Morning dog walk
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, 2 linnets seen in different locations, whitethroat x5, willow warbler and blackcap singing, robin,blackbird,mistle thrush, sedge warbler giving very good views, reed and grasshopper warbler giving decent views,
Diggle flash- pair mute swan with 7 cygnets, ,pair great crested grebe,3 tufted duck,1 mallard,2 black headed gulls, 6 coot + 12 chicks

Evening mooch,

2 Grasshopper Warbler reeling tonight C7 and C8
Superb looking Male Linnet on fence post C8
1 Male Cuckoo over C10
2 Grey Partridge flushed from New Road

Only a buzzard to add to Gordons sightings, cuckoo briefly from behind stock pond, many birds seemed to enjoy the light drizzle this morning both sedge and reed warbler lifting their wings to take a shower, mute swans showing off the 7 cygnets all still present and correct,

10-.00-12.00
C1,2 &3 only

Mute Swan 1
Mallard 4
Tufted Duck 1
Grey Heron 1
Water Rail 2
Coot Y
Oystercatcher 2
Lapwing 2
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Woodpigeon
Cuckoo 1
Swift 50+
Magpie
Jay 1
Jackdaw 1
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Skylark
Long-tailedTit
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler
Blackcap 3
Whitethroat 5
Sedge Warbler 2
Reed Warbler 8
Wren
Starling 15
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush 2
Robin
Dunnock
Chaffinch
Reed Bunting

Scott robinson wrote:

---

Nice to meet and chat to Paul Richardson.

---

Likewise, Scott - and thanks for the pointers to the Grasshopper Warblers - a lifer I've been trying to see for 2 years!!

Male Cuckoo seen again this evening C8.

Nice to meet and chat to Paul Richardson.

Likewise Scott

Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond@ 17-15, mute swans definitely have 7 cygnets all showing well this evening,

11:00 till 13:00

Not a lot to add to Bernards sightings,

1 Male Cuckoo C8
9 Linnet C8

Nice to meet Gordon for the first time last night.

morning dog walk
Diggle Flash- 2 adult mute swans with 6 cygnets, 8 coot + 12 chicks,5 tufted duck, 2 mallard, 1 great crested grebe, 2 little grebe, 1 grey heron, 4 black headed gulls, 16 swift, 1 house martin, good numbers of swift over the flash late yesterday evening 70+,
2 jay, 3 sedge warbler 1 showing very well, 4 grasshopper warbler 1 showing well 1 more briefly others heard only, 2 grey partridge, 2 meadow pipit, 2 long tailed tit, 4 whitethroat, several great tit at least 2 carrying food, blue tit, 12 skylark, mistle thrush, blackbird, robin, willow warbler, wren, dunnock,kestrel,magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon, reed bunting, reed warbler heard only, at least 4 pheasant heard but none seen,

Not a lot to add to Bernard's sightings,

Cuckoo was still calling at 10:15am seen once behind Stock Pond, Grasshopper and Sedge Warbler both seen well. 2 Lapwing and 2 Oystercatcher still in C1.
Firebugs have caused serious damage to quite a big area of Reedbed in C4 which I've reported to the police.
There was plenty of Reed Warblers and Reed Bunting in that Reedbed, I can only hope there was not any nests or youngsters in there.

Morning dog walk in the rain- heavy at times
Cuckoo calling constantly between 07-30 and 09-30 from behind stock pond, mistle thrush singing, several skylark singing,3 meadow pipit,4 reed bunting,2 grey partridge, 1 jay, grasshopper and reed warbler heard only,1sedge warbler singing from a small hawthorn,robin,blackbird,dunnock,great tit,blue tit,
Diggle flash-didn't do any counting it was hammering down when I walked round flash, mute swans and cygnets on nest,coot with chicks,mallard,great crested grebe,little grebe,grey heron,moorhen,tufted duck, small numbers swift and swallow,

10-00--12-30 windy with some heavy showers
cracking views of female cuckoo, male cuckoo was calling constantly all the time i was out from trees above diggle flash but only got a glimpse of him despite being reasonably close the female made her way slowly around the west side of the flash stopping in saplings giving good clear views alas no camera again, 2 house martin and 5 swallow with 20+ swift over flash, 2 adult mute swan with 7 cygnets, 7 adult coot with 9 chicks, 4 tufted duck, 4 mallard, reed warbler singing,whitethroat, robin, dunnock, 3 skylark, 2 meadow pipit, 7 reed bunting, 1 m bullfinch, 3 goldfinch,mistle thrush,

Willow Tit calling in C3 but not seen this evening

c50 swift over diggle flash @ 17-15, a single call from cuckoo behind flash,

Tried to Scott phoned police while i was out but there was no answer by which time they had moved on

Have you reported it Gordon?

10.15-12.00
although it was raining a much nicer walk today than yesterday afternoons horrible walk when at one point I was surrounded by up to nearly thirty motorbikes and quad bikes, then to top it off as I came round corner of rucks away from bikes, I could see flames and smoke from grass and reeds on fire. On revisiting the area today 90% of the reeds along the central drain ditch have been destroyed,not a pleasant sight.

highlights today C1,2,3 & 4
1 Water Rail flew from burnt reeds into what remains
6 Reed Warbler singing from remaining 10% of reed along with Reed Bunting
2 Oystercatcher
2 Lapwing
Cuckoo calling from C2
1 Stock Dove
3 Sedge Warbler
6 Whitethroat
plenty Willow Warbler
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
6 Greylag Geese (goslings have grown very fast)



-- Edited by Gordon Newman on Monday 18th of May 2015 05:01:28 PM

Morning dog walk in the rain
Diggle flash-c20 swallow over flash, 2 mute swan with cygnets, 8 coot + 5 chicks, 4 mallard,3 moorhen,2 great crested grebe,1 little grebe,1 lesser black backed gull, 15 black headed gull,reed warbler singing,
Mistle thrush,blackbird,chiffchaff,whitethroat,willow warbler and robin all singing, reed bunting,magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow, skylark,

Not a lot to add to Bernards sightings was very windy,

4 Lapwing, 2 New water, 2 C1
2 Oystercatcher C1
1 Kestrel C6
3 Grasshopper Warbler, A pair seen and a single bird C8

Morning dog walk - very windy pretty quiet birdwise
5 whitethroat, reed sedge and grasshopper warbler all heard only, 2 willow warbler, 1 m bullfinch,2 goldfinch, reed bunting,skylark,mistle thrush,blackbird,robin, 2 meadow pipit,
Diggle flash- mute swan was off nest 4 cygnets on water and at least 2 more on top of nest they had 7 eggs so either 1 more I didn't see or only 6 hatched, 8 tufted duck,7 coot, 13 black headed gull, 4 mallard, 11 swift and 5 swallow over flash,
Cuckoo heard only a single call from direction of C7

Evening stroll
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, grey heron on stock pond, pair pochard on main flash, 9 swift over flash,

6:30 till 8:30 Dry but windy

Female Whinchat again in C8
6 Grasshopper Warbler C7 and C8
4 Sedge Warbler C6,C7 and C8, More heard
Reed Warbler Plenty heard
7 Whitethroat C4,C6,C7,C8
1 Snipe C10 Flushed
10+Skylark
4 Meadow Pipit
A Few Swift and Swallow over
Plenty Reed Bunting about
2 Kestrel
1 Male Pochard on Diggle Flash with Tufted duck

Plus all usuals

Nice chat to Bernard again.

09.00 -10.00 before work
C3 & New Water
1 Sparrowhawk
4 Sedge Warbler
4 Whitethroat
7 Reed Warbler
40+ Swift
1 Great spotted Woodpecker

Evening stroll
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond first heard 21-10 still calling when I left at 21-30, blackcap singing, a few swift and swallow over flash,

Cuckoo heard briefly from bottom of new road, 4 grasshopper warbler heard 1 giving good views, 5 whitethroat 1 carrying food,1 linnet,2 bullfinch, 2 blackcap, willow warbler,dunnock,robin,wren,blackbird,mistle thrush,magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow,jay,2 swallow,8 skylark singing more at lower levels,plenty reed bunting,1 meadow pipit,
Diggle flash,pair pochard,pair mute swan,4 tufted duck, 12 coot + at least 13 chicks 2 5s and a 3, 2 mallard,c30 swift,reed and sedge warbler heard.

late afternoon/early evening walk
Cuckoo calling from trees at bottom of new road had a quick fly round and returned to same area and carried on calling, 30+ swift and 11 swallow near bottom of new road, kestrel, c40 swift and 4 swallow over diggle flash.

Few hours this morning,

1 Female Cuckoo C10
1 Female Whinchat C8
6 Grasshopper Warbler C6,C7,C8
5 Sedge Warbler C6,C7,C8
7 Whitethroat C6,C7,C8
2 Lapwing C1
2 Oystercatcher C1
Loads of Reed Warbler heard

Plus all usuals

Nice to catch up with Bernard

Diggle Flash- 6 tufted duck, 5 black headed gull, 8 coot + 3 chicks,4 mallard,3 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 2 mute swan, reed and sedge warbler heard, 4 swift and 1 swallow over, 2 goldfinch, 2 grey partridge, near anglers car park,
7 whitethroat, 4 willow warbler, 1 song thrush, blackbird,mistle thrush, robin,great tit,blue tit, several skylark singing,wren, grasshopper warbler heard only, nice to catch up with Scott and following his directions saw the female whinchat he had seen earlier.

cuckoo calling between 08-00--0850 first heard from direction of Fir Tree Flash then from C7 and finally from behind stock pond never saw it moving and didn't hear it again between 08-50 and leaving around 10-30ish, 6 swift and 5 swallow buzzing around, good numbers of reed bunting today 20ish birds seen, 2 bullfinch, 5 whitethroat including 2 definite pairs, several willow warbler, 4 starling, kestrel, grasshopper, sedge and reed warbler all heard only, 2 pheasant seen 3 others heard, 4 skylark up singing others at low level, 3 meadow pipit, jay, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, great tit, blue tit, robin, blackbird, mistle thrush, 2 wren 1 singing its heart out,
diggle flash- 2 mute swan, 3 great crested grebe 2 performing courtship rituals, 4 tufted duck, 5 coot, little grebe heard only, 7 black headed gull,

09.00-11.30
Like Bernard I also saw Red Kite albeit probably from a greater distance, I was stood in C5. I watched it circle twice high then lost it to view not knowing which direction although guessed in the direction confirmed by Bernard.

2 Lesser Whitethroat - C3 & 8
1 Cuckoo - calling whilst sat in tree overlooking Nevisons Flash
Sedge warbler down to 12ft ( bit too close for your camera Bernard)

Long-tailed Tit with fledglings

morning dog walk
Red Kite circled over C8-C10 twice before heading off north-north west a GM first for me i have seen them in Lancs,Yorks,Cumbria and Wales but until today not in my home county, 5 swallow over car park 7 over water and 15 over fields, 4 reed warbler heard but only a glimpse of one, sedge and grasshopper warbler also heard only, whitethroat,willow warbler, mistle thrush, song thrush and blackbird all in song, at least double figures skylark singing, 5 reed bunting, only 2 meadow pipit not seeing very many at all here this year thats possibly the reason for the cuckoo not being as prominent as the past few years.
diggle flash- 1 m pochard, 1 little grebe,4 tufted duck, 1 mallard, 7 coot + 3 chicks, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 11 black headed gull, 2 canada geese over,

evening stroll- pair of song thrush in a small tree, 2 grey partridge on path near anglers car park i think drinking from rainwater puddles, cuckoo calling from behind stock pond still calling at 21-25 when i left, this seems to be a pretty regular evening spot for the cuckoo but i can't seem to see it here despite getting reasonably close it's in good cover.

Yellowhammer to add to today sightings C8 Area

early a.m
Pochard,Great crested Grebe,Coot,Mallard all with chicks
pair Sparrowhawk displaying
3 Grasshopper Warbler
4 Sedge Warbler
7 Whitethroat
5 Blackcap
plenty Reed Warbler in usual areas
single male Gadwall looking very lonley
single House Martin probably same bird as Bernards

Morning dog walk
1 house martin with a mixed swift and swallow flock of c30 birds pretty evenly split, 1 blackcap,3 whitethroat,1 lesser whitethroat,2 willow warbler, blackbird,robin,dunnock,wren,blue tit,great tit,magpie,wood pigeon,carrion crow,
Diggle flash- 1m pochard,8 tufted duck,19 black headed gull, 2 mallard,2 mute swan,7 coot + at least 2 chicks,4 swift over water,

30+ swift and 8 swallow over field and flash then heading off north westerly this evening

Quick half hour around C3 and C4,

1 Lesser Whitethroat C3
2 Sedge Warbler, Cracking views of one of them in Nevisons Reedbed
Swift and Swallow over Nevisons flash and New Water
2 Oystercatcher, New Water
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
Reed Warbler heard only
Cuckoo heard only possibly C5 area

Morning dog walk
2 willow warbler,2 whitethroat, mistle thrush,4 blackbird,3 robin,2 goldfinch,2 bullfinch,3 skylark,5 reed bunting,2 grasshopper warbler heard only,
Diggle flash-c30 swallow over water,8 tufted duck,4 coot,2 mute swan,1 great crested grebe,6 black headed gull, reed warbler heard only,

slightly curtailed dog walk this morning due to sciatica problems
7 willow warblers, 1 blackcap, 4 whitethroat all in trees above diggle flash also mistle thrush,blackbird,robin,dunnock, wren, magpie,wood pigeon, carrion crow,great tit,
Diggle flash- 1 m pochard amongst 9 tufted duck, 2 mute swan, 8 coot, 11 black headed gull, 2 mallard, 2 great crested grebe,

19.00 - 20.00
1 Wheatear - C1N
10 Swift
12 Swallow
2 Sand Martin
1 Pochard

2 swift did a couple of circuits of fields before heading west first of the year for me, 5 whitethroat including a definite pair close to one of last years nest sites, 1 lesser whitethroat,2 chiffchaff,6 willow warbler,2 sedge warbler one perched on brambles singing giving cracking views, 4 skylark singing, 6 meadow pipit, 3 grasshopper warbler heard only,7 reed bunting,at least 6 pheasant heard but none seen,mistle thrush,blackbird,dunnock,robin,magpie,carrion crow,wood pigeon,blue tit,great tit,kestrel,4 swallow,
Diggle flash-7 tufted duck, 6 coot,1 little grebe,1 great crested grebe,2 black headed gull,2 mute swan,1 grey heron, reed warbler heard only,

Cuckoo again calling from behind stock pond this evening

Morning dog walk
Diggle flash- 2 common tern on fish shelter on stock pond, 11 swallow over main flash,14 tufted duck,3 great crested grebe,5 mallard,8 coot,12 black headed gull,
2 whitethroat,3 willow warbler,1 chiffchaff, 4 skylark,2 reed bunting,6 meadow pipit,

Evening stroll
Cuckoo calling from trees behind stock pond, 20+ swallow over flash, 2 little grebe,

Morning dog walk much of it in the rain
My best sighting of cuckoo so far this spring first heard from trees behind diggle flash couldn't see it there then heard calling from bottom of new road giving decent views before flying towards for tree flash, 2 whitethroat, 5 willow warbler, mistle thrush,blackbird,skylark,meadow pipit, reed bunting, magpie, carrion crow, blue tit,great tit, grasshopper and sedge warbler heard only,robin,dunnock,
Diggle flash-6 each coot and tufted duck,2 mute swan,2 great crested grebe, 1 mallard, 5 black headed gull,

Afternoon mooch intended going further down but it sounded more like brands hatch than bickershaw so stayed around C8 + 9,
4 chaffinch including the fattest one I've ever seen,2 goldfinch,1 long tailed tit all on alders, small numbers blue and great tit,dunnock,robin,wren,blackbird,mistle thrush,magpie,jay,carrion crow,wood pigeon, 9 starling feeding in field including 4 that looked like this years young, 2 house sparrow feeding with them don't usually find sparrows so far over, only 2 grasshopper warbler heard but 1 giving brief but good views, cuckoo calling from trees behind flash but couldn't see it,7 skylark singing others at low level, 4 meadow pipit don't seem to be seeing many meadow pipit here so far this spring, 8 reed bunting,kestrel,willow warbler,chiffchaff,whitethroat,pheasant,
Diggle flash-15 tufted duck,7 mallard,3 great crested grebe,,5 moorhen,7 black headed gull, reed warbler heard only,willow tit heard only, redshank over calling,

09.30 - 11.30
1 Lesser Whitethroat - C3
1 Swift - C2
3 Buzzard - 2 displaying with the third a much smaller bird close by - C3
pair Greylag Goose with 5 goslings - Nevisons Flash

Evening stroll
Pair of pristine bullfinch, 6 swallow,1 sedge warbler, at least 4 grasshopper warbler reeling, kestrel hunting,

Afternoon mooch, 13:50 till 14:50 C1, C3 and C4

2 Male Wheatear in C1
1 Male Cuckoo C3
Reed and Sedge Warbler, Nevisons Reedbed
2 Whitethroat C3

Plus usuals