8.25am to 9.00am along the track from Stones Bank to Longworth Moor.

2 Pheasants
2 Lapwings
1 Snipe
1 Curlew
12 Black-headed Gulls on the ground with loads more passing over
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Woodpigeons
2 Skylarks
1 Meadow Pipit only, a sign of how strong the wind was today
30+ Carrion Crows
1 Goldfinch
2 Siskins
1 Reed Bunting

11.40am to 12.45pm.

Lower Whittaker :-
Pair of Grey Partridges, 1 Buzzard.

Between Longworth Moor & Stones Bank :-
Pair of Teal, 5 Mallards, 1 Moorhen, 3 Lapwings, 1 Snipe, 2 Curlews, 1 Wheatear, 2 Skylarks, 6 Meadow Pipits, 1 Swallow, 40+ Carrion Crows, 1 Reed Bunting.

13.00 to 13.50. Higher Whittaker - Stake Moss - Stones Bank.

1 Grey Heron
5 Mallards
1 Grey Partridge
7 Pheasants
1 Moorhen
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
2 Curlews
4 Woodpigeons
4 Skylarks
11 Meadow Pipits
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Dunnock
2 Magpies
30+ Carrion Crows
4 Chaffinches
1 Goldfinch
2 Siskins in the plantation near Higher Whittaker & 10+ in Stones Bank Plantation
3 Reed Buntings
1 Rabbit

10.15am to 11am

At least 6 Reed Buntings still around Higher Whittaker. Nothing flushed across Stake Moss, probably because a couple with a dog had just walked over the same path.

Stones Bank Fields and the three ponds :-
4 Mallards
1 Grey Partridge
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
1 Curlew
1 Woodpigeon
2 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Blackbird
3 Song Thrushes

9.15am to 9.55am. Stones Bank to Stake Moss and onto Longworth Road at Higher Whittaker.

Pair of Grey Partridges
3 Pheasants
5 Lapwings
3 Snipe
1 Curlew
4 Woodpigeons
2 Dunnocks
1 Magpie
16 Carrion Crows
Numerous Chaffinches
2 Siskins
Numerous Reed Buntings. One at the frozen ponds & at least 6 at Higher Whittaker, where they must be cutting/trimming the hedgerows right as they seem happy to stay here for the time being.

Surprised not to see any Skylarks or Meadow Pipits.

I started off at Stones Bank and worked my way across Longworth & Turton Moors, then walked down the Cadshaw Valley to Blackburn Road.
The sightings below are from the Stones Bank/three ponds area unless stated otherwise.

3 Teal
1 Buzzard at Owshaw Clough
2 Kestrels. 1 between Turton Moor & Blackburn Road & 1 at Cadshaw Valley
1 Pheasant at Owshaw Clough
5 Golden Plovers on Turton Moor, today's target birds. 3 together gave really good views, and the other 2 flew off towards Darwen Moor
9 Lapwings at Stones Bank and 22 near Blackburn Road
1 Snipe
1 Curlew. At last a returning bird.
2 Woodpigeons
Lots of Skylarks everywhere
1 Robin at Owshaw Clough
12 Song Thrushes. I saw 3 fly from one of the ponds into Stones Bank Plantation, and a short time later a dozen fly out heading towards Belmont
2 Mistle Thrushes
10 Fieldfares at Whewell's between Turton Moor and Blackburn Road
26 Carrion Crows
50+ Starlings
1 Chaffinch at Owshaw Clough
2 Goldfinches
1 Siskin
2 Linnets
3 Reed Buntings

Longworth Road on the way to Belmont and Stake Moss/Longworth Moor on the way back.

1 Buzzard
2 Grey Partridges flushed from the same place as last week
2 Pheasants
20+ Lapwings
5 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Wren
2 Dunnocks
3 Robins
A few Blue Tits & Great Tits
6 Magpies
27 Carrion Crows
10+ Starlings
4 Chaffinches
1 Goldfinch
1 Siskin
2 Linnets at Higher Whittaker
14 Reed Buntings. A dozen at Higher Whittaker + 2 near the cross roads

10am to 10.50am along the track from Stones Bank Road to Longworth Moor, and across Stake Moss to Belmont Reservoir.

2 Grey Partridges flushed from a few feet away on Stake Moss
26 Lapwings
1 Snipe
3 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
1 Dunnock
1 Fieldfare with 2 Mistle Thrushes
22 Carrion Crows
6 Chaffinches
4 Reed Buntings

At last, a moorland walk with some interesting birds. Still waiting for the Curlews to return, should not be long.

11.45am to 12.45pm.

Higher Whittaker Farm :-
3 Reed Buntings, 1 Greenfinch.

Farm to cross roads :-
1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Skylark.

Stones Bank Road :-
6 Lapwings

Delph Reservoir :-
Pair of Goosanders, 1 Buzzard, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Black-headed Gulls.

9am to 10.30am

Delph Reservoir :-
2 Mallards
4 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Treecreeper

Stones Bank Plantation :-
I watched a Raven perched in a tree on Stones Bank Road. It was soon joined by a second bird.

Ponds at Whittles :-
5 Mallards
2 Teal (first here since February, and my first returning winter ducks anywhere locally)
3 Woodpigeons
10 Meadow Pipits
1 Skylark
14 Crows

Higher Whittaker :-
1 Pheasant
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Skylark
2 Swallows
5 Carrion Crows
1 Chaffinch
3 Greenfinches

9.40am to 10.30am

Track from Stones Bank to Belmont Reservoir (Longworth Moor) :-
7 Mallards
4 Pheasants
3 Woodpigeons
4 Meadow Pipits
1 male Wheatear
2 Jays
1 Magpie
12 Carrion Crows

2 Rabbits
Green-veined Whites, Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Browns

Excellent view of Green Woodpecker near the top of Longworth Clough . First heard it calling in large tree. It then flew to nearby telegraph pole and stayed there for a good ten minutes allowing perfect views.

Its a reliable barn owl to watch, seems to have been there a couple of years now, tends to hunt early too!

Tues 16 November 2010 at 16.00

Barn Owl hunting over fields to N of Longworth Road (near to crossroads).

Also seen at same time on previous Wednesday.

Thank's for the info. Simon. It's a fair pull up Longworth Rd and one of these day's I'll come a cropper watching out for birds instead of watching the road!

Pete, thats one of my favourite routes out of Bolton, should be able to join you soon hopefully, the county boundary is just on the Egerton side of Delph Res and then goes accross the top of dunscar golf course to the junction of scout rd/belmont rd, virtually all of Longworth Road is in Lancs unfortunately.

I cycle up Longworth Rd from Egerton up to Belmont reservoir twice a week, and although I have seen short eared owl and a hen harrier in the past couple of years I had seen nothing of note for months. However today there were two peregrine near Delph Sailing Club and two buzzard near to Belmont reservoir.
Does anyone know where the county boundry lies in this area?

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 6th of January 2011 05:47:39 PM