Early morning visit, Just C6 and C4

Swift, swallow and a couple of house martin.
2 common whitethroat C6
3 blackcap C6
3 Great crested grebe C6
1 little grebe C6
4 sedge warbler C4
2 reed warbler C4
skylark and meadow pipit C6
3 snipe C4
1 kestrel C6

Plus all usuals

morning dog walk
2 adult mute swans + 1 cygnet, 12 tufted duck, coot inc juvs, mallard + ducklings, great crested grebe, black headed gulls, 3 lesser black backed gulls over field area, 4 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff, 2 whitethroat, robin, wren, dunnock, blackbird, great + blue tit, goldfinch,wood pigeon, carrion crow, magpie, jay, kestrel, pheasant, skylark, reed bunting, meadow pipit, reed warbler carrying food,cracking view of a grasshopper warbler reeling from close to the new road, 2 swallow, at least 11 swift.

Morning dog walk
1 common tern fishing stock pond,2 adult mute swan with 1 cygnet,little grebe with 2 juvs,2 great crested grebe, mallard,coot,4 tufted duck,black headed gull,reed warbler,1 chiffchaff,4 willow warbler,blackbird,dunnock,robin,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion crow,great tit,
C8 skylark,meadow pipit,reed bunting,2 whitethroat,2 willow warbler,blackcap,kestrel,sparrowhawk,

Morning dog walk
2 mute swan +1 cygnet,10 tufted duck,16 mallard including 5 small duckling,coot including juvs, 1 moorhen,8 black headed gull,reed warbler entering reed beds with food, 3 chiffchaff,5 willow warbler,2 blackcap,1 whitethroat,great tit,blue tit,goldfinch,swallow,blackbird,robin,wren,wood pigeon,dunnock,magpie,carrion crow,skylark,meadow pipit,reed bunting,kestrel,pheasant,2 linnet,2 sedge warbler,

morning dog walk
2 adult mute swan 1 cygnet, 5 tufted duck, c20 coot including juvs, 2 little grebe juvs, 1 moorhen, 9 mallard, 6 black headed gull, 7 swallow, 3 willow warbler, 2 chiffchaff, blackbird, mistle thrush, wood pigeon, magpie, carrion crow, robin, dunnock,wren, goldfinch, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit,meadow pipit, pheasant, reed bunting, skylark, reed and sedge warbler both heard only.

Evening dog walk
Plenty warbler activity,willow warbler,chiffchaff,reed warbler,whitethroat and blackcap all seen and heard,grasshopper and sedge warbler heard only,
Swallow and swift over field.

morning dog walk
C9 could only see 1 adult mute swan and no cygnet this morning hopefully the other adult and cygnet were hidden in the reeds, 6 tufted duck, 14 mallard, 9 black headed gull, c30 coot including juvs,5 swallow, sedge warbler, reed warbler, chaffinch, goldfinch, blue, great and long tailed tits, robin,dunnock, wren, blackbird, mistle thrush, wood pigeon, magpie, carrion crow, 2 jay,
C8 12-15 swift over field, pheasant, skylark, reed bunting, meadow pipit, 3 linnet.

Swans down to one cygnet this morning,6 swallow,4 swift.

Fir tree flash,
Great crested grebe with 3 chicks, 1 was bigger then the other 2
Swan with 2 cygnets
Canada geese
Coot with youngsters also
Amazing sedge warbler activity this morning in C6 and C4, counted at least 8 birds, loads more heard
Reed warbler's also in C6 and C4, with reed bunting
3 common whitethroat 2 in C6 and 1 in C10
1 singing yellowhammer was in and around new water but could not locate.
Plenty skylark and meadow pipit
2 blackcap both C6
1 kestrel C6
30+ swift high over C8, and a few over C4
1 grasshopper warbler C8
2 song thrush 1 C10, 1 C8
1 jay C10

Midges out in force today, as were horse fly's come home with 3 bites

Plus all usual's

Morning dog walk
2 mute swan but down to 2 cygnets today something seems to be picking off one per night, 4 tufted duck,14 mallard,c30 coot including juvs,6 black headed gull, 2 lesser black backed gull,1 reed warbler seen 2 more herd,2 chiffchaff,3 willow warbler,great tit,blue tit,chaffinch,long tailed tit,wood pigeon,magpie,robin,dunnock,carrion crow,wre mm.
C8 reed bunting,skylark inc juvs,meadow pipit,2 linnet,1 grasshopper warbler showing briefly but good clear view,2 swift, 4 swallow 2 perched on wooden rail briefly,blackbird.

16.00-17.45
C3 & New Water only
1 Cuckoo -C3
1 Water Rail calling from New Water

only 3 cygnets with parents this evening, 5 swallow, 4 swift, 2 house martin, common tern over field heading in direction of Fir tree flash.

Reed,sedge and grasshopper warbler all seen this afternoon , 2 common whitethroat both in c6 and 1 blackcap also in c6.
1 kestrel hunting in c8, then another seen over C4 could of been same bird.
3 linnet c8
2 snipe c10
Decent numbers of skylark,meadow pipit and willow warbler

Plus all usual's

06.45-08.45
C3 & C4
all the usual's plus a brief but really good view of a Water Rail feeding on the edge of the reeds on New Water, calling with a single note rather than the usual squeal (wasn't quick enough to get camera on it )

Common tern again catching small fish,2 mute swan but could only see 4 cygnets,3 willow warbler,kestrel, 2 chiffchaff plus usuals.

Morning dog walk highlights
Common tern fishing stock pond caught 3 small fish in under a minute, 2 buzzard,2 swallow,1 house martin, approx 15 swift passed through,great views of a grasshopper warbler reeling from a stalk, good views of a chiffchaff singing from a small tree, plus usuals

Evening dog walk
Kestrel hunting,2 swift,1 sedge warbler showing well and singing from a small bush.

C8 field very active, 2 grasshopper warbler, 2 reed warbler and 1 sedge warbler all seen basking in the sun, 23 starling feeding in the field, several goldfinch 4 of them flew through to C6 with a male yellowhammer tagging along ( 1st i've seen over here for approx 3yrs) reed bunting, skylark, meadow pipit, 3 willow warbler,wren, whitethroat, magpie, 2 linnet, carrion crow, pheasant.
C9 2 mute swan but could only see 5 cygnets this morning, 4 broods coot + adults, 2 great crested grebe, 5 mallard, 7 black headed gull, whitethroat, dunnock,robin, wren, mistle thrush, blackbird, great and blue tit, wood pigeon, 4 swift, 2 swallow.

Evening dog walk similar sightings to morning walk, minus swift and common tern, plus 2 swallow,1 buzzard,plenty of goldfinch including juveniles,good views of a sedge warbler singing from a small bush,blackcap.

morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan + 6 cygnets, little grebe + 2 juv, 2 great crested grebe, 6 tufted duck, 5 black headed gull, 3 mallard, 6 broods of coot, 1 x5, 3x4, 1x3,1x2, + adults, 1 common tern over stock pond, reed warblers calling from reed beds, 2 whitethroat, 1 swallow, dunnock, blackbird,great tit,
C8 20+ swift over field, skylark, meadow pipit, 2 linnet, reed bunting, whitethroat, kestrel.

Morning dog walk
C9 1 willow warbler,1 chiffchaff,9 goldfinch including juveniles,dunnock,robin,wood pigeon,magpie,blackbird,blue tit,great tit,1 house martin,9 swallow,3 mallard,6 adult coot + 8 juv,2 mute swan + 6 cygnets,1 tufted duck,3 black headed gull.reed and sedge warbler both heard from reed beds.
C8 4 swift,2 linnet,skylark,kestrel,reed bunting,meadow pipit,pheasant,carrion crow,jay,

3 linnet and 4 redpoll to add to bernards sightings, linnets were c8 and redpoll in c5

morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan +6 cygnets, 7 mallard + 5 duckling, 5 broods of coot + parents, 2 black headed gull, 2 tufted duck, 1 great crested grebe, 2 lesser black backed gull, 1 common tern, 1 whitethroat still trying to sing with a beak full of what looked like green caterpillars, mistle thrush, blackbird, wood pigeon, robin, great tit, magpie, blackcap.reed warbler.
C8 skylark, meadow pipit, reed bunting,kestrel, pheasant,linnet.
C7 11 swift and 4 swallow over horse fields.

Evening dog walk highlights
1 common tern,4 swallow,2 swift,2 whitethroat.

Morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan + cygnets, 3 broods coot,mallard with 5 almost full grown young,1 great crested grebe,2 tufted duck,little grebe popped briefly out of reedbed,1 common tern, willow warbler,whitethroat,blackcap,blackbird,robin,great tit,blue tit,mistle thrush,dunnock,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion cro,
C8 7 swift,2 swallow,2 linnet,4 goldfinch,4 starling,meadow pipit,skylark,reed bunting,kestrel.whitethroat.

Saturday, 7th June 2014 16:00 - 17:00 hrs.

After the rain - attempted first of all to head to Carrington Moss to check out the quail - but turned back as M60 and surrounds in gridlock due to too much traffic heading towards Trafford Centre and Ideal Home Exhibition!
So turned around and headed west to Bickershaw Ruck instead. Sightings at Diggle Flash and immediate surrounds:

Two adult mute swans and six cygnets
Common tern giving great display diving into stock pond for fish
Jay
Reed Bunting
Skylark
Swallow
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Tufted Duck
Mallard and five biggish looking juveniles (well done to the female mallard!)
Coot and chicks
Great Crested Grebe
Starlings
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
White Orange tip butterfly
No sight or sound of cuckoo
... and the sun actually came out towards the end of the walk!!!




-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 7th of June 2014 07:52:04 PM

evening dog walk
kestrel hunting over C8 and being divebombed by a meadow pipit, 4 swallow and 1 swift over diggle flash, juv great spotted woodpecker at bottom of new road, pair linnet,
cuckoo called as i was leaving approx 20-30pm, i thought they had all left with not hearing any for a couple of days,

Morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan with 6 cygnets,7 mallard with 5 well developed ducklings,4 broods of coot 2 x4,1x3, 1x2 plus 9 adults,1 great crested grebe,2 tufted duck,4 swallow, 1 house martin the first I've seen on this sight this year,blackcap,chiffchaff,willow warbler,blackbird,robin,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion crow,long tailed tit family party,great tit,blue tit,
C8 skylark,reed bunting,meadow pipit,2 linnet,whitethroat,goldfinch,

Just C6 this morning,

2 mute swans
3 tufted duck
mallard with well developed ducklings
Coot and moorhen both with youngsters
House sparrows quite a few down the side of edna road labour club
Goldfinch with juveniles
1 blackcap
2 common whitethroat
Great tits feeding young
1 song thrush
2 robin
1 blackbird
2 pied wagtail
2 reed warbler
4 reed bunting
1 sedge warbler

Evening dog walk highlights
2 grey partridge,5 swallow,2 swift,whitethroat carrying food,little grebe on diggle.

very little to add to Scott's sightings
9 swift and 5 swallow over diggle flash, little grebe and 2 young showed very briefly on edge of reeds,
yesterdays possible garden warbler turned out to be a willow warbler, didn't look at all like a willow warbler when flitting between bushes but Keith had managed to get a good photo and on closer inspection it is a willow warbler.

Good numbers of willow warbler,chiffchaff,skylark and meadow pipit.
2 grasshopper warbler both C8
2 linnet C8
1 raven over C10
2 blackcap C6 and C8
1 cuckoo C6
3 sedge warbler C4,C6 and C10
3 snipe 2 C4 and 1 in C10
2 reed warbler C6
3 reed bunting 2 C6 and 1 C8
1 song thrush C6

Plus all usuals

Evening mooch with Keith Williams
Willow warbler,whitethroat,sedge warbler,grasshopper warbler,linnet,reed bunting,starling,buzzard,kestrel,possible garden warbler.swallow,swift.

Morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan with 6 cygnets, 5 adult mallard + 5 almost full grown ducklings,2 great crested grebe,6 coot only as 1 juv,6 tufted duck,2 black headed gull, little grebe heard only,sedge and reed warbler heard from reed beds,3 swallow,3 family party's of great tit one of long tailed tit,wood pigeon,magpie,blackbird,blackcap,willow warbler,whitethroat,reed bunting,robin,dunnock,wren,
C8 skylark,reed bunting,pheasant,meadow pipit,3 goldfinch,cuckoo flew across field before calling from behind stock pond,carrion crow,
C10 2 grey partridge,pheasant,2 jay,1common snipe,plenty of willow warbler,blackcap.

Cuckoo flew around stock pond calling @21-40

C3 and C4

4 snipe
3 reed warbler
2 sedge warbler
2 mistle thrush
1 Great spotted woodpecker, could of been yesterdays bird
1 grasshopper warbler
2 wren
6 reed bunting, great views of them in nevison's reed bed
1 kestrel
1 cuckoo
2 common whitethroat
3 blackcap

Plus usuals

Morning dog walk
C9 2 cuckoo flew across flash to trees at top of flash near Bickershaw lane plus another calling from behind stock pond and another later from near rucks, 2 mute swan + 6 cygnets,7 coot plus young 2 x 4 and 1 x 3,1 great crested grebe,4 tufted duck,2 young moorhen couldn't see parents,3 black based gull,6 mallard + 5 well developed ducklings,4 reed warbler,3 sedge warbler,willow warbler,robin,blackbird,dunnock,chaffinch,wood pigeon,magpie,
C8 skylark,reed bunting, meadow pipit with one particularly fiesty bird that chased off 2 linnet, 2 reed bunting,1 skylark and another meadow pipit,1 pheasant seen 3 others heard,carrion crow,jay,wren.kestrel.

Evening dog walk after the rain
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond,4 reed warbler heard around diggle flash 2 seen,2 sedge warbler heard 1 seen,1 blackcap,1 whitethroat,3 mistle thrush,4 grasshopper warbler heard 1 seen.

Very little to add to Bernard's sightings, quiet and and very wet

1 Great spotted woodpecker on the island of fir tree flash.
2 blackcap C6
1 jay C6

Morning dog walk
C9 Diggle flash and surrounds,
2 mute swan + 6 cygnets on stock pond,6 mallard,little grebe with 2 young on main flash, 4 broods of coot two with 4 young 2 with 3 plus a much older juvenile tagging along with one brood,6 tufted duck,5 black headed gull, willow warbler,chiffchaff,blue tit,2 families of great tit,whitethroat,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion crow,robin,dunnock,blackbird,2 mistle thrush,2 cuckoo flew over and circled the flash whilst another was calling from behind the flash.
C8 skylark,reed bunting,meadow pipit,grasshopper warbler reeling.

Quick walk around Diggle flash
the mute swans are now the proud parents of 6 cygnets first time i've seen them on the water today, 1 cuckoo flew across flash, mistle thrush, blackcap, sparrowhawk.

Few birds to add to Bernard's and Gordon's sightings,

2 common tern over fir tree flash
1 song thrush C6
A quality looking male linnet C6
2 Greenfinch, not a bird i usually see over here to be honest C6
1 kestrel C6, could of been a bird that Gordon seen

9.00-11..00
C3 & edge of C4 only
1 Oystercatcher
1 Cuckoo - male
pair of Kestrel displaying
2 Grasshopper Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
5 Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
Long-tailed Tit with fledglings
1 Collared Dove - the scarcest bird on this list although plenty in neighbouring housing estates

Morning dog walk
Trees along top of diggle flash very lively blackcap,willow warbler,chiffchaff,chaffinch,blue tit,great tit,whitethroat,robin,dunnock,wren,blackbird and mistle thrush all seen,
C8 skylark,wood pigeon,magpie,jay,carrion crow,kestrel,reed bunting,meadow pipit,pheasant,reed warbler,neither sight nor sound of cuckoo, 2 grasshopper warbler heard none seen.

Evening dog walk
2 cuckoo in flight across field whilst another calling from horse field,kestrel hunting,1 common tern over stock pond,1 swift over field,2 jay,2 jackdaw,several grasshopper warbler heard 2 seen,2 grey heron over,sedge and reed warbler heard only.

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Saturday 31st of May 2014 09:58:17 PM

An hour and a bit from 2:30pm today, around the new road and Diggle Flash.

Cuckoo - 1m calling from trees by Stock Pond. Got a few seconds look at it before it ducked down into the trees
Plenty warbler activity with Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Chiffchaff all heard or seen around Diggle Flash, and a Grasshopper Warbler heard only off the new road
Loads of Swallow and Swift above the flash and fields, with some House Martin also mixed in
A Common Tern on the Stock Pond and a Reed Bunting around there too
Two family parties of Coots on Diggle Flash
Loads of Skylark as ever, and a very smart male Linnet perched in a small tree
Raptors represented by 2 Kestrel and a female Sparrowhawk, which circled above the flash a few times in the sunshine

Morning dog walk
Similar to Scotts sightings but did hear 2 cuckoo 1 behind stock pond 1 from horse fields, 7 swift and 5 swallow over C8, 7 willow warbler 5C9 2 C8, 2 whitethroat C9.

Just 1 cuckoo this morning in C8, flew towards back of stock pond.
First 2 fields in C8 to the right of the new road was alive with skylark,meadow pipit and sedge warbler, sedge warbler extremely vocal this morning.
Only 1 grasshopper warbler heard in C8
Sedge warbler in C10 as was 2 common whitethroat and 3 snipe
3 blackcap 2 in C6 and 1 C8
3 reed warbler all C6
Reed bunting giving good view's also in C6
1 kestrel C6
2 soaring buzzards both over C4
2 snipe also around new water
Female sparrowhawk low over nevison's flash
1 common tern heading towards penny
Nevison's reed bed was very active with reed warbler,reed bunting and a couple of wren
2 mistle thrush C3

A cracking early morning mooch in stunning sunshine

Plus all usual species.

-- Edited by Scott robinson on Saturday 31st of May 2014 08:58:34 AM

Just a couple to add to Gordon's and Bernard's sightings this evening,

1 Grey heron, Fir tree flash
7 long tailed tits C6

I think there's definitely 4 cuckoo's on site this year Gordon, been one of the best spring's for me watching cuckoo's in this area.


-- Edited by Scott robinson on Friday 30th of May 2014 10:10:33 PM

3 cuckoo 2f 1m interacting over C7 near horse field @ approx 20-15 all three flew towards Fir tree flash whilst a different male could be heard calling from behind Diggle flash so i agree with Gordon at least 4 cuckoo on site, kestrel hunting over C8. 2 swift, 1 swallow.