-- Edited by Dave Steel on Friday 30th of September 2022 06:50:10 PM
Dave Steel said
Thu Sep 29 7:06 PM, 2022
270922 Brief am Visit
Chat Moss
3 Whooper Swan flew quite low from North and headed east @ 0828
2 Pink-Footed Geese...Flew West @ 0830
55 Stock Dove
65 Linnet
16 Skylark
7 Chiffchaff...3 in song
3 Raven
11 Teal
3 Swallow
Dave Steel said
Wed Sep 28 3:50 PM, 2022
260922 am
Little Woolden Moss
2 Grey Partridge
8 Swallow
115 Skylark
55 Linnet
2 Siskin
9 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying West @ 1000
4 Buzzard
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
12 Meadow Pipit
6 Grey Partridge
36 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 0855
1 Goldcrest
3 Chiffchaff
5 Buzzard.
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 27 8:50 PM, 2022
250922 am
My second of two autumn Partridge Count Surveys for farmer on Irlam Moss whose land has no stubble due to sowing Winter Wheat...again......gritted my teeth and faced up to the prospect of few farmland birds and a lot of effort...needs must...it's no use going to where the birds are still to be found...we need to demonstrate through our records where we have LOST the birds and show why...and this can only be proved IF we send in our records to GMBRG and GMEU...otherwise even the places where birds can be seen will one day too share the fate of the areas in which we have lost wildlife...
1 Snipe
11 Grey Partridge...sustained by Pheasant feeders and not stubble
40 Starling
31 Pied Wagtail...a temporary opportunity to feed as the fields had just been tilled
32 Black-Headed Gull as with the Pied Wagtails
7 Skylark...overflying
6 Stock Dove
Then onto Chat Moss
4 Great Black-Backed Gull
25 Meadow Pipit
16 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying north @ 1150
115 Starling
12 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Dave Steel said
Mon Sep 26 8:10 PM, 2022
240922 am
Irlam Moss
5 Swallow...feeding up and not quite ready to head south...
1 Green Woodpecker calling from Dixons Wood 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Hobby - flew low over my head 5 Buzzard 1 Kestrel 3 Green Sandpiper 4 Snipe 1 Raven over east 14 Jay 36 Pink-footed Geese - flocks of 3 + 18 east plus 15 milling around 23 Chiffchaff - 2 singing 18 Swallow heading south 12 Goldcrest 2 Willow Tit 22 Skylark 9 Bullfinch - flock of 6 over plus a group of 3 c180 Linnet c50 Goldfinch 8 Teal 1 Grey Heron 16 Stock Dove Again a steady stream of Meadow Pipits overhead
2 Little Egret over east at midday. They descended over Croxden but then carried on east. 2 Stonechat - pair 13 Buzzard - 8 feeding on the ground plus 5 in the air 2 Kestrel 1 Willow Tit 6 Teal 10 Chiffchaff - 2 singing 1 Grey Wagtail 12 Skylark 2 Swallow c150+ Linnet 11 Greenfinch 3 Bullfinch 2 Jay A steady stream of Meadow Pipits over
Steven Nelson said
Fri Sep 23 8:46 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR this evening
1 Marsh Harrier flew into roost 6 Snipe flew in 2 Water Rail heard 3 Chiffchaff 3 Swallow 1 Kestrel 1 Buzzard 8 Meadow Pipit 2 Grey Partridge heard
Dave Steel said
Fri Sep 23 7:47 PM, 2022
210922 am
Chat Moss
6 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk...Female
16 Skylark
240 Linnet
90 Pink-Footed Geese flying west @ 0830
13 Pink-Footed Geese flying East @ 0840
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
6 Chiffchaff
49 Skylark
125 Meadow Pipit
10 Reed Bunting
4 Kestrel
85 Linnet
24 Swallow...all southbound...
25 Teal
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 1103
2 Stonechat
1Water Rail
1 Peregrine...Female @ 1230
7 Snipe
Dave Steel said
Wed Sep 21 8:30 PM, 2022
200922 Brief am Visit
Irlam moss
7 Swallow
36 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 0855
18 Linnet
70 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 0920
57 Collared Dove
2 Willow Tit
1 Sparrowhawk...Male
Chat Moss
70 Linnet
110 Pink-Footed Geese Landed but soon took to the Skies and Headed East @ 0947
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 20 10:21 PM, 2022
190922 am
Chat Moss
FN52
23 Buzzard
300 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk...male Took a Linnet in flight
2 Peregrine...Males chasing one another flew NE @ 1318
Rest of Chat Moss Sightings...
1 Marsh Harrier...with Red Wing Tag...too far and too fast to note any detail...1015
22 Meadow Pipit
2 Pink-Footed Geese @ 1024
1 Grey wagtail
1 Snipe
1 Hobby @ 1235
Barton Moss
15 Buzzard
52 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 1132
60 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 1150
70 Linnet
7 Chiffchaff
3 Yellowhammer
1 Peregrine...Female @ 1155
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Tuesday 20th of September 2022 10:22:21 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Sep 20 11:26 AM, 2022
Quick drop into Little Woolden Moss this morning at 7am on my way to work and a (the) female Marsh Harrier was heading across the moss and there were plenty of Meadow Pipits about too.
Dave Steel said
Mon Sep 19 8:24 PM, 2022
180922 am
Irlam Moss
105 Starling
33 Swallow
70 Linnet
7 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0905
17 Meadow Pipit
4 Mistle Thrush
400 Linnet...on an Oil Seed Stubble field (FN52 harvested on the 17th when the Buzzards started to arrive 4 when I passed by during harvesting) the Crop being planted in May...which was late in being ploughed and several Lapwing nests were lost ...they went on to re-try and succeeded...the OSR then kept its promise based on past experience that it would draw in finches once ripened...it did...and as long as it remains in stubble it will now offer into late autumn and early winter a supply of food...for finches and raptors...fingers crossed...my only regret is that some of the crop wasn't left standing for several years ago on FN10 that brought in over a thousand Linnet at a time...
200 Goldfinch
1 Sparrowhawk...female
8 Buzzard
1 Yellowhammer
4 Teal
14 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 1007
1 Marsh Harrier...female @ 1120
4 Pink-Footed Geese flying North @ 1132
2 Grey Wagtail
3 Raven
4 Chiffchaff
55 Collared Dove
22 House Martin
12 Swallow.
John Williams said
Mon Sep 19 6:34 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR
Morning visit
Amongst a gathering of gulls on pasture alongside the River Glaze (Cheshire side) were 2 huge "Argentatus" type
Herring Gulls and a 2nd winter Great Black Back, and they clearly made a large group of Starlings that fed nearby very nervous.
Most of the gulls were Black Headed, mixed in with them were 4 Jackdaws that were clearly moving around with the small gulls,
and looked totally content in their company.
On the newly ploughed field on the GM side of the Glaze were a flock of 13 Meadow Pipits, plus a few "Alba" wagtails.
Most of the pools on the mossland NR have dried up, with only a few small areas of water remaining.
The only waders seen were a flock of 11 Snipe that flew in, circled the moss a couple of times before heading off SE.
Raptor wise, 4 Kestrels were seen, whilst 4 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk flew on thermals high above the moss.
2 Chiffchaffs were with a small group of Blue and Great Tits that were seen fly catching amongst the birches.
The biggest surprise was the large numbers of Swallows that skimmed low across the moss, there were at least 4 flocks,
with 1 group containing 24+ birds.
With little open water on the reserve, today was the only time I can remember visiting the reserve and not managing to find a single Lapwing.
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 18 8:54 PM, 2022
170922 am
Irlam Moss...initially to do a Grey Partridge Count for a farmer who is a member of the Game Conservancy Council... (now known as the Game and Wildlife Trust) you know the people who state that they conserve wildlife as well as hunt it...I have carried this Survey out since 2006...and I can honestly say that the farmland birds on his land have plummeted to such a degree that it depresses me to do the survey, the only positive gained is my systematic recording has delineated this decline...remember to send in your records to GMBRG...they prove things!!!
8 Grey Partridge (Game Feeders to attract these...as there is no winter stubble once more on his land)
8 Lapwing
7 Pied Wagtail
1 Song Thrush
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Snipe
6 Meadow Pipit
End of Survey.
Cadishead Moss
22 Skylark
16 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Buzzard attacked by a Kestrel
1 Kestrel attacked by 2 Carrion Crow
1 Chiffchaff
9 Pink-Footed Geese Flying over
31 Linnet
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 18 8:38 PM, 2022
160922 am
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
90 Meadow Pipit
4 Snipe
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 0927
7 Pink-Footed Geese Milling about
44 Teal
1 Water Rail
160 Starling
4 Swallow.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 17 7:04 PM, 2022
Chat and Irlam Mosses- late afternoon
f52 which has been harvested today leaving stubble is already attracting a good number of birds taking advantage of the freshly disturbed insects and seeds. It contained:
7 Buzzards feeding on the newly exposed ground 1 Sparrowhawk attracted to the finch flocks 1 Kestrel Mixed flocks of 200+ finches - mostly Linnet, 20+ Greenfinch, and a few Goldfinch and Reed Bunting 8 Meadow Pipit 16 Stock Dove 9 House Martin and 20 Swallow swooping low for the insects
Overhead: c70 Pink-footed Geese and to the north distant larger flock of c200 birds. All heading east A flock of c130 Collared Dove heading SE
Also 7 Grey Partridge
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 17 6:56 PM, 2022
150922 am
Chat Moss
100 Linnet
1 Marsh Harrier...female
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
10 Collared Dove
26 Meadow Pipit
Irlam Moss
160 Linnet
110 Starling
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 17 6:52 PM, 2022
140922 am
Chat Moss
110 Linnet
1 Marsh Harrier...Female
24 Collared Dove
5 Mistle Thrush
Irlam Moss
1 Whinchat
3 Grey Partridge
26 Meadow Pipit
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
38 Meadow Pipit
3 Chiffchaff
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
70 Linnet.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 17 4:43 PM, 2022
Chat Moss this morning
1 Green Sandpiper 2 Willow Tit - pair 3 Chiffchaff - 1 singing 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Kestrel 4 Buzzard 3 Jay 2 Teal 3 Bullfinch 13 House Martin 4 Swallow 4 Meadow Pipit
Brief visit to Little Woolden Moss this afternoon saw two Hobby, 6 Grey Partridge, 11 Buzzard and 780 Starling in one flock.
Pete Hines said
Fri Sep 9 12:15 PM, 2022
Chat Moss
Spotted Flycatcher 1 Wheatear 1
Irlam Moss
Whinchat 1
Dave Stewart said
Thu Sep 8 10:05 PM, 2022
Chat Moss This Morning....
1st Summer hobby hawking insects above the peat pools 11-55hrs.
120 Swallow
30 House martin
11 Teal
Steven Nelson said
Thu Sep 8 9:17 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR - short visit this evening - western end
2 Marsh Harrier flew in to roost - both imm/female 1 Greenshank 1 Kestrel 12 Teal 6 Grey Partridge - covey of 5 young birds plus another heard c150+ Canada Geese and c100 Mallard flew in to roost
Dave Steel said
Thu Sep 8 8:16 PM, 2022
070922 am
Barton Moss
62 Swallow
20 House Martin
1 Reed Warbler...in an Elderberry Bush
Chat Moss
4 Buzzard
5 Green Sandpiper
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Greenshank
2 Common Sandpiper
6 Teal
29 House Martin
16 Linnet
11 Swallow.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Sep 8 8:45 AM, 2022
Two Marsh Harriers hunting over Little Woolden Moss side by side at just after first light this morning, one of which was certainly a juvenile but the other wasn’t seen well enough and was either the same age or an adult female. Also 116 Mallard flushed out from the moss by the harriers and flew off west.
Dave Steel said
Wed Sep 7 10:56 PM, 2022
030922 Brief am Visit
Irlam Moss
2 Willow Tit
Chat Moss
32 Linnet
12 Chiffchaff
105 Swallow
19 Meadow Pipit
11 Pied Wagtail
7 House Martin.
Steven Nelson said
Tue Sep 6 9:48 PM, 2022
Chat Moss this evening
1 (possibly 2?) Wood Sandpiper - presumably the same bird from the 4th still present. Another (or the same?) had earlier flown off high west with a Greenshank but I dont know whether or not it (they) returned quietly unseen as there was still one Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank present when I left.
5 Common Sandpiper - feeding all together 8+ Green Sandpiper 1 (2?) Greenshank 3 Snipe 16 Teal 2 Grey Heron 5 Swallow
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 6 5:39 PM, 2022
020922 Late Afternoon
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Marsh Harrier....Female @ 1625
1 Hobby @ 1635
1 Snipe
Little Woolden Moss
7 Pied Wagtail
8 Skylark
6 Linnet
2300 Woodpigeon
Irlam Moss
75 Linnet.
Dave Stewart said
Tue Sep 6 5:36 PM, 2022
Chat Moss This morning briefly in the rain...
4 Green Sandpiper
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Greenshank heard only
1 juvenile Little Ringed Plover
1 Grey Wagtail
3 Pied Wagtail
2 Willow Warbler
100+ Swallow
Dave Steel said
Tue Sep 6 5:36 PM, 2022
010922 am catch up
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
15 Chiffchaff
2 Green Sandpiper
22 Swallow
8 Rook
60 Jackdaw
2 Raven
1 Hobby
2 Water Rail
1 Snipe
31 Linnet
Dave Stewart said
Mon Sep 5 8:14 PM, 2022
Chat Moss late morning / early afternoon
1 Juvenile Spotted redshank still there at 13-30hrs.
1 Green sandpiper
2 Greenshank
3 Sand Martin
30+ House martin
50+ Swallow
1 Swift
3 Grey heron
3 Willow Warbler
9 Chiffchaff
1 Male Sparrowhawk
7 Teal
c70 Linnet
10 Stock Dove
15 Collared Dove
Steven Nelson said
Sun Sep 4 12:38 PM, 2022
Chat and Irlam Mosses - this morning
1 Wood Sandpiper 7+ Green Sandpiper - 1 seen eating a large dragonfly larvae. 2 Greenshank 1 Little Ringed Plover - juvenile 2 Snipe 1 Kingfisher - very unexpected. Pools very shallow and no fish here but the bird was shallow plunging and probably catching insects from the water. Only my 2nd record here 8 Teal 1 Grey Wagtail - male 3 Pied Wagtail 70+ Linnet 2 Grey Heron 80+ House Martin 150+ Swallow 1 Sand Martin 2 Swift 2 Willow Warbler 3 Buzzard 1 Kestrel
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 3 4:24 PM, 2022
Chat and Irlam Mosses - mid afternoon
1 Greenshank 4+ Green Sandpiper 1 Snipe 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Kestrel 1 Willow Tit 4 Willow Warbler 43 Collared Dove
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 3rd of September 2022 04:25:12 PM
1 Greenshank
1 Green Sandpiper
2 Snipe
12 Teal
5 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
c50 Linnet
12 Skylark
1 Chiffchaff
1 Bullfinch
280922 am
Chat Moss
16 Chiffchaff one in song
4 Snipe
15 Meadow Pipit
1 Grey Wagtail
9 Skylark
2 Siskin
2 Stonechat...Pair
2 Willow Tit.
Barton Moss
230 Linnet
20 Stock Dove
18 Meadow Pipit
800 Woodpigeon
18 Skylark.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Friday 30th of September 2022 06:50:10 PM
270922 Brief am Visit
Chat Moss
3 Whooper Swan flew quite low from North and headed east @ 0828
2 Pink-Footed Geese...Flew West @ 0830
55 Stock Dove
65 Linnet
16 Skylark
7 Chiffchaff...3 in song
3 Raven
11 Teal
3 Swallow
260922 am
Little Woolden Moss
2 Grey Partridge
8 Swallow
115 Skylark
55 Linnet
2 Siskin
9 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying West @ 1000
4 Buzzard
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
12 Meadow Pipit
6 Grey Partridge
36 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 0855
1 Goldcrest
3 Chiffchaff
5 Buzzard.
250922 am
My second of two autumn Partridge Count Surveys for farmer on Irlam Moss whose land has no stubble due to sowing Winter Wheat...again......gritted my teeth and faced up to the prospect of few farmland birds and a lot of effort...needs must...it's no use going to where the birds are still to be found...we need to demonstrate through our records where we have LOST the birds and show why...and this can only be proved IF we send in our records to GMBRG and GMEU...otherwise even the places where birds can be seen will one day too share the fate of the areas in which we have lost wildlife...
1 Snipe
11 Grey Partridge...sustained by Pheasant feeders and not stubble
40 Starling
31 Pied Wagtail...a temporary opportunity to feed as the fields had just been tilled
32 Black-Headed Gull as with the Pied Wagtails
7 Skylark...overflying
6 Stock Dove
Then onto Chat Moss
4 Great Black-Backed Gull
25 Meadow Pipit
16 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying north @ 1150
115 Starling
12 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
240922 am
Irlam Moss
5 Swallow...feeding up and not quite ready to head south...
18 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying SE @ 0825
1 Raven
1 Mistle Thrush...in 'sub-song' mode
4 Chiffchaff
1 Grey Wagtail
17 Pink-Footed Geese...Flying West @ 0840
2 Willow Tit
Chat Moss
6 Buzzard
200 Linnet
29 Skylark
16 Stock Dove
16 Chiffchaff
5 Bullfinch
13 Teal
64 Pink-Footed Geese...flying East @ 0955
230922 am brief visit
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
11 Teal
300 Black-Headed Gull
10 Reed Bunting
75 Meadow Pipit
19 Skylark
6 Snipe
6 Chiffchaff including 1 in song
1 Green Woodpecker calling from Dixons Wood
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Hobby - flew low over my head
5 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
3 Green Sandpiper
4 Snipe
1 Raven over east
14 Jay
36 Pink-footed Geese - flocks of 3 + 18 east plus 15 milling around
23 Chiffchaff - 2 singing
18 Swallow heading south
12 Goldcrest
2 Willow Tit
22 Skylark
9 Bullfinch - flock of 6 over plus a group of 3
c180 Linnet
c50 Goldfinch
8 Teal
1 Grey Heron
16 Stock Dove
Again a steady stream of Meadow Pipits overhead
220922 am
Irlam Moss
FN16
14 Swallow
1 Buzzard...Juvenile
46 Stock Dove
82 Lapwing
Chat Moss
FN52
220 Linnet
7 Buzzard
FN62
9 Meadow Pipit
1 Sparrowhawk...Juvenile Male
2 Yellowhammer
7 Skylark
120 Linnet
11 Swallow
1 Stonechat
15 Lapwing
7 Collared Dove
5 Buzzard
FN63
16 Collared Dove
85 Linnet
5 Yellowhammer
2 Swallow
FN19
8 Rook
22 Linnet
5 Skylark
FN17
14 Skylark
17 Linnet
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
14 Skylark
5 Pink-Footed Geese
7 Reed Bunting
19 Meadow Pipit
1 Yellow Wagtail...Juvenile.
2 Little Egret over east at midday. They descended over Croxden but then carried on east.
2 Stonechat - pair
13 Buzzard - 8 feeding on the ground plus 5 in the air
2 Kestrel
1 Willow Tit
6 Teal
10 Chiffchaff - 2 singing
1 Grey Wagtail
12 Skylark
2 Swallow
c150+ Linnet
11 Greenfinch
3 Bullfinch
2 Jay
A steady stream of Meadow Pipits over
1 Marsh Harrier flew into roost
6 Snipe flew in
2 Water Rail heard
3 Chiffchaff
3 Swallow
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
8 Meadow Pipit
2 Grey Partridge heard
210922 am
Chat Moss
6 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk...Female
16 Skylark
240 Linnet
90 Pink-Footed Geese flying west @ 0830
13 Pink-Footed Geese flying East @ 0840
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
6 Chiffchaff
49 Skylark
125 Meadow Pipit
10 Reed Bunting
4 Kestrel
85 Linnet
24 Swallow...all southbound...
25 Teal
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 1103
2 Stonechat
1Water Rail
1 Peregrine...Female @ 1230
7 Snipe
200922 Brief am Visit
Irlam moss
7 Swallow
36 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 0855
18 Linnet
70 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 0920
57 Collared Dove
2 Willow Tit
1 Sparrowhawk...Male
Chat Moss
70 Linnet
110 Pink-Footed Geese Landed but soon took to the Skies and Headed East @ 0947
190922 am
Chat Moss
FN52
23 Buzzard
300 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk...male Took a Linnet in flight
2 Peregrine...Males chasing one another flew NE @ 1318
Rest of Chat Moss Sightings...
1 Marsh Harrier...with Red Wing Tag...too far and too fast to note any detail...1015
22 Meadow Pipit
2 Pink-Footed Geese @ 1024
1 Grey wagtail
1 Snipe
1 Hobby @ 1235
Barton Moss
15 Buzzard
52 Pink-Footed Geese Flying West @ 1132
60 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 1150
70 Linnet
7 Chiffchaff
3 Yellowhammer
1 Peregrine...Female @ 1155
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Tuesday 20th of September 2022 10:22:21 PM
Quick drop into Little Woolden Moss this morning at 7am on my way to work and a (the) female Marsh Harrier was heading across the moss and there were plenty of Meadow Pipits about too.
180922 am
Irlam Moss
105 Starling
33 Swallow
70 Linnet
7 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0905
17 Meadow Pipit
4 Mistle Thrush
400 Linnet...on an Oil Seed Stubble field (FN52 harvested on the 17th when the Buzzards started to arrive 4 when I passed by during harvesting) the Crop being planted in May...which was late in being ploughed and several Lapwing nests were lost ...they went on to re-try and succeeded...the OSR then kept its promise based on past experience that it would draw in finches once ripened...it did...and as long as it remains in stubble it will now offer into late autumn and early winter a supply of food...for finches and raptors...fingers crossed...my only regret is that some of the crop wasn't left standing for several years ago on FN10 that brought in over a thousand Linnet at a time...
200 Goldfinch
1 Sparrowhawk...female
8 Buzzard
1 Yellowhammer
4 Teal
14 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 1007
1 Marsh Harrier...female @ 1120
4 Pink-Footed Geese flying North @ 1132
2 Grey Wagtail
3 Raven
4 Chiffchaff
55 Collared Dove
22 House Martin
12 Swallow.
Morning visit
Amongst a gathering of gulls on pasture alongside the River Glaze (Cheshire side) were 2 huge "Argentatus" type
Herring Gulls and a 2nd winter Great Black Back, and they clearly made a large group of Starlings that fed nearby very nervous.
Most of the gulls were Black Headed, mixed in with them were 4 Jackdaws that were clearly moving around with the small gulls,
and looked totally content in their company.
On the newly ploughed field on the GM side of the Glaze were a flock of 13 Meadow Pipits, plus a few "Alba" wagtails.
Most of the pools on the mossland NR have dried up, with only a few small areas of water remaining.
The only waders seen were a flock of 11 Snipe that flew in, circled the moss a couple of times before heading off SE.
Raptor wise, 4 Kestrels were seen, whilst 4 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk flew on thermals high above the moss.
2 Chiffchaffs were with a small group of Blue and Great Tits that were seen fly catching amongst the birches.
The biggest surprise was the large numbers of Swallows that skimmed low across the moss, there were at least 4 flocks,
with 1 group containing 24+ birds.
With little open water on the reserve, today was the only time I can remember visiting the reserve and not managing to find a single Lapwing.
170922 am
Irlam Moss...initially to do a Grey Partridge Count for a farmer who is a member of the Game Conservancy Council... (now known as the Game and Wildlife Trust) you know the people who state that they conserve wildlife as well as hunt it...I have carried this Survey out since 2006...and I can honestly say that the farmland birds on his land have plummeted to such a degree that it depresses me to do the survey, the only positive gained is my systematic recording has delineated this decline...remember to send in your records to GMBRG...they prove things!!!
8 Grey Partridge (Game Feeders to attract these...as there is no winter stubble once more on his land)
8 Lapwing
7 Pied Wagtail
1 Song Thrush
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Snipe
6 Meadow Pipit
End of Survey.
Cadishead Moss
22 Skylark
16 Swallow
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Buzzard attacked by a Kestrel
1 Kestrel attacked by 2 Carrion Crow
1 Chiffchaff
9 Pink-Footed Geese Flying over
31 Linnet
160922 am
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
90 Meadow Pipit
4 Snipe
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 0927
7 Pink-Footed Geese Milling about
44 Teal
1 Water Rail
160 Starling
4 Swallow.
f52 which has been harvested today leaving stubble is already attracting a good number of birds taking advantage of the freshly disturbed insects and seeds. It contained:
7 Buzzards feeding on the newly exposed ground
1 Sparrowhawk attracted to the finch flocks
1 Kestrel
Mixed flocks of 200+ finches - mostly Linnet, 20+ Greenfinch, and a few Goldfinch and Reed Bunting
8 Meadow Pipit
16 Stock Dove
9 House Martin and 20 Swallow swooping low for the insects
Overhead:
c70 Pink-footed Geese and to the north distant larger flock of c200 birds. All heading east
A flock of c130 Collared Dove heading SE
Also
7 Grey Partridge
150922 am
Chat Moss
100 Linnet
1 Marsh Harrier...female
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
10 Collared Dove
26 Meadow Pipit
Irlam Moss
160 Linnet
110 Starling
140922 am
Chat Moss
110 Linnet
1 Marsh Harrier...Female
24 Collared Dove
5 Mistle Thrush
Irlam Moss
1 Whinchat
3 Grey Partridge
26 Meadow Pipit
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
38 Meadow Pipit
3 Chiffchaff
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
70 Linnet.
1 Green Sandpiper
2 Willow Tit - pair
3 Chiffchaff - 1 singing
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
4 Buzzard
3 Jay
2 Teal
3 Bullfinch
13 House Martin
4 Swallow
4 Meadow Pipit
130922 Brief am visit
Irlam Moss
19 Swallow
2 Whinchat
3 Stonechat
300 Linnet
14 House Martin
120922 am
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
13 Linnet
4 Snipe
16 Meadow Pipit
9 Swallow
7 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss
110 Linnet
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
1 Stonechat...Male
1 Hobby...Juvenile
1 Whitethroat
1 Mistle Thrush...in song
110922 am
Chat Moss
18 Chiffchaff
3 Bullfinch
2 Green Sandpiper
65 Linnet
2 Willow Tit
Irlam Moss
2 Tree Pipit...Flew Over @ 0935
36 Meadow Pipit
13 Chiffchaff
1 Sparrowhawk...Male
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 1225
7 Buzzard
2 Snipe.
100922 Brief Midday Visit
Irlam Moss
28 Pied Wagtail
70 Starling
42 Swallow...in Hobby Alarm I didn't see what they clearly saw!
1 Wheatear
16 Linnet.
090922 am
Irlam Moss
70 Swallow
80 Goldfinch
1 Sparrowhawk...male
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
47 Meadow Pipit
6 Snipe
1 Ringed Plover
1 Whinchat
185 Swallow
1 Water Rail
14 Teal
1 Hobby
145 House Martin
1 Yellow Wagtail
1 Willow Warbler
1 Whitethroat
1 Nuthatch
2 Marsh Harrier...1 Female...1 Juvenile
4 Grey Partridge
13 Reed Bunting
1 Hobby - mobbed by a small flock of House Martins
1 Sparrowhawk - mobbed by a few Swallows
1 Kestrel
2 Buzzard
1 Yellow Wagtail over
1 Willow Tit
080922 am
Cadishead Moss
12 Meadow pipit
2 Redstart...Males
2 Goldcrest
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
26 Meadow Pipit
42 Swallow
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 1025
34 House Martin
1 Water Rail
2 Willow Warbler
2 Wheatear.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Saturday 10th of September 2022 08:20:35 PM
070922 Brief Late Afternoon
Chat Moss
1 Greenshank
32 Swallow
16 Linnet
1000 Woodpigeon
Irlam Moss
8 Pied Wagtail
72 Swallow
1 Hobby.
Brief visit to Little Woolden Moss this afternoon saw two Hobby, 6 Grey Partridge, 11 Buzzard and 780 Starling in one flock.
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Wheatear 1
Irlam Moss
Whinchat 1
Chat Moss This Morning....
1st Summer hobby hawking insects above the peat pools 11-55hrs.
120 Swallow
30 House martin
11 Teal
2 Marsh Harrier flew in to roost - both imm/female
1 Greenshank
1 Kestrel
12 Teal
6 Grey Partridge - covey of 5 young birds plus another heard
c150+ Canada Geese and c100 Mallard flew in to roost
070922 am
Barton Moss
62 Swallow
20 House Martin
1 Reed Warbler...in an Elderberry Bush
Chat Moss
4 Buzzard
5 Green Sandpiper
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Greenshank
2 Common Sandpiper
6 Teal
29 House Martin
16 Linnet
11 Swallow.
Two Marsh Harriers hunting over Little Woolden Moss side by side at just after first light this morning, one of which was certainly a juvenile but the other wasn’t seen well enough and was either the same age or an adult female. Also 116 Mallard flushed out from the moss by the harriers and flew off west.
030922 Brief am Visit
Irlam Moss
2 Willow Tit
Chat Moss
32 Linnet
12 Chiffchaff
105 Swallow
19 Meadow Pipit
11 Pied Wagtail
7 House Martin.
1 (possibly 2?) Wood Sandpiper - presumably the same bird from the 4th still present. Another (or the same?) had earlier flown off high west with a Greenshank but I dont know whether or not it (they) returned quietly unseen as there was still one Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank present when I left.
5 Common Sandpiper - feeding all together
8+ Green Sandpiper
1 (2?) Greenshank
3 Snipe
16 Teal
2 Grey Heron
5 Swallow
020922 Late Afternoon
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
1 Marsh Harrier....Female @ 1625
1 Hobby @ 1635
1 Snipe
Little Woolden Moss
7 Pied Wagtail
8 Skylark
6 Linnet
2300 Woodpigeon
Irlam Moss
75 Linnet.
Chat Moss This morning briefly in the rain...
4 Green Sandpiper
2 Common Sandpiper
1 Greenshank heard only
1 juvenile Little Ringed Plover
1 Grey Wagtail
3 Pied Wagtail
2 Willow Warbler
100+ Swallow
010922 am catch up
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
15 Chiffchaff
2 Green Sandpiper
22 Swallow
8 Rook
60 Jackdaw
2 Raven
1 Hobby
2 Water Rail
1 Snipe
31 Linnet
Chat Moss late morning / early afternoon
1 Juvenile Spotted redshank still there at 13-30hrs.
1 Green sandpiper
2 Greenshank
3 Sand Martin
30+ House martin
50+ Swallow
1 Swift
3 Grey heron
3 Willow Warbler
9 Chiffchaff
1 Male Sparrowhawk
7 Teal
c70 Linnet
10 Stock Dove
15 Collared Dove
1 Wood Sandpiper
7+ Green Sandpiper - 1 seen eating a large dragonfly larvae.
2 Greenshank
1 Little Ringed Plover - juvenile
2 Snipe
1 Kingfisher - very unexpected. Pools very shallow and no fish here but the bird was shallow plunging and probably catching insects from the water. Only my 2nd record here
8 Teal
1 Grey Wagtail - male
3 Pied Wagtail
70+ Linnet
2 Grey Heron
80+ House Martin
150+ Swallow
1 Sand Martin
2 Swift
2 Willow Warbler
3 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Greenshank
4+ Green Sandpiper
1 Snipe
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Willow Tit
4 Willow Warbler
43 Collared Dove
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 3rd of September 2022 04:25:12 PM
310922 am
Irlam Moss
200 Linnet
12 Stock Dove
3 Kestrel
2 Whitethroat
6 Swallow
Chat Moss
11 Chiffchaff
60 Linnet
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Ringed Plover
2 Little Ringed Plover
1 Greenshank
7 Teal
1 Marsh Harrier...Female @ 1250
46 Lesser Black Backed Gull
11 Collared Dove
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile @ 1255
300922 am
Chat Moss
30 House Martin
53 Meadow Pipit
17 Skylark
14 Collared Dove
1 Marsh Harrier @ 0915
Little Woolden Moss LWTNR
27 Meadow Pipit
65 Linnet
10 Buzzard
1 Hobby first noted @ 1036
1 Peregrine
1 Marsh Harrier...Female hunting @ 0945
1 Water Rail
1 green Sandpiper
290822 am
Barton Moss...(Warehouse Land)....
65 House Martin
70 Swallow
1 Hobby @ 0928
1 Snipe
70 House Sparrow
4 Buzzard...2 Juveniles
2 Reed Bunting
Chat Moss
55 House Martin
63 Swallow
42 Collared Dove
22 Linnet.
Great Woolden Moss 1Km SQ SJ 6894 straddling Gtr. Manchester/ Cheshire
25 Swallow
2 House martin
16 yellow Wagtail
22 Pied Wagtail
1 Whinchat
30 Linnet
1 juvenile Buzzard calling for food
110 Starling
1 juvenile Marsh harrier Middle / West Pools 11-30hrs.
4 Kestrel
4 Grey partridge
280822 am
Irlam Moss
1 Wheatear
23 Linnet
54 Swallow
14 House Martin
5 Raven
2 Whinchat
4 Stonechat
Chat Moss
26 Swallow
17 House Martin
2 Whitethroat
1 Marsh Harrier...Female