upper plantations AM

single Tawny Owl at roost
Female Sparrowhawk over

Thornhill area afternoon

Buzzard over
Sparrowhawk
pr Manderin
Water Vole on Dougy again, pics on Man Wildlife

pr Dippers at 64 Steps 1 had a ring on its right leg

Jimmy

18/3/11

(11:45 - 15:00)

Somehow managed to miss you Paul, despite treading some of the same paths as you must have done.....

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

Managed to spot 2 Curlews at Rothwells Farm
5 Buzzard (Thorn Hill)
4 Sparrowhawk (Upper Plantations)
2 Kestrel
9 Siskin
1 Treecreeper
1 Lapwing
1 Common Gull
1 Reed Bunting
1 Pied Wagtail

Heard the Chiffchaff near Sennicar Bridge

8am-1pm Sennicar lane / Pendlebury lane area

single Curlew back on territory
pair of dippers nest building
single Kingfisher
7 Manderins 4m 3f
single Grey Wagtail
4 Wrens singing
pair of G.S.Woodpeckers excavating nesthole
as the sun came out and it started to get warm 3 Buzzards came from nowhere and started to soar upwards on the thermals, within minutes of them disappearing a pair of Sparrowhawks decided to do the same
pair of Stock Doves
pair of Song Thrushes
house and Tree Sparrows along the lane
another pair of Long Tailed Tits nest building
a Chiffchaff in song near Sennicar lane bridge, Golf course side
and the highlight of my already great day was a Water Vole on the dougy, first for many a year

7 Meadow Pipits north this morning over the Whelley Loopline nr Canon Sharples school

couple of hours early afternoon,

single Tawny Owl at roost site
pair of Buzzards over
Raven over
Female Sparrowhawk
Male Kestrel
Female Siskin
pair of Bullfinches
G.S. Woodpecker
Good numbers of Nuthatches, Great and Blue Tits and a pair of Long Tailed Tits nest building.
9 Grey Squirrels hogging all the tables and feeders at the feeding station
first frog spawn in ponds also
30 species in total

1pm-3pm Douglas Valley and Pendlebury Lane Area

Buzzard heard
7 Manderins 4m 3f
2 Dipper's
pair of G.S. Woodpeckers
good numbers of House and Tree Sparrows on the lane
Cormerant over

3 Buzzard, 2 Jay, Bullfinch, Siskin and Linnet in vicinity of Aspull Sough today
Green Woodpecker yaffling from Lower Plantations in vicinity of the Whelley Loopline

23/2/11 mid-afternoon:

1 Green Woodpecker (Whelley Loop Line)
3 Buzzard
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
5 Mistle Thrush
1 Stock Dove
1 Bullfinch
15 Canada Geese, 13 Mallard, 3 Moorhen, 2 Mute Swan.

couple of hours this morning

Chaffinch flock of approx 80 birds in field on higher lane that is being used to grow christmas trees, single yellowhammer with them, last week had 4 there could be more but flock very flighty
pair of willow tits and Bullfinches on the public footpath that goes around this field
Tawny Owls still roosting together
Raven over Aspull sough

Aspull Sough.
Found this place ,this morning, on my way down to Penny.
Located thanks to this 'thread'
Good habitat mixture, but quiet this morning :
Buzzard circling lowish twice.
On the pools:
2 Moorhen
2 Mallard
In the trees 2 Jays, 1G Tit,
Leaving I ticked 40 Rooks in a field near Aspull.

-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 12th of February 2011 03:35:24 PM

18 Siskin and 2 Buzzard near to Aspull Sough today

Enjoyable afternoon round haigh hall with Paul Risley:

Tawny Owl in usual roost. Wood pigeon kill by sparrowhawk nr feeding station.. Fresh and slightly plucked. Must have been disturbed. Coal tit, pair bullfinch,pair mistle thrushes, flock of chaffinches with yellowhammer before sparrowhawk sent them into cover.
Senicar Lane:
Mandarins and mallard on river.Redwing, song thrushes, Great Spotted woodpecker,grey heron,jay,grey wagtail,reed bunting and reed bunting. Also learned some valuable information on identifying nests from the knowledgeable Mr. Risley.! Well he has been birding for a while.

28 species

Thanks a lot Paul

I know Plantation Gates well and I'm sure I can find it from your directions

Regards Mike

Hi Mike,
Aspull Sough is a seris of 3 ponds and 3 reedbeds for treating water. probably the easiest way to get to them is to park up in plantation gates, thats the name of the road and walk from there, if you go on google maps and look for haigh lower plantations on satalite view you'll see the ponds to the right and slightly lower down, you should see plantation gates too. the road that you'll see going past the ponds is gated after 40 yards and I'm not sure if you can park there. there are 2 feeding stations, one is just a tray nailed to a gate on hall lane but has been going for a long time, the other is relatively new and is situated off the main track in between the two miniture railways in the upper plantations. hope this helps
regards Paul

Hi Paul

Could you enlighten me, where is Aspull sough and where in Haigh country park is the feeding station?
Thanks in anticipation Mike

couple of hours this afternoon,

single Green Woodpecker showing well at Aspull sough
42+ Magpies in fields here too
pair of Tawny Owls at usuall roost
pair of Mute Swans on canal
3 Siskins and a Redpoll near feeding station
pair of Coal Tits
good numbers of Rooks and Jackdaws over

6/2/11

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

1 Dipper - lifted off the stream that flows under the loop line and into the Yellow Brook

2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk (m)
c200 Common Gulls and 60+ Black-headed Gulls in fields by Sennicar Lane
1 Skylark
19 Redwing
1 Pied Wagtail
7 Stock Dove
3 Mistle Thrush
1 Bullfinch
5 Moorhen, 15 Mallard, 12 Canada Geese

11.30am - 5.30pm

2 pairs of manderins in the dougy valley near pendlebury lane
single Goldcrest down here also
decent numbers of tree and house sparrows on the lane with G.S. Woodpecker over and 5 Fieldfares in the fields here also
2 mute Swans flying down the canal
single Yellowhammer were Ian had 8 the previous week, there could have been more but I was looking into the sun and it was in a very flighty flock of 70+ chaffinches and 30 + Redwings.
pair of Tawny Owls in their usuall roost
5 Siskins near feeding station, nice male Bullfinch at feeding station
Buzzard at sheep carcass in fields near Aspull sough, Raven over going to roost and as I was walking past the ponds at 5.20 a Woodcock dropped in to make it 40 species for the day, a good return for HCP

22/1/11

I seem to have neglected the patch of late.....disgraceful !

Whelley Loop Line to The Walled Garden:

1 Green Woodpecker (over the Loop Line)
1 Buzzard at a sheep carcass with 30+ Magpies in attendance
8 Yellowhammers in a stubble field behind Morris Fold Cottage. This is the highest number I have recorded here.
2 Siskin, a Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatches, and 3 Coal Tits at the new(ish?) feeding station near the model engine sheds. This seems to be a fairly professional affair, complete with viewing screen, akin to the FS at Three Sisters. (Thanks for the info Paul , and thanks to the golfers who pay at the pay-and-display up at the Hall who must have funded it ).
11 Redwing
3 Bullfinch
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Coot, 5 Moorhens, and 8 Mallard at Aspull Sough

-- Edited by Ian Woosey on Saturday 22nd of January 2011 02:54:42 PM

A pleasant afternoon in and around the woods.
Raven and Buzzard feeding on sheep carcass
approx 250 Pink Footed Geese over going west
2 Bullfinches
small flock of approx 20 Siskins near Hall
Male Sparrowhawk over feeding station
pair of Tawny Owls roosting together
Heron over

25 species

A quick walk around the water treatment ponds and fields this afternoon to put some food out,
Dipper near the waterfall, Raven over, single female Reed bunting, Green Woodpecker calling and a Snipe landing in one of the fields were the highlights

26/12/10 Whelley Loop to Pennington Lane 1pm 4.30pm

Water treatment ponds
Singles of Snipe and Woodcock over
2 Herons
Coot
Female Bullfinch
Sparrowhawk kill of a Goldfinch, Fox and Magpie footprints in snow next to it checking for any remains

Douglas Valley Lower Plantations
Dipper feeding well on Dougy
2 Goldcrests
2 Tree Creepers
Raven over

Lady Mabels Wood to Pennington lane area
3 Bullfinches 2F, 1M
2 Siskins
Good numbers of Redwings Fieldfares and Blackbirds
14 Mandarins, looked like an even split 7F, 7M

on way home Tawny Owl just working its way towards Blackbirds roosting site in the Rhododendrons

35 species

Short walk around the water treatment ponds this afternoon

Kingfisher on the second pond, which is bright orange in colour. perching low on Bullrushes, diving in regulary and feeding on something small, possibly insects of some sort?
small Duck probably Teal left the first pond but didnt get clear view, would have been a site tick
single Buzzard low over fields
single Snipe over

Sat 18th Dec

Douglas Valley at Thornhill,
Buzzard
Kingfisher
Heron
2 Woodcock
Snipe
6 Manderin

Sennicar lane area
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwings
6 Robins at the feeding station constantly squabbling + single Reed Bunting and pair of Coal tits

Deer, Fox, Squirrel and Rabbit tracks in snow

7/12/10 (09:30 - 12:45)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane, taking in Lady Mabels Wood and the Lower Plantations:

1 Yellowhammer (over Lower House Farm)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
7 Siskin (Lady Mabels)
2 Lapwing (Rothwells)
c10 Fieldfare
7 Redwing
1 Nuthatch
2 Coal Tit
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Bullfinch
2 Grey Herons, 1 Coot, 7 Mallards, and 2 Moorhens at Aspull Sough.

(33 species)

3/12/10 (10:45 - 12:15)

Whelley Loop Line to Crawfords Wood:

2 Common Snipe
6 Lapwing
1 Willow Tit
3 Siskin
1 Kestrel
2 Bullfinch
1 Coal Tit
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
4 Redwing
1 Coot
11 Mallard
5 Moorhen

(29 species)

1pm -4pm

lower plantations
pair of Tawny owls at roost
single tree creeper, several Nuthatches in amongst tit flocks
Dipper and Heron on Douglas

pendlebury lane area
13 Manderins on Douglas, Fox hunting on opposite bank, pics on manc wildlife later
Tree Sparrows mixed in with the House Sparrows
3 Lapwings
pied wagtail
Female Kestrel

Sennicar lane bridge
Mink running on ice with mouse in its mouth on opposite bank, came back out of cover after 5 mins and continued on ice for about 70 yards before returning back to bridge area.

couple of Reed Buntings at the feeding station on hall lane
33 species in total

A quick couple of hours this afternoon, parked opposite feeding station on Hall lane at first and watched for a while (lazy mans birdwatching ) good numbers of Great and Blue tits and Chaffinches, single Coal tit on floor beneath feeders showing well, just going to take a photo of it when a male Sparrowhawk just misses it, Spar then made a quick dash at the chaffinches nearby but they get to cover before it gets to them. flying off with nothing to show for its attempts. about an hour later I'm up near Haigh Hall, near a group of Yew trees that are full of berries, these have attracted a fair number of Redwings and Blackbirds, as I watch from the path Alarm calls start and 3 Redwings come flying out the trees straight towards me with another male Sparrowhawk about 15 feet behind them, about 20 yards on the spar gives up the chase, circles off and lands nearby, cracking adult male. other birds seen, singles of Raven and Goldcrest and a few Nuthatches

Late post for yesterday 6th Nov
Lower Plantations to Pendlebury Lane 1pm - 5pm

single Dipper and Grey Wagtail on River Douglas
singles of G.S. Woodpecker, Bullfinch and Greenfinch mingling with good numbers of Goldfinch and Redwings at Aspull Sough, Female Sparrowhawk working the hedges
Kestrel near Lower House Farm also one in Lady Mabels wood

Woodlands; pair of Tawny Owls roosting together,
2 Nuthatches
2 Coal tits at hall lane feeding station
Good size Sparrow flock at Pendlebury lane judging from the noise coming from the conifers, both species showing well
Kingfisher on canal near to bridge
37 species seen

6/11/10 (07:30 - 11:00)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

3 skeins of Pink-footed Geese over (no counts, times, or directions coz me pen ran out and I`ve forgotten )

1 Snipe (over Aspull Sough)
2 Sparrowhawk
3 Kestrel
1 Green Woodpecker (Aspull Sough)
1 Kingfisher
2 Treecreeper
1 Nuthatch
2 Grey Wagtail over
2 Coal Tit
3 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Redwings & Fieldfares aplenty

(35 species, from what I can remember...)

{Local info - The Woodland Trust have now sunk their "test holes" in Lady Mabels Wood. I counted five, three of which are near areas frequented by dog-walkers, so any pool here would become instant "dog bathing pools". The other two are in a field that I didn`t know they actually owned... but these, thankfully, are well away from any footpaths. They can only be seen from the canal tow-path, so I hope they eventually use this field for their planned pond/pool. The 5 test holes (now already flooded) are sufficiently large enough to become "Dragonfly-ponds" in their own right if they leave them and don`t fill them in again - indeed they are better than specifically created ponds at a certain local `managed` LNR !}

30/10/10 (08:00 - 11:20)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

1 Peregrine - a juvenile bird, flying low along the course of the canal over Shedfield Bridge towards New Springs Bridge (SE). Its left leg was distinctly dangling/trailing all the time of the pass....

1 Raven (Rothwells Farm)
2 Kestrel
7 Skylark
2 Reed Bunting
60+ Fieldfare, over
8 Redwing
1 Goldcrest
1 Coal Tit
1 Grey Heron
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
5 Rook
3 Collared Dove
15 Mallard
7 Moorhen

(37 species)

1.45pm -6.00pm

lower plantations
Tawny Owl at roost
14 Manderin, 9 on pond near old quarry, 5 on River Douglas 8m 6f
Dipper, first for some time
Green Woodpecker and Buzzard in fields near water treatment ponds

Lady Mabels to pennington lane
Male Sparrowhawk
Fem Kestrel
2 Tree Sparrows
8 Greenfinches
Great Crested Grebe on canal near to Red Rock moorings

39 species

5pm-6.20pm

managed to find the Sheep carcass, Buzzard was feeding on it along with a dozen Magpies, Ravens could be heard calling in the woods nearby and a solitary Fox skulked back into the woods as I approached. A Green Woodpecker calling was a welcome sound as not seen or heard any for a while. 27 Pink footed Geese over heading east at 6.05pm and a male Kestrel near lower house farm was the only other sighting of note.

20/10/10 (08:15 - 11:45)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

c140 Pink-footed Goose >SE @ 08:40

2 Raven (nr Hall Lane) - at a sheep carcass with 2 Foxes and 20-odd Magpies..
2 Buzzard (WRUFC)
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
2 Tree Sparrow (over)
1 Treecreeper
1 Goldcrest
9 Fieldfare (over)
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Bullfinch
14 Mallard
6 Moorhen (Aspull Sough)

(32 species)

19/10/10 (09:45 - 12:20)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

2 Whooper Swan - heading NW over Lady Mabels Wood @ 11:30......(site tick )

1 Buzzard (Lady Mabels)
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
5 Goldcrest (single party)
1 Cormorant (canal @ Basin Quay)
2 Redwing
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Grey Heron
3 Stock Dove
4 Moorhen
24 Mallard
7 Goldfinch
1 Pheasant

(30 species)

2-15pm - 4.30pm

for several years now there has been a Carrion Crow about with white feathers on its wings, nothing unusual about that except today there were 3 of them in fields between wingates road and WRUFC.
pair of Kestrels on Golf coarse
Tree Creeper
several small flocks of Redwings
2 Fieldfare
Heron
plus the usuall suspects

-- Edited by Paul Risley on Sunday 17th of October 2010 10:58:06 PM

15/10/10 (07:30 - 10:00)

Lady Mabels Wood & Rothwells Farm area:

2 Mandarin, pair (canal at Golf Course)
2 Buzzard (Lady Mabels Wood)
5 Snipe, over (Sennicar Lane)
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Goldcrest
16 Redwing, over
2 Common Gull (Golf Course)
1 Skylark
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Stock Dove
c35 Goldfinch
8 Mallard
2 Mute Swan (SLI) w/5 cygnets (.......one missing )

(29 species)

4/10/10 (07:45 - 11:15)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

2 Buzzard (Aspull Sough)
2 Kestrel
2 Treecreeper (Hall Lane)
1 Grey Wagtail (over)
6 Skylark (Rothwells Farm)
13 Meadow Pipit >S
7 Pied Wagtail >S
26 Swallow >S
1 Coal Tit
1 Song Thrush
1 Bullfinch
9 Mallard
4 Moorhen

(33 species)

5.15pm -6.15pm Crown Hotel bridge to Basin Quay and back to top lock

juv Great Crested Grebe between crown hotel bridge and Shedfield bridge heading towards Top Lock. on way back it had gone to top lock. nice find Ian
Kingfisher at Shedfield
2 Grey Wagtails at Basin Quay

30/9/10 (07:00 - 10:45)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane and Lady Mabels Wood:

1 Great Crested Grebe - along the canal midway between Hall Lane Bridge and Shedfield Bridge....... A very surreal sight as it swam right by me in the lifting fog . An absolute site Mega !

1 Raven (Rothwells Farm). Another, or the same, over Balniel Walk later on..
1 Buzzard (Sennicar Lane)
2 Kestrel
2 Kingfisher (Shedfield Bridge)
2 Grey Wagtail (Basin Quay)
5 Skylark
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Linnet
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Song Thrush
5 Bullfinch
23 Lesser Black-backed Gull (over)
1 Cormorant, ad. (over)
2 Grey Heron (over)
6 Swallow
13 Mallard
2 Mute Swan w/6 cygnets

(42 species)

Single Redwing yesterday.

Info thanks to Peter Alker

25/9/10 (07:10 - 11:40)

Whelley Loop Line to Pendlebury Lane:

1 Raven (Rothwells Farm). Watched this bird for a good half hour as it sat in the sunshine jabbering away to itself - amazing vocalisations !

3 Buzzard (Aspull Sough)
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
2 Willow Tit (Shedfield Bridge)
2 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark, singing...
2 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
7 Meadow Pipit
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Bullfinch
1 House Martin
9 House Sparrow
2 Grey Heron (over)
16 Mallard (Basin Quay)
2 Canada Goose (over)

A dozen Swallows at Rothwells, and 20 or so Jays knocking about..

(39 species)

22/9/10 (07:00 - 10:00)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
5 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
2 Goldcrest
2 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
1 Meadow Pipit
4 Mistle Thrush
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull (over)
1 Cormorant (over)
c40 Swallows over, mainly heading South in small groups, but still a few lingerers at Rothwells Farm..
12 Jay
22 Goldfinch
1 Grey Heron
20 Mallard (Basin Quay)
11 Canada Goose (over)

No proper count, but well in excess of 250 Wood Pigeons moving around/over..

(34 species)

A pair of Ravens preening each other on a fence at Sennicar Lane yesterday afternoon
17 Goldfinch over

8 am - 1.30pm
Lower Plantations

11 Manderins, 3 (2m,1f) on River Douglas with Mallards and 8 Flushed off pond near to Quarry
at least 3 large tit flocks one that included 2 Tree creepers
good numbers of Nuthatches and a few Jays
Tawny Owl at one of its roosts

Twenty Bridges region

Juv Buzzard over giving hunger calls
3 Sparrowhawks circling (2f,1m)
2 Goldcrests in another tit flock
2 Bullfinches
2 Ravens over

Pennington lane to Sennicar lane

mixed flock of Tree and House Sparrows
2 Pied Wagtails
2 Cormorants, 1 landed on canal and started to fish. thankfully it kept a good distance away from me though, last time I saw one along this stretch it was dead the following day
female Kestrel hovering over fields and being half heartedly mobbed by a juv female Sparrowhawk, both giving good views

37 species seen, a good day but didnt locate the teal

6.30pm - 7.30pm, walk along canal from crown hotel, new springs to sennicar lane bridge and back,

27 Mallards mainly on basin near haigh hall bridge.
fields north of water treatment ponds, 2 Sparrowhawks. 1 being mobbed by a pair of Magpies also 2 Ravens, 1 mobbing a buzzard
5 mistle Thrush on golf course.
no signs of Ian's Teal but will be back tomorrow to check all the ponds and streams

16/9/10 (09:30 - 12:50)

Lower Plantations to Sennicar Lane:

4 Ravens (Lady Mabels Wood). Initially three were wheeling about and constantly calling - I thought perhaps these could be the three young from the town-centre nest, but another appeared and they paired off in different directions...

3 Buzzard (Aspull Sough)
4 Mandarin (Marylebone Bridge)

1 Teal (f). Flew over Sennicar Lane with a Mallard.....Site Tick

3 Cormorants over (juvs)
12 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipit
2 Mistle Thrush
5 Jay

14 Mistle Thrush over Bridge 63 at Red Rock Lane early afternoon today

4pm - 6pm Whelley loop line to shedfield bridge along canal via top lock.

lock systems have been drained for maintenance work, lots of mud and shallows with plenty small fish in, 2 Grey Wagtails and a single Kingfisher taking advantage.
2 Willow Tits
single Mute Swan,
Kestrel
M Sparrowhawk
3 Willow Warblers
large numbers of Wood Pigeon