-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 4th of October 2020 02:02:07 PM
Dave Steel said
Sat Oct 3 4:34 PM, 2020
A morning wander in the rain...0910-1320
Irlam Moss
53 Pied Wagtail
72 Starling
9 Mistle Thrush
24 House Sparrow
1 Snipe
22 Meadow Pipit
1 Stonechat
Cadishead Moss....so 'nice' to see one of the custodians of the countryside doing his level best to destroy ALL the habitat in which birds can try to survive...ditches reamed out to an inch of their lives...field edges ploughed as close as possible to the ditches.....yes it certainly looks NEAT...bit like Oliver Twists Bowl...completely cleaned out of (wildlife) food!
14 Skylark
12 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear.
35 Pied Wagtail
18 Swallow...one of these...a young bird in flying low over ploughed field was driven to the ground and then attacked by several Pied Wagtail...needless to say I flushed these and the Swallow eventually took off...OK do not intervene in nature is the word...but this seemed a senseless act by the Pied Wagtails (in my opinion)...and I am aware of how aggressive they can be but in this case I felt the Swallows survival was paramount.
8 Grey Partridge.
Little Woolden Moss...by now it was driving rain..
An amendment to my original post. Mistakenly wrote Golden Plover instead of Grey Plover!
1 Grey Plover - flushed by female Sparrowhawk and flew off NW 7 Snipe 1 Sparrowhawk- female 2 Stonechat 5 Grey Partridge
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 3rd of October 2020 05:25:01 PM
Dave Steel said
Fri Oct 2 8:13 PM, 2020
Chat Moss
2 Chiffchaff
21 Mistle Thrush
16 Stock Dove
2 Raven
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
21 Meadow Pipit
46 Skylark
16 Golden Plover flying over...fortunately one called...FRH eternal and grateful memories 'learn the calls'...ALWAYS pays off!
38 Linnet
3 Snipe
21 Starling
1 Pink-Footed Goose @ 1010
16 Pink-Footed Geese @1020
1 Stonechat
Little Woolden Moss
205 Skylark
22 Meadow Pipit
1 Snipe
10 Pied Wagtail
44 House Sparrow
2 Stonechat
146 Linnet
2 Siskin.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Oct 2 6:17 PM, 2020
Little Woolden Moss this early afternoon:
A super skein of 930 Pink-footed Geese milling quite low around Chat Moss (viewed from LWMoss) as I arrived at 13:20 could well have come up off the ground but they circled couple of times then made their way off NW towards the Ribble in two and later what looked like three, skeins. Twenty minutes later a skein of 70 flew over NW way off to the north of the moss and even later a lone bird flew over low east calling continuously.
1 Wheatear
1 juvenile Marsh Harrier over the eastern side of the moss flew off east towards Croxdens
4 Redwing...flighty and soon flew off towards Botany Bay Woods
1 Siskin
2 House Martin
4 Swallow
2 Snipe.
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 26 8:52 PM, 2020
Irlam Moss
58 Pied Wagtail
124 Lapwing
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
1 Golden Plover...flying over @ 0910
11 Reed Bunting
5 Stock Dove
56 Meadow Pipit
9 Skylark
15 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0924
1 Snipe
28 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0928
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile @ 0940...it passed through the reserve ffom North to South at such a speed that the local Carrion Crow Posse had no time to react!
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve...oh the 'joy' to see that the negative ones have struck once more...Fire Brigade on site tending to the smouldering remains of the stack of 10,000 years old Bog Oaks...wow how far have we descended into ignorance in our society?
96 Meadow Pipit
3 Snipe
125 Pink-Footed Geese
1 Marsh Harrier at 1120...chased off by Carrion Crows
1 Raven
1 Peregrine...male
1 Peregrine...female...attacked by the male Peregrine...
1 Siskin
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Monday 21st of September 2020 08:36:56 PM
Little Woolston Moss...a sit/watch and count session
266 Meadow Pipit
65 Carrion Crow
2 Raven
24 Pied Wagtail
11 Skylark
3 Snipe
11 Swallow
6 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0935
4 Ringed Plover
3 Lesser Redpoll
12 Buzzard
2 Jay
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Curlew...first heard @ 1140...seen leaving north @ 1158
2 Hobby taking Dragonfly...it became a perfect day for Dragonfly to live to the full their so short 'in flight' lives...(a mirror of our own ephemeral existence in truth)
38 Teal
3 Sparrowhawk...2 Male 1 Female.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Thursday 17th of September 2020 07:13:22 PM
A wander round the west end of Little Woolden Moss was very productive with 2 Hobbies being on view all the time hunting insects ,mainly quite high up but occasionally coming down to head height. Also around the area 9 Ringed Plover, 40+ Teal,5 or 6 Buzzard,a couple of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk hunting the general area. Plenty of Black Headed Gulls, 12 Lesser Black Backed Gulls on the pools and surrounding fields,with good numbers of Linnet near the Glaze.
...This is field FN38/2....something I agreed with Steve Atkins when we tried to tie my original (personal) mapping of the moss to closer map referencing than I first had...in truth the farmland area west of the LWM Peat Extraction Site (as was) now Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve just didn't fit on the scan I did of the map for the area on the scanner I first scanned back in the late nineties...but as most visitors to this area I would assume might not send their records into the GMBRG/GMEU I suppose this nuance in numbering doesn't quite count...save for these my western patch records...and then it REALLY does....
The 'manure' has been spread over a few years and as noted is a sad reflection upon the way our farmed areas are in my opinion regarded...this type of so called 'green manure' has also been prevalent on FN27/29 and has saddened me on its arrival...how to perhaps dissuade use of such of these 'waste products' is as ever I feel as with most environmental issues a doomed enterprise...leading to the 'usual' in my opinion 'the wringing/washing of the hands' response from caring organisations which have had their teeth removed..
Finally I personally find the presence of a Little Egret and three Ringed Plover a joy to behold...this based on the dark days when the WHOLE of Pigeon Wood (in this vicinity) which held LEO and much more was bulldozed into peat milling hell....to see such birds as these to me is a step into heaven...and much more preferable than watching plumes of peat swept into the air from a barren peat wasteland that but now thanks to the LWT is GAINING such treats as these birds...
Dave.
Rob Thorpe said
Wed Sep 16 3:14 PM, 2020
pete berry wrote:
On a more disturbing note the field next to the reserve had recently been ploughed and the entire field was covered in bits of plastic that had been brought to the surface by the plough and chopped into small pieces. A lot of this plastic was blowing towards the River Glaze,and will no doubt eventually end up in the Irish Sea !!!!. I've attached a couple of pics of the amount of plastic that was there ,the field must be several acres in size and there wasn't anywhere in the whole field that didn't have plastic on it.
I've seen the same around Ashton-in-Makerfield Pete. Around here the plastic waste seems to have been in whatever "fertilizer" has been spread onto the field prior to ploughing. They seem to be getting this "fertilizer" from a local "green" waste recycling site. Looks like there's lots of plastic waste mixed in with the biodegradable stuff.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 03:15:25 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Sep 16 3:12 PM, 2020
The plastic is within the stinking manure he ploughs in Pete and its an absolute disgrace. Last year was the same, plastic strewn within and across the entire fields.
pete berry said
Wed Sep 16 1:53 PM, 2020
A quick look round the western pools in case in any waders had been pushed over by the easterly winds was a bit disappointing with only 3 Ringed Plover seen. The Little Egret was still about,but apart from a few Teal and in excess of 400 Black Headed Gulls and a couple of Herring and Lesser Black Backs there was very little else to report. On a more disturbing note the field next to the reserve had recently been ploughed and the entire field was covered in bits of plastic that had been brought to the surface by the plough and chopped into small pieces. A lot of this plastic was blowing towards the River Glaze,and will no doubt eventually end up in the Irish Sea !!!!. I've attached a couple of pics of the amount of plastic that was there ,the field must be several acres in size and there wasn't anywhere in the whole field that didn't have plastic on it.
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve...brief East end visit
6 Chiffchaff and the almost inevitable 1 in song...
75 Black-Headed Gull taking a hatch pf insects
1 Hobby
AND YET ANOTHER incursion by the nihilists who simply DO NOT HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR WILDLIFE and the aims and aspirations of this wondrous LWT Reserve...Gate at East end SAWN off...Gateway at New Moss Road entrance sawn off...Gate Part Dismantled....the cost to this CHARITY that is trying to bring back rare habitats ONCE MORE incurred because of those....well I cannot say...it escapes my tolerance levels and brings forth 'impolite' commentary....
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Monday 14th of September 2020 08:22:10 PM
1 Sparrowhawk - female in hot pursuit of a Meadow Pipit but eventually unsuccessful. 4 Teal 30+ Meadow Pipit 2 Buzzard 1 Kestrel 3 Chiffchaff 2 Stock Dove
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 13 7:21 PM, 2020
am
FN24
128 Lapwing
FN21/22
4 Ringed Plover
46 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
FN20
45 Black-Headed Gull
24 Linnet
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
10 Reed Bunting
12 Chiffchaff...and as of late the odd one in song...an end of season treat...
Fairly brief visit around midday to Little Woolden Moss:
180 Meadow Pipit in a single flock feeding in fields at the western edge
6 Swift and 140 House Martin flew through in just over an hour
15 Teal on the eastern pools
2 Stonechat close on the western side
230 Black-headed Gulls feeding on fields
Dave Steel said
Sun Sep 6 11:21 PM, 2020
Little Woolden Moss am
1 Golden Plover Flying over @0845
1 Redshank
21 Chiffchaff
3 Sparrowhawk
28 Swift
2 Snipe
66 Meadow Pipit
72 Swallow
26 House Martin
6 Buzzard
2 Siskin
4 Yellow Wagtail.
Steven Nelson said
Sun Sep 6 7:10 PM, 2020
Little Woolden Moss late afternoon
1 Peregrine - female sat on peat bund wall before flying off east. 4 Buzzard 1 Kestrel 8 Willow Warbler 1 Goldcrest 6 Meadow Pipit Feeding flock of 120 Swallow and House Martin at east end
Dave Steel said
Sat Sep 5 5:03 PM, 2020
A wander with a few members of LOS...SD uppermost...from New Moss Wood taking in the Glaze and Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve 0815-1315
2 Wheatear
1 Hobby
1 Peregrine
1 Redshank
4 Ringed Plover
8 Swift
90 Swallow
2 Sand Martin
80 House Martin
2 Sparrowhawk
7 Chiffchaff.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Sep 5 1:41 PM, 2020
Irlam Moss & Croxden late morning:
1 Hobby hunting dragonflies but also spending long periods sat on the bare peat. 2 Kestrel 1 Whitethroat 2 Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff 1 Coal Tit 4 Grey Heron A few Hirundines 1 Redpoll 8 Meadow Pipit - all heading south 6 Pied Wagtail
Dave Steel said
Fri Sep 4 7:58 PM, 2020
040920 0730-1145
FN21/22
132 Black-Headed Gull
13 Pied Wagtail
3 Chiffchaff in song
16 Chiffchaff
3 Greenshank
4 Yellow Wagtail
1 Snipe
3 Redshank @ 0855
28 Swift
2 Whitethroat
49 Meadow Pipit
1 Siskin
2 Raven
6 Sand Martin
61 House Martin
32 Swallow
8 Teal
4 Skylark
11 Buzzard
1 Peregrine
1 Sedge Warbler...Sub-Song from within deep cover.
P.M walk from Astley Green to Glazebury via Lower Green Road, Rindle Road, Astley Road, Little Wolden NR and Moss Lane Of note in addition to this mornings post 1Female Marsh Harrier 1 Hobby both from Astley Road 1 Greenshank NR
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Sep 3 12:58 PM, 2020
Little Woolden Moss c9-11am this morning:
2 Raven over north
1 Shelduck
2 Teal
48 Swift through west in small flocks
119 House Martin through west in small flocks
1 Peregrine over east
5 Yellow Wagtail
24 Pied Wagtail
Dave Steel said
Wed Sep 2 4:46 PM, 2020
020920 am
FN21/22
96 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
24 Pied Wagtail
2 Stock Dove
24 Starling
10 Swallow
8 House Martin
1 Yellow Wagtail
FN19
1 Blackcap
1 Buzzard
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
3 Greenshank
16 Chiffchaff
74 Carrion Crow
3 Teal
1 Hobby @ 1005
1 Osprey @ 1050...in from North drifted SW
36 Meadow Pipit
5 Swift @ 1110
1 Little Stint
1 Curlew Sandpiper...Little Stint and This bird flew west @ 1245
Other birds on Little Woolden Moss this late morning/early afternoon included:
29 Knot flew straight through strongly west at 13:10 across the LWT reserve (never looked like stopping) at c100 feet high during rain coming in from the west
2 Greenshank (together around the centre of the reserve and often well out of view)
1 Green Sandpiper (western pools)
450 Starling
3 Yellow Wagtail
4 Swift through SW
A tit/warbler flock towards the east off the southern footpath held at least 4 Willow Warblers, 7 Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat
'Phonescoped image of juveniles Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint below, more including video of the two birds on the website.
Irlam Moss
165 Lapwing
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Stonechat
105 Starling
5 Swallow
28 Linnet
1 Great Black-Backed Gull
27 Pied Wagtail
168 Black-Headed Gull
16 Skylark
11 Chaffinch
2 Kestrel
Little Woolden Moss
137 Skylark
1 Stonechat
1 Raven
9 Buzzard
52 Meadow Pipit
24 Swallow
1 Snipe.
9 Swallow heading S
4 Chiffchaff
17 Snipe
34 Goldfinch
3 Coal Tit
1 Goldcrest
4 Buzzard
4 Grey Heron
14 Meadow Pipit
4 Skylark
1 Lesser Redpoll
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 4th of October 2020 02:02:07 PM
A morning wander in the rain...0910-1320
Irlam Moss
53 Pied Wagtail
72 Starling
9 Mistle Thrush
24 House Sparrow
1 Snipe
22 Meadow Pipit
1 Stonechat
Cadishead Moss....so 'nice' to see one of the custodians of the countryside doing his level best to destroy ALL the habitat in which birds can try to survive...ditches reamed out to an inch of their lives...field edges ploughed as close as possible to the ditches.....yes it certainly looks NEAT...bit like Oliver Twists Bowl...completely cleaned out of (wildlife) food!
14 Skylark
12 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear.
35 Pied Wagtail
18 Swallow...one of these...a young bird in flying low over ploughed field was driven to the ground and then attacked by several Pied Wagtail...needless to say I flushed these and the Swallow eventually took off...OK do not intervene in nature is the word...but this seemed a senseless act by the Pied Wagtails (in my opinion)...and I am aware of how aggressive they can be but in this case I felt the Swallows survival was paramount.
8 Grey Partridge.
Little Woolden Moss...by now it was driving rain..
5 Teal
260 Black-Headed Gull
19 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
2 Herring Gull
1 Snipe
Chat Moss
164 Lapwing
145 Starling
86 Black-Headed Gull
17 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
3 Herring Gull.
An amendment to my original post. Mistakenly wrote Golden Plover instead of Grey Plover!
1 Grey Plover - flushed by female Sparrowhawk and flew off NW
7 Snipe
1 Sparrowhawk- female
2 Stonechat
5 Grey Partridge
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 3rd of October 2020 05:25:01 PM
Chat Moss
2 Chiffchaff
21 Mistle Thrush
16 Stock Dove
2 Raven
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
21 Meadow Pipit
46 Skylark
16 Golden Plover flying over...fortunately one called...FRH eternal and grateful memories 'learn the calls'...ALWAYS pays off!
38 Linnet
3 Snipe
21 Starling
1 Pink-Footed Goose @ 1010
16 Pink-Footed Geese @1020
1 Stonechat
Little Woolden Moss
205 Skylark
22 Meadow Pipit
1 Snipe
10 Pied Wagtail
44 House Sparrow
2 Stonechat
146 Linnet
2 Siskin.
Little Woolden Moss this early afternoon:
A super skein of 930 Pink-footed Geese milling quite low around Chat Moss (viewed from LWMoss) as I arrived at 13:20 could well have come up off the ground but they circled couple of times then made their way off NW towards the Ribble in two and later what looked like three, skeins. Twenty minutes later a skein of 70 flew over NW way off to the north of the moss and even later a lone bird flew over low east calling continuously.
1 Wheatear
1 juvenile Marsh Harrier over the eastern side of the moss flew off east towards Croxdens
1 Stonechat
4 Raven together flew over low NW
102 Lapwing over north in one flock
270 Linnet in one flock
Irlam Moss
97 Pied Wagtail
6 Meadow Pipit
110 Pink-Footed Geese flying high and heading East @ 0840
3 Redwing
2 Snipe
9 Skylark
4 Chiffchaff..2 gave bursts of song
2 Willow Tit
3 Grey Partridge
16 Stock Dove
26 Collared Dove
Chat Moss
16 Swallow
3 Chiffchaff
32 Teal
Little Woolden Moss...observed from Chat Moss
200 Pink-Footed Geese flying West @ 1100
85 Pink-Footed Geese Milling above the Reserve @0920.
Little Woolden Moss
11 Meadow Pipit
2 Snipe
1 Merlin...male
2 Rook
2 Wheatear
1 Pink-Footed Goose
210 Skylark
41 Starling
240 Linnet
Chat Moss
28 Mistle Thrush
12 Swallow.
Chat Moss in the Fog
8 Tree Sparrow
19 Meadow Pipit
7 Grey Partridge
1 Golden Plover flushed off a Stubble field and flew South
1 Snipe
86 Collared Dove
33 Skylark.
Irlam Moss
122 Pied Wagtail
1 Wheatear
70 Linnet
164 Lapwing
36 Starling
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
1 Ringed Plover
2 Snipe
3 House Martin
4 Swallow
7 Grey Partridge
140 Lapwing...flying over
134 Skylark flying over @ 1004
3 Lesser Redpoll
Little Woolden Moss
110 Skylark
4 Stonechat
53 Linnet
2 Wheatear
1 Chiffchaff
4 Grey Partridge
1 Goldcrest
1 Snipe.
Irlam Moss
132 Lapwing
28 Pied Wagtail
14 Swallow
1 Siskin
1 Redshank...flying over at 0940
42 Skylark
Barton Moss
24 Skylark
1 Snipe
1 Chiffchaff
Chat Moss
4 Redwing...flighty and soon flew off towards Botany Bay Woods
1 Siskin
2 House Martin
4 Swallow
2 Snipe.
Irlam Moss
58 Pied Wagtail
124 Lapwing
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
1 Golden Plover...flying over @ 0910
11 Reed Bunting
5 Stock Dove
56 Meadow Pipit
9 Skylark
15 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0924
1 Snipe
28 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0928
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile @ 0940...it passed through the reserve ffom North to South at such a speed that the local Carrion Crow Posse had no time to react!
1 Crossbill...flying over @ 0950
1 Sparrowhawk...female
2 Sparrowhawk ....male
2 Hobby
1 Dunlin
530 Black-Headed Gull
4 Rook
am Irlam Moss
1 Chiffchaff in song
9 Grey Partridge
65 Linnet
36 Meadow Pipit
52 Pied Wagtail
1 Sparrowhawk...male
28 House Sparrow
2 House Martin
137 Lapwing.
am 240920
Irlam Moss
35 Pied Wagtail
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
1 Merlin....male...the season has changed!
25 House Sparrow
4 Grey Partridge
FN19
42 Meadow Pipit
51 Skylark
1 Sparrowhawk...male
FN18
15 House Martin
5 Swallow
2 Yellowhammer
3 Tree Sparrow
Little Woolden Moss
230 Skylark
76 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear
2 Stonechat
3 Rook
105 Linnet
2 House Martin
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
3 House Martin
17 Skylark
2 Snipe
36 Meadow Pipit
1 Wheatear
3 Swallow
FN20
85 Meadow Pipit.
am 230920
FN12
13 Blackbird...an obvious influx
FN14
9 Meadow Pipit
10 Lapwing
1 Willow Tit
Croxden
1 Raven
1 Wheatear
1 Snipe
6 Teal
3 Chiffchaff...one in song
2 Lesser Redpoll
FN52
1 Marsh Harrier...Juvenile
21 Pink-Footed Geese...milling about
40 Meadow Pipit
am 220920
FN19
53 Skylark
1 Grey Wagtail
6 Linnet
1 Buzzard
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
19 Skylark
61 Meadow Pipit
1 Marsh Harrier...Juv....chased off by the local Carrion Crow Posse.....
2 Snipe
1 Golden Plover Flying over @ 1050
2 Chiffchaff
4 Buzzard in the locality
13 Buzzard in a Kettle @ 1225...they, as Jackie Wilson would sing, 'Lifted Higher and Higher'...and moved south..
2 Hobby owning centre stage....taking Dragonfly with agile aerial aplomb
2 Ruff....(Ruff and a Reeve) @ 1250.
am 210920...welcome Autumn!
FN40/41
2 Stock Dove
3 Grey Partridge
31 Pied Wagtail
FN24
30 Pied Wagtail
24 Meadow Pipit
1 Sparrowhawk...male
FN44/51
450 Woodpigeon
140 Lapwing
FN19
4 Grey Partridge
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve...oh the 'joy' to see that the negative ones have struck once more...Fire Brigade on site tending to the smouldering remains of the stack of 10,000 years old Bog Oaks...wow how far have we descended into ignorance in our society?
96 Meadow Pipit
3 Snipe
125 Pink-Footed Geese
1 Marsh Harrier at 1120...chased off by Carrion Crows
1 Raven
1 Peregrine...male
1 Peregrine...female...attacked by the male Peregrine...
1 Siskin
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Monday 21st of September 2020 08:36:56 PM
am 200920
FN21/22
24 Pied Wagtail
2 Wheatear
1 Yellow Wagtail
15 Linnet
1 Grey wagtail
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
218 Meadow Pipit
3 Sparrowhawk...males...1 taking a hapless Meadow Pipit
1 Dunlin
1 Golden Plover flying over @ 0917
124 Pink-Footed Geese Milling about
1 Snipe
5 Lesser Redpoll
1 Siskin
12 Swallow
41 Lapwing
1 Peregrine...male
1 Hobby taking Dragonflies
54 Skylark.
Irlam Moss am
3 Grey Partridge
1 Siskin
2 Sparrowhawk...males
2 Snipe
105 Meadow Pipit
35 Pied Wagtail
52 Pink-Footed Geese flying high and heading northwest @ 0920
150 Lapwing
42 Starling
3 Kestrel.
Little Woolden Moss highlights this afternoon:
1 Hobby
490 Black-headed Gull
1 Green Sandpiper
am 180920
FN12
3 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap Male
12 Skylark
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Nuthatch
2 Spotted Flycatcher
Croxden FN65
8 Chiffchaff...once more a few in song
5 Raven
7 Buzzard
1 Snipe
7 Teal
2 Lesser Redpoll
78 Meadow Pipit
9 Swallow...Flying High and powering South!
am 170920
FN21/22
14 Linnet
28 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
130 Mallard ....flying over heading South
Little Woolston Moss...a sit/watch and count session
266 Meadow Pipit
65 Carrion Crow
2 Raven
24 Pied Wagtail
11 Skylark
3 Snipe
11 Swallow
6 Pink-Footed Geese @ 0935
4 Ringed Plover
3 Lesser Redpoll
12 Buzzard
2 Jay
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Curlew...first heard @ 1140...seen leaving north @ 1158
2 Hobby taking Dragonfly...it became a perfect day for Dragonfly to live to the full their so short 'in flight' lives...(a mirror of our own ephemeral existence in truth)
38 Teal
3 Sparrowhawk...2 Male 1 Female.
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Thursday 17th of September 2020 07:13:22 PM
A wander round the west end of Little Woolden Moss was very productive with 2 Hobbies being on view all the time hunting insects ,mainly quite high up but occasionally coming down to head height.
Also around the area 9 Ringed Plover, 40+ Teal,5 or 6 Buzzard,a couple of Kestrel and Sparrowhawk hunting the general area. Plenty of Black Headed Gulls, 12 Lesser Black Backed Gulls on the pools and surrounding fields,with good numbers of Linnet near the Glaze.
Irlam and Chat Moss am
Irlam Moss
1 Spotted Flycatcher
6 Siskin
1 Whitethroat
37 Meadow Pipit
5 Chiffchaff
1 Snipe
30 House Sparrow
13 Skylark
15 Stock Dove
20 Collared Dove
Chat Moss
73 Skylark
9 Swallow
4 Tree Sparrow
9 Chiffchaff
7 Teal
2 Raven.
...This is field FN38/2....something I agreed with Steve Atkins when we tried to tie my original (personal) mapping of the moss to closer map referencing than I first had...in truth the farmland area west of the LWM Peat Extraction Site (as was) now Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve just didn't fit on the scan I did of the map for the area on the scanner I first scanned back in the late nineties...but as most visitors to this area I would assume might not send their records into the GMBRG/GMEU I suppose this nuance in numbering doesn't quite count...save for these my western patch records...and then it REALLY does....
The 'manure' has been spread over a few years and as noted is a sad reflection upon the way our farmed areas are in my opinion regarded...this type of so called 'green manure' has also been prevalent on FN27/29 and has saddened me on its arrival...how to perhaps dissuade use of such of these 'waste products' is as ever I feel as with most environmental issues a doomed enterprise...leading to the 'usual' in my opinion 'the wringing/washing of the hands' response from caring organisations which have had their teeth removed..
Finally I personally find the presence of a Little Egret and three Ringed Plover a joy to behold...this based on the dark days when the WHOLE of Pigeon Wood (in this vicinity) which held LEO and much more was bulldozed into peat milling hell....to see such birds as these to me is a step into heaven...and much more preferable than watching plumes of peat swept into the air from a barren peat wasteland that but now thanks to the LWT is GAINING such treats as these birds...
Dave.
I've seen the same around Ashton-in-Makerfield Pete. Around here the plastic waste seems to have been in whatever "fertilizer" has been spread onto the field prior to ploughing. They seem to be getting this "fertilizer" from a local "green" waste recycling site. Looks like there's lots of plastic waste mixed in with the biodegradable stuff.
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 03:15:25 PM
The plastic is within the stinking manure he ploughs in Pete and its an absolute disgrace. Last year was the same, plastic strewn within and across the entire fields.
On a more disturbing note the field next to the reserve had recently been ploughed and the entire field was covered in bits of plastic that had been brought to the surface by the plough and chopped into small pieces. A lot of this plastic was blowing towards the River Glaze,and will no doubt eventually end up in the Irish Sea !!!!. I've attached a couple of pics of the amount of plastic that was there ,the field must be several acres in size and there wasn't anywhere in the whole field that didn't have plastic on it.
am...Dragonfly Survey time....
13 Chiffchaff...2 in song
51 Meadow Pipit
14 Lesser Redpoll
1 Snipe
3 Swallow
116 Black-Headed Gull
17 Skylark
1 Little Egret
1 Grey Wagtail
140920 am
Irlam Moss
2 Grey Wagtail
202 Lapwing
2 Grey Partridge
1 Wheatear
31 Meadow Pipit
1 Great Black-Backed Gull
1 Yellowhammer
12 House Sparrow
1 Snipe
3 Yellow Wagtail
18 Linnet
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve...brief East end visit
6 Chiffchaff and the almost inevitable 1 in song...
75 Black-Headed Gull taking a hatch pf insects
1 Hobby
AND YET ANOTHER incursion by the nihilists who simply DO NOT HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR WILDLIFE and the aims and aspirations of this wondrous LWT Reserve...Gate at East end SAWN off...Gateway at New Moss Road entrance sawn off...Gate Part Dismantled....the cost to this CHARITY that is trying to bring back rare habitats ONCE MORE incurred because of those....well I cannot say...it escapes my tolerance levels and brings forth 'impolite' commentary....
-- Edited by Dave Steel on Monday 14th of September 2020 08:22:10 PM
1 Sparrowhawk - female in hot pursuit of a Meadow Pipit but eventually unsuccessful.
4 Teal
30+ Meadow Pipit
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
3 Chiffchaff
2 Stock Dove
am
FN24
128 Lapwing
FN21/22
4 Ringed Plover
46 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
FN20
45 Black-Headed Gull
24 Linnet
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
10 Reed Bunting
12 Chiffchaff...and as of late the odd one in song...an end of season treat...
2 Snipe
6 Swallow
2 Raven
3 Lesser Redpoll
13 Skylark
3 Sparrowhawk...2 male 1female
2 House Martin
1 Hobby @ 1040
1 Stonechat
36 Teal
Brief Visit After Morning at Woolston Eyes
FN21/22
76 Black-Headed Gull
3 Stock Dove
4 Ringed Plover
FN24
176 Lapwing
FN16
1 Wheatear
1 Snipe...overflying
2 Chiffchaff- 1 singing
110920 am
FN21/22
63 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
10 Skylark
FN20
44 Collared Dove
125 Black-Headed Gull
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
17 Chiffchaff
38 Skylark
78 Meadow Pipit
3 Ringed Plover
1 Snipe
2 Swift
26 Swallow
51 Mallard
3 Siskin
2 Lesser Redpoll
24 House Martin
95 Pink-Footed Geese @ 1055...milled about the site then moved low west
76 Pink-Footed Geese @ 1105...headed east
2 Sparrowhawk...male
5 Buzzard
1 Peregrine...immature female which attacked a flock of 200 Black-Headed Gull
6 Herring Gull.
100920 am
FN21/22
9 Swallow
190 Starling
72 Black-Headed Gull
76 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
7 Herring Gull
2 Little Ringed Plover
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
96 Meadow Pipit
2 Snipe
14 Chiffchaff
1 Siskin
1 Lesser Redpoll
4 Ringed Plover @ 0917
1 Water Rail
1 Little Ringed Plover
3 Golden Plover @ 1042
1 Wheatear
2 Green Sandpiper
2 Yellowhammer.
090920 am
FN14
1 Peregrine flying north
Croxden FN65
3 Grey Heron
2 Snipe
3 Siskin
23 Meadow Pipit
10 Chiffchaff
1 Sparrowhawk...male
1 Grey Wagtail...it must be almost autumn...
8 Swallow
1 Greenshank
am
FN19
67 Meadow Pipit
2 Buzzard
2 Yellow Wagtail
21 Swallow
19 Linnet
13 Skylark
FN63
6 Meadow Pipit
14 Skylark
46 Swallow
FN56
22 Skylark
12 Meadow Pipit
FN57
24 Starling
2 Yellowhammer
5 Reed Bunting
FN64
28 Greenfinch
1 Grey Wagtail
FN57
27 House Sparrow
15 Pied Wagtail
Little Woolden Moss East
26 Meadow Pipit
59 House Martin
51 Swallow
2 Kestrel
4 Chiffchaff
1 Sparrowhawk...male.
Barton Moss 0805-1045
FN49/50
450 Woodpigeon
1 Buzzard
33 Swallow
8 Robin
9 Pied Wagtail
18 House Sparrow
1 Grey Wagtail
23 House Martin....hobby alarm...unseen!
8 Yellow Wagtail
1 Snipe
19 Mistle Thrush
FN55
12 House Martin
8 Greenfinch
17 Meadow Pipit
89 Starling
7 Chiffchaff
1 Snipe
6 Mistle Thrush
2 Yellowhammer
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Little Woolden Moss east 1115-1340
14 Pink-Footed Geese...milling about @ 1135
4 Chiffchaff
41 Meadow Pipit
18 Swallow
6 Buzzard
7 Swift
1 Golden Plover...at 1300
12 House Martin
FN19
45 Swallow
2 Yellow Wagtail
2 Siskin
75 House Martin
FN12
1 Buzzard
2 Chiffchaff.
Fairly brief visit around midday to Little Woolden Moss:
180 Meadow Pipit in a single flock feeding in fields at the western edge
6 Swift and 140 House Martin flew through in just over an hour
15 Teal on the eastern pools
2 Stonechat close on the western side
230 Black-headed Gulls feeding on fields
Little Woolden Moss am
1 Golden Plover Flying over @0845
1 Redshank
21 Chiffchaff
3 Sparrowhawk
28 Swift
2 Snipe
66 Meadow Pipit
72 Swallow
26 House Martin
6 Buzzard
2 Siskin
4 Yellow Wagtail.
1 Peregrine - female sat on peat bund wall before flying off east.
4 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
8 Willow Warbler
1 Goldcrest
6 Meadow Pipit
Feeding flock of 120 Swallow and House Martin at east end
A wander with a few members of LOS...SD uppermost...from New Moss Wood taking in the Glaze and Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve 0815-1315
2 Wheatear
1 Hobby
1 Peregrine
1 Redshank
4 Ringed Plover
8 Swift
90 Swallow
2 Sand Martin
80 House Martin
2 Sparrowhawk
7 Chiffchaff.
1 Hobby hunting dragonflies but also spending long periods sat on the bare peat.
2 Kestrel
1 Whitethroat
2 Willow Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
1 Coal Tit
4 Grey Heron
A few Hirundines
1 Redpoll
8 Meadow Pipit - all heading south
6 Pied Wagtail
040920 0730-1145
FN21/22
132 Black-Headed Gull
13 Pied Wagtail
3 Chiffchaff in song
16 Chiffchaff
3 Greenshank
4 Yellow Wagtail
1 Snipe
3 Redshank @ 0855
28 Swift
2 Whitethroat
49 Meadow Pipit
1 Siskin
2 Raven
6 Sand Martin
61 House Martin
32 Swallow
8 Teal
4 Skylark
11 Buzzard
1 Peregrine
1 Sedge Warbler...Sub-Song from within deep cover.
030920 0800-1345
FN12
37 Mallard...Flying over
1 Yellow Wagtail
4 Chiffchaff
13 Long-Tailed Tit
FN15
37 House Sparrow
3 Whitethroat
4 Bullfinch
29 Collared Dove
FN44/51
1 Garden Warbler
1 Yellowhammer
FN62
1 Whitethroat
8 Swallow
Croxden FN65
28 Teal
1 Wigeon
1 Lesser Redpoll
11 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve...East
1 Yellow Wagtail
1 Greenshank
9 Swallow
7 Swift
2 Snipe
7 Buzzard
1 Raven
1 Hobby @ 1255
1 Peregrine...male @ 1255.
Of note in addition to this mornings post
1Female Marsh Harrier
1 Hobby both from Astley Road
1 Greenshank NR
Little Woolden Moss c9-11am this morning:
2 Raven over north
1 Shelduck
2 Teal
48 Swift through west in small flocks
119 House Martin through west in small flocks
1 Peregrine over east
5 Yellow Wagtail
24 Pied Wagtail
020920 am
FN21/22
96 Lesser Black-Backed Gull
24 Pied Wagtail
2 Stock Dove
24 Starling
10 Swallow
8 House Martin
1 Yellow Wagtail
FN19
1 Blackcap
1 Buzzard
Little Woolden Moss Nature Reserve
3 Greenshank
16 Chiffchaff
74 Carrion Crow
3 Teal
1 Hobby @ 1005
1 Osprey @ 1050...in from North drifted SW
36 Meadow Pipit
5 Swift @ 1110
1 Little Stint
1 Curlew Sandpiper...Little Stint and This bird flew west @ 1245
65 Swallow
6 Buzzard.
Other birds on Little Woolden Moss this late morning/early afternoon included:
29 Knot flew straight through strongly west at 13:10 across the LWT reserve (never looked like stopping) at c100 feet high during rain coming in from the west
2 Greenshank (together around the centre of the reserve and often well out of view)
1 Green Sandpiper (western pools)
450 Starling
3 Yellow Wagtail
4 Swift through SW
A tit/warbler flock towards the east off the southern footpath held at least 4 Willow Warblers, 7 Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat
'Phonescoped image of juveniles Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint below, more including video of the two birds on the website.