Hi David. I have already heard about it and I've also sent the details of this over to Ian so that he can investigate. As well as this, I spoke to Judith Smith today about it and she assured me it was nothing to worry about.

An evening outing on the moss from 3.40 to 5.15pm.

1 Peregrine - with prey
3 Kestrel
2 Buzzard
28 Grey Partridge (6,7,9,6)
9 Pheasant
15 Meadow Pipit
8 Yellowhammer
1 Jay
c25 Linnet
1 Stock Dove
1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker
c15 Long tailed tit

Plus all the usuals.

Early morning mooch from 7.00 to 9.15. A little quieter than of late.

1 Peregrine
1 Kestrel
5 Grey Partridge
6 Yellowhammer
6 Redwing
12 Fieldfare
c25 Meadow Pipit
c25 Pied Wagtail
2 Skylark
2 Jay
4 Reed Bunting
c60 Linnet
12 Long tailed tits

Plus all the usuals.


-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Saturday 22nd of October 2011 10:46:18 AM

Just discovered Highfield Moss (and this thread!). I moved to Winwick in Feb this year and have been delighted to discover such a productive local "patch" - Houghton Green Flash, Arbury, Barrow Lane and now Highfield Moss! I was equally gutted to realise that I cross recording areas from CAWOS to Lancs. to Manchester and back on the one walk!? Mike Baron is helping me get my head round the boundaries but I'm not there yet

Anyway, maybe with the exception of the Flash (high rarity potential ) the Moss really gripped me. Good stubbles, some set-aside, woodland and piece of relict mossland. What more could a birder want? Not totally sure yet that these are all Manchester records but have recorded the following:

9th Oct: 430 Linnets being hunted by both Merlin and Sparrowhawk to NEast of Highfield Farm (maybe out of GM?), 275 Lesser B-Backed Gulls in same area, 50 Meadow Pipits, 70 Skylarks, 31 Grey Partridge and 1 Kestrel (Probably in GM!)

12th Oct: 42 Grey Partridge, 3 Bullfinch, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammers, 7 Linnets, 48 Rooks, 5 Pied Wagtails (all close to the Moss itself so definitely GM records).
Cheers David

Early evening walk and a bit of a raptor fest.

8 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
1 Peregrine - very good views as it scared all the Wood pigeons.
c60 Linnet - in little flocks of 10 or so.
c10 Yellowhammer
5 Reed Bunting
3 Meadow Pipit
Loads of mixed Corvids.

All afternoon at this very good site, lots of yellow hammer, corn bunting, plenty of reed bunting, flock of meadow pipits, linnets, 1 willow warbler, blackcap, 1 sedge warbler, quite a few whitethroat, and a garden warbler in the trees near the aerodrome, buzzard swallow, gold finches willlow tit, and nearly trod on a grey partridge which scared me to death.

Well maybe i'm wrong, you might be able to help me out, I got a few good snaps of it. Where is the best place to upload em to?

My first outing on Highfield Moss and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Did a circuit between 5 and 8pm today, the highlights were:

Juvenile Stonechat
2 Corn Bunting
Pretty sure i saw a Tree pipit performing its song and dance from the top of a tree
6+ Yellowhammer
Lots of Meadow Pipits
15+ Willow Warbler
4 Reed Bunting
5 Linnet
2 Whitethroat
2 Kestrel

23/06/2011 - 11am, walked down from Golborne past Highfield Farm to the moss:

2 Oystercatchers
2 Yellow Wagtails
7 Skylarks
3 Meadow Pipits
4 Willow Warblers
1 Chiffchaff
2 Whitethroats
1 Tree Sparrow - just out of county
8 Reed Buntings + juvs
3 Linnets
2 Yellowhammers
1 Corn Bunting - on the county boundary

anthony capuano wrote:

---

Hi Nick, there are two highfield farms on bing maps one to the north of highfield moss the other to the south west!! Could you point me to the correct one for therecent sighting of a corn bunting. I'm hoping to go to this site for the first time this weekend and would appreciate any advice on where to park up and any favoured spots or routes around this area. Cheers

---

Anthony - just sent you a PM.

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Wednesday 15th of June 2011 11:01:32 PM

A nice evening mooch with the dog tonight 7.45 to 9.15pm.

Corn Bunting still singing from corn tops near to Highfield farm.
Lots of fledged birds - Whitethroats, Willow warblers, Mipits, etc.
Lots of Grey Partridge and Pheasant around the fields and on the moss itself.
Also lots of activity from Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Linnets.

A quick outing from 3.30 to 4.45pm today.

A cracking Corn Bunting singing from the corn tops near to Highfield farm.
2 Buzzard
2 Grey Partridge
Lots of Mipits, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers all feeding young.

A little afternoon stroll on the moss 3.00 till 4.30.

4 Skylark
1 Wheatear
3 Whitethroat
4 Grey Partridge

plus the usual corvids, woodpigeons, mipits, reed buntings, yellowhammers, etc.

After Robs report yesterday I thought I'd just nip over to the ploughed field this evening with my camera to shoot a few Wheatear.

Just as I was approaching the field though a Hobby flew straight across in front of me heading north over the field. I got a really good view of it too, it was just a pity I didn't have my camera primed ready. Hopefully it will be the first of many for this year.

Also, there was a cracking Corn Bunting singing its head off at the top of the last big tree before the railway. Managed to get some good shots of it too before it got moved on by a dog walker.

Other sightings were:

11 Wheatear
1 Skylark
5 Linnet
3 Yellowhammer
2 Crow
1 Lapwing

Decided to do an early mooch this morning 6.30 - 8.00am.

12 Willow warbler
8 Lapwing
4 Skylark
8 Crow
9 Yellowhammer
2 Mallard
7 Blackbird
6 Grey Partridge
1 Greenfinch
2 Wren
3 Robin
4 Blue tit
2 Dunnock
1 Magpie
1 Pheasant
15 Reed Bunting
3 LT tit
27 Linnet
20 Mipit
4 Chaffinch
1 GSW
1 Moorhen
2 BH gull
42 Wood pigeon

Nice morning to be out and about.

3.00pm till 4.30pm today.

2 GSW
1 Goldcrest
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Jay
6 Grey Partridge
11 Skylark
1 Mipit
1 Reed Bunting
8 Golden Plover on Highfield farm field adjacent to the moss.

Plus the usual Blue tits, Blackbirds, Crows, Wood pigeons, etc.

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Thursday 24th of March 2011 05:41:31 PM

On the moss today 3.00pm to 4.30pm.

10 Reed Bunting
2 Blue tit
1 Treecreeper - new tick
2 Mallard flying over
6 Black headed gull flying over
4 Crow
10 Grey partridge - on adjacent field.
1 Fieldfare flying over
1 Buzzard

Bird wise this is the quietest I've ever seen it down there. It was like nothing existed in the place - really eerie!!

Hi Steve,

It could very well be the same one. As you said its not that far away and I would imagine there's only a very slim chance thats there's two of them around!!

Oddly I saw this post on BG's recently:

http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=advanced&sp=65009&rty=0&r=0&st=1&v=0&off=273538

Paste link

I think any species can show leucistic features?

-- Edited by Rob Smallwood on Sunday 31st of October 2010 06:19:00 PM

Late report from yesterday 3.00pm to 5.00pm. My first outing down there for a while.

4 coveys of Grey Partridge - three with 6 birds and one large one of 24 birds plus one red legged.
20+ LT Tits
9 Skylark
4 Mipits
2 Buzzard
2 Sparrowhawk
Loads of Wood pigeon and mixed Corvids

Seen Today
Buzzard
Yellow hammers 2
willow tit
Swallows
large flock of gold finches 30 feeding on thistle on approach
wood pidgeon
Reed Bunters
Meadow pippits
Magpies
few linnets

cheers

ian

Quick mooch at 4.00pm today.

6 Wheatear on ploughed field adjacent to Moss.

Also, very surprised to see that there is now an airstrip along the entire southern edge of the moss in the farmers field complete with a huge windsock, portacabin and portaloo and signs informing of 'extreme danger' due to landing aircraft. Presumably this has something to do with the impending (or not) Parkside Freight terminal. Who knows?

On the moss this morning 9.30 - 11.00am.

Skylark
Lapwing
Meadow Pipit
Reed Bunting
Buzzard
Grey Partridge
Swallow - 12
Yellowhammer
Blue tit
Great tit
Blackbird
Willow Warbler
Linnet
Robin
Wren
Wood Pigeon
Crow
Chaffinch

Nick Isherwood wrote:

---

Not wishing to cast aspertions on the local kids, but the burning of the moss has been happenning at this time every year for a very long time (must be some sort of tradition that they pass down).

The fires are definately started deliberately as apart from the current one major burnt area, there are also many smaller burnt areas - many of them destroying the already few remaining gorse bushes that used to be there.

Also, the kids use the wooded area as a BMX track and regularly dig out large holes to create jumps and obstacles. The chopping of the trees has been done to create firewood as these scroats are down there most evenings making fires and littering the place with their lager cans, etc.

I had already heard that the ownership of this area was being looked at and I can only hope that it is resolved in the near future and the area can get proper management because valuable habitat is being destroyed daily.

---

proper Management doasn't stop these issues,pennys main reedbed top of rammies was burned the other week,and drinking goas on even on a well wardened area like that,So basically its just a modern day issue everywere.