An absolutely cracking afternoon on Patch, sunny and still.

On the pools there were 3(1drk) Shoveler and 4(2drk) Gadwall on Big Pool. Also on Big Pool were 2(1ad, 1juv) Little Grebes and 4(2ad, 2juv) Great Crested Grebes. Amongst 24 Black-headed Gulls were 4 Common Gulls.

As I skirted the northern edge of Big Pool I checked the arable fields to the north as usual and that's where all the action was. First I spotted a male Stonechat on the telegraph wires. Previously this species had only been seen on the mosslands so this was a huge surprise. I quickly headed round the hedge to get better views and entered the field with permission previously granted by the farmers brother, otherwise it is strictly private. In here I discovered a female Greenfinch in a flock of 15 House Sparrows feeding in the brambles along the edge running from Newchurch Common to Daleford Lane. Greenfinch is a patch rarity so this was an excellent find. Also in this hedge was a Meadow Pipit, a patch scarcity! Even better was a patch first but lack of access means I had to keep this quiet until I can see if I can see it from a public footpath later. Watch this space!

An afternoon in the sunshine, all on Shemmy Moss.

A probable family group of 5 Buzzards were up over Shemmy tumbling around together and mewing constantly. A Raven was cronking nearby.

At the edge of Shemmy adjoining the Whitegate Way an impressively large feeding flock of passerines moved through the oaks and conifers. Difficult to see them all but those noted were 3 Willow Warblers, 12 Chiffchaffs, 5 Goldcrests, 2 Long-tailed Tits and 3 Coal Tits.

A morning and afternoon visit today, fine and bright.

Just a few noteworthy sightings. First a female Teal was on Gull Pool and we unknowingly got within aroun5m of her and she never flushed just swam around in and out of the reeds at the edge of the pool in front of us. This could only signify that she had young there so we backed off in double quick time to leave her undisturbed. On Big Pool a count of 160 Canada Geese was a significant increase.

A flock of at least 6 Long-tailed Tits in Gull Pool Wood also contained a Chiffchaff.

On Patch am, dull and dry at first then drizzle later.

On Big Pool and increase to 7(3drk) Gadwall. An influx of 48 Greylag Geese to go with the 66 Canada Geese.

Very little else other than a Buzzard in Big Pool Meadows and a Chiffchaff on Shemmy Moss.

On Shemmy Moss am, warm but overcast.

Just 2 young Blackcaps to report, but nice proof of breeding on this part of patch!

First returning Common Gull this afternoon on Small Pool plus 10 Mute Swans, 8 on Big Pool and 2 on Small Pool.

An afternoon walk on Newchurch Common, warm with sunny intervals.

There were 2 drake Gadwall on Big Pool plus 8 Mute Swans.

A Green Woodpecker called near the paddock by the entrance barrier on Novia Scotia Lane.

Sunshine and warm.

A Gadwall was on Gull Pool and a Raven over Shemmy Moss. So quiet!

YDAY 12th: Grey Heron over Shemmy Moss pm.

Shortish walks am and pm on Patch, all on Shemmy Moss today.

A Kestrel was in the dead tree which falcons favour and a Buzzard was overhead. There were 20 Stock Doves in a cut field in the Abbot's Moss Nurseries with Wood Pigeons and a single Feral Pigeon. Also on these fields were 2(m+f) Yellowhammers.

Popped onto Patch for a very short visit pm. warm but dull.

On Big Pool there were at least 40 Tufted Ducks and this included 3 Tufted ducklings. Also present still 2(1drk) Gadwall. There were at least 8(3y) Great Crested Grebes, the young now quite well grown.

A sort afternoon walk on Shemmy Moss, fine and dry and warm.

On arrival an adult Hobby was feeding over Shemmy Moss, it then headed over to Gull Pool where it circled for a while before heading off east following the Whitegate Way.

Out early from c.7.40am (well early for me), warming up, getting sunny & pleasantly warm instead of sweltering!

On Gull Pool a female Teal was acting like she had a nest or even young in a reedbed nearby so I backed off. Also on Gull Pool a female Tufted Duck was seen with 2 tiny ducklings.

On Sandy Lane there were 4 House Martins, 2 Swallows and a Sand Martin together on overhead wires, far too early for them to be grouping up pre-migration so may have been attracted by an abundance of insects, such as flying ants.

A Green Woodpecker called several times on the east side of Shemmy Moss. Nearby 2 Stock Doves fed with Woodpigeons in a harvested field in the Abbot's Moss Nursery.

Hot and sunny pm.

A surprise was 5(3drk) Gadwall on Big Pool. Also here were 7 Mute Swans and a Grey Heron again.

Morning on Newchurch, warming up as the day went on.

The pools were still quite busy with the 8 Mute Swans still on Big Pool. A flock of 41 Lapwings was down in the former Leek Field. A Grey Heron was by Big Pool.

Spent separate visits am & pm on my patch. Sunny & hot.

There were 43 Tufted Ducks on Big Pool, an increase over recent days. A marked increase in Coot was noted too with over 30 birds on Big Pool. There were 9 Mute Swans on Big Pool too, many more than the norm. A dead Canada Goose to add to the dead Mute Swan, both out on Big Pool wasn't good news, a mystery as to what is happening.

A Kestrel was on a dead tree on Abbot's Moss and a Raven flew over.

On patch pm in sun, hot.

Sad news with a dead adult Mute Swan in the centre of Big Pool.

Around 7 House Martins over Dalefords Farm and 1 Swallow over the fields there.

Went back to Shemmy Moss today to release a moth that I potted up for ID yesterday! I always release alive back where I caught stuff!

Had the Hobby sitting in a dead tree again on the mosslands at 10am.

On Shemmy Moss on my Newchurch Patch all morning with Dave & Gill (see other thread!) warm and mainly overcast.

Just a Hobby on a dead tree and 2 Ravens of note but the latter were calling quite a lot today.

At last a bird to be chuffed with, all day on patch so deserved it! Sunny and hot.

Picked up a mega patch bird, a Common Sandpiper on Gorse Point fishing peg on Big Pool and then relocated it on Beach Peg when patch mate Dave came down to try to see it. With out complete lack of wader habitat this is only the second patch record ever! Always nice though when every 'patcher' connects! Whilst digi-binning the sandpiper I picked up a female Tufted Duck with 2 young, the first breeding of this species on patch this year and a rare patch breeder to boot! A total of 5 Mute Swans were on Big Pool, 2 pairs and the resident male. There were 3 Great Crested Grebe chicks on Big Pool, 1 new small one and 2 larger older ones. A larger one was also on Nunsmere. A flock of 14 Lapwings flew over Big Pool to make it a rare two-wader day! A Cormorant flew over Shemmy Moss in the afternoon. A Grey Heron was on willow spit on Big Pool.

A morning visit, sunny and warm.

Just a Raven to report over the mosslands!

Afternoon on Shemmy Moss with overcast mild conditions.

A patch mega was seen in the shape of a Green Woodpecker, heard first then seen and digi-binned atop the tall trees on the west side of the moss. This was once a common breeding species on patch but has declined dramatically now. A Hobby was seen perched on a dead tree and then hunting over South Moss watched form the nursery approach road, also on here was a Buzzard on another tree. A Sparrowhawk was thermalling over Shemmy Moss too.

Morning on the Mosslands part of patch.

The most notable bird sighting was a flock of 7 Mute Swans flying over.

Also seen 4 Sand Martins  passing through.

A morning visit in hot sun.

The only record of note was a brood of c.3 Blackcaps seen near 'Beach Peg' on Big Pool.

Not much of note, hot & sunny and on am.

A female Pheasant was on Sandy Lane with 2 presumed wild-bred chicks.

There were 2 Stock Doves feeding in Big Pool Island Cut Meadow, not a usual place for this species.

On Newchurch in the morning with wildlife mate Paul Hill. Sunny with couds at times but warm.

A Water Rail called again at Gull Pool and a single Little Grebe chick was being fed by its parent here.

Visits am and pm in different areas, hot & sunny.

A Little Grebe has 2 chicks on Gull Pool where a Water Rail was heard calling. Two Oystercatchers flew over Big Pool calling am.

A Raven was over the mosslands. Lots of fledgling activity with young Garden Warblers, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits. Also a discarded Linnet eggshell, looked succesfully hatched and removed by a parent bird.

Hot and sunny, am and pm visits.

Bird-wise quiet, 2 Feral Rock Doves in the field east of the Pine Belt being the high(?)light!!

An afternoon walk again, hot & sunny!

An Oystercatcher flew over Big Pool Island.

Nearby a small loose party flew over including 4 Swifts, 4 Sand Martins and 5 House Martins. Garden Warblers were still feeding young and a family party of Chiffchaffs was also seen.

An afternoon walk, sunny and warm.

A Kingfisher was seen twice on Big Pool.

The Garden Warbler family was still showing well in the Big Pool meadows!

An afternoon long walk on patch, sunny but some cloud too.

A Little Grebe had 2 chicks on Gull Pool, the first I've seen this year, good news. In the field by Lymm Vale a large flock of Canada Geese had a creche of 18 mixed aged goslings.

A Swift was north of Big Pool. A group of 5 Garden Warblers near Big Pool consisted of 2 adults and 3 young showing well. The adults were seen to feed 2 damselflies to the young, an adult Common Blue and a teneral one.

An afternoon visit and again quiet.

An Oystercatcher was over Big Pool.

A group of 8 House Sparrows on Sandy Lane reflected breeding success.

An afternoon on Newchurch, warm-ish but colder when it clouded over!

Very little to report. The 2 Oystercatchers flew over Big Pool again calling as they went! At least 2 Grey Herons were seen over Big Pool, my wife had 4 over the horse field a stone's throw away too!

A cracking morning walk with wildlife buddy Paul Hill on my Patch. Sunny most of the time and warm.

A drake Teal flew over Shemmy Moss, not seen one there for a while. A group of 4 Oystercatchers flew noisily over the mosses.

In Gull Pool Woods 2(1ad+1j) Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen.

Another afternoon visit and the sun came out and it was warm again, until the cloud & strong breeze started late anoon!

Very quiet on the two main pools. The 2 Oystercatchers flew around together calling over the Big Pool area. A nice array of summer 'high fliers' with 12 Swifts, 4 Swallows, 3 Sand Martins and a House Martin over Big Pool.

The Cuckoo was heard again west of Big Pool. On the track by the former leek field there were 2(1ad+1y) Pied Wagtails, local breeding no doubt.

An afternoon on the Mosses, overcast & mainly dull!

There were 4(2drk) Tufted Ducks on Shemmy Moss. Also here was a pair of Moorhens with 5 young.

The best birds were a male and female Cuckoo, the female flew low out of an area that I know Reed Buntings and Linnets breed in, no doubt looking for nests and even laying her eggs. Also seen were 3 Swifts and 6 Sand Martins flying over.

Again changeable this morning on patch .

A Cuckoo was again calling west of Big Pool, heard from east of Big Pool.

Morning on patch, dull at times, then sunny and warm, changeable may be the best description.

A single Oystercatcher was in the field east of the Pine Belt. In this same field was a well grown Lapwing youngster pretty close to flying!

A small feeding group of 6 Stock Doves were in the field east of the Pine Belt too. in two widely spaced areas there were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers carrying food, indicating that they were feeding young.

A morning walk, back to mainly sun and still warm.

A flock of 5ad Greylag Geese flew over the mosses, strange to see them not in breeding pairs!

A Cuckoo called and was seen over Gull Pool Woods today, no doubt the bird I keep hearing west of Big Pool. A Treecreeper was in Gull Poo Woods.

Newchurch Common am, warm but overcast.

Very little news. Maybe a note that Garden Warblers are becoming easier to see, I watched three at length today, stunning.

A morning patch walk, warm & sunny again.

A group of 5(2ad+3y) Coots were on Big Pool.

Whilst I was in the Big Pool SW corner glade I could hear a Cuckoo again to the west of Big Pool.

A Wren was seen taking food to a nest as was a Blackbird, both breeding records for CAWOS!

A morning walk, sunny and warm.

A family of 9 (2ad+7y) Canada Geese was seen in Big Pool Island Cut.

A feeding flock of 5 Stock Doves were in the field east of the Pine Belt. Two Pied Wagtails were in ploughed fields ff Sandy Lane. A Common Whitethroat was singing on the wires above Sandy Lane, a new sight for a singing bird for me.

Very sunny and warm today on patch but my afternoon walk was cut short by unforeseen circumstances.

One bird sighting of note was a really optimistic one. At least 6 adult Lapwings were in the breeding field east of the Pine Belt and with them I found 3 Lapwing Chicks! These were from two different broods as one was smaller than the other two, and they were split into the two 'broods' spatially in the field. The chicks were well enough developed to be looking like miniature adults but fuzzier and flightless, so past the tiny chick stage giving stronger hope of survival. The field is one that was re-ploughed so the adults did well. The deep furrows make it hard to see all birds in the field so other Lapwing chicks may have been out there. This is excellent news and I have everything crossed for their survival.

The only other report was that I heard a Cuckoo calling over to the west of Big Pool somewhere, heard from the east side of the pool.

A very short afternoon walk with just one real sighting, of two species, a mini-flock flew through Big Pool consisting of 2 Swifts and 5 Sand Martins, my first of the former species anywhere this year!

Last few days were spent on patch in the sunshine but very little news on the bird front until today!

A new bird for the year was seen a 12.15pm when a stunning Red Kite drifted over Shemmy Moss. Initially if circled up to gain height and then floated off to the east at c.12.30pm. A Grey Heron flew over too for the second time in 3 days. The Canada Geese on Shemmy Moss hatched 3 goslings yesterday too and still had them today. On Nunsmere today 2 drake Gadwall were again seen.

Yesterday (11th May 2024) 2 Hobbies and 2 Kestrels were watched over Shemmy Moss, all at the same time and all hunting, the Hobbies taking Four-spotted Chaser Dragonflies and a Kestrel seen to catch a Common Lizard.

An afternoon in sweltering sunshine! Around the Big pool area only.

A brood of 10 Canada Goose goslings was on Big Pool. The field east of the Pine Belt has been ploughed and contained 6 Lapwings.

A Cuckoo was heard from Big Pool so must have been closer than the mosslands. On the fields east of the Pine Belt 2 Stock Doves and 2 Feral Rock Doves were seen.

A very early pop onto patch and then a more prolonged afternoon walk. Sunny but a bit cooler.

A Common Teal egg was found on Shemmy Moss, broken but I couldn't tell if it had hatched or had been taken by a predator from the nest. On the mossland pools 2 drake Teal were again seen. A Water Rail was heard squealing on Abbot's Moss again.

A Hobby was over Shemmy Moss early afternoon and then moved to Gull Pool where it was later seen patrolling the canopy of Gull Pool Wood.

Fired up by my cracking patch lifer I went onto patch all am and later in the afternoon too. Warm & sunny all day.

Another good day. First the usual bits, 2 drake Teal were again on Shemmy Moss as well as the 2 Greylag Geese. The weirdest record was a Kingfisher sat on a small tree in the centre of Shemmy Moss at 6.05pm, the first record for me here!

Today 2(m+f) Hobbies gave super views around midday, they flew around together as a pair, mirroring each other, superb. Also over Shemmy Moss were a Kestrel and at least 6 Buzzards. Two more magic moments were provided by the male Cuckoo which was seen and heard on Shemmy Moss both early morning and early evening. In the morning it was perched in dead trees cuckoo-ing and then by me imitating its call I called it over and it flew over a group of us just 10m or so above us. Later when back on with Carys we had it calling and flying across the track in front of us again showing really well.

A cracking morning on patch even though the weather was dull, cool and had a real flat feel to it!

A Patch Lifer in the shape of an immature (prob 2nd calendar year) Marsh Harrier which flew at mid height through Abbot's Moss and headed off SE without pausing. This species is increasing as a breeder in Cheshire so it was only a matter of time before one was seen over patch and luckily for me today was that day! Another good bird was the first Cuckoo of the year, heard only, over the mosses but distant. I had had a report from a dog walker that they had heard one last Thursday 2nd May.

On Shemmy Moss 2 drake Teal were on one of the pools and 2 Greylag Geese were flying around as usual. A Water Rail was heard squealing on Abbot's Moss, a relief after finding one dead a while ago, since when I hadn't heard one. A Cormorant flew over the mosses, a scarce bird in May followed by the same or a second one around half an hour later. Given their scarcity in May I'll err on the side of caution and record it as one bird. A Herring Gull and then later 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over Abbot's Moss, the former being the rarer gull on patch.

A Raven was again over Abbot's Moss. A flock of 10 Goldfinches fed on dandelion heads and was joined by 2 Linnets. In a dead tree 2 male Reed Buntings perched together. A also watched 2 Whitethroats go into probable nest sites on Shemmy Moss. At least 5 Garden Warblers still sang on Shemmy Moss.

Another sunny, and hot, morning walk, concentrating on the mossland part of my patch.

A count on Big Pool recorded 34 Tufted Ducks with more on Gull Pool, Small Pool and Shemmy Moss. There were 4 Greylag Geese today, 2 on Nunsmere ad 2 on Shemmy Moss.

Best bird of the day was my first Hobby of the year anywhere. It shot through Shemmy Moss and headed off rapidly east, but I had a message to say that it returned after I had gone and stayed to hunt for a while. It was a four species of raptor day with a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and 6 Buzzards, all over the mosslands.

A very early morning walk (5.30-7am) and then an afternoon in the sun with Carys my wife.

A flight of 4(2drk) Teal was seen over Abbot's Moss, presumably two pairs. A total of at least 4(3drk) Gadwall included 3 drakes on Redesmre and 3(2drks) flying over Abbot's Moss, and I'm assuming some overlap in individuals! Also on Nunsmere I watched 2 Great Crested Grebes in the full 'weed dance', rearing right up out of the water to do it, fantastic.

The best passerine was heard by Carys only, as it is a hearing frequency that I lost years ago when I had meningitis, namely a Grasshopper Warbler on Abbot's Moss. This is a patch first and I can now only hope that it shows itself sometime. Also on Abbot's Moss 2(1m) Reed Bunting were seen together. The common warbler species were all present including a probable female Garden Warbler in the early morning visit as it was just a meter away from a singing male, was silent, and came out of the cover of a bramble when first seen.