Flooded field opposite fiddle. Yellow wagtail still present 2 pied wagtail several lapwings and jackdaws 2 oystercatchers 

Pool opposite Fiddle pub - 13:15 - 13:50

 

2 BH Gulls

2 Coot with 2 small chicks

6 Moorhen

5 Teal

1 Shoveler

4 Lapwing

1 Pied Wagtail

2 Woodpigeon

2 Stock Dove

1 Magpie

13 Jackdaw

1 Chaffinch

1 Robin

5 Swallow

2 House Martin

1 Skylark

8 Starling

This Morning Flood opposite Fiddle 

Teal -14

Gadwall - 1 Pair

Shoveler - 1 Pair

Fieldfare - 58 flying Ne

Mute Swan - 1 Pair

Kestrel -1 Male

10.00-13.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

2 Buzzards (1 carrying squirrel/small rabbit sized prey item), 3 Willow Tits (2 involved in an aerial battle, the other merely

a spectator, so perhaps 2 males and 1 female ?), a pair of Oystercatchers, 3 singing Chiffchaffs, 1m Bullfinch, 2 Cormorants and 1m Sparrowhawk.

Flooded paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub:

8 Teal, 1 Lapwing, a pair of Gadwall and 1 Snipe.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road ::

3 Yellowhammers, 4 Buzzards, 8 Lapwings (All on territory and seen jointly chasing off a Buzzard, or just trying to, until they got

expert help from a pair of crows), at least 20 Skylarks and 4m Reed Buntings.

-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 28th of March 2023 01:46:18 PM

09.00-12.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

1 Willow Tit seen and heard calling alongside Beryl's Wood.

1m Stonechat, 1 Buzzard and 12 Lapwings.

Horse paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub :

2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Buzzard, 15 Lapwings and 3 Stock Doves.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

2 Kestrels, 15 Fieldfares (Single flock), 2 Redwings, 8 Lapwings (All appeared to be on territory),

12 Skylarks, 3m Reed Buntings, 1 Buzzard, 1m Teal and 2 Grey Partridges.

A surprise find for so early in spring was a juvenile Robin, which gave the impression of being

recently fledged.

A Little Owl was seen at one point on this mornings walk (Details to be sent to county recorder).

Late post for yesterday afternoon Monday 20th February 14.30-16.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 male Stonechat and 7 Gadwall.

The chat was seen tackling a large earthworm on the tarmac path. It appeared to be quite a challenge for him,

but he eventually succeeded and flew off carrying his prize.

A pair of 1st winter Mute Swans looked a little out of place in the centre of the large field alongside Hall Lane.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 4 Gadwall

The stables behind the flooded paddock, which have appeared unoccupied for a while, are being now being developed.

This area as been the most reliable spot for local Tree Sparrow sightings in recent years, especially the surrounding

hawthorn hedges. The hedges currently remain in intact and have received their winter trim. Lets hope they remain

in situ for years to come, not just for the sparrows, but other birds like the Yellowhammer which I have often seen

on these hawthorns too.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, 1 Skylark and 1 Fieldfare (Perched on top of a large oak).

10 Lapwings appeared to have been setting up their territories in the field alongside Tanhouse Lane, which also

attracted a couple of small flocks of Starlings.

The situation regarding the finch and bunting flocks in the area appears dire.

I regularly used to find a flock of around 60 Linnets on overhead wires alongside Phipps Brook, but they have gone,

it's a struggle to find even a single Chaffinch or Reed Bunting in the area now.

The surrounding fields currently appear fallow, perhaps that is the reason the seed eaters have moved on?.

Probable ringtail Hen Harrier seen yesterday from old Alder Lane low over fields to South of fiddle pub.

Morning walk

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook): 1 Stonechat and 1 Cormorant.

3 flocks of Lapwings (180,100 and 24) were flushed from a field on the Winwick side of WCML railway,

the same field also attracted a huge mixed group of Rooks and Jackdaws.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 4 Shovelers, 9 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard, 1 Common Gull and 1 Stonechat.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 9 Buzzards shared a field with 54 Black-headed Gulls,

a small flock of Starlings and several crows. Clearly worms were on the menu as some Buzzards were seen running a short

distance before brutally ripping a large earthworm from the ground. The gulls seemed quite relaxed about being within pecking

distance of the big raptors, although clearly the Starlings seemed a little more anxious. 3 Kestrels were seen in the surrounding

fields, 1 of these flew straight into the middle of a flock of around 100 Starlings, although the falcon did not catch anything it

was clearly intent on trying to. Huge numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings were in the area, at one point a mixed flock of at least

300 settled in trees alongside Phipps Brook. A small flock of Blackbirds feasted on haws and with them was a single Song Thrush.

11.00-14.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane) :

A flock of 14 Meadow Pipits and a charm of 12 Goldfinches in the adjoining horse paddocks.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

10 Buzzards, 6 Kestrels, a flock of 20 Collared Doves, 1m Yellowhammer, a flock of 10 Meadow Pipits,

8 Skylarks, 4 Linnets, 1f Stonechat, 2 Ravens and a solitary Fieldfare that had a whole field to itself.

Small groups of Redwings were seen around the hedgerows, but nothing like the numbers seen a couple of days ago.

10.30-13.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) :

1 Kestrel, 6 Meadow Pipits, 1 Reed Bunting and 1 Jay.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

14 Skylarks (In the field alongside Tanhouse Lane, with lots of aerial squabbling taking place).

7 Buzzards (4 sharing the same soggy field, where they appeared to be catching earthworms).

1 Kestrel. 1 Jay with a small group of magpies, crows and starlings, who like the buzzards were gathered together

in the centre of a soggy field in search of worms. It was apparent though that the corvids and starlings do not

like to share the same field as the buzzards.

Regarding seed eaters, with the exception of the single Reed Bunting at Causey Bridge, no other finches, buntings, linnets

or sparrows were to be found, which is very odd. Most fields now contain small seedlings and there was no sign of seeds that

had not germinated lying on the ground.

10.00-14.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) 1 Garden Warbler (In the small copse by Causey Bridge parking area).

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 1 Grasshopper Warbler (Posed briefly on a bramble thicket),

1 Spotted Flycatcher (On East-West hawthorn hedge N of Causeway Bridges Farm), 1 Kestrel, 3 Buzzards, 1 Grey Wagtail

plus 3 flocks of Linnets (1@5,1@8 and 1@60).

Midday.

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) : 2 Buzzards and 1 singing Yellowhammer.

1 Grey Wagtail by Sankey Brook. 1 Oystercatcher on the dried up paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Kestrels, 3 Common Whitethroats,

3 singing Yellowhammers, 2 Song Thrushes, 3 Cormorants and a flock of 14 Linnets.

12.00-16.00

Sankey Valley Trail around Causey Bridge : 1 Buzzard, 1m Kestrel and 2 Lapwings.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 3 near full grown+1 half grown Lapwing young together with 3 adults.

Also seen was a near full grown Moorhen youngster alongside an adult.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road. : 3 Buzzards, 1f Kestrel, 4 Yellowhammers, 4 Tree Sparrows,

2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Reed Buntings, 1 Sparrowhawk and a flock of 42 Linnets.

Also noted was a Dunnock which rested right in the centre of a field of oil seed rape, and quite a long way from any hedges or bushes.

Floods opposite Fiddle area

Swift -300+ over rape seed Fields to the west of pool

Redshank-2

Oystercatcher-2

Yellow Wagtail -1 male

 

 

Hobby just gone south over floods opposite fiddle pub

Paddock opposite Fiddle pub this afternoon

 

2 Yellow Wagtails

1 Redshank

9 Lapwing

2 Gadwall

1 Swallow

Morning walk

Horse paddocks opposite former the Fiddle pub: 1 Swallow, 1 Gadwall, 2 Oystercatchers, 10 Lapwings

and 1 singing male Blackcap.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Buzzards, 2 singing Chiffchaffs, 6 Linnets,

1f Sparrowhawk, 1 singing Common Whitethroat, 1 Grey Heron, 3m Yellowhammers, 12 Lapwings and a flock of 8 Stock Doves.

Afternoon walk

Horse paddocks opposite former the Fiddle pub: 3 Snipe, 6 Teal, 2 Swallows, 1 Buzzard, 6 Lapwings and 2 Oystercatchers.

Sankey Brook (Just North of the M62) : 2f Goosanders and 1 Kingfisher.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Yellowhammers, 5 Linnets, 1 Buzzard, 4 singing Skylarks,

12 Lapwings (All on territory) and 3 singing Chiffchaffs.

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) : 1 Buzzard, 1 singing Willow Warbler and 2 displaying Lapwings.

Horse paddocks on Alder Lane 14:55 - 15:20

 

2 Oystercatcher

3 Lapwing

1 Snipe

4 Gadwall

6 Teal

20+ Woodpigeon

Winwick floods 2 redshank,4 snipe,6 shoveler,4Gadwall, 2 Oystercatcher

Morning walk

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook) : 1 Kestrel, 4 Rooks, 1 Grey Heron and a pair of Lapwings.

A Kingfisher was seen flying along Newton Brook.

Horse Paddocks opposite former Fiddle pub :5 Shovelers, 10 Gadwall, 30 Teal and 1 Mistle Thrush.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Buzzards, 1f Kestrel, 15 Lapwings, 2 Skylarks,

60 Fieldfares (With a large group of Starlings), 1 Mistle Thrush and a flock of 16 Stock Doves,

15.00-17.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane bridge) : A flock of 15 Linnets in the paddock alongside the railway.

In the very muddy paddock alongside the former "Fiddle" pub were 10 Linnets, 12 Redwings and 7 Pied Wagtails,

which were being watched by a single Buzzard perched in a nearby tree.

The flooded paddock opposite the former pub held 1 Shelduck and 10 Moorhens plus the usual Coots and Mallard,

but no sign of any Shovelers, Teal or Gadwall there today.

Adjoining drier paddocks attracted a huge flock of Woodpigeons, whilst a huge (Probable female) Buzzard with a single Magpie

as a close companion watched from a nearby fence.

Unusually the big raptor and the Magpie appeared totally content in each others company.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 1 Kestrel. A flock of 70 Fieldfares with what appeared to be equal numbers

of Starlings and a mere 5 Redwings.

10.30-13.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane bridge) : 1 Sparrowhawk flying fast and very low across the horse paddocks.

Flooded horse paddock opposite the former Fiddle i'th bag pub : 14 Shovelers (10 drakes), 1 Common Gull and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : At last the big flocks of Fieldfare have arrived, 290 were on very

soggy farmland alongside Tanhouse Lane, in the company of 40 Redwings and around 70 Starlings.

3 Reed Buntings rested together in a bush near Dial Post Farm.

- Common Buzzard sat in a low tree on north side of M62 approx 1/2 mile west of Burtonwood services (9.25am).

I had to look twice as its breast and head looked almost pure white, almost Osprey-like.