03/08/2007 - Early morning walk from Buttery House Lane off Shay Lane, revealed one of the Lesser Whitethroat Juvs, which showed really well and called. Nice to see they've done well. Other birds of note included 2+ Stock Dove, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Kestrel, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Bullfinch, 6 Swallow, 1 Moorhen and a gorgeous sunrise.

19/07/07 - Activity had picked up today and an interesting new bird for the patch was a Spotted Flycatcher possibly still on its way north. It was in trees as you walk through Buttery House Lane through to the grassy path and over two styles. In the same patch, the Lesser Whitethroats have fledged young (2+) in the same area as the Spot.Fly. 2 Stock Doves were also very gregarious perched on power lines all morning.

11/07/2007 - The cuckoo had moved on this evening in the fields north of Shay Lane but the breeding pair of Stock Doves showed well on power lines calling away in the sunshine. Other birds of note included a singing Linnet, Lesser Whitethroat, Song Thrush although all were elusive in the wind blown bushes, with 8 Long-tailed Tits, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff showing well. Hirundines were still strong in number with an increase of House Martins (c30) joining the already large Swift and Swallow gatherings. 2 families of Bullfinches were present, it was nice to hear a male performing its whole song instead of the cheeeep I normally get. They have also been on the feeders in the garden nearby, upto 11 at a time!
Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Buzzard along Shay Lane.
Not a bad evenings walk but I must get out early morning, perhaps tomoz...

-- Edited by henerz1 at 19:47, 2007-07-11

09/07/2007 - A walk this afternoon from Butteryhouse Lane revealed a Cuckoo (male), near SJ800866, first i've seen in the area and a Manc tick for me! It perched on a bare branch briefly before flying off and out of view. Otherwise it was business as usual with 50+ stealthly Swifts hunting over the farmland, with 20+ Swallows and 2 House Martins. A Song Thrush competed with 2 Blackbirds, 2 Chiffchaff and a Blackcap for supremecy in the airwaves. A Grey Heron was by one of the small depressions and 2 Buzzards thermalled over the fields.

How come the best birds always turn up when I leave the camera at home ey?!

Many insects on the wing this avo with the small let-up in the weather including Comma, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Large White and a stunning Large Emperor Dragonfly.

This was my first real chance of getting out after returning from uni in amongst constant rain showers over the past week! Highlight was 2 singing Lesser Whitethroats (+ 1 seen briefly, an adult). No evidence of breeding but their prescence is looking good for a bit of reproduction. Also seen were 4 Cormorant (flying north-west from Rostherne Mere), 1 Grey Heron, 1 Moorhen, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 100+Swift, 50+Swallow, 1 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Stock Dove (juv, adults very secretive atm), 1 Pheasant, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nutchatch, 2 House Sparrow, 5 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Chaffich etc etc

Warblers a little quieter now, compared to easter anyway but plenty of youngsters around and tonnes of hirundines, most obviously filling up before return migration already!

-- Edited by henerz1 at 10:33, 2007-07-04