10/04/2011
1410-50
Peregrine soaring over Shell north of f2
2 grey partridge f2
2 swallows over f4
plus usuals.

10/04/2011 - 6.30-10am around Alty Sewage Works, Danewell Wood, down to Red House Farm and across to Black Moss Covert area:

1 Cormorant - over
3 Greylag Geese - flew east over sewage works
3 Tufted Ducks - sewage works
4 Grey Partridge - 2 f113, 2 f43
1 Green Sandpiper - sewage works
12 Lapwings
1 Meadow Pipit - over
1 Grasshopper Warbler - Danewell Wood
1 Sedge Warbler - Danewell Wood
10+ Willow Warblers
4 Chiffchaffs
5 Blackcaps
4 Tree Sparrows - f43
8 Yellowhammers
2 Linnets
1 Corn Bunting - f42

Carrington Moss 08.04.11

Yellowhammer 6
Reed Bunting 1
Skylark 2
Lapwing 4
Grey Partridge 4
Chiffchaff 5
Chaffinch 5
Greenfinch 2
Buzzard 2
Blackcap 3 (2m 1f )
Pied wagtail 1 (on roof at Swiss Farm)
Goldfinch 6
Mistle Thrush 2

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

04/04/2011 - 7.00-9.30am - SJ79F tetrad walk, covering Dark Lane, upto field 1 and around to Sinderland Green:

5 Cormorants - 2 hanging around west of field 24 in the shell works
2 Grey Partridges - f32
4 Lapwings
10 Stock Doves
1 Wheatear - male f10
5 Chiffchaffs
4 Willow Warblers
2 Blackcaps
2 Bramblings - including a resplendent singing male, something I've never heard before
19 Yellowhammers
3 Reed Buntings

Alty Sewage Works, 10am:

3 Swallows
2 Sand Martins
1 Willow Warbler
1 Mute Swan
4 Little Grebes
c60 Magpies

65 Species seen

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Monday 4th of April 2011 06:00:49 PM

as part off my bike ride in the on/ off rain,at carrington moss i had... f16 flock off chaffinch inc 1 yellowhammer & 3 brambling they all suddenly dissapeared when 2 mistle thursh (noisey ones) were followed by a peregrine falcon it then circled over f5 then dissapeared. in f5 3 wheatear 6 lapwing 3 pied wagtails 1 buzzard 1 pheasant lots off wood pigeons, stock doves & crows 1 yellowhammer singing at the top off connifers at swiss cottage farm. heard only in mufc training ground a willow warbler. f4 lots off yellowhammer & chaffinch in corner near old orchard also 2 willow tits, blackcap (heard only) f11 loads off jackdaws,rooks & crows f8 more jackdaws,rooks & crows also 4 grey partridge in the far corner off f8 chiffchaffs singing in several areas.

02/04/11 walk from Walton Park, Sale across northern part of Moss. 3 Bramblings Sinderland Brook near Woodheys Park Altrincham ETW - duck numbers have reduced Teal 5 Gadwall 5+ Tufted 2 Oystercatcher 2 Sand Martin 5+ Brookheys Farm area 3 Tree Sparrows on Sinderland Lane (field 32) Partridge heard field 41 (this seems a regular spot) Sinderland Green woods area 4 Bullfinch in woods Chaffinches everywhere Willow Warbler Field 9 at least 4 Herring Gulls drifting West - the first I have seen here since January Buzzard on ground for several minutes (until chased off by Magpie) field 8 Yellowhammers in small groups of up to 4 in many fields - f32, f70, f24, f11, f4, f5 etc Stock Doves also in many locations (but I didn't count them) Also lots of motorbikes - at least two groups.

01/04/2011 - SJ78E walk (far SW of Carrington Moss near Warburton) from 7-10am: 9 Cormorants - singles over between the ship canal and Rostherne all morning 2 Teals - on the River Bollin by field 152 1 Kestrel 4 Buzzards 4 Grey Partridges - 2 f164, 2 f217 1 Oystercatcher - just north of Moss Brow 3 Lapwings 17 Stock Doves 1 Blackcap - Fox Covert 6 Chiffchaffs 1 Swallow - over f152 1 Wheatear - male f152 5 Skylarks 3 Meadow Pipits 11 Tree Sparrows - mainly between Carr Green Farm and Dunham Road, f152, f157 +f158. 13 Yellowhammers 5 Reed Buntings

pm walk, March 26. Basell site: Lapwing 14+ Starling 100+ ETW: Shoveler 8 Teal 11 Oystercatcher 2 Tufted 1m Gadwall 5 Little Grebe 2 Reed Bunting 1m BH Gulls/Moorhens/Coots/Mallards. General sightings: Stock Dove 40+ Jackdaw 80+ Grey Partridge 2 Brambling 1m Yellowhammer 5 Chiffchaff 4 singing. Missel Thrush 3 Buzzard 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Willow Tit 1 etc.etc.etc.

Today 7am;

From Isherwood Rd via Brookheys Covert, ETW and Swiss Cottage.

Buzzard 3
Mistle Thrush 3
Yellowhammer 16 (3 seen carrying nesting material)
Chaffinch 12
Jay 4
Skylark 8
Stock Dove 8
Kestrel 1
Reed Bunting 3
Lapwing 2 fld 5, 8 fld 35.
Grey Partridge 3
GSWoodpecker 2
Chiffchaff 5 (3 seen 2 heard )
Fieldfare 15
Goldfinch 11
Nuthatch 1 (Heard Brookheys Covert)
Greenfinch 2

ETW:

Teal 6
Shoveler 14
Gadwall 6
Oystercatcher 2
Pied Wagtail 1
Wigeon 1 m

Swiss Cottage:
Tree Sparrow 3

Info thanks to Phil Kelly


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 28th of March 2011 09:34:10 AM

25/03/2011 - 7-10am from Alty Sewage Works up to Field 1 via Swiss Cottage and back:

1 Peregrine
4 Oystercatchers
1 Cormorant
1 Wigeon - drake still at sewage works
4 Willow Tits
6 Chiffchaffs - all males, spread around widely
and many of the common species seen on 14/03/2011

2 Reed Bunting
8 Great tit
4 Long Tailed tit
7 Dunnock
5 Wren

Jackdaw 35
Crow 20
Rook 14

Yellowhammer 3

Keep Birding




-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 24th of March 2011 06:01:39 PM

1 Peregrine soaring high over F11/12/13 drifting east
1 Kestrel F2
Buzzard 1 over F1, 1 over F11, 1 over F4 (with two more in the disatance), 4 over F13
Lapwing 1 F2
Stock Dove 37 F4, 1 over F11
Skylark 1 in song from F2
Chiffchaff 1 singing near F4
Yellowhammer 10 F4, 1 F2
Reed Bunting 2 F2

Yesterday - 1 Buzzard 'following the plough' picking off newly exposed worms and invertebrates as the farmer ploughed his field near MUFC. Just another example of adaptability and why they have become so common!

14/03/2011 - 7.30-10.30am calling in at Alty Sewage Works, Danewell Wood, Swiss Cottage, over to Field 1, Old Orchard and back along Isherwood Road. A lovely morning on the moss, with near-perfect weather (a little nippy first thing though!) and some migrants back and making themselves known:

1+ MEALY REDPOLL - female type bird in Danewell Wood, unusually eating goat willow flowers/insects with the Lessers

17 Shovelers - sewage works
9 Gadwalls
1 Wigeon - female on back pool at sewage works
5 Teals - 1 in hidden pools in Danewell Wood calling
1 Grey Heron
3 Cormorants - overhead
2 Kestrels - in the shell works
2 Buzzards
1 Grey Partridge - field 4
4 Oystercatchers
14 Lapwings
6 Stock Doves
1 Chiffchaff - singing by Danewell Wood
3 Meadow Pipits - flew over north
1 Grey Wagtail - sewage works
1 Stonechat - field 4
2 Willow Tits - behind the man utd training ground
c20 Lesser Redpolls - two flighty flocks of about 10 each in Danewell Wood
18 Siskins - danewell wood
15+ Yellowhammers - dotted about in pairs
17 Reed Buntings

60 species seen

Sunday pm, March 13th.

ETW:
Little Grebe 3
Oystercatcher 2
Moorhen 4
Coot 8
Teal 1m 1f
Gadwall 1m 1f
Shoveler 2m
Canada Geese 8
BH Gulls
Pied Wagtails
Reed Bunting 1

Stonechat 1m at base of pylon on edge of field 4
Yellowhammer 10
Chaffinch 6
Buzzard 2
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Grey Partridge 2 field 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Stock Doves, Woodpigeons, Crows, Jackdaws, Rooks, etc.etc.etc.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 13th of March 2011 07:38:38 PM

Monday 7th March

Kestrel 2
Greenfinch 1
Long-tailed Tit 5
Yellowhammer 7
Bullfinch 1 female
Reed Bunting 7
Chaffinch 9
Buzzard 1
Mistle Thrush 2
Lapwing 5

Etw-

Pied Wagtail 36
Black-headed Gull 288
Gadwall 4
Wigeon 1
Shoveler 3
Oystercatcher 2
Teal 7
Little Grebe 2
No Pintails .

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

This morning between 0830 - 1030

F18
20 Fieldfare
1 Song Thrush
2 Yellowhammer (both singing)
1 Buzzard
2 Red Legged Partridge

F32
94 Fieldfare
3 Redwing
100+ Starling
1 Buzzard

F34
8 Lapwing

F2
2 Grey Partridge
1 Buzzard
(no finches, buntings at all in this area. Some work to clear paths & tree felling has taken place recently)

Hi Jeff. No Little Owl for me either, one of many losses after the cold. Struggled for Snipe too but Sinderland Brook often has one of two along it's route through the fields.
There was a small Meadow Pipit flock around the sewage works for a while this winter but not recently. Give it a few weeks and the pipits will be back on migration.

Long walk across the Moss this morning - highlights:
Single Grey Lag Goose flying south over Broadheath
Linnet - maybe 5 or 6 along Sinderland Brook near to tip
Altrincham ETW - same as Henry's observations this a.m. but also Little Grebe
Boundary of MUFC training ground - 2 Woodcocks, single Corn Bunting
Brookheys Farm - several Tree Sparrow - they now seem to be quite regular at several sites in the triangle of Swiss Cottage, Sinderland Green and Red House Farm.
Partridges heard calling field 41
Haven't seen the Little Owl for ages, and there doesn't appear to be any Snipe or Meadow Pipits anywhere on the Moss.

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Friday 4th of March 2011 02:48:25 PM

Tuesday 01.03.11

Chaffinch 17
Long-tailed Tit 18
Goldfinch 19
Jay 3
Willow Tit 1
Jackdaw. 128 in field 14/15
Carrion Crow 75
Rook 7
Buzzard 2, then 5 together with 2 almost touching, then all separating over fields 12,13,14 and 15. Later 3 more sightings in different areas , one bird had a split tail .
Yellowhammer 26
Skylark 2
Siskin 8
+ redpoll 1
Peregrine 2 over field 6/7 (tumbling together then one dropping like an anchor at a very slow moving buzzard , twice causing it to turn over showing its talons ).

Etw:

Pintail 2 m
Oystercatcher 2
Shoveler 3
Mallard 4
Grey Partridge 2 field 37
Kestrel 2
Lapwing 2 in stubble field 15 and 13 over NW

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

28/02/2011 - From Alty ETW up to Shell Pool and back this morning, some good signs of movement:

1 Stonechat - along track at south side of field 4, my first in absolutely ages
2 Pintails - drakes still at the ETW
1 Curlew - over heading NW
4 Oystercatchers - ETW
1 Peregrine Falcon - hunting Black-headed Gulls over Shell briefly before flying towards Flixton
4 Skylarks - singing first thing whilst sunny but had stopped later on once cloudy and cold, I don't blame them really!
1 Grey Wagtail - ETW

Today 1300
3 Buzzard above Broadoak Wood (field 74 area) and 1 Buzzard worming on field 116.
Large Thrush flock in field 43 (no bins & driving !!)

Yesterday (Saturday)
Curlew over field 5
Tree Sparrows in various locations - Swiss Cottage, and several groups along Whitehouse Lane - fields 63, 62, 59, 116, and around Crematorium.
2 Oystercatcher, 2 Pintail and usual ducks at Altrincham ETW.
28+ Stock Doves field 60.
Large flock of Fieldfare (maybe 100+) distant over field 35/36 but not a redwing all day.

Nice find Geoff. Had a look today in the area but no sign.

Black Moss Road late afternoon

1 female merlin flew from field 44 to 45 and headed toward,s Dunham Massey

smashing super,I could go on

county lifer 176

cheers geoff

Late post for wednesday 16th Feb.

There was a staggering 500+ fieldfares in fields 20/22 adjacent to Brookheys Covert. There was also a similar number of starlings and it was quite a sight when they all took off when a Buzzard flew across the field.

3 Tree Sparrow at the end of Brookheys Road seem to have become regular here in the last few months.

Good size Corvid flocks

c80 Jackdaws
c100 Carrion Crows
c70 Rooks
Jay and Magpie
2 Grey Partridge
20+ Chaffinch
10 Goldfinch
4 Yellowhammer
1 Willow Tit, 4 Great Tit, 18 Long-tailed tit 3 Blue tit.
Starling Roost 200+

Keep Birding

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 19th of February 2011 10:16:04 PM

03/02/2011 - 11-12pm, a lap of field 4:

2 Willow Tits - Old Orchard
2 Grey Partridge - flushed by a dog
2 Stock Doves
1 Yellowhammer
c200 Jackdaws, c230 Rooks and c100 Carrion Crows.

Also 6 Yellowhammers at junction of Carrington Lane and Isherwood Road

Quick lap round field 4 2.30-3.00pm:

2 buzzard
1 raven over east, then a few minutes later 3 west
4 yellowhammer feeding in f11 and 3 more in trees beween f4 and f5
3 reed bunting between f3 and f4
willow tit amongst other tits between f2 and f4, also goldfinch



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 31st of January 2011 03:33:47 PM

Peregrine and 2 Ravens over field 4
Shoveller and Teal but no Gadwall at Atlrincham ETW
Kingfisher on Sinderland Brook
No Yellowhammers in four hours until max of 4 in field 121 (near Grove House Farm where large number had been reported), and no Reed Buntings anywhere, nor any Skylarks or Meadow Pipits, but still 57 species for the day.

Saturday 22nd:

L .t . Tit 12
Goldcrest 1
Coal Tit 1
Linnet 1
Goldfinch 15

Etw-

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Starling 31
Pied Wagtail 23
Meadow Pipit 3
Pink-footed Geese approximately 60 heading south
at 10.25 am .

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Today:
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Jay 1
Skylark 5
Goldfinch 4
Chaffinch 14
Pink-footed Geese 46 going east
Redwing 180 feild 60
Fieldfare 124 field 60
Yellowhammer 13

Brookheys covert -

Buzzard 1
Long-tailed Tit 6
Teal 2
Nuthatch 1

Etw-

Teal 118
Gadwall 5
Shoveler 6
Mallard 36
Coot 1
Pied wagtail approximately 50
Grey Partridge 1

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

On the 5th, a count of 92 Skylark was made by Phil Kelly.

1-4pm yesterday 3 Jan much more productive than New Year's day

Track between f4 and f13:

Yellowhammer 30
Chaffinch 4
Bullfinch 1
Linnet 1
Reed Bunting 4
Fieldfare 1

Tree-lined track between f11 and f12:

LT Tit 2
B Tit 2
G tit 2
Blackbrid 3
Buzzard 1
Treecreeper 1
Corn Buntings 15 on their own in a tree then flew NE

f1 Yellowhammer 9
f19 Yellowhammer 5

MUFC training ground entrance:

2nd Treecreeper in silver birch trees along concrete road
Reed Bunting inside the fence

f22 Lapwings 8

f17 Pheasants 5
Magpies 10

Sinderland Brook:

Teal 2

ETW

Redwings 9
Kestrel 1
Woodies 50+





-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Tuesday 4th of January 2011 09:23:03 AM

03/01/2011 - 9am-12pm, checked out farmland over towards Warburton in the far SW of Carrington Moss and Warburton Old Tip (SJ78E). Sightings of note:

6 Cormorants - 1 on Bollin, 5 flew over towards Mersey
161 Lapwings - field 61
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Doves - field 164
1 Grey Wagtail - 1 on Bollin
39 Fieldfares - field 217
c200 Jackdaws - Brookhey's Covert
1 Treecreeper - Fox Covert
1 Nuthatch - Fox Covert
16 Tree Sparrows - 15 between fields 168+152, 1 by field 217
5 Lesser Redpolls - Warburton Old Tip
6 Yellowhammers - field 160
6 Reed Buntings - 4 in field 160

Nice to meet you Chris. Tony Darby and I had a rather less productive trip to the Moss then either you or Henry unfortunately and although we caught the group of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings we failed to pick the Corn Buntings as we were both wrestling with drizzle on our glasses at the time. There's always tomorrow...

Great to hear the Corn Buntings are still around Chris.
I was on the moss from 8am-1pm again. A few of the species seen included:

2 Shovelers
1 Gadwall
1 Teal
44 Lapwings - field 60
34 Stock Doves - field 36
4 Meadow Pipits - sewage works
c100 Redwings
c30 Yellowhammers - field 1
3 Reed Buntings - field 1
4 Lesser Redpolls - Danewell Wood
15 Siskins - Danewell Wood

(60 species recorded)

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 1st of January 2011 03:09:43 PM

Moss walk 9-30 to 12 on the 1st.
Pheasant F5
Yellowhammer x2 F5
Stock dove x2 F13
Yellowhammer x8 between F12 and F13
Reed Bunting x 6 between F12 and F13
Corn Bunting x14 between F12 and F13
The above were in a mixed flock feeding in F12 when disturbed they flew into a tree along the dividing line between the two fields.
Skylark x2
Buzzard x 2 edge of fields and Basell site.
Bullfinch 2 males Orchard edge of F3
Field Fare x 4 Orchard
Jackdaw 300+ F4
Carrion Crow x20 F4
Mistle Thrush x 2 edge of F3
Wren, Blackbird Chaffinch, Black headed gull.

31/12/2010 - 8am-1pm - A pretty quiet few hours on the moss ranging between the Bridgewater Canal and the Shell complex. Of the more interesting species seen:

1 Teal - Sinderland Brook by Sinderland Green Woods
2 Grey Partridge - 1 field 45, 1 field 70
21 Collared Doves
5 Stock Doves - 4 field 140, 1 field 8
2 Grey Wagtails - Sinderland Brook
21 Skylarks - Field 66
10 Jays
1 Tree Sparrow - Sinderland Green
c54 Yellowhammers - c30 field 8, 24 field 26
2 Linnets
1 Reed Bunting
(no Corn Buntings in several old haunts)

Very quiet couple of hrs on Moss this pm, no flocks of anything (not even pigeons !!)

Field 2
Blackbird = 14, Redwing = 2, Goldcrest = 1, Fieldfare = 11, Yellowhammer = 1, Long T Tit = 6, Mallard = 4, C Crow = 6, Jackdaw = 5

Field 11
Kestrel = 1, Mallard = 2

Field 4
Blackbird = 6, Great Tit = 2, Fieldfare = 15, Chaffinch = 3, Redwing = 12, Reed Bunting = 3, Goldfinch = 1, Greenfinch = 3, Yellowhammer = 5, C Crow = 8, Jackdaw = 18

2 Skylarks moving north overhead

Today:

Peregrine 1 (on pylon in field 15 )
Sparrowhawk 2 (1 in field 12 and 1 with House Sparrow at Birch Farm )
Fieldfare 116
Buzzard 5
Mistle Thrush 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Redwing 7
Long-tailed Tit 7

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Large flock of Fieldfare in hedgerow between fields 115 and 116.

Male Peregrine hunting around field 60 - very active and almost desperate.

1430-1545
2 corn buntings in finch flock on hedges on south side of f4 , mixed with yellowhammer, reed bunting, chaffinch, greenfinch, fieldfare and redwing. Good views through scope. One did make a short jingling call
Also 5 lesser redpoll in alder near Shell NR
Buzzard harried by 2 CCs

Sinderland Brook to Carrington Moss today:

Buzzard 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Bullfinch 6
Goldfinch approximately 20
Reed Bunting 3
Heron 1
Kestrel 1
Peregrine field17 1
Snipe 1

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

We're all going to have to start following you home Steve!

Riding home tonight a Woodcock flew over Isherwood Road west to east at 4.30pm

Riding home on my bike tonight at 5.05pm I disturbed a Barn Owl that must have been sat on the fence along the cycle path alongside the ETW pool. It flew right in front of me and over the rough ground at the back of the pool.

Saturday 20.11.10

Carrington Moss - Field 5.

Redwing 10
Long-tailed Tit 10
Grey Wagtail 1
Corn Bunting 16
Yellowhammer 3
Reed Bunting 3
Skylark 6
Buzzard 1

Other areas -

Peregrine (fld 18) 1
Skylark (fld 11) 30
Buzzard 5
Yellowhammer 3
Bullfinch 7
Goldfinch 10
Grey Partridge 4
Lapwing 27
Fieldfare 10
Treecreeper 2

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Friday 29th October 2pm

Disturbed a covey of at least 10 Grey Partridge on Trans Pennine Trail while riding my bike. They flew into what I think is Field 7 on the map.

Quite exciting seeing so many at once!

Always wanted to use the word 'covey' in a sentence! Never had the chance before today.

9.30am to 11am Walk down Dark Lane to Flare Stack and back;

Dark Lane area (adj F63&67)
Robin 2, Wren 6, Fieldfare 12, Redwing 25, Blackbird 24, Blue Tit 2, Jay 2, Wood Pigeon 14, Goldfinch 2, Chaffinch 2.

Plenty of Wood Pigeon, Rook, Jackdaw, Crow in vicinity of Bookheys Covert, 2 Buzzard over Brookheys Farm

Field 25
Fieldfare 6, Meadow Pipit 4, Skylark 23, Starling 10, Buzzard 1, BH Gull 1, Mallard 2, Linnet 9, Yellow Hammer 1

Field 2
Crow 2, Kestrel 1, Buzzard 1, Yellow Hammer 4, Mistle Thrush 1

Field 1
Crow 2, Magpie 2, Skylark 1

Field 10
Kestrel 1, Skylark 4, Yellowhammer 6

Field 11
Skylark 25, Starling 10

and feeding on top of one of the white metal tanks at the rear of the chemical works (adj Field 26) was one adult male Peregrine.