Irlam & Barton Mosses 12.15-1.30pm

2 Woodcock - Dixons Wood
2 Snipe
c.120 Fieldfare (c.70 f9 , c.50 over Dixons Wood)
c. 50 Redwing
1 GS Woodpecker - f9
2 Willow Tit
8 Long-tailed Tit
4 Bullfinch
2 Reed Bunting
2 Goldcrest
1 Kestrel
2 Mallard
1 Pheasant
Also lots of large gulls heading NE (mainly Lesser Black-backs but a couple of Herring and 1 Greater Black-back amongst them)

Thursday 21st November

c500 Fieldfare around Twelve Yards / Olive Mount
3 Teal (1 male, 2 female) on Croxdens

Rindle road area
Quick hour around 12.30
Loads of pheasants 25+
Various finch and thrush flocks
Pied wagtailx4
Yellowhammer
Robin
Usual corvids
3 very noisy Jays
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

Rindle Road Feeding Station and Rindle Wood

Fieldfare x 2
Blackbird
Linnet
Redwing x 20
Pheasant x 20
Jay
Collard dove x 2

12 yards
13-00-14.15
20 plus Pink footed Geese (field 52)
Various thrush flocks all over the moss
Kestrelx3
Buzzardsx3
Chaffinch and Goldfinch in good numbers
Lots of Carrion crows
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

Morning walk round Little Woolden Moss and ringing pits with Dave Steel.

7.30-11.30

Pink Footed Geese.....2 Skiens over at 0920 of 70 + 54, east. also 24 feeding in stubble fields flew off east.
Linnet...........50
Stonchat.......1M
Merlin...........1M
Peregrine......1 also 2 on Irlam moss as we left
Bullfinch........4
Meadow Pipit.78
Snipe............1
Golden Plover.1 over
Teal..............4
Canada Geese.140 over at 0900
Reed Bunting.17
Kestrel..........2
Redpoll..........1
Grey Partridge 3


Also a Roe Deer near ringing pits

Originally posted by David Bowman today:


An excellent day's birding in the autumn sunshine, with Dave Steel, covering one of his local mossland patches - Little Woolden Moss and Cadishead Moss (these are fields 38,56,57 and 64 on Dave's recoding scheme for the Mosses, accessible elsewhere on this site). Highlights were a nice fly-past by an immature Peregrine, 2 skeins of 380 Pink-footed Geese going east, 56 Teal, 1 Corn Bunting, 7 Grey Partridges, 35 Meadow Pipits, 17 Reed Buntings, 6 Tree Sparrows, 120 Skylarks, 1 Snipe, 29 Linnets, 1 Sparrowhawk, 105 Starlings, singles of Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk, 6 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Brambling, 1 Siskin, 2 Redpolls and a good westerly movement of winter thrushes, with 48 Redwings and 224 Fieldfare passing over.
Other wildlife showing well in the warm sunshine were: 4 Brown Hares, 2 Red Admirals, 3 Small Tortoiseshells, 1 Black Darter, 1 Migrant Hawker and 38 Common Darters.

Cheers David

Mark Battersby wrote:

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I notice that one was reported at Leighton Moss the day before the Astley bird. Could be the same one just passing through.

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...I read about that earlier today Mark on the RSPB Leighton Moss sightings round up, they also had a Red-Backed Shrike back in late June.

I notice that one was reported at Leighton Moss the day before the Astley bird. Could be the same one just passing through.

Dave Thacker wrote:

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Nearly 12 hours spent over the last 2 days on Astley, Chat and parts of Irlam moss has failed to find the shrike again. Never mind it was nice while it lasted

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Just goes to show, Dave - always shrike while the iron is hot.

Nearly 12 hours spent over the last 2 days on Astley, Chat and parts of Irlam moss has failed to find the shrike again. Never mind it was nice while it lasted

no further sign of great grey shrike this morning in a 2 hour search in poor weather.

Many Thanks for the comments, emails and texts that I have had today, I really appreciate them all.

Also thanks to Ian McKerchar for getting the word out to everyone. You would not believe how difficult it was to try and photo the shrike using my not so smart phone that I only got last week while trying to text,ring and post on this forum to as many people as possible. One text to Ian and everyone knew.

Also about today;

Croxdens
Merlin hunting along the Western side
Peregrine sat on raised peat in the pools area
6 Buzzards looking for worms in fields along 12 yards road
Sparrowhawk
2 Goldcrests with small tit flock

Astley moss
14 Grey partridge
60+ Goldfinch, 15 Pied wagtails, 20+ Meadow pipits, 2 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 5 Fieldfare and plenty of Redwings in f68

Dave Thacker wrote:

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Thanks Mark. I'm just happy that everyone who turned up managed to get good views.
It's about time I found something decent on the mosses.

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Huge thanks to Dave for this cracking GM bird

went back later in the afternoon hoping for another look at the shrike with trevor lane but it didnt show again until we left at 17.30.will try again mid morning tomorrow.

The Great Grey Shrike became very mobile from 2.20 - 3pm and ended up flying south onto the railway embankment at 3 pm,it was seen to catch several large bees and swallowed them ,so seemingly it was very hungry, it had not been re-located when I left at 4pm,but there was plenty looking,so im sure it will turn up again.
Well done to Dave Thacker the trudging for hours finally pays off .

Great find Dave. Managed to catch up with it around 14:45.

I have to say many thanks to John Tymon and Pat (sorry don't know surname) and another gent for the loan of their bins! I'd been out since 09:00 with my eldest who plays football twice on Sunday. It was in the middle of his second game I got the text and decided I needed to go straight from the game, but didnt have my bins or scope with me! I chanced someone would let me have a squizz through their bins and it paid off. Wife and No1 son weren't too happy being left sat in the car on Rindle road though!

Thanks Mark. I'm just happy that everyone who turned up managed to get good views.
It's about time I found something decent on the mosses.

Well spotted Dave, Stunning bird.

Let's hope the current run of county rarities continues.

Great Grey Shrike still present in the Hawthorne hedgerow at the rear of Rindle Cottages at 2:20 and showing well most of the time (catching large bees!).

Please park very carefully along Rindle Road, either well into the side of the road by the ditch by the cottages or on the wide grass verge by the side of the fishing pond.

The shrike has just flown out of the hedgerow and gone across the field towards Astley peat works.

Just seen a Great grey shrike in the hedgerow behind the barn on Rindle road.

Today:

Stonechat by Croxdens Pools
Chiffchaff just south of Olive Mount Farm
Small flocks of Lesser Redpoll
Good flocks of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling

At 12-15pm today a Raven (cronking loudly) flew over Irlam going south.

Mike

Yesterday between 12 and 2
Grey partridge 10 f69? The first field on the right after you cross the train track.
Mistle thrush 4
Redwing 1
Great black backed gull 2
Buzzard 3
Skylark 134 over and a large number mixed in with meadow pipits on the last field on the left before you cross the train tracks.

Chat Moss area 0800-1330

1 Tree Pipit (heard in flight over Croxdens Pool)
c200 Meadow Pipits (c100 feeding around/on Croxden Pools)
c75 Pied Wagtail (Croxdens Pools)
2 Peregrine (1 Quarry Pool north of Croxdens, 1 Moss Farm)
3 Common Buzzards
20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (on Quarry Pool)
2 Teal (Croxdens)
1 Common Snipe (Croxdens)
1 Sparrowhawk (Moss Farm)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Moss Farm)

Belated report of sightings from Wed. 02/10/13 -

- exploratory tramp round in pleasant ( i.e. dry) conditions from Rindle Cottages, south over railway crossing to Twelve Yards Rd. then east and north past Croxdens Pools (these latter birdless save for a single Wren, though looking promising), to join footpath at pedestrian railway crossing back to Rindle Cottages. (11.30 a.m. to 14.15 p.m).

Mute Swan 1, Canada Geese 8, Mallard 7, (these on the large fishing pool accessed via the little track/ road south from Twelve Yards Rd. signed for "Birch View Farm"), Teal 4, Great Tit 1, Willow Tit 1, Long-tailed Tits 8+, Jackdaws, Jays, Carrion Crows, Magpies, Skylarks (heard only overhead), Pied Wagtail 20+, Meadow Pipit- just 1, Robins- abundant, Starlings, Goldfinch 20+, Greenfinch 2, Yellowhammer 1.

Surprisingly, no Thrush spp. and nothing unexpected, (though overall quite worthwhile, adding a fair few to my modest "Salford Boro' list").

Mike P.

Today mainly around Chat moss and Croxdens

6 Snipe
4 Grey partridge
Skylark
7 Meadow pipits
4 Reed buntings
Pied wagtail
Chiffchaff
Treecreeper
2 Ravens
2 Sparrowhawks
4 Buzzards
2 Kestrels
13 Long tailed tits
Great tit
Song thrush
6 Mistle thrush

Saturday 28th September

Croxden Pools

1 Wheatear
7 Teal
1 Treecreeper with tit flock
c20 Meadow Pipit

Croxdens Pool area

1 Stonechat
10 Grey Partridge
20 Teal
1 Snipe
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Jay
c30 Goldfinch
c20 Long-tailed Tit

-- Edited by James Walsh on Friday 27th of September 2013 09:12:47 PM

Croxdens Pools

1 Peregrine showing well on the deck
4 Teal
1 Snipe
5 Jay in the area

Quality morning/early afternoon

0820-1400

1 Greenshank showing well on Croxdens Pools 10am, also 9 Lapwing & 4 Common Snipe
2 juvenile Yellow Wagtails on Field 16
1 Willow Tit just north of Olive Mount Farm
8 Grey Partridges on Field 20
1 singing Chiffchaff Cutnook Lane
2 Willow Warblers on Field 19
c30 Skylarks

Also
c4 Common Buzzard
c150 Meadow Pipit
c50 House Martin
c30 Swallow
c250 Wood Pigeon
c75 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
c35 Linnets
c30 Chaffinch
1 Bullfinch
c10 Goldfinch
c10 Greenfinch


-- Edited by James Walsh on Sunday 22nd of September 2013 01:57:27 AM

Greenshank dropped into Croxdens Pools this morning.

Info thanks to James Walsh

Adult female Marsh Harrier over Croxdens early afternoon today, made its way off towards field no. 9.

Lots of Meadow Pipits around the mosses, including 189 in fields 67/68 at Rindle.

Also around the mosses, Peregrine, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat and plenty of Linnets.

Irlam Moss late afternoon

Female Whinchat along the ditch that runs across field 8 behind Blackwood.
Also 5 grounded Buzzards (2 juveniles) in the harvested section of field 8.
Cheers
Ian

c250 Lapwings on Barton Moss

Sorry for the late post as her indoors was hogging the laptop!

Barton Moss 1500-1730
Superb views of a adult Marsh Harrier hunting over the wheat and set-a-side fields 8/45.
This exposed a nervous family of Yellow Wagtails consisting of 2 adult females and 4 juveniles.
The hunting Kestrel overhead was not in the lease perturb.
Chat Moss 1730-1830
Hobby still with us hunting over Croxden PNR, what a airborne artist a bird I could watch all day.
Checking my records the latest dates I have had the Hobby was the 19th 2008 & the 18th 2012.
I finally got what I had come for on the way back to the car a covey of 6 Partridges, location withheld.
Cheers
Ian

Rindle road 7-8
Chaffinch
Wren
Buzzard
kestrel
Various Tits
Swallows and House Martins
Highlights were 5 separate flocks of Canada geese heading west 40+, 30,20,20,30 ish
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive.

Late afternoon on Astley Moss East peat works.
Hobby catching dragonflies whilst being mobbed by Martins & Swifts!
Juvenile Peregrine with Pigeon kill less than forty yards away, no ID leg rings observed.
Chat Moss
Juvenile Buzzard, begging call to adult incessant.
Juvenile Kestrel, (one of three young) hunting from the telegraph poles along 12 yards road
And finally discovered late nesting Song Thrushes nest with 3 eggs.

Cheers
Ian

Irlam Moss 19.00-20.15

Spectacular sight of 200+ Swifts in a feeding flock over Dixon's Wood and Croxden this evening with good numbers of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins with them.
1 Oystercatcher
2 Teal
2 Mallard
3 Moorhen
40+ LBB Gull
4 BH Gull
1 Willow Warbler
5 Meadow Pipit
1 Skylark

Irlam Moss 19.00-20.00

4 Swift
Large numbers of House Martins, Sand Martins and Swallows
1 Oystercatcher

Rindle Road this morning

c9 Grey Partridge flushed from the immediate left of the feeding track gate just as I was about to open it. Certainly made
me jump, but a possible family group nonetheless.

-- Edited by Tony Darby on Friday 16th of August 2013 07:01:37 PM

Barton & Irlam Mosses mid afternoon.

Female Marsh Harrier hunting over Croxden peat pools and Croxden PNR, it then turned back
flew over my head and was last seen heading towards Little Woolden Moss.
Hobby hunting the 50/60 Sand Martins over the wheat fields 8/9.

Breeding success last month on the moss lands included Kestrels (3 young) Buzzards (5 young in total)
Yellow Wagtails with two families of 5 juveniles each, bred on set aside farmland.
At Chat Moss Herbs had great success with the duel entrance nest boxes provided for the local Tree Sparrows
which produced 20 juveniles in total, also 4 young Song Thrushes which nested in a old pump house at the same site.
Alas no repeat of last years successful Corn Buntings, which bred in the rapeseed oil crop in field 9.

Cheers Ian

Female Marsh Harrier flew south over Astley Moss heading towards Chat Moss at 1:30 today.

Info thanks to Dave Thacker

10.30-11.45am Irlam Moss and surrounding area

All yesterday's waders cleared out
Just 2 Lapwing
43 LBB Gull
26 BH Gull
3 Mallard
1 Cormorant over S
3 Pied Wagtail
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Skylark
2 Willow Tit
2 Grey Partridge
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
Good numbers of Swift
3 Sand Martin
2 Stock Dove
2 Yellowhammer
1 Tree Sparrow
3 Whitethroat

Butterflies: Large Skipper, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White

Irlam Moss and surrounding fields. 9.30-10.45am

1 Golden Plover again - and suitably 'grilled'
1 Green Sandpiper
minimum of 230 Lapwing counted
63 LBB Gull
13 BH Gull
3 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
3 Pied Wagtail
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Stock Dove
1 Blackcap - singing
1 Willow Warbler

Steve Suttill wrote:

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Mike Chorley wrote:

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Rob Smallwood wrote:

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I trust you grilled the GP given the time of year!

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........"with fava beans and a fine Chianti"?

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that's no way to treat your doctor

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You haven't met MY doctor

Mike Chorley wrote:

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Rob Smallwood wrote:

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I trust you grilled the GP given the time of year!

---

........"with fava beans and a fine Chianti"?

---

that's no way to treat your doctor

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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I trust you grilled the GP given the time of year!

---

........"with fava beans and a fine Chianti"?

I trust you grilled the GP given the time of year!