Pete, David. Unfortunately at present the moss is still common land and not 'owned' by anyone yet. As you'll know Wigan MBC have been attempting to acquire it under the Common land act (I think). However, this hasn't come to fruition yet as I believe a couple of objections have been lodged and it can't be concluded until the objectors have been appeased as it were. Hopefully , when or if Wigan gain ownership of the moss then there may be channels we can go through to get something done about the litter problem, etc.

The encampment you refer to David is actually a homeless guy who lives on there. According to the locals, he's lived on there for about three years now and keeps himself to himself really. I've only actually seen him myself on a few occasions as he usually sleeps all day.

I do agree with you Pete about the litter problem. The area around the woods is atrocious. There is litter strewn everywhere. Everything from beer cans to throw away barbecues. Local kids use the area as a sort of Bmx course and it doesn't take a genius to work out who leaves all the litter. This also applies to the annual torching of the moss too which thankfully often looks much worse than it is.

The issue of the owls is a sad one and to be honest i don't think anything sinister has happened to them. As David said I think they have simply fallen victim to a passing train. I know for a fact that they do hunt the embankments a lot.

One other problem I've also noted down here that seems to be on the rise is the hunting of rabbits with dogs. On many occasions I've seen groups of men with dogs and spades trying to flush out rabbits. The evidence is all around with quite a few burrows 'dug out'. That said though the rabbit population doesn't seem to be suffering too much. Apparently it is not illegal to hunt for rabbits with dogs and they only need to seek permission from the local landowner. Until Wigan take it over I feel this will be an ongoing problem.

Birders displaying such passion and care for sites can only be good news; both for me as a County Recorder and more importantly for the birds so it is hugely appreciated.

Before I comment on who owns the site etc I'll just check my facts as, if I'm right, there's a very important point to it all. Leave it with me for the next few days and I'll have an answer.

Any illegal acts (use of air rifles, anti-social behaviour etc) should be reported to the Police. With regards litter etc, I'm sure if it's necessary we could quite easily get a few birders together with bin bags? Not a long term solution to the problem I appreciate but could save a lot of work further down the line.

Hi Pete, I can understand your worries about the site - anywhere we care about can cause us angst if we see damage being done. Like Ian, I hadn't assumed anything other than natural causes (if you call trains and cars natural). The Hare had definitely been hit by a car and owls are notoriously vulnerable to trains when hunting railway embankments.

I wondered who we should contact, however, if we do see anything on the Moss which concerns us? Before I was a regular on this site, on one of my first visits to the Moss, I came across a permanent-looking encampment in the wood (large canvas tent, beautifully camoulflaged with branches and with cooking pots all set up - poachers?). If I'd known who to contact, I would have alerted them.

Cheers David

Ok Ian fair enough my apologies

I am still smarting from the state of the place when I went round yesterday

Peter, that's a pretty wild accusation I'm afraid. David mentions nothing about any shootings? Both owls were found on the railway line apparently and the hare on a road, all more likely victims of traffic collisions which occurs unfortunately commonly enough until proven any different.

As for being careful for what we post, I moderate what gets posted on this forum far more than most realise anyway but do we pander to the extremely unlikely possibility of local idiots wading through a birding forum to see where they can go and shoot something? Or do we highlight proven instances when they occur and attempt to do something about it? I am always open to discuss local needs for site suppression where absolutely necessary. Vandalism is everywhere, don't think 'managed' sites like Pennington Flash are free from it for one minute but sometimes the more genuine visitors a site receives the less vandalism. Discouraging birders to visit sites like Highfield Moss through totally unsubstantiated claims of birds and animals being shot etc is more likely to increase its problems rather than decrease them I'm afraid.

Just read David's report below. If this is true about the short eared owls (which I guess would not be difficult to shoot) this is an outrage. Of course we don't know for sure if it was the SEO's can anyone confirm? And we don't know if it was the airgun brigade but its not exactly credible they both die of natural causes right next to one another. And then there is the recent setting of fire to an SSSI with nationally rare plant life such as the gentian.

I am getting sick of this and I don't know who the local councillor is but this is getting beyond a joke. If you look at the top end towards the airfield theres beer cans and rubbish everywhere. I know Wigan MBC was planning to do something re the vandalism aspect on this site I hope they do because its such a shame its such a nice place.

And I wonder on public land such as this who reads these posts the airgun merchants and illegal hunters of hares with dogs. Its different with places like Pennington flash which are managed. I hate to say this because it defeats the object of the forum but do we need to be careful which certain vulnerable animals to these people? Just a thought not sure what is for the best.

David in answer to your question I guess the best thing is to have the local police in your mobile. I don't have the greater manchester one (yet) but I have the merseyside one as I go on sankey valley. There's quite a few airgun merchants on there, there was a kingfisher nailed to a fencepost a year or two back and they love setting fire to the reeds and grassland. For that reason I am never without that number and I guess that was maybe why I jumped to that conclusion and yes it could well have been trains. It terms of having the number its probably no bad thing anyway for safety reasons in case its not a 999 situation but you are uncomfortable with a given situation.

-- Edited by Pete Astles on Tuesday 24th of April 2012 09:00:43 PM

Woke at 5.00 am (I'll have to get those black-out blinds fitted). looked out the window and saw a nice, calm day, with no rain and the sun peeping through. Decided to do a breeding bird survey of the northern half of my patch. This incudes Waterworks Lane (WL), Barrow Lane (BL), Highfield Moss (HM) and Hermitage Green Lane (HGL). A cracking morning, with the key totals being:

Yellow Wagtail 1 male (BL)
Corn Bunting 5 in song 2 (WL) and 3 (BL)
Grey Partridge 12 2 (WL), 8 (HM) and 2 (HGL)
Yellowhammer 21 in song 4 (WL), 6 (BL), 7 (HM) and 4 (HGL)
Tree Sparrow 22 8 (WL), 6 (BL), 8 (HGL)
Willow Warbler 10 in song 1 (WL) and 9 (HM)
Blackcap 2 in song 1 (WL) and 1 (HGL)
Chiffchaff 1 in song 1 (HGL)
Reed Bunting 9 in song 1 (WL), 7 (HM) and 1 (HGL)
Linnet 19
Skylark 28 in song 3 (WL), 9 (BL), 11 (HM) and 5 (HGL)
Lapwing 8 displaying 1 (WL), 2 (BL), 5 (HM) and 1 (HGL)
Willow Tit 1 (HM)
Kestrel 6 1 (WL), 2 (HM) and 3 (HGL)
Song Thrush 5 in song 1 (WL), 2 (HM), 2 (HGL)

An additional 106 other, more common species were also in song. Less happy news came when I bumped into a dog walker who regularly walks around Highfield Moss. She said that she'd seen two dead owls on the railway line, one near each of the crossings, "weeks ago". Just hoping they weren't our Short-eared Owls but didn't have time to investigate. Also a dead Hare on the road near the exit from Barrow Lane, somewhat balanced by one which was alive and literally kicking, off Hrmitage Green Lane.
Cheers David

Pete Astles wrote:

---

Nick I am pretty sure now I saw two tree pipits in a hedge on barrow lane last week. I was looking at them for a while not sure and put them down as meadow pipits following your post I think they were TP. Was on the moss for an hour this afternoon more to get out of the house did not see much quite a few willow warblers about.

But what a disgrace those louts have done to the moss hundreds of yards of it and lets not forget this is an SSSI managed by Natural England.

---

They could easily have been Tree Pipits Pete. There seems to be a few moving through the area at the moment.

The torched area on the moss actually looks worse than it is. It doesn't seem to have affected the Meadow Pipits there anyway. When spring finally gets going it should all re-grow in no time.

Nick I am pretty sure now I saw two tree pipits in a hedge on barrow lane last week. I was looking at them for a while not sure and put them down as meadow pipits following your post I think they were TP. Was on the moss for an hour this afternoon more to get out of the house did not see much quite a few willow warblers about.

But what a disgrace those louts have done to the moss hundreds of yards of it and lets not forget this is an SSSI managed by Natural England.

Further sightings from this morning.

2 Song Thrush
1 Buzzard
15 Yellowhammer
16 Willow Warbler
10 Skylark
5 Lapwing
4 Grey Partridge
3 Chaffinch
3 Meadow Pipit
8 Reed Bunting
5 Linnet
4 Mallard
1 Blackcap - male
2 Tree Pipit - flew over me heading north just as I was leaving the moss. Nice to know there is at least a little migration going on.

2 Tree Pipit over this morning at 7.45am.

New site tick.

Evening trapse on the moss.

17 Willow Warbler
5 Chaffinch
7 Reed Bunting
7 Yellowhammer
2 Jay
1 Kestrel
2 Mallard
13 Meadow Pipit
1 Skylark
6 Grey Partridge
2 Wheatear - m/f
9 Linnet
6 Lapwing
3 Song Thrush
2 Oystercatcher
2 Buzzard
1 Pheasant

My plan this morning was to be out by 6am but a sudden downpour meant I didn't leave the house until 6.40. The weather started off really quite dull with some very gloomy sky above but over the next two hours it really brightened up. Needless to say, the dawn downpour really dampened the spirits of a lot of birds and the first few I saw looked like really bedraggled specimens. As it brightened though it turned out to be a fairly decent mornings birding.

18 Meadow Pipit
10 Skylark
1 Buzzard - the pale bird again.
13 Yellowhammer
1 Kestrel
1 Fieldfare
17 Willow Warbler - a singing male every few yards.
2 Long Tailed Tit
7 Chaffinch
5 Lapwing
1 Blackcap - (m) only my second ever record here.
5 Mallard
24 Linnet
11 Reed Bunting
1 Wheatear - male
1 Swallow - over heading north.
2 Song Thrush
1 Moorhen
2 Greylag geese - over north. New site tick.
3 Cormorant - over south east.
2 Grey Partridge
1 Grey Heron - over south.

A quickish mooch this afternoon. Still quite cold yet.

9 Skylark
1 Buzzard - really pale bird, probably the same one from a few weeks ago.
14 Meadow Pipit
3 Kestrel
5 Chaffinch
2 Yellowhammer
1 Fieldfare
4 Lapwing
1 Long Tailed Tit
9 Willow Warbler
2 Jay
c20 Linnet
3 Wheatear - just to the south out if county.
1 Greenfinch
1 Song Thrush
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Grey Partridge
1 Reed Bunting
1 Pheasant
1 Swallow - through north.

Late report from yesterday evening.

1 Chiffchaff
1 Chaffinch
8 Willow Warbler
2 Kestrel
10 Yellowhammer
4 Linnet
3 Reed Bunting
8 Grey Partridge
4 Meadow Pipit
1 Song Thrush
1 Jay
3 Lapwing
4 Mallard
1 Moorhen
1 Pheasant

Early morning outing today. Lovely day but with a hard overnight frost.

13 Meadow Pipit
10 Skylark
4 Grey Partridge - 2 pairs.
20 Linnet
14 Yellowhammer
1 Fieldfare - stood in exactly the same place as on Saturday.
2 Kestrel -m/f
5 Chaffinch
2 Mistle Thrush
10 Willow Warbler
1 Pheasant
1 Song Thrush
10 Reed Bunting
2 Wheatear - m/f
8 Lapwing
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - male.
1 Mallard
1 Sparrowhawk

An interesting evening on the moss tonight. As I arrived I was greeted by the sight of a Short Eared Owl quartering over the moss. Easily the latest sighting I've had of these birds here. They're usually gone by March. The owl then perched up in one of the silver birches and scrutinised me from a distance.

Elsewhere on the moss I watched a distant vixen trotting across the farmed field from the direction of Winwick Lane and then five minutes later I had close up views of another fox carrying a large rabbit. Surprisingly, on six years of walking on here this is only the second time I've encountered foxes down here.

A steady passage of Herring Gull over tonight too and then just as a short hail shower started I had two Sand Martin go over. My first record of these down here.

Other birds were:
6 Willow Warbler
3 Chaffinch
1 Skylark
12 Yellowhammer
2 Linnet
4 Mallard - males
1 Kestrel - female
6 Wheatear - 4 males
8 Reed Bunting
1 Song Thrush - in full song.
8 Meadow Pipit
1 Pheasant - female
1 Buzzard
2 Grey Partridge


-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Sunday 15th of April 2012 09:07:52 PM

A long stint this morning from 6.30 to 9.30am. Lovely bright conditions though a little cold.

After my rant yesterday about the burning of the moss and the subsequent lack of birds; nature taught me a lesson this morning as the place was absolutely heaving with birds.

At least 25 Meadow Pipit though many of these I suspect were passing through or grounded from a bit of rain before dawn. The same can be said for Linnets too as there were at least 70 counted. Again, quite a few moving through.

Other birds moving through were 6 Swallow and half a dozen Lapwing. Other sightings were:

9 Mallard - 8m,1f
9 Skylark
17 Yellowhammer
1 White Wagtail
1 Canada Goose
6 Chaffinch
10 Grey Partridge
9 Willow Warbler
5 Song Thrush
2 Long Tailed Tit
13 Reed Bunting
1 Goldfinch
1 Corn Bunting
1 Fieldfare
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Moorhen
5 Wheatear - 3 just out of county to the south.

You're probably right Steve. Neanderthals eventually evolved though I don't hold much hope for this lot.

Don't think you're being fair to Neanderthals, Nick.

Scrote (or was it scroat, we've had this discussion before ) is a much better description!

Steve

That time of year is upon us once again when the local Neanderthals discover fire and decide to torch the moss. Arrived there this afternoon to find about a fifth of it completely burnt. More worryingly is the fact that the area they've torched was where the Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings were attempting to set up territories. Consequently I didn't see too many of those today.

The moss actually recovers very quickly from this almost annual burning. What doesn't recover are the very few and scattered gorse bushes. They just remain as blackened skeletons of their former selves. Anyway, rant over. Sightings as follows:

1 Mistle Thrush
4 Skylark
3 Kestrel - 2m,1f
7 Linnet
17 Stock Dove - ploughed field
5 Mallard - 4m,1f
1 Corn Bunting
7 Chaffinch
6 Yellowhammer
4 Grey Partridge
1 Greenfinch
4 Willow Warbler
1 Pheasant - m
4 White Wagtail - ploughed field
1 Moorhen
4 Lapwing
2 Reed Bunting
4 Meadow Pipit
1 Buzzard

Plus the usual Blue tits, Blackbirds, Corvids.

Early morning mooch this morning in quite nice conditions.

8 Skylark - many if them feeding in the ploughed field.
5 Mallard - all males.
17 Yellowhammer
12 Grey Partridge - 6 pairs.
2 Kestrel - both male.
1 Pied Wagtail
2 White Wagtail
6 Chaffinch
26 Linnet
6 Willow Warbler
3 Pheasant - one male.
2 Song Thrush
4 Reed Bunting
4 Meadow Pipit
7 Lapwing
2 Long Tailed Tit
1 Corn Bunting - brilliant views as it sang from a bush just 20 yards away.

After this mornings outing to North Wales without much reward, an outing 'on patch' was called for. This didn't disappoint either with sightings as follows:-

1 Sparrowhawk (f) - made an attempt at a Grey Partridge whilst heading straight towards me.
4 Grey Partridge - 2 pairs.
1 Pied Wagtail
1 White Wagtail
15 Skylark - many of them feeding in the ploughed field.
4 Meadow Pipit
20 Stock Dove - ploughed field.
1 Buzzard
5 Lapwing
c60 Linnet
6 Chaffinch
1 Yellowhammer
2 Long Tailed Tit
2 Kestrel
4 Willow Warbler - new year list tick.
1 Mallard (m)
1 Corn Bunting - feeding with the Skylark. I almost overlooked it. New year list tick.



-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 08:40:18 PM

Major walk today from 9am can hardly move now. Started by Gallows Croft via Hermitage across the fields on the public footpaths to Winwick and back to barrow lane and then around Highfield. Took in St Oswalds Well where an English king was slain in 645 AD. If you want to know where this is PM me.

1 Female Sparrowhawk
1 Cormorant
4 separate Kestrel all female
4 separate Buzzard
2 Jay
Dozens of Skylarks
Heard a blackcap loads of Chiffchaffs
2 partridge
Flock Linnets
2 Yellowhammer



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 6th of April 2012 03:13:28 PM

Another two outings again today. Crack of dawn and at tea time.

This morning:

8 Yellowhammer
6 Mallard - (5m,1f)
8 Grey Partridge - 4 pairs
18 Linnet
2 Chaffinch
1 Song Thrush
1 Pheasant
7 Reed Bunting
9 Meadow Pipit
5 Skylark
2 Long Tailed Tit
3 Lapwing
1 Pied Wagtail

Tea time:

1 Buzzard
3 Kestrel
2 Oystercatcher
31 Stock Dove - feeding on ploughed field.

Two outings today; one at dawn and a short walk at tea time.

This morning:

2 Kestrel
12 Grey Partridge - 6 pairs.
10 Yellowhammer
1 Wheatear - male in corner of ploughed field.
1 Jay
1 Fieldfare
22 Linnet - many in full song.
3 Long Tailed Tit
8 Reed Bunting
6 Mallard - all males.
2 Pheasant (m,f)
13 Meadow Pipit.
1 Chiffchaff
1 Song Thrush
4 Lapwing
6 Chaffinch
1 Buzzard
2 Skylark

This evening on ploughed field adjacent to the moss:

7 Stock Dove
3 Pied Wagtail
1 Wheatear - still present from this morning.
8 Skylark
c20 Black Headed Gull
c15 Crow and Jackdaw.

Two and half hour stroll this morning covering all parts of the moss. Bit of a non descript sort of morning really. Quite dull with very little wind and next to no bird passage at all except a few Woodpigeon and Crow.

4 Mallard - 3m,1f
1 Kestrel
14 Grey Partridge - 7 pairs.
19 Yellowhammers - 8 pairs.
9 Skylark
7 Lapwing
14 Linnet
15 Meadow Pipit
2 Jay
8 Reed Bunting - 7m.
1 Sparrowhawk - female.
2 Pheasant - a pair.
1 Moorhen - on the pond.
1 Song Thrush.
4 Chaffinch - 2 males plus a pair.
3 Canada Geese - over heading NW.
2 Stock Dove - on ploughed field with c30 Black Headed Gull.
2 Buzzard

Plus the usuals.

Late afternoon stroll in very nice conditions but with a cool wind blowing. Bird numbers a little lower than usual.

2 Mistle Thrush
6 Skylark
6 Chaffinch - 5m,1f
1 Kestrel - male
1 Song Thrush
8 Grey Partridge - 4 pairs
3 Pheasant - 2m,1f
3 Buzzard
13 Lapwing - many displaying
2 Long Tailed Tit
7 Pied Wagtail - on field currently being ploughed and dodging the tractor.
c40 Black Headed Gull - also on ploughed field.
4 Common Gull - ploughed field.
1 Stock Dove - on ploughed field. The first I've had down here this year.
1 Fieldfare
3 Jay
1 Yellowhammer
1 Sparrowhawk - female.

Also, unconfirmed reports from a neighbour of two Short Eared Owl on the moss a couple of evenings ago.

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Thursday 29th of March 2012 07:31:12 PM

Early morning outing 6.15 - 7.30. Quite cool with a lovely mist hanging over the moss.

13 Grey Partridge - six pairs.
6 Mallard (5m,1f)
1 Buzzard
9 Yellowhammer
5 Skylark
2 Oystercatcher - on the flood in adjacent field.
8 Lapwing
1 Kestrel
5 Chaffinch - all males.
1 Jay
12 Meadow Pipit
16 Reed Bunting
1 Goldcrest
12 Fieldfare - over heading south.
1 Song Thrush
1 Chiffchaff - probably a different bird from yesterday as it was in a completely different location.

Plus the usuals.

John Barber wrote:

---

After recently saying you had never seen a Chiffchaff on HM - it was absolutely guaranteed !

-- Edited by John Barber on Tuesday 27th of March 2012 08:23:26 PM

---

Ha ha!! Maybe I should test this out and say I've never seen a Ring Ouzel on Highfield moss.

Can't see it working though.

Very quiet this afternoon in the heat. The only notable birds were a Chiffchaff singing near the old quarry. Surprisingly this is the first ever record I've had of Chiffchaff down here.

Also 4 Kestrel over the moss.

After recently saying you had never seen a Chiffchaff on HM - it was absolutely guaranteed !

-- Edited by John Barber on Tuesday 27th of March 2012 08:23:26 PM

Mid morning stroll in very summer like conditions. Pretty much the same counts of birds as the previous day with the exceptions being.

12 Skylark - singing and chasing eachother around everywhere.
7 Buzzard - enjoying the thermals.
2 Kestrel
Good numbers of dog walkers - my best count this year so far.

An excellent morning down on the moss from 6.15 to 8.15. Some good birds around with the highlight being a Grey Plover that flew right over me at 7.45 heading south.

2 Tree Sparrow - in the hedge by Newton Road just as was heading onto the moss.
2 Buzzard
8 Meadow Pipit - all parachuting.
9 Skylark - probably more but grounded birds remained hidden.
20 Yellowhammer
18 Lapwing
4 Grey Partridge - 2 pairs.
9 Mallard - (7m,2f)
2 Oystercatcher - on flood in adjacent field. Only second ever record down here.
7 Chaffinch (5m,2f)
25 Linnet - probably more, they seemed to be everywhere.
c30 Fieldfare - just over the border.
14 Reed Bunting - maybe more as they were everywhere.
2 Pheasant
4 Snipe - basking in the morning sun by the pond.
1 Grey Plover ***** - a mega on here!! Picked up on call as it approached and watched it as it flew straight over my head at around a hundred feet.
1 Redwing
1 Long Tailed Tit.

Plus all the usuals.

A cracking morning to be out.

A lovely stroll this afternoon in proper t-shirt weather. Usual species seen but strangely no Reed Buntings.

1 Kestrel
5 Skylark
1 Pied Wagtail
3 Greenfinch - surprisingly the first of the year down here.
18 Linnet - small numbers of them migrating across from the stubble field on Heath Lane that currently holds around 120.
3 Meadow Pipit
15 Lapwing
5 Yellowhammer
1 Mallard - male
4 Chaffinch
1 Song Thrush
1 Redwing
c30 Fieldfare
6 Grey Partridge - 3 pairs.
1 Pheasant
1 Willow Tit - the same bird that's been around for a few weeks now.
2 Long Tailed Tit

Plus the usuals.

Two outings today. One from 6.15 to 7.45am and the other 3.45 to 5.00pm.

2 Redwing
10 Lapwing
7 Meadow Pipit
11 Yellowhammer
3 Pheasant
5 Chaffinch (4m,1f)
1 Golden Plover
4 Grey Partridge - 2 pairs
6 Mallard (5m,1f)
16 Reed Bunting
17 Fieldfare
4 Linnet
1 Cormorant - flew over heading south.
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
2 Song Thrush
4 Skylark
1 Goldcrest

Mostly the same birds seen on my afternoon walk but with the notable additions of:

1 Wheatear (m) - on stubble field near the airstrip.
5 Tree Sparrow

Early morning outing today from 6.00 to 7.30.

22 Grey Partridge - 11 pairs.
4 Skylark
1 Pied Wagtail
13 Yellowhammer
18 Lapwing
39 Golden Plover - in field to the east.
1 Grey Heron
2 Chaffinch
9 Mallard - (8m,1f)
2 Long Tailed Tit
6 Meadow Pipit
7 Reed Bunting
1 Buzzard
2 Linnet
1 Song Thrush
1 Pheasant

An excellent couple of hours birding this morning. Loads of birds moving around, singing and displaying.

11 Skylark - probably more but couldn't tell due to them being hidden in the grass.
16 Reed Bunting (12m,4f)
18 Yellowhammer
10 Fieldfare - the large numbers from the last few days seem to have departed.
3 Chaffinch
12 Lapwing
1 Pheasant
11 Grey Partridge
1 Merlin (m) - brilliant views as it circled around me and made a couple of passes at an unsuspecting Skylark.
2 Jay
2 Long Tailed Tit
13 Canada Geese - flew over from east to west at 7.15am.
9 Mallard - (7m,2f)
2 Goldcrest
3 Woodcock - two flushed from right under foot and one seen across the moss.
1 Song Thrush
14 Linnet
1 Willow Tit
2 Herring Gull
3 Meadow Pipit
1 Collared Dove

Plus the usual Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Blue Tits and Great Tits.

A quick blast round late afternoon.

Juvenile Mute Swan in field near to Highfield farm.
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
2 Reed Bunting
6 Mallard (4m,2f)
5 Yellowhammer
c200 Fieldfare
c200 Starling - mixed in with the Fieldfare feeding in an adjacent field but swooping out over the moss frequently.
1 Song Thrush
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Chaffinch
24 Golden Plover - in adjacent field to the west.
13 Lapwing
2 Jay
2 Grey Partridge
1 Goldcrest - heard only.

Plus the usuals

With a few reports today of an influx of Goldcrests into the country my hopes were high for finding a few on the moss late this afternoon. The birds didn't disappoint as I found four in total but I'm sure i could hear more. This being the best record of them I've had down here.

The trees on the southern edge of the moss were again 'alive' with Fieldfare and Starling with approximately 180 and 130 birds respectively. The sound of the Fieldfares 'chakking' was almost deafening at times. Quite a sight really to see this large gathering just before they depart.

Other birds of note were:

1 Kestrel
c30 Redwing - with the Fieldfare.
4 Mallard - 2m,2f.
3 Yellowhammer
3 Chaffinch
1 Reed Bunting
10 Linnet
8 Lapwing
2 Jay
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Grey Partridge.

Plus the other usuals.

Another excursion late afternoon.

1 Kestrel
c130 Fieldfare - a massive gathering on the southern edge of the moss in the trees. They were mixed in with about a hundred Starling and they were making one hell of a racket.
2 Buzzard - One very pale bird that soared over the moss for five minutes. Very pale chest and underwing. Also a hint of a white rump. The carpal patches were fairly small though. Needless to say I gave it some serious scrutiny but I'm happy that it's just a Common Buzzard.
1 Willow Tit
2 Skylark
8 Grey Partridge - four pairs.
5 Yellowhammer
1 Mallard (f)
2 Jay
3 Lapwing
5 Linnet
3 Long Tailed Tit
1 Reed Bunting
3 Chaffinch

Not much about today despite the drop in wind.

4 Skylark
6 Yellowhammer
6 Grey Partridge
5 Linnet
1 Chaffinch
3 Long Tailed Tit
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel

No sign of yesterday's Stonechat.

DavidBowman wrote:

---

Hi Nick, where abouts was the Stonechat - that'd be a patch tick for me, too

Cheers

David

---

David, PM sent.

Hi Nick, where abouts was the Stonechat - that'd be a patch tick for me, too

Cheers

David

Very windy today so not many passerines about but still well worth the trip.

1 Kestrel
2 Teal (m,f) - New patch tick***
15 Lapwing
c70 Starling
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Jay
1 Fieldfare
1 Willow Tit - Same bird again
2 Mallard (m,f)
1 Buzzard
1 Stonechat (m) - Well chuffed as it's the first record I've had of them down here in three years.

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 08:31:54 PM

A little quieter today.

c40 Black headed gull
2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk (f)
1 Kestrel
2 Skylark
4 Mallard (2m,2f)
3 Linnet
1 Song Thrush
2 Yellowhammer
2 Chaffinch
1 Willow Tit
3 Long Tailed Tit
2 Redwing
1 Reed Bunting
3 Meadow Pipit
2 Common Gull
12 Lapwing
c100 Starling
c30 Fieldfare

Plus the usuals.

Early morning outing in dull and cold conditions. The moss was alive with birds though.

2 Lesser Black backed gull
c60 Black headed gull
2 Common gull
3 Skylark
2 Canada geese - on the pond then flew off south
9 Reed Bunting
4 Grey Partridge (2,2)
c100 Starling
c40 Fieldfare
2 Goldfinch
3 Song Thrush
11 Yellowhammer
5 Chaffinch
3 Long tailed tit
3 Mistle Thrush
4 Mallard - on the pond
1 Jay
1 Willow tit - probably same bird from last week. Seen in the same tree.
1 Moorhen - on the pond
3 Meadow Pipit
11 Linnet
2 Kestrel
1 Pied Wagtail

Plus the usual Blackbirds, Blue tits, Woodpigeon, Corvids, etc.

After what seems to have been an absence of about three weeks, two Short Eared Owls were again present on the moss this afternoon/evening. They seemed to be quartering over the moss as a whole rather than just concentrating on smaller areas as they've done in the past and they frequently landed too giving good views as they stared at you with the ear tufts up.

Other birds seen:
1 Buzzard
4 Skylark
3 Yellowhammer
2 Grey Partridge
c100 Fieldfare
c200 Mixed Corvids
12 Snipe - flushed by the owls
1 Mallard (m)
1 Mallard type hybrid

Lovely to be out!!

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Thursday 1st of March 2012 06:05:39 PM

Had a long ramble this morning starting at Highfield then across the footpaths to Winwick and taking in Barrow Lane. Fairly quiet bird wise but some great sights and you would think it was April rather than February it had a real spring air and the gorse is now coming into bloom. Massive numbers of Skylarks about and I love that song from the sky and then the sky drop takes me right back to being a kid trying to pick them out in the sky. Groups of 3 to 4 of them were jousting in mid air obviously pairing up for nesting but it was a wonderful sight and I love nature in action beats any sight on TV nature programmes.

Otherwise

4 Grey Partridge
Buzzard including some really close views on Parkside Road.
Reed Bunting
Long tailed tit
3 Yellowhammer.
Linnet
Group of maybe 20 / 30 redwing on oaks at Highfield and another 2 at Winwick.
Lapwings in the fields