow from this location.
I found Larkhill this morning and there were at least 4 Tree Sparrows in the garden. Further up the footpath were another 3 at Dirty Lane. Walked on past Brown Low.
You obviously haven't been reading your Greater Manchester Bird Reports for the last 15 years or so!!
Tree Sparrows are probably THE speciality up there, but the days of 20+ seem to be gone although I did see at least twelve late last year.
Larkhill is the first house on the left after Ernocroft Rd (or is it Lane?) up Sandhill Lane (just past the parking area). One piece of advice though. Don't get talking to the house holder, you'll never get away (he's a bit lonely up there with no neighbours to speak of!!)
All the best...
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 4th of March 2010 09:20:47 PM
John Rayner said
Thu Mar 4 7:56 PM, 2010
vic chatterton wrote:
2 Tree Sparrows on feeders in garden of bungalow "LARKHILL" at 2pm.
That's a good record Vic,
Whereabouts is Larkhill bungalow at Ludworth?
Cheers, John
vic chatterton said
Thu Mar 4 6:26 PM, 2010
2 Tree Sparrows on feeders in garden of bungalow "LARKHILL" at 2pm.
John Rayner said
Sun Feb 28 12:57 PM, 2010
28/02/10
2 Buzzards 2 Stock Doves 3 Skylarks singing 12 Lapwing 23 Golden Plover (Flew from roadside field over quarry and Cloughend) 1 Curlew 1 Reed Bunting (male) 1 Snipe 1 Kestrel
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 28th of February 2010 01:13:52 PM
John Rayner said
Wed Feb 17 6:01 PM, 2010
09.30 - 12.00
Buzzard 1 Raven 4 (This is a minimum count. 4 together with 2 of them tumbling in display plus occasional sightings of singles, which may have been from the same party) Siskin (3 in Goldfinch flock) Great Spotted Woodpecker (2 males scrapping) Lapwing 4 Fieldfare (just the 1)
+ commoner stuff
Cheers, John
Robert Adderley said
Tue Feb 16 8:15 PM, 2010
Late posting for Sunday morning (14th) - a single Golden Plover near Clough End, the first returning bird of the year perhaps.
Lunchtime wander from Rowarth over to Glossop Road.
2 Buzzards 1 Raven 3 Lapwing 2 Mistle Thrush
Otherwise very quiet
Geoff Walton said
Tue Oct 27 11:10 PM, 2009
And to think, I saw nothing on Sunday Andy.Thought you had been watching a Bird Guides DVD for a minute
I might have another go tomorrow after lunch if it is fine
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Oct 27 9:33 PM, 2009
A pretty decent passage of FIELDFARE'S up here today (p.m.). No less than 1100 were counted moving through low heading south (although most stopped on the 'moor' for a brief time at least) in about an hour and a half. Five flocks were of a hundred or more, with the largest being 205. Nice to see some local migration.
Also - at least 7 ravens 10+ snipe 55 lapwings 40+ redwings ('residents', not on passage) bullfinch male treecreeper
Surprised you say anything Robert if the light was like it was at home today. I went yesterday and saw 1 kestrel and a couple of skylarks. I am still not sure where to look for the snipe? I went up that very narrow path opposite the track to the Picking Stones etc, and then climbed over the style to the pool at the end of the field but saw nothing. Is there somewhere else? I suspect I have the wrong pond, as there is no sign of work to close the way there.
Spent a couple of hours this lunchtime walking over from Moor End Rd to Glossop Rd.
8 Wheatear 1 Whinchat 2 Ravens 2 Kestrels 1 Snipe 2 Spotted Flycatchers near the Kennels at Mount View Farm Dozens of Goldfinch & large flocks of Meadow Pipits...minus 1 which was taken by a Peregrine.
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Sep 11 9:44 PM, 2009
Geoff,
If you mean the really small pond (which I'm sure you do), then yes, that's it. It does look as if access to it is about to be curtailed, so count the snipe whilst you can!!
Cheers,
Andy
Geoff Walton said
Fri Sep 11 6:27 PM, 2009
Hi Andy, where is the "newly improved top field"? Is it the one with the pond in opposite the track to Robin Hood's P.R's
A pretty decent afternoon with highlights of 2 wheatear, a whinchat and at least 3 stonechats almost in a flock feeding together. Also about 100 meadow pipits. But in a way, perhaps best were 30 snipe flushed from the newly 'improved' top field - an unprecedented number for the 'moors'.
Also, just as I was about to leave home (2.05 p.m.) a chance glance from my window had me find a hobby flying quite low right over my garden. It was going south, but banked and veered off to the south - west. Must have taken up local residence for the time being.
Robert Adderley said
Tue Aug 18 9:35 PM, 2009
18/8/09 evening
HOBBY - 1 observed on several occasions chasing Swallows between Clough End and Far Bradshaw farms.
Andy - I will email you privately about it as I need to send you an attachment
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Jul 16 8:43 PM, 2009
Judith,
Which area of the moor does it cover? The reason I ask this is that a trip up there at the moment is one to bring total dismay as I see another area of 'moorland' trashed by farmers. How many more sheep and cattle does this country need? My most recent visit earlier this week was like visiting a motorway construction site. There were several large pieces of plant which had been hired out by a company who, according to the message emblazoned on the digger and dumper truck, deal in 'special projects'. Gone was a large wet field of rank grass and sedges, the only place in G. M/c I have ever seen a snipe nest with eggs. It was useful for the odd skylark and several pairs of meadow pipit. The same general area was also used by the stonechats to breed in a couple of recent years.
It is all really very sad, and as I get easily depressed by this sort of thing, I tend not to visit places where I am going to witness 1) damaging practices and 2) not many birds (especially when compared to the past). Maybe I'll go to another part of the moor if the square is away from the ongoing blitz.
Cheers,
Andy
Judith Smith said
Wed Jul 15 10:55 PM, 2009
There will be a vacancy next year for an observer for the BBS square on Ludworth Moor (a very productive square) if anyone who does the area fancies it.
Sonia Adderley said
Tue Jul 14 8:58 PM, 2009
14th July
Grasshopper Warbler - still reeling this evening
Golden Plover - 36
John Rayner said
Tue May 12 12:35 PM, 2009
Hi Andy,
I was doing the NE corner of SJ98 and drifted into SJ99, the southern parts of Ludworth Moor. There were plenty of Linnets up there too.
Cheers, John
Andy Bissitt said
Mon May 11 8:51 PM, 2009
I was doing my BTO square up there yesterday morning, but probably a different area altogether (started at Woodheys restuarant on Glossop Rd and walked up Ernocroft Ln towards and then down Gird Lane). It sounds as if you were on the 'moor' itself? Where was the pied fly? Whatever, it was a good morning with the number of linnets being particularly good to see. I also had at least 8 wheatears, so it was a good morning for them. Also always good to see tree sparrows at what is probably their last 'stronghold' east of Stockport. Pity the place is still under so much attack from landowners and will soon be much quieter.
No sight/sound of Gropper but usual Snipe, Curlews etc in the area.
1 Lesser Redpoll and plenty of Willow Warblers in the bushes.
Robert Adderley said
Thu Apr 23 9:40 PM, 2009
Thurs-23/4/09
Grasshopper Warbler - reeling from low brambles and showing quite well (if a little distant) from the footpath, this evening.
Lesser Redpoll - 1
Geoff Walton said
Tue Apr 21 4:07 PM, 2009
I assume from reading elsewhere that Robin Hoods Picking Rods mark the GM Boundary. On that basis between the road and the "Rods" 3pm
5 Lapwings 2 meadow Pipits 1 Curlew 1 Pied Wagtails loads of skylarks heard, but not seen.
John Rayner said
Mon Apr 20 1:54 PM, 2009
Monday 20th April (am)
Little Owl out in the sun Willow Warblers a-plenty Reed Bunting 3 Buzzard 1 A reeling Grasshopper Warbler responded to my throat-clearing imitation and sat out for a while singing
Whinchat and a pair of Stonechat were seen by another observer on 11th April.
Does anyone know anything about Grey Partridge which were reported in tetrad SJ98Z last year?
Having seen 8 Common Buzzards at this site on Saturday I thought this was as good a place as any to look for a passing Honey Buzzard, but alas no Buzzards of any kind at all today!
Crossbill -1 fem/Imm over NW Meadow Pipit - 232 mainly moving west Skylark - 4
Wigeon - 2 on the larger pool near clough end (an unexpected record for Ludworth) Snipe - 3 Stonechat - 2 Bullfinch - 2 Linnet - 3 plus plenty of Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches
-- Edited by Robert Adderley at 20:37, 2008-09-18
-- Edited by Robert Adderley at 20:38, 2008-09-18
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Sep 13 9:33 PM, 2008
As there's a entry for today, I'll just add male stonechat this afternoon whilst I was mainly looking out for dragonflies (black darters, brown and southern hawkers, common darters amongst others).
Just needed to cool down a bit after two G. M/c ticks in the morning. So a bit of a bash around here found new migrants for this year:-
2 Garden warblers (Gird Lane & Ludworth fishponds area) 2 Common Whitethroats (Gird Ln & April Cottage) A notable lack of blackcaps (none)
Not a patch on Wigan Flashes (pun intended).
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Apr 26 9:09 PM, 2008
Best of from this morning...
2 ravens (more could be around tomorrow if freshly dead lamb and ewe are not removed) Cuckoo flew over low and silently 6 wheatears Snipe heard 2 curlew 2 Brown hares, first seen up there for a long while,
Robert Adderley said
Tue Apr 22 8:56 PM, 2008
22.4.08 evening
RING OUZEL - 4 males feeding in the same area this evening.
A single skylark, and that was about it. Walked up to the picking rods, and saw nothing at all.
16 Lapwing
1 Buzzard
1 Raven
9 Meadow Pipits
5 Skylarks
1 Grey Heron
1 Kestrel
4 Linnet
No sign of Golden Plover
Hear skylarks, but could not see.
A large flock of golden plover in the pond field opposite the track to the Picking Rods, plus lapwings in the usual place for me, but probably os our patch (field on the corner of Shiloh Road and the road to the Little Mill Inn)
Loads of lapwings about. My fav. time of the year for them. They were in all the usual places. Oh for 41 pages on them in the mag.
A heron in a field, and some skylarks probably just over the border by a yard or so.
Glad you got to see some. In previous years, the location has just been given as 'Ludworth Moor', which I use as a generic description of the whole area. Also, the sparrows have moved around the Moor in the past. April Cottage was once the most reliable site, then it was the 'Trout Farm' house down Smithy Lane for a few years (they used to breed within the actual building). Now they are where they are purely because of the feeders and the farm buildings next door. It is quite a precarious existence. If something happens to the owner of Larkhill, they are finished. What has the countryside of the U.K. come to?
You obviously haven't been reading your Greater Manchester Bird Reports for the last 15 years or so!!
Tree Sparrows are probably THE speciality up there, but the days of 20+ seem to be gone although I did see at least twelve late last year.
Larkhill is the first house on the left after Ernocroft Rd (or is it Lane?) up Sandhill Lane
(just past the parking area). One piece of advice though. Don't get talking to the house holder, you'll never get away (he's a bit lonely up there with no neighbours to speak of!!)
All the best...
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 4th of March 2010 09:20:47 PM
That's a good record Vic,
Whereabouts is Larkhill bungalow at Ludworth?
Cheers, John
2 Buzzards
2 Stock Doves
3 Skylarks singing
12 Lapwing
23 Golden Plover (Flew from roadside field over quarry and Cloughend)
1 Curlew
1 Reed Bunting (male)
1 Snipe
1 Kestrel
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 28th of February 2010 01:13:52 PM
Buzzard 1
Raven 4 (This is a minimum count. 4 together with 2 of them tumbling in display plus occasional sightings of singles, which may have been from the same party)
Siskin (3 in Goldfinch flock)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2 males scrapping)
Lapwing 4
Fieldfare (just the 1)
+ commoner stuff
Cheers, John
2 Buzzard
4 Raven
30+ Jackdaw
2 Mistle Thrush
2 Reed Bunting
1 Greenfinch
Anthony
2 Buzzards
1 Raven
3 Lapwing
2 Mistle Thrush
Otherwise very quiet
I might have another go tomorrow after lunch if it is fine
Also - at least 7 ravens
10+ snipe
55 lapwings
40+ redwings ('residents', not on passage)
bullfinch male
treecreeper
Teal - 2
Mallard - 15
Snipe - 18
Common Gull - 82
Raven - 5
Skylark - 1
Fieldfare - 1
3 Hours produced 41 species including....
Golden Plover - 3
Snipe - 4
Swallow - 1
Raven - 8
Chiffchaff - 1
Stonechat - 2
Tree Sparrow - 3
Reed Bunting - 2
I am still not sure where to look for the snipe? I went up that very narrow path opposite the track to the Picking Stones etc, and then climbed over the style to the pool at the end of the field but saw nothing. Is there somewhere else? I suspect I have the wrong pond, as there is no sign of work to close the way there.
Geoff
Buzzard - 1
Sparrowhawk -1
Kestrel - 2
Snipe - 10
Raven - 3
Jackdaw - 236 W
Jay - several
Skylark - 1
Meadow Pipit - c30
Stonechat - 4
Chiffchaff - 1
Bullfinch - 1
Linnet - 10
Reed Bunting - 3
8 Wheatear
1 Whinchat
2 Ravens
2 Kestrels
1 Snipe
2 Spotted Flycatchers near the Kennels at Mount View Farm
Dozens of Goldfinch
& large flocks of Meadow Pipits...minus 1 which was taken by a Peregrine.
If you mean the really small pond (which I'm sure you do), then yes, that's it. It does look as if access to it is about to be curtailed, so count the snipe whilst you can!!
Cheers,
Andy
Geoff
Whinchat - 2
Stonechat - 6
Chiffchaff -1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Snipe - 11
Buzzard - 5
Also, just as I was about to leave home (2.05 p.m.) a chance glance from my window had me find a hobby flying quite low right over my garden. It was going south, but banked and veered off to the south - west. Must have taken up local residence for the time being.
HOBBY - 1 observed on several occasions chasing Swallows between Clough End and Far Bradshaw farms.
Buzzard - 2/3
Kestrel - 1
Curlew - 2
Snipe - 1
Raven - 2
Linnet - 67
Which area of the moor does it cover? The reason I ask this is that a trip up there at the moment is one to bring total dismay as I see another area of 'moorland' trashed by farmers. How many more sheep and cattle does this country need? My most recent visit earlier this week was like visiting a motorway construction site. There were several large pieces of plant which had been hired out by a company who, according to the message emblazoned on the digger and dumper truck, deal in 'special projects'. Gone was a large wet field of rank grass and sedges, the only place in G. M/c I have ever seen a snipe nest with eggs. It was useful for the odd skylark and several pairs of meadow pipit. The same general area was also used by the stonechats to breed in a couple of recent years.
It is all really very sad, and as I get easily depressed by this sort of thing, I tend not to visit places where I am going to witness 1) damaging practices and 2) not many birds (especially when compared to the past). Maybe I'll go to another part of the moor if the square is away from the ongoing blitz.
Cheers,
Andy
Grasshopper Warbler - still reeling this evening
Golden Plover - 36
I was doing the NE corner of SJ98 and drifted into SJ99, the southern parts of Ludworth Moor. There were plenty of Linnets up there too.
Cheers, John
Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler (2)
Whinchat (2)
Wheatear (6)
Grasshopper Warbler (good views)
Pied Flycatcher (female)
Little Owl
Curlews
Willow Warblers
Meadow Pipits
Cheers, John
2 WHIMBREL at 7.45pm flew off NE.
No sight/sound of Gropper but usual Snipe, Curlews etc in the area.
1 Lesser Redpoll and plenty of Willow Warblers in the bushes.
Grasshopper Warbler - reeling from low brambles and showing quite well (if a little distant) from the footpath, this evening.
Lesser Redpoll - 1
5 Lapwings
2 meadow Pipits
1 Curlew
1 Pied Wagtails
loads of skylarks heard, but not seen.
Little Owl out in the sun
Willow Warblers a-plenty
Reed Bunting 3
Buzzard 1
A reeling Grasshopper Warbler responded to my throat-clearing imitation and sat out for a while singing
Whinchat and a pair of Stonechat were seen by another observer on 11th April.
Does anyone know anything about Grey Partridge which were reported in tetrad SJ98Z last year?
Cheers, John
Raven - 1
Buzzard - 1
Snipe - 1
Skylark - 1
Fieldfare - 30
Starling - 1000+
Having seen 8 Common Buzzards at this site on Saturday I thought this was as good a place as any to look for a passing Honey Buzzard, but alas no Buzzards of any kind at all today!
Crossbill -1 fem/Imm over NW
Meadow Pipit - 232 mainly moving west
Skylark - 4
Wigeon - 2 on the larger pool near clough end (an unexpected record for Ludworth)
Snipe - 3
Stonechat - 2
Bullfinch - 2
Linnet - 3
plus plenty of Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches
-- Edited by Robert Adderley at 20:37, 2008-09-18
-- Edited by Robert Adderley at 20:38, 2008-09-18
Raven - 2
Buzzard - 8+
Kestrel
Sparrowhawk
Wheatear - 1
Meadow Pipit - c100+ flew South
Skylark - 6
Chiffchaff - 3
Snipe - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 1 reeling
Whitethroat - 2
Willow Warbler - 5
Stonechat - 1 juv
2 Garden warblers (Gird Lane & Ludworth fishponds area)
2 Common Whitethroats (Gird Ln & April Cottage)
A notable lack of blackcaps (none)
Not a patch on Wigan Flashes (pun intended).
2 ravens (more could be around tomorrow if freshly dead lamb and ewe are not removed)
Cuckoo flew over low and silently
6 wheatears
Snipe heard
2 curlew
2 Brown hares, first seen up there for a long while,
RING OUZEL - 4 males feeding in the same area this evening.
Wheatear - 1
Stonechat - 1
Little Owl - 1