12:00 till 15:00. C6,C7,C8 and C10

4 Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 more heard
3 Sedge Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
1 Kestrel
1 Song Thrush
3 Linnet
1 Willow Tit
6 Reed Bunting
Swift and Swallow
1 Jay

Plus usuals

Evening stroll
Sparrowhawk low over field at top of new road before heading off towards hindley green, 5 swallow and 16 swift over diggle flash.

Morning dog walk rain
Willow warbler,whitethroat,dunnock, 2 family parties great tit, goldfinch,blue tit, skylark,Reed bunting,jackdaw,Jay,magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon,blackbird,mistle thrush,Robin,
Diggle flash- single grey wagtail from near overflow/drainage ditch, 2 mute swan + 3 cygnets,2 great crested grebe, several coot with young, 4 mallard,5 black headed gull,3 tufted duck,

evening stroll
looks like the mute swans are down to 3 cygnets, 6 greylag geese over, neither seen but both male and female cuckoo heard from stock pond area.

morning dog walk
2 whitethroat carrying food, willow warbler singing, chiffchaff singing, 3 sedge warbler, 1 grasshopper warbler seen briefly 3 more heard, 11 meadow pipit most seen for a while, reed bunting, skylark, 9 geese over couldn't get an id on them from my position they were flying into the sun and couldn't get bins on them made no sound but i'm pretty sure they weren't canadas, 2 family parties great tit and 1 of long tailed tit, 3 swallow,buzzard,
Diggle flash- 2mute swan+ 4 cygnets, 13 coot with 19 young, 2 tufted duck, 3 great crested grebe, 2 mallard.

morning dog walk
Diggle flash- 1 common tern over stock pond, cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, reed warbler, 2 mute swan + 4 cygnets, several coot with young, 3 tufted duck, 2 mallard
2 whitethroat carrying food, family parties great tit and goldfinch, blue tit, blackbird,willow warbler, dunnock,robin, mistle thrush, kestrel, sedge warbler carrying food 2 others singing, 2 grasshopper warbler showing well 3 others heard only, several skylark and reed bunting, 1 meadow pipit, 2 linnet,magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon,

Quick mooch after work C7 and C8 only,

Grasshopper Warbler showing well C7
4 Linnet C8
3 Whitethroat C8
2 Sedge Warbler C8
1 Kestrel C7
6 Skylark C8
2 Meadow Pipit C8

Morning dog walk
4 sedge warbler all showing well, 1 grasshopper warbler seen briefly 2 more heard, at least 12 skylark probably more, mistle thrush, blackbird, blue tit,robin,wren, family parties great and long tailed tit,magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow, cormorant over,
Diggle flash- mute swans in reeds so difficult to count cygnets but I think still 4, 4 tufted duck,2 great crested grebe, several coot with young, 1 little grebe, reed warbler showing really well gathering food,

just got back from afternoon stroll only 4 cygnets looks like another one bit the dust.

Morning dog walk
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, 12 skylark, 5 reed bunting,3 meadow pipit,sedge warbler singing and showing well from small hawthorn as was a grasshopper warbler further down, kestrel hunting,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan but could only see 4 cygnets this morning they were close to reeds so hopefully just out of sight,12 adult coots + 27 chicks,moorhen,4 tufted duck,3 great crested grebe, reed warbler, 3 swift,

3pm today
Grasshopper Warbler showing really well on a fence post in C7 - my first for the year!

Mike

common tern feeding on stock pond @ 06-55, 2 mute swan with 5 cygnets, 5 tufted duck,11 coot + chicks, 2 moorhen, 2 great crested grebe, 4 black headed gull,2 mallard, reed warbler carrying food, willow warbler, whitethroat, great tit, blue tit, reed bunting, meadow pipit, skylark, sedge warbler, grasshopper warbler heard only, mistle thrush, blackbird.

Afternoon mooch, Couple of birds to add to Bernards sightings

Female Cuckoo showing well in C8 this afternoon
2 Grasshopper Warbler seen, 1 C7 and 1 C8

Morning dog walk
Cuckoo again calling from behind stock pond, willow warbler,whitethroat,sedge warbler,robin,blackbird,dunnock,great tit with young, blue tit,reed bunting,skylark,pheasant heard only,
Diggle flash - 2 mute swan + 5 cygnets,coot with chicks, 2 great crested grebe,moorhen, mallard, tufted duck,small numbers swallow and swift, reed warbler heard only,

Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, bullfinch, chiffchaff singing and showing well,kestrel hunting,

Morning dog walk
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond,3 whitethroat,robin,blue tit,great tit,blackbird,mistle thrush,2 sedge warbler, 8 reed bunting, 3 meadow pipit, 7 skylark, 2 swift,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan with 5 cygnets, 7 coot with 12 young 6,4 and 2, 4 mallard,3 tufted duck, 9 black headed gull, great crested grebe and young heard from reed bed but not seen,reed warbler heard only.

Evening stroll
Approx 15 each swallow and swift,1 jay, cuckoo calling briefly from behind stock pond, pretty sure there were 2 calling this morning 1 from stock pond 1 from C7 missed them from morning post

Willow warbler,sedge warbler,reed warbler,grasshopper warbler,blackcap,whitethroat all seen chiffchaff heard only,robin,blackbird,mistle thrush,bullfinch,goldfinch,dunnock,meadow pipit,skylark,reed bunting,kestrel,buzzard,magpie,jackdaw,carrion crow,wood pigeon,great tit,blue tit,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan with 5 cygnets, coot with 2 broods showing 5 and 3, great crested grebe,2 mallard,3 tufted duck, 6 black headed gull,

19 Canada geese landed on diggle flash @ 21-34 male mute swan had cleared the lot in less than 5mins,

Morning dog walk -beautiful weather but still pretty quiet birdwise
Cuckoo calling briefly from behind stock pond, 2 whitethroat 1 carrying food, dunnock,robin,blackbird, 4 swift,2 swallow,2 sedge warbler, 7 reed bunting,1 meadow pipit,4 skylark, 2 broods great tit,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan+ 5 cygnets, 7 coot plus + 20 young( 7,5,4,3,1),4 tufted duck, 2 mallard,2 great crested grebe,6 black headed gull,

evening stroll
cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, grasshopper warbler gave brief but decent views, c40 swift and a few swallow over C8 field,

Quick half hour after work,

Female Whinchat in C8 this evening and two pairs of Linnet, 1 Reeling Grasshopper Warbler in C7

morning dog walk
small numbers swift and swallow, 2 whitethroat, several reed bunting 2 males trying their hardest to impress a female who was having none of it, 5 skylark, 2 meadow pipit, 1 linnet, 2 sedge warbler singing from their usual hawthorns, 1 pheasant, blue tit, robin, dunnock, blackbird, mistle thrush, great tit,magpie, wood pigeon, carrion crow,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan still 5 cygnets, several coot with young, 3 tufted duck, 2 mallard, 6 black headed gull, little grebe heard only, moorhen in reed bed pretty sure it had young in there but didn't actually see any, reed warbler seen 3 times flying to and from nest site didn't actually see any but presume it was carrying food,

Evening stroll
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond,swift and swallow over flash, evening chorus included 2 mistle thrush,song thrush, several blackbird and robin and a willow warbler,

late morning/early afternoon very windy in open
1 kestrel, 1 chiffchaff, 3 willow warbler, 3 whitethroat, robin, great tit, long tailed tit and blue tit seen with young, 2 meadow pipit, 2 reed bunting, 4 skylark, blackbird,mistle thrush, magpie,wood pigeon, carrion crow, grey heron over, 8 swift, 3 swallow over fields,
Diggle flash- 2 mute swan with 5 cygnets, 2 mallard,2 tufted duck, 5 black headed gull, 1 great crested grebe, 6 coot + 11 young, 9 swift and 4 swallow over water, 1 reed warbler seen 2 more heard.

late afternoon stroll,
2 linnet, 1 kestrel only additions to morning sightings 2 house martin amongst c20 each swallow and swift over flash,

Morning dog walk
Whitethroat,willow warbler, sedge warbler, blackbird,robin,blue tit, great tit, magpie, wood pigeon, carrion crow,reed bunting, skylark, swallow,swift,
diggle flash- 2 adult mute swan 5 cygnets, 2 tufted duck, 2 mallard, 4 black headed gull, 1 great crested grebe 9 coot + 17 young, 1 grey heron, reed warbler heard only,

Late post for mid afternoon saturday.

Male and female cuckoo seen together on posts behind stock pond before returning to trees behind stock pond. The female was harrasing the male.

A further female was seen post hopping along the white field, obviously sat quietly eyeing a victim, I was on the elevated embankment looking for Grasshopper Warblers, (I don't know the field numbers), before it glided across the bottom of the field and looking from above it is little wonder they are mistaken for a sparrowhawk.

Oh.. and finally photographed

Grasshopper Warbler heard and photographed in white field and also the field behind the anglers car park.

-- Edited by Keith Williams on Monday 1st of June 2015 03:58:48 PM

-- Edited by Keith Williams on Monday 1st of June 2015 03:59:44 PM

Additions to Bernards sightings,

1 Grasshopper Warbler, Stunning views down to 10 foot
1 Male Cuckoo C8
1 Male Kestrel C8

Kingfisher heard a few times on Fir Tree Flash but not seen. Great Crested Grebes with 2 youngsters.

afternoon mooch very windy pretty quiet birdwise
cuckoo seen briefly and heard calling behind stock pond, 2 whitethroat, 2 sedge warbler, 1 grasshopper warbler, 4 reed bunting,3 skylark up singing 4 more at low level,
Diggle Flash- 2 adult mute swan 5 cygnets, at least 4 coot broods, 3 mallard, 2 tufted duck, c30 swift, 2 reed warbler heard,

10:30 till 13:30

C7

1 Grasshopper Warbler
2 Reed Bunting
2 Song Thrush

C8

2 Sedge Warbler
1 Grasshopper Warbler
7 Skylark
4 Meadow Pipit
5 Reed Bunting
4 Linnet, 2 Pairs
2 Bullfinch (Pair)
3 Whitethroat

C10

2 Snipe
1 Lesser Whitethroat

C4

Plenty Reed Warbler
3 Reed Bunting
1 Kestrel
1 Sedge Warbler

C3

Reed Warbler Vocal in Nevisons Reedbed
3 Sedge Warbler
1 Buzzard
1 male Cuckoo
1 Jay

Swift and Swallow over most areas

Plus all usual suspects

morning dog walk
whitethroat, willow warbler and mistle thrush all singing from same area, jay, kestrel, 9 long tailed tit i presume a family party, great tit, blue tit, blackbird, collared dove, wood pigeon, robin, magpie, carrion crow, sedge warbler again showing well singing from same hawthorn,skylark, reed bunting, 1 meadow pipit, 1 house martin with 5 swallow over field, 1 grey heron over,
Diggle flash- 2 adult mute swan with 5 cygnet, coots with at least 4 separate broods of young, 2 tufted duck, 4 mallard, 4 black headed gull, 3 swift, 2 reed warbler seen at least 2 more heard,

evening stroll
grey partridge beside new road, 2 singing mistle thrush, c20 swallow over diggle flash, 1 m bullfinch, mute swans were on stock pond with 5 cygnets,

Afternoon walk very windy
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, 1 blackcap,3 whitethroat, 1 chiffchaff, 2 willow warbler, blue tit,great tit,robin,blackbird,1 jay,magpie,carrion crow,wood pigeon, 6 skylark,3 meadow pipit,2 reed bunting, 1 linnet, 1 sedge warbler showing very well singing from a small hawthorn 2 more heard,
Diggle flash, mute swans huddled up on far bank so couldn't count cygnets, 6 coot with 9 young, 2 tufted duck,4 mallard,2 black headed gull,1 great crested grebe, 1 reed warbler seen 3 more heard, 4 swallow and 2 house martin with c40 swift over water,

Cuckoo calling from behind diggle flash @06-35 this morning,could only see 5 mute swan cygnets this morning and they were very close so looks like another one has gone,

Early evening stroll
Swift and swallow over flash and field near top of new road,
Grey heron,coot,mallard,tufted duck,great crested grebe, mute swans with 6 cygnets, 3 reed warbler all on or around flash,

Keith Williams wrote:

---

Morning Bernard


There were only 6 cygnets Monday afternoon, so presume one disappeared Sunday night!!

---

h

Hi Keith
Yes it looks like the missing cygnet went Sunday night, they haven't had much success here only 1 cygnet making it to adulthood over the last 3 years, although this is a different pair last years pen died and the cob moved on,
Only a hunting kestrel to add to Scotts sightings

Morning Bernard

There were only 6 cygnets Monday afternoon, so presume one disappeared Sunday night!!

5:15 till 06:00 C7 and C8


2 Sedge Warbler
4 Grasshopper Warbler
3 Whitethroat
3 Linnet
9 Skylark
5 Meadow Pipit
2 Kestrel
Swift and Swallow zooming around

cuckoo calling from behind stock pond @ 07-10 this morning, mute swans up on bank but could only see 6 cygnets,

Late post for yesterday afternoon.
Cuckoo heard 6 times behind stock pond, giving an excellent albeit brief view in flight but sadly no picture

Pair of Little Grebe in stunning plummage on main pond along with Great Crested Grebe on both main and stock ponds.
Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Reed Buntings, Linnet, Whitethroat all seen in fields behind the ponds but surprisingly no reeling Grasshopper Warblers!
Many Swift about with the odd Swallow dotted amongst them.
Buzzard circling over the slag heaps and Kestrel meticulously patrolling the trees beind the stock pond that contained the cuckoo.

Quick 45 minutes before work, C6

Pair of Great Crested Grebes with 2 chicks
1 Whitethroat
4 Skylark
20+ Swift
2 Blackcap
3 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff

Evening stroll
20+ swift and 3 swallow over flash.
I haven't seen the fledglings Gordon I did know a great tit had nested along the hedgerow, buzzard over c10 being mobbed by a couple of carrion crow,

08.15-10.15
not a lot to add to Scotts sightings other than
2 Cuckoo - C8 & C3 also heard in C6
Little Grebe - FTF
Great Tit with 6 or 7 fledglings inside old gate post moments after leaving Bernard ( you will already off seen them I expect Bernard, if not you will properly guess where I mean).

06:00 till 07:30 Overcast but dry

C7

2 Willow Warbler
2 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark

C8

1 Willow Warbler
3 Blackcap
1 Kestrel
7 Skylark
6 Meadow Pipit
4 Linnet, 2 Pairs
3 Whitethroat
2 Sedge Warbler
3 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Male Cuckoo cracking views in low hedgerow
7 Reed Bunting


C10

1 Grey Heron
2 Snipe flushed
1 Willow Tit

Plenty of the usuals about also

Evening stroll
1house martin with approx 15 each of swift and swallow, linnet near last years nest site, sedge warbler showing well,

09.00 - 11.00
very quiet

Cuckoo - C3
Great spotted Woodpecker with at least 2 fledglings jumping around in nest

Morning dog walk in drizzly rain
Cuckoo flew across bottom of new road calling,whitethroat,goldfinch,mistle thrush,pheasant,grasshopper warbler,skylark,reed bunting, meadow pipit, reed and sedge warbler heard only,linnet, great tit,blue tit,blackbird,robin,magpie,jay,wood pigeon,carrion crow,
Diggle flash- pair gadwall, mute swans huddled up on nest with cygnets, 4 mallard, 3 great crested grebe, 7 coot with 10 chicks a 6 and a 4,

C30 hirundines over field this evening pretty even mix of swift and swallow, 1 song thrush,

C7 and C8

Female Cuckoo in C7 this afternoon with 2 Reeling Grasshopper Warbler and 3 singing Male Reed Bunting.
Two pairs of Linnet C8
Singing Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat in usual Spots.
8 Skylark
5 Meadow Pipit
Single Grasshopper Warbler in C8

Plus usuals