2-30pm

Raven on the Moss today, landed in the trees along the SE boundary.

2-3.00pm

Two Short-eared Owls on the moss this afternoon.

2-3.00pm

Male Hen Harrier showed briefly a couple of times and a Short-eared Owl hunted the moss for half an hour before I left.

14.30-16.00

1 second winter male Hen Harrier hunting the moss and then in aerial combat with an immature Peregrine, which chased the harrier off the moss.

The harrier returned later mobbed by 5 crows. Also 4 Lesser Redpoll.

2 Short-eared Owls this evening. Both came up in the far west corner and were forced high by passing corvids which mobbed them. Otherwise they could easily have hopped over the trees and out of the reserve unobserved.

2 Tawny Owls vocal and mobile behind the tower.

10 Woodcock, 18 Snipe, 3 Willow Tit, 3 Coal Tit, Nuthatch, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, 12 Fieldfares, 1 Redwing and 365+ Jackdaws over (quiet night for corvids)

Yesterday late afternoon with Pete Hilton and Dave Beetham.

6 Woodcock, 21 Snipe, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Buzzard. Very quiet - looks like the owls have probably moved on.

Yesterday 3.30-4.45pm with Martyn Jones & Dave Beetham

No owls tonight, and not many Common Snipe, but we did manage nine Woodcock, largest count so far this winter. Four Yellowhammers came in to roost too.

-- Edited by Jonathan Platt on Wednesday 19th of December 2012 08:44:25 AM

The last few hours of saturday afternoon was an attempt to salvage something from a disaster visit to Richmond Bank, and thanks to the keen eyes of the locals the last 30 mins of daylight produced:
1 Short Eared Owl chased off by crows into the sunset
2-4 Woodcock
1 Merlin
3 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk took a Blackbird

2.00-3.00pm

Fantastic views of a Short-eared Owl quartering the moss in the winter sunshine this afternoon. Daytime views of Shorties are rare here as corvids invariably mob them heavily, but over the last few weeks the pre-roost corvid gathering on the moss has declined steeply. If this trend continues maybe we'll be treated to more afternoon owls?

A female Peregrine flew over the moss yesterday and eight Redpolls circled the watchpoint before heading off west - sadly the largest flock I've seen here for some time. Today there were several Siskins calling from the trees as I walked down to the watchpoint, though I failed to find them.

Jonathan Platt wrote:

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3.30-4.50 with Mike Baron

2 Short-eared Owls
7 Woodcock
10 Snipe

I missed the first Shorty which flew into the moss from Rixton around 3.30pm. The second bird flew over the watchpoint when it was almost too dark to see. Two skeins of Pinkfeet flew NW, one of 150(?) before I arrived, the other c90 geese around 3.50pm. Several yellowhammers came in to roost too.

-- Edited by Jonathan Platt on Wednesday 12th of December 2012 07:37:30 AM

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The first skein of PfGeese was 250+ over at 15:20. Also 3 Goldcrests and 3 Yellowhammers plus Sparrowhawk.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 12th of December 2012 08:20:50 AM

3.30-4.50 with Mike Baron

2 Short-eared Owls
7 Woodcock
10 Snipe

I missed the first Shorty which flew into the moss from Rixton around 3.30pm. The second bird flew over the watchpoint when it was almost too dark to see. Two skeins of Pinkfeet flew NW, one of 150(?) before I arrived, the other c90 geese around 3.50pm. Several yellowhammers came in to roost too.

-- Edited by Jonathan Platt on Wednesday 12th of December 2012 07:37:30 AM

Yesterday (28th) - 3.30-5.10pm

2 Short-eared Owls
1 Tawny Owl calling
19 Snipe
6 Woodcock under a real November 'Woodcock Moon'!

120 Pinkfeet flew over on Tuesday around 2.30pm. The Lady Lane Little Owl has been seen several times this week too.

09.30-12.00
Woodland hide
2xgs woodpecker
2xjay
Various tits
Single robin
3xchaffinch
Magpie
Viewing tower closed for maintenance
f Sparrowhawk flushed by ranger
Buzzard
V corvids
4xteal
2xcanada geese
Not a sausage at the other hide
cheers Jay

13+ Waxwings flycatching over work this evening (Risley Road, not far from the Moss).

Risley Moss - 4.00-5.10pm

Two Short-eared Owls lifted from the Moss and flew over the boundary towards Rixton
17+ Snipe heard
4 Woodcock
1 Yellowhammer came in to roost

We (Dave Beetham and I) also had a third owl which appeared briefly over the far bank of the first pool before disappearing into trees over by the southern boundary. Too dark to ID but was quite possibly a Long-eared Owl.

4.45-5.50pm

Two Short-eared Owls were mobbed relentlessly when they rose from the moss, the corvids driving them higher into the sky until they drifted off to surrounding farmland. At least seventeen Common Snipe flew out from the moss as darkness closed in, but only a single Woodcock appeared. Just before we left, two Tawny Owls were calling from the wood.

2-3.00pm

Four Swallows today, along with the first real numbers of Fieldfare - several flocks flew through numbering between 20-50. Smaller numbers of Redwing too. Raptors have been few and far between this week as it's not been exactly perfect thermalling weather, but two Buzzards were floating around at tree height over the moss.

2-3.00pm

Two Swallows at the moss today, in fact I had the two birds and five Redwings in the same scope view at one point!

2.00-3.00pm

Hardly a raptor around today, just singles of Kestrel and Buzzard. A number of Redwing had arrived however and were feeding somewhere beyond the landfill. Difficult to say how many, all we could see were small parties rising above the trees occasionally - 20-40 perhaps. 50+ Skylarks moved through south-west, 150 Lapwings kept flushing from farmland to the east, and just before I left 300 or so Pinkfeet flew over heading south-east.

-- Edited by Jonathan Platt on Thursday 18th of October 2012 08:26:58 PM

2-3.00pm

A Merlin was buzzing a Peregrine over the moss this afternoon. Plenty of Buzzards around plus a few Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel. The thunder and lightening flushed 30-40 Teal off the pools. A calling Siskin flew over just before I left.

10.00-12.00

1 Red Kite flying North, 1 juvenile Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, single flock of 160 Lapwings, 2 flocks of Snipe (13 + 4), 1 female Tufted Duck plus the usual corvids, tits etc.

14:00-16.00

6 Fieldfares flying SE, 1 juv Sparrowhawk low over the moss, plus a steady trickle of Swallows and House Martins heading South.

late pm
Hobby-2
Common Buzzard-8
Sparrowhawk-2

3 Hobbies this morning, also 2 Buzzards and 2 Sparrowhawks.

Three Hobbies have been showing really well this week, coming very close on occasions. Lots of Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks around too, and a light passage of Meadow Pipits over this afternoon.

pm
Hobby -3 (2 adult and 1 juv)
sparrowhawk-2
Common Buzzard-2
Teal-5

chrisdorney wrote:

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Very quiet really but birds present included
Hobby(distant most of the time but perched a couple of times and seen fairly close eating a dragonfly)
Siskin
Linnet
Yellowhammer
Kestrel
Buzzard
Bullfinch
And thanks to John tymon black darter and emerald damselfly aswell.thanks John!

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No probs Chris :) nice to have a chat :)

Very quiet really but birds present included
Hobby(distant most of the time but perched a couple of times and seen fairly close eating a dragonfly)
Siskin
Linnet
Yellowhammer
Kestrel
Buzzard
Bullfinch
And thanks to John tymon black darter and emerald damselfly aswell.thanks John!

Late pm-Only things of note
1 Hobby(the regulars had 2 most of the day an adult and an imm)
common Buzzard - 3
Yellowhammer-2

One of the wardens out on the moss flushed a Bittern at 3.15pm today. It flew SW to NE across the front of the watchpoint, giving excellent views. It dropped in again in the NE corner of the moss. It was seen yesterday by Pete Hilton around the same time.

A hobby was also present.

One each of Hobby, Kestrel and Buzzard from Tower late morning

Just down the road - 3 Oystercatcher circling round the Birchwood business park

Early afternoon

2 Hobbies, 3 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel and 1 Sparrowhawk.

10am-14.30

1 pair of hobby's trying to pass food in mid-air.
No cranes

Quick visit to Risley today 10.45-13.30

2 Hobby's feeding on Dragonflys
2 Common Crane dropped in 11.15 till 11.45 then headed North East

Glad I popped out today!

Jonathan Platt wrote:

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Three hobbies at the moss at dinner time, plus a cuckoo.

---

I missed the cuckoo but saw two Hobbies just after lunch - looked like they were catching plenty of insects and eating them on the wing - and I saw a very off white looking GSW in the woods

Three hobbies at the moss at dinner time, plus a cuckoo.

The cranes left the moss just after 5.00pm and headed towards Rixton Moss. Just before they disappeared behind the pine trees to the south they set their wings and appeared to be planing down. Unfortuantely I had to return to work so couldn't check Rixton. Hopefully they will return to the moss to roost as they did ten days ago apparently (I was in Cumbria at the time so failed to see them at all!)

A short-eared owl was also seen on the moss this afternoon.

The 2 Cranes have just left Risley and may have dropped down onto Rixton Moss though trees obscured the view.

Info thanks to Jonathon Platt

2 Common Cranes at Risley Moss currently (2:15pm) viewable out on the middle of the moss.

Info thanks to Jonathon Platt

Thanks Jonathan, Cranes currently viewable west of junction of woodend and holybush lanes rixton. These are private rds but public footpath.

-- Edited by David Spencer on Tuesday 24th of April 2012 07:21:51 PM

-- Edited by David Spencer on Tuesday 24th of April 2012 07:22:05 PM

Found a stonking male hen harrier on the moss at 2.30pm, gave great views to the regulars before being chased off by crows. Flew off in a NE direction - next stop Astley Moss perhaps?

Joe Wynn wrote:

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Pete Welch wrote:

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Good selection of woodland birds from the hide this lunchtime, including:

Willow Tit [can't remember seeing them here before]
Coal Tit
Yellowhammer
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Nuthatch [at least 4]
Great Spotted Woodpecker [at least four, one of which was ringed]
Bullfinch [2 male, 1 female]
plus all the more normal tits and finches.

Lots of behaviour that suggested pairing off and defending territory.

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Pete, were the yellowhammer feeding at the hide?!?!

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One female Joe - really lovely markings - I have seen males there in the past. They tend to feed under the seed table to the right of the hide. pm me an email address if you like and I'll send you a photo or two ;)

Pete Welch wrote:

---

Good selection of woodland birds from the hide this lunchtime, including:

Willow Tit [can't remember seeing them here before]
Coal Tit
Yellowhammer
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Nuthatch [at least 4]
Great Spotted Woodpecker [at least four, one of which was ringed]
Bullfinch [2 male, 1 female]
plus all the more normal tits and finches.

Lots of behaviour that suggested pairing off and defending territory.

---

Pete, were the yellowhammer feeding at the hide?!?!

Good selection of woodland birds from the hide this lunchtime, including:

Willow Tit [can't remember seeing them here before]
Coal Tit
Yellowhammer
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Nuthatch [at least 4]
Great Spotted Woodpecker [at least four, one of which was ringed]
Bullfinch [2 male, 1 female]
plus all the more normal tits and finches.

Lots of behaviour that suggested pairing off and defending territory.

Late post for Sunday evening ,approx 17:45 ..
Very misty and murky , however..
6 woodcock over tower,
2 tawny owls calling ,
3 snipe .

Cheers Chris

Nice late afternoon session with Brian Baird

5 Short-eared Owls
2 Tawny Owls calling
21 Snipe
10 Woodcock
1 Sparrowhawk

At least four, possibly up to six short-eared owls this evening. Also a couple of buzzards, a sparrowhawk and five woodcock. Two ravens flew over when I was there at lunchtime, one of them spent an hour perched in the belt of trees at the south end of the moss.

Two short-eared owls, two sparrowhawks, a buzzard, a kestrel, nine woodcock and thirteen snipe tonight with Mike Baron.

50+ Goldfinch around Birchwood Park today

Two short-eared owls this evening, plus half a dozen woodcock, several snipe and a calling tawny owl in the wood