9.30-10.30am Irlam Moss

1 Redshank calling overhead and seen heading east
1 Curlew - heard twice but not seen
8 Lapwing
1 Chiffchaff singing
2 LBB Gull
62 BH Gull
1 Grey Heron over
2 Goldcrest
1 Moorhen
9 Mallard
2 Jay
1 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark
2 Pied Wagtail

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 10th of April 2013 11:04:50 PM

18.00-20.30 Astley moss 120+ Redwings, 19 Fieldfare, 7 Pied wagtails, 5 Yellowhammers and 4 Mistle thrushes all in the fields behind Rindle woods as they were being ploughed by two tractors. 21 Teal and 3 Herons around the SSSI and the scrapes. 2 Grey partridge next to Rindle cottages.

Mixed thrush flock in field 69 this morning numbered c. 80 birds mainly redwing with a few fieldfare mxed in.
Along moss lane another mixed flock in fields at west end this time more fieldfare than redwing but similar number overall. Also here 22 yellowhammer and 16 reed bunting.

6.30 - 8.30am and 17.30 - 20.00

Not much about and bitterly cold in the wind.

2 Curlew were in the fields behind Rindle woods this morning before flying to field 68
Woodcock flushed from near the scrapes
Blackcap[m], Treecreeper and 26 Redwings in Rindle woods

This evening,

Tawny owl
43 Redwings, 3 Fieldfare and 19 Lapwings in f67
2 Curlew flew onto f68 from Chat moss
3 Woodcock on the edges of Croxdens peat works
Reed bunting
Kestrel
2 Grey partridge in f68

6.30 - 10.30am
Very quiet around all the mosses this morning,

Astley moss
Rindle woods
2 Bullfinch [f]
3 Treecreepers in view at the same time
Long tailed tit carrying nesting material
Song thrush
30+ Redwing
Sparrowhawk

At least 30 Lapwings in Fields 67+68
11 Teal on the scrapes
4 Lesser Redpoll in trees near Bedford moss
2 Buzzards over the SSSI

Chat moss
2 Grey partridge in field 59
and another 2 seen on field 4 on Irlam moss

4.00-5.00pm Irlam Moss

very quiet

16 Lapwing
11 Stock Dove
9 Mallard (including a drake and a white'farmyard' duck in f16)
1 Buzzard
6 Chaffinch
6 Long-tailed Tit
1 Jay

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Friday 29th of March 2013 10:14:00 PM

Astley moss this afternoon.

More Rats than birds on the feeding track but a couple of Willow tits came to the seed.

Rindle woods
60+ Redwings
Fieldfare
4 Tree sparrows
Treecreeper
2 Jays
Song thrush

Around the moss
Peregrine over the SSSI heading West
8 Buzzards [ 4,2,2]
Sparrowhawk
Grey Heron
2 Woodcock flushed near the scrapes
18 Teal
5 Mallard
Chiffchaff in the trees at the far corner of the fields behind Rindle woods close to the rail track.
2 Curlew heard together calling from Chat moss and another heard calling from the Moss lane area

Nice to meet Mike Haylett on my walkabout

Curlew calling in the Rindle Road area yesterday (Thursday). Most of the usuals at the feeding station plus two rats.

Sorry Ian, yes my report covers Astley Moss, the cicular walk from Rindle Cottages, passed the feeding track etc, as shown on your site guide.

John Williams wrote:

---

09.30-11.30

5 Yellowhammers with a large flock of Chaffinches on the feeding track, no sign of Bramblings.

5 Buzzards soaring over the moss, but apart from the odd crow and pigeon no other birds around.

All the ponds bordering the moss were frozen, so no sign of frogs or toads either.

A flock of 18 Redwings were flicking through the straw and stubble on the field between Rindle Hedge and the railway.

The field SE of the cottages/flats held a group of 24 Lapwings and a single Kestrel.

---

Don't forget to make your posts a little more site specific for this thread John as it covers all the eight or so mosslands in the immediate area. I think I'm right in saying yours relates to Astley Moss

A single Brambling in with Chaffinches on the feeding station track off Rindle Road, Astley Moss this afternoon.

09.30-11.30

5 Yellowhammers with a large flock of Chaffinches on the feeding track, no sign of Bramblings.

5 Buzzards soaring over the moss, but apart from the odd crow and pigeon no other birds around.

All the ponds bordering the moss were frozen, so no sign of frogs or toads either.

A flock of 18 Redwings were flicking through the straw and stubble on the field between Rindle Hedge and the railway.

The field SE of the cottages/flats held a group of 24 Lapwings and a single Kestrel.

8.30-12.30 this morning

Rindle feeding track
The birds were being disturbed by the work going on in field 69 but the usuals turned up including;
2 Willow tits
Coal tit
7 Tree sparrows
5 Yellowhammers

Field 67
38 Lapwings
100+ Starlings
2 Grey partridge
30+ Chaffinch

Field 68
2 Grey herons in the ditches
2 Kestrels
6 Lapwings
3 Skylarks singing away
20+ Long tailed tits following me up the path
Goldcrest

Croxdens
11 male Reed buntings all staking a claim to their own area.
2 Pied wagtails
3 Meadow pipits
2 Buzzards and a Raven over
18 Mallard on the ponds

Along 12 yards road.
5 Buzzards
Sparrowhawk
Raven
Little owl
20+ Siskins
2 Great spotted woodpeckers
Treecreeper
A mass of finches in trees beside field 10 included 250+ Chaffinch with at least 30 Brambling, 30 Yellowhammers with a small flock of 22 Lesser Redpoll nearby.
18 Long tailed tits
2 Song thrushes.

Its a shame about the amount of rubbish dumped along 12 Yards road.

12 yards Early afternoon
Kestrel f
Buzzardsx5
Lapwingsx50
Wood pigeonsxloads
Starlingx80
Mixed finch flockx100 mainly chaffinch picked out a few Brambling
Fieldfarex20
Song thrush
Dunnock
Robinx2
Yellowhammer
Grey partridgex2
Pheasantx2
Cormorant over
Great spotted woodpecker f another heard drumming
mallardsx3 on a makeshift pond
Usual corvids
Cheers Jay
Dont twitch and drive

Irlam Moss - 9.45-10.45am

Female Sparrowhawk chasing and almost caught a Magpie! - the magpie calling in absolute panic with the Sparrowhawk just inches behind it. The Magpie just managed to divert to a tree and the hawk gave up and flew off. I've seen a large female Sparrowhawk catch a Woodpigeon so I know a Magpie is within it's size range but I would have thought a Magpie would put up more of a fight. Obviously a Mapgie is also fair game as well!

Also:
2 Mute Swan
18 Mallard
1 Snipe
8 Reed Bunting
9 Redwing
3 Long-tailed Tit
2 Buzzard

10.30-11.30am Barton & Irlam Mosses

Large finch flock in trees along Twelve Yards Rd contained c.80 Linnet, c.100 Chaffinch, c20 Goldfinch and 2 male Brambling.
3 Grey Partridge
2 Buzzard
10 Redwing
2 Oystercatchers
8 Lapwing
3 Tree Sparrow
2 Yellowhammer
2 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark
Plus the usuals !

Rindle road area 12 till 1.30 ish
Pied wagtail on roof of Rindle cottages
Feeding station
Yellowhammer
Reed bunting
Dunnock
Blue and great tits
Rindle woods
Mixed flock of finches, mainly chaffinch and the odd Brambling 60+
Great spotted woodpecker
Jay
Robinx3
Sparrowhawk f
Buzzardx3
Moss bank farm pond
Mallardx2
Mistle thrush
Kestrel f
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive


-- Edited by Jason Dulhanty on Monday 18th of February 2013 02:13:47 PM

super today behind woodbarn farm this aft, over 100 fieldfares in the fields with smaller numbers of redwings and mistle thrushes and 2 grey partridge, in the surrounding area at least 4 buzzards around with 2 kestrel and 6 seperate sightings of Sparrowhawks, a few large flocks of chaffinch, a small flock of 7 long tailed tits carrying with them a single chiffchaff , so at least 1 has survived the winter,

Along moss lane this afternoon
2 Treecreeper at west end
4+ buzzard over sssi
C.60 lapwing in large stubble field at west end towards Bedford moss

In morleys hall area
11 tree sparrow
2 willow tit
Small number of redwings in horse paddocks

Feeding Station this morning

mainly chaffinch but also
2 Reed Bunting
2 Blue Tits
1 Yellowhammer
1 Cock Pheasant

In fields across from Feeding station
3 female pheasant
circa 80 Woodpigeon
a few Jackdaws and Crows

Two trains went pasted putting up a flock of approx 500 Woodpigeon on the other side of the track

-- Edited by Jon Bowen on Sunday 10th of February 2013 11:52:06 AM

Adult male Merlin low over Rindle road at 15.50 heading West. Also 2 male Brambling at the feeding track

I must have just missed you Jason, as I was just leaving as the 'Man with the Jag' arrived.

In addition to your sightings I also had:

Sparrowhawk by Rindle Farm
Kestrel in field facing the cottages
Only 4 Buzzards over, so probably 4 different ones
Flock of 35+ Redwing in Rindle Wood (probably the ones you saw)
No Goldfinches but several Greenfinches and Dunnocks at the feeding station
A Robin and 2 Blackbirds also there but no Treesparrows :(
Quite a few Corvids over

Both the 'Man with the Jag' and I put some food down.

Rindle cottages 12.45-14.15 ish
7 Buzzards towards Botany Bay
Feeders
Man in a Jag
collared dove x 7
v tits including 3 willows
Good no's of Chaffinch and Goldfinch
Jay
Yellowhammerx2
40+ flock of Thrushes near SSSI(couldn't I'd)
Lots of gunshots heard
Cheers Jay
Don't twitch and drive

Back on the mosses after a long medical timeout.
10am to 12pm. Dull and a few showers

Raspberry lane (between f2 &f4)
A decent flock of c40 fieldfare, c20 redwing, 2 mistle thrush in trees alongside track.

f9 and f10
Another decent flock of c60 fieldfare and c20 redwing.
C40 chaffinch, 6 brambling, 30 linnets, robins, blue and great tits too mobile to count in the hedgerows, c30 starlings.
corvids quite scarce in an area where they are usually quite common

12 yards road.
A large flock of mixed finches, chaffinch,1 brambling for certain (may be more) & Greenfinch, c200 birds in the trees on both sides of the track made a good amount of noise with their chattering. This stopped when a sparrowhawk flew over but very few birds flew away, unlike the few hundred feral pigeons that went up immediately from f10 as it passedover there.
Abuzzard flew up from f4 and another was heard calling overhead.

A kestrel was in a tree on cutnook lane and a songthrush on the estate side of the motorway.

A great couple of hours and so glad to be back.

Mike

Rindle farm house garden

4 greenfinch
10 long tailed tit
15 blue tit
3 great tit
2 tree sparrow
1 song thrush
6 blackbirds
1 robin
1 wren
3 bullfinch
2 great spotted woodpecker
2 treecreeper
2 pheasant
1 mistle thrush

John

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 29th of January 2013 10:39:14 PM

Barton Moss, opposite the Aerodrome mid afternoon.

Huge flocks of finches feeding on the cereal stubble in FN98.
The 1st flock contained a very flighty flock of ~320 Linnets.
The 2nd comprised of ~ 260 Chaffinches and a impressive 72 Brambling (personal mosslands record count)
the Bramblings always flocked together in the trees next to the airfield when spooked from the ground.
Also on the Mosslands.
4 pairs of Partridges flushed, locations withheld due to the intrusive falconer with Peregrine in hand who roams
the mosslands from Lowton to Irlam (including Croxden PNR) looking for prey.

Cheers Ian

This afternoon,

Brambling [m] at the feeding track with 20 Chaffinch
3 Greenfinch
2 Willow tits
Fieldfare
2 Mistle thrushes

Large mixed tit flock of at least 30 birds including 5 Willow tits between Bedford moss and the SSSI.

14 Wrens seen all over the mosses, busy trying to find something to eat.
Also seen,
3 Fieldfare
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrels
Grey heron
4 Teal
Kingfisher seen flying over the fields to the fishing pond.

and a dancing Stoat, see the Wildlife section.

There was a good selection of birds down at the feeding station today, especially as I and later Eddie King put some food down:

1 Brambling
7 Tree Sparrows
5 Yellowhammers
4 Willow Tits
1 Reed Bunting
5 Fieldfare
1 Greenfinch
1 Jay
1 Dunnock
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Robins
2 Blackbirds
2 Pheasants
6 Collared Doves
1 Great Tit
Lots of Chaffinch
A few Blue Tits

In the Rindle Road Area:

3 Kestrels in different locations
A small flock of Long-tailed Tits
Hundreds of Woodpigeons
A few Corvids, mainly Carrion Crows

Brian Fogg also reported a Peregrine Falcon - nice to meet you Brain (and Eddie).

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Wednesday 16th of January 2013 05:15:05 PM

Barton Moss 3.30-4.45pm

f9 & 10 - main highlights:
1 Brambling in flock of 50+ Chaffinch
8 Fieldfare
12 Redwing
4 Grey Partridge
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
200+ corvids flying to roost - mainly Jackdaws
1 Snipe over
Flock of 250+ Starling
2 Stock Dove

14.15-16.30 this afternoon.

Rindle feeding track
2 Willow tits
4 Yellowhammers
+ the usuals with a large Brown rat

Croxdens
Snipe
4 Grey partridge
13 Reed buntings
2 Meadow pipits
Kestrel
7 Redwing over
Tawny owl heard near the railtrack on the walk back

At least 500 Jackdaws flew up from Astley moss and headed East just before dark
Nice to meet the other Birders about today.

Irlam Moss and Croxden - Late afternoon mooch 3.30-4.30pm paid off:

2 Short-eared Owls giving a great show over Croxden. 1 bird flying fairly high and being continually mobbed by 5 Jackdaws. This bird drifted off west. 2nd bird quartering fields east of Croxden onto Barton Moss.

2 Woodcock together flew low over Twelve Yards Rd and seemed to land in f16.

1 Brambling with c.15 Chaffinch in Dixons Wood.

Croxden:-
c.40 Fieldfare west over
6 Meadow Pipit
2 Reed Bunting
No Snipe

3 Grey Partridge heard calling in the fading light but not seen.

8.45-11.15am
Astley moss

Best view of a Jack Snipe this morning since I held one in my hand over 35 years ago. It was crouched at the edge of some vegetation on a very small raised peat island surrounded by water. I got within 6' of the bird before I saw it and watched it for 10 minutes before I moved away without flushing it.

The rest of the moss was very quiet,
Birds seen,
Buzzard
2 Kestrels
Sparrowhawk
6 Jays
Grey Heron
Common snipe
3 Teal
20 Redwing
5 Fieldfare

1000s of Woodpigeons in all the fields

On the feeding track,
60+Chaffinch
9 Yellowhammer
7 Tree sparrows
Mistle thrush
3 Robins
Willow tit
Coal tit

Also seen the back ends of 3 Roe Deer disappearing into the trees

-- Edited by Dave Thacker on Thursday 27th of December 2012 08:59:20 PM

Whilst the sun made a rare appearance around midday, I made a quick dash out to Rindle Road via Moss Lane to escape Christmas daytime TV, but there was very little about. I did see:

A Kestrel on a telegraph pole near Viridor Tip and another flying low and parallel to me as I drove down Moss Lane - a great sight.
Some pigeons (of the clay type) were being shot in the fields near the bottom of Moss Lane, so I scarpered quickly.
A third Kestrel on the wires near Rindle Cottages - three different birds in total.

Nothing at all on feeding track at first, then a Jay and Mistle Thrush appeared, followed by a Blackbird and some Chaffinches. Then Eddie King came down with some feed and we had a good chat. Even with feed down there still were a few birds around - a single Willow Tit eventually appeared, then a Greenfinch, some Collared Doves, some more Chaffinches, a Coal Tit and a Blue Tit, but no Yellowhammers , Tree Sparrows or Brambling. Some Jackdaws and Crows flew over too.

Whilst Eddie and I were chatting, a huge flock of 500-800 Woodpigeons gathered over the trees along the railway track. They landed in a field for a while and then took off again, splitting into different groups. Quite a sight, almost rivalling Starlings at times.

At least four Tawny owls calling around Rindle road and Moss lane this evening.

12 til 2ish
12 yards
Manor farm area
Pheasantsx3
Sparrowhawk f
Fieldfarex40
Starlingx80
Small flock of long tailed tits
Mixed finch flockx15
Buzzardx3
Jayx1
Robinx3
Grey partridgex11 v noisy
Kestrelx2 m and f
Cheers Jay

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 18th of December 2012 05:11:07 PM

Rindle Road feeding station

Brambling (male)
2 Tree Sparrow
4 Willow Tit

Plus all the usuals

11.00am-12.00pm
Twelve Yards Rd area

Rather quiet. Only things of note:
Flock of c.60 Fieldfare with 15 Lapwing in f16 sheep paddocks.
1 Jay
1 Kestrel

Also Grey Wagtail just off the moss on Parkstone Rd, Irlam

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Monday 17th of December 2012 12:03:37 PM

All access routes open Mike

As far as I am aware it is open Mike

Just a query please concerning access to the Mosses south of the railway line.

Is it still possible to access by car the Olive Mount Farm area (and southwards from there) when approaching from the Rindle Rd. side, please?
Is the level crossing open to traffic, as I seem to recall it was closed for some part at least of last year?

Regards,
Mike P.

Thanks Ian - sounds convincing for a Snipe then. Still a "site first" for me so I'm happy with that. I guess any self respecting woodcock were well hunkered down and conserving their energy!

Paul Richardson wrote:

---

1 wader EITHER a Snipe or a Woodcock flushed from the drainage ditch on the right of the public footpath past Rindle Cottages to the Railway Crossing and Croxdens.
I followed this bird with bins for a long way circling round in flight. As I have never identified either bird in flight before, it's hard to say which it was. It had a long bill! If it was a Woodcock, that would be a lifer for me!! It did fly up when I was about 5 yards from it - which I believe is Woodcock behaviour.

---

It's also Snipe behaviour too Paul, which is what your bird sounds like to me. You often get Snipe around the drainage ditches especially in harsh weather and Woodcock rarely 'circle around in flight', though Snipe habitually do. Woodcock also still surprise me at how big they look whenever I flush one!

Wed Dec 12: 12 noon to 14.30

Feeding station:

Numerous chaffinch, few blue and great tits
2 tree sparrow
1 female yellowhammer
2 Jays
1 Fieldfare in tree above
3-4 Redwing in trees by the wood.
Several blackbirds feeding.
1 Sparrowhawk dived through and scattered everything.

Rindle Wood
Large flock of Long Tailed Tits - about 20

Also

3 Kestrel at various locations
Carrion Crows much in evidence
30 or so woodpigeon in the trees over the far side of the moss.

Also

1 wader EITHER a Snipe or a Woodcock flushed from the drainage ditch on the right of the public footpath past Rindle Cottages to the Railway Crossing and Croxdens.
I followed this bird with bins for a long way circling round in flight. As I have never identified either bird in flight before, it's hard to say which it was. It had a long bill! If it was a Woodcock, that would be a lifer for me!! It did fly up when I was about 5 yards from it - which I believe is Woodcock behaviour.

My first foray across the railway to Croxdens produced one wren!
It was a very nice wren!

Freezing cold day with every tree, bush and grass blade covered in a thick layer of rime frost. Very spectacular but not very birdy!!

tues 11th Dec 12.30- 14.30ish
Up and down 12 yards in the car
robinx5
Blue titsx2
Single goldfinch
wood pigeons x loads
Wrenx2
Chaffinches x loads
Buzzardsx3
Mistle thrushesx3
Pheasantsx6
Jayx5
Small flock of LT tits
Kestrelx2
Starling flock 30 plus
Loads of carrion crow
Cheers Jay

Rindle feeding track 12 - 13.30

2 male Brambling
4 Willow tits
Jay
1 Yellowhammer
2 female Bullfinch
7 Greenfinch
9 Tree sparrows
+ the ususal

Cormorant
Pied wagtail
Grey heron
all flew over

Plenty of Fieldfare and Redwings in the grass field between the woods and the road.

Nice to meet Martyn Jones again.

11.45am-1.15pm Irlam and Barton Moss

f52
Female Merlin sat on a mole hill in the middle of the field

f9
Large mixed finch flock feeding in stubble and regularly flying up into the trees next to Manor Farm. Difficult to count as the whole flock disappears in the long stubble but I estimated c.100+ Chaffinch, c.130 Linnet, c.30 Goldfinch, c.30 Greenfinch, plus a few Tree Sparrows and Redwing. Also picked out at least 5 Brambling.
Also:
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Jay
1 GS Woodpecker
1 Reed Bunting
1 Yellowhammer
flock of c.10 Blackbirds

f2
covey of 8 Grey Partridge
c.30 Fieldfare
c.10 Redwing
c.50 Starling
1 Buzzard

f16
1 Lapwing in sheep paddocks

Twelve Yards Rd:
2 separate flocks of LT Tits - 1 flock of 10 included 1-2 Willow Tits and 3 Blue Tits. Also a flock of 6
1 GS Woodpecker - could have been the same bird seen over f9
Another small flock of c.20 Chaffinch

Thought about doing Croxden but didn't think there'd be much about due to everything being frozen!!

This afternoon,

Croxdens
As well as the Short eared owl which flew North over the peat cuttings and dropped into the grass just before the trees in front of the rail track. I also saw on the peat works,
Snipe
Woodcock
20+ Reed buntings
2 Yellowhammers
3 Linnets
2 Buzzards.

Astley moss
Only 2 Yellowhammers turned up to the seed that I put down as well as
5 Tree sparrows
Moorhen
5 Greenfinch
3 Fieldfare
Willow tit

I flushed another Woodcock near the SSSI
8 Long tailed tits with 2 Willow tits in Rindle woods
Great spotted woodpecker
Tawny owl
3 Wrens

Green sandpiper flew out from the ditch beside f68 and dropped into the middle of the field giving good views
100+ Fieldfare and 30+ Redwing in f68 and f67
400 + Jackdaws heading East after flying up from the Moss lane area

1000's of Wood pigeons heading to roost.

I have just flushed a Short eared owl on Croxdens peatworks.

Popped out to Rindle Road just before it went dark tonight. Highlights were four Willow Tits - one by the feeder and three more in the silver birch trees along Rindle Hedge. I also saw plenty of Fieldfares, only one Redwing, a few Jackdaws, a single Greenfinch, several Chaffinches and Tits and about 200 - 300 or so Starlings sitting on the wires near Rindle Cottages, before going down to roost.

12.15-1.15pm Barton Moss f7,8, 9 and 10 and surrounding area

At least 8 Brambling in a mixed flock of mainly Chaffinch, Greenfinch a few Linnet, 2 Goldfinch and c.20 Tree Sparrow in trees around Birch Farm.
c.20 each of Redwing and Fieldfare
2 Reed Bunting
2 Willow Tit feeding with a party of c10 LT Tits
3 Skylarks
1-2 Buzzard
c.1500 Woodpigeon
small skittish flock of c10 Blackbirds (presumably continental birds)
1 Jay
1 Bullfinch - heard only