Mon March 4th 07.15 - 09.30 hrs.

Found breeding plumaged male Golden Plover, only about 40yd off path on Gtr Manchester side ...... about a mile onto moor.
Others calling but more distant from path.
Plenty of Red Grouse .... flushed 2 next to road when I climbed over the stile.

Roger.

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Monday 4th of March 2013 10:48:05 AM

In the snow and ice this morning!

Golden Plover (one showy male and several others calling)
Red Grouse
Raven

Still hat and gloves weather up there !

Up on the moor for an hour early this morning for a proper look - minus 1C

At least 4 Golden Plover on the Greater Manchester side of the Pennine Way - plenty of calling and some singing.

Plenty of Red Grouse as usual.

Nice one Steve.
first I've heard of this year. will have to make an early trip up.

Saddleworth Moor - 15.00:

stopped briefly at the car park on the county boundary on A635 for a scan of the moor.

One splendid male Golden Plover in full breeding plumage just inside Greater Manchester

Where abouts is this sorry? I live in carrbrook

Male Merlin Flying by the side of Huddersfield Road near Albion Foarm this morning at 07.45am

Sunday 24th Feb. 07.15 hrs - 08.00 hrs.

Springhead. Oldham.

33 Waxwing perching (in tall tree on a bit of spare ground) on Bracken Close ....... dropping down to feed on a large Cotoneaster in a side garden on Beechfield Close.

Still there when I left.

I parked on Springhill Road and walked up a side passage (past the Cotoneaster) ....... still plenty of berries left.

Thanks for posting these Andy.

Roger.

70 Wawings on Hillspring Road, Springhead yesterday
35 Waxwings today

Sun 17/02: an hour on Saddleworth Moor just after dawn - freezing cold with quite a bit of snow still lying.

Plenty of Red Grouse displaying - Ptarmigan would have been more appropriate for the conditions.

Only other bird on the tops was a lone small passerine with a bounding flight heading W. Initial thoughts of Snow Bunting soon dispelled

Female Mandarin on Diggle duck pond this morning-still there at 1130hrs.

also 2 Moorhen and c60 Mallard

Female mandarin still on Diggle pond this morning...after a gap of a few days...not much else about.

Greenfield and Royal George
Sunday 30th Dec.
9 Heron Roosting in Field opposite Royal George
3 Dipper on the River all singing, one ringed
50-60 Long Tailed Tits in 2 seperate groups
4 Siskin feeding on Alders next to the canal adjacent to the Sewage Works
15 Goldfinch with the Siskin
3 Cormorants

Female Mandarin duck on Diggle duck pond - a new one for the Diggle list!

Female merlin flew over Huddersfield road at the albion farm cafe Delph this afternoon

Ladcastle Road, Dobcross

Garden Warbler (found by Andy Platt) A Saddleworth rarity eventually showed well after 90 minutes of frustration.
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
15 Long-tailed Tit

Saturday 19th May. 08.15 hrs.

Kiln Green.

7 Linnets (all male) on a fence + 6 over.

Roger

My first Swallow of the year 480 metres above sea level on Broadhead Moss - temp 1 degree C

Also, Red Grouse, Meadow Pipits and a couple of Golden Plover (one singing!)

Steve

Delph

Late news from yesterday (Phil Kenyon)

Chiffchaff singing at 9am in Delph.

A rather wet walk on the canal from Uppermill to Standedge tunnel and back this morning.

Loads of Canada Geese and Mallard.
1 Jay
Pair of Bullfinches in the park near Diggle
1 lone Lapwing
Numerous Blue and Great Tits

Spent a good five minutes watching a pair of Long Tailed Tits literally just a couple of feet from us. The wife was impressed at how "Cute" they were

Just remembered 1 Nuthatch.

-- Edited by Dave Colton on Sunday 4th of March 2012 03:09:10 PM

A rather crazy hour or so bog-trotting on the moor with Stephen Young. We were supposed to be checking out likely wader breeding sites for a survey later this spring, but the low cloud meant we could hardly see the next peaty morass

Only birds present were Golden Plover and Red Grouse - and we only heard most of them!

Steve

Tempted by Geoff Eldridge's sightings above Piethorne, thought I'd check Saddleworth Moor for Golden Plover this morning.

Pheasants sunbathing on roadside walls all the way up to the moor, but the on the tops conditions were still arctic. Nothing about but Red Grouse.

Steve

Kingfisher on Huddersfield Canal, Diggle nr ward lane this morning.

stuartherring wrote:

---

you are usually guaranteed dipper on the river through greenfield you were very unlucky

---

Thanks! I will remind my sister of that next time we go for a wlk out that way.:)

2 Whinchat on Dark Lane just below Heights. 2 GOldcrest in trees at junction of Heights Lane and dark Lane. Before we went to the pub!!!

you are usually guaranteed dipper on the river through greenfield you were very unlucky

Apologies if this is the wrong thread, but I couldn't find a pure Uppermill topic

18th September 12:00 - 13:45
walk along the River Tame and the Canal from the centre of Uppermill to the Brownhill Countryside centre (closed for the day), over towards Dobcross and then back down the donkey track and along the canal towards the big Tesco , before turning back towards Uppermill.

2 Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Blue Tit, Great Tit, 3 Goldfinch - all on the feeders at Brownhill

pr Canada Geese, 100+ Mallard - all on the canal

Plenty of Robins and Long-tailed tits calling from the woods and hedges en-route

Grey Wagtail - on the River Tame

Up on the hills in the distance (pots and pans)
- 1 Buzzard circling high above the hill
-10+ Swallow
- lots of Crows and Jackdaws

As with all other visits to the area and Dovestones this year, I totally failed in my quest to find a Dipper. :(

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Sunday 18th of September 2011 07:13:46 PM

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Sunday 18th of September 2011 07:14:58 PM

27th June - am.

Slackcote area.

A few calling Siskins flying over this morning.

Also, Lesser Redpoll, Buzzard, Nuthatch, Stock Dove, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting.

A pair of Pied Wagtails and a single Mistle Thrush were seen collecting and carrying food. Fledged Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws. Fledged Goldfinch and Greenfinch. Swallows and House Martins also active. Dunnock nest building.

Cheers,

Bill.

I've just got hold of a copy of " The Birds of Saddleworth" published in 1975 which states that only one Canada Goose had ever been seen in the area until 4 pairs were introduced in 1973.

Will we have flocks of several hundred Pintail/Muscovy hybrids all over Greater Manchester in 30 years time?

Steve

The escaped pintail has now been joined by a female muscovy duck. Must be feral duck season on Diggle pond!

Escaped Pintail still on Diggle duck pond. Has black plastic ring on right leg 619 AVF.

9:15 am Male Pintail on Diggle pond!!!

Diggle Brook - off Ward Lane - Moorhen and 6 juveniles.

Linnet -2 below Pots n Pans. No Little Owl in area after much scanning.

Diglea - Wheatear

New Years Bridge res - Canada Goose - 3 goslings

Denshaw - 3 House Martins in vicinity of last years colony

Wharmton Hill 1800

At least 40 Golden Plover in field to the west of the mast.

Wharmton Hill 09.30 Monday: 12 Golden Plover - presumably on migration.
Also 1 Whitchat, 3 linnet, 3 wheatear, 1 buzzard, 1 Green woodpecker plus lots of jackdaws, magpies and crows as usual.

Dave S

First Blackcap in Delph on 21st April and one heard at Thurston Clough on 22nd (courtesy of Tony Mather)

Hull Lodge - Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat seen and heard at 1600 today

Buzzard being mobbed by 4 crows as it flew along Wharmton Hill - heading towards Grasscroft - approx 12.30

Early morning Atlas recce visit to Saddleworth Moor:

2 male Wheatear on county boundary
pair Golden Plover
Red Grouse (at least a dozen)
calling Red-legged Partridge
Curlew, Mipits, Skylarks and a solitary Pied Wagtail.

also: Mountain Hare

Steve

Dragged away from the DIY by the gorgeous spring weather

Running Hill Gate and Broadstone Hill:

Several pairs of Lapwing & Curlew displaying,
Skylarks & Meadow Pipits singing like mad,
2 Raven over
1 Hare.

Enjoyed the stroll, and the views, so much I went to meet my "better half" and did the same walk again with her after lunch! Added Snipe and distantly-calling Golden Plover in the afternoon.

Steve

first chiff chaff of the year at the old station house freizland 7.30 am

2 Curlew and 3 Tufted Duck from Tame Lane, Slackcote

Brief walk along the River Tame at Slackcote late morning.

2 Dipper in display flight.
Greenfinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Robin

28th February.

A lovely visit to Denshaw and Slackcote this afternoon in the excellent company of Maggie and Pat Culkin.

Highlights- 1 redhead Goosander, 1 Male Reed Bunting and a lovely male Stonechat found by Maggie.

Also 2 Stock Dove, 2 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c60 Starling, c100 Jackdaw and very large but distant and stretched out flock of Fieldfare - several hundred but impossible to count reasonably accurately.

Cheers,

Bill.

23rd January.

At Slackcote this afternoon - excellent views of a Green Woodpecker. Also a pair of Dippers.

Cheers,

Bill.

14th January.

Song Thrush singing near Slackcote this morning - the first I have heard this year. Also Mistle Thrush singing - welcome signs that the breeding season is just around the corner.

Also 8 Stock Doves in same general area on 9th. Also on same date - mixed flock of c35 finches near Denshaw - roughly c30 Greenfinch and c5 Goldfinch.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Friday 14th of January 2011 02:06:51 PM

On Diggle 'duck pond' on Sunday 2nd January - 5 goosanders & 9 ( 6 male; 3 female)on Monday 3rd. Its the first time I've seen them on this pond & they didn't seem as wary as birds I've seen locally on the canal i.e. they didn't fly off or move away at the first sign of disturbance close-by! Smart looking birds.

Running Hill Lane 1810-1915

3 Wheatear
2 Curlew
13 Mistle Thrush
Pheasant
2 Kestrel

two golden plover and five ravens on Saddleworth Moor yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.

walk from uppermill to pots and pans produced a large number of lapwing, at least 4 curlew, 5 LBB Gulls heading towards Castleshaw, meadow pipit, skylark and possible twite (flyby with no bins ).

cuckoo heard calling near tanners dam greenfield on friday afternoon (reported by a askew)