Brief visit before work this am

Sedge Warbler - 1
Whitethroat - 4 +
Wheatear - 1

Wed 28/4/10

Still 2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling this am.

-- Edited by Robert Adderley on Wednesday 28th of April 2010 05:48:55 PM

Two Groppers this evening: one tucked in, one showing off. Also Blackcap, Chiffchaff, seven Swallows, and a Kestrel.

John,

I'm glad to hear that you did last night's shift on the badlands, and still gladder that it produced some new arrivals. The state of the site recently has not offered much hope for a good warbler crop this year.

I went over the lower part of the site five times last week and managed little, other than Swallow, Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the early part of the week, though two Willow Warblers had returned by Saturday. I heard a Whitethroat this Wednesday morning, but could not locate it.

The local roughnecks have upgraded from comical tiny motorbikes to a sort of monstrous All Terrain Vehicle. This has the disadvantage that it opens up new areas for them to defile. The speed at which they drive, and their reluctance to slow down or divert for other users of the site is very intimidating; the noise must also be terrifying to birds. The only bright note is that their practice of grossly overloading the vehicle suggests the darwinian promise of population thinning of the more reckless elements.

The situation for warblers is made still worse by the fact that fairly large areas of bramble and reed have been burned, either for the sheer pyromaniacal pleasure, or to help clear the way for the ATV.

Last week's unleashed canine undesirables featured a bull terrier, a hugh rottweiler ("don't worry he's more scared of you, than you are of him"), and a lurcher with one ear. This is not a country for the faint-hearted.

Nigel.

19.00 - 20.00

After a few fruitless recent visits this evening was a bit of a warbler fest. Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap all singing. 2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling with 1 showing exceptionally well from tthe top of a bramble patch, 1 Whitethroat foraged silently.

Cheers, John

Buzzard (3 drifting east)
Reed Bunting (male)
Bullfinch (pair)
Chiffchaff (2)
Lapwing (1 south)
Pit Bull (1 free-range. "It's all right mate, it's only a barker")

Cheers, John

A silent Chiffchaff was the first sign of spring at Adswood this year. There was little else of note, other than four Stock Doves and a Heron.

A Buzzard was over Bramall Park this morning, while four Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the woodland. There was no sign of two of the park's regular species: Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail. I left bemoaning the fact that I had still not seen a Goldcrest in the borough of Stockport in 2010. Shortly after lunch, one put the record straight by appearing in my back garden.

I checked Adswood out yesterday morning at about 11:00. It was more remarkable for what I didn't see than for what I did. The highlights were three Bullfinch, a Snipe, a Pheasant and a Buzzard. There was no sign of Linnet, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Woodcock etc. for which I had reasonable grounds for hope. The bright sunshine seemed a perfect invitation to Skylark to celebrate the approach of Spring; sadly, there was no sign of a bird once so common here.

Nigel Troup wrote:

---

A quick tramp over Adswood Tip this afternoon where the thaw is now on.

---

Some of those homeless guys are surprisingly fast! Take care of your wellies, Mr Wilcox had his wellies stolen by one of these tip dwelling vagrants over at Chorlton WP!

A quick tramp over Adswood Tip this afternoon where the thaw is now on.

There was little of real interest. Carrion Crows (30+) held the majority, feeding in the recently scraped area. Three Pheasants rose from the long grass, and two Reed Buntings were, appropriately, in phragmites reeds. A Redwing was in a tree at the perimeter, and a Linnet flew through.

There was no sign of Snipe or Woodcock. The snow and ice may have forced them to move on.

Nigel
Thank you.

Phil

Phil,

There is no official public access to the tip. I enter via a gap in the trees at the top (Bramhall end) of Tenement Lane: SJ887869. You can clearly see the gap from the track here, as it is used by dog walkers. Be warned it is very muddy at this point. There are various other rough access points along Tenement Lane, plus others from the Adswood end that I know less well.

Nigel
Sorry to ask another question. Can you please tell me where do you access Adswood Tip from? Considering I live in the area I don't know.

Regards


Phil

-- Edited by Phil Hampson on Wednesday 30th of December 2009 09:46:05 PM

With quite a number of local Jack Snipe sightings reported recently, I set off for Adswood Tip at lunchtime today, quietly confident that I too would find one.

It was not to be. Some of the eleven Snipe that I flushed at various points over the site seemd slow to get up, but all were Common Snipe. That I managed two Woodcock was pleasing, and a pair of Pheasant were the first that I have actually layed eyes on here for a while, though I often heard them calling from hiding places in the long grass over the summer.

Two small groups of winter thrush passed over: half a dozen Fieldfare, followed by a similar count of Redwing. Otherwise, three Meadow Pipits, a Mistle Thrush, a Dunnock, two Wrens, two Blackbirds, two Greenfinch and a mixed party of about 80 Carrion Crows and Jackdaws were my lot.

The land has been scraped near the brick works, creating an area that was popular with the crows, plus some pools with the odd Snipe. It is definitely worth another visit once the bitter wind relents.

Garden Warbler has been unusually elusive this year: several trips down the Middlewood Way drawing blanks. So, it was gratifying to find the first of the year yesterday on one of my local patches. This was rather a skulking bird, offering only uncharacteristic short blasts of warbling song; however, I managed clear views and it was a Garden Warbler nonetheless.

Other commoner warblers are still in evidence: 4+ Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff. The Sedge Warbler has moved a little way from its original position, but was easy to locate, singing stridently. Once again, the Grasshppoer Warblers had gone quiet.

At least two pairs of Reed Bunting remain on site. Sadly, there was no sign of Skylark or Linnet.

Interestingly, I found a singing Whitethroat even closer to home on Saturday afternoon, when I attended a plant sale at the allotments on Barnfield Road East, Davenport. I heard another above the din of the traffic on the A6 near Hazel Grove on Sunday. They seem to be more numerous than usual this year.

The unsettled weather overnight led me to hope that something different might have dropped in. I also had more time available than usual, so was able to give the site better coverage. The overall net result was greater numbers of the regular species, though with one welcome addition for the year.

The stars of the show, once again were the warblers. Whitethroat numbers are now up to at least ten, relegating Grasshopper Warbler (4) to second place in the charts. Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were all represented by two singing birds, while a Sedge Warbler was in full song near the the sunken car: the third year that I have located this species here. Only Garden and Lesser Whitethroat are now missing from those species that I might reasonably expect to find here.

Away from the warblers, a pair of Stonechats was an encouraging find. Two Stock Doves were on the area recently burned by vandals, showing that there is usually some benfit to be gained from a negative event. A couple of Buzzards perched in the saplings nearby. I had rather hoped that this area might turn up a passing Tree Pipit or two, but no sign of any pipits this morning.

There was just one Skylark singing briefly in the chilly wind. Numbers definitely seem to have reduced here over the past few years, despite no obvious disturbance to the habitat. Two Swallows have settled in and a single Swift swept past.

31 species in al: full list

Canada Goose 1
Pheasant 2
Grey Heron 1
Buzzard 2
Stock Dove 2
Woodpigeon c 6
Swift 1
Skylark 1
Swallow 2
Pied Wagtail (yarrellii) 1
Wren 3
Dunnock 1
Robin 3
Stonechat 2
Blackbird 5
Song Thrush 3
Grasshopper Warbler 4
Sedge Warbler 1
Blackcap 2
Whitethroat 10+
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler 2
Great Tit 1
Jay 1
Magpie 2
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow c 4
Starling c 6
Greenfinch 2
Goldfinch 1
Reed Bunting 2

It was warbler city this morning. I only had 15 minutes of free time, so covered a small area of the site. However, with this meagre allowance, I found:

3 Grasshopper Warblers
2 Blackcaps (both males)
2 Willow warblers
3 Whitethroats
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Reed Bunting (male)

Later saw House Martin, Buzzard and first Swift of year over Nevill Road, Bramhall.

Another Whitethroat newly in this morning, close to the brickworks.

A single Lapwing was flying around in the same area, plus the usual numbers of the usual spring visitors: Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Swallow.

Oh, and two Grasshopper Warblers reeling away.

A good half hour this evening went some way to consoling me for the failure to see the Mirrlees Wood Warbler.

There are at least three, possibly four, Grasshopper Warblers reeling here now, and I haven't covered some parts of the site. A brief flight view of a Wheatear was only my second here. Other warblers included:

Whitethroat (first of the year)
Chiffchaff - 1
Willow Warbler - 3+
Blackcap - 3 (1f).

Also picked up a Reed Bunting, 4+ Pheasants, 1 Skylark and 3 Swallows.

Hi Mike,

I bumped into Geoff a couple of hours ago and he is still scrupulously recording the local patch. He's concentrating on Lady Brook Valley and Poynton Pool this year and he found a Common Sandpiper at PP this morning, which was my 103rd local (SJ98 10k square) bird of the year.

Cheers, John

Hi Nigel,
I'm interested that someone still keeps an eye on Adswood Tip. I watched the site quite avidly in the late 70's and early/mid 80's and regularly did some ringing there.
I suppose the site is much changed, but then again, everything changes.

The leading light down there (in birding terms) was Geoff Lightfoot, who was an almost daily visitor for many years and who must have enough data to write a book, as he conscientiously maintained scrupulous records and also found some notable birds, (top of the list being the famous Little Bunting of course).
Is he still active in the Cheadle Hulme area and does he also bird the tip still?
Regards,
Mike Passant (Co. Durham)

Two Grasshopper Warblers were reeling here on Sunday at 5:00pm: one near the top end of Tenement Lane, the other in burnt brambles near the methane burner. There is much disturbance at the moment from junior motorbikers and arsonists, so I don't know how long the birds will stick around.

Also present: two Chiffchaffs and three Meadow Pipits, but still no sign of Whitethroat, which is generally common here throughout the summer.

I managed to relocate the Gropper this afternoon and had a brief view of it, low down in a small hawthorn. I get at least one here most years, but this has been the earliest.

Not much else: a Swallow, one Chiffchaff, a Buzzard overhead. A male Stonechat was on site yesterday.

Sadly, a pall of smoke covered the site as I left, the result of some childish arson in teh dry grass to the east of the site. Hopefully no damage done to breeding Skylarks.

A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from inpenetrable brambles for about a minute around 6pm this evening.

Only other migrant detected was a singing Chiffchaff.

The reports of migrants arriving elsewhere drew me to Adswood Tip this morning. There were some signs of spring here too, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Highlights:

Chiffchaff - 2
Blackcap - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Swallow - 1
Skylark - 1 singing
Song Thrush - c7, i/c 2 fledged young
Reed Bunting - 1
Pheasant - 2+

Also three species of butterfly on the wing:

Small Tortoiseshell
Comma
Orange Tip

Could you please give me directions?

A very quick visit this evening, in the vain hope of a Whinchat: there seem to be a few passing through the North West.

The Lesser Whitethroat is still rattling away, deep in brambles tonight. Also representing the warbler group were a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler and two Blackcaps. Five House Martins, a Swallow and a Swift passed overhead. A Skylark was singing, and at least twenty Starlings were feeding in the long grass.

There is still no sign of Common Whitethroat.