Can I remind those posting on this thread to include the actual location please.

The thread covers a large number of smaller sites within the larger 'mosslands' so being specific (down to Little Woolden , Astley, Chat etc, as I have had to edit three posts from earlier today which didn't even mention which part of the moss they were on and can cause some real confusion!) is necessary and its best not to rely on readers trying to assume locations or read through preceding posts to work it out.

Cheers

am

Chat Moss

37 Willow Warbler in song

3 Blackcap in song

4 Gadwall

2 Tufted Duck

2 Wheatear

12 Meadow Pipit

2 Grasshopper Warbler reeling

2 Oystercatcher

3 Yellowhammer

7 Swallow

4 Teal

Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve (+ Little Woolden Moss) showing a BTO volunteer around the area (they are carrying out a Wildfowl/Wader BBS this Year)

1 Spotted Redshank....

...then 'only' 2 other wader species....

3 Curlew...a RED DATA wader which may possibly disappear from the UK in a decade or so

2 Oystercatcher...an Amber Listed bird of conservation concern 

1 Tree Sparrow

3 Wheatear

10 Yellow Wagtail

5 Swallow

Had a mooch on Little Woolden Moss between 6:15 and 7:30 this evening. The spotted redshank was showing well on arrival with two redshank but no sign of the wood sandpiper. I saw two yellow wagtail and the trees were full of willow warbler and whitethroat song. I walked the length of the reserve with very little else showing but heard a very faint grasshopper warbler. On the way back the wood sandpiper had joined the redshanks.

Visited Little Woolden Moss for an hour 1pm -2pm this afternoon hoping to find the Spotted Redshank and very pleased to say it was still here. Sadly I couldn't find any other waders other than Curlew and Oystercatcher but not enough time so need to return.

Little Woolden Moss visit yesterday evening. Similar species to those reported, but can add Little Ringed Plover on pool nearest car park, and on newly ploughed field on Astley Road were 4 Yellowhammer, 2 Yellow Wagtail and 3 Meadow Pipit. 7.40pm.

Brief evening walk around Little Woolden Moss this evening before the rain set in. Spotted Redshank, Wood Sandpiper and 3 Greenshank still present on the eastern pools, as well as 2 Redshank, Oystercatcher, 'bubbling' Curlew, calling Mediterranean Gull, 3 Yellow Wagtails, Wheatear, 20 Sand Martins, 10 Swallows and a fine Redstart, vocal at times, along the footpath north of Ringing Pits Farm, c.50m south of the footbridge. 

am

Chat Moss

2 Mediterranean Gull

2 Grey Partridge

Little Woolden Moss + Nature Reserve

1 Spotted Redshank

1 Wood Sandpiper

3 Greenshank

1 Curlew

3 Grasshopper Warbler

3 Sedge Warbler

2 Snipe

2 Wheatear

1 Golden Plover

3 Oystercatcher

9 Yellow Wagtail

2 Mediterranean Gull

5 Swallow

2 Sand Martin

1 Peregrine

am Barton Moss...ahh how the prosaic side of Bird Watching gets in the way of Hot Spot Birdwatching but all areas need records if we are to possibly/maybe attempt to save the remnants of the birdlife that this site celebrates....the area to be checked today being earmarked to be removed from the Greenbelt and filled with a Truck Park of Warehouses...it was time once more to get some records in if only for posterity...or perhaps naming of the new road network with such esoteric names as...Yellow Wagtail Way...Skylark Avenue...Lapwing Road...noted included

4 Yellow Wagtail

5 Pairs of Lapwing

3 Yellowhammer

2 Snipe

2 Willow Warbler in Song

3 Swallow

4 Blackcap

8 Whitethroat

12 Skylark

Then onto the personally year long visited Little Woolden Moss LWT Nature Reserve and nice to discover...

1 Spotted Redshank happily feeding

1 Wood Sandpiper which I almost overlooked at first in the my finding of the previous and even rarer visitor

1 Marsh Harrier...female

2 Yellow Wagtail

2 Redshank

1 Curlew.

Also present this afternoon on and around Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve:

3 Greenshanks

Possible Merlin

What I thought was a Blue Headed Wagtail, but was probably Ian's Channel type.

Grasshopper Warbler and Curlew heard only out in the middle of the moss.

2 Mediterranean Gulls on ploughed fields just before Reserve.

Plenty of Wheatears, Lapwing, Yellow Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and roughly half the world population of Willow Warblers.

A few Swallows as well.

-- Edited by Rick Hall on Monday 26th of April 2021 07:35:46 PM

-- Edited by Rick Hall on Monday 26th of April 2021 07:36:31 PM

Wood Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank still present 5:30

Also a Four-spotted Chaser

Other highlights this morning included an apparent male Channel Wagtail, possibly the returning breeding male and a female Marsh Harrier.

Both wood sandpiper and spotted redshank still present. And surely one of these pipits is rare!

Adult Spotted Redshank and Wood Sandpiper currently on the eastern pools at Little Woolden Moss, access off Astley Road (crappy phone scoped shots).

am...WEST....prior to a meeting with 'The Friends of Little Woolden Moss Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve'...This Reserve on which  a Whole host of seemingly illiterate 'Dog wanderers.. Racing Cyclists'...and None Map readers' appear to be  unable to read the 'DOGS ON A LEAD ITS A NATURE RESERVE, NO CYCLING ITS A FOOTPATH ONLY' and this is the path to follow which DOES NOT circumnavigate the whole reserve SIGNAGE ....wander...I must say on a personal level I do meet MANY polite and decent people who do follow the CLEARLY VISIBLE INFORMATION SIGNS...

4 Whitethroat in song

34 Linnet

1 Curlew in display

11 Willow Warbler in Song

3 Yellow Wagtail...males

3 Swallow

2 White Wagtail

3 Oystercatcher

2 Greenshank

3 Redshank

5 Buzzard

2 Little Ringed Plover

4 Wheatear

2 Snipe

9 Sand Martin

2 Grasshopper Warbler reeling

1 Yellowhammer

1 Marsh Harrier...female.

+ a positive catch up with Pete Berry...as ever a good chat ensued...!

Chat and Little Woolden moss 6.30 - 12.30 this morning.

Hobby over Croxdens heading NW.

3 Redshank.

2 Common sandpiper.

2  Little ringed plovers.

2 Oystercatcher.

Snipe.

Curlew.

Mediterranean Gull.

5 Yellow wagtails.

3 White wagtails.

3 Wheatear.

2 Grey partridge.

Blackcap.

2 Grasshopper warblers. 

10 Whitethroat.

Willow warblers everywhere.

9 Buzzards.

Kestrel.

Shame about the dogs off the lead on the nature reserve and the never ending fly tipping.

Midday Visit after Woolston Eyes..

Little Woolden Moss LWT Nature Reserve (West)

2 Grasshopper Warbler...Reeling

1 Oystercatcher

1 Curlew in Display

3 Yellow Wagtail

1 Yellowhammer

1 Swallow

8 Buzzard

1 Hobby...paid a brief visit then moved off North @ 1307...the worst ever record shot attached...

A wander to check on the ever declining Lapwing out on Chat/Barton Moss

54 Willow Warbler

2 Chiffchaff

4 Blackcap

3 Yellowhammer

1 Curlew

1 Oystercatcher

3 Whitethroat

24 Lapwing

1 Snipe

7 Wheatear

2 Yellow Wagtail

2 Gadwall

4 Tufted Duck

2 Grey Partridge

Then a bit of R and R at East end of LWMNR

3 Yellow Wagtail

1 Redshank

1 Whitethroat

1 Curlew

9 Buzzard

14 Meadow Pipit.

Little Woolden Moss this morning

Black-tailed Godwit 3 over > east at 10.22
Little ringed Plover 4
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 2
Curlew 2
Marsh Harrier 2 (m & f)
Yellow Wagtail 2
White Wagtail 5

Chat Moss after Woolston

24 Lapwing...showing the precarious breeding seasons these birds endure...12  in display over a recently ploughed field as they have to restart their Breeding season after losing their nests on this erstwhile Stubble Field whilst the other 12 on a nearby field were protecting their recently hatched young on this stubble field that has yet to be ploughed...the more than suitable Croxden Site which could support Breeding Ground Nesting birds is alas lost to Dog walkers and off road bikes....no one yet seems to grasp that whilst they and their Dogs  can seemingly wander wherever they wish...the likes of the Lapwing are limited to specific habitat...they can't nest on the local park....

2 Mediterranean Gull

5 Teal

5 Wheatear

1 Oystercatcher

2 Tufted Duck

4 Bullfinch

3 Whitethroat

21 Willow Warbler

2 Grey Partridge

Dave Steel wrote:

---

In reply to Richard Thew...apologies for my delay in replying...

 

-- Edited by Dave Steel on Tuesday 20th of April 2021 11:31:05 PM

---

am

Chat Moss

30 Lapwing....some with young

12 Wheatear

4 Yellow Wagtail

Little Woolden Moss West Carbon Landscape Breeding Bird Survey 1 of 3 included

2 Curlew in display

2 Redshank

1 Little Ringed Plover

4 Lesser Redpoll

90 Sand Martin

4 Grey Partridge

34 Meadow Pipit

7 Reed Bunting

5 Yellow Wagtail

1 Wheatear

13 Willow Warbler

2 Oystercatcher

32 House Sparrow

4 Tree Sparrow

16 Lapwing.

Little Woolden Moss West am

3 Yellow Wagtail

4 Wheatear

2 Swallow

4 Grey Partridge

1 Grey Wagtail

15 Skylark

14 Meadow Pipit

16 Linnet

30 Lapwing including 2 family parties with small young

1 Oystercatcher

4 Tree Sparrow

35 House Sparrow

2 Goldcrest in song

5 Sand Martin.

In reply to Richard Thew...apologies for my delay in replying...

Croxden is a term I use for the ex-peat milling site which covers approximately 110 Hectares of land on Chat Moss...when I was a lad my first visit to the site  in the early 60's

it was a haven for wildlife..it even had breeding Whinchat!

Moving on in the 90's the dreadful decision to mill peat was given and all that wildlife rare inland raised peat bog was virtually destroyed...when the renewal for further destruction was made after the initial permissions to Mill the Peat ran out...there was a campaign to stop this....our wonderful local MP Barbara Keeley and such as the superb Lancashire Wildlife Trust joined this campaign and it was taken to a hearing...held at Leigh Sports Centre (or whatever its called!) and the inspector took our statements...this enquiry lasting a week or so as I recall was then passed to Eric Pickles the then Environment minister...and he decided in our favour  and the milling was stopped...moving on rather sadly (and I make no comment here) the hope that this site would be restored and sold to a 'wildlife organisation' was ...it appears 'blocked'...it is has now mostly been taken over by dog walkers and off roads bikers denying such as Curlew/Lapwing/Meadow Pipit and more a chance to regain the site....

but simply put this is Field Number 65 on my rather randomly numbered map of the Moss...made for my own personal records but now happily shared by such as this site...

The pool on which the Great (White) Egret was only formed in the past few years when ditches were blocked it lies in the west of the site...

Dave.

 NB 'Croxden' was how I labelled this site when first passing my records to the previous recorder...simply basing this naming upon the fact that the Peat Extractors at the time...who had a cut and stack approach to the Peat Extraction were called 'Croxden Horticulture'...later Sinclair's I believe took over 

Highlights from Astley Moss today:

Male Wheatear in field 67

Grey Partridge in field 67

23 singing Willow Warblers around the SSSI

Pair of Nuthatch in Rindle Wood

One (seen twice) or two Ravens

10 Linnet in one flock

Richard Thew wrote:

Out of interest, Where is Croxdens please? 

 There is a site guide and map with field numbers and Croxdens on the website Richard.

The Croxdens area is the old peat workings on Chat Moss - from the junction of Twelve Yards Road and Cutnook Lane walk north along the track for c200 yards, then turn left along the track for c300 yards to view the pools on the north side of the track

Paul Wilkins wrote:

---

Great White Egret still at Croxdens this afternoon. Also, at least one Mediterranean Gull.

---

AM

Chat Moss

1 Goldcrest in song

4 Chiffchaff in song

3 Blackcap in song

26 Willow Warbler in song

3 Oystercatcher

1 Lesser Redpoll in Display Flight

1 Peregrine

1 Golden Plover Flying over @ 0714

2 Yellowhammer

2 Tree Sparrow

7 Yellow Wagtail

26 Lapwing

1 Great White Egret

4 Tufted Duck

4 Gadwall

8 Teal 

1 Green Sandpiper

5 Wheatear

Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve East

3 Redshank

8 Willow Warbler in song

1 Whitethroat in song

Astley Moss Breeding Bird Survey 1 of 3 

1 Marsh Harrier flying over  0840

24 Willow Warbler in song

3 Chiffchaff in song

2 Mediterranean Gull

2 Oystercatcher

am

Chat Moss

6 Stock Dove

3 Yellow Wagtail

26 Lapwing

7 Wheatear

18 Skylark

35 Willow Warbler

1 Great White Egret

1 Mediterranean Gull

12 Common Gull

2 Tufted Duck

3 Teal

1 Little Grebe...trilling

2 Snipe

4 Gadwall

1 Oystercatcher

2 Curlew

4 Yellowhammer

2 Raven

...all the above and more will be recorded and sent to the County Recorder and the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit...to increase the total of such records sent so far this year (2021) by me to 5180...and counting...I am hoping that the increase in footfall by other birdwatchers noted today will add their personal records noted today alongside their own patches...I am fully aware that the powers that be who shape 'development' throughout GM seemingly ignore such records when they turn on the concrete mixers...BUT if WE do not at least try to defend the areas in which our birds and wildlife attempt to survive...then why turn out to birdwatch anywhere at all....

Also present on Croxdens were at least 3 Yellow Wagtail .
2 Mediterranean Gull ( mediteranean gulls found by other birders).
Lapwing 11.
Grey Heron 1.
Teal 2.
Swallow 2.

Great White Egret still present on the large open pools on Croxdens,but can be elusive in amongst the central small birch saplings.

Great white egret still present at Croxdens now. Duff phone/binned record shot:

Great white egret is still present on Coxdens, Chat Moss.

Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve after Woolston

1 Common Sandpiper

1 Ruff

3 Little Ringed Plover

1 Oystercatcher

14 White Wagtail

1 Yellow Wagtail

3 Kestrel

3 Redshank

Chat Moss

2 Yellow Wagtail

4 Wheatear

Little Woolden Moss Nature reserve East

2 Mediterranean Gull

170 Black-Headed Gull

2 Redshank

1 Curlew in Display

2 Little Ringed plover

32 Meadow Pipit

21 Linnet

3 Swallow

4 Sand Martin

2 White Wagtail

3 Oystercatcher

3 Yellow Wagtail

2 Kestrel.

Male Ring Ouzel in field 69 on Astley Moss at 8:30 this morning