Short-eared Owl on the mosses this evening and Green Sandpiper on Moat Lane pools
Mike Baron said
Tue Dec 6 6:31 PM, 2011
Green Sandpiper on Moat Lane pools today. Also there:
6 Mute Swans 6 Gadwall 12 Tufted Duck 4 Cormorants 5 Jay 12 Fieldfare Reed Bunting Great Spotted Woodpecker
5 Kestrels and a Buzzard on the mosses
200+ Fieldfares in field at jnc of A57 and Warburton Bridge Lane
Large gulls in field next to tip (Prospect Lane) included 70+ GBBG, 150+ Herring Gull and 180+ LBBG.
5000+ Starlings on the tip.
Mike Baron said
Fri Dec 2 8:06 PM, 2011
And Short-eared Owl on the mosses this evening
Mike Baron said
Fri Dec 2 12:37 PM, 2011
Green Sandpiper on Moat Lane pools today
DavidBowman said
Sat Nov 26 1:17 PM, 2011
Nice morning round Holly Bush Lane etc with Dave Steel and Les Jones. c.10,000 Starlings feeding on Rixton Tip were regularly flushed before we eventually saw a hunting Merlin going through them. Totals of other main sightings included: 24 Grey Partridge, 6 Kestrels, 4 Lapwing, 10, Bullfinches, 11 Skylarks, 15 Yellowhammers, c.200 Linnets, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 35 House Sparrows, 20 Stock Doves, 1 Snipe, 3 Tree Sparrows, 60 Chaffinches and a dozen or so each of Redwing and Fieldfare. Cheers David
Mike Baron said
Sun Nov 13 6:16 PM, 2011
Approx 7500 Starlings this evening in field east of junction of A57 and Holly Bush Lane. Eventually flew off south after some superb displays.
David Spencer said
Sun Nov 13 4:32 PM, 2011
Green Sandpiper on the tip pool today. Peregrine and 1 Golden Plover yesterday on the mosses. No sign of any owls
David
-- Edited by David Spencer on Sunday 13th of November 2011 04:33:18 PM
David Spencer said
Sun Oct 30 6:17 PM, 2011
2 SEOs today
I was chatting to the local falconer who had stopped flying his Peregrine to avoid disturbing the owl when a second bird flew in. He was going to let the local shooters know of their presence to try and avoid any disturbance. A nice bloke!
He was also telling me he had released a Barn Owl in Holly Bush lane last year which he had found in a Larsen trap off Wood End lane.
Regards
David
Mike Baron said
Sat Oct 29 9:59 PM, 2011
David Spencer wrote:
Nice to meet you too Mike.
Was the Barn Owl along Holly Bush Lane again?
David
-- Edited by David Spencer on Saturday 29th of October 2011 09:03:56 PM
It was David
I was stood at the car scanning that fenceline when the little blighter flew from behind me and straight past - I lost it after around 20 seconds!
Mike
David Spencer said
Sat Oct 29 9:03 PM, 2011
Nice to meet you too Mike.
Was the Barn Owl along Holly Bush Lane again?
David
-- Edited by David Spencer on Saturday 29th of October 2011 09:03:56 PM
Mike Baron said
Sat Oct 29 8:10 PM, 2011
Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl again this evening plus Peregrine, 3 Kestrels, Buzzard and 10+8 Grey Partridges
Nice to meet David Spencer
Mike Baron said
Fri Oct 28 8:17 PM, 2011
Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl on the mosses this evening 29 Grey Partridges (25 + 4) Lots of Redwings flying over in the darkness
Mike Baron said
Fri Oct 7 1:21 PM, 2011
5 Wheatears plus 90+ Linnets and 3 Stock Doves in Holly Bush Lane this morning
Green Sandpiper in pool at base of tip off Prospect Lane
DavidBowman said
Sat Sep 10 10:53 PM, 2011
Was asked by a local farmer to do a survey of his land in Prospect Lane. I used to bird the area regularly from 2002 till a couple of years ago. It was good to see that bird numbers are still holding up there, with the following counts: Kestrel 3, Grey Partridge 27 (in 3 covies), Common Buzzard 3, a massive Linnet flock stretched on the wires between three telegraph poles in Hollybush Lane, totalling c.430, Willow Tit 2, Chiffchaff 5, Yellowhammer 26, Redpoll 5, Skylark 55, Meadow Pipit 6, Goldfinch 34, Pheasant 23, House Sparrow 90, Tree Sparrow 21, Corn Bunting 5, Wheatear 1.
Cheers David Bowman
John O'Neill said
Sun Aug 28 12:35 AM, 2011
Moat Lane Pools Rixton Claypits
Green Sandpiper showing well in between showers today.
Mike Baron said
Fri Aug 26 8:51 PM, 2011
This evening
Juvenile Whinchat in barley field off Prospect Lane - Green Sandpiper in pool at base of tip off this lane. Lots of hirundines moving through plus 15 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 40+ Goldfinches
Moat Lane pools
Green Sandpiper, juvenile Little Ringed Plover
Mike Baron said
Mon Aug 15 9:38 PM, 2011
Green Sandpiper on the tip pool off Prospect Lane this evening
Buzzard, 5 Kestrels, covey of 8 Grey Partridges and Red-legged Partridge on the mosses
Mike Baron said
Fri Jul 8 1:49 PM, 2011
Green Sandpiper on Moat Lane pools today also 2 Green Woodpeckers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers
pair of Red-legged Partridges on Holly Bush Lane and pair of Grey Partridges with one juvenile
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Saturday 9th of July 2011 08:42:56 AM
Mike Baron said
Mon Jul 4 9:24 PM, 2011
Female Marsh Harrier in fields west of Biffa Plant off A57 late afternoon - generally heading towards Woolsten Eyes
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Monday 4th of July 2011 09:26:40 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Jun 20 11:36 AM, 2011
Abbreviations
Rob Smallwood said
Mon Jun 20 10:40 AM, 2011
I had to second glance this - oiks where I come from tend to have air rifles and aggresive dogs, I take it yours were Oycs!
Mike Duckham said
Thu Jun 16 10:33 PM, 2011
I thought i'd pay a visit to this area as i had a Quail here last year, no sign this time but recorded the following on Mon 13th:
Corn Bunting 1 Yellowhammer 2 Sand Martin 2 Grey Partridge 5 - 4 calling, of which 3 seen, 1 of which was escorting a female Buzzard 3+ Kestrel 1 Reed Bunting 2+ Lapwing - 40 in a field, perhaps failed breeders, also 3 or 4 birds in area still exhibiting some breeding behaviour Oik 1 doing likewise, chasing corvids, calling etc Skylark - at least 2 singing & doing superb Yellow Wag impressions among other spp Yellow Wagtail 3-4 inc a singing bird which took c. 30 mins to spot before showing well
Cheers.
Jonathan Platt said
Fri May 6 7:44 AM, 2011
Lesser whitethroat singing 100yds north of house on Moat Lane, on the reserve side of the lane. Garden warbler 50yds north of the house, on the non-reserve side . . . if that makes sense!
John O'Neill said
Sun May 1 9:30 PM, 2011
2 Male Yellow Wagtails Holly Bush Lane this morming.
In the grassy field nr houses/farm on A57 side of Lane.
Feeding with single pied wag and loose flock of starlings.
Jonathan Platt said
Thu Apr 21 8:42 PM, 2011
Lesser whitethroat singing at 5.30pm today on Moat Lane, about forty yards down from the junction with Moss Side Lane.
Dave Menzies said
Sun Apr 17 10:50 PM, 2011
Large numbers of singing Blackcaps, Willow warblers, Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs now at the Clay Pits. 6 Brambling were a slight surprise, feeding in the canopy just on Moat Lane. Beautiful day to be there today, Speckled Wood, Orange-tip on the wing, Violets and Ladys Smock in flower. Best of all, an OSPREY from Glazebrook heading towards Rixton at 2pm.
Mike Baron said
Fri Apr 8 10:31 PM, 2011
9 Wheatears this evening - 4 on Prospect Lane and 5 on Holly Bush Lane
2 pairs of Grey Partridges and 1 RLP
2 Tree Sparrows
1 Yellowhammer singing
1 Green Sand and Redshank on tip pool
4 Stock Doves
Mike Baron said
Thu Apr 7 9:00 PM, 2011
3 Wheatears in Holly Bush Lane this evening
Mike Baron said
Tue Apr 5 9:04 PM, 2011
Female Merlin on mosses this evening
2 Shelducks on tip pool - they were on Moat Lane pool yesterday
David Spencer said
Sun Apr 3 10:13 AM, 2011
Yesterday, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank on tip pool. 3 Redshank on Moat Lane pools. Also 2 Willow Warblers singing. Only one Corn Bunting along Prospect lane but 4 Wheatear.
On Wednesday (30th) one female Marsh Harrier on the mosses in the evening
David
Mike Baron said
Fri Apr 1 7:59 PM, 2011
20 Waxwings on School Lane (Hollins Green) this evening. Only 1 present at Culcheth site and berries all gone there. 2 Green Sandpipers still on Rixton tip pool.
Mike Baron said
Thu Mar 31 10:06 AM, 2011
30+ Waxwings in Rixton yesterday evening - observed by a work colleague. I was watching 31 in Culcheth at exactly the same time so a few birds around.
Mike Baron said
Tue Mar 29 8:02 PM, 2011
6 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 Green Sandpipers this evening
Mike Baron said
Tue Mar 15 1:23 PM, 2011
Pool at base of tip this morning - Prospect Lane
Little Ringed Plover Green Sandpiper (two yesterday evening) Redshank Oystercatcher 10 Teal
looks superb for waders at the moment
3 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk on Moat Lane
2 Kestrels on mosses plus 33 Linnets
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Tuesday 15th of March 2011 01:24:19 PM
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Tuesday 15th of March 2011 04:16:45 PM
Mike Baron said
Mon Mar 7 7:53 PM, 2011
This afternoon
2 Green Sandpipers and 7 Teal on pool at base of tip, Prospect Lane
Jonathan Platt said
Fri Feb 25 10:05 AM, 2011
Ian Woosey wrote:
24/2/11 Rixton Moss (with Jonathan P.):
4 Grey Partridge 1 distant Sparrowhawk and more Buzzards 1 Yellowhammer 6 Teal 1 Reed Bunting 2 Stock Dove
. . . and possibly the most pedantic farmer I've ever met, who wanted us to step the two feet off the grass verge and back onto the track (a public footpath) as it was 'his land'. We'd only stepped off the track so we wouldn't be in the way of any farm vehicles! It's a little difficult to take an octogenarian on a tricycle seriously though . . .
Not having a pop at farmers, just this one in particular - Ian spoke to one earlier and we both spoke to another who owns the fishery on Prospect Lane, both smashing blokes.
1 Green Sandpiper this morning plus Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Willow Tit, Nuthatch and various ducks...
77 Fieldfares in field off Holly Bush Lane
Mike Baron said
Fri Jan 14 5:00 PM, 2011
2 Green Sandpipers on Moat Lane pool this evening
Steve Christmas said
Tue Oct 19 10:38 PM, 2010
2 green sandpipers at 6pm tonight.
Mike Baron said
Fri Sep 17 8:19 PM, 2010
Whinchat plus 5 Wheatears in ploughed field at bottom of Holly Bush Lane this evening
2 Green Sandpipers on Moat Lane pools
Mike Baron said
Thu Sep 9 9:56 AM, 2010
PM yesterday
2 Green Sandpipers on Moat Lane pool 2 - they moved to the tip pool off Prospect Lane where I later relocated them.
Jonathan Platt said
Thu Sep 9 7:37 AM, 2010
6.30am - Moat Lane Pools
1 green sandpiper on Pool 1, 1 green and 1 common sandpiper on Pool 2.
Mike Baron said
Sun Aug 1 12:48 PM, 2010
This morning while stood on Rixton Mosses I observed a Hobby coming out of Risley Moss. The bird flew around feeding Swifts over Hollybush Lane before spiralling up high and then heading approx north east. I lost it probably somewhere over Glazebrook still heading in NE direction - I suspect it was heading for the Manchester mosses.
3 Corn Buntings - they seem to be doing much better here than on Irlam Moss! 1 juv Yellow Wag 12 Skylarks - most in a group on the road 3 Yellowhammer 1 female Kestrel
Moat Lane Pools
Garden Warbler singing from scrub around Moat Lane Pools (didn't see it though!) 10 Pied Wags around the pools 1 Mute Swan 3 BH Gulls inc 1 juv
Rixton Clay Pits Fairly quite bird wise but Buzzard, a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, 3 Jays, family party of Great Tits But loads of Butterflies of 9 species including Brimstone, 2 Small Copper, 1 Small Skipper and a cracking newly emerged Hawker Dragonfly drying its wings next to it's discarded nymph case - didn't have my camera though!
6 Mute Swans
6 Gadwall
12 Tufted Duck
4 Cormorants
5 Jay
12 Fieldfare
Reed Bunting
Great Spotted Woodpecker
5 Kestrels and a Buzzard on the mosses
200+ Fieldfares in field at jnc of A57 and Warburton Bridge Lane
Large gulls in field next to tip (Prospect Lane) included 70+ GBBG, 150+ Herring Gull and 180+ LBBG.
5000+ Starlings on the tip.
Totals of other main sightings included: 24 Grey Partridge, 6 Kestrels, 4 Lapwing, 10, Bullfinches, 11 Skylarks, 15 Yellowhammers, c.200 Linnets, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 35 House Sparrows, 20 Stock Doves, 1 Snipe, 3 Tree Sparrows, 60 Chaffinches and a dozen or so each of Redwing and Fieldfare.
Cheers David
David
-- Edited by David Spencer on Sunday 13th of November 2011 04:33:18 PM
I was chatting to the local falconer who had stopped flying his Peregrine to avoid disturbing the owl when a second bird flew in. He was going to let the local shooters know of their presence to try and avoid any disturbance. A nice bloke!
He was also telling me he had released a Barn Owl in Holly Bush lane last year which he had found in a Larsen trap off Wood End lane.
Regards
David
It was David
I was stood at the car scanning that fenceline when the little blighter flew from behind me and straight past - I lost it after around 20 seconds!
Mike
Was the Barn Owl along Holly Bush Lane again?
David
-- Edited by David Spencer on Saturday 29th of October 2011 09:03:56 PM
Nice to meet David Spencer
29 Grey Partridges (25 + 4)
Lots of Redwings flying over in the darkness
Green Sandpiper in pool at base of tip off Prospect Lane
Cheers
David Bowman
Green Sandpiper showing well in between showers today.
Juvenile Whinchat in barley field off Prospect Lane - Green Sandpiper in pool at base of tip off this lane. Lots of hirundines moving through plus 15 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 40+ Goldfinches
Moat Lane pools
Green Sandpiper, juvenile Little Ringed Plover
Buzzard, 5 Kestrels, covey of 8 Grey Partridges and Red-legged Partridge on the mosses
pair of Red-legged Partridges on Holly Bush Lane and pair of Grey Partridges with one juvenile
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Saturday 9th of July 2011 08:42:56 AM
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Monday 4th of July 2011 09:26:40 PM
Corn Bunting 1
Yellowhammer 2
Sand Martin 2
Grey Partridge 5 - 4 calling, of which 3 seen, 1 of which was escorting a female
Buzzard 3+
Kestrel 1
Reed Bunting 2+
Lapwing - 40 in a field, perhaps failed breeders, also 3 or 4 birds in area still exhibiting some breeding behaviour
Oik 1 doing likewise, chasing corvids, calling etc
Skylark - at least 2 singing & doing superb Yellow Wag impressions among other spp
Yellow Wagtail 3-4 inc a singing bird which took c. 30 mins to spot before showing well
Cheers.
In the grassy field nr houses/farm on A57 side of Lane.
Feeding with single pied wag and loose flock of starlings.
6 Brambling were a slight surprise, feeding in the canopy just on Moat Lane.
Beautiful day to be there today, Speckled Wood, Orange-tip on the wing, Violets and Ladys Smock in flower.
Best of all, an OSPREY from Glazebrook heading towards Rixton at 2pm.
2 pairs of Grey Partridges and 1 RLP
2 Tree Sparrows
1 Yellowhammer singing
1 Green Sand and Redshank on tip pool
4 Stock Doves
2 Shelducks on tip pool - they were on Moat Lane pool yesterday
Little Ringed Plover
Green Sandpiper (two yesterday evening)
Redshank
Oystercatcher
10 Teal
looks superb for waders at the moment
3 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk on Moat Lane
2 Kestrels on mosses plus 33 Linnets
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Tuesday 15th of March 2011 01:24:19 PM
-- Edited by Mike Baron on Tuesday 15th of March 2011 04:16:45 PM
2 Green Sandpipers and 7 Teal on pool at base of tip, Prospect Lane
. . . and possibly the most pedantic farmer I've ever met, who wanted us to step the two feet off the grass verge and back onto the track (a public footpath) as it was 'his land'. We'd only stepped off the track so we wouldn't be in the way of any farm vehicles! It's a little difficult to take an octogenarian on a tricycle seriously though . . .
Not having a pop at farmers, just this one in particular - Ian spoke to one earlier and we both spoke to another who owns the fishery on Prospect Lane, both smashing blokes.
Moat Lane Pool:
2 Green Sandpiper
5 Buzzard
7 Tufted Duck
5 Mute Swan
3 Grey Heron
Rixton Moss (with Jonathan P.):
4 Grey Partridge
1 distant Sparrowhawk and more Buzzards
1 Yellowhammer
6 Teal
1 Reed Bunting
2 Stock Dove
Rixton Claypits LNR:
2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
10+ Siskin
2 Willow Tit
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Bullfinch
1 Reed Bunting
3 Fieldfare
3 Coal Tit
1 Mistle Thrush
Moat Lane Pools:
2 Gadwall
2 Mute Swan
14 Coot
All waters more or less frozen..
77 Fieldfares in field off Holly Bush Lane
2 Green Sandpipers on Moat Lane pools
2 Green Sandpipers on Moat Lane pool 2 - they moved to the tip pool off Prospect Lane where I later relocated them.
1 green sandpiper on Pool 1, 1 green and 1 common sandpiper on Pool 2.
Also:
6 Kestrels (2+2+2)
1 Buzzard
5 Yellowhammers
3 Little Ringed Plovers (2 juvs)
1 Kingfisher (male)
3 Corn Buntings - they seem to be doing much better here than on Irlam Moss!
1 juv Yellow Wag
12 Skylarks - most in a group on the road
3 Yellowhammer
1 female Kestrel
Moat Lane Pools
Garden Warbler singing from scrub around Moat Lane Pools (didn't see it though!)
10 Pied Wags around the pools
1 Mute Swan
3 BH Gulls inc 1 juv
Rixton Clay Pits
Fairly quite bird wise but Buzzard, a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, 3 Jays, family party of Great Tits
But loads of Butterflies of 9 species including Brimstone, 2 Small Copper, 1 Small Skipper and a cracking newly emerged Hawker Dragonfly drying its wings next to it's discarded nymph case - didn't have my camera though!