Croxdens 17:00 -18:00
25 Lapwings mix of Adult and juvenile
1 Grey Heron
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Moorhen
1 Hobby sat out on the peat
and a Ruddy Darter

Croxdens Pools 8.30-9.45am:

Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Sedge Warbler

Elsewhere:

4 Buzzard
3-4 Kestrel

Wrens everywhere
and loads of juvenile Goldfinches.

There is a planning permission poster up on one of the telegraph posts down the track from Birch farm for a 77m tall wind turbine at (I think) Light Oaks Farm.
I don't really know what the environmental issues are concerning birds and other wildlife in the area, but 77m sounds huge!

-- Edited by Rick Hall on Thursday 4th of September 2014 11:56:07 AM

Juvenile Cuckoo on Little Woolden moss at the moment also 14 Pied wagtails and 3 Yellow wagtails mainly juveniles on the peat .

Croxdens 8.30-9.30 this morning

Greenshank
Green sandpiper
6 Lapwings
Grey heron
2 Meadow pilots
Adult female Marsh harrier and Kestrel over the nearby wheat field

4 Greenshank is a great record at this site, nice one

17:30-18:30 Croxdens pools very quiet
1 Buzzard over
4 Greenshank flew in stayed 10 minuets then went on there way west site first for me

Single male redstart calling almost non stop but very elusive in hedges around tyldesley sewage works this afternoon also c.10 mixed Phyllosc and 3 willow tit in same area.

Croxdens

Raptor watching event, Salford's Got Talons, today produced superb views of a Peregrine perched on the peat, at least one Hobby hunting dragonflies over the pools, at least 4 Buzzards, 4 Kestrel & 1 Sparrowhawk, plus at least 4 Ravens & 3 Swift

Rindle woods 14.30-16.00
Not a great deal to shout about
Single Swallow
Female Pheasant flushed
Chaffinchx3
Highlights.... 7 very noisy Jays having a right ding dong
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive.

2 Buzzard,. Kestrel, Meadow Pipits, House Sparrows, Linnet, lots of Goldfinches, Long-tailed Tits, Heron, Pheasant, Swift, Swallow, House Martin and heard Blackcap, 1 Clouded Yellow Still about.

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Wednesday 27th of August 2014 02:13:33 PM

Croxdens

1 Hobby
1 Red-tailed Hawk (with jesses)
5 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
c50 Swift

12.15pm-1.15pm Irlam Moss and Croxden

Flock of 6 Snipe over heading south
Family party of 9 Grey Partridge
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
1 Teal
1 Tufted Duck (m)
7 Goldfinch
2 Carrion Crow
2 Meadow Pipit
6 Swift
30+ House Martin
15+ Swallow
6 BH Gull
Lots of Woodpigeon - est. 200+

Astley Moss and Croxden over 2 hours this morning

Black-headed Gull 3
Blackbird 1
Blue Tit 17
Bullfinch 4
Buzzard 2
Canada Goose 12
Carrion Crow 3
Chaffinch 6
Chiffchaff 2
Coal Tit 1
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 1
Goldfinch 33
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Great Tit 2
Grey Heron 1
House Martin 17
Jay 2
Kestrel 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Linnet 3
Long-tailed Tit 3
Magpie 4
Meadow Pipit 2
Pheasant 2
Pied/White Wagtail 3
Reed Bunting 5
Robin 13
Sedge Warbler 1 (LWT SSSI)
Stock Dove 1
Swallow 30
Swift 15
Wheatear 1 (Croxden's)
Whitethroat 1

3 Clouded Yellows still today west of Croxdens pools near derelict barn

6 Buzzards up together

and a Wheatear by Rindle Cottages

5pm-6.15pm Croxdens

1 Little Ringed Plover - juv
1 Hobby - juv - seemed to be paying close attention to the numerous Hirundines.
2 Kestrels - 1 bird in a skirmish with the Hobby
c.20 Swift
c.40 House Martins
c.20 Swallow
1 Chiifchaff
7 Black-headed Gull
2 Stock Dove
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Goldfinch - juv - feeding in a thistle less than 6 feet away and completely unbothered by my presence!

Unfortunately no Clouded Yellows or any butterfly for that matter!

A family party of seven Ravens were out on Croxdens this afternoon too.

Croxdens Peat Pool area:

1 Greenshank
4 Swifts
uncounted Hirundines
4-5 Yellow Wagtails
2 Jays
1 juvenile Hobby
1 Kestrel
1 Buzzard

Some good insects on the 'other wildlife' thread.

Cheers John

"CHAT & ASSOCIATED MOSSES"

Juvenile Hobby showing off its supreme flying skills across the moss lands mid-afternoon.
Adult Peregrine sat out on the open peat fields near to Red Chalis SBI.
Pair of Kestrels hunting over the Croxden peat pools along with a solitary Buzzard soaring above.

for the lepidopterist among us the Clouded Yellows are still feeding on the red & white clover banks near to peat pools.

Cheers
Ian

Croxdens

Adult Ringed Plover
Juvenile Little Ringed Plover


Barton Moss

5 Grey Partridge
20 Lapwing

Cadishead Moss

1 Peregrine


Irlam Moss

1 Greenshank

Many walks around the mosslands this Summer listening for Quail turned up none. I also targeted three areas on over 35+ evening visits on the hope and a prayer of finding a Nightjar. Again none seen. On a plus note this Summer watching the Hobby's hunting [including 2 juveniles ] seen on most of my visits was brilliant. Also you would not believe in how many Bats fly around the mosslands on a warm evening while I was listening for Nightjars and being half eaten by the many bugs flying about.
Happy days and evenings.

In my experience in the UK they have a strong preference for barley; elsewhere they're less picky.

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Simon Harris wrote:

---

Are there no quail sightings again this year?

---

Afraid not

---

...and I don't think anyone actually saw either of the 2 at Carrington Moss. Certainly not me after another 8 hours of my life being taunted. Carrington had Barley in the fields where the 2 were while Astley Moss seemed to be predominantly Wheat. When they were last here at fields 62-63 it was planted with Barley. Maybe significant I don't know. Previous ones at Carrington in recent years were in set-aside (when it still existed)

Simon Harris wrote:

---

Are there no quail sightings again this year?

---

Afraid not

Are there no quail sightings again this year?

Just back home, having started the day at Croxtons and 12 Yards Rd at 6.30 am and birded the general area until 8.55 am.

Recorded 34 species of which the best were the 3 Green Sandpipers and 2 Buzzards; -unfortunately no Hobby (though I probably moved on too early?)

Walking back from the big barn at the end of the trail, I inadvertently flushed two of the Green Sandpipers which unbeknown to me had settled on the nearest pools during my temporary absence; - they flew off high out of sight, calling all the while, (apologies for that). During my visit the only other waders were 2 Lapwings, so Pete's Common Sandpipers were obviously new arrivals as I had spent some considerable time earlier specifically scanning for waders, as the site does look full of promise.

I'll certainly visit again!

This afternoon at Croxdens around the pools(or whats left of them)

2 Common Sandpipers
1 Green sandpiper
30 + Sand Martins,a few Linnets and a couple of juv Black Headed Gulls

Croxdens:

3 Green Sandpipers. (Info thanks to Mike Passant)

Cheers John

Cuckoo showing well on telephone wires between fields 62 and 18 off Astley Road this morning

Croxdens

1 female Marsh Harrier
1-2 Common Sandpiper
6 Teal
3 Kestrel
2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Swift


Sunday 3rd August

1 Little Ringed Plover
c300 Swift

-- Edited by James Walsh on Wednesday 6th of August 2014 10:39:28 PM

Astley moss 20.00
Field opp Canteen farm
28 juv pheasants, terrific sight.
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

On Croxden's Pools this afternoon:

2 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Ringed Plover
4 Yellow Wagtail

On the nearby nature reserve, the juvenile Hobby showed very well perching on the bare trees at the southern end and also hunting up and down the reserve (please view only from the footpath across the bare peat moss).

CHAT & ASSOCIATED MOSSES
1st "Partridge family" of the season, 3 adults with 7 young.
also 2 families of Pheasants of contrasting size.
Female with 8 full grown juveniles hiding in the cereal fields
+ a 2nd family of Pheasants with 8 newly hatched chicks just day(s) old.
The harvest of the golden fields has begun lets hope they leave at least one set-a-side field
of stubble for the wintering flocks of finches & visiting Bramblings, unlike last season.
Cheers
Ian

CHAT & ASSOCIATED MOSSES 28th 1400-1600 hrs. Late post (working nights)

Very productive couple of hours.
On Croxden pools male Sparrowhawk taking a welcome bath in the sunshine.
Buzzard overhead and a single Wheatear (f) on the barren peat fields.
Kestrel (f) & Hobby (juvenile) both perched up on the dead silver birch stumps less than 30 yrds apart!
The Hobby flew up and stooped at the Kestrel, then the Kestrel flew up and stooped at.....
a juvenile Marsh Harrier (f) which appeared from nowhere.
The Harrier went to ground, the Hobby flew across the railway towards Astley,
which left the Kestrel hovering and me dashing off to get to work.
Cheers
Ian

9.30-10.30am Croxdens

5 Little Ringed Plover - 1 ad & 4 juv (1 group of 1 ad & 3 juv plus a single juv keeping itself to itself)
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
30 Lapwing
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Tufted Duck - 1 male & 1 fluffy juv
6 Mallard
8 Linnet
10+ Pied Wagtail
2 Chiffchaff
2 Stock Dove
6 Linnet
11 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 ad + 1st year)
a few Sand Martins, Swifts and Swallows

Also 1 idiot blasting Wood Pigeons with a shot gun in adjacent field 13

I must have been looking in the wrong place for the LRP's!

10:45am-12:15pm

Croxdens

1 Green Sandpiper
3 Little Ringed Plover (2 adults, 1 juv)
1 Dunlin
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Yellow Wagtail
c50 Lapwing
3 Tufted Duck (including a fluffy juv)

9.15-10.15am Croxdens

1 Dunlin
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Oystercatcher
c.40 Lapwing
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - all 1st year birds
c.30 Black-headed Gulls
1 Willow Tit
3 Skylark
9 Linnet
10 Pied Wagtail
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Heron
1 Tufted Duck (m)
c.80 Sand Martin - many kept landing on the bare peat islands seemingly just to rest and preen
2 Stock Dove

No sign of any Little Ringed Plover today

11.00am-12.45pm. Croxdens

A bit of a raptor fest

1 Hobby for 10 mins giving a great close up show catching dragonflies and occasionally landing in a dead tree.
1 Peregrine (juv) hopping around on one of the peat bund walls! Then took off and got into a dog fight with a Kestrel and a Buzzard
3 Buzzard
2 Kestrel - 1 bird also soaring around with the Hobby
2 Dunlin
4 Little Ringed Plover - 3 juv & 1 adult
c.80 Lapwing
c.20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Black-headed Gulls
1 Tufted Duck (m)
7 Moorhen - pair + 5 young
3 Stock Dove
8 Pied Wagtails
1 Reed Bunting
Sand Martin and Swifts in good numbers

Butterflies - 1 Small Copper, 1 Common Blue, 1 Large Skipper, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoishells, Large White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown
Dragonflies- Black Darter lots, 1 Emporer, Blue-tailed Damselfies

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Monday 21st of July 2014 06:24:39 PM

Croxdens tonight 20-2100hrs.

1 Common Sandpiper
1 Dunlin
4 Little Ringed Plover
1 Grey Partridge
1 Reed Bunting

Plenty of Swifts, Swallows

Cheers

Late post Chat Moss & Croxden pools Saturday 1700-1900
Kestrel flying across cereal fields with kill, over 40 juvenile Sand Martins on the telegraph wires near Moss Side farm.
Little Ringed Plover family 2 adults + 2 juveniles on the peat pools
plus a single Dunlin & 2 families of Pied Wagtails.
Do not venture out without insect repellent you have been warned,

Cheers
Ian

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 2nd of August 2014 10:42:35 PM

8.30pm-9.30pm Rindle Rd 20+ Swallows, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Stock Dove, 6 Pheasant, Great Black Backed Gull, Carrion Crow, Woodpidgeon. Reasonably quiet, suspect the gusts of wind maybe keeping some birds at bay on what otherwise would be a stunning evening.

0730-1030 today.

Managed to get over to Croxden's from Rindle through shoulder high wilderness along the footpath courtesy of insect repellent and waterproof overtrousers! Not pleasant. Plenty of clegs about too, biting through my long sleeved top!! It's a jungle out there.....


Buzzard - 3
Kestrel - 4 in a family group
Curlew - 1 on the peat working area
Meadow pipit - 3
Greenfinch - 4
Common Whitethroat - several groups
Goldfinch - family group, and several individuals
Oystercatcher - 4
Sand martin, Swifts and Swallows - highly mobile and uncountable over the peat area - very numerous.
Willow Warbler - 2
Chaffinch - 5
Juvenile Dunnock - 1 sitting on a rapeseed head
Pied Wagtail - 7

Also
Mallard
Black Headed Gulls
Lesser Black Backed Gulls
Moorhen
Lapwing +++ esp on peat pools


I'd forgotten how things get around now - you really only have to slow down or stay in one place for a few seconds and you attract the horseflies. Not conducive to watching the peat pools, for example!! I got back to Rindle via 12 yards road and the Level Crossing which was an interesting exploration.

Astley SSSI - Yesterday evening 8-9pm Sparrowhawk Kestrel (female) Pair of Buzzards flying side by side over Rindle Rd 30+ Swallows over crop fields 50+ Swift 3 Pheasant First time to this area, really quiet (as in human activity!) so will be back again when I have more time to explore.

12.15pm-1.30pm
Croxdens:
1 Green Sandpiper
2 Curlew
5 Oystercatcher
c.170 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - mostly adults
c.5 Herring Gulls
c.100 Black-headed Gulls including c.10+ young
c.30+ Lapwing plus 2 small chicks
1 Buzzard
2 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
1 Willow Tit - heard only
3 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap singing
c.10 Mallard
A few Sand Martin and Swallows

Cutnook Lane:
1 Sparrowhawk (f)

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 29th of June 2014 07:59:56 PM

Croxdens 7.30 - 9.45am.

Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Linnet 4
Meadow Pipit
Skylark 4
Greenfinch
Swift 100+ flying at head height at one point over the peat works
Sand Martin 10
Oystercatcher 4

Several family feeding parties of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Goldfinch and long Tailed Tit.

Plus the usuals.

4.30-5.30pm Croxdens & Dixons Wood

100+ Lapwing
1 Curlew
1 Oystercatcher
20+ LBb Gull plus 1 dead one
70+ BH Gull
3 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
3 Buzzard
1 Grey Heron
2 Tufted Duck - pair
6 Mallard
1 Willow Warbler singing
1 Blackcap singing
1 Chiffchaff singing
Plus Swift, Sand Martin and Swallow
Also: a Tawny Owl called from Dixons Wood at 5.20pm

Other wildlife:
1 large Toad, numerous Four Spotted Chasers and 1 Broad bodied Chaser dragonfly, 1 Large Red Damselfly, Meadow Brown, and Speckled Wood butterflies, 2 Cinnebar Moths


-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 22nd of June 2014 07:13:34 PM

Croxdens
Female Marsh Harrier
3 Curlew
6 Tufted Duck

Barton Moss
Cuckoo

Green Sandpiper on the pools on the old carrot field behind Rindle Wood this afternoon

Rindle road area 14.00-15.30
Buzzardx2
Kestrel
Whitethroatx2
Great spotted woodpeckerx2
Mistle thrushx9
Song thrushx2
Treecreeperx2
Chaffinchx2
Carrion crowx4
Lapwingsx4 (mobbing everything)
Pheasantsx loads
More than usual Blackbirds seemed to be everywhere.
Wrenx2
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 12th of June 2014 06:27:13 PM