Approx 140 Goldfinch feeding this morning among Thistle in fields on north side of Shay Lane, briefly marauded by a female Sparrowhawk. Other birds recorded along public footpaths there included 17 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Goldcrest, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker

Possible male Pied Flycatcher along the footpath from Rossmill Lane to Barrow Lane this afternoon.

Info via Phil Kelly

22/05/2013 - 1 Herring Gull flew over this afternoon

09/04/2013 - 8-9am - still feeling more like winter than spring and it was reflected in the birds too with a complete absence of migrants:

2 Stock Doves
c160 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
c50 Starlings

31/03/2013 - 1 Raven over heading E at 3.40pm.

30/03/2013 - 6.30-8.30am:

1 Chiffchaff - first of spring here, only half-heartedly singing though
4 Stock Doves
c20 Meadow Pipits
2 Skylarks
1 Fieldfare
c40 Redwings

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 30th of March 2013 08:55:25 AM

29/03/2013 - No sign of the Stonechat but an Oystercatcher flew over this morning. No summer migrants back yet and only a trickle of Mipits, heading south!

25/03/2013 - 1 female Stonechat in the Newall Green fields at 6am. Quiet elsewise in the wind.

24/03/2013 - 3pm with Mike Duckham:

2 Canada Geese
2 Teals
3 Moorhens
10 Golden Plovers - only my second site record
3 Common Snipes
1 Stock Dove
c30 Meadow Pipits - forced down by the horrible weather

20/03/2013 - 4 Stock Doves around today including 2 in the garden for a while. Loads of Redwings (150+) in song this afternoon mixed in with Siskins and Goldfinches. The only other birds of interest were both male and female Reed Buntings back in their small reedmace-filled marl pit.

19/03/2013 - A relitively good showing from waterbirds locally with 1 Moorhen, 4 Teals, 4 Mallards, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Cormorant seen. Overhead, a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits kept up the interest despite the lack of summer migrants yet.

No further murmurs from the probable Lesser Spotted Woodpecker despite much listening and looking.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 19th of March 2013 09:09:29 PM

18/03/2013 - 1 probable Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming this morning along the top end of Shay Lane. Couldn't locate it but it sounded good.

13/03/2013 - 9-10am: Teal numbers have risen to a high of 8 today. Also 1 Brambling doing a kind of subsong in the sheep fields.

11/03/2013 - 5 Lapwings had returned to their breeding site this morning although the frozen ground meant they couldn't feed, let alone think about breeding just yet!

07/03/2013 - Return migration of winter finches seemingly underway with a noticeable rise in the garden today:

8 Goldfinches
30+ Siskins
7 Lesser Redpolls

Out in the sheep fields there were c140 Starlings.

01/03/2013 - 6 Teals and 4 Mallards were fresh in this morning. The former just passing through but the latter will hopefully stick around and make the most of the myriad of marl pits for breeding in. Also 2 Common Snipe.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Friday 1st of March 2013 04:32:27 PM

21/02/2013 - 204 Redwings feeding in a single field, the highest count this winter.
The return of cold weather hasn't stopped the feeling of spring in the air with the first Treecreepers of the year singing from a clump of conifers with Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker all chirping in.

20/05/2013 - 3 Canada Geese arrived today and were disputing territories, a sure sign of spring on it's way.
Also 1 Brambling amongst finch and winter thrush flock in the fields off Buttery House Lane.

15/02/2013 - Plenty of signs of spring in the air this morning. Most resident species now singing plus Collared Doves, Woodpigeons, Blue Tits, Mistle Thrushes, Starlings and Magpies nest building. Also about were:

1 Common Gull
1 Stock Dove
1 Raven
33 Redwings

09/02/2013 - c180 Greenfinches gathering prior to roosting this afternoon.

08/02/2013 - 1 Stock Dove in the garden. Quiet locally of late.

31/01/2013 - Raven flew over mid-afternoon. All's quiet in the fields otherwise.

26/01/2013 continued -

1 Meadow Pipit - rare in winter here
c110 Fieldfares - record winter-time flock, struggling to find open patches of grass
c80 Redwings

26/01/2013 - Big Garden Birdwatch count - 9.30-10.30am, in order seen:

5 Robins
1 Song Thrush
13 Fieldfare - briefly alighted in tree, cold weather movement, usually scarce here
4 Blackbirds
12 Blue Tits
4 Coal Tits
7 Great Tits
4 Dunnocks
2 Woodpigeons
2 Carrion Crows
1 Stock Dove
2 Jays
2 Magpies
2 Goldfinch
3 Bullfinches
2 Nuthatches
1 Siskin
3 Long-tailed Tits

Flyovers included:
2 Buzzards
1 Lapwing - more cold weather movement
4 Black-headed Gulls
4 Woodpigeons
2 Rooks

25/01/2013 - Quite suprised to see a Common Snipe in the fields today given the frozen ground and snow, must be struggling in this weather. Really quiet otherwise, one of the quietest walks i've ever had with just a few Redwings and no other passerines!

22/01/2013 - A cold weather movement of c20 Lapwings flew west at 1.45pm.

19/01/2013 - The last few cold days has brought more Magpies into the roost with a record 151 tonight, again this is a minimum as I couldn't see all angles of approach.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 19th of January 2013 04:58:27 PM

15/01/2013 - 3.00-4.50pm, roost count:

23 Waxwings - flew from Newall Green towards Hale Barns at 4pm.
118 Magpies - into the roost, likely an underestimate
6 Carrion Crows
1 Jay
14 Redwings
4 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush
9 Bullfinches

12/01/2013 - 7.30am-4.30pm: A productive day with many thanks to Jason Atkinson who conducted a ringing session in the garden. Ringing totals:

31 Blue Tits - just 2 recaptures of birds rung earlier in the day
15 Great Tits
8 Long-tailed Tits - plus 2 recaptures
5 Coal Tits
6 Robins - plus 1 recapture
1 Dunnock
2 Treecreepers
1 Goldcrest - male
2 Lesser Redpolls - males

Other species recorded:

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
7 Common Gulls
c40 Black-headed Gulls
1 Green Woodpecker - heard
2 Fieldfares
16 Redwings - 5 flew from roost at dawn
1 Raven - over
c30 Magpies - heading towards roost at dusk
1 Pied Wagtail - over
c20 Goldfinches
11 Greenfinches
c30 Lesser Redpolls
c30 Siskins
3 Bullfinches
1 Linnet - over, garden tick

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 12th of January 2013 09:29:39 PM

11/01/2013 - A garden birdwatch revealed 27 species this morning, best of which was a male Blackcap briefly.

Derek Pates wrote:

---

shay lane/brooks drive - this afternoon 1 robin, lots of tits, 1 jay, 1 blackbird (saw a tiny brown bird unsure which type similar size to a wren)

---

Sorry I can't help myself? But, if its a tiny brown bird and similar size to a Wren then its probably a Wren.

Cheers
Jason

09/01/2013 - Goldcrest in song was an addition to the many species heard singing already this year. Good numbers of finches around also:

1 Canada Goose
2 Mallards
c50 Redwings
2 Ravens - perched on pines in Piggy Wood
13 Lesser Redpolls
32 Siskins
18 Goldfinches
c30 Greenfinches


-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 9th of January 2013 05:52:07 PM

shay lane/brooks drive - this afternoon 1 robin, lots of tits, 1 jay, 1 blackbird (saw a tiny brown bird unsure which type similar size to a wren)

haha thanks jason definatly was'nt a wren.

-- Edited by Derek Pates on Wednesday 9th of January 2013 04:18:21 PM

07/01/2013 - 1 Raven in the sheep fields north of Shay Lane again today.

06/01/2013 - 2 Ravens perched on pylons this morning. The cronking could be heard over a 1km away across the other side of the fields. Also a flight of 7 Herring Gulls over, heading towards the Rostherne Roost at 4pm.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Sunday 6th of January 2013 04:11:14 PM

05/01/2013 - A wonderful spring feel to the morning with a glimmer of sun and full of bird song. My first singing Blackbird and Coal Tit of the year heard amongst the other species reported back on 31/12/12.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 5th of January 2013 04:47:35 PM

31/12/2012 - Green Woodpecker still present

plus an increase in singing birds including:

2 Mistle Thrushes
3 Song Thrushes
1 Great Tit
3 Robins - have been singing all winter but their song is changing, becoming more varied and powerful
2 Nuthatches

27/12/2012 - a good day for the local area:

3 Ring-necked Parakeets - flew east at 11.20am, first record for the area
1 Green Woodpecker - female still present 200m along Buttery House Lane
c140 Redwings - highest count this winter
2 Ravens - nice to see as not been around for a fair while, flew into Scot's Pines in Piggy Wood

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Thursday 27th of December 2012 03:59:22 PM

23/12/2012 - 8-10am, better weather for a change, plus some decent flocks around and about:

c60 Pink-footed Geese - flew SE then switched NE over Timperley
c220 Black-headed Gulls
2 Stock Doves - been elusive this winter
c90 Starlings
c40 Redwings
c30 Goldfinches
1 Linnet - flew over

19/12/2012 - A local record of 32 Siskins in the garden this morning. No Redpolls in the yet this winter.

18/12/2012 - Green Woodpecker still present in the fields off Buttery House Lane, favouring the few tall willows and surrounding grass.

11/12/2012 - The Green Woodpecker is still present in the sheep fields north of Shay Lane. It looks to be a female. Also 6 Siskins still in Alders along Shay Lane. V.quiet otherwise, even the Redwings have departed in the freezing weather.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 11th of December 2012 11:31:32 AM

05/12/2012 - 8.30am-12pm:

c30 Pink-footed Geese - flew south at 9am
1 Grey Heron
1 Woodcock - first of the winter
1 Green Woodpecker
7 Siskins
1 Linnet

30/11/2012 - A couple of walks today in the thick freezing fog:

2+ Pink-footed Geese - again heard only, more than two, maybe more than 100, couldn't quite tell in the fog!
1 Grey Heron
2 Black-headed Gulls
2 Grey Wagtails
30+ Blackbirds
c20 Redwings
1 Reed Bunting
4 Siskins

28/11/2012 - 11am-12pm - influx of winter visitors today with the arrival of cold weather:

2+ Pink-footed Geese - heard only, could have been many, many more
20+ Blackbirds
5 Song Thrushes
13 Redwings
6 Pied Wagtails
2 Common Snipes
1 Stock Dove
c40 Greenfinches and Goldfinches - roving flock

12/11/12 - 22 Waxwings flew south over Shay Lane heading towards Hale Barns village at 3.45pm. Some berry-bearing trees over there I will check out tomorrow.

Also about this afternoon were:

50+ Redwings - flew south
4 Pied Wagtails
1 Raven
c30 Greenfinches
c20 Goldfinches

No sign of the recent Green Woodpecker or Chiffchaff.

10/11/2012 - 1 Chiffchaff calling from hedge in large marl pit field this morning. This is the latest ever here.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 10th of November 2012 12:53:46 PM

06/11/2012 - 1 Green Woodpecker this morning along Shay Lane.

05/11/2012 - 1 male Brambling with Chaffinches and Greenfinches in the pre-roost gathering off Buttery House Lane this evening.