Short evening loop:

X 4 juvenile wheatear all sat together on one of the stone walls of Harcles farm. 

X 4 kestrels 

Snipe heard calling from the heather on the top near the tower 

Moor bottom rd was very quiet apart from millions of swarming flying ants! 

X 3 green Woodpecker. Including one from the side of Lumbcarr rd near the Shoulder of Mutton pub.

Highlights from a short circuit this morning:

Only 6 Kestrel and 2 Juvenile Peregrine together.

4 Swift and 60+ Swallow.

Grasshopper Warbler still reeling loudly.

2 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat.

Highlights from a morning circuit, not including the highest ground:

At least 8 Kestrel, including one hunting insects like a Hobby, 1 juv Peregrine and 1 Buzzard.

1 Raven, 1 Jay.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Swift and c50 Swallow south with a few House Martin mixed in.

1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling loudly and continuously for 2 hours! And seen well. 1 Whitethroat.

5 Stonechat, 6 Wheatear.

1 Bullfinch.

Having checked, the Grasshopper Warbler record is my latest ever!

Best from a short high level circuit this morning:

6 Kestrel, probably 2 family parties, and 1 Sparrowhawk.

c30 Swift, c20 Swallow and 2 House Martin appeared to be moving through.

4 Mistle Thrush.

Single Stonechat and Wheatear.

48 species on a longer morning circuit was good for the time of year. Highlights:

1 Hobby flew vigorously over Redisher Wood, then headed off SE. At least 6 Kestrel including a family party, 1 Sparrowhawk.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

5 Stock Dove.

Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest  still singing.

7 Stonechat including a pair with 4 fledged juveniles, 4 Wheatear.

2 Siskin over, 2 Linnet. 

Modest highlights from a short morning circuit through Redisher Wood:

At least 4 Lapwing still present, but in a different field to 22 June.

Good numbers of fledged Swallow around the farms.

First mixed flock of the autumn(!) with 3 species of tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and a single Treecreeper.

Generally quiet, but some interest on an afternoon circuit with the family over the higher ground:

1 Green Woodpecker inadvertently flushed from well above the tree line.

5+ Wheatear, with my first fledged juvenile, 1 Stonechat.

2 Mistle Thrush.

Still reasonable numbers of Skylark and Meadow Pipit on the highest ground.

Best from a morning circuit:

3 Kestrel.

6 Lapwing plus at least 1 half grown young. I was particularly pleased to see these birds as the usual field was cut about 6 weeks ago and the birds all abandoned that area shortly after. Today they were in a field that I had not been to before, but it looks likely the birds all relocated.

5 Stock Dove.

At least 7 Mistle Thrush.

Still 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling intermittently.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Buzzard.

1, possibly 2 Curlew.

2 Stock Dove.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Pair Mistle Thrush feeding a recently fledged juvenile.

2 Grey Wagtail.

Pair Bullfinch.

Highlights from this morning:

At least 4 Buzzard and 1 Kestrel.

1 Stock Dove.

1 Curlew.

10+ Swift zooming around at the higher elevations.

3 Great Spotted Woodpecker including a pair that flew right over my head.

1 Raven.

1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler.

3 Wheatear.

Dipper, Grey Wagtail and 2 Treecreeper in Redisher Wood.

Highlights from a morning circuit, mainly at the higher elevations:

1 Buzzard and 1 Sparrowhawk, the latter with 2 central tail feathers missing that made it look like it had a forked tail.

1 Green Woodpecker.

3 Stock Dove.

1 Curlew.

3 pairs Mistle Thrush, with 1 pair feeding young.

Single Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat singing.

Pair of Stonechat and 10 Wheatear, probably 5 pairs.

1 Bullfinch. 

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Kestrel.

3 Lapwing and 3 Curlew.

3 Stock Dove.

2 reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 1 in a new location, and my first here for the year.

3 Stonechat plus my first fledged juvenile of the year. 4 Wheatear. 

A quiet morning circuit, but still some interest:

Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Stock Dove.

Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Treecreeper and Goldcrest in Redisher Wood.

3 Wheatear.

3 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Bullfinch.

Belated sighting from Friday evening when Gary Taylor photographed a female cuckoo from near Paddy's pond (photo attached) 

This morning 9am - 12pm

Me an Gary did an extensive search of the Holcombe valley including Reddisher woods . 

No sign of any Cuckoos apart from a very distant spot of what was a either a male sparrowhawk or a cuckoo..(Im leaning towards sparrowhawk now ) 

Other birds of note.

Kestrel

Buzzard

Tawny owl

Wheatear 

Stonechat

Grasshopper warbler

Chiffchaff

Willow warbler

Little Owl

Green Woodpecker (after at least a thousand visits, one finally landed close enough for a photo!)

44 species on a morning circuit with the following highlights:

Green Woodpecker calling from 2 locations and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Buzzard.

1 Stock Dove.

Small flock of 5 Wheatear, with at least 3 other birds. 

Dipper and pair Grey Wagtail.

2 Treecreeper and 1 Goldcrest.

Displaying Lesser Redpoll, my first for a while.

Couldnt find any Ring Ouzel on a quick morning visit, but:

1 Curlew.

1 vocal Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 displaying Stock Dove.

6 Wheatear.

Stroll along Moorbottom rd on Sunday produced 5 R Ouzels (3M), our first Common Whitethroat singing, 3 Fieldfare high towards Red Brook.

4 Ring Ouzel (3m, 1f) still present this evening at 19.15. Also 1 Curlew, 1 Kestrel, 2 Raven and 5 Wheatear.

X4 Ring Ouzels at Red brook, Moorbottom Rd 

Info courtesy of Gary Taylor. 

4pm 

X2 male ring Ouzels half way up Moorbottom rd. Foraging in the fields adjacent to the trees.

Info courtesy of Gary Taylor 

41 species on a longer morning circuit, with the highlights being:

2 pairs Curlew including the bubbling display, and probably 4 pairs Lapwing.

2 Buzzard and 1 Tawny Owl calling from a holly bush, but not seen.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker ( getting harder to see now)

2 pairs Stock Dove.

1 Swallow.

1 Willow Warbler and 6 Chiffchaff.

5 Wheatear.

1 Dipper and 3 Grey Wagtail.

1 Treecreeper.

A respectable 40 species on a morning circuit, with the highlights being:

1 Curlew and 4 Lapwing.

1 Green and at least 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 singing Stock Dove.

Displaying Skylark and Meadow Pipit giving a spring like feel.

3 Stonechat.

1 Dipper and pair of Grey Wagtail.

My first returning Lesser Redpoll.

Monday 15 March

Red Kite - drifting over Turton Rd Tottington heading northwards towards Hollymount and Holcombe mobbed by local jackdaws

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Curlew and 7 Lapwing again.

My first Green Woodpecker for a while, but only 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

First pairs of Stonechat and Pied Wagtail back on territory.

1 Treecreeper and 2 Goldcrest.

Highlights from a short morning circuit:

My first returning Curlew of the year and at least 7 Lapwing.

Plenty of Great Spotted Woodpecker activity again with 5 birds seen, including 1 in a different area.

2 Pairs Stock Dove.

1 Treecreeper.

1 Dipper and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Highlights from the familiar morning circuit:

Lapwing up to 8.

Amazing sight of 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker together with much commotion- presumably a territorial dispute between 2 pairs. Also Green Woodpecker calling in 2 different places, but possibly the same bird.

3 Stock Dove including 2 singing birds in new locations.

2 Raven, and an excitable flock of 70+ Jackdaw.

1 Dipper.

Highlights from another morning circuit:

6 Lapwing again.

Another flock of Black-headed Gull heading north, this time about 70 birds.

2 Raven.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, rather loudly I thought. On closer inspection I found the bird on a timber power pole but, rather than drumming on the timber, it craned its neck off to one side and drummed on a plastic junction box! The sound was quite unusual!

My first record of the year of Skylark on the highest ground. 2 birds were singing while the third was hunkered down in the wind.

1 Treecreeper singing

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Buzzard and 1 Kestrel.

6 Lapwing.

Compact flock of 50+ Black-headed Gull heading north.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

15 Redwing.

1 Dipper.

3 Goldcrest, including a singing bird.

Moor Road again ! 1430.Sparrowhawk and  Buzzard giving some great sparring views.

Foolhardy single meadow pipit on a very frozen moor 

Moor Road near Higher Tops, 1300  Buzzard and in the field 12 Rooks

Best from another morning circuit:

1 Kestrel.

Pair of Stock Dove in different location from last visit.

Pair of Goosander, my first record this year.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Raven over.

At least 9 Bullfinch including a flock of 5.

Highlights from a morning circuit, with the main interest being in Redisher Wood:

The first returning Lapwing of the year.

Drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Stock Dove, including 1 singing bird.

3 Fieldfare.

Limited highlights from a morning circuit:

Record count of 46 Mallard on Simons Lodge!

1 Dipper, 1 Treecreeper and 2 Bullfinch.

Highlights from morning circuits over the last 2 Days:

1 Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Kestrel.

1 Raven,

Dipper, Goldcrest and Treecreeper in Redisher Wood.

15 Redwing and 2 Mistle Thrush.

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

1 Kestrel- the only raptor.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker .

5 Mistle Thrush.

Dipper, Grey Wagtail and 2 Goldcrest in Redisher Wood.

2 Greenfinch and 1 Reed Bunting, both first site records for the year.

Limited highlights during an afternoon circuit, after the rain/snow had cleared:

1 Green Woodpecker, my first of the year.

1 Kestrel.

Group of 7 Bullfinch together.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 1 Little Owl.

1 Green Woodpecker.

30+ Redwing, 4 Mistle Thrush.

1 Treecreeper, 4 Bullfinch.

Highlights from a morning circuit largely before the rain:

Kingfisher and Grey Heron in Redisher Wood.

What I thought initially to be a Merlin and a Crow turned out the be a Peregrine and a Raven! Watched them for a good while in prolonged aerial combat covering a wide area over the end of the moor and Redisher Wood. Great show!

Best from a damp morning circuit:

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Little Owl, 1 Kestrel and 1 Raven.

5 Goldcrest and 2 Treecreeper.

2 Fieldfare near the stables, 1 Mistle Thrush and 3 Song Thrush- 2 near the top of the Moor and 1 singing!

1 Green Woodpecker calling loudly above Moorbottom Road during a late afternoon walk to Peel Tower.  Also 1 Kestrel.

Highlights from a damp morning circuit:

2 Kestrel and 2 Raven.

25 Redwing in 2 flocks and 3 Mistle Thrush.

2 Stonechat.

1 Treecreeper and 1 Goldcrest.

3 Bullfinch.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Green Woodpecker calling but not seen.

1 Kestrel and 1 Raven.

c20 Redwing and 1 Mistle Thrush.

1 Dipper.

2 Treecreeper, 1 Goldcrest and 1 Bullfinch.

Highlights from a late morning circuit through Redisher Wood only:

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Stock Dove in field with Woodpigeon.

Lone Redwing with lone Mistle Thrush!

1 Raven and 1 Siskin over.

Some interesting thrush movement this morning. Initially 30 Fieldfare flew NE over the southern end of the moor ( my first autumn record), then a second larger flock was located in a Hawthorn in the middle of Red Brook valley. There was a lot of coming and going, but at least 60 Fieldfare with 5+ Redwing and 2 Mistle Thrush.

Jackdaw and Woodpigeons also appeared to be moving south with flocks of 40 and 30/40 respectively.

Also 1 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Stonechat and 2 Skylark. 

Closest thread I could find.

A report on a grapevine group I'm on has a picture from a non-birder of a Red-breasted Goose near Holcombe Tennis Club, which I assume is the one off Hazel Hall Lane. Does anyone local know of an escaped bird that is frequenting the area?

A quiet morning circuit after the school run, but still a bit of interest:

1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Kestrel.

2 Raven.

5 Swallow that looked like a family party.

5 Skylark and at least 1 Lesser Redpoll over. 3 Bullfinch.

Highlights from longer circuit this morning:
2 Grey Heron.

1 Sparrowhawk and 3 Kestrel.

3 Mistle and 2 Song Thrush.

26 Swallow South in 2 flocks.

1 Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest and 3 Chiffchaff including 1 singing bird.

2 Stonechat.