today (18th), 10am

Male Redstart at Higher House, off Black Moss Road- Dairy House Farm. SJ751892.

Info thanks to Declan Savage

walked from Dunham along School Lane via Sinderland Rd/Dark Lane to Field 4/ Shell NR

School Lane
3 Grey Partridge f54
14 Lapwing and Oystercatcher pair f113
1 Fieldfare over
7 Yellowhammer
2 Swallows
2 Tree Sparrow
singing Corn Bunting at crossroads with Black Moss Lane
Buzzard at Crematorium

Brookheys Farm
at least 18 nests in rookery but hard to tell how many are actvie
2 Buzzards
Sparrowhawk
Jay and G S Woodpecker in Brookheys Covert

Dark Lane
Bullfinch pr
Chiffchaff 3
Blackcap pr
Grey Wagtail 1
Song Thrush 2
Jay 2
Nuthatch 1

fields 10 + 11
Skylark 6+
Reed Bunting 3
Yellowhammer 10+
Stock Dove 26
Lapwing 6
Mistle Thrush 1
Buzzard 2
Kestrel 1

Field 4/ Orchard
c50 BH Gull and 1 adult Med Gull on ploughed area
c30 Stock Dove and c50 Woodpigeon
c40 Jackdaw
c20 Yellowhammer
Pied Wagtail 5
singing Chiffchaff (2), Blackcap (2) and Willow Warbler
no sign of any Corn Buntings

surprised not to see any Wheatears this morning

There was a sedge Warbler in song on Sat 11th

Nice circular stroll past Shell pond and along Brookheys Road today around 2.

Along Brookheys, among usual, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer. Also, along old railway line and Woodcote Road, penty of Chiffchaffs, and what I think was a Sedge Warbler calling.

Couple of Buzzards also spotted.

Julian

-- Edited by Julian Robinson on Monday 13th of April 2009 04:01:50 PM

-- Edited by Julian Robinson on Monday 13th of April 2009 04:02:37 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 13th of April 2009 05:51:54 PM

The only bird of note this afternoon was a yellow wagtail in Field 12 at 14.20

Quick walk around this morning with dogs, one bag of wild garlic, and Peregrine Falcon over north side of field 4 at 10am.

One other birder on path just south of field 4 at same time.

12/04/2009 -

Field 4:
1 Med Gull
2 Oystercatchers (flew over)
4 Yellowhammers
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
2 Pheasants
2 Long-tailed Tits
3 Willow Warblers
2 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff

Fields 42, 43+57:
3 Skylarks
15 Lapwings
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Swallow

Using all my fieldcraft I decided that this afternoon's persistant rain would ground a few migrants so when it finally stopped I gave the area around field 4 a good grilling.

No hirundines, no warblers, no chats at all!

The Med Gull was back in its cage, but there was a good selection of Buntings and a lone Kestrel.

Farmer ploughing in field 4. yellowhammer, chaffinch and corn bunting in field,

Med gull following tractor this morning, also wheater.

could be good area over the next few days, but I am off to Sherwood forest!

keep birding

At least 7 Buzzards between the moss and Partington at 11 am. Three pairs soaring at the same time.

On the edge of the moss at Sinderland Green, Birch House Farm. A single Swallow on the telegraph wire across the road. My first of the year.

1st mooch here this evening between 1800-1945..

Only ventured around field 4 and plenty about.

Brambling.
Blackcap (m)
Reed Bunting (m)
Bullfinch (m)
Kestral flying between pylons
Grey Partridge
Lapwing

Best sighting was Sparrowhawk taking a Mistle Thrush as I ventured back to care, took it into the ditch than runs parallel to the road and seemed to be drowning it, then the Mistle Thrushes mate came back and seemed to be dive bombing it..

All this approx 5 yards to my right


To quote Arnie " I'll be back" but venturing further afield...

Belated report for Wednesday, 18th March.

Field 2, near orchard.
Corn Buntings 6+
Yellowhammers 25+
Reed Buntings 6+


Redwing 1 over Shell Pool.
Buzzard 1
Chaffinches 5+
Missel Thrush 1
Song Thrush 1 singing Shell reserve. Heard from outside.
Skylarks 4 singing.
Meadow pipit 1
Stock Doves 25+
Plenty of Crows/Rooks/Jacks and Woodpigeons.

At least 16 Corn Bunting, probably more near the orchard between Fields 2 & 4 late this afternoon, with good numbers of Reed bunting and Yellowhammer.

2 very vocal and showy Willow Tit in the willows adjacent to Isherwood Road.

finally managed to get the corn buntings at last and in style.

counted 12 in a tree (cracking sound they were making) on the track between fields 11 & 2 - got closer and counted 16 in flight into the stubble of field 2

lots of yellowhammer and reed bunting around the old orchard.

plenty of stock dove, wood pigeon and crows.

2 buzzard

1 kestrel.

2 skylark singing.

i bow to dave's superior estimating numbers skills. we walked from the isherwood road barrier along and up birch road to the first track right between the crop fields - birds were at first up high and then dropped right down to ground level in the fields off to the left as we walked away from birch road, does that make sense? i can't make head nor tail of our start point on the map on here, tbh.

it was a really impressive sight!

looking at the map, 12,13,14,15 ish, flying around and going to ground. Personally i would have said 130+, a few were singing and calling, we saw them at the start of our adventure around the moss but either we didnt see them (or didnt check) on the way back.

Dave

100 Skylarks is a nationally important winter flock - which field were they in, please?

large flocks wood pigeon and corvids
good numbers of stock dove
2 brambling in with chaffich, greenfinch, reed bunting and yellowhammer
flock of around 100 skylark
1 buzzard
5 pheasant

myself, phil j and dave w

-- Edited by Paul Cliff at 16:41, 2009-02-08

With a skylark singing at the start of the resurfaced transpennine trail at Broadheath this morning it seemed almost like spring. The wood by field 52 held a pair of siskin, and a flock of about 50 chaffinch with at least 2 brambling. The hedge between 126 and 128 held a couple of our target birds - yellowhammers - but we were pleased to see about 20 tree sparrows and a couple of reed buntings with them. A grey partridge crossed the trail near the wood having been flushed by a dog walker. (well it might have been her land) A kestrel, buzzard, stock dove and a small mixed flock of redwing and fieldfares, and the usual long-tailed tit flock all added up to an excellent mornings birding.

Corvid flock getting smaller 400 Jackdaw

20 crow, 3 rooks buzzard, mixed finch flock, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch,

Meadow pipits, reed bunting, linnets and Yellowhammer, still cannot connect with corn bunting, nice to see fellow birder Phil kelly, who confirmed site he saw the Quail from last year,(hurt abit that phil, on my own doorstep as well)

Nuthatch in the orchard, bit of a scarce bird for this area.

Keep birding.

Still large numbers of corvids around the isherwood road area,
300 Jackdaws
70 Crows
10 Rooks
Goldcrest 3
Redwing 20
Fieldfare 7.

no sign of corn bunting yet.

Keep birding.

A bike ride around the moss this pm in the wind and mud!
Lots of fieldfare f32, 20 & 29 with a few redwing.
3 Teal on Sinderland Brook
Hundreds of woodies, jackdaw and rook generally.
Canada geese f4.
No stonechat or litle owl in the usual sites today

Mike had a walk down Dark Lane early afternoon and reports plenty of redwings and fieldfares, long tailed tits and 1 bullfinch in the hedge. 1 buzzard over, loads of corvids, and more interesting at least 6 corn buntings in a stubble field north of the railway line with reed buntings and a few linnets. No sign of the little owl at Brookheys Farm but a drumming great spot in the wood.

Afternoon walk around northern fields.

Crows/Rooks/Jackdaws 300+
Stock Doves 100+
Woodpigeons 300+
Redwings 4
Yellowhammers 20+
Greenfinches 5+
Chaffinches 60+
Song Thrushes 4
Skylarks 20+
Reed Buntings 20+
Kestrel 1m
Lapwings 6
Bullfinch 1f
Gt. Spotted Woodpecker 1m
Grey Heron 1
LT Tits/Gt Tits/Robins/Blackbirds/Wrens/Dunnock/Magpie/BH Gulls/LBB Gull1.
Pheasant 1/C Gull 1/Mallards.

11.00- 13.00 today

Field 4 & 2
Large mixed flock (200+) of finches and buntings mainly around Old Orchard. Comprised mostly of Chaffinch, with lesser numbers of Linnet, Yellowhammer and Reed Buning. Also male Stonechat (F4), 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, c10 Skylark, c10 Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied Wagtail


Fields 12/13/11
Large mixed corvid flocks, over 500 (70% Jackdaw, rest Rooks). Hundreds of Woodpigeon (? 500+) and counted 136 Stock Dove, mostly in F13.

Willow Tit with Long tailed and Great Tits on edge of Shell NR

Along Isherwood Rd, 42 Lapwing, 40+ Fieldfare, c100 Starling, 20+ House Sparrow

Or it could have something to do with the big flock that's on Chat Moss at the moment

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 16:58, 2009-01-02

Think it might just be because of the frozen ground we've had for so long Nick. I've not seen one for ages which is unusual but so is the weather!

10am today;
Field 4 = 8 Linnet, 20 Reed Bunt, 400+ mixed corvid, 300+ Woodpigeon
Field 2 = 100+ mixed finch & bunt flock in the rear hedge, mainly Greenies, Chaffs, Reed Bunt and Yellowhammer. Couple of Song Thrush and 8 Redwing (no Corn Bunts found). 12 Meadow Pipit and 1 Buzzard.
Field 8 = 600+ Wood Pigeon
Concrete Road - Usual Tit flocks and nice couple of Bullfinch
No flocks of Skylarks found (unusual for this time of year)

there is a group of lapwings and golden plover that are using one of the buildings on atlantic stret as a resting place during the day and probaly at night as well .....i think its the building opposite cotton traders

Good spot Henry .. been looking for one for a while with Geoff H mentioning them in Broadheath Retail Park, but no success yet.

01/01/09! pm
North end of moss around f4
Loads of jackdaw and rook.
Woodies and stock dove.
Chaffinch, greenfinch, reed bunting, yellowhammer and linnet flocks around hedges west and south of field - also no corn bunting.
Stonechat as usual.
Redwing on hedges between f4 & 5.
Bullfinch showing well in frosted trees.
Kestrel

01/01/2009! - Lots of pigeons and corvids around the moss still but very few smaller birds around the southern part of the moss. Highlight was picking out a single Golden Plover in amongst Lapwings in Field 32. Sightings included:
Field 32 -
18 Lapwings
1 Golden Plover
2 Buzzards
2 Jays
9 Mallards
12 Siskins
c500 Woodpigeons
c20 Stock Doves
(Little Owl not in usual roosting spot)

Fields 42, 43+45
c300 Jackdaws
c100 Rooks
1 Pheasant
(no Corn Buntings)

Field 60 -
23 Lapwings
2 Fieldfares

thanks for that and the thread is interesting reading ...i spend a lot of time on the moss.....dog walking ,taking photos etc
[i,ve never seen the quail that everyone talks about but heard them many times,maybe this year



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 20:13, 2008-12-29

Go to Manchester birding website Homepage, then County birding sites and map. Print off the Carrington Moss map.

Phil Greenwood.

hi everyone new member here.....hello........i spend a lot of time on carrington moss,,,, could someone please tell me how i can get the field number info....thanks

10.30am Large flock of Woodpigeons in region of field 74 (Broadoak Wood) - 1000+
Flock 30+ mixed Redwing and Fieldfare in field 76.

Walk around the moss from 11.00 until 12.50
Substantial Corvid movements,
Jackdaw 500+
Rook 100+
Carrion Crow 75+
Woodpigeon 150+
Stock Dove 25
Yellowhammer 30
Reed Bunting 16
Chaffinch 40+
Male Stonechat on F4
Kestrel 1
Jay 1

Early morning jaunt seems quiet, still large corvid flocks
100+ Jackdaw
40+Crows
25 Rooks

Woodpigeon numbers in 100s

keep birding

11.30 - 12.40
Short walk around the northern end trying to avoid the bikers (unsuccesfully).
Large flocks of woodpigeon, corvids f12/13
Pair of stonechat showing well along the southern boundary of f4
+ all the usual

Huge numbers of woodpigeon this morning on the moss at least 1000, quite a sight.


Keep Birding.

Belated sightings for Tuesday, 9th December.

LT Tits 12
M Pipits 6+
Stonechats 2m 1f
Stock Doves 100+
Woodpigeons 300+
Redwings 25+
Fieldfares 20+
Chaffinches 20+
Yellowhammers 10+
Reed Buntings 10+
Feral Pigeons 50+
Buzzard 1
Jay 1
Starlings 50+
BH Gulls 50+
Skylarks 2
Song Thrush 1
Greenfinches 3
Jacks/Crows/Rooks 200+

etc,etc,etc...

Afternoon walk around northern area of moss, 14th November.

Reed Bunting 10+
Chaffinch 50+
Missel Thrush 6+
Redwing 10+
Fieldfare 20+
Goldfinch 2
Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1m
Yellowhammer 20+
Greenfinch 1
Song Thrush 1
Jay 1
Crows/Rooks/Jackdaws/Magpies
Woodpigeons/Robins/Wrens
Collared Doves/Dunnock
Blue/Great/Longtailed tits
Blackbird/Pheasants/BH Gull 1

Cormorant 2 over
and finally,
Stonechat 1m 1f at usual position between fields 12 and 13
plus 1m between fields 1 and 2

Little Owl field 32 Thursday 6th

Very wet!

A female Bullfinch near Birchmoss Covert and the usual Little Owl near Brookheys were the highlights.

I have had a report from the Mersey Valley visitor centre of a Quail with 4 juveniles on Carrington Moss, 7th.
This is a species on the Rare Breeding Birds Panel of UK list, so if anyone knows anything about this (eg observer, field number) I'd be grateful if they could PM me. I have to report them.

Sat pm Buzzard 1 field 1
Woodies 250+ field 16 and 200 field 30

Sun pm Buzzard 2 over Sinderland Green

After a quiet morning's WeBS at Loonts Lake a bike round the Moss was also quiet until field 25 where late harvest was in full swing:

Swallows 12+
Goldfinch 11
Yellowhammer 1
Kestrel male 1
Jay 1
and best of all Buzzard 5 all in the same field: 3 in the field and 2 in a bush - surely a family involved here

brookheys covert and field 32 3pm ish

175 jackdaws feeding in the stubble(never seen as many in one spot)
1 buzzard
1 kestrel
2 blackbirds
1 greenfinch
2 goldfinch
1 wren
2 yellowhammer
pick your own number of wood pidgeons 50+
definatley no storks?? and despite a lot of scanning no 'holy quail'(the quest is on)

field 62, mixed corvids 40 crows 20 rooks 80 wood pidgeon ,very popular this field

cheers geoff

had a good look around this morning Brookheys covert and along dark lane no sign of storks, yellowhammers etc,

no sound of any Quail in the area for the last few days, hoping the crops are going to be cut soon

Keep birding

Seen by a reliable birder from the bus on the way to work, low and appearing to seek to land beyond (north) of Brookheys.

I tried the area around the MUFC training ground, I think Paul Heaton was also looking, but with no luck.

Could still be there - the light drizzle won't have encouraged them to move far IMHO.

(Did you get my text?)