Hi Steve,

In addition to your sightings a family of Willow Tits near Croxdens Peat Pools on the walk back to the car.

Your Damselfly is unlikely to be Small Red (southern distribution) and probably Large Red which is common.

Cheers John

Wednesday 11th June 2014 13:30 - 17:00 hrs.

Nice to meet John Rayner and have quick chat.

Rindle Woods and surrounds:
Cuckoo heard but not seen on edge of Astley Moss SSSI
Common Whitethroat
Reed Bunting
Two juvenile Blue Tit (could not see adult)
Carrion Crow feeding juvenile
Black Headed Gull
Chaffinch
Goldfinch

Field 60:
Tree Sparrow on top of shed

Field 61:
Two male Bullfinch
Adult Chaffinch and four juveniles
Two Mistle Thrush
Juvenile Blackbird

Field 58:
Lapwing

Seen various locations:
Swallow
House Martin

Field 65 (Croxden Peat Field)
Curlew being chased off by either Buzzard or Marsh Harrier in sky above trees between field 65 and field 9 (had pale buff forehead and cap but not 100% sure it was Marsh Harrier)
Grey Heron

Croxden Pools (Field 13 on map)
Hobby
Oystercatcher
Black Headed Gulls
Lesser Black Back Gulls
Mallard
Tufted Ducks

Field 63:
Buzzard
Grey Wagtail (and I think two juveniles) on manure pile near Olive Mount farm

Butterflies:
Common Blue
Speckled Wood
Green Veined White

Small Red Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly




-- Edited by Steve Judge on Wednesday 11th of June 2014 06:49:57 PM

Two Cuckoo around the area behind Rindle Wood this morning.

Info thanks to Andy Little

Couple of intermittently quite wet hours from 0730-0930.

Moss Lane

Red Legged Partridge - 2
Grey Partridge - 2
Grey Wagtail - 1

Otherwise mainly around Rindle and SSSI edge:

Cuckoo called from SSSI but had disappeared by the time I got there!
Mistle Trush - 12
Song Thrush - 3
Yellowhammer - 4
Tree Sparrow - 1
Blackcap - 1m
Common Whitethroat - 7
Meadow Pipits
Lapwing - lost count

Also plenty of Woodpigeon and Pheasant. Chaffinch and the usual tit species.

Male Cuckoo showing well perched in dead tree on edge of Astley Moss SSSI

and nearby from the old mineral line
Peregrine and
Hobby

10.30 - 2.30 bike ride around with Tony Darby

Croxdens:
Hobby 2 hawking dragonflies over the pools - very close views from the path standing behind the trees :) - emoticons not working here
Sand Martins 20
Reed Bunting m singing
yellowhammer m singing
Skylark 2
Meadow Pipit 2
Pied Wagtail 1
Grey Partridge 1
Lapwing 2
Cormorant over
Lesser Black-backed Gulls 19
Swifts a few
Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1 over

Rindle Road ploughed area:

Stock Dove 26
Mistle Thrush 6
Ringed Plover 1
Pheasant 5
Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1

Hepzibah Farm area:
House Martins 10+
Buzzard 2 distant over Little Woolden Moss

In all 36 species seen or heard - not bad

Friday June 6th

Female Marsh Harrier @ Croxdens

Glad you found it ok John.

Hobby seen high over Croxden Peat Pools about 11:30. Many thanks to Dave Thacker for directions

"Chat Moss" in the late afternoon sunshine, my little piece of heaven.

Superb views of the Hobby hunting over Croxden PNR & peat pools, spooking a pair of Curlews from the pools.
Had the Marsh Harrier hunting over the cereal fields 8/9/10 for the 3rd successive year during June/July.
Adult Yellow Wagtails observed taking food to the young, along with Tree Sparrows, Meadow Pipits & Reed Buntings.
Flushed 3 pairs of Partridges but no young observed, still no sight or sound of Corn Buntings or Spotted Flycatchers this season.
On a positive note observed a family of Willow Tits my "speciality" species always get a buzz seeing & hearing their call.
Cheers
Ian

John I will send you a message later

Hi Dave, I've got the map with field numbers. In which fields are Croxden Pools? and is it possible to access from the Astley Moss end by car?

Regards

John Taylor

Three Hobbys have been hunting Dragonflies over Croxden pools for the last 30 minutes. Also both male and female Cuckoo on Astley SSSI earlier this morning and another Cuckoo seen flying over Little Woolden moss.

A wander across the mosses today dodging the showers was quite productive.

Grasshopper Warbler in full view reeling just 100yds from the busy A57 in the field behind the Makro store, Barton/Irlam border.
5 Yellow Wagtails flew up together to warn me off on Barton moss.
Croxden PNR produced a first when I flushed a Reed Warbler from the floor & also observed a Cuckoo being chased off by a Meadow Pipit.
On Astley Moss east another Cuckoo seen & heard calling near the peat pools.
Before crossing back over the railway a Peregrine Falcon with very pale underside landed on the open peat moss & then
flew up and engaged in a spectacular dogfight with a Hobby, great stuff.
Cheers
Ian

Cadishead Moss

1 Yellow Wagtail
2 Grey Partridge
10 Lapwing
c30 Lesser Black-backed Gull

11.00am-1.00pm Irlam Moss and Croxden

Croxden:
80+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls loafing on the pools
1 Herring Gull resting with the LBb Gulls
c20 Black-headed Gulls
3 Skylarks
2 Curlew
c20 Lapwing + 1 young
3 Tufted Duck
4 Mallard
1 Carrion Crow
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
1 Oystercatcher - heard only
1 Blackcap singing
1 Willow Warbler singing
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Reed Bunting
2 Buzzard over
Lots of Sand Martin over pools

Also large numbers of Black Darter dragonflies plus plenty of Large Red Damselflies & Blue tailed dragonflies
Pick of the Butterflies seen: 1 Painted Lady, 5 Common Blue

Irlam Moss:
1 Yellow Wagtail - male

1 male Yellow Wagtail @ Barton Moss

This morning 09:00-10:00
Cutnook Lane
3 Jays
1 Pied wagtail
2 Wrens
lots of Chaffinch
Croxdens pools
Lapwings 10
Black-Headed Gull 15
Lesser Black Backed Gull 1
1 Moorhen
2 Reed Bunting (pair)
1 Skylark
lots of Swallows and Swifts over
1 Sparrowhawk m
1 Shelduck with a very young Duckling in tow not seen them breed here before

10.00-13.00

Rindle Cottages area

1 Kestrel, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Common Whitethroat.

4 Lapwings in the field behind the cottages.

On the newly ploughed field south of Rindle Wood were 4 Mistle Thushes, 2 Oystercatchers & 4 Lapwings.

Another Common Whitethroat was in Rindle Wood, and the newly ploughed field alongside held 6 Mistle Thrushes & 4 Lapwings.

Along the mossland edge were 3 Common Whitethroats & 2 Reed Buntings.

3 Buzzards, 2 being very pale, soared over the moss.

Bedford Moss seemed devoid of life, except for a highly vocal Cuckoo that flitted between there and the scrapes.

4 more Common Whitethroats were around the scrapes.

Male Hobby flew through Croxdens heading west to east at 12:30.

Rindle road area 13-00-14.30
Buzzard
Kestrel
Plenty of Whitethroat
Lots of pheasants
Lapwingx4
Chaffinchx2
Robinx2
Goldfinchx3
Mistle thrush
Grey heron over
Highlights were a pair of Hobbys over the scrapes
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive.

Cuckoo still singing behind Rindle Wood at 6:45 this morning.

Info thanks to Andy Little

A rather worn looking Red Kite was very low over Rindle, Astley Moss (only at the same height as the trees in Rindle Wood at one point) at 1:35 this afternoon. Missing its inner primaries it drifted over the SSSI where it circled for a while before being mobbed by every Lapwing, Crow and Kestrel in the area. It then drifted lazily back across Rindle Road, remaining very low and headed over towards Astley Moss East, putting every Black-headed Gull and Lapwing up there too. Even a Rindle Cottages resident saw it and was over the moon, pointing it out in this RSPB bird book!

Highlights of a family Moss Nature Walk today

Croxdens

Female Marsh Harrier
Pair of Tufted Duck
5 Lapwing
1 Oystercatcher


Chat Moss

5 Tree Sparrow (at the junction of Twelve Yards & Fiddlers Lane)
3 Buzzard
2 Skylark


Barton Moss

1 Yellow Wagtail
1 Hobby
1 Skylark

Two cuckoo's were calling till about 9.30 last night around Astley moss and a female Cuckoo flew over Rindle road in front us.

8.30am

Lots of Common Whitethroat in good song. Two Yellowhammer close to the feeding station, with several others singing further across the fields in the direction of the Railway.
No sign of any Cuckoo.

Steve, I believe it's where I met you the other day. Along that track. There is a map on this site that shows it

Could anyone please tell me exactly where on Rindle Road is the feeding station?

Male Cuckoo along the edges if Astley Moss SSSI at 09:30 this morning.

Info thanks to Andy Little

Rick Hall wrote:

---

Other birds of note:
3/4 Yellowhammers - Rindle Road Feeding Station
Curlew
3/4 Grey Partridge - Field opposite Rindle Road Feeding Station

---

That's 3 or 4. Not 3 quarters!!!

On Croxdens, pair of Teal, 3 Tufted Duck & 1 Oystercatcher

2 Yellow Wagtails on Fiddlers Lane

CHAT MOSS 1300-1700

Cuckoo giving great views for over 15 minutes this afternoon on the moss lands looking for victims! (not calling).
I twice flushed the Cuckoo from the ground with Meadow Pipits in tow chasing the Cuckoo off.
The bird then alighted on top of a small silver birch sapling being mobbed by six Meadow pipits before flying off.
Good to meet James "the hat" Walsh again.
Cheers Ian.

Made up to finally catch up with Tree sparrow at the feeding station, after a really nice chap called Cedric had filled them up about an hour previously. A GM tick.
I wandered down to the spud pile and got my first ever proper sighting of Yellow Wagtail with a pair of them showing beautifully for half an hour.

Other birds of note:
3/4 Yellowhammers - Rindle Road Feeding Station
Curlew
3/4 Grey Partridge - Field opposite Rindle Road Feeding Station

No sight or sound of cuckoo this afternoon for me, also no sign of Hobby, but a great afternoon for me.

19.15-20.00 Rindle road area
Whitethroat
Dunnock
Buzzard
Curlew/Whimbrel not 100% sunlight spoiled views
Cuckoo heard
Lapwingx5
Swallowx6
Swift
Pheasantx4
Mistle thrush (almost white)
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive.

CHAT MOSS 1600-1830
Hobby giving superb views catching dragonflies on the wing.
Yellow Wagtails back on breeding fields 3 males + 4 females.
Single Ringed Plover on Croxden peat pools + a pair of Tufted ducks.
Good numbers of breeding Reed Buntings & Meadow Pipits on Croxden PNR.
Cheers
Ian

Thanks Steve. Was nice to meet you too. My next mission is to get over the other side of the level crossing and explore.

Nice to meet you today Adam. Some stunning pictures on your blog - especially the Dotterel at Pendle Hill this morning. You will sleep well tonight! Like you I also spotted the Common Whitethroat (in field where Moss lane joins up with Rindle Road) and Yellowhammer (on path leading from Rindle wood). My highlight was two yellow wagtails in field 51 (Irlam Moss).
By the way - last week = I saw Pied Flycatcher (lifer) on north side of River Wharfe - 30 mins walk from Bolton Abbey and stonking male and female Ring Ouzel at Scar House Reservoir (10 miles north of Pateley Bridge)

My first visit to the sight today and it turned up my first Common Whitethroats and Yellowhammers of the year. No luck with the Cuckoo though this afternoon.

Superb views of a male Cuckoo on a post in the field with pylons at the corner of Moss Lane and Rindle Road today. I only wish I'd had my camera with me, but I was on a sponsored Birdwatch with the Leigh OS. Thanks to Joe Doherty's team for putting us on to it.

Two Wheatears in the ploughed field opposite the fishing pond on Rindle Road early afternoon.

At least five Yellow Wagtails out on 'Chat' Moss.

Hobby over the fields behind Rindle woods heading towards Bedford moss just now.

11.30am-1.00pm Irlam Moss & Croxden

4 Teal (2 pair)
1 Shelduck
8 Mallard
c.30 BH Gull
1 Oystercatcher
1 Curlew - heard only
8 Lapwing
3 Meadow Pipit
4 Linnet
2 Pied Wagtail
6 Reed Bunting
2 Buzzard
2 Willow Warbler
1 Blackcap
10 Sand Martin
2 Swallow

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Monday 5th of May 2014 01:46:41 PM

9.20 - 10.00am

1 Wheater in newly ploughed field behind Rindle Wood
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Yellowhammer
Distant sound of a male Cuckoo calling

Whinchat and Wheatear in ploughed field behind Rindle Wood
Grasshopper Warbler reeling
And Cuckoo calling on Astley Moss SSSI

Cuckoo singing from the edges of Astley Moss SSSI again this morning, plus a single Yellow Wagtail and two Wheatears in the fields behind Rindle Wood.

Info thanks to Andy Little

7.15 7.45pm quick scan of the newly ploughed field at the side of Rindle Wood

Yellow Wagtail 1 m
White Wagtail 4
Grey Partridge 1 flushed
Swallow 3

Male Yellow Wagtail flew NW over track towards north side of Astley Moss. Quite yellow, but didn't see the head clearly. Sounded more like Blue-Headed than Flavissima, perhaps

Couple of male Yellowhammers chasing by track to Moss; also, pair of Grey Partridges just down access track
Many Whitethroat on Astley Moss, but no Cuckoo

Cuckoo singing behind Rindle Wood this morning.

Info thanks to Andy Little

A female Marsh Harrier has been around the mosslands since mid March, I didn't report it as I was hoping that a male would turn up for breeding but it looks like that's not going to happen.

Marsh Harrier, female type, thermalling over Astley Moss in a northward direction at 4pmish today