19/02/2012 - 2pm - 4 Ravens having tussles with Carrion Crows in the sheep fields north of Shay Lane; a site record. Two eventually flew towards Manchester Airport.
Henry Cook said
Wed Feb 15 3:27 AM, 2012
14/02/2012 - 1 Green Woodpecker again this morning on Ringway Golf Course. Just one woodpecker species short of the hatrick now locally. The trickiest one is still to be seen!
Geoff Hargreaves said
Wed Feb 1 6:05 AM, 2012
31/01/2012 2 ravens over shay lane 13.30
cheers geoff
Henry Cook said
Sun Jan 22 11:59 PM, 2012
22/01/2012 - 1 Common Snipe was the only bird of note on a very windy local walk
Henry Cook said
Mon Jan 16 4:49 PM, 2012
16/01/2012 - 1 Little Owl heard towards Ash Lane, typically it didn't show itself, also c40 Pink-footed Geese flew west this morning
Henry Cook said
Mon Jan 9 7:34 PM, 2012
09/01/2012 - Green Woodpecker again, heard only, in grounds of Davenport Green Hall.
Henry Cook said
Sat Jan 7 5:28 PM, 2012
07/01/2012 - 1 Green Woodpecker again, along Shay Lane this afternoon.
Henry Cook said
Tue Jan 3 12:27 PM, 2012
03/01/2012 - 1 Tawny Owl calling last night and a Raven over the garden this morning.
Henry Cook said
Wed Dec 21 6:59 PM, 2011
21/12/2011 - 2 Ravens flew through my garden this afternoon barely at treetop height. They were being chased by a Crow and flew off towards Newall Green.
Recently the Tawny Owls have been vocal with calls coming from the Shay Lane area in particular.
Henry Cook said
Sat Dec 17 10:12 PM, 2011
17/12/2011 - A dusk walk produced a total of 9 Wrens which were all having a last sing-song before dark. 40+ Magpies went into the roost and small numbers of Redwings roosted in the hedgerows. A Tawny Owl screeched on the walk home but I've never located it's day roost.
Henry Cook said
Tue Dec 13 10:14 PM, 2011
13/12/2011 - Garden birds have picked up over the last week or two. 6 Bullfinches, 3 Lesser Redpolls and a single Siskin were on the thistle seed today. A visit from the large female Sparrowhawk sent them all scurrying shortly after the gathering though. In the wider area the day-time gull flock is building with 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 6 Common Gulls amongst c60 Black-headed Gulls. Otherwise much as normal in the fields, i.e. deathly quiet!
Henry Cook said
Tue Dec 6 1:04 PM, 2011
06/12/2011 - The ponds out in the fields have gone from largely empty to overflowing in the space of just 48 hours with all the rain. Not much on them as yet. It was a good morning out in the fields birdwise with the following seen:
1 Green Woodpecker - female, initially heard yaffling at top end of Buttery House Lane, later moved further into the fields and was seen well feeding in the largest sheep field. My first record here
1 Woodcock - first of the winter here
2 Grey Herons
2 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk
18 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c200 Woodpigeons - still in the area
1 Grey Wagtail
c50 Redwings
4 Fieldfares
5 Mistle Thrushes - getting territorial over the laden hawthorn bushes
30+ Blackbirds
1 Siskin
Henry Cook said
Mon Dec 5 4:50 PM, 2011
05/12/2011 - 2 Tawny Owls calling in the wind and rain along Shay Lane at 4.30pm.
Henry Cook said
Sat Dec 3 9:57 AM, 2011
02/12/2011 - 1 Raven in the sheep fields in the morning, flew off towards the airport
Henry Cook said
Mon Nov 28 6:26 PM, 2011
28/11/2011 - 4pm: A Song Thrush in song on Crowland Hill was a bit of a shock. Otherwise fairly quiet locally, just a Cormorant over at dusk heading towards Rostherne.
21/11/11 - 3-4.15pm, covering the Newall Green fields:
1 Cormorant - flew South 18 Canada Geese - flew North 1 Lapwing - flew West 2 Black-headed Gulls c50 Magpies - in the roost 7 Pied Wagtails 2 Goldcrests 1 Redpoll sp.
Henry Cook said
Tue Nov 15 1:21 PM, 2011
15/11/2011 - A short viz-mig watch with Phil Owen from Crowland Hill produced:
c300 Pink-footed Geese - flew SE over Hale Barns at 9.20am 200+ Woodpigeons - noticeable migrating flocks mainly flying high West 1 Grey Wagtail 2 Pied Wagtails 6 Lesser Redpolls 7 Chaffinches
Henry Cook said
Sat Nov 12 10:48 AM, 2011
12/11/2011 - 9.00-10.30am, glorious conditions and some decent viz-mig too:
11 Golden Plovers - flew south, a first for me here 1 Black-headed Gull 1 Grey Wagtail 2 Pied Wagtails 5 Skylarks 1 Jay 4 Starlings c60 Redwings 18 Fieldfares c40 Greenfinches c30 Chaffinches 2 Siskins 9 Redpoll sp.
Phil Owen said
Thu Nov 3 7:20 PM, 2011
Well done Henry!
I used to see Crossbills fairly regularly in the Pines on Brooks Drive in the late 70s/ early 80's when I cut my birding teeth with my old friend Peter Kemp who kindly pointed them out to me. A lifer as well at the time!
Sadly they disappeared totally from the area but nice to see one reported again even if it was a fly-over.
-- Edited by Phil Owen on Thursday 3rd of November 2011 07:21:35 PM
Henry Cook said
Thu Nov 3 3:51 PM, 2011
Hi Stuart. I picked up the Crossbill on call as it flew over. It was gone within seconds as it carried on it's migration. 'Viz-mig' is an abbreviation of 'visible migration'. I'm just lazy when it comes to typing all those extra letters! Henry.
Stuart Smith said
Thu Nov 3 3:48 PM, 2011
Looks like I picked the wrong day!
Did you see the crossbill or was it just flying above and you identified it by its call?
Also, what's vis-migging? I am not familiar with that term.
Henry Cook said
Thu Nov 3 3:45 PM, 2011
03/11/2011 - Did a bit of garden viz-migging as there seemed to be a fair few finches in particular flying south-west overhead this morning:
1 Crossbill - my first for the area, flew west at 9.35am 54 Chaffinches 12 Greenfinches 30+ Goldfinches - c20 have been feeding on ash seeds on the tree for the last week or so, totally ignoring the thistle seed layed out for them! Nice to see them eating wild foods like this though. 18 Pied Wagtails - 10 came down in the fields, largely male yarrelliis 2 Grey Wagtails 4 Skylarks 1 Meadow Pipit 1 Stock Dove c130 Redwings 3 Fieldfares - struggling for these so far this autumn here c40 Starlings 2 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Henry Cook said
Tue Nov 1 11:19 AM, 2011
01/11/2011 - 9-10.30am with Stuart Smtih. An unseanonably mild and beautiful day to be out but not much on the move this morning:
2 Common Buzzards 2 Kestrels 4 Common Snipes 2 Stock Doves c30 Redwings 7 Skylarks 2 Meadow Pipits
Henry Cook said
Sun Oct 30 7:05 PM, 2011
PM sent Stuart.
Stuart Smith said
Sun Oct 30 6:59 PM, 2011
Hi,
I live on Ashley Road and to be honest am very keen to explore this area. I am at best a keen and enthusiastic bird watcher with a reasonable knowledge but really do struggle in the correct identifications and knowing what to look for etc.
If any of you more experienced regulars would ever like to show me this patch and maybe help me, I'd be very keen to join you one day. I can assure you, I am not a serial killer, or even remotely likely to do anything as bad as use bad language - I am completely safe to be around!! I'd just welcome a bit of birdwatching with someone that knows what they are doing.
If anyone is able to help me, I would be much obliged. I guess I can be PMed.
Thanks SS
Henry Cook said
Sat Oct 29 5:00 PM, 2011
29/10/2011 - 2 Ravens this afternoon in the sheep fields
Henry Cook said
Fri Oct 28 8:05 PM, 2011
28/10/2011 - An interesting day on the patch with great late autumn weather fuelling some decent movements. All sightings viz-mig'd unless otherwise stated:
11 Buzzards - 7 flew through during the day all heading south at extremely high altitude, 4 locals 5 Sparrowhawks - 3 again flew south at high altitude 2 Kestrels - both local birds 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 Common Gulls 8 Song Thrushes 2 Mistle Thrushes c20 Fieldfares c190 Redwings 4 Meadow Pipits 7 Skylarks 4 Grey Watails 5 Pied Wagtails 14 Jays - 10 raucous locals, also 4 seemed to be flying at unusually high altitude for this species, migrating south-west 12 Greenfinches 40+ Chaffinches 1 Bullfinch 1 Reed Bunting
Henry Cook said
Tue Oct 25 2:39 PM, 2011
25/10/2011 - 300+ Pink-footed Geese flew over at 2.30pm heading west towards Hale+Altrincham.
Henry Cook said
Thu Oct 20 1:56 PM, 2011
20/10/2011 - Another Yellowhammer flew over heading SW this morning
Henry Cook said
Wed Oct 12 9:04 PM, 2011
12/10/2011 - Still rather a large amount of thrushes about and a late summer migrant through, undouted highlight though was a viz-migged rare (by very local standards) patch bird:
1 Teal 1 Common Snipe 2 Black-headed Gulls 1 Swallow 16 alba Wagtails 1 Grey Wagtail 7 Meadow Pipits 12 Redwings - flock of 9 over and 3 milling about 15+ Song Thrushes 30+ Blackbirds 11 Mistle Thrushes 2 Skylarks 1 Chiffchaff - still singing, not sure it will continue to warble when the first frost hits but that doesn't seem to be nearing just yet 1 Yellowhammer - flew low over calling twice, just the second patch record following on from a brief hard winter visit a couple of years back
Henry Cook said
Sun Oct 9 10:09 AM, 2011
09/10/2011 - 8-10am, Increase in Ravens and thrushes this morning:
2 Meadow Pipits - viz-mig finished already?! 1 Pied Wagtail 4 Redwings 6 Song Thrushes 14 Mistle Thrushes c30 Blackbirds 1 Chiffchaff - still singing 2 Ravens - showed well before departing towards the airport
Henry Cook said
Sat Oct 8 7:17 PM, 2011
08/10/2011 - Quiet this morning:
1 Common Gull 4 Meadow Pipits 1 Redwing 20+ Blackbirds - local influx 1 Chiffchaff 4 Goldcrests - foraging with roving tit flocks away from breeding site now 1 Raven - still present, feeding on sheep carcass 2 Reed Buntings
Henry Cook said
Fri Oct 7 11:21 AM, 2011
07/10/2011 - A real change of seasons in the birdlife this morning with both summer and winter birds present:
1 Common Snipe 30+ Meadow Pipits 7 Pied Wagtails 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Swallow - possibly the last of the autumn here 2 Redwings - first of the autumn here 22 Mistle Thrushes 2 Chiffchaffs 1 Raven
Henry Cook said
Mon Oct 3 9:15 AM, 2011
03/10/2011 - 7-9am: Good viz-mig this morning for one species in particular:
1 Common Gull 3 Black-headed Gulls 4 Grey Wagtails 4 Pied Wagtails 194 Meadow Pipits - Site record 2 Jays 3 Siskins 11 Greenfinches 3 Goldfinches 1 Chaffinch
also c200 Starlings in the sheep fields with good numbers of Woodpigeons (c400)
Henry Cook said
Wed Sep 21 9:35 AM, 2011
21/09/2011 - 1 Raven still calling by occasionally plus c60 Meadow Pipits over this morning
Henry Cook said
Mon Sep 19 10:35 AM, 2011
19/09/2011 - Viz-mig has been going strong all week. This morning, although nothing locally scarce/rare was seen, good numbers of birds and a brief spell of sun kept it interesting:
6 Grey Herons 2 Mallards 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls c30 Swallows - plus a handful of resident ones are still around the local nest site c400 Woodpigeons 5 Stock Doves 2 Grey Wagtails 1 Pied Wagtail c50 Meadow Pipits 34 Mistle Thrushes c110 Starlings 2 Siskins
Henry Cook said
Thu Sep 15 10:17 PM, 2011
15/09/2011 - Good viz-mig this morning once the fog burnt off. Species seen/heard flying over 7-8.30am:
1 Sand Martin c80 Swallows - through in one large flock 4 House Martins 3 Grey Wagtails 2 Pied Wagtails c40 Meadow Pipits 14 Siskins 2 Lesser Redpolls 1 Reed Bunting
also both Ravens still hanging around in the DG sheep fields.
Henry Cook said
Wed Sep 14 7:42 PM, 2011
c20 Pink-footed Geese over heading south at 6.10pm, the first of many this autumn I hope.
Henry Cook said
Wed Sep 14 10:31 AM, 2011
14/09/2011 - 2 Ravens this morning. Lots of carrion to keep them going, unfortunately for the sheep concerned.
Henry Cook said
Sun Sep 4 8:32 PM, 2011
04/09/2011 - 1 Grasshopper Warbler still present this morning, although not reeling now.
Henry Cook said
Fri Sep 2 10:46 AM, 2011
02/09/2011 - 8-10am: a good session by local standards produced:
1 Spotted Flycatcher - showed well in first sheep field on right off Buttery House Lane, only the 2nd site record in 10 years. 1 Redstart - female in same field as Flycatcher 2 Ravens 6 Swallows - both adult male and females still around, look to be going for a third brood
Henry Cook said
Sat Aug 27 4:56 PM, 2011
27/08/2011 - Quiet recently with small amounts of common hirundines and warblers passing through. This afternoon was a touch better:
2 Northern Wheatears (in the sheep fields) 2 Sand Martins (heading south) 30+ Swallows 3 Willow Warblers (in amongst a tit flock passing through the garden) 1 Little Owl 3 Buzzards
Henry Cook said
Sun Aug 14 9:23 PM, 2011
14/08/2011 - Approximately 420 corvids in the sheep fields this evening feeding up before going off to roost along Brooks Drive. They were made up of largely Jackdaws and Rooks.
Henry Cook said
Tue Aug 9 9:17 AM, 2011
09/08/2011 - Still 2 Grasshopper Warblers singing during the day of late. The competition from high numbers of other males might be the factor in forcing them to sing so much. Still low numbers of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around but other warblers have gone quiet or gone altogether.
Henry Cook said
Tue Aug 2 5:10 PM, 2011
02/08/2011 - A charm of approx. 110 Goldfinches were present in the Davenport Green sheep fields this afternoon. A thrilling sight as they moved around in a swirling, chattering flock to feed on the good crop of Creeping and Spear Thistles; these being the only plants the sheep refuse to eat!
Henry Cook said
Wed Jul 27 6:21 PM, 2011
27/07/2011 - Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk all showing signs of confirmed breeding recently which is good news. Also 43 Black-headed Gulls overhead this afternoon hawking flying ants. Mixed in were a few high altitude Common Swifts.
Just one woodpecker species short of the hatrick now locally. The trickiest one is still to be seen!
cheers geoff
Recently the Tawny Owls have been vocal with calls coming from the Shay Lane area in particular.
06/12/2011 - The ponds out in the fields have gone from largely empty to overflowing in the space of just 48 hours with all the rain. Not much on them as yet. It was a good morning out in the fields birdwise with the following seen:
1 Green Woodpecker - female, initially heard yaffling at top end of Buttery House Lane, later moved further into the fields and was seen well feeding in the largest sheep field. My first record here
1 Woodcock - first of the winter here
2 Grey Herons
2 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk
18 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c200 Woodpigeons - still in the area
1 Grey Wagtail
c50 Redwings
4 Fieldfares
5 Mistle Thrushes - getting territorial over the laden hawthorn bushes
30+ Blackbirds
1 Siskin
05/12/2011 - 2 Tawny Owls calling in the wind and rain along Shay Lane at 4.30pm.
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull - flew SW presumably towards the Rostherne roost
1 Tawny Owl
1 Mistle Thrush - singing
c60 Redwings
4 Lesser Redpolls
1 Cormorant - flew South
18 Canada Geese - flew North
1 Lapwing - flew West
2 Black-headed Gulls
c50 Magpies - in the roost
7 Pied Wagtails
2 Goldcrests
1 Redpoll sp.
c300 Pink-footed Geese - flew SE over Hale Barns at 9.20am
200+ Woodpigeons - noticeable migrating flocks mainly flying high West
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Pied Wagtails
6 Lesser Redpolls
7 Chaffinches
11 Golden Plovers - flew south, a first for me here
1 Black-headed Gull
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Pied Wagtails
5 Skylarks
1 Jay
4 Starlings
c60 Redwings
18 Fieldfares
c40 Greenfinches
c30 Chaffinches
2 Siskins
9 Redpoll sp.
I used to see Crossbills fairly regularly in the Pines on Brooks Drive in the late 70s/ early 80's when I cut my birding teeth with my old friend Peter Kemp who kindly pointed them out to me. A lifer as well at the time!
Sadly they disappeared totally from the area but nice to see one reported again even if it was a fly-over.
-- Edited by Phil Owen on Thursday 3rd of November 2011 07:21:35 PM
I picked up the Crossbill on call as it flew over. It was gone within seconds as it carried on it's migration. 'Viz-mig' is an abbreviation of 'visible migration'. I'm just lazy when it comes to typing all those extra letters!
Henry.
Did you see the crossbill or was it just flying above and you identified it by its call?
Also, what's vis-migging? I am not familiar with that term.
1 Crossbill - my first for the area, flew west at 9.35am
54 Chaffinches
12 Greenfinches
30+ Goldfinches - c20 have been feeding on ash seeds on the tree for the last week or so, totally ignoring the thistle seed layed out for them! Nice to see them eating wild foods like this though.
18 Pied Wagtails - 10 came down in the fields, largely male yarrelliis
2 Grey Wagtails
4 Skylarks
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Stock Dove
c130 Redwings
3 Fieldfares - struggling for these so far this autumn here
c40 Starlings
2 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Common Buzzards
2 Kestrels
4 Common Snipes
2 Stock Doves
c30 Redwings
7 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
I live on Ashley Road and to be honest am very keen to explore this area. I am at best a keen and enthusiastic bird watcher with a reasonable knowledge but really do struggle in the correct identifications and knowing what to look for etc.
If any of you more experienced regulars would ever like to show me this patch and maybe help me, I'd be very keen to join you one day. I can assure you, I am not a serial killer, or even remotely likely to do anything as bad as use bad language - I am completely safe to be around!! I'd just welcome a bit of birdwatching with someone that knows what they are doing.
If anyone is able to help me, I would be much obliged. I guess I can be PMed.
Thanks
SS
11 Buzzards - 7 flew through during the day all heading south at extremely high altitude, 4 locals
5 Sparrowhawks - 3 again flew south at high altitude
2 Kestrels - both local birds
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Common Gulls
8 Song Thrushes
2 Mistle Thrushes
c20 Fieldfares
c190 Redwings
4 Meadow Pipits
7 Skylarks
4 Grey Watails
5 Pied Wagtails
14 Jays - 10 raucous locals, also 4 seemed to be flying at unusually high altitude for this species, migrating south-west
12 Greenfinches
40+ Chaffinches
1 Bullfinch
1 Reed Bunting
1 Teal
1 Common Snipe
2 Black-headed Gulls
1 Swallow
16 alba Wagtails
1 Grey Wagtail
7 Meadow Pipits
12 Redwings - flock of 9 over and 3 milling about
15+ Song Thrushes
30+ Blackbirds
11 Mistle Thrushes
2 Skylarks
1 Chiffchaff - still singing, not sure it will continue to warble when the first frost hits but that doesn't seem to be nearing just yet
1 Yellowhammer - flew low over calling twice, just the second patch record following on from a brief hard winter visit a couple of years back
2 Meadow Pipits - viz-mig finished already?!
1 Pied Wagtail
4 Redwings
6 Song Thrushes
14 Mistle Thrushes
c30 Blackbirds
1 Chiffchaff - still singing
2 Ravens - showed well before departing towards the airport
1 Common Gull
4 Meadow Pipits
1 Redwing
20+ Blackbirds - local influx
1 Chiffchaff
4 Goldcrests - foraging with roving tit flocks away from breeding site now
1 Raven - still present, feeding on sheep carcass
2 Reed Buntings
1 Common Snipe
30+ Meadow Pipits
7 Pied Wagtails
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Swallow - possibly the last of the autumn here
2 Redwings - first of the autumn here
22 Mistle Thrushes
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Raven
1 Common Gull
3 Black-headed Gulls
4 Grey Wagtails
4 Pied Wagtails
194 Meadow Pipits - Site record
2 Jays
3 Siskins
11 Greenfinches
3 Goldfinches
1 Chaffinch
Non viz-mig sightings:
2 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Common Snipe
400+ Woodpigeons
3 Stock Doves
c180 Starlings
21 Mistle Thrushes
3 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting
Upto 500 Corvids in the local roost in recent days consisting largely of Jackdaws and Rooks.
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Monday 3rd of October 2011 09:18:37 AM
4 Mallards
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
3 Swallows
c30 Meadow Pipits
2 Grey Wagtails
6 Pied Wagtails
3 Mistle Thrushes
2 Lesser Redpolls
1 Siskin
2 Reed Buntings
1 Linnet
also 5 Chiffchaffs still in the area with 2 of them singing and the first Common Snipe of the autumn in the dried up marl pits.
2 Buzzards - high over heading SW
c120 Meadow Pipits
23 Swallows
6 Grey Wagtails
4 Pied Wagtails
8 Jackdaws
12 Siskins
2 Lesser Redpolls
4 Goldfinches
1 Linnet
also c200 Starlings in the sheep fields with good numbers of Woodpigeons (c400)
6 Grey Herons
2 Mallards
9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c30 Swallows - plus a handful of resident ones are still around the local nest site
c400 Woodpigeons
5 Stock Doves
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Pied Wagtail
c50 Meadow Pipits
34 Mistle Thrushes
c110 Starlings
2 Siskins
1 Sand Martin
c80 Swallows - through in one large flock
4 House Martins
3 Grey Wagtails
2 Pied Wagtails
c40 Meadow Pipits
14 Siskins
2 Lesser Redpolls
1 Reed Bunting
also both Ravens still hanging around in the DG sheep fields.
1 Spotted Flycatcher - showed well in first sheep field on right off Buttery House Lane, only the 2nd site record in 10 years.
1 Redstart - female in same field as Flycatcher
2 Ravens
6 Swallows - both adult male and females still around, look to be going for a third brood
2 Northern Wheatears (in the sheep fields)
2 Sand Martins (heading south)
30+ Swallows
3 Willow Warblers (in amongst a tit flock passing through the garden)
1 Little Owl
3 Buzzards