Late news for Tuesday just gone when a single Brambling was with Chaffinches by Rindle Wood, the Reed Bunting flock in field 69 still numbered in excess of 70 birds and a flock of 30+ Meadow Pipits were feeding in the grassy fields.

LATE POST due to unforeseen commitments.
Yesterday midday till very late afternoon.
Barton Moss , facing Manor farm field 8 a favourite site for breeding lapwings due to the low lying flooded fields.
12 pairs on territory with the males performing their spectacular aerial acrobatics.
"Astley Moss" a very surprising early Common Sandpiper but still 6 days later than the earliest recorded in the county.
Also a very good duck day with six species observed as follows.
7 Shelducks (4m & 3f), 4 Shoveler (2 pairs), 11 Gadwalls (6m & 5f), 5 Teal (3m & 2f), Tufted ducks (2 pairs), Mallards (3 pairs).
Also 3 Oystercatchers' 6 pairs of Canada geese, 12 lapwings, 4 pair of Coots, 2 pairs of Moorhens and a single Mute Swan.
Alas no sightings of Sand Martins back on traditional breeding site.
Cheers
Ian.

c.30 Fieldfare and c.10 Redwing in fields at west end of moss lane, at least 1 of the Redwings singing and all looking really smart. 2 snipe in the small puddle in grass field behind rindle cottages, chasing off a Mistle thrush! Also at least 3 chiffchaff singing in the area

Circa 100 Fieldfare in woods at the end of feeding station track this morning

Rindle Road area 1-3pm today

Yellowhammer - 1
Reed Bunting - flock of 21
Redwing - 16 but very flighty so could have been more
Willow Tit - 2
Kestrel - 1
Buzzard - 1
Plus several of Wren, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch.

Mike

New Moss Wood, Cadishead Moss and Little Woolden Moss

1 Willow Tit
5 Tree Sparrow
3 Skylark
1 Goldcrest
5 Common Buzzard
10 Yellowhammer
1 Shelduck
c100 Lapwing
c50 Redwing

Rindle Road and woods, Astley Moss:

Sparrowhawk
Goldcrest
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great tit
Long tailed tit
Willow tit
Meadow pipit
Blackbird
Wren
Pied wagtail
Song thrush
Buzzard
Jackdaw
Reed bunting
Blue tit
Kestrel
Mallard

Oystercatcher heard on Croxdens at 15.45 this afternoon.

Originally posted by David Shallcross today:

Astley Moss SSSI

A two and a half hour walk around the reserve produced the following birds, some of the figures are approximate *
Reed Bunting 60*Yellowhammer 7Goldcrest 2
Wren 3Blackbird 4Pheasant 5Stock Dove 7
Carrion Crow 40*.Blue Tit 4.Long-tailed Tit 11
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1Tree Sparrow 5
Buzzard 1.Grey Partridge 1..Robin 3Willow Tit 1
Great Tit 2Wood Pigeon 10.Magpie 4
Lapwing 39.Linnet 3..Mistle Thrush 4Goldfinch 6...........Mallard 2

Spent a day today mainly on Irlam Moss (going by the map on the site guide page, I may have drifted into Cadishead Moss, briefly. These sightings were all along Astley Road, before meeting the M60 (sorry for any inaccuracies with the field numbers):

Heading off Astley Road down the footpath, alongside a ditch, to what looks like fields 27 and 30:

1 kestrel
1 buzzard
c70 lapwing
100+ starling
c30 skylark
1 meadow pipit

a nearby field was also thick with corvids; going by the calls, jackdaws the most numerous, but rooks and carrion crows also present. Also large number of gulls further off; mainly black-headed, but others, too (a couple of herring gulls, certainly), including a few large juveniles, where my skills of identification break down a little, unfortunately. To be honest, I was too busy enjoying the skylarks to pay that much attention. :)

On and in trees around field 25 (a lovely stubble field):

30+ chaffinch
c15 goldfinch
c25 linnet*
1 greenfinch
6 corn bunting*
5+ reed bunting
c20 yellowhammer
8 stock dove
1 goldcrest
5+ dunnock (a couple in song)
Several mistle and song thrush
Loads of robins, blue tits, great tits and blackbirds

Then crossing the motorway and turning off to the right and passing field 44 (potatoes!), and ending up by Birch View farm:

1 skylark
3 pied wagtail
2 kestrel (perched in telephone wires)
2 more yellowhammer (on the same wire)
c20 fieldfare ground feeding in a field used for animals
5+ mistle thrush with them
c35 starling also in the same place.

First time I've been here, a lovely day for it, and the two species starred above I've never seen before today.

and along Rindle Rd
Buzzard Kestrel, Reed Buntings, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Willow Tit,

Adult female Marsh harrier currently hunting over Bedford moss at the moment.

The Reed Bunting flock at the top of Rindle Road was up to 74 yesterday afternoon and also contained half of dozen or so Yellowhammer and a single Tree Sparrow.

Some birds from early this afternoon:

53 Reed Bunting and a minimum of 14 Yellowhammer in the stubble field by the level crossing on Rindle Road today; gathering in the trees along the road at times.

Peregrine chasing pigeons over Little Woolden Moss and a solitary female Stonechat along the field edges there too.

Single Raven north over Croxdens looked to drop onto Astley Moss East.

Info off Charlie Owen
Hen Harrier - 1 female just headed west across Little Woolden moss towards Astley Moss.

:)

12.00 - 2.00

Field 67
Reed Bunting 30+
Yellowhammer 6
Goldfinch 25+
Jackdaw 50+
Kestrel

Rindle Wood
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Buzzard 2
Jackdaw 150+ over

Rindle Hedge
Chaffinch
Redwing
Pied Wagtail

Also several Mistle and Song Thrush

160 Redwing in a single flock off Rindle Road this afternoon.

34 Yellowhammer off Moss Lane this afternoon.

0900 - 1200 on a frosty day. Very quiet and devoid of much life around the SSSI but along the roads and in Rindle Wood and Rindle Hedge plenty of action.

Rindle:

100 Jackdaws over
Approx 40 Redwings rose in waves from the floor of the wood and flew off into the trees.
2 Common Buzzard - one seen, one heard.
5 Yellowhammer (Rindle Hedge)
Reed Bunting - Large flock at least 40 in field to east of road nearest the level crossing, together with several Yellowhammer. (I've lost track of where the field numbers are, sorry!)

Mixed thrush flock mainly Redwing and 12 Mistle Thrush in field east of the road, north of Moss Bank Farm. Interesting that in the hard frost they were obviously getting food from the turned soil of molehills - great ecosystem!


Moss Lane:

24+ Fieldfare
30 + Redwing
1 Goldcrest
30 + chaffinch (no brambling seen among them)
35 Jackdaw
3 Dunnock

Nearly forgot to mention an impressive close encounter with a female sparrowhawk which rocketed past me at roughly waist-level as I mooched along the lane. Jinked to avoid me, and was gone in a second, but looked me straight in the eye for a moment!






-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 07:33:13 PM

-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Tuesday 20th of January 2015 10:49:58 PM

An improving afternoon, weatherwise, and a lovely pink sunset! 3pm - 5pm

Rindle and the SSRI border

Several hundred corvids - appeared to be mixed jackdaws (the majority) and at least 30 rooks, with many carrion crow as well.

Jay - 3
Winter Thrushes - 70 (At least 6 Fieldfare, but majority Redwing)
Mistle Thrush - 2

Chaffinch - 30

Wren - 1
Pheasant - numerous
Reed Bunting - 10

Kestrel - 2
Buzzard - 2 calling not seen
Sparrowhawk - 1

In fields off Moss Lane, Astley Moss this afternoon:

360 Lapwing
440 Jackdaw
1 Peregrine flew west with prey
210 Fieldfare
120 Redwing
90 Chaffinch
14 Skylark

Around Rindle area:

40 Chaffinch
8 Reed Bunting
70 Redwing

1st January 2015

Barton Moss
1 Fieldfare
1 Sparrowhawk
c200 Wood Pigeon

Little Woolden Moss
c50 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting

Chat Moss
1 Jay
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel

Cadishead Moss
c100 Lapwing
1 Buzzard

Croxdens peat works this morning,
2 Woodcock
10 Common Snipe
4 Buzzards
Kestrel
3 Reed buntings
2 Yellowhammers
5 Redwing

Ok thanks for that Dave.

About 25-30 minutes walk Scott. I hope you see something decent, it's been a bit quiet in the past week.

Just a quick question thinking of having a mooch around Astley moss and around rindle road area but I just wanted to know how far is it from the top of higher green lane near east lancs to the bottom of rindle road?

Cheers scott

Little Woolden Moss

Pair of Stonechat at the kissing gate on the LWT Reserve
c30 Skylark
c100 Stock Dove
c70 Lapwing
2 Buzzard


Chat Moss

Pair of Stonechat on Croxdens
5 Goldcrest with tit flock



Recent sightings

Drake Pintail on Croxdens
2 Wigeon Moss Farm Lakes

This Morning 9-10am
4 Jays Cutnook Lane
Croxdens pools 1 Kestrel M
Twelve Yards 1 Chiffchaff

Moss Farm on Chat Moss

1 drake Teal & 1 female Tufted Duck @ Sonny Lake

09.00-11.00

Rindle Cottages Area

1m Kestrel, and flying NE, a single noisy flock of 56 Jackdaws.

Large numbers of Starlings and Woodpigeons on the field between the cottages and the railway.

The hedges along the former feeding track held a flock of 10 Reed Buntings and 6 Yellowhammers.

Strangely, no sign of Chaffinches throughout the walk.

Rindle Woods Area held a single flock of 9 male Blackbirds, a group of 10 Fieldfares, and a male Sparrowhawk.

The mossland appeared devoid of birds, although there was a shoot going in the birch woodland on the Northern side.

The adjoining farmland, apart from holding a mass of Woodpigeons, held a flock of 28 Stock Doves, a female Kestrel, plus 3 overflying Buzzards.

Another Buzzard was circling high above Bedford Moss, whilst being mobbed by 8 Jackdaws.

The area around the pools was full of Pheasants, presumably recently released, and as I did'nt wish to act as beater for the local shoot,

I did'nt venture far into this area.

One Woodpigeon stood out from the rest as it appeared to be about 50% bigger than rest, could it have been feeding on a GM crop?.

Although there are mole hills the size of beachballs here too, so are the moles giants too?.

28th November

Female Merlin @ Little Woolden Moss LWT Reserve

Karen Foulkes wrote:

---

This morning with Simon Ghilks

Croxdens

Peregrine flew in and landed on peat field
Pair of Stonechat on path between pools and field

Moss Lane

70+ Skylark
15+ Yellowhammer
Sparrowhawk
Single Rook amongst Jackdaws and Carrion Crows

Other species recorded included decent numbers of Chaffinch and Starling and a couple of Kestrels. Otherwise the area seemed fairly quiet

---

Just missed the Peregrine then....I take it that was you and Simon I passed as I was walking off with the dogs

-- Edited by Phil White on Sunday 30th of November 2014 06:33:34 PM

This morning with Simon Ghilks

Croxdens

Peregrine flew in and landed on peat field
Pair of Stonechat on path between pools and field

Moss Lane

70+ Skylark
15+ Yellowhammer
Sparrowhawk
Single Rook amongst Jackdaws and Carrion Crows

Other species recorded included decent numbers of Chaffinch and Starling and a couple of Kestrels. Otherwise the area seemed fairly quiet

10-13.00 today mostly in bright sunshine

3000 or so starlings congregating on line of wires to east of Rindle Road south of cottages. 3 tiers of wires full of birds about 2 and a half pylons' length - they were flocking to and from the surrounding fields. Impressive sight and sound! Wondering where they go to roost and whether they are seeing some murmurations at dusk?

Fieldfare - around 20
Redwing - around 30
Mistle Thrush - 5 Moss Lane

Mainly in the hawthorns near the level crossing, and along the former feeding station track.

Yellowhammer 3
Linnet
Chaffinch ++
Long tailed tit - 12
Reed Bunting - 20
Greenfinch - 8
Goldfinch 6
Common Buzzard - 2
Kestrel - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker just beyond railway in woods before the Croxden peat workings. (Otherwise pretty quiet over that side but I didn't go as far as the pools)
Carrion Crow - 40 in trees north of railway at edge of peat
Jackdaw - 50 in field north of Moss Lane and over
Woodpigeon +++ all over the place

Plus the usuals

Morning around Little Woolden Moss and environs



Single Corn Bunting
8+ Yellowhammer
Female Stonechat
Woodcock
12 Grey Partridge
16 Linnet
50+ Skylark
Single Lapwing
1000+ Woodpigeon
Willow Tit
6 Song Thrush
4 Goldcrest
Few Meadow Pipits
10 + Reed Bunting

11.45-13.00 Irlam & Barton Mosses plus Croxden pools

Fairly quiet overall.

1 Woodcock & 1 Snipe flushed from the far NW corner of Croxden area (not the PNR bit) by two men shooting and their dog.
c.30 Fieldfare - including 1 bird with a white patch on it's left wing.
3 Mistle Thrush
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Buzzard
1 Coal Tit
2 Bullfinch
37 Linnet
1 Meadow Pipit
7 Jays (including 6 together!)
c.100 Starling
19 Lapwing over
1 Wren
4 Goldfinch
c.20 Chaffinch
1 Reed Bunting
Blue Tit, Great Tit, LT Tit, Robin, Blackbird,Magpies, Carrion Crows, Woodpigeons etc.


-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 23rd of November 2014 04:34:24 PM

Rindle road area
11.00- 13.00
To add to Andys list
2 pairs of Bullfinch
2 Black pheasants
Pied wagtail on the cottage roof
Distant Buzzard heard not seen
Mixed flock of 30+ Thrushes
Small fock of Goldfinch

Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 20th of November 2014 02:29:36 PM

Some spectacular sights down moss lane this morning.
Conservative estimate of 4500 Starling commuting from fields to south of road and wires 2 fields norths of road, at one point nearly all of them shoulder to shoulder on wires filling all 3 lines between 3 posts!
Also in the same fields c1500 woodpigeon, 80+Stock dove, 14 Skylark, 27+ Pied wagtail, 23 Mistle Thrush, 8 Jay, 160+ Jackdaw and 4 Buzzard.
No other birds of prey obvious but if these birds stay in this area must be some attending predators soon!

Irlam Moss and Croxden 10.45am-12.00pm

1 Little Egret on Croxden pools for 5 mins at 11.45-11.50 before being flushed by a light aircraft and it flew off west.

Also:
34 Pink footed Geese distantly over Astley moss heading east (11.15am)
4 Snipe
2 Buzzard (thoroughly scrutinised!)
2 Kestrel
7 Skylark

This morning 10:30-11:30 Astley road and Twelve Yards
lots of Goldfinch chaffinch
Kestrel 1
Jay 6
Woods along side field 13
Long Tailed Tits 20
Coal Tit 2
Treecreeper 1
Croxdens pools and Peat works
Raven 4 over west
Peregrine 1

Barton & Chat Moss Late afternoon

Good Partridge day, flushed 3 coveys of 9,9, & 10 from the same wheat stubble field.
Location withheld due to shooters/hunters/falconers in the area.
Field 8, Pair of female Stonechat's along the ditch that runs past the pylon.
6 Buzzards on the ground with a very pale-morph juvenile amongst them.
Croxden PNR
Another pair of Stonechat's m & f near the railway coppice
3 Snipe flushed + Kestrel hunting over agitating the resident family of Jays.

Cheers
Ian

Barton Moss

3 Brambling in big tree adjacent to Chat Moss Herbs
1 Stonechat between football pitch & railway

Barton Moss
c50 Lapwing
c10 Stock Dove
1 Kestrel

Irlam Moss
11 Grey Partridge
1 Kestrel

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Reserve
3 Grey Partridge
1 Buzzard

"CHAT MOSS" Late afternoon 1530-1815

Flushed a Barn Owl from a small coppice, first one seen on Chat Moss for over a year.
Field 8 was very productive with 10 Buzzards feeding on the ground & a pair of Kestrels hunting over.
Same field had 120 Lapwings, 60 B.H.Gulls, 7 Partridges, 6 Pheasants, 23 Carrion Crows & too many Pigeons to count.
Field 9 had a pair of Willow Tits and very raucous family of Jays.

Cheers
Ian

Hobby over Croxdens Pools and two heading towards Rindle from the Astley Moss East area early afternoon today.

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Rick Hall wrote:

---

Coronation Street Film crew. Some of them might have been the actors, but I wouldn't know a Coronation Street actor if one hit me!

---

If one did hit you that would have been Jim McDonald so it would

Finally caught up with my first GM Marsh Harrier today. Field 59.
And on Croxdens Pools was what I am 98% sure was a Green Sandpiper. Seen in flight, white tail feathers but no further white patch up it's back, so not a Greenshank and unfortunately no brown stripe down the centre of it's tail, so not a Solitary Sandpiper!

Also seen:
8 Grey Partridge
4 Buzzards
4 Kestrel

Coronation Street Film crew. Some of them might have been the actors, but I wouldn't know a Coronation Street actor if one hit me!

@ Croxdens, Greenshank showing well at 5pm, Peregrine stooping at a Wood Pigeon

This afternoon:-Croxdens

1 Greenshank
1 Greensand
8 Teal
40+ Lapwing

and 6 Buzzards up together over Botany Bay Woods

09:00 - 10:00 heavy morning mist/fog
Cutnook Lane
Great tits
Chaffinch
Blackbird
Robin
Twelve Yards
1 G.S.Woodpecker
field 10
2 Pheasent
1 Buzzard
Croxdens pools
1 Grey Heron
1 Swan took off out of the mist 1st one seen here and headed towards Botany Bay.
1 G.S woodpecker over field 13 -11