A walk by the River Goyt in icy fog didn't produce too many birds

1 female goosander, 1 Kingfisher and 3 Grey Herons.

Two notices caught my attention.

By Otterspool Bridge a notice regarding a compulsory purchase order of adjacent land (including the river bed) for the purposes of 'hydro electric power supply'

A little futher on a notice taped to a tree regarding the confiscation of an illegal 5 metre gill net.

Cheers, John

Yesterday between 11:30 and 14:30 ,
Blue ,great and long -tailed tits , wrens ,drumming G.S. woodpecker , dozens of redwing and a single jay , in woods near Poise Brook.
Large flock of mixed fieldfare and redwing, ( 200+ birds ) , in fields before Goyt Hall Farm . Also grey and pied wagtails , robins , wrens and starling .
Even larger flock of redwing , feeding in field next to Middle Farm, also several goldfinch feeding with them . 100+ woodpigeon , and 2 herons in field adjacent to river. Large white object near the river turned out to be a downed Chinese lantern , and not a Little Egret !!! ( really must get my eyes tested again ! )
Cheers Chris.

About 2000 Jackdaws today between 3.45 and 4 settling in woodlands park area around Holiday Lane.
Spectacular sight.
Chris H

A report from a local farmer of a Little Egret on the Goyt behind Middle Farm in late December.

There are very recent reports of 1 (possibly 2) in the Poynton area and these may commute.

Cheers, John

Walk from 8.30-10.30 down Holiday Lane, past Goyt Hall Fm, quick look at Chadkirk, and back via Bongs Lane.
Highlights:
30 Waxwing over the farm towards Pear Mill
42 Mandarin by kennels
Male Sparrowhawk after 50 Redwing
5 Goosander(3 Drake)
4 Stock Dove
Many Nuthatch, tits, wrens
Goldcrest
4 Bullfinch(end of holiday lane)
Great Spot drumming
Grey and Pied Wagtails
Cheers, Chris H

December 19th

Highlight was a flock of 74 Mandarin Duck (minimum count)
1 Grey Heron
2 Goosander
Nice to see Goldcrests, Wrens and Tits all surviving the cold snap.

Cheers, John

Nov 25th 10.30 - 11.45

c22 Mandarins (mostly males)
1 Dipper (singing its Sedge Warbler-type song)
3 Jays
8 Mipits
26 Goldfinches in 1 flock
1 Song Thrush
1 Goldcrest with LT Tit flock
Buzzard hunting on the ground
1 Little Owl
1 Sparowhawk

Cheers, John

A Kingfisher flew upstream under Jim Fernilee bridge.

Dipper just downstream of the bridge.

Grey Wagtail on bank of Poise Brook.

Crows and gulls on the ploughed fields.

Only thing of note was a flock of 22 Redwing flying NE

Cheers, John

Some earthworks and tree-felling perhaps?

4 yellowhammers (inc 1 male)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Little Owl

On the banks of the Goyt opposite the fishing pools:

2 Environmental Agency Wagons
1 Mechanical Digger
3 Blokes
1 Chainsaw

Anyone know what's going on?

Cheers, John

17th Sep 2010

Highlights were a Little Owl sunning itself on the chimney stack at Goyt Hall farm and a very showy male Kingfisher at the fishing pools.

Two wonderful photographic opportunities but where was the camera? You've guessed it!

Cheers, John

An evening visit and not a lot to report. 5 LBB gulls and a Great Spot flew over and a mixed tit flock of about 40 individuals also held 2 Nuthatches and 2 Treecreepers. Too many shotguns around tonight for enjoyable birding.

I notice that new signage has appeared by Otterspool Bridge. "Goyt Valley Local Nature Reserve" has gone and replaced by "Goyt Valley leading to Poise Brook Local Nature Reserve". I think the new sign is more accurate but one way or another quite a waste of money by Stockport MBC in these times of austerity.

Cheers, John

monday night, 8.45pm. sat outside with a glass of red waiting for the swifts and house martins to settle and the bats come out, when a hobby flew low over my garden (near to wrights arms) giving me amazing views.
a birding first, brilliant.

Quiet this morning except for many Pied Wagtails...Easily into double figures.

Anthony

This Morning...

1 Yellowhammer (singing nicely near GHF)
1 Buzzard
Loads of Swallows

Anthony

If an Environmental Impact Assessment is asked for as part of the p/a I expect I'll be approached for records.

Don't know if the rest of you locals are aware of this but the plans for a hydro-electric generating scheme at Otterspool have been approved (which will apparently supply electricity to about two and a half homes!!). If anyone knows of any breeding birds that might have used the area this year, you might wish to make it known to whom it may concern. Even better, we might try to influence whoever is going to build this white elephant, sorry I mean excellent carbon saving contraption, so that they incorporate some nesting sites into the design. What do you think?

Otterspool to Goyt Hall Farm 8.45 - 10.45

The highlights were

A pair of Linnets reluctant to leave the hedgerow near the kennels.
Family party of Swallows at GHF
Yellowhammers singing from at 5 different places from Jim Fearnley Bridge (unusual this far from GHF) to GHF fishing pools. At least 4 individual males involved.
A brood of 7 fairly well grown Mandarin ducklings on the Goyt but no sight of a parent.
Skylark singing above fields behind GHF

Cheers, John

Never would I have thought I would ever have this as a garden tick, but as I was bashing a bit of leftover cat food against the fence (hedgehog scoops it up), a Common Quail stepped out o my overgrown log pile, looked at me in shock, and took off over the fence heading towards the playing fields behind Offerton High School and on to Woodland s Park.
I'm still in a state of shock and awe
Chris H

12.15-1.15 Kennels

Fairly quiet, mad dogs and Englishmen and all that...

1 Buzzard (mobbed by 2 Carrion Crow)
4 Goldfinch
2 House Martin
4 Swallow
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
+ Various other bits & bobs

Anthony

Rob Thorpe wrote:

---

...but as Little Owl is a category C species in the UK, can it really be called "nature"?

---

Well I suppose the jury is out on that one Rob...They've been around in the wild in the UK for a couple of hundred years now, so is that long enough for them to be regarded as part of nature?

Probably not for the purest, but yes for me...I think they're cracking little birds.

Anthony

...but as Little Owl is a category C species in the UK, can it really be called "nature"?

Little Owl sadly making light work of a Swallows nest at the farm early this evening...Quite distressing scenes really as the two adults constantly mobbed the Owl to no avail.

Speaking to the farmer, this has now happened for the last two years...Nature can be cruel sometimes.

Anthony

Pleasant walk down Bong's Lane, via garden centre(drinks break), and back over Jim Fernley bridge through Woodland's Park. Highlights:
Calling Common Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiff Chaff.
Many Swifts, Swallows and House Martins.
7 mandarin, some eclipse, with young. Mallards too.
At least 1, probably 2 Kingfisher(1st since January)
Many Grey and Pied Wagtails, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch.
Singing Goldcrest.
No sign of Yellowhammer or Linnets, but didn't go as far as Goyt Hall Fm.
Chris H

Chilly walk this morning from Woodlands Park to Goyt Hall Fm
Pair of Goosander up from Jim Fernley bridge
Singing Blackcap and Chiff chaff
15+ Swallows, 3 Swift, 2 House Martin
Little Owl in tree by farm
Yellowhammer in field opposite farm
2 Grey Wagtails
Lovely Bluebell show in the woods
Chris H

1 May 09.00 - 11.30 (Otterspool - Goyt Hall Farm)

44 Swifts (2 parties of 30 and 14)
2 House Martins
Mandarin (5m, 2f)
Yellowhammer (2m, 1f)
5 Lapwing
Little Owl
Whitethroat

Cheers, John





-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 1st of May 2010 01:15:25 PM

Swift this evening mobbing a Sparrowhawk(20:00), joined by a single starling to see it off.
Chris H

A pleasant walk enlivened mostly by the years first butterflies. However, highlights in the bird world between Chadkirk car park and Goyt Hall Farm were 3 chiffchaffs (including what seemed to already be a pair at the old tree nursery), treecreeper also in song there. 1 male blackcap. A pair of great spotted woods that were showing interest in a nearby hole. At Goyt Hall, a yellowhammer was heard but unseen, and three lapwings were around. Buzzard was seen a couple of times. Good job weather was fine really or it would have all seemed a bit ordinary.

Nr Bredbury Hall - Crow sat on back end of a white pony ripping hair out for nesting material! Had a right mouthful! Pony oblivious!

Buzzard feeding in the field behind '17 windows' off the A626 at 9.30
Chris H

Good one John, did you have your camcorder with you? 27 lapwing - (great)

1st Chiffchaff of the year singing by Waterside Farm.

Elsewhere: 2 Goldcrests, 7 Mandarin, 5 Grey Wagtails, 4 Goosander, 27 Lapwing, 6 Stock Doves, 1 Cormorant, 1 Little Owl, minimum of 4 Yellowhammers (3m, 1f).

Cheers, John

Two little owl. One on the left of the left hand tree, and the other in the apex of the lower gable end next to the right hand tree.

Robert Adderley wrote:

---

7/3/10 ...early am

Curlew - 3
Lapwing - 7

Yellowhammer - 1 singing male.

---

Nice one Robert

7/3/10 ...early am

Curlew - 3
Lapwing - 7

Yellowhammer - 1 singing male.

100+ Jackdaw near Kennels 4.30pm
3 Pochard on the Goyt at Otterspool bridge.

Anthony

Little Owl on left of the left hand tree enjoying the sun.
A few misstle thrush in the fields, and a Goosander on the river from JF Bridge.

Little owl at the farm today playing hide and seek! Great to see it though. Thanks to Chris E for showing it to me, you may regret it on 31/12/10 when I have seen more species this year though.

Phil

9.30-10.30 from Hall Pool Drive to GH Fm.
Kingfisher(Under Jim Fernley bridge)
Female Sparrowhawk
2 Treecreepers
9 Nuthatch(No GS Woodpeckers, any link?)
24 Redwings
Cormorant
2 Stock Dove
1 Little Owl(Chimney pot)
4 Mistle Thrush
Many singing Tits, especially Great.
A few Green, Gold and Chaffinches.

Yours
Chris H

10-10.30am this morning

100's of Gulls in field next to Bredbury Hall.
40+ Starlings in field opposite above.

Little Owl on Chimney stack at GHF...
http://www.ajdixonphotography.co.uk/photo4403607.html#photo

Anthony

Very quiet today.

Little Owl - GHF chimney stack
3 lapwings in newly ploughed field behind GHF
5 Herons in field near model aircraft strip
Buzzard over

Cheers, John

1000+ Starlings displaying at dusk towards Goyt Hall Farm/ Bredbury Hall...Seen from Otterspool Bridge so I couldn't quite pin point the exact location.
Will have a look tomorrow from Bredbury Hall side.

Anthony

lunchtime today

one little owl on back tree left of GHF- enjoying the sun!
c50 fieldfare

on river
kingfisher
cormorant
goosanders
heron

Gone goggle eyed looking at 2000 and 2001 diaries but can't find a mention of the Partridge, John. Sorry about that. Sure it was before the footand mouth outbreak, as I was frustrated about not being allowed on the farm for so long after.
Chris H

two little owls showing well today about threeish, in the large tree opposite the farm on the other side of the track,

36 Mandarins in field next to kennels
8 Grey Herons around Goyt Hall Farm
1 Little Owl on farm chimney pot
4 Cormorant on river
1 fem Goosander on river
1 Treecreeper
c35 Fieldfare in horse field with
5 Redwing and
1 Meadow Pipit

-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 09:07:17 PM

Little Owl making up for missing chimney pot at 12.30pm

No sign of mandarins at the correct place this time!

Goyt Hall Farm
Little Owl was showing well at 1.30 today.
Sitting on the Farmhouse chimney stack (the one that should have 4 pots but one is missing)