06:00 to 08:00

C6,C7 and C8

3 tufted duck
1 mute swan
coot and moorhen both with chicks
mallard with her ever growing chicks
2 willow warbler
1 chiffchaff
1 blackcap
1 grasshopper warbler heard only
2 buzzard over c6
1 cuckoo heard only c6
1 lesser whitethroat was singing in the brambles at the side of the new road
Skylark and meadow pipit both in good numbers, as was carrion crow and magpie
2 common whitethroat
3 reed bunting
2 sedge warbler both heard only
1 reed warbler

Plus usual tits, robin and blackbird

1 Hobby over C3 heading SW @ 19.15
1 Cuckoo C3

C6
3 tufted duck
2 swans
canada geese with goslings
coot and moorhen
house sparrow
2 common whitethroat
1 blackcap
2 goldfinch
willow warbler and chiffchaff
could hear a grasshopper warbler reeling in C5
C4
3 snipe
2 carrion crow
1 reed warbler
2 reed bunting
C3
1 female sparrowhawk
1 male cuckoo
2 wren
1 reed warbler
3 reed bunting
C8
Skylark and meadow pipit in good numbers
blue and great tits
2 common whitethroat
1 blackcap
1 cuckoo seen in flight, landed in the trees behind the stock pond
2 grasshopper warbler
2 robin
1 blackbird
1 kestrel



-- Edited by Scott robinson on Sunday 18th of May 2014 03:15:34 PM

Morning dog walk 06-30--08-00
Cuckoo heard behind stock pond just as I was leaving, didn't actually walk round diggle flash but could see from road 1 mute swan other on nest,2 tufted duck, 3 mallard,3 coot, 2 swallow drinking from a puddle near scrap yards,1 whitethroat,3 willow warbler, skylark,reed bunting,meadow pipit,pheasant,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion crow,blue tit,great tit,robin, seemed to be blackbird everywhere,

Evening dog walk,
C9 3 swallow over old anglers car park, on water 2 mute swan,2 tufted duck,2 mallard,5 coot,1 lesser black backed gull,6 black headed gull,1 great crested grebe, kestrel over, 2 lapwing over,cuckoo calling from behind stock pond, usual blue tit robin etc.

Morning dog walk
Not many warblers this morning, 2 willow warbler,1 chiffchaff, 1 reed warbler heard,mistle thrush,plenty of blackbird one doing an excellent car alarm impression,blue tit,great tit,robin,wood pigeon,magpie,
C8 good numbers skylark and meadow pipit, 6 reed bunting,pheasant, heard a curlew calling from direction of C7 but couldn't locate it,
Only cuckoo heard came from Boltonhouse road area just off site.

Evening dog walk 19-20--21-20
Highlight was an hobby over diggle flash heading south didn't seem to be looking for food seemed to be in a hurry to be somewhere else,common tern over,3 sedge warbler heard near new waterfall at fir tree flash 1 showing well,kestrel over, at least 2 cuckoo heard 1 seen but a possible single call from female.3 swift over field beside fir tree flash,7 swallow over C8 field.

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Friday 16th of May 2014 09:34:19 PM

Early morning dog walk 07-00- 09-00
As Scott said a beautiful morning with loads of birdsong.
C8 3 grasshopper warbler seen 1 in particular giving great vies 2 more heard, 3 wheatear on footpath running parrallel with new road first of the year on this site for me,1 stock dove feeding in field, cuckoo and a kestrel flew across field together,12 meadow pipit, c20 each skylark and reed bunting,1 reed warbler,1 sedge warbler,1 whitethroat.
C9 flash. Still quiet on water 1 lesser black backed gull,1 black headed gull,3 coot,2 mute swan,2 sedge warbler and 1 reed warbler heard from reeds,3 reed bunting,1 whitethroat,1 long tailed tit,mistle thrush,blackbird,magpie,carrion crow,robin,wren,dunnock,great tit,blue tit,collared dove, wood pigeon,chaffinch,goldfinch,1 chiffchaff,3 willow warbler.

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Friday 16th of May 2014 11:57:13 AM

Very brief visit in between work, stunning morning with birdsong everywhere.

Swan on fir tree flash with a pair of tufted duck and canada geese with goslings.
1 lesser whitethroat singing on the path between fir tree flash and C7, lots of tits about aswell.
2 jays
1 reeling grasshopper warbler
3 skylark and 2 meadow pipit in c8
quite a few magpie about this morning
1 cuckoo could be a female near where bernards been reporting C7, watched for 5 minutes didnt call while I watched it
1 blackcap singing
Willow warbler most places I went
Plus all usuals

-- Edited by Scott robinson on Friday 16th of May 2014 10:13:38 AM

Evening dog walk
2 cuckoo calling 1 from near horse field 1 in trees behind diggle flash,1 swallow over field,1 chiffchaff, mistle thrush in good voice,
Nice to bump into Dave and Michelle as well as John this morning.

Two-hour morning mooch at north-eastern end of site produced a total of 41 species, including 2 singing Cuckoos, 2 Grasshopper Warblers and 4 Sedge Warblers. Also FOUR well-grown young Great Crested Grebes with adults on Fir Tree Flash.

Lunchtime


1 Grasshopper Warbler tee'd up on small bush, singing its head off

Various warblers as expected

1 (ad, fem ?) roe deer jumped out from behind bush at NE corner. Not sure who was most surprised !

PS - tracks for 2-3 different Roe Deer (small + large)

-- Edited by John Watson on Friday 16th of May 2014 08:16:18 AM

morning dog walk
cuckoo calling from trees behind diggle flash seen briefly in flight, 3 grasshopper warbler heard only, 2 swift over field,1 whitethroat, several willow warbler, kestrel, mistle thrush, blackbird, blue tit, robin, dunnock, wren, magpie, wood pigeon, carrion crow, cormorant over, canada goose over, diggle flash very quiet on water 2 mute swan, 5 coot including 1 chick, sedge warbler singing from reeds, several skylark singing, meadow pipit, reed bunting.pheasant heard only.

C6 and C4

2 reed warbler
1 sedge warbler
1 goldcrest
5 reed bunting
1 grey heron
1 cormorant over
1 raven over
1 snipe
1 male cuckoo heard only, seemed to be at the top of C6 looking over to C4

Plus usual suspects

further sightings to Scott's
C3/Nevison's
4 Curlew over NW @ 19.30
1 Male Pochard - not seen the female for a while possibly on nest?
Cuckoo was in C3 as I left - 2 males yesterday morning- got caught in that rain as well Bernard
the female Sparrowhawk caught one of the resident Mistle Thrush the other day

evening dog walk
cuckoo seen in flight from horse fields area towards diggle flash, 4 swift and 2 swallow over field, kestrel hunting, reed warbler and sedge warbler heard around diggle flash.

C3 and C4

Water rail calling from nevison's reed bed this evening
1 female sparrowhawk also at nevison's flash
1 reed warbler,2 reed bunting and a wren also flirting about in the reeds
Could hear a calling male cuckoo in the distant sounded like it was at the top of C4
3 snipe
1 grasshopper warbler reeling, giving cracking views
2 buzzards
3 carrion crow

Good to see swift back in C4, could watch swift all day long.

Male Cuckoo calling and seen in short display flight just out of trees near stock pond. Tony, took 2 hours almost but everything comes to those who wait.

Morning dog walk
C8 2 whitethroat,1swallow,c20 skylark,9 reed bunting,5 meadow pipit, 1 pheasant,wood pigeon,carrion crow,magpie,
C9 4 whitethroat,1 swallow probably same bird, robin,dunnock,mistle thrush,blue tit,blackbird,cuckoo heard only briefly from behind stock pond.flash quiet on the water 2 mute swan,6 coot,2 black headed gull,2 reed warbler and 3 sedge warbler all heard from various reed beds.
Hi Scott the past 2 years we have had 2male and a female cuckoo looks like we have the same this year.

The cuckoo I heard was a male, i heard one calling from that area a couple of weeks ago as well. Hopefully they could be a breeding pair.

Evening dog walk,
3 swallow very active covering a large area,
Cuckoo 1 heard calling from trees behind stock pond, 1 heard calling and seen in flight from trees near C7 pretty sure that a female responded with a much lower call.

c6,c8 and c10

2 grasshopper warbler
1 sedge warbler
3 reed warbler
2 whitethroat
1 blackcap
3 willow warbler
5 chiffchaff
Blue,great and long tailed tits
Robin and blackbird
1 song thrush in full voice
2 carrion crow
1 snipe flushed
2 magpie
1 cuckoo heard only, probably same bird as Bernard's as it was calling from roughly same area C7/C8
Coot and moorhen
mallards
3 Canada geese
Swift and swallow over c6 and c8
Skylark and meadow pipit both in good numbers.

lunchtime walk with dog, poor timing quite nice when i set out but caught in very heavy hailstone followed by heavy rain
C9 2 bullfinch, 3 goldfinch, 1 chaffinch, 2 chiffchaff, several willow warbler, 1 whitethroat, mistle thrush, robin, wren, dunnock, wood pigeon, blue tit, blackbird, magpie, 2 mute swan, 1 swallow,carrion crow, tufted duck,coot, mallard,black headed gull,
C8 when the rain had steadied down several skylark and meadow pipit drinking from puddles, 3 reed bunting, 1 kestrel, 1 grey heron over, 2 pheasant heard only,
C7 cuckoo heard calling from trees near horse field.
just had a shower and a brew looking out of window no rain and sun trying to break through,

Evening dog walk
2 common tern over diggle flash, 4 swift and a single swallow over field,
Highlights from morning walk, little grebe showing well close on at diggle flash, cracking view of a reed warbler down to about 20ft, cuckoo seen in flight plus another calling quite distant, jay not seen many jay or great spotted woodpecker here so far this year.

Evening mooch around C6 and fir tree flash.

1 cuckoo heard only
2 reed warbler
1 sedge warbler
5 skylark
2 meadow pipit
1 whitethroat
2 blackcap
Mallard with ducklings
Coot and moorhen
2 mistle thrush
3 house sparrow
2 reed bunting
3 willow warbler
2 chiffchaff

Could see big numbers of swift over C4 as well this evening.

Kingfisher flew from the direction of the rucks over Plank Lane towards Pennington Flash 9.30am today.

pm
1 Curlew over NW
1 Tawny Owl -flew from tree on edge of Nevisons Flash, not sure what spooked it , didn't get great view of it through the tree line. presumably the bird that has been around Plank Lane/Johnson Close area lately.
Cuckoo flew low over Choke pond
1 Common Tern
plus usuals

-- Edited by Gordon Newman on Monday 12th of May 2014 06:31:46 PM

Lunchtime

Cuckoo (m) calling & being mobbed by Whitethroat & Sedge Warblers; possibly a 2nd cuckoo (m)
80-100 Swifts drifting north following shower
Grey Heron
Several Sedge & Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Whitethroats

No sound of Grasshopper Warbler


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 12th of May 2014 04:16:47 PM

morning dog walk
C6 9 adult canada geese + 6 goslings, 5 mallard + 10 ducklings, 4 coot, 2 tufted duck, 1 mute swan,1great crested grebe, 3 swift over field, reed bunting, blue tit, robin, skylark. kestrel.
C8 kestrel hunting probably same bird from C6,at least 12 swift over, 1 grey heron over,1 willow warbler,grasshopper warbler,1 sedge warbler, reed bunting, skylark,meadow pipit, magpie,carrion crow, 3 lesser black backed gull over,
C9 8 tufted duck, 5 black headed gull, 2 mallard, 7 coot, 2 mute swan, reed warbler and sedge warbler both heard singing in reeds, reed bunting,robin, blackbird, 5 goldfinch, 3 blue tit, 2 willow warbler, wood pigeon, c20 swallow over bolton house road/herons lodge farm area.
neither sight nor sound of cuckoo.

Evening dog walk
C8 cuckoo very mobile this evening first heard and seen calling from trees behind diggle flash then flew to trees at bottom of new road giving good views calling from tree then flew length of field twice more before finally settling in copse of trees in centre of field still calling but not visible when i left,reed warbler and 3 reed bunting in reeds near flash,mistle thrush,3 goldfinch,1 whitethroat,several willow warbler,

Morning dog walk
C9 2 mute swan,9 tufted duck, 7 coot,4 mallard + at least 2 ducklings. 1 whitethroat,1 blackcap,mistle thrush,blackbird,magpie,carrion crow,blue tit,robin,willow warbler,wood pigeon,wren,
C8 kestrel,reed bunting,pheasant,skylark,meadow pipit,grasshopper warbler,sedge warbler,whitethroat.

Early evening dog walk
Oystercatcher feeding in rainwater flood before flying towards Pennington flash,2 swallow,1 buzzard,1 kestrel all over field,good views of a reed warbler, brief call from a cuckoo, otherwise similar to this morning.

Morning dog walk cold and windy with frequent showers
C8 cuckoo calling from copse of trees near centre of field,small numbers skylark, meadow pipit and reed bunting,1 sedge warbler,1 whitethroat,2 pheasant, 2 mute swan and 1 lesser black backed gull over.
C9 14 tufted duck,6 coot,5 black headed gull,3 mallard,1 sedge warbler,1 whitethroat,robin,dunnock,blackbird,blue tit,wood pigeon,carrion crow,magpie,2 goldfinch.

Evening dog walk
2 cuckoo calling simultaneously one from trees behind stock pond the other from bottom of new road before flying to trees on rucks seen briefly in flight, redshank over calling in flight heading north westerly, usual mistle thrush, robin and blackbird singing in fading light 2 whitethroat also singing,3 grasshopper warbler reeling.

morning dog walk constant light rain
2 cuckoo calling 1 from trees behind diggle flash the other from near horse paddock/field near top of new road,
at least 4 possibly 7 swift over C8 field saw 3 high over field when walking down and 4 much lower over field when walking back so could have been same birds, also C8 1 whitethroat, 1 sedge warbler, 2 reed warbler, 20+ reed bunting, 1 kestrel, meadow pipit and skylark,magpie, carrion crow.
C9 2 mute swan, mallard, coot, tufted duck, black headed gull, reed warbler, reed bunting, mistle thrush, 2 whitethroat, blue tit, wood pigeon, blackbird, robin.

Early morning walk 7:00 till 8:30am

Highlights,

3 Grasshopper warbler c6,c5,c8
2 Sedge warbler c6,c8
1 reed Warbler c6
2 Common whitethroat c6,c8
1 Lesser whitethroat c8 heard only
1 Goldcrest c6
3 snipe c10
7 linnet including stunning males c8
1 raven c8
2 blackcap c6,c8

Plus all usual suspects.

Evening dog walk
Cuckoo calling from behind stock pond,2 mistle thrush 3 robin and several blackbird singing in the rain,7 Canada geese over, 3 grasshopper warbler reeling.

C6 and C8

3 house sparrow
6 goldfinch
1 jay
1 raven
mallard with duckings
coot and moorhen
1 cuckoo c6
blue and great tits
1 whitethroat
2 blackcap
4 reed bunting
1 reed warber
1 sedge warbler
3 grasshopper warbler
1 wren
3 blackbird
could hear a corn bunting in c8, but couldn't locate
1 kestrel
2 carrion crow

Cuckoo showing well at 17-45 perched on a fence post before flying across field, 2 common tern over field, a single swift high over field first of year for me,7 swallow over old anglers car park,1 chiffchaff and 2 robin back on duty still no great tit.

Where can I find a map for this site showing locations for C7, C8, C9 etc ? I've searched (almost) everywhere ?

Morning dog walk
C9 single common tern over flash, 2 little grebe,2 mute swan,10 tufted duck,5 coot,1grey heron,3 mallard,1 moorhen,2 whitethroat,willow warbler,mistle thrush,blackbird,blue tit,dunnock,wood pigeon, surprisingly didn't see any robin,great tit or chiffchaff this morning,
C8 single swallow,good numbers reed bunting,skylark,meadow pipit,kestrel,pheasant,3 whitethroat,1 lesser whitethroat,5 grasshopper warbler heard 1 showing very well.

evening dog walk steady rain and very poor light so almost everything heard only
cuckoo calling from trees around stock pond, 3 grasshopper warbler reeling, 1 whitethroat, 1 sedge warbler, 2 mistle thrush several blackbird and 2 robin all singing loudly.

Morning dog walk
No sign of garganey this morning, 2 mute swan,12 tufted duck,7 coot,9 black headed gull,8 mallard including 3 ducklings,2 little grebe heard only, 3 whitethroat,1 lesser whitethroat,blue tit,great tit,2 goldfinch,5 swallow,dunnock,robin,wren,willow warbler,wood pigeon,magpie,carrion crow,blackcap heard only, no chiffchaff this morning,
C8 reed bunting,skylark,meadow pipit,pheasant, 3 whitethroat,grasshopper warbler heard only,2 sedge warbler,
Nice to meet Jimmy Meadows looking for cuckoos, I didn't actually see any today Jim heard one in trees behind stock pond and diggle flash plus probably same bird from bottom of new road, plus I think a different bird from C7,

Evening dog walk,
Garganey still present on diggle flash @21-00, c30 swallow just off site over field near Owens farm, 2 male cuckoo calling one from C7 the from C8 also pretty sure I heard a female call from C8 in both 2012 and 2013 we had 2m and 1f seen together pretty regular, 2 sedge warbler near choke pond, in C8 old cornfield 2 grasshopper warbler and a reed warbler could be seen at same time all calling, 4 whitethroat.

p.m
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Garganey - still present when I left at 15.45
2 Cuckoo
1 Swift
3 Common Tern
2 Grasshopper Warbler
3 Sedge Warbler
8 Whitethroat
5 Blackcap
plus usuals



-- Edited by Gordon Newman on Sunday 4th of May 2014 06:00:54 PM

Green Woodpecker C6
Is this the same bird as Pennington Flash or two separate birds?

Garganey flown due to dog in water, now on main diggle flash

drake garganey on stock pond,

2 common tern over fir tree flash this morning.
1 cuckoo heard only c6
2 common whitethroat c6
1 blackcap c6
1 goldcrest c6
2 grasshopper warbler, one in c6 and the other heard reeling from c5
1 reed bunting c6
2 reed warbler c6
1 cormorant fishing on fir tree flash