20.00 to 21.50. Turton Golf Course/Hazelhurst Wood. Breeding Woodcock Survey.
Half an hour around the top of the golf course before starting the survey :- Swallows, Skylarks, Linnets, & Reed Buntings but no Grasshopper Warblers.
A Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler were still singing just before dusk.
Tawny Owls & Pipistrelles to finish the night. No other bat species picked up by the bat detector. I have seen Noctule in the past.
No sign of any Woodcocks being present, but to be honest I was not expecting any. I have been going around here with a bat detector for a couple of years and have only come across one late wintering bird. Still need to confirm that there are none with my next two visits.
1 Cormorant flying over Pair of Canada Geese 3 Mallards 1 Kestrel 2 Pheasants Black-headed Gulls & Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over 5 Woodpigeons 2 Skylarks 3 Meadow Pipits 2 Pied Wagtails 3 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 4 Robins Pair of Wheatears at the top of the field above the golf course. I checked this field from 3 sides but did not hear any Grasshopper Warblers. Maybe I need a greenkeeping machine to attract them ! 2 Blackbirds 1 Mistle Thrush 4 Whitethroats at the top the hillside behind the club house, where we talked about this morning Anthony. 1 Blackcap calling from Hazelhurst Wood 5 Willow Warblers 5 Blue Tits 2 Great Tits 1 Nuthatch 5 Magpies 8 Carrion Crows 9 Chaffinches 2 Goldfinches 10 Linnets 2 Lesser Redpolls Pair of Roe Deer 1 Rabbit
7.40am to 9.00am. Very windy and seemed fairly quiet at Turton Golf Course so I concentrated on the more sheltered farmland past Clough House Farm to Greens Arms Road.
1 Canada Goose 1 Mallard 4 Pheasants 2 Lapwings 1 Curlew 8 Woodpigeons 1 Green Woodpecker heard yaffling at Turton Tower A few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits 1 Swallow 1 Pied Wagtail A few Wrens & Robins 1 Mistle Thrush 1 Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling 4 Willow Warblers Nuthatch heard calling from Turton Tower Blue Tits & Great Tits 2 Magpies 8 Carrion Crows Numerous Chaffinches 2 Goldfinches 1 Siskin 1 Linnet 2 Lesser Redpolls 2 Reed Buntings
At lunchtime a House Martin was back at the nesting area in the middle of Chapeltown.
Turton Golf Course :- 1 Grey Heron 1 Mallard 1 Pheasant 10+ Black-headed Gulls, lots more flying over. 15 Woodpigeons 1 Green Woodpecker heard 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Skylarks 5 Meadow Pipits 1 Pied Wagtail 4 Wrens 6 Dunnocks 4 Robins 1 Wheatear. Not on the course, just outside on the field between the course & Turton Tower. 2 Blackbirds 1 Song Thrush 9 Blue Tits 4 Great Tits 1 Nuthatch 4 Jays 11 Magpies 4 Jackdaws flying over 7 Carrion Crows 8 Chaffinches 4 Goldfinches 2 Siskins 5 Lesser Redpolls 2 Linnets 4 Bullfinches 1 Reed Bunting 1 Rabbit. Lots of Frogs, as there were in every pond I passed all day.
Area near The Bungalow :- Pair of Canada Geese, Pair of Mallards, 1 Snipe calling, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 female Stonechat, 4 Reed Buntings.
8.40am to 10.00am. Turton Golf Course - Clough House Farm - Greens Arms Road.
In a bush behind the Last Drop on the edge of the Golf Course there were 5 Jays together. Not a full search of the course, just a walk across. Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, + the usual common birds.
Heading for Clough House Farm I saw a pair of Canada Geese by the pond near the barn/Bungalow. A Kestrel, a Skylark, a Meadow Pipit, a Pied Wagtail, and a couple of Reed Buntings nearby.
About 55 Fieldfares in trees at Clough House Farm, with lots of Starlings heard from the field behind, out of sight so unable to count. Also a few Chaffinches & Goldfinches.
Along the track to Greens Arms Road a Grey Heron flew over from Entwistle and a Curlew flew up to Whittle Hill. A few Skylarks, a Meadow Pipit, Lesser Redpolls, and a Reed Bunting also present.
I checked Turton Tower at 7.30am this morning on the way to my WeBS counts. Being so early it was quite lively with the usual suspects.
1 Grey Heron and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over 3 Pheasants 25 Woodpigeons 1 Stock Dove 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers Wrens, Dunnocks, & Robins 6 Blackbirds 1 Redwing 1 Song Thrush Blue Tits & Great Tits 4 Nuthatches, including a very excited pair Chaffinches, Goldfinches, and a Bullfinch
2 Canada Geese Pair of Mallards 1 Pheasant 3 Woodpigeons 1 Skylark 2 Meadow Pipits 2 Pied Wagtails, one chasing the Pipits off 3 Wrens 4 Dunnocks 5 Robins 3 Blackbirds c50 Fieldfares. 18 flying over & 30+ at Little Stanrose flew onto the course when I disturbed them 2 Song Thrushes 1 Mistle Thrush 1 Chiffchaff. I was told of a possible a week ago, probably this bird. 2 Coal Tits 8 Blue Tits 4 Great Tits 3 Jays 6 Magpies 3 Jackdaws 14 Carrion Crows 8 Chaffinches 2 Greenfinches 4 Goldfinches 1 Siskin 4 Lesser Redpolls 2 Bullfinches 3 Reed Buntings
Had a chat with Tony at the Greenkeepers shed and was told that 8 Crossbills had been on the course for a couple of days at the start of the week. I checked the same patch seeing a small flock of Lesser Redpolls with Chaffinches, but no Crossbills. Not much around the course, especially when a strongish wind from the east started. 3 Pied wagtails, 1 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Nuthatches, & 2 Siskins amongst more common birds.
Between the golf course and Clough House Farm I came across 10 Canada Geese by a pond, and a Green Woodpecker again in the copse on the hillside.
A Nuthatch giving very close views was at Clough House, but along the track to Greens Arms Road I did not see a single bird. Not even a Crow.
1 Peregrine 2 Kestrels 1 Black-headed Gull 2 Herring Gulls flying over 13 Woodpigeons 1 Green Woodpecker 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two of them having a really good squabble 2 Wrens 4 Dunnocks 7 Robins 5 Blackbirds 31 Fieldfares (not actually on the course, in the adjoining field at Little Stanrose Farm) 2 Song Thrushes 1 Mistle Thrush A few Blue Tits and Great Tits 2 Nuthatches 1 Jay 7 Magpies 7 Carrion Crows 15 Chaffinches 3 Greenfinches 2 Goldfinches 2 Lesser Redpolls 1 Bullfinch
After the golf course I walked up through Clough House Farm. Only a Reed Bunting of note.
About a week ago the greenkeepers flushed a couple of Woodcocks.
Turton Golf Course :- Pair of Mallards 1 Black-headed Gull 7 Woodpigeons 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 1 Skylark 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Wren 2 Dunnocks 4 Robins 1 Blackbird 2 Mistle Thrushes A few Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 2 Nuthatches 3 Jays 7 Magpies 3 Jackdaws 2 Carrion Crows 8 Chaffinches 2 Goldfinches
A Green Woodpecker was yaffling away in the copse above the barn below Whittle Hill. Heard from the golf course, along the track to Clough House Farm, and beyond. Still not many moorland birds between the golf course and Greens Arms Road, via Clough House Farm, just a couple of Skylarks.
7.25am to 9.30am. Turton Golf Course. Birds were everywhere this morning.
1 Grey Heron 2 Mallards 4 Black-headed Gulls 1 Snipe 16 Woodpigeons 1 Tawny Owl 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, one in the copse with all the thrushes 9 Meadow Pipits 1 Pied Wagtail 5 Wrens 1 Dunnock 11 Robins 9 Blackbirds 120+ Fieldfares (60 flew over coming from Jumbles & 60 were in a copse between course and Turton Tower before flying onto the course 85 Redwings (25 on the course & 60 left behind in the copse by the Fieldfares. As I approached they flew to Turton Tower 2 Mistle Thrushes 2 Goldcrests 1 flock of Long-tailed Tits 10 Blue Tits 5 Great Tits 2 Nuthatches heard calling from Turton Tower 7 Jays 13 Magpies 31 Rooks seen over my house as I was setting off will have flown over the course 12 Carrion Crows 25 Jackdaws 2 Ravens flying over here and then Bromley Cross 5 Starlings 13 Chaffinches 4 Greenfinches 5 Goldfinches 1 Siskin 20+ Lesser Redpolls in one flock 5 Bullfinches in one flock 9 Reed Buntings, flocks of 7 and 2
9.45am at Clough House Farm :- At least 6 Reed Buntings. They were regular here last winter.
8am to 9.10am Turton Golf Course:- 1 Cormorant flying over 11 Canada Geese flying over 1 Pheasant 8 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over 6 Woodpigeons 1 Little Owl seen by Greenkeeper a couple of days ago. Normally regular in certain areas, but I have struggled to see them this year. Also due to the weather I have not been doing owl and bat walks this year in the evenings 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 30+ Meadow Pipits 5 Pied Wagtails 6 Swallows 5 Wrens 6 Robins 2 Blackbirds 1 Chiffchaff on boundary, same one as reported in Bromley Cross report Blue Tits & Great Tits 1 Jay 3 Magpies 3 Carrion Crows 4 Jackdaws 13 Chaffinches 2 Greenfinches 11 Goldfinches 4 Siskins
9.10am to 9.50am Clough House Farm to Greens Arms Road :- 1 Kestrel 7 Meadow Pipits 1 Pied Wagtail 1 Wren 4 Robins 1 Goldcrest Flock of Long-tailed Tits with Blue Tits & Great Tits 2 Coal Tits 2 Jays 1 Magpie 6 Carrion Crows 1 Jackdaw 3 Chaffinches 3 Goldfinches 1 Siskin 4 Bullfinches
Late post for 13/9 due to having no internet. The only place locally with any bird movement the last few days, a lot of which is down to good wildlife management. Last year Tony Wainwright won the STRI Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year Award, (Tony is an acquaintance from Natural History at Bolton Museum), and due to the ongoing wildlife work 10 hectares of the course have been designated a Biological Heritage Site. Tony also runs wildlife walks for the members. The list below shows how this work is paying off. As the county boundary borders the course a lot of these birds can be counted in both county reports.
4 Mallards 1 Kestrel 4 adult Pheasants + 5 tiny juveniles 18 Black-headed Gulls 4 Woodpigeons 14 Feral Pigeons 1 Tawny Owl 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 2 Skylarks 35 Swallows 70+ Meadow Pipits 9 Pied Wagtails 3 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 9 Robins 1 Wheatear 1 Blackbird 18 Mistle Thrushes 4 Whitethroats in a bush together (numerous pairs of Whitethroats & Grasshopper Warblers now nest on the course) 2 Chiffchaffs 1 Goldcrest 1 flock of Long-tailed Tits Numerous Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 1 Nuthatch 3 Jays 5 Magpies 11 Carrion Crows 2 Jackdaws 4 Chaffinches 12 Greenfinches 60+ Goldfinches 1 Siskin 11 Lesser Redpolls 25+ Linnets (mainly migrants as most of the breeding birds left a while ago) 2 Reed Buntings
4 Pheasants 50+ Black-headed Gulls 7 Woodpigeons 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 40+ Swallows 7 Meadow Pipits 2 Grey Wagtails 12 Pied Wagtails, including the 10 at Holts Fold which moved across to the Golf Course 1 Wren 1 Dunnock 4 Robins 1 Wheatear on fields above the Golf Course 1 Blackbird 2 Willow Warblers 4 Blue Tits 2 Great Tits 1 Nuthatch 1 Jay 5 Magpies 12 Carrion Crows The 20+ Chaffinches at Holts Fold moved ahead of me onto the Golf Course 50+ Goldfinches 5 Linnets 3 Lesser Redpolls 1 Bullfinch