Lunch today:
1 Cetti's warbler
2 garden warbler
1 blackcap
4 willow warbler
2 whitethroat
3 sedge warbler

2 reed bunting, a few swift, 2 greenfinch. Black headed gulls hawking for damselflies and four spotted chaser dragonflies.

A very rewarding lunch time walk: 7 species of warbler singing from the eastern side of the former landfill and the adjacent Moss:
1 Cetti's warbler
1 Reed warbler
2 Sedge warbler
2 Garden warbler
4 blackcap
4 willow warbler
1 Whitethroat

Also lapwing displaying where they've cleared all the trees, 2 raven over.

Sunny lunch walk yesterday - 1 kestrel, 2 raven, 2 displaying buzzard, 2 willow tit, 1 snipe, 2 bullfinch, 1 pair reed bunting

10-12.30 First time here. A large open moss on a chilly morning. Highlights were... 1 Curlew above, 1 flushed Common Snipe, 1 Common Buzzard, plenty of singing Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs.

Thanks for that info Jon.. Will check it out next week.

Hi Ernie,

since the developers have closed the woods off that runs down from Crown Lane easiest think to to do is to park at the Middlebrook (in the corner by what is now Home Bargains) and exit Middlebrook towards Futura Park. Access is then gained through a barrier and gate with stile. There is a circular walk around the moss and the woods on the tump is also worth a mooch. Good luck

Hi Jon.. Saw your posting on this site and I was wondering where is the best place to park my car. I saw this area from high above on George's Lane and started to find out where it is. Many thanks in advance.. Ernie.

10 Willow Warblers all in song
3 Chiffchaff likewise
2 pairs of Buzzards
will be interesting to see how much the development of the woodland that linked to Crown Lane impacts wildlife on the mosses

kingfisher, bullfinch pair and 2 willow tit at lunch today

Cuckoo heard calling and seen circa 9:30 Saturday morning. Two ravens also seen

50-100 Skylark in stubble field near horwich parkway station
150 Fieldfare
3 Buzzard
200+ Lapwing
100+ Redwing flew over as dusk

200+ Redwing in similar area to Monday
Peregrine also seen

Late post for yesterday

2,000+ Redwing In fields off De Havilland way in what was possibly a pre roost gathering

35 Whooper Swan flew SE at 16:10

An Osprey flew SE from here about 10:30am

This evening for an hour after work

Cream crown Marsh Harrier high north
6 Sand Martin north
230 Lesser Black-backed Gulls North
Peregrine
Raven
6 Buzzard
2 Little Grebe
35 Teal

Two willow tit, 50 redwing, big flock of siskin and goldfinch were the highlights.
Site is immediately next to one of our offices, so first time visit for me - decent site, but rife with Himalayan balsam on the former landfill.

A Great White Egret lifted off the moss this morning at 10:45 before circling and then heading off NW.

Info thanks to Ken Haydock and Jill Mills

55 Teal, 1 singing Grasshopper Warbler and 4 Willow Tit today.

2 Ravens cronking over the mosses yesterday afternoon on a very quiet bird walk good insect and autumn colours though

An hour and a half this morning whilst waiting for my car to be serviced. Walked up Mt Reebok then a circuit back around to the gate.
Mixed Flock inc 17 Redwing, 6 Blackbirds, 4 Chaffinch
Flock of 25 Goldfinch
1 Willow Tit in amongst flock of 9 Long-tailed Tits
Goldcrest
4 Mallard
4 Canada Geese
Kestrel
Buzzard
Plenty of Corvids
Plus Harrier sp very brief view dropping into the reed beds out on the Moss

Post from yesterday same walk from Gibbs Farm

Small numbers of thrushes including
single Redwing
3 Mistle Thrush
4 Blackbirds

Mixed Tit flocks mainly comprising Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits
6 Wrens
4 Robins
6 Stock Doves from trees near old pump house
Kestrel hunting beetles

20 Teal on Pump House
9 Mallard on Pump House
Plenty of Chaffinch

Walk down from Gibb Farm to Red Moss as part of Winter Thrush survey

Gibb Farm
4 Mistle Thrush
2 Buzzards
2 Starlings
2 Blackbirds
4 Stock Doves
Blue / Great / Tits

Pumping Station
3 Mute Swans
13 Teal
4 Coot
3 Moorhen
7 Mallard
1 Little Grebe

Woods down to the Mosses
2 Coal Tit
4 Long Tailed Tit
Treecreeper ( great views for about 1o minutes down to less than 10 ft)
2 Redwing flying over the mosses
70 + Lapwing flying beyond Mt Reebok

Late post from yesterday early evening.

This place completely changes when there's no warblers, reed buntings and swifts. Still good though.

1 Kingfisher
1 snipe

1 possible redwing

and one little brown job.

Had a wander round very early this morning.

As usual lots of
Crow
Magpie
Jay
Pigeon

2 Heron
10+ Teal
2 Canada goose
6 Mallard
4 Moorhen

3 Pheasant (male)
2 Pheasant (female)

I also saw one pure white pheasant, anybody else seen any on around the moss? I got some pictures of it.

Couple of hours this morning between 10.30 - 12.30 mainly looking for butterflies and dragonflies however birds of note were

2 Lapwing
2 Teal
2 Black-headed Gulls
1 Heron
all on the main pool

plenty of
Reed Bunting
Sedge Warbler

2 Chiffchaff
1 Willow Warbler
2 Jays
1 Whitehthroat

Steve Suttill wrote:

---

Well, I've been organising the Heronries Census for the last 10 years and nobody has ever reported nesting at Red Moss



Thanks

---

I've sent an email with the location.
I used to often see small groups of herons there but over the last year or two there have been none.

-- Edited by Karl Blundell on Friday 28th of June 2013 05:25:35 PM

Karl Blundell wrote:

---

I have a question if anybody can help.
I have noticed over the last year or two that the herons have abandoned their old heronry, they have done lots of coppicing in the area is this likely to be the cause?

I have no idea where they relocated to.

---

Well, I've been organising the Heronries Census for the last 10 years and nobody has ever reported nesting at Red Moss

Can you send me further details? By PM or e-mail: suttill.parkinson@virgin.net

Thanks

Had a quick walk through one of the fields this morning with the dog.

Lots of crows, magpies, gulls and pigeons.
2 Mallard
7 Lapwing
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Heron.

I have a question if anybody can help.
I have noticed over the last year or two that the herons have abandoned their old heronry, they have done lots of coppicing in the area is this likely to be the cause?

I have no idea where they relocated to.

1 Robin
7 Lapwing
1 Heron
2 Reed Bunting
3 Canada geese with young
1 Moorhen with young
3 Coots

Didn't see a single bird of prey today.

10 Crossbill flew low east over the old tip at 3:40 today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

an hour circuit of Mt Reebok whilst waiting for my car to be serviced
2 Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Teal
3 Canada Goose
1 Buzzard
1 Great Black-backed Gull
2 Stock Dove
5 Willow Warbler
4 Chiffchaff
strangely all the Willow Warblers were the moss side and all the Chiffchaff the stadium side
2 Grey Heron
6 Reed Bunting
2 Linnet

1 Wren
3 Heron
2 Teal
10+ Canada geese
1 Greylag (all white)
1 Buzzard
2 Blue tit
3 magpie
10+ Wood pigeon
2 Lapwing
5 Blackbird

2 buzzards riding the thermals 1630 today. also lots of lapwing displaying either side of M61 , east of junction 6.

1 Goldcrest
5 carrion crow
1 buzzard
5 magpies
1 long tailed tit
1 female pheasant
2 heron
6 Canada geese.

Male Sparrowhawk flying over the exit slip on M61 towards Mt Reebok @ 5.50 this evening

Lots of people doing work on the moss today.

1 heron
9 teal
6 mallard
3 wren
5 magpie
2 Black Headed Gulls
5 Blue Tits
5 Blackbirds
1 male pheasant
2 Canada geese (flying over)
7 Carrion crows
3 Moorhen

Another fairly quiet day but it did start off windy.

2 Wren
4 wood pigeon
2 herons
1 buzzard
1 sparrowhawk
10+ teal
4 mallard
1 yellow wagtail
5 carrion crow
4 magpies
1 blue tit

I got pictures of everything except the teal, I've still not managed of shot of the kingfishers and didn't see them at all today.

1.00 - 2.30

very quiet only birds seen were
2 Teal
2 Mallard
2 Black Headed Gulls
1 Great Black Backed Gull

and one other birder who had seen very little as well..

A hour and a half this morning in glorious winter sunshine

Mosses themselves were quiet but lots going on around Mt Reebok

Highlights
3 Greenfinch
Large mixed flock of finches and tits containing
35 Siskin
3 Redpoll
5 Long Tailed Tits
2 Blue Tits
4 Great Tits

other individual sightings
4 Wren
2 Siskin
1 Redpoll
1 Goldcrest
2 Song Thrush
3 Teal
2 Mallard

Had a trip round the moss this morning.

2 Herons
4 robins
4 blue tits
2 buzzards - one eating a deer leg
2 lapwings - in sheep field
4 magpies
2 wood pigeon
10+ teal

No sign of the king fishers for me which is what I've been trying to photograph, I often see a pair of them near the big slippy wooden bridge.

Great walk in arctic conditions 1300 - 1445, very quite as far as wildlife was concerned, with a blizzard sweeping the moss everything seemed to have hunkered down.
kingfisher- along stream south of m61.
1 reed bunting
2 moorhen
5 fieldfare
1 buzzard- sheltering in trees, before being disturbed by a magpie
3 robins
1 wren
no sightings of deer, but tracks everywhere and also for fox.

I've been lurking this great thread for a while so I thought it was about time to post.

Red Moss is one of my favourite places to take my camera however I'm affraid I'm not very good at identifying the birds. If I upload some pictures then would it be alright to post some here and if possible somebody identify some of them for me?
I have bought an RSPB pocket guide to British birds but I'm still confused with some of my images.

I couldn't believe it when I found this thread saying there were sparrowhawks on the moss, then when I got my RSPB book out it turns out lots of my buzzard pictures are infact sparrowhawks.

This afternoon: Good tramp round the south side. No sign of the Owl. Bird activity very thin, but plenty deer.
Grey Heron..1
Blackbirds..7
Robin..1
Starlings ..20
Jay..2
As I left, a Buzzard flew very low over to the Reebok Stadium Car Park. After an argument with with 3 Carrion
Crows feeding on the park tarmac (empty of cars), it perched on a low railing before flying back towards the SSSI.




-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 19th of January 2013 08:33:04 PM

Short-eared Owl hunting near Red Moss today, seen from the road by the Reebok Stadium at around 1.15 and probably over fields on the south side of the SSSI.

Info thanks to Andy Makin

9.00 - 11.15
Mixed flock of Great, Blue, Long Tailed Tits, with Wren, Chaffinch and Willow Warblers at entrance
Mixed flock of Great, Blue Tit with single Spotted Flycatcher and Chiffchaff
7 Snipe
2 Jay
50+ Woodpigeon (small groups)
2 Buzzards
2 Sparrowhawks
Goldcrest
Mallard
3 x LBB Gull
Black Headed Gull
7 Swallows
Meadow Pipits
Mallard
Reed Bunting

Couple of hours this morning before and during the showers
Sparrowhawk
7 Gadwall
2 Little Grebe
2 Jay
15 Swallow (4 groups) all heading south
6 Willow Warbler
6 Wren ( inc 3 juvs)
91 Woodpigeon ( 11 groups)
Mallard
2 Kestrel
lots of butterflies, dragonflies and 2 Deer

Quick hour this morning from 9.45
Fairly quiet however sightings include
Circa 30 Lapwings
8 - 10 flocks of woodpigeon
Reed Bunting
Whitethroat
5 House Martin
4 Swifts
Buzzard
Little Grebe with two chicks
Willow Warbler
Lesser Black Backed Gull