9.30-11.30am Irlam Moss and neighouring fields

Very quiet bird-wise but excellent numbers of butterflies particularly Small Tortoishells and lots of dragonflies especially Black Darters.
Highlights:
1 Golden Plover - rather unexpected!
80+ Lapwing
1 Grey Heron
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrels
4 Pied Wagtails - family party
1 Bullfinch
1 Tree Sparrow
2 Yellowhammer
4 Linnet
2 Goldfinch
15 LBB Gulls
A few Whitethroats
2 Willow Warblers
1 Blackcap - singing
Swallows, House Martins, Swifts in small numbers.

Also lots of horseflies!

Morning walk round Little Woolden Moss and environs 7.30 - 11am

Hobby over
Corn Bunting 2
Yellowhammer
Yellow Wagtail 2
Skylark 10+
Grey Heron 4
Tree Sparrow 8
Buzzard 2
Raven 4

Lots of Butterflies and Damsel flies

-- Edited by Alan Warford on Thursday 18th of July 2013 11:35:29 PM

1.30pm-2.30pm Irlam Moss

Rather quiet. Main highlights:
3 Yellow Wagtail - all males - 2 f62 , 1 f52 - hopefully the females on nests somewhere!
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
family of 4 Mistle Thrushes (2 ad, 2 juv) - Twelve Yards Rd
Curlew - heard only

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 30th of June 2013 10:18:38 PM

Rindle road area 7-8
Very quiet
Lapwingx2
Yellowhammer
Chaffinchx2
Hirundines in good numbers
Song thrush
Robinx2
Blackbirdsxloads
Blue titsx3
cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

Chat Moss 7.15 - 10.00am, 33 species seen, Highlights.

Mistle Thrush 16
Song Thrush
Jay
Meadow Pipit 6
Skylark 5
Common Whitethroat 15+ seen, many with fledglings.
Curlew 2, 1 heard and 1 in f 45
Oystercatcher 3 flying over calling
Lapwing 18
Yellowhammer 3
Yellow Wagtail 3, 2m 1f, same area as yesterday
Pied Wagtail 3
Chiffchaffs 2
Willow Warbler 3

Astley Moss SSSI 10.15 - 12.00, 20 species seen, Highlights.

Yellowhammer
Common Whitethroat 4
Willow Warbler 5
Meadow Pipit 5
Reed Bunting 7
Buzzard 2
Kestrel

Chat Moss 7.45 - 11.15, Highlights.

Field 60
Mistle Thrush 4
Willow Warbler 3
Meadow Pipit 2
Linnet

Field 62, 63 & 18
Yellow Wagtail 2m 2f, two birds carrying food
Common Whitethroat 3
Yellowhammer

Field 13
Lapwing 12

Field 5
Yellowhammer 2
Common Whitethroat 2

Sorry about the late post
A large parrot, mainly olive green in colour and a long tail flew over Astley SSSI early Wednesday morning this week heading towards Moss lane.

Late report from yesterday between 7 and 8
Rindle Road area
Canada geesex2 with 4 youngsters
Lapwingsx10
Buzzardx2
Kestrelx2
Oystercatcher
Swifts and Swallows in good numbers
Great spotted woodpecker
Pied wagtailx2
Mistle thrushx6
Partridgex2 flushed couldn't ID them
Reed bunting
Wrenx2
Blackbirdxloads
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

This particular sighting was over towards Bedford Moss, I circuit the site clock wise, So down the feeding track and left along the track with Hawthorn edge on your right, Continue along the edge of the recently sowed fields you enter the last section were the small pools and reed beds are situated. Over towards the left hand side there is a very narrow raised path overgrown with Nettles etc, Continue along this path 60-70 meters just before the clearing in the trees on the left hand side that allow views of Bedford Moss there are now some small shrubby trees to your right hand side, The bird was flitting around in one of these,
However the first sighting I had on May 27th was in a different area, On the path that runs parallel with the edge of the SSSI and leads to Rindle Wood, about 30-40 metres before the second information board there is a line of 3-4 shrubby trees that boarder the raised pool (on the SSSI side) the bird was feeding in one of these.

Hope this makes sense.

Any specific location for the Lesser Whitethroat Mark? I've yet to catch up with it!

Early morning circuit or Astley Moss SSSI and Rindle Wood 7.00 - 10.00am, highlights.

Cuckoo heard calling as I arrived and again at 7.10 & 7.30 from the direction of Bedford Moss,
dispute my best attempt no sight of the bird.
Oystercatcher
Pied Wagtail 3
Lapwing 15
Willow Warbler 6
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat 5
Reed Bunting 6
Meadow Pipit
Skylark
Buzzard
Curlew heard



-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Sunday 9th of June 2013 11:41:17 AM

A late afternoon mooch through Rindle Woods to the SSSI.

Several Willow Warblers heard and one adult bird seen feeding two fledglings.
A few singing Blackcaps and Whitethroats.
4 Buzzards soaring over the SSSI.
1 Kestrel
1 Curlew heard
3 Yellowhammers
2 Tree Sparrows on the track
2 Lapwings
3 Pied Wagtails on the recently cut field in front of the cottages including an adult feeding a fledgling.
Several Meadow Pipits in the SSSI.
Good numbers of damselflies and four spotted chasers around too.

No signs of the Cuckoo or any Hobbies.

0715 - 13.30

Priorities dictated that I made a beeline first for the SSSI board and collected my lost 86mm lens cap - thanks again to Jason Dulhanty!


Cloudy and cool to start (yes!) and blue sky and warm by about 10.30.
A good morning, though it was quiet again along the SSSI margin.


Pied Wagtail - 5
Oystercatcher - 1 over old feeding station track, 2 more heard
Lapwing - 6
Curlew - 1
Black Headed Gull - about 20 feeding among new mown hay
Bullfinch - 1 pair around SSSI path
Blackcaps - heard all over the place, saw 1 !
Willow Warblers - ditto heard but none seen!
Long Tailed Tit - 1
Common Whitethroat - 4
Willow Tit - 1
Chiffchaff - 1

Garden Warbler - 1 glimpsed, 3 more heard (lifer for me )

Mistle Thrush - 2
Song Thrush - 1 seen, several others heard (one doing occasional Green Woodpecker impressions - quite annoying)
Reed Bunting - 9
Meadow Pipit - 8
Common Buzzard - 3
Grey Heron over Croxden's

Swifts
Swallows
Robins
Blackbirds
Wrens
Chaffinches
Great Tits
Blue Tits
Dunnocks
Goldfinches
Carrion Crows

It was interesting to "penetrate" further south than I have done before, to the far end of the hand-cut peat moss area by Croxden's. That was the area that yielded almost all of the Reed Buntings and all the Meadow Pipits. The contrast between the relative richness of that area and the sterile desert of the machine cut peat is extreme!




-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Wednesday 5th of June 2013 04:58:00 PM

Jason Dulhanty wrote:

---

Rindle road area 19.00-20.00
86mm lens cap on the information sign on SSSI Paul
Cheers Jay
Dont twitch and drive

---

Well well, Jay - thanks for the tipoff! Now I know one place I have to go on Wednesday morning!!

Rindle road area 19.00-20.00
Kestrelx3
Buzzard on a fence post field 69
Pied wagtail feeding youngster on Rindle road
Tree sparrowx3
Chaffinchx2
Swifts in good numbers
Grey partridgex2
Lapwingx3
Grey Heronx2 over towards Botany Bay
Blackbird singing its head off on SSSI
Yellowhammerx2
Female pheasant
Carrion crowx4
Mallardx4
86mm lens cap on the information sign on SSSI Paul
Cheers Jay
Dont twitch and drive

Single Hobby over Bedford Moss 6.45pm yesterday.

4.00 till 5.45 Astley Moss SSSI and Rindle Wood

Tree Sparrow 6
Yellowhammer
Pied wagtail
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Head protruding from nest hole
Buzzard 4
Kestrel
Willow Warbler 4
Chiffchaffs 4
Common Whitethroat 2
Grey Partridge

Just to add to Ian's comments, I hope you are submitting these nest records to the BTO Nest Record Scheme, Dave.

The data from a failed nest (for whatever reason) is just as important as from a successful one.

Cheers, Steve

Two pairs of Tawny Owls and a female Cuckoo are desperately important records though Dave; though I cannot refrain from pointing out that both are of no ornithological value if not formally submitted which is a real shame .

Pete Berry and I had a Hobby in the area today, my first for the year despite being out there practically every weekday at some point. Earlier in the day, like you, we stood at the edge of the SSSI in practically near silence with so little bird song.

That said, personally it only serves to spur me into working harder in searching for whatever's out there, assuming there is something out there...

I have made 20 visits to the mosses this May and I can not remember a worst Spring for birds than this one. This evening was like walking around in the middle of Winter , there was hardly anything about. Even the Willow warblers numbers have dropped off and only a couple of Chiffchaffs are about. I have only had 4 sightings of Cuckoo's in total including a female bird tonight on Bedford moss. Only 2 Hobbies seen during the month considering last year 3 could be seen on the same evening.

The number of nests found are well down on previous years. Nest predation has accounted for 9 nests already including 2 Reed buntings, Meadow pipit and Willow tit. Chicks found dead in the nest in another 3. Two pairs of Tawny owls have managed to raise at least 4 chicks which have fledged and I have found 5 Pheasant nests, 4 of which had 12 eggs in each and the other only 8. Four of the nests seem to have been OK but one was found by a Fox. Sadly on two visits this week I have found 4 dead Pheasant chicks in the area around the nests.
Hopefully as some birds seem to have delayed their breeding it may pick up over June.

Early evening circuit of Astley moss and Rindle wood, 6.45 -7.50

Very quite,
Mistle Thrush
Pied wagtail
Nuthatch 2
Reed Bunting 2
Swallow 4
Swift 3

No sight or sound of the elusive Cuckoo.


-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Thursday 30th of May 2013 08:28:36 PM

Astley Moss and Rindle Road/wood area 07.30-12.30

Cuckoo heard at 0730 but not again, and not seen.

Common Buzzard - at least 3 possibly 5 (or one pair seen twice)
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Mistle Thrush 3
Pied Wagtail 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2 flying over fields
Common Whitethroat - 1 seen, several heard
Willow Warbler - 3 seen, more heard
Sedge Warbler - at least 2 heard
Reed Bunting - several heard
Yellowhammer - 3 heard
Chiffchaff - 2 heard
Song thrush - 2 heard
Blackcap - 1f seen, others heard

Plus
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Robin
Wren
Chaffinch +++
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Pheasant (m)
Mallard
Canada geese (over moss)


In retrospect, not a bad morning though at the time I felt I wasn't seeing much! Struggling to get sightings though with all the thick greenery about. Nice to meet Ben Smart and rehearse that well known piece, "Waiting for Cuckoo" ! And if anyone comes across an 86mm lens cap, it's mine - it was its first outing!

Around Astley Moss and Rindle Wood 12.30 - 2.00
Of note.

Nuthatch
Buzzard
Kestrel 2
Lapwing
Pied Wagtail
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Willow Warbler 3
Chiffchaff
Sedge Warbler 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Tawny Owl calling in Rindle Wood

No sign of Cuckoo

From the photo it looks to be in active tail (and wing) moult so maybe the tail would have looked even more forked a week ago.

Nice photo Ben but I don't think it was that the fork was a lot more defined that was the only thing I really made out and the size but it was very low so I am not going to say definitely not thanks Ben.

Cuckoo present in the dead trees by the SSSI at about 9.30 this am. Calling across the moss for about 15 mins after this.
Also, re Phils's query from May 18, could this be the culprit? A large sparrowhawk with a damaged tail. Photo below.

Cuckoo singing from Astley Moss SSSI at 11:10am today.

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

Just a reminder too, but accessing the actual SSSI is by permit only for very good reason, so please view only from the footpath along its edge.

Kevin Forde wrote:

---

12:00 - 16:00

Spotted flycatcher
Goldfinch
Yellowhammer
Pied wagtail
Great spotted woodpecker
Blackbird
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Chafinch
Sand martin
Swallow
Swift
Buzzard
Lapwing
Hobby (over Botany Bay Wood)



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 23rd of May 2013 10:42:23 PM

---

Kevin, as this thread covers a rather huge area, could you be anymore specific to what (even general) location they were unless they relate to breeding birds of course. Even down to Astley Moss or Chat Moss etc.

12:00 - 16:00
Astley Moss and Rindle Road

Spotted flycatcher
Goldfinch
Yellowhammer
Pied wagtail
Great spotted woodpecker
Blackbird
Song thrush
Chiffchaff
Chaffinch
Sand martin
Swallow
Swift
Buzzard
Lapwing
Hobby (over Botany Bay Wood)



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 23rd of May 2013 10:45:47 PM

-- Edited by Kevin Forde on Thursday 23rd of May 2013 11:12:03 PM

Jon Bowen wrote:

---

Melanie Beckford wrote:

---

Cuckoo seen and heard on the edge of SSS1

---

Excellent - well done Mel, I know how much you wanted to see one

---

Only twice this year now Jon...very slim pickings at Astley for Cuckoo.
I see a fella ( don't know his name ) regularly at Astley....he was there on Monday and he still hasn't seen or heard it.

I've had a few trips to the Moss and usually park by the rail crossing and walk over it to Rindle Road but just where is the area classed as the SSSI anyone?

Paul Coupe wrote:

---

I've had a few trips to the Moss and usually park by the rail crossing and walk over it to Rindle Road but just where is the area classed as the SSSI anyone?

---

Take a look at the Rindle Road and Astley Moss site guides on the Manchester Birding Website.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 21st of May 2013 07:14:27 AM

Melanie Beckford wrote:

---

Cuckoo seen and heard on the edge of SSS1

---

Excellent - well done Mel, I know how much you wanted to see one

Cuckoo seen and heard on the edge of SSS1

Excellent views of a male Marsh Harrier over the SSSI between 7 & 7.30pm this evening.

Cheers Ian could be the answer like I said it was very low and all I really got was a silhouette and could make out the tail but no colour.

Not to be dismissed too quickly Phil, there are at least a few Buzzards in the area which have central tail feathers missing or damaged which give the impression of a forked tail. Only this year I watched two Buzzards in aerial combat with one ripping the others tail feathers out will its talons (seemingly a common target for birds in such combat). With bits of feathers filling the air one bird flew off with a big gap in its central tail!

Just a suggestion anyway

Just come off chat moss and as I was getting in my car parked at the top of cutnook in junction with twelve yards a bird of prey flying very low its was to big for a Sparrowhawk and it definitely had a forked tail did not get to see much as it flew from field 12 very low between field 13 an 11 towards field 65 would like to say a Kite but having seen lots of them in Wales it did not look big enough but it had the same lolloping flight any ideas folks.

A Hobby is perched in a Birch tree beside the SSSI at the moment

Originally posted by Ian Moffatt today:



CHAT MOSS, late afternoon

Cuckoo over Croxden Peat Pools, 5 minutes later flew back past me onto Croxden PNR.
Relocated the Cuckoo perched low on a dead stump looking for victims! great views.
Also single lingering female Wheatear and a pair of Oystercatchers.

Cheers
Ian

12.30-14.30
On the way in
Grey partridgex2 opposite Shooters farm
Full circuit of Rindle woods and Scrapes
Loads of Whitethroat
Blackcapx2
Cormorantx2 over
Sedge and Reed warbler
Willow warbler
Chiffchaff heard only
Great views of a single Buzzard on the scrapes
Usual Tits
Great spotted woodpecker
Pheasant
Reed bunting
On the way out
Song thrush
Jay
Pheasantx2
Pied wagtailx2

Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive



-- Edited by Jason Dulhanty on Friday 17th of May 2013 03:09:50 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 17th of May 2013 03:20:16 PM

Single Whimbrel feeding in a field south of Moss Lane this early afternoon, flew off east at 14:22.

Rindle road 7 till 8
Hobby over SSSI
Kestrel (m)
oystercatcher
Mallards in most fields
Pheasants in good number
Grey Partridgex2 field 67
usual corvids
swallowx2
Wrenx2
Pied wagtail
Small flock of Goldfinch
Cheers Jay
Dont twitch and drive


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 8th of May 2013 10:43:51 PM

16 Yellow Wagtails on Chat Moss this afternoon, many seemingly already paired off and included another very pale looking female.

18.30-20.50
Astley moss
Finally a Cuckoo calling about 5 minutes after I arrived then found in the trees near the scrapes. It flew off to Bedford moss and continued calling for most of the evening before ending up in Rindle woods.

Still 2 Wheatear in field 67 though getting harder to see as the grass is getting longer.
42 Black headed gulls in the potato fields
Red legged Partridge keeping close to a pair of Grey partridge along Moss lane

and not much else.

Cuckoo has been calling for the last few evenings at dusk,in the very left corner of rindle woods,bottom of the feed track.


John

17.30-21.05

Field 67
2 Wheatear
3 Grey partridge
6 Yellowhammers
3 Pied wagtails
7 Lapwings

Field 68
Wheatear
2 Skylarks
17 Lapwings
Buzzard
Kestrel
Yellowhammer

A good walk around Astley and Bedford moss turned up very little;
Blackcap
4 Whitethroat
4 Grey partridge
3 Reed buntings
Willow tit
Coal tit
Song thrush
Sparrowhawk
Plenty of Willow warblers

I have still not seen a Cuckoo or Hobby on the mosses this year.

Early afternoon, very quite

Nook road area
Buzzard 2
Chaffinch
Mistle thrush 2
Oystercatcher

Rindle road F67,
Pied Wagtail 2
Pheasant 2

Sorry for the late post... As l parked up at Astley (Thursday 2nd May) l could hear a Cuckoo calling, it was just before 6.45pm. It never called again and l walked up to the SSSl. As l got there a bird flew from the trees but l never got a good enough view to id it as a Cuckoo. I left and as l drove down Rindle Road a Cuckoo flew towards my car and over....towards the SSSI.

Had a good walk around the area today - no Cuckoo, probably sunning itself over at Windy Bank - strangely, no Wheatears either

However:

Same raptor count as last time - Sparrowhawk (1) seen near Astley Colliery area on opposite side of canal, another, probably the same individual over terraces of Astley Green on my way out.
Buzzard- 2 over SSSI
Kestrels - 2 in exactly the same spots as last time, surely the same birds
Oystercatcher - 2 were a bonus in the field past the roundabout where Viridor is
Grey Partridge (2 likely) flushed from the drainage ditches
Heron - same, a huge thing.
Coal Tit singing about the best the Passerines had to offer.

Cheers