- Peregrine over M60 literally 500yds before Simister Island flying east at speed but wasnt in pursuit of anything, that I could see anyway.
Rob Creek said
Fri Dec 3 2:39 PM, 2021
Large Peregrine circling low over Simister Island / M60 area around 9.30am today
Simon Johnson said
Sun Feb 5 7:56 PM, 2017
Little Egret flew SW 317 Pink-footed Geese NW in 4 skeins 2 Buzzards Peregrine 4 Stock Dove 130 Fieldfare 210 Redwing 13 Greenfinch 32 Goldfinch
Simon Johnson said
Sat Jan 14 6:48 PM, 2017
15 Golden Plover had a fly around before heading east
Simon Johnson said
Sat Mar 5 12:36 PM, 2016
18 Whooper Swans high NW at 8.20 am
Simon Johnson said
Fri Jul 24 9:58 PM, 2015
2 Little egret flew NW this evening
gillian notheis said
Sat Feb 21 3:29 PM, 2015
today at 3pm roughly 40 rooks congregated on the motorway street lights just east of Simister island.
Ian Boote said
Sun Oct 19 1:55 PM, 2014
Unsworth Moss, Rhodes, Simister- 100 Pink footed geese flying SE, lots of long tailed tits, goldfinches, pied wagtail, kestrel , starlings, House Sparrow and a number of Redwing.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 19th of October 2014 03:57:01 PM
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Sunday 19th of October 2014 10:04:26 PM
Colin Ramsden said
Tue Mar 4 4:21 PM, 2014
Large bare (maize) field adjacent Simon Lane / M62: c 200 Lapwings and a few others scattered around the sheep grazings. c 10 Pied Wagtails with Grey Wagtail x 1 Curlew x 2 high overhead going north east.
Buzzard x 2 closeby, plucking prey later near Simister. Wood Pigeon c 100 in total.
Bill Myerscough said
Fri Nov 15 2:42 AM, 2013
14th November.
A walk along Simon Lane at Bowlee towards Unsworth Moss late afternoon to check over the maize stubble fields. Large numbers of mixed corvids in the very wet stubble fields near the motorway bridge. There are still two large fields of as yet unharvested maize just on the northern side of the M62 at Unsworth Moss which I hoped might possibly have been an attraction for a Starling roost but not had arrived by the time I left.
There was a small flock of 12 - 15 sparrows, incredibly difficult to see despite a considerable wait, in the clipped hawthorn hedge and the adjacent stubble field just a short distance south-east of Sandfield Farm on Simon Lane. All the vocalisations I heard were of Tree Sparrow and not of House Sparrow and the only three birds seen very briefly together were all Tree Sparrows. If all indeed should be Tree Sparrows, then this would be a very good flock count for this area.
Cheers,
Bill.
John Doherty said
Tue Aug 27 8:59 PM, 2013
Egypt farm area:
Goldfinches, Whitethroat, Coal Tit, Kestrel.
Simon Johnson said
Mon Aug 5 6:20 AM, 2013
Hobby over Simister this evening chasing swifts then headed west
Either a juvenile or 1st summer (wasn't an adult)
Charles Farrell said
Sat Apr 13 4:58 AM, 2013
Sarfraz Hayat wrote:
Osprey over Pike Fold Golf club about 8.50am Tueasdayu 9th April. Flying quite low and appeared to have come from Heaton Park side.
Very interesting. I remember one being seen in the same area a few years ago (a quick forum search reveals it was Steve Johnson on Mar 2nd 2011).
Sarfraz Hayat said
Fri Apr 12 11:55 PM, 2013
I saw this from the bus so had no idea how long it stuck around for. I have a feeling it might have crossed over from Heaton Park but then it was not too high in flight. It was not being mobbed but then I wonder was it carrying anything? The way it was flying low suggested it may have been but then once I had identified it I could not make out if anything was in its talons.
I always used to have a look at the golf course from the bus when I travelled to uni and would see Lapwings, Moorhen, Mallard, Grey Heron and possibly Coot. Kestrels were also quite regular here. There does not appear to be much now, although I do use the bus much less now.
-- Edited by Sarfraz Hayat on Friday 12th of April 2013 11:57:52 PM
Sarfraz Hayat said
Thu Apr 11 4:51 PM, 2013
Osprey over Pike Fold Golf club about 8.50am Tueasdayu 9th April. Flying quite low and appeared to have come from Heaton Park side.
Simon Johnson said
Mon Feb 25 7:00 AM, 2013
80+ Lapwing Buzzard 3 Stock dove 7 Cormorant west
Simon Johnson said
Sat Oct 27 12:26 AM, 2012
8 Golden Plover flew west
John Doherty said
Mon Oct 15 1:11 AM, 2012
Nice autumnal day for my second consecutive weekend here.
Buzzard (mobbed by two corvids) over towards Rhodes 40 Lapwing near or around an ever decreasing pool
Simon Johnson said
Sun Oct 14 3:25 AM, 2012
a single flock of 1000+ Redwing (this is prob an under estimate) falling from high out of the blue sky into trees
Simon Johnson said
Sun Aug 12 2:19 AM, 2012
Eygpt Farm 100+ Swallow and a single Sand Martin
an area called the wetland Garden Warbler 3 Blackcap 2 Willow Warbler 21 Long-tailed tit
8 Swift
John Doherty said
Wed Aug 1 10:03 PM, 2012
I was treated to a pair of Linnet showing well on a wire, the Male belting out a solo, up the tops on Boardman Lane this afternoon
Simon Johnson said
Sun Jul 15 3:58 AM, 2012
Pyke fold Golf Course area
3 pairs Reed Bunting with food 5 Linnet 16 Goldfinch 20 House Sparrow Kestrel 70+ Swallow a lot of young birds
Pike fold golf course area 18 coot on small area open water Snipe flushed from stream 3 buzzard 2 kestrel 2 peregrine Single fieldfare 2500+ black-headed gulls leaving roost towards tip 140 starling in one flock north east
Egypt Farm 10+ Redwing 40+ Fieldfare Song Thrush 13 Goldfinch
Unsworth Moss 19 Stock Dove. (plus anohter 3 flying round a barn near Pilsworth) 25+ Linnet 44 Lapwing 20+ Rook 600+ Jackdaw
Bill Myerscough said
Sat Dec 24 6:58 PM, 2011
24th December.
Had a walk along Simon Lane, Bowlee towards Unsworth Moss this morning having a look over the maize stubble fields in this general area, which usually holds good numbers of commoner birds at this time of year. Some of the walk was in Rochdale MBC but most of the sightings were from the Unsworth Moss area (Bury MBC) so for convenience sake all have been posted on this thread!
On and around the stubble fields - c60 Chaffinch, with what were probably another c25 in Bowlee village, c180 Jackdaw, 9 Stock Dove, c40 Carrion Crow, c25 Rook, c80 Black-headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Fieldfare, 3 Buzzard, c12 Blackbird, c20 Magpie, c50 Starling, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush and 1 Greenfinch.
Cheers,
Bill.
Simon Johnson said
Sat May 14 8:44 PM, 2011
Swift 300+ moving NW Lesser Black-backed Gull 200+ moving SW Herring Gull 2 with above
Fields at parenthorn high school Swallow 160 House Martin 80
Ploughed field on edge of Simister Stock Dove 15 Lapwing 10 Skylark
Highlight was two Skylarks over fields near Egypt Farm, 1 sang briefly in display flight. Seems very early? - spring is (almost) here! They later moved off in the direction of Bowlee, where some Skylarks were seen foraging in maize stubble fields.
A flock of 23 Collared Doves (surely they can't be the same ones as Simon spotted here on 10/7/10!) were at Simister, with many other pairs seen in the general area as well. It was really nice to walk through Simister village and see and hear House Sparrows in almost every hedge and around every roof space. Shows that they can still thrive in the right habitat. And it would appear that what is good habitat for House Sparrows, would seem to be good for Collared Doves too?
Cheers,
Bill.
Simon Johnson said
Sat Jan 8 9:10 PM, 2011
Had a walk around Simister this afternoon - not that much about but did have the following:-
Woodcock - Single flushed from hedgerow on old hall lane up from the footbridge over M60 Treecreeper - Single at entrance to Heywood farm Fieldfare - 20 in fields by Egypt farm Redwing - 14 Heywood farm & 20 in copse behing high school Stock Dove - 3 Egypt Lane, 2 Stubble field behind the high school Jackdaw - 150 in fields off the end of Simister Lane
Simon Johnson said
Sun Jul 11 4:05 PM, 2010
Its not in the best estate to check out!
Have seen Swift entering the roof space of the house in SD80H and (off the top of my head) SD80C. I think it could be a big colony as always about 100 birds flying about.
Steve Atkins said
Sat Jul 10 7:37 PM, 2010
It sounds like you had a good day Simon. Well done for confirming Skylark in SD80N Birch. I carried out the TTVs on this tetrad and Bill Myerscough has made quite a few visits to the area. Neither of us managed to confirm Skylark.
Skylarks were carrying food at Watergrove (SD91E) and on Blackstone Edge (SD91T) today. It's interesting that they are still feeding young in both the uplands and lowlands on what is quite a late date. Birds in England says "up to four breeding attempts may be made during the season, allowing the species to compensate for high levels of nest predation."
If you get the chance to check out the Swift colony that would be great. A difficult species to confirm. However, if you see birds disappearing into the roof space of a building you can record this as ON. There's clearly little chance of actually seeing this species sitting on a nest, unless you're lucky enough to have them nesting in your attic!
Steve
Simon Johnson said
Sat Jul 10 3:09 PM, 2010
Had a good look round the Simister area today to help with the SD80 challenge and get a few more breeding records for the Atlas. ( The area that I walked around covered SD80 H, I & N)
A very healthy House Sparrow population around Simister village - easy over a hundred birds - there was 40 alone at the end of the village where the cattery is.
Skylarks were confirmed breeding in SD80 N and I total of 9 birds, 1 young seen and another bird collecting food plus 5 singing birds.
Oystercather had also bred with 5 birds seen in a crop field, the young bird chasing parents for food. Also 39 Lapwing, 2 Stock Dove and 6 Juv Pied Wagtail.
Good numbers of Swallows around the farms at least 5 farms in the area had fledged young sat on wires. Egypt farm had the most with 40 birds and 2 Sand Martin with them.
Pike fold Golf Gourse had breeding Linnet, Reed Bunt, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Canada Goose (21 young) and Coot (4 young). 5 juv Grey Heron were sat in a field with an adult, also buzzard and a group of 23 Collared Dove.
There also appears to be a Swift colony in the estate near to Heaton Park res and House Martins were seen in this area too!
- Peregrine over M60 literally 500yds before Simister Island flying east at speed but wasnt in pursuit of anything, that I could see anyway.
317 Pink-footed Geese NW in 4 skeins
2 Buzzards
Peregrine
4 Stock Dove
130 Fieldfare
210 Redwing
13 Greenfinch
32 Goldfinch
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 19th of October 2014 03:57:01 PM
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Sunday 19th of October 2014 10:04:26 PM
c 200 Lapwings and a few others scattered around the sheep grazings.
c 10 Pied Wagtails with Grey Wagtail x 1
Curlew x 2 high overhead going north east.
Buzzard x 2 closeby, plucking prey later near Simister.
Wood Pigeon c 100 in total.
A walk along Simon Lane at Bowlee towards Unsworth Moss late afternoon to check over the maize stubble fields. Large numbers of mixed corvids in the very wet stubble fields near the motorway bridge. There are still two large fields of as yet unharvested maize just on the northern side of the M62 at Unsworth Moss which I hoped might possibly have been an attraction for a Starling roost but not had arrived by the time I left.
There was a small flock of 12 - 15 sparrows, incredibly difficult to see despite a considerable wait, in the clipped hawthorn hedge and the adjacent stubble field just a short distance south-east of Sandfield Farm on Simon Lane. All the vocalisations I heard were of Tree Sparrow and not of House Sparrow and the only three birds seen very briefly together were all Tree Sparrows.
Cheers,
Bill.
Goldfinches, Whitethroat, Coal Tit, Kestrel.
Either a juvenile or 1st summer (wasn't an adult)
Very interesting. I remember one being seen in the same area a few years ago (a quick forum search reveals it was Steve Johnson on Mar 2nd 2011).
I saw this from the bus so had no idea how long it stuck around for. I have a feeling it might have crossed over from Heaton Park but then it was not too high in flight. It was not being mobbed but then I wonder was it carrying anything? The way it was flying low suggested it may have been but then once I had identified it I could not make out if anything was in its talons.
I always used to have a look at the golf course from the bus when I travelled to uni and would see Lapwings, Moorhen, Mallard, Grey Heron and possibly Coot. Kestrels were also quite regular here. There does not appear to be much now, although I do use the bus much less now.
-- Edited by Sarfraz Hayat on Friday 12th of April 2013 11:57:52 PM
Osprey over Pike Fold Golf club about 8.50am Tueasdayu 9th April. Flying quite low and appeared to have come from Heaton Park side.
Buzzard
3 Stock dove
7 Cormorant west
Buzzard (mobbed by two corvids) over towards Rhodes
40 Lapwing near or around an ever decreasing pool
100+ Swallow and a single Sand Martin
an area called the wetland
Garden Warbler
3 Blackcap
2 Willow Warbler
21 Long-tailed tit
8 Swift
3 pairs Reed Bunting with food
5 Linnet
16 Goldfinch
20 House Sparrow
Kestrel
70+ Swallow a lot of young birds
Female Whinchat unsworth moss
25 Lapwing
5 Buzzard
3 Kestrel
2 Linnet
2 Whitethroat unsworth moss
Skylark Egypt farm
54 Canada Geese (on greens)
85 Fieldfare
2 Bullfinch
Lapwing flocks consisted of:-
64 at Egypt Farm
12 north over the distant service station
30 in set a side simister village
97 north of pike fold golf course
10.15a.m. to 11.45a.m.
Wed. 8th Feb. very cold, sunny
Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1
Lapwing 2
Black-headed gull 2
Woodpigeon 4
Magpie 18
Carrion Crow 4
Great Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 5
Blackbird 2
Robin 1
Dunnock 2
House Sparrow 11
Pike fold golf course area
18 coot on small area open water
Snipe flushed from stream
3 buzzard
2 kestrel
2 peregrine
Single fieldfare
2500+ black-headed gulls leaving roost towards tip
140 starling in one flock north east
Pike fold golf course
2 Tufted Duck
18 Mallard
50+ Redwing
Egypt Farm
10+ Redwing
40+ Fieldfare
Song Thrush
13 Goldfinch
Unsworth Moss
19 Stock Dove. (plus anohter 3 flying round a barn near Pilsworth)
25+ Linnet
44 Lapwing
20+ Rook
600+ Jackdaw
Had a walk along Simon Lane, Bowlee towards Unsworth Moss this morning having a look over the maize stubble fields in this general area, which usually holds good numbers of commoner birds at this time of year. Some of the walk was in Rochdale MBC but most of the sightings were from the Unsworth Moss area (Bury MBC) so for convenience sake all have been posted on this thread!
On and around the stubble fields - c60 Chaffinch, with what were probably another c25 in Bowlee village, c180 Jackdaw, 9 Stock Dove, c40 Carrion Crow, c25 Rook, c80 Black-headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Fieldfare, 3 Buzzard, c12 Blackbird, c20 Magpie, c50 Starling, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush and 1 Greenfinch.
Cheers,
Bill.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 200+ moving SW
Herring Gull 2 with above
Fields at parenthorn high school
Swallow 160
House Martin 80
Ploughed field on edge of Simister
Stock Dove 15
Lapwing 10
Skylark
Robin - fledged juv by entrance
Blackcap
Egypt Farm
Skylark 4 pairs
Linnet 10
Swallow 9
Mpipit 5 north
Whitethroat
Reed Bunt 2
Unsworth Moss Farm
Lapwing 8
Simister fields
Lapwing 16
Skylark 6
School near heaton Park
Whinchat - male in back field
Canada Goose 30 feeding on course
Lots of Gulls loafing on the greens 200+ BHG, 40 LBBG & 3 GBBG.
A flock of 20 Siskin were feeding in the trees along Egypt lane.
11 Lapwing in fields near Sand Field farm.
In the Smister area....
Unsworth Moss Farm
Woodcock - flushed from a hedgerow
GSW
Fieldfare 2
Mistle thrush 2
in the Village
House Sparrow 30 - Southview Terrace & Cattery
Collared Dove 14 - Stables at the Cattery
Fields towards Heywood Old Road
Stock Dove 11
Lapwing 48
Jackdaw 100+
Rook 25
Buzzard 3
Visit this morning.
Highlight was two Skylarks over fields near Egypt Farm, 1 sang briefly in display flight. Seems very early? - spring is (almost) here! They later moved off in the direction of Bowlee, where some Skylarks were seen foraging in maize stubble fields.
A flock of 23 Collared Doves (surely they can't be the same ones as Simon spotted here on 10/7/10!) were at Simister, with many other pairs seen in the general area as well. It was really nice to walk through Simister village and see and hear House Sparrows in almost every hedge and around every roof space. Shows that they can still thrive in the right habitat. And it would appear that what is good habitat for House Sparrows, would seem to be good for Collared Doves too?
Cheers,
Bill.
Woodcock - Single flushed from hedgerow on old hall lane up from the footbridge over M60
Treecreeper - Single at entrance to Heywood farm
Fieldfare - 20 in fields by Egypt farm
Redwing - 14 Heywood farm & 20 in copse behing high school
Stock Dove - 3 Egypt Lane, 2 Stubble field behind the high school
Jackdaw - 150 in fields off the end of Simister Lane
Have seen Swift entering the roof space of the house in SD80H and (off the top of my head) SD80C. I think it could be a big colony as always about 100 birds flying about.
Skylarks were carrying food at Watergrove (SD91E) and on Blackstone Edge (SD91T) today. It's interesting that they are still feeding young in both the uplands and lowlands on what is quite a late date. Birds in England says "up to four breeding attempts may be made during the season, allowing the species to compensate for high levels of nest predation."
If you get the chance to check out the Swift colony that would be great. A difficult species to confirm. However, if you see birds disappearing into the roof space of a building you can record this as ON. There's clearly little chance of actually seeing this species sitting on a nest, unless you're lucky enough to have them nesting in your attic!
Steve