Barn Owl Woodcock Snipe Skylarks (everywhere!) 2 Willow Tit GS Woodpecker Kestrel Herring Gull and all the usual stuff...
Geoff Hargreaves said
Mon Feb 4 8:28 PM, 2008
4.30 pm till dark on the three sisters side of the area
1 barn owl (spiffing views crap pictures) 4 long tailed tits 1 blackbird 2 crows 1 kestrel
smashing super ,geoff
Brian Harding said
Mon Feb 4 3:06 PM, 2008
30 or so fieldfare by riding stables today.
the 3 sisters side is good for little owl at dusk. scan the tops of the smaller trees/plantation in the middle.
just a caution: if you have got dogs watch out for tractors coming up the path from under the railway bridge at around 4pm, they go down the tree lined part of the path and upto that farm. they take up the whole track and dont stop for dogs! ive been caught out a few times by them and havent had time to put the dogs on leads. pure good luck they didnt get injured or squashed.
Craig Higson said
Sun Feb 3 9:46 PM, 2008
Rachael Hill wrote:
Inspired to go and visit Viridor woods today. VERY WINDY! 4.15-5.15pm Saw 2 kestrels near car park My first ever barn owl- 4 times, twice very close hunting, once on a post in field near road being mobbed by magpies & next hunting by carpark.
If anyone knows the area could you give us some pointers/directions of site. Thanks, Rae
Hi Rachael,
Depends where you want to go really. Virridor Woods is split into two. The side on the eastern side of the road is largely a circular walk, but you can get down to the Abram Flashes if you follow the path under the railway bridge and then go left. Have a look on an OS map if you have one, some other GM birders will probably provide better info on that area of the site (You can actually walk to Pennington Flash from the Virridor Car Park if you are really keen).
The other side of the road, and the paths again lead in a generally circular route but some lead into the Three Sisters Recreation Area, which itself has lots of different tracks.
Rob Thorpe seems to know most about Virridor, so I guess will be able to provide more pointers that I can.
-- Edited by Craig Higson at 21:47, 2008-02-03
Geoff Hargreaves said
Sun Feb 3 8:55 PM, 2008
Rae,welcome to the forum and congrats on catching the elusive owl,it would seem that mornings are the most productive for general birding,but a dusk visit for the owl seems to be the order of the day.
cheers geoff
Rachael Hill said
Sun Feb 3 8:06 PM, 2008
Inspired to go and visit Viridor woods today. VERY WINDY! 4.15-5.15pm Saw 2 kestrels near car park My first ever barn owl- 4 times, twice very close hunting, once on a post in field near road being mobbed by magpies & next hunting by carpark.
If anyone knows the area could you give us some pointers/directions of site. Thanks, Rae
Brian Harding said
Sat Feb 2 7:45 PM, 2008
craig, this time last year, I used to see stonechats every morning sat on the fence next to the riding stables. as soon as you cross over bolton road, they would be on that fence that follows the path. the horses field would be full of pied wagtails and meadow pipits.
they would only seem to be there early in the morning though. go after say 10.00 and you wouldnt see them.
havent been going much this year though, and never that early. so dont know if you can still see them there.
Rob Thorpe said
Sat Feb 2 2:25 PM, 2008
Saturday 2nd Feb 08
from 10:00am
2 Stonechat (pair) 2 Buzzard 3 Snipe 8 Grey Partridge (6 and 2) 6 Jay 2 Grey Heron loads of Siskins in the Wood by the railway Common Gull over Kestrel Skylark Reed Bunting Goldfinch Greenfinch Chaffinch Bullfinch Goldcrest and all the other usual stuff
Geoff Hargreaves said
Tue Jan 29 3:15 PM, 2008
from car park to railway bridge am
blue,great and longtailed 2/3 kestrel 5 magpie 4 crows 1 mistle thrush 1 song thrush 6 sisken 1 pair of stonechats,between the railway and monument(gm lifer for me thanks rob)
cheers geoff
Craig Higson said
Tue Jan 29 1:06 PM, 2008
Cheers Rob, will keep my eyes open.
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Jan 29 12:32 PM, 2008
Craig Higson wrote:
Rob, where abouts are you seeing the stonechats? I walk the dog round here quite often but havent noticed these two.
Craig, the last few times i've been the Stonechats have been near the railway bridge. If you go under the bridge and then left along the track that runs parallel to the railway (heading towards Platt Bridge), they tend to be along the right of the track. But i've also seen them (or another pair?) near the Viridor car-park.
Craig Higson said
Tue Jan 29 11:51 AM, 2008
Rob, where abouts are you seeing the stonechats? I walk the dog round here quite often but havent noticed these two.
Gary Gorner said
Tue Jan 29 10:57 AM, 2008
29/1/08 time 9am-10am
15-20 skylark 1 kestrel 1sparrowhawk 2 tree creaper 2 goldcrest 1 grey heron 1 jay no woodcock no barn owl
-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 11:01, 2008-01-29
-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 11:07, 2008-01-29
Rob Thorpe said
Mon Jan 28 3:40 PM, 2008
Sunday 27 Jan 2008
15:00
Barn Owl Woodcock 4 Grey Partridge (2 Prs) 2 Stonechat (Pair) 2 G S Woodpecker Goldcrest Coal Tit Siskin Bullfinch Reed Bunting 4 Stock Dove 3 Mistle Thrush
Rob Thorpe said
Sun Jan 27 1:06 AM, 2008
Brian Harding wrote:
whereabouts are you seeing the woodcock? i wouldnt mind seeing those. if i park at the main car park on bolton road where do i go from there? best time to see them?
Brian, the Woodcock seem to be all over that area. The only problem is you have to be really close to them to flush them, so it's a matter of striking lucky. The best place at the moment seems to be the first plantation on the right, just after where the narrow path from the car-park joins the main path. If you walk through the plantation (some of the trees are a bit prickly) and then along the south edge of it you should have a good chance (there was at least 3 just in that area last weekend, and there are often Snipe here too). Another good spot is the plantation near the railway bridge. Hope some of that makes sense. If it doesnt then let me know...
Brian Harding said
Sat Jan 26 11:54 PM, 2008
whereabouts are you seeing the woodcock? i wouldnt mind seeing those. if i park at the main car park on bolton road where do i go from there? best time to see them?
Rob Thorpe said
Sat Jan 26 7:43 PM, 2008
This morning...
3 Woodcock 1 Snipe 2 Stonechat (pair) Buzzard (eating worms again) Willow Tit and a flock of about 40 Siskin
Rob Thorpe said
Sat Jan 19 5:24 PM, 2008
A damp afternoon around Viridor today:
14:00 - 16:30
Barn Owl - fantastic views of it hunting just to the West of the A58 at 2pm. Woodcock - flushed 4, 3 of them in the plantation just East of the car park. Stonechat Buzzard - feeding on worms in field East of the railway. Bullfinch Willow Tit - pair
Brian Harding said
Mon Jan 14 11:55 AM, 2008
barn owl on there on saturday about 4.30pm by the fishing lake. not seen by me.
Rob Thorpe said
Sun Jan 13 7:23 PM, 2008
a pair of Stonechat hanging around the car park this afternoon.
09:00
Barn Owl
Woodcock
Snipe
Skylarks (everywhere!)
2 Willow Tit
GS Woodpecker
Kestrel
Herring Gull
and all the usual stuff...
1 barn owl (spiffing views crap pictures)
4 long tailed tits
1 blackbird
2 crows
1 kestrel
smashing super ,geoff
the 3 sisters side is good for little owl at dusk. scan the tops of the smaller trees/plantation in the middle.
just a caution: if you have got dogs watch out for tractors coming up the path from under the railway bridge at around 4pm, they go down the tree lined part of the path and upto that farm. they take up the whole track and dont stop for dogs! ive been caught out a few times by them and havent had time to put the dogs on leads. pure good luck they didnt get injured or squashed.
Hi Rachael,
Depends where you want to go really. Virridor Woods is split into two. The side on the eastern side of the road is largely a circular walk, but you can get down to the Abram Flashes if you follow the path under the railway bridge and then go left. Have a look on an OS map if you have one, some other GM birders will probably provide better info on that area of the site (You can actually walk to Pennington Flash from the Virridor Car Park if you are really keen).
The other side of the road, and the paths again lead in a generally circular route but some lead into the Three Sisters Recreation Area, which itself has lots of different tracks.
Rob Thorpe seems to know most about Virridor, so I guess will be able to provide more pointers that I can.
-- Edited by Craig Higson at 21:47, 2008-02-03
are the most productive for general birding,but a dusk visit for the owl seems to be the order of the day.
cheers geoff
4.15-5.15pm
Saw 2 kestrels near car park
My first ever barn owl- 4 times, twice very close hunting, once on a post in field near road being mobbed by magpies & next hunting by carpark.
If anyone knows the area could you give us some pointers/directions of site.
Thanks,
Rae
they would only seem to be there early in the morning though. go after say 10.00 and you wouldnt see them.
havent been going much this year though, and never that early. so dont know if you can still see them there.
from 10:00am
2 Stonechat (pair)
2 Buzzard
3 Snipe
8 Grey Partridge (6 and 2)
6 Jay
2 Grey Heron
loads of Siskins in the Wood by the railway
Common Gull over
Kestrel
Skylark
Reed Bunting
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Goldcrest
and all the other usual stuff
blue,great and longtailed
2/3 kestrel
5 magpie
4 crows
1 mistle thrush
1 song thrush
6 sisken
1 pair of stonechats,between the railway and monument(gm lifer for me thanks rob)
cheers geoff
Craig, the last few times i've been the Stonechats have been near the railway bridge. If you go under the bridge and then left along the track that runs parallel to the railway (heading towards Platt Bridge), they tend to be along the right of the track. But i've also seen them (or another pair?) near the Viridor car-park.
15-20 skylark
1 kestrel
1sparrowhawk
2 tree creaper
2 goldcrest
1 grey heron
1 jay
no woodcock
no barn owl
-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 11:01, 2008-01-29
-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 11:07, 2008-01-29
15:00
Barn Owl
Woodcock
4 Grey Partridge (2 Prs)
2 Stonechat (Pair)
2 G S Woodpecker
Goldcrest
Coal Tit
Siskin
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting
4 Stock Dove
3 Mistle Thrush
Brian, the Woodcock seem to be all over that area. The only problem is you have to be really close to them to flush them, so it's a matter of striking lucky.
The best place at the moment seems to be the first plantation on the right, just after where the narrow path from the car-park joins the main path. If you walk through the plantation (some of the trees are a bit prickly) and then along the south edge of it you should have a good chance (there was at least 3 just in that area last weekend, and there are often Snipe here too). Another good spot is the plantation near the railway bridge.
Hope some of that makes sense. If it doesnt then let me know...
3 Woodcock
1 Snipe
2 Stonechat (pair)
Buzzard (eating worms again)
Willow Tit
and a flock of about 40 Siskin
14:00 - 16:30
Barn Owl - fantastic views of it hunting just to the West of the A58 at 2pm.
Woodcock - flushed 4, 3 of them in the plantation just East of the car park.
Stonechat
Buzzard - feeding on worms in field East of the railway.
Bullfinch
Willow Tit - pair