A cold wind blowing this afternoon and bird song was minimal, the only migrants being 3 Chiffchaffs and 3 Blackcaps. Adult Herring Gull over and a distant Pheasant calling.

Cheers John

A pleasant circuit this evening from 17:20 to 18:10.

Highlight was two Sand Martins over (unusual here). Warblers were represented by Chiffchaff (1), Willow Warbler (1) and Blackcap (including two males engaged in a sing-off, no more than ten feet apart).

Snipe 11 (1 Common Snipe, rising silently at close range and landing again quickly, gave me momentary hope but not Jack Snipe unfortunately)
Meadow Pipit 15
Skylark 1

Cheers, John

A walk round between about 12 and 2 yesterday
Snipe 6
Buzzard 2
Meadow Pipit 7
Pheasant 1 female
Bullfinch 1 male, a few were buzzing about, only got a clear view of a nice male
No Reed Bunting around, not sure how I missed them
Also Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redwing, tons of Woodpigeon, Magpie and some immense Carrion Crows, Buzzard size in some cases

Also worth noting a building site of sorts is springing up next to Jewson, and the access that way was blocked. The railway bridge way onto the site is gated off now too. 'Roaming the tip'; my mum is so proud of me...but this is such a brilliant habitat to be in the middle of Stockport and if it is a place to come and find Grasshopper Warbler in the spring as well then I really hope it gets left alone for a bit longer.

Tenement Lane
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 female
Bullfinch 1 male
On the tip
Buzzard 1
Meadow Pipit 4
Reed Bunting heard
Snipe 15
Jack Snipe 1 either seen twice or a second bird later on
Lesser Black-backed Gull

plus usuals

First visit to this place today 10.30-12.30, accessed from Tenement Lane then headed towards the former brickworks. What a great place, big open and empty. I will be returning.
Birds of note seen:
Fieldfare 1
Reed bunting 1 female
Woodcock 1 flushed up; first ever for me, very pleased
Grey Heron 1 over
Bullfinch 2 male over
Meadow Pipit 7
Reed Bunting 2 female

It was very wet underfoot and reading down this thread I probably might have tried harder to find some Snipe. A lifer is never a bad start at a new spot though! The buntings and pipits were looking lovely in the clear light too. Never seen such richness in the Reed Bunting plumage before, but I was nice and close and the light was perfect.

Saw 2 guys with guns about on the cleared building footprint, what would their game have been? Couldn't think of many legitimate things they could have been doing...pest control of some kind?

I took a short, but productive walk early in the afternoon.

I have had good fortune with Jack Snipe here recently, and flushed two by the old Jewson's yard, along with three Snipe. Small passerines included a female Reed Bunting, male Bullfinch and two Meadow Pipits. There were a dozen or so Redwing and four Fieldfare in the trees at the Midland Road end. Loafing gulls on the deserted brick yard comprised 22 Black-headed, one Common and one Lesser Black-backed.

A pair of Ravens passing through was the first that I can remember seeing here.

A glorious morning, with a good variety of birds seen during a long dog-walking circuit.

Canada Goose 2
Jack Snipe 2 (first of the year here)
Snipe 8
Black-headed Gull 16
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Woodpigeon 4
Magpie 15
Jay 1
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow 6
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 1
Wren 5
Blackbird 6
Fieldfare 13
Redwing 4
Meadow Pipit 6
Goldfinch 8
Bullfinch 5


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of December 2013 02:19:14 PM

A female Blackcap was the highlight of a very wet walk yesterday afternoon; 11 Meadow Pipts, 3 female / immature Reed Buntings, one Pheasant and 50+ Black-headed Gulls also present.

25 (minimum) Magpies mobbing a fox
2 Meadow Pipits
33 Feral Pigeons
53 Black-headed Gulls
26 Redwings
1 Reed Bunting
1 Buzzard
3 Jays

Cheers John

Not a great deal in only 40 mins. 11.15 - 1155.

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Jays collecting acorns 2
Redwing 1
Chiffchaff heard

A late male Meadow Brown in fairly decent nick.

Cheers, John

I spent a fulfilling hour on Adswood Tip this morning. Redwing are back in force: several loose flocks totalling about 50 birds. Jays were also conspicuous, with at least five seen. Highlight was a Treecreeper by the Midland Road gate - the first I've seen here. Other species included:

Sparrowhawk
Bullfinch - 2
Pheasant - 3
Meadow Pipit - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 5
Greenfinch - 3
Chiffchaff

Brief visit and found very little:

Plenty of Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, Magpies
1 Jay
1 Snipe
1 Reed Bunting

Cheers John

7 Whitethroats singing
5 Blackcaps singing
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Stock Doves
1 Buzzard
No Grasshopper Warblers reeling on a cool and drizzly morning.

Cheers John

Fairly quiet:

1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
1 Grey Heron
Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers

Cheers John

Adswood Tip

Despite it being late morning 4 Grasshopper Warblers seen reeling (with 2 showing exceptionally well to a few feet). Also:

Whitethroats c6
Blackcap 3
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaffs 2-3
Reed Bunting 8
Buzzard 2
Heron 2
Raven 1

A Buzzard passed by and 2 Herons immediately came up from Ladybrook Valley and mobbed it noisily with all 3 birds circling overhead. Could a pair be breeding down there?

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 1st of May 2013 06:18:41 PM

Likewise:)

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Grasshopper Warbler heard and after hiding behind a bush for 15 minutes 2 seen.
Similar sightings minus the raven.

In addition 6 Reed Bunting

Adswood Tip 10:15 to 11:45
2 Raven kronking overhead.
Willow Warbler 4
Chiffchaff 6
Whitethroat at least 8
Grey Heron 1
Buzzard 2
Blackcap 1m
Bullfinch 1m+1f
Grasshopper Warbler 2 heard reeling and 1 seen
Song Thrush - 1
Stock Dove - 2
Canada Goose - 2 overhead
Plenty of :-
Meadow Pipit
Starling
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blue and Great Tit
Chaffinch

Nice to have met up with Vicky Sumner - hope you managed to locate the Grasshopper Warblers.

Rick.


-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Tuesday 30th of April 2013 01:40:34 PM

2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers this morning- other birds included Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a flyover Golden Plover.

2 (possibly 3) Grasshopper Warblers
3 Whitethroats
4 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Stock Doves
4 Greylags over

Cheers, John

A patch first this evening: 11 Waxwings appaently feeding on catkins in the tall alders at the Tenement Lane entrance. Also a pair of Bullfinches.

08:30 to 09:10

Pheasant 2
Buzzard 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Stock Dove 1
Woodpigeon 15+
Magpie 12+
Jay 1
Jackdaw 3
Carrion Crow 25+
Great Tit 2
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler 1
Whitethroat 1
Wren 2
Starling 1
Blackbird 4
Song Thrush 1
Robin 3
Meadow Pipit 4
Bullfinch 2
Reed Bunting 3

The first Whitethroat was back early this afternoon; also 4 Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 3 Stock Dove, male Reed Bunting, Buzzard.

A male Whinchat was 50 yards east of the methane burning compound between 19:00 and 19:30 today. This is the earliest I have ever seen one by two weeks, and a cracking bird for Stockport. A pair of Reed Buntings were giving it some close attention, and I couldn't relocate it when I went past the same spot at 20:00.

Also present:

Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Reed Bunting 3
Stock Dove 1

Chiffchaff 3
Willow Warbler 2
Pheasant 2H
Reed Bunting 1f
Redwing 3
Jay 1
Meadow Pipit 1

Cheers, John

Two singing Chiffchaffs there this morning, plus my first Willow Warbler of the year; also a male Reed Bunting. There may have been more, but I forgot my binoculars. Doh!

Bad news from Adswood Tip.

A major fire yesterday has burnt out over 2/3 of the upper area of grass, scrub and brambles - prime Grasshopper Warbler habitat The area destroyed is the size of a couple of football pitches.

Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) have apparently sold this land and the new owners are currently having their boundaries surveyed. The surveyors describe getting out fast yesterday as the flames reached 20-30 foot high. None of the lower area is affected.

In the middle of this charred wasteland I found a hole perhaps the diameter of a CD. Methane was continuously escaping from this and burning steadily. I managed to block it with a brick. It will be many a year before there is any development on this site.

GMWDA have recently erected signs welcoming walkers and bikers so it remains to be seen if the new owners also allow open access.

Birds today were few:

4 Meadow Pipits
1 Snipe
3 Goldfinches
2 Greenfinches
2 Pheasants
Plus usual tits, wrens, robins.

Cheers, John




-- Edited by John Rayner on Thursday 4th of April 2013 05:21:45 PM

It's easy to forget just how rewarding suburban birding can be. On a round walk, with Monty the westie, to and from my front door this morning, I saw no fewer than 38 species of bird. Admittedly, it was a long walk (it took about 1 3/4 hours), and I had unusually good fortune, but it's a good score for February.

The first good record was a Cormorant over Woodsmoor Lane, not a regular sighting here. 15 minutes later, a group of four flew over. Goldfinch and Jay were both seen on Midland Road, Bramhall, on approach to the tip. Once on site, a singing Reed Bunting was soon found, along with many singing Dunnock. The highlight was finches. Most of the regulars were there, including a small group of Lesser Redpoll, feeding close to the ground, and a male Bullfinch. The big find was a female Brambling - the first I have ever seen here, which was associating with a singing male Chaffinch. A Meadow Pipit was also present.

After leaving the tip, I took the path along the Ladybrook from stone bridge to Bramall Park. On this short stretch I added Buzzard, Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, a group of about eight Siskin and a stunning male Kingfisher that allowed views from about 20 yards.

In the park itself were male Grey Wagtail, male Mandarin Duck and the usual common wildfowl. Nuthatch were calling from the trees.

This post could reasonably go on a number of different threads, or I could have started a new one. However, Adswood Tip was the location of the best record, and is most likely to pick up the largest audience.

Light drizzle, 4C.


Pheasant 1
Snipe 3
Woodcock 1
Black-headed Gull 3
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Woodpigeon 6
Magpie 3
Carrion Crow 1
Wren 4
Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 1
Dunnock 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Linnet 2 (nice to see these again, after a long absence)
Bullfinch 1

Pretty quiet this morning: 1 Snipe; 2 Meadow Pipits; 1 Redwing; 12 BH Gulls; 1 Common Gull.

I had been rather pleased with myself to have found a Reed Bunting at Abney Hall Park earlier in the day; this evening there were four at Adswood Tip, all female or first winter birds. A Lesser Redpoll was in the same area. A flock of Bullfinch has been resident throughout the winter, I saw at least four on this visit. Five Meadow Pipits were near the old Jewson's yard. I didn't walk the wetter areas, so didn't put up any Snipe.

My afternoon walk with Monty found the tip the wettest that I have ever known it. Nonetheless, there were a few good birds seen in poor light.

C35 Lapwing were resting on the abandoned Jewson's yard. A flock of about 12 Lesser Redpoll, also seen on my last visit, was still around. A small flock of six Bullfinch (four males) is a good count here. I flushed one Snipe near Tenement Lane, and a probable Jack Snipe close to the Midland Road entrance. I didn't get a good look at the bird in fading light, but it didn't gain much height as it flew silently off, and dropped within about 80 yards. Plenty of crows, as usual: including 20+ Magpies and a Jay.

I took the dog over part of the site this afternoon, on my first visit for quite a while. Predicatably, it was pretty cold, and much of the normally soft ground was iced over. However, there were still some wet areas, as my socks will testify, and I flushed two Snipe near the old Jewson's yard.

It was pretty quiet for the first half hour, but as I worked round towards the Tenement Lane end, on the upper level, things picked up, and I found a few decent local birds. Monty flushed a cock Pheasant, much to his delight. A small, busy group of birds contained half a dozem each of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit, as well as three male Bullfinch; at least one other was calling nearby. There were at least two Jays present, and singles of Meadow Pipit and Mistle Thrush. The most exciting find was a flock of 16 Lesser Redpoll: my first locally since March 2011.

I was intrigued to find that a sign has been posted by GM Waste Disposal Authority announcing that they welcome the use of this land for walking and cycling. It didn't suggest which access points they recommend.

Not much going on today.

Buzzards overhead
Blackcaps
Whitethroats (not as many as last year)
Grasshopper Warbler very loud, near the fence by the old brickworks (probably more than one, but it's hard to tell)

Quiet this morning (10.10 - 11.00)

Whitethroat 4
Swift 2
House Martin 1
Pheasant (H)
Willow Warblwer 1
Chiffchaff 1
Reed Bunting 2

Cheers, John

Very quiet on the warbler front this chilly evening: a few Blackcaps and Willow Warblers plus two Whitethroat. Other than that, Kestel and male Reed Bunting were the stars.

A Moorhen on Friday evening may have been the first that I've seen here.

08.45 - 10.00

A bit of a warbler fest

Grasshopper Warbler 1-2
Sedge Warbler 1
Whitethroat 2
Lesser Whitethroat (heard)
Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs a-plenty.

Stock Dove 3
Pheasant 2
House Martin 2

Cheers, John

Grasshopper Warbler showing beautifully on top of brambles at 7.45 this evening, and audible from quite some distance. Still no Whitethroat.

The sunken car is not a helpful landmark to those not familiar with its position, as the much-corroded car is no longer clearly visible. However, if you find a body of water that looks deeper than a couple of feet, then this is it. OS grid reference is SJ 888 875.

Inspired by the prospect of a grasshopper warbler, I paid my first visit to Adswood Tip this morning. I got very muddy, very wet, and a bit lost - I wandered all over but didn't find a pool with a sunken car in it

No grasshopper warbler either

But some lovely views of reed buntings.

Thank you again,
forgot to mention I found a Yale Key, not yours I hope?

Hi Ken,

I think you have the right parking area. I go down Linney Lane then along Tenement Lane until the tarmac road surface turns to track.

Walk a few metres down the track ((still Tenement Lane) and there is a muddy gap on the RHS. Follow grassy track clockwise until another gap on the RHS to the 'upper level'. Difficult to describe from here but as you enter the upper level try to work your way towards the far left. You should eventually come across a strip of water with a car in it. In fact you should hear the Grasshopper Warbler before you find the water.

Good luck, John

Thanks John,
Can I ask where you access the area, I was parked on a single track in front of some very distinguished houses, one with its own paddock and menage.
Not sure I should have been there, but my car was constantly monitored by a security camera aimed at the house entrance gates!
I think it was Tenement lane.

Sorry to report this Ken, but the Grasshopper Warbler was showing brilliantly at 13.45. Out in the open at no more than 10 metres.

We must have been there at the same time but it's a big area and I didn't see a soul (or dog) during my visit.

Last year I had up to 8 Grasshopper Warblers so you still have a good chance on a second visit.

Cheers, John

Had my first visit to the area in the hope of hearing the Grasshopper Warbler, but no such luck, at the area from 2-00pm ish to 3-30ish.
2 Heron and 6 Chiffchaff.

But then whilst heading back towards my car I thought I saw
2 Reed Buntings and cut off the path to investigate.
This diversion flushed what I am fairly certain was a Woodcock.
It made a rapsing sound as it flew away, and had the long beak of either a Wodcock or a Snipe, but from the sound I would say Woodcock, though not too educated on the subject.

Lost the two unidentified "Reed Buntings"!

The position was in front of the large concrete area that has a football looking stand at the back and adjacent to the methane treatment tanks.
There was a methane inspection cover next to me No. 18.

I moved this week's Saturday morning dog trek to Adswood Tip, which is about as beautiful as it ever gets at this time of year. It's a bit plashy underfoot, and we were briefly battered by a hail storm, but with the demise of informal ATV racing, it was peaceful: I didn't see another mammal in just over an hour.

The highlight was the first Grasshopper Warbler of the spring, reeling from near the pond that holds the sunken car, and showing briefly. The only other warblers present were Willow Warbler (4) and Chiffchaff (3). I was surprised that Whitethroat has not made a return yet, but perhaps they, like the Blackcaps, were just keeping their heads down. A Lapwing and a Linnet were also good finds for this site at this time of year.

The full list was 28 species:

Canada Goose 2
Mallard 2
Pheasant 1
Grey Heron 1
Kestrel 1
Lapwing 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Woodpigeon circa 20
Wren 5
Dunnock 4
Robin 3
Blackbird circa 10
Song Thrush 6
Mistle Thrush 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 3
Willow Warbler 4
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 5
Jay 2
Magpie circa 15
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow circa 50
Starling circa 50
Greenfinch 4
Linnet 1
Bullfinch 1
Reed Bunting 1

Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 6
Blackcap 4
Pheasant (H)
Meadow Pipit 4
Reed Bunting 1
Buzzard 1
Jay 3

Cheers, John

Two Common Buzzards seen circling quite low this evening over the tip.
Seen from the train on my way home.

Best was a flock of 48 Meadow Pipits on the upper level also:

Fieldfare 2
Reed Bunting 3
Siskin 2
Buzzard 2 being mobbed by ...
Carrion Crow 17
Sparrowhawk 1
Bullfinch 2

Cheers, John