0840-1300

Irlam Moss

6 Fieldfare

4 Tree Sparrow

48 Pink-Footed Geese

260 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0855

190 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0910

1 Raven.

Little Woolden Moss

36 Reed Bunting

49 Skylark

7 Snipe

1 Lesser Redpoll

5 Fieldfare...very high

7 Redwing

18 Whooper Swan Flying East @ 1022

1 Green Sandpiper @ 0955

2 Siskin

1 Merlin Female...posed but at a distance...images attached.

Little Woolden Moss 0740-1045

19 Whooper Swan Flying east @ 0840

14 Whooper Swan Flying east @ 0910

69 Skylark.

8 Lesser Redpoll

9 Siskin

32 Lapwing

123 Linnet

18 Reed Bunting

13 Herring Gull

1 Fieldfare

1 Merlin

7 Snipe

3 Stonechat

240 Pink-Footed Geese milling about eventually headed West

70 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @0838

14 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0852

45 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0854

44 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0915

110 Pink-Footed Geese Flying east @ 0935

Irlam Moss

38 Linnet

1 Grey Wagtail

Barton Moss today:

65 Redwing

5 Fieldfare

1 Nuthatch

35 Snipe

15 House Sparrow

5 Tree Sparrow 9

Long-tailed Tit

25 Blackbird

7 Buzzard

1 Sparrowhawk

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

With Dave Stewart and Steve Atkins...a Carbon Landscape Training day for new Volunteers...

Irlam Moss

1 Golden Plover Flying North-South @ 1107

32 Linnet

2 Song Thrush

18 Blackbird

7 Grey Partridge

2 Siskin

48 Starling

Chat Moss

44 Linnet

13 Meadow Pipit.

Irlam Moss

37 Lapwing 

12 Meadow Pipit

26 Redwing

2 Willow Tit

4 Tree Sparrow 

160 Pink-Footed Geese flying east @ 1010

1 Nuthatch

Croxden

2 Raven

2 Lesser Redpoll

12 Shoveler

2 Siskin

5 Snipe

55 Pink-Footed Geese moving east @ 1104

Chat Moss

12 Redwing

9 Mistle Thrush

1 Grey Wagtail

Pair Stonechat

Little Woolden Moss

240 Pink-Footed Geese

32 Starling.

Little Woolden Moss today, late morning to early afternoon:

1 Raven

8 Teal

2 Stonechat

1 male Peregrine

7 Snipe

257 Skylark

135 Carrion Crow (in one flock)

5 Grey Partridge

c100 Linnet

390 Pink-footed Geese on the ground

1 immature/female Merlin  

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Irlam Moss

1 Grey Wagtail

6 Grey Partridge

56 Linnet

21 Meadow Pipit

5 Snipe

2 Siskin

3 Redwing

2 Yellowhammer

3 Fieldfare.

Irlam Moss

1 Chiffchaff

7 Siskin

2 Grey Wagtail 

116 Redwing

7 Snipe

27 Skylark

18 Meadow Pipit

1 Peregrine

35 Linnet

14 Tree Sparrow

125 Pink-footed Geese flying east @ 1025

45 Pink-footed Geese flying east @ 1835

Barton Moss

68 Linnet

2 Snipe

5 Lesser Redpoll 

49 Skylark

3 Tree Sparrow

25 Pink-footed Geese flying west @ 1145.

Irlam Moss

3 Swallow

18 Redwing 

3 Song Thrush

64 Meadow Pipit

1 Grey Wagtail

13 Reed Bunting

58 Skylark

2 Snipe 

1 Lesser Redpoll

Chat Moss

1 Grey Wagtail

16 Tree Sparrow

1 Willow Tit

51 Redwing

210 Linnet

52 Meadow Pipit

5 Yellowhammer

7 Grey Partridge

6 Snipe

1 Merlin...female

Little Woolden Moss and Platt House Farm area today:

64 Skylark

37 Reed Bunting

19 Swallow south

270 Pink-footed Geese west 11:55

27 Tree Sparrow

10 Greenfinch

34 Meadow Pipit

1 male Sparrowhawk 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss with Salford U3A

23 Pinkfeet milling about the area

2 Male Pergrine

7 Snipe

1 Nuthatch

36 Redwing

Croxden 0735-0950

3 Redwing

1 Chiffchaff

1 Treecreeper

16 Meadow Pipit

17 Reed Bunting

6 Snipe

Croxdens today:

7 Teal

6 Shoveler

2 Snipe

2 Raven

53 Lapwing

juvenile male ringed Peregrine on the peat

Little Woolden Moss:

220 Skylark

115 Meadow Pipit

pair of Stonechat

40 Reed Bunting

85 Linnet

15 Goldfinch

8 Snipe

c500 Wood Pigeon

2 Yellowhammer

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Little Woolden Moss 0825-1315

1 Golden Plover heading South @ 0850

1 Ringed Plover Heading South @ 0850

170 Skylark

55 Reed Bunting

2 Swallow Heading South @ 1037

2 Swallow Heading South @ 1050

6 Herring Gull

7 Teal

12 Snipe

78 Meadow Pipit

58 Lapwing.

Chat Moss

6 Grey Partridge 

26 Skylark

24 Pink-footed Geese flying east @ 0835

27 Redwing

2 Grey Wagtail

16 Teal

7 Shoveler

16 Linnet

2 Chiffchaff  with one in song

6 Fieldfare

6 Lesser Redpoll

Little Woolden Moss

154 Pink-footed Geese milling about eventually moving west

340 Linnet

4 Grey Partridge 

400 Skylark

138 Meadow Pipit

2 Yellowhammer

7 Snipe

Irlam Moss brief visit

70 Starling

16 House Sparrow

24 Meadow Pipit

2 Chifchaff

2 Grey Wagtail

2 Redwing

Croxden 0910-1015

36 Starling

31 Redwing

25 Linnet

5 Snipe

16 Skylark

106 Pink-Footed Geese Flying East @ 0932

2 Chiffchaff

1 Raven

Irlam Moss

86 Starling

5 Lapwing

75 Linnet.

This early afternoon's highlights:

67 Pink-footed Geese down in the centre of the moss

17 Buzzards, with some local birds but many seemingly moving NW over the moss 

7 Snipe

60 Skylark

150 Stock Dove

0900-1340

Chat Moss/Croxden

87 Redwing

16 Fieldfare

58 Linnet

3 Swallow

34 Jackdaw

6 Snipe

43 Meadow Pipit

49 Skylark

4 Shoveler

16 Teal

1 Green Sandpiper

Little Woolden Moss

1 Water Rail

17 Pink-Footed Geese

2 Snipe

Irlam Moss

8 Swallow

1 House Martin

240 Starling

90 Linnet.

0730-1000

Irlam Moss

2 Grey Partridge being chased off by an aggressive male Pheasant

Little Woolden Moss

92 Redwing

1 Lesser Redpoll

2 Raven

3 Swallow

5 Snipe

28 Pink-Footed Geese Flying SE @ 0802

25 Pink-Footed Geese Flying E-W @ 0855

230 Pink-Footed Geese Flying E @ 0900

46 Pink Footed Geese milling about the area @ 0917

38 Linnet

1 male Peregrine.

Croxdens today:

c100 Linnet

c40 Goldfinch

1 female Sparrowhawk

15 Shoveler

3 Wigeon

juvenile Marsh Harrier over west 

19 Mistle Thrush

120 Starling 

Info thank to Dave Stewart

Irlam Moss 1245-1350

185 Starling

4 Snipe

2 Redwing

26 House Sparrow 

8 Swallow

38 Linnet

Cadishead and Little Woolden Moss Circuit with a Group 1000-1345

32 Redwing...which soon moved on further south

1 Nuthatch

260 Canada Geese

125 Starling

115 Lapwing

16 Snipe

45 Meadow Pipit

3 Herring Gull.

A brief visit on my way home from Elton

 Barton Moss

7 Snipe

3 Chiffchaff

12 Meadow Pipit

3 Reed Bunting

2 Buzzard 1 of which was hovering in an atypical ungainly way for this species...the two Kestrel were it seemed disdainful of its efforts.

2 Stock Dove.

Croxden 0920-1245

1 Nuthatch

115 Pink-Footed Geese flying east @ 0937

34 Pink-Footed Geese flying west @ 1004

32 Meadow Pipit

37 Skylark

7 Swallow heading emphatically South (Where else at this time of the year we might ask!) 

7 Chiffchaff

9 Snipe

2 Green Sandpiper--moved off west @ 1155

16 Teal

14 Shoveler

1 male Peregrine---ringed ....metal left leg...red right. 

Little Woolden Moss today:

c100 Skylark

93 Meadow Pipit

15 Reed Bunting

35 Linnet

7 Snipe

1 Raven

5 House Martin

2 Swallow
a pair of Sparrowhawk up with 7 Buzzard

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Little Woolden Moss 0920-1400

114 Meadow Pipit

70 Skylark

1 Male Stonechat

115 Linnet

14 Snipe 

1 Male Peregrine

55 Reed Bunting...one of these was partially leucistic but refused to pose for a photo

130 Lapwing

120 Starling

4 Teal

1 Ringed Plover circled the site before moving north @ 1130

3 Swallow took a rare rain free window of opportunity to flee south @ 1140

4 Chiffchaff.

Other sightings from Little Woolden Moss this mid-afternoon:

6 Grey Partridge

108 Crow in a single flock

700 Woodpigeons (single flock)

1 Raven over west

4 House Martin together through SW

0845-1415

Chat Moss

6 Yellowhammer

109 Skylark

166 Linnet

10 Chiffchaff

3 Willow Tit

127 Meadow Pipit

3 Lesser Redpoll

2 Grey Wagtail

Little Woolden Moss

69 Skylark

45 Meadow Pipit

2 Golden Plover flying north south @ 1242

32 Linnet

12 Snipe

1 Hobby harvesting the abundant Common Darters--too intent on mating to notice their Nemesis....

Chat Moss and Croxden 0740-1000

18 Chiffchaff with 6 giving bursts of song

8 Goldcrest

26 Teal

32 Pied Wagtail

6 Snipe

1 Green Sandpiper which flew off west @ 0820

1 pair of Stonechat

24 Skylark moving north south

2 Grey Wagtail

28 Lapwing

1 Marsh Harrier flying north south @ 0940

1 Golden Plover flying north south @ 0845

31 Pink-footed Geese high west over Little Woolden Moss at 10am. Also, c80 Meadow Pipit,  217 Lapwing (in 3 flocks) over west, 2 Hobbies together hawking dragonflies from midday.

Info thanks to Dave Steel

Single juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a very bedraggled Wheatear were the highlights on a very wet Little Woolden Moss this early afternoon.

Late news for Little Woolden Moss yesterday:

Juvenile male & adult female Peregrine

35 Meadow Pipit

29 Teal

10 Snipe

23 Skylark

c170 Linnet

1 Raven 

38 Pied Wagtail

Info thanks to Dave Stewart 

Croxdens today:

c150 Lapwing

2 Redshank

8 Snipe

22 Teal

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Sightings from today:

2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover

3 Sparrowhawk (2 adults & juvenile)

57 Linnet

c100 Goldfinch

48 Skylark

17 Reed Bunting

27 Pied Wagtail

25 Meadow Pipit  

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Little Woolden Moss early to mid-afternoon today:

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover

2 Ringed Plover

Marsh Harrier circling high with a Sparrowhawk, both drifting off SW

2 Raven circling high off SW

1 Peregrine, though west

1 Yellow Wagtail

1430 House Martin through SW, in three main flocks, the largest of which, some 540 strong, fed voraciously over one of the pools before departing

110 Swallow through SW

Chat Moss

110 House Martin

150 Swallow

19 Pink Footed Geese flying East-Northwest @ 0842

20 Meadow Pipit

1 Grey Partridge

Little Woolden Moss

191 Skylark

68 Meadow Pipit

44 Pied Wagtail

5 Grey Partridge

1 Golden Plover over @ 0905

1 Ringed Plover over @ 0942

8 Yellowhammer

1 Raven

Little Woolden Moss brief check eastern section

18 Buzzard...an almost expected double figure count at this time of the year these days..its been a joy to see this steady rise in numbers of this raptor through the peat milling days through to now when there is this positivity for this site aided by the LWT whom I recall begging to get our moss under its wing...they proved true to their agreement with me and their belief in its worth and value.......sometimes it pays off, even in this day and age, to show a persistance in visiting a site over a long period....through the less productive days to now..I recall a Curlew nest out on a spread of completely cleared peat due to the milling ....it failed..this year in an entirely changed habitat in the same area...the east..it raised young..albeit one it was one more than then...

47 Meadow Pipit

1 Snipe

8 Teal

1 Wheatear

1 Tree Pipit over @ 1240

A couple of hours on Little Woolden Moss just after midday produced:

2 juvenile Whinchat (together)

1 male Wheatear

1 Raven over west

2 Hobby, both seemingly through SW

19 Buzzard up over the entire area as far as the eye could see, so some of which were absolutely no where near the moss (!) but all appeared to be local birds 

1 Ringed Plover 

1 adult Great Black-backed Gull on one of the pools with 38 Lessers and 14 Herring Gulls 

Hirundines swept through heading SW, mainly low but one flock was very high up indeed, many more were seen very distantly and were not identifiable to species so the true numbers were higher than below:

1160 House Martin

590 Sand Martin

448 Swallow

Irlam moss

1 Redstart Male...soon into cover but record pic taken...

33 Swallow

45 Meadow Pipit

6 Chiffchaff

2 Swift

2 Snipe

8 Grey Partridge

110 Linnet

Cadishead Moss

220 Swallow in a southerly movement @ 1125...

44 House Martin

11 Meadow Pipit

1 Yellow Wagtail 

310 Black Headed Gull

Little Woolden Moss brief check east

11 Chiffchaff

33 Meadow Pipit

Little Woolden Moss

48 Pied Wagtail

32 Meadow Pipit

1 Blackcap

14 Swallow

8 Snipe

1 Wheatear

1 Little Ringed Plover...juvenile

1 Peregrine

5 House Martin

Croxden brief visit am

57 Lapwing

7 Teal

2 Snipe

23 Swallow 

70 House Martin

11 Chiffchaff

3 juvenile Sparrowhawk being chased by 12 Magpie and 4 Jay...the raptors gave as good as they got and simply refused to give way ... it seemed quite clear that the raptors were working as one yet only a few days ago two juvenile Sparrowhawk were locking talons in the sky above this same area...I surmise that at the end of the day birds of a feather must stick together....endlessly fascinating this birdwatching even after so many decades...

Barton Moss 0805-1340

in heavy rain for quite a while....

160 House Sparrow

220 House Martin

117 Swallow

4 Snipe

41 Chiffchaff

6 Teal

5 Willow Tit...in two separate parties of titmice....

36 Meadow Pipit

5 Blackcap

1 Little Grebe

1 Great Crested Grebe

15 Coot

2 Grey Wagtail

6 Skylark

157 Black Headed Gull

5 Reed Bunting

2 Sparrowhawk

A couple of hours either side of midday, staring out over Little Woolden Moss in the drizzle was quite productive!

86 Snipe- 74 came noisily in from mainly high N/NE in 6 flocks, circled the moss a few times, often skimming low over the vegetation before finally dropping in (largest flock size was 18). Another 12, in 3 flock, seemed to come in from a more easterly direction and carry on straight through SW, often quite high.

15 Ringed Plover- 4 dropped in to one of the pools and remained, whilst 11 flew through low SW in one flock which also contained 4 Snipe!

20 Swift through SW in four flocks of 9, 4, 4 and 3

160 Lapwing in fields just to th east of the moss

1 Peregrine- adult female

420 House Martin, 80 Sand Martin and 30 Swallow through SW in some smallish flocks and dribs and drabs; highest House Martin flock was 80.

1 Wheatear

c200 Meadow Pipit still in one flock in fields at the very western edge of the moss (also getting into Cheshire).

230 Starling feeding in stubble fields at the very eastern edge of the moss. 

0640-1000

Irlam Moss

64 Linnet

1 Yellow Wagtail 

Cadishead Moss

2 Willow Tit

2 Goldcrest

12 Linnet

7 Chiffchaff

Little Woolden Moss

1 Redshank

3 Wheatear

2 Whitethroat

72 Meadow Pipit

20 Reed Bunting

2 Yellow Wagtail

13 Chiffchaff

5 Grey Partridge 

5 Lapwing

1320-1450

Irlam Moss

44 Goldfinch

140 Linnet

2 Blackcap

4 Chiffchaff

26 House Sparrow

5 Swallow

3 Yellow Wagtail

3 Wheatear

2 Sparrowhawk

Early afternoon on Little Woolden Moss:

Juvenile Dunlin

3 juvenile Ringed Plover

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover still present

9 Wheatear

1 Hobby

1 Marsh Harrier, same bird also over Cadishead Moss

260 Meadow Pipit, with 220 in one flock in and around a stubble field at the very western end of the moss and a further 40 on the moss itself

Only small numbers of hirundines through

0830-1340

Croxden

24 Chiffchaff

1 Willow Warbler

4 Snipe

34 Linnet

16 Meadow Pipit

216 Swallow

174 House Martin

48 Swift

18 Sand Martin 

14 Teal

3 Wheatear

1 Peregrine...male

2 Sparrowhawk fighting almost talon to talon in a clear blue sky...

0915-1430

Cadishead Moss

62 Swallow

80 Linnet

45 House Sparrow 

1 Kingfisher

Little Woolden Moss

5 Wheatear

3 Ringed Plover

1 Dunln

12 Buzzard

660 House Martin

16 Swift

80 Swallow

3 Sand Martin

5 Snipe

1 Marsh Harrier..harried off by the local Carrion Crows @ 1245...

Irlam Moss

3 Wheatear

58 Swallow

12 House Martin