Early afternoon visit in the rain.

Juvenile Sparrowhawks were heard hunger calling at two locations approx 1.8 km (1.1 miles) apart. So certainly two different broods (see the Species in Focus post on Sparrowhawk in the GM Atlas section of the forum).

These were in two different tetrads: SD81Y Broadley (actually in Rossendale) and SD81X Shawclough where two birds were glimpsed flying through the trees and calling.

Other species seen / heard:
Chiffchaff
Bullfinch
Jay - 3
Grey Heron - standing in tree

Steve

8.15-11.15

Nests found. (Adult(s) feeding)

great tit
greater spotted woodpecker
tree creeper

Also seen,
goldfinch
chaffinch
nuthatch
grey wag
chiffchaff
jay
dipper(adult + juv) quality viewing
plenty of usuals.

mink
roe deer

An early afternoon walk in miserable weather (+8C, wind and drizzle) produced the following:

Canada Goose sitting on nest (ON)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wood Pigeon sitting on nest in hawthorn (ON) in SD81X Shawclough
Robin - 8 singing (S)
Wren 3 S
Blackbird 8 S
Song Thrush 1 S
Willow Warbler 7 S
Chiffchaff 2 S
Blackcap 3 S

Great Tit carrying food (FF) appeared to be struggling to squeeze into its nest hole in a wall. The first confirmed breeding record for this species in SD81T Prickshaw

Magpie flew out from nest (ON)
Chaffinch 4 S

Steve

Wander about this afternoon.

1xbuzzard
5xmallard
2xdipper(adult teaching juv)quality viewing
1xchaffinch
3xgrey wagtail
1xheron
heard green wood & chiffchaff

23-Apr-11 10.00-12.15

usuals on lodge.
2 Canada Goose
4 Mallard
1 Moorhen

around the dell
plenty of blue + great tits, robins, blackbirds, chaffinch
1 Coal Tit
c3 singing chiffchaff
4+ singing Willow Warbler
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 noisy Green Woodpecker
2+ Jackdaw, c10 Carrion Crow, c10 Woodpigeon
+ Small White, Orange Tip and Brimstone Butterflies


-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 02:52:28 PM

-- Edited by Charles Farrell on Saturday 23rd of April 2011 10:28:45 PM

Walk around the Dell and farmland near Prickshaw Dams this morning 09.00 - 11.30

2 Dippers between fairies chapel & Station Road bridge
5 sightings of GSW - plenty around
Green Woodpecker heard from Dell Rd
6 Jays - nr viaduct
Lots of Nuthatches
Pair of Treecreepers
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Buzzard
Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits
Crow
Jackdaw,
Magpie
Mallard
Coot
Grey Heron
Canada Goose
At least 4 Pied Wagtails - surrounding farmland
2 Willow Warblers
Chiffchaff
Blackcap heard

12.00-1.00 usuals on lodge. 2xcanada 2xmallard 1xmoorhen around the dell 4xjays 2xtreecreeper 1xdipper 2xheron 1xchiffchaff plenty of blue + great tits

4-5.15 Down near lodge. 2xcanada 2xmallard 2xmoorhen Lt tits nuthatch 2xtree creeper green + gs woodpecker (heard) 1xmink

Went into dell from shawclough side down to lodge.(3-4.30)

2x canada(back again)
2xmoorhen
2xmallard
Looks like they all found a partener
Kestrel (being mobbed by a crow)
Green woodpecker(heard)
Plenty of the usuals.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 18th of March 2011 09:09:00 PM

Mon 15 November 2010 at 13.30

2 Bullfinch near car park

Pair of Goosander on pool above and to east of river.

1.00 till 4.30
Walked through the dell then out through prickshaw up and around spring mill res.

In the dell

1 kingfisher
2 dipper
1 gs woodpecker
6 jays
6+ tit flocks (coal tits,great tits,blue tits & nuthatch)

Spring bank res

3 stonechat
2 grey partridge
7 lapwing
14 bh gull
50+ meadow pipit
50+ charm of gold finch

In the dell 1.30 till 4

10+ jays
10+ wren
25+ blue tit
25+ great tit
1 dipper
1 heron
3 goldcrest
2 nuthatch
1 bull finch(female)
1 mink

I was in Healy Dell today and i saw a bloody big Heron !!

We don't get enough records from Healey Dell (once the haunt of Wood Warblers, even quite recently), so thanks, Danny, for those records. Any breeding records next year, the last of the national and local atlas, would really be appreciated.

after a walk in
the rain yesterday afternoon:
some good sightings
1 cormorant
1 kingfisher
1 dipper
all on fishing lodge.
1 dipper
3 grey wagtail
on river.
1 buzzard in meadow.
plus usual.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 1st of April 2011 08:56:40 PM