A hobby was hunting over my garden mid-morning. Made off after a swift, which are in good number at the moment (c30 seen yesterday evening in a feeding flock).
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Jul 18 8:39 PM, 2024
A hobby was hunting over Hilltop just before 4 p.m. A kestrel and a sparrowhawk were doing likewise a few minutes either side of this. 7 swallows went south in a group.
Chris Knight said
Sun Jun 9 12:45 PM, 2024
Late visit BTO breeding bird survey today was strikingly quiet, though, what with a buzzard at the golf course and a distant willow warbler, the species total for the two visits reached 38, which is as good as it's been since 2017 (which hit 44). Still, haven't encountered a swift, house martin or even a gull for a few years now and never yet one of the parakeets that have been slowly edging North over the village (let alone a hobby, though apparently my predecessor in the square did encounter one in 1997)
Andy Bissitt said
Fri May 24 7:51 PM, 2024
p.m. While watching a pair of blue tits visiting a nest box in a garden on Hilltop, a hobby flashed past just beyond them c20m from where I was stood. A whitethroat was singing in an adjoining field. 8 swallows were hawking insects around Hilltop wood.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon May 6 8:42 PM, 2024
5:35 pm. I had just been to nosey at a house fire near Sunfield. As I turned to go home, the starlings and pigeons took to the air in panic. Before I could look round, a hobby barrelled in over my head from behind at about 1½ x rooftop height. Just before disappearing, it folded its wings in and banked sharply downwards somewhere over the railway line at Quarry Rd. Some local action at last.
Chris Knight said
Sun Apr 28 11:16 PM, 2024
This morning's Breeding Bird Survey around the Romiley golf course OS square was damper than I might have hoped, but did yield some nice things. The one new species for the square was, surprisingly, a very late fieldfare, but I hadn't managed to encounter either sparrowhawk or lesser redpoll on the survey for several years and both put in an appearance today.
Perhaps the most real change though was house sparrow, which has been entirely missing from the route on either visit in 3 of the last 10 years, and when present, was only ever in one out of the ten segments. Today there were multiple birds in three separate segments.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Apr 27 7:54 PM, 2024
First swift just seen going north from my bedroon window. At least a good end to a poor day's birding.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Apr 8 4:26 PM, 2024
First local swallow over Hilltop this p.m. It does not a Summer make!
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Mar 3 10:01 PM, 2024
The tribe of redwings numbering 80-85, which has frequented the general area throughout the Winter, was seen at Hilltop this afternoon. I wonder for how many more days?
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Jan 3 9:04 PM, 2024
Hilltop: 2 ravens came from towards Manchester heading for Werneth Low at c3:00 p.m. Unusual direction; it is normally the other way round.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Dec 3 11:37 AM, 2023
A single waxwing was seen in a tree just beyond my back garden about 45 minutes ago. It then did a circuit above my house before flying off towards Central Drive.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Nov 20 7:02 PM, 2023
A song thrush was in fairly loud voice this afternoon at Romiley common woods. If only it meant Spring was round the corner.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Nov 6 9:28 AM, 2023
c90 pink-footed geese low, over my garden, going east at 8:10 am.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Oct 21 9:42 PM, 2023
11 or 12 ring-necked parakeets were leaving the Romiley station car park area this morning as I walked down Sunfield towards it. 3 ravens (2 together + a straggler) flew across the bottom of Sunfield at 11:15; seen from my bedroom window.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Oct 12 8:42 AM, 2023
Whooper swans heard moving SE over Sunfield at 11.05 last evening. Also a tawny owl calling from an oak on the estate for 10+ minutes.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Oct 9 1:36 PM, 2023
Another flock of c150 just went west. Passed to the south of Sunfield this time.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Oct 9 12:55 PM, 2023
Obvious redwing passage overhead at home with 120 in 5 groups over the last 15 minutes, all came in from the east.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Sep 28 9:20 PM, 2023
Amazing what you can witness on a walk down the centre of Romiley, taking in the opticians and the dentists! 100+ pink-footed geese flew across Compstall road going SE at 2:30 p.m. Just after first seeing them, 4 swallows also crossed the road going S. On my (diverted) path back home, 2 ravens flew over Greave going towards Werneth Low.
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Aug 16 7:59 PM, 2023
A hobby sailed around Hilltop for 4-5 minutes at 3:10 pm. It was circling, gaining height. This was explained when it dropped the remains of whatever it had been eating on the wing. It then began to move swiftly SE, but soon spotted another prey item, and swooped on that. I presume they were both large insects.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Jul 22 8:55 PM, 2023
A small piece of brightness on such a gloomy day was the sight of at least 12 swallows hawking for insects around the woods on Hilltop. This included a minimum of 7 recently fledged young, which perched on a wire fence to be counted! Great to see.
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Jun 2 8:09 PM, 2023
A garden warbler in full, wonderful song on the golf course former practice area this afternoon. Easily outdid blackcaps, chiffchaff, willow warbler, goldfinches, stock dove for tune. Will have to watch out for the jays though!
Andy Bissitt said
Thu May 4 7:57 PM, 2023
Common whitethroat back in the field to the north of Sunfield estate. A good job really, as otherwise things were pretty mundane, 2 linnet being next best.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon May 1 8:58 PM, 2023
First swift in Sunfield's sky this year when one flew over my garden this morning.
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Apr 18 9:18 PM, 2023
First singing blackcap of the Spring on the western side of Hilltop this p.m. 6 sand martins also flew through near to Sunfield.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Apr 13 4:22 PM, 2023
Red kite just directly over my garden, low, going NW.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Apr 9 3:58 PM, 2023
Astonished to just find 2 Ring Ousels feeding in the first field north of Sunfield on Hilltop. At the right hand end of the large central field. Flown into cover of Holly bush.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Apr 3 1:01 PM, 2023
2 ravens, one in hot pursuit of the other, over home C30 minutes ago. Came in from the north and veered sharply east. Great entertainment whilst eating lunch!
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Mar 30 8:10 PM, 2023
Around Hilltop p.m. 4 buzzards, 3 redwings, sparrowhawk, chiffchaff etc...
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Mar 23 8:31 PM, 2023
Two same-size sparrowhawks were sparring in a not too nasty way (some calling and mock attacks) over Sunfield this afternoon. Must be where two territories overlap. 2 chiffchaffs heard around Hilltop, 2 buzzards over with a raven joining them at one point. Still not quite what I'd expect on a fairly bright, warmish Spring p.m.
Andy Bissitt said
Mon Mar 20 4:21 PM, 2023
Amazed, and totally saddened to have just found a freshly dead Barn owl on the first field north of my house on Sunfield. It looks so perfect; no injury or sign of attack. A really low moment.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Mar 19 9:08 PM, 2023
A chiffchaff was in Heald Wood at the Woodley end this afternoon. Also around Hilltop; several song thrushes in song, and pairs of bullfinch and stock dove. Earlier on, 2 ring-necked parakeets flew NE close to Sunfield estate.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Sunday 19th of March 2023 09:09:16 PM
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Mar 2 9:12 PM, 2023
A raven was low over the rail station this morning, being hassled by a crow.
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Feb 10 8:55 PM, 2023
A couple of signs of Spring this afternoon around Hilltop. FIrstly, a song thrush flew past me carrying nesting material into a dense patch of ivy, and another was singing on the other side of the hill. A little further on, 2 pairs of great spotted woodpecker were going head-to-head at the boundary of their prospective territories. It was fascinating to watch the two males do the sky-pointing pose at each other just a few meters apart. I don't think I've seen 4 adult woodpeckers at the same time too often before.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Feb 4 9:03 PM, 2023
2 ravens low over the Sunfield estate this morning going WSW. Highlights of an afternoon hobble around Hilltop were 70-80 lapwings which flew East, 2 mistle thrushes, a singing song thrush, a goldcrest (possibly a 2nd bird too) and 31 redwings down on a field adjacent to Sunfield. Later on, what appeared to be the same group were in trees to the NE. These were joined by another 2 groups of about 20, which were closely followed by a chasing sparrowhawk!
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Dec 21 8:12 PM, 2022
2 ravens over Sunfield estate (seen & heard from Hilltop) at dusk, going in a NE direction, which is not usual.
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Dec 13 9:21 PM, 2022
late p.m. 2 snipe(s) flew SE over Hilltop, which were almost certainly home patch firsts, although may have had records of nocturnal birds before. A lone goldcrest was in the otherwise deathly quiet woods.
Phil Panton said
Tue Oct 25 11:55 AM, 2022
Red Kite over Romiley Golf Course 11.40 drifted towards Werneth Low
paul shaw said
Sat Oct 22 11:46 AM, 2022
11.15am today approximately 40 Fieldfare briefly settled in the trees between the canal and the the train line on the west side of Hilltop, 10 minutes later another flock of Approximately 20 moved through heading south.
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Oct 19 7:45 PM, 2022
Nice to be a small part of the redwing influx this afternoon. Roughly 420 were in many flocks (mostly 20-40 in each) over Hilltop in c90 minutes, most of these between 4:10 - 4:40. I'm fairly sure there was a small flock of c10 fieldfare too. Most headed south, but a few dropped down into the hedgerows nearby.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Oct 2 8:51 PM, 2022
Probably the same hobby of yesterday was seen at height over Pinfold Lane (near the golf course), flying swiftly and directly SE at 2:35 p.m. Probably the last I'll see of it until next year.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Oct 1 8:18 PM, 2022
Hobby drifted around Hilltop at 4:30 p.m. before going behind trees towards Woodley.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Aug 18 8:38 PM, 2022
About 25 goldfinches were feeding in a field just behind Sunfield estate this p.m., and a Hobby tried to take advantage, coming in like a blur from my right, then quickly out of sight. This was the second time I've seen one around Hilltop in the last 6 days. The previous one was being 'escorted' by a sparrowhawk. Can't say I've ever seen the two side-by-side before.
Andy Bissitt said
Wed Jun 8 1:50 PM, 2022
A hobby - pursued by about a dozen jackdaws - flew through Sunfield estate at 10:40 a.m. It was about twice rooftop height, and c75m from my living room window from where I viewed it. I wonder if it accounts for the missing swifts as I haven't seen the 5 which have been in the area for 3-4 weeks for three days now. Fingers crossed it's a temporary thing.
Chris Knight said
Sat May 21 10:11 PM, 2022
And my second BTO breeding bird survey visit today yielded several species I don't get every year (treecreeper, buzzard, raven, lapwing, mandarin).
Interestingly, there was a blue tit with a ring, by the footpath in the horse field below Low Top Farm. Is there someone ringing locally?
Chris Knight said
Sat Apr 16 3:24 PM, 2022
Good to encounter both willow warbler and swallow this morning on BTO breeding bird survey, going down and up either side of Romiley golf course. However, the highlight for the square (not previously recorded) was a couple of siskins (contributing to a total of 31 species)
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Apr 12 8:10 PM, 2022
Willow warbler singing from birches on Sunfield estate this morning. Quite a 'rarity' for here, and one more than I saw on Werneth Low in the afternoon!
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Apr 1 4:30 PM, 2022
2 Swallows flew low over Hilltop, nr Heald Wood going NW at 3:10 p.m.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Mar 24 8:30 PM, 2022
Tawny owl(s) heard in hedgerow North of Sunfield estate last night 10.40 p.m. when I was out moth hunting. A good view was obtained in the beam of my torch as one sat in an oak. Then heard calling this afternoon from woods at Healdwood 'mansion'. Did an hour on Hilltop hoping for osprey, but had to be content with a peregrine continually circling low nearby in the same area of sky for 10-15 minutes. Also 5 redwing seen - must still think it's Winter.
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Mar 15 9:30 AM, 2022
Chiffchaff in front garden Acer bush as I had breakfast. Also 1 redpoll yesterday, with pr bullfinches and pr nuthatches.
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Feb 25 8:29 PM, 2022
A Blackcap sang quite vigorously, in a couple of shortish bursts, in the wooded area of (what I call) Romiley Common this afternoon, top of Guywood Lane..
A hobby was hunting over my garden mid-morning. Made off after a swift, which are in good number at the moment (c30 seen yesterday evening in a feeding flock).
A hobby was hunting over Hilltop just before 4 p.m. A kestrel and a sparrowhawk were doing likewise a few minutes either side of this. 7 swallows went south in a group.
Late visit BTO breeding bird survey today was strikingly quiet, though, what with a buzzard at the golf course and a distant willow warbler, the species total for the two visits reached 38, which is as good as it's been since 2017 (which hit 44). Still, haven't encountered a swift, house martin or even a gull for a few years now and never yet one of the parakeets that have been slowly edging North over the village (let alone a hobby, though apparently my predecessor in the square did encounter one in 1997)
p.m. While watching a pair of blue tits visiting a nest box in a garden on Hilltop, a hobby flashed past just beyond them c20m from where I was stood. A whitethroat was singing in an adjoining field. 8 swallows were hawking insects around Hilltop wood.
5:35 pm. I had just been to nosey at a house fire near Sunfield. As I turned to go home, the starlings and pigeons took to the air in panic. Before I could look round, a hobby barrelled in over my head from behind at about 1½ x rooftop height. Just before disappearing, it folded its wings in and banked sharply downwards somewhere over the railway line at Quarry Rd. Some local action at last.
This morning's Breeding Bird Survey around the Romiley golf course OS square was damper than I might have hoped, but did yield some nice things. The one new species for the square was, surprisingly, a very late fieldfare, but I hadn't managed to encounter either sparrowhawk or lesser redpoll on the survey for several years and both put in an appearance today.
Perhaps the most real change though was house sparrow, which has been entirely missing from the route on either visit in 3 of the last 10 years, and when present, was only ever in one out of the ten segments. Today there were multiple birds in three separate segments.
First swift just seen going north from my bedroon window. At least a good end to a poor day's birding.
First local swallow over Hilltop this p.m. It does not a Summer make!
The tribe of redwings numbering 80-85, which has frequented the general area throughout the Winter, was seen at Hilltop this afternoon. I wonder for how many more days?
Hilltop: 2 ravens came from towards Manchester heading for Werneth Low at c3:00 p.m. Unusual direction; it is normally the other way round.
11 or 12 ring-necked parakeets were leaving the Romiley station car park area this morning as I walked down Sunfield towards it. 3 ravens (2 together + a straggler) flew across the bottom of Sunfield at 11:15; seen from my bedroom window.
Amazing what you can witness on a walk down the centre of Romiley, taking in the opticians and the dentists! 100+ pink-footed geese flew across Compstall road going SE at 2:30 p.m. Just after first seeing them, 4 swallows also crossed the road going S. On my (diverted) path back home, 2 ravens flew over Greave going towards Werneth Low.
A hobby sailed around Hilltop for 4-5 minutes at 3:10 pm. It was circling, gaining height. This was explained when it dropped the remains of whatever it had been eating on the wing. It then began to move swiftly SE, but soon spotted another prey item, and swooped on that. I presume they were both large insects.
A small piece of brightness on such a gloomy day was the sight of at least 12 swallows hawking for insects around the woods on Hilltop. This included a minimum of 7 recently fledged young, which perched on a wire fence to be counted! Great to see.
A garden warbler in full, wonderful song on the golf course former practice area this afternoon. Easily outdid blackcaps, chiffchaff, willow warbler, goldfinches, stock dove for tune. Will have to watch out for the jays though!
Common whitethroat back in the field to the north of Sunfield estate. A good job really, as otherwise things were pretty mundane, 2 linnet being next best.
First swift in Sunfield's sky this year when one flew over my garden this morning.
First singing blackcap of the Spring on the western side of Hilltop this p.m. 6 sand martins also flew through near to Sunfield.
Around Hilltop p.m. 4 buzzards, 3 redwings, sparrowhawk, chiffchaff etc...
Two same-size sparrowhawks were sparring in a not too nasty way (some calling and mock attacks) over Sunfield this afternoon. Must be where two territories overlap. 2 chiffchaffs heard around Hilltop, 2 buzzards over with a raven joining them at one point. Still not quite what I'd expect on a fairly bright, warmish Spring p.m.
A chiffchaff was in Heald Wood at the Woodley end this afternoon. Also around Hilltop; several song thrushes in song, and pairs of bullfinch and stock dove. Earlier on, 2 ring-necked parakeets flew NE close to Sunfield estate.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Sunday 19th of March 2023 09:09:16 PM
A raven was low over the rail station this morning, being hassled by a crow.
A couple of signs of Spring this afternoon around Hilltop. FIrstly, a song thrush flew past me carrying nesting material into a dense patch of ivy, and another was singing on the other side of the hill. A little further on, 2 pairs of great spotted woodpecker were going head-to-head at the boundary of their prospective territories. It was fascinating to watch the two males do the sky-pointing pose at each other just a few meters apart. I don't think I've seen 4 adult woodpeckers at the same time too often before.
2 ravens low over the Sunfield estate this morning going WSW. Highlights of an afternoon hobble around Hilltop were 70-80 lapwings which flew East, 2 mistle thrushes, a singing song thrush, a goldcrest (possibly a 2nd bird too) and 31 redwings down on a field adjacent to Sunfield. Later on, what appeared to be the same group were in trees to the NE. These were joined by another 2 groups of about 20, which were closely followed by a chasing sparrowhawk!
2 ravens over Sunfield estate (seen & heard from Hilltop) at dusk, going in a NE direction, which is not usual.
late p.m. 2 snipe(s) flew SE over Hilltop, which were almost certainly home patch firsts, although may have had records of nocturnal birds before. A lone goldcrest was in the otherwise deathly quiet woods.
Nice to be a small part of the redwing influx this afternoon. Roughly 420 were in many flocks (mostly 20-40 in each) over Hilltop in c90 minutes, most of these between 4:10 - 4:40. I'm fairly sure there was a small flock of c10 fieldfare too. Most headed south, but a few dropped down into the hedgerows nearby.
Probably the same hobby of yesterday was seen at height over Pinfold Lane (near the golf course), flying swiftly and directly SE at 2:35 p.m. Probably the last I'll see of it until next year.
Hobby drifted around Hilltop at 4:30 p.m. before going behind trees towards Woodley.
A hobby - pursued by about a dozen jackdaws - flew through Sunfield estate at 10:40 a.m. It was about twice rooftop height, and c75m from my living room window from where I viewed it. I wonder if it accounts for the missing swifts as I haven't seen the 5 which have been in the area for 3-4 weeks for three days now. Fingers crossed it's a temporary thing.
And my second BTO breeding bird survey visit today yielded several species I don't get every year (treecreeper, buzzard, raven, lapwing, mandarin).
Interestingly, there was a blue tit with a ring, by the footpath in the horse field below Low Top Farm. Is there someone ringing locally?
Good to encounter both willow warbler and swallow this morning on BTO breeding bird survey, going down and up either side of Romiley golf course. However, the highlight for the square (not previously recorded) was a couple of siskins (contributing to a total of 31 species)
Willow warbler singing from birches on Sunfield estate this morning. Quite a 'rarity' for here, and one more than I saw on Werneth Low in the afternoon!
2 Swallows flew low over Hilltop, nr Heald Wood going NW at 3:10 p.m.
Tawny owl(s) heard in hedgerow North of Sunfield estate last night 10.40 p.m. when I was out moth hunting. A good view was obtained in the beam of my torch as one sat in an oak. Then heard calling this afternoon from woods at Healdwood 'mansion'. Did an hour on Hilltop hoping for osprey, but had to be content with a peregrine continually circling low nearby in the same area of sky for 10-15 minutes. Also 5 redwing seen - must still think it's Winter.
A Blackcap sang quite vigorously, in a couple of shortish bursts, in the wooded area of (what I call) Romiley Common this afternoon, top of Guywood Lane..