Circa 95 Lapwing in F36 this evening, with a Kestrel nearby in F32.

Spent about an hour this morning walking up and down the track but didn't hear the quail. Decent numbers of willow warbler, blackcap, chiffchaff. yellowhammer, whitethroat and skylark in the general area plus fly over yellow wagtail, oystercatcher (heading towards Alty STW) and kestrel.

I carried out the BTO's Breeding Bird Survey (late visit) this morning 0700-0830, highlights included a fly over Hobby and good numbers (relatively!) of Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Stock Dove and Skylark.

Off survey area a pair of Grey Partridge were in field 10

this afternoon,

2 yellow wagtail

grey wagtail

goldcrest

2 Mistle thrush

great spotted woodpecker 

double figure stock doves and a huge Woodpigeon gathering, probably 300 birds

family party of long tailed tits

2 willow warblers, 3 chiffchaff, 5 yellowhammer, 3 whitethroat, 2 blackcap , 2 linnet, 4 skylark, 2 greenfinch, 6 lapwing ,  song thrush plus common residents 

 

 

-- Edited by Chris Shaw on Friday 26th of May 2017 11:52:06 PM

Yellow Wagtail male on wires between f10 and f11 this afternoon

Highlights of a short walk at midday today were:

f4  Lapwing x 5, Skylark

f5  Lapwing x 3, Mistle Thrush, Grey Partridge & Stock Dove

f11 Skylark

f12 Grey Partridge x 2, Lapwing x 1

Yellowhammers were present in all the hedgerows around the larger fields - saw c 12 in total

 

Cuckoo called twice f4/old orchard area as the rain stopped. 

Just seen this on Facebook. Will this cause issues in the area for people?

We have been informed that from 5 May, in an attempt to control access by motocross bikes and 4x4 vehicles, to reduce the risk of a collision, certain gates on the moss will be locked at weekends. These are at the junctions of Ashton and Woodcote Roads (near Swiss Cottage), Ashton and Birch Roads (next to the concrete section), and Common Lane adjacent to Asphodel Farm. 
This is closure of the Moss by stealth, at weekends as we come into the summer months when the publlic will want to use the Moss most. 
 It will also put pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders in danger because they will have to use very busy main roads rather than these traffic free routes. 
 We will continue to progress our Public Right of Way claims but please protest strongly to your local Councillor (if you dont know who your Councillor is, we can send you a link so you can find out) and to HIMOR, who can be contacted at 0161 776 4401.

F4 & F5 only

Wheatear 30 : 15 F4 & 15 F5
White Wagtail 1 F4
Meadow Pipit c60 F4
Common Whitethroat 1F4
Grey Partridge 2 F5

09.30-10.30 Monday 24/4

Whinchat F11

Wheatear 10=

Yellow Wagtail 1 on F!1

Yellowhammer 4

1 Swallow

 

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 24th of April 2017 12:33:33 PM

Carried out the BTO's Breeding Bird Survey this morning 0650-0820, highlights included a singing male Linnet at Birch House Farm, Tree Sparrows on Sinderland Lane and 2 Grey Partridge in F32.

Yellowhammer numbers seemed up and I had a few Common Whitethroat (interestingly we didn't get a single one on the Stockport Birdwatching Society trip to Leighton Moss yesterday).

In F5 (not on the survey) there were at least 10 Wheatear.

Whinchat 1 F11
Wheatear 24, 9-F5, 4-F4, 4-F11, 5-F2, 1-F1, 1 at flare
Yellow Wagtail 1 F11
Common Whitethroat 1 F4, 1 F10

Wheatear 9 still in Field 5.

Afternoon visit

All birds in/over f5...
10 wheatear
4 yellowhammer
C40 linnets
3 pied wagtail
9 stock doves
4 mistle thrush
2 lapwing
2 swallow
5 sand martin
1 buzzard

3 Tree Sparrows in the hedges down the road to Brookheys Covert this pm.

Buzzard 3
Linnet 10+
Yellowhammer 2 singing plus 5 others.
Skylark 4 singing plus 5 others.
Chiffchaff 14 singing.
Blackcap 6 singing.
Willow Warbler 3 singing.
Song Thrush 7 singing.
Meadow Pipit 1
Chaffinch 3 singing.
Nuthatch 1
House Sparrow 1m at Swiss Cottage.
Jay 1
Greenfinch 2
etc.etc.etc.

This afternoon

Merlin f10
Buzzard f10
Lapwings 2 displaying f25
Kestrel f25
Skylarks singing f5 and f12
Teal 8 on Sinderland Brook
Grey Wagtail 2 f32
Stock Dove 20 f35

Quick w alk around f4 this pm in the rain...

8 Brambling around the old orchard area and along the hedges.

Chiffchaff singing during brief rain respite.

Male Bullfinch.

4 Redwing

Half a dozen bramblings, including one male in fresh breeding plumage, with the chaffinches in the trees along the road to United's training ground.

Yellowhammers showing nicely near the Shell pool. Also three buzzards (one male, one female, one I'm not sure) flying round the woods nearby. Plenty of tufted duck, gadwall and shoveler viewable on the pool from the path.

1:00 to 2:30 in persistent rain making it very tricky to keep the optics dry.
40 skylarks
15 yellowhammer
250 ish chaffinch flock .... All too difficult to pick out any brambling in wet bins
Buzzard 2
Tawny owl 1
Mixed finch flock c 40 mainly siskin
Mixed tit flocks
Peaked through the shell pond fence .......
Oystercatcher 2
Lapwing 4
Tufted duck
PS - private property signs popping up and steel gates being put up across path by Swiss Cottage farm
Chris



-- Edited by Chris Sutton on Friday 3rd of March 2017 03:53:31 PM

The area in and around Jack Lane nature reserve in Flixton is always good for Willow Tit. 2 there this morning.

Hi Sean,

Willow tits get reported fairly regularly from the Mersey Valley and Priory Gardens in Sale. (I've only ever heard but not seen there).

If you can get up to Bury they're reasonably easy to connect with on the feeders by the yacht club on Elton Reservoir.

HTH

I've just come across this forum - I moved back to Sale last year after many years away and am getting reacquainted with the local birding patches. I'm by no means an expert birder but really enjoying getting back into it.

I had a nice afternoon on the Moss yesterday in the mild weather, after not visiting for a few months. Buzzard central with at least 13 knocking about including one that was not remotely bothered with me biking past it's low perch at less than 20 feet away.

There was a nice large mixed flock to pick through in the tress opposite the farm house on the main path at the back of the United training ground, at least 50 linnet, 20 chaffinch, at least 2 brambling, 5 yellowhammer (another 3 seen further along), goldfinch, the usual tits, goldcrest and a smart jay.

I could make out 1 shoveler, amongst the numerous tufties, on the pond just off the access road to the United complex (Is this the 'Shell pond'?).

Toward the Dunham end of the Moss there were lots of singing skylarks in the fields but not too much else of interest other than a flyover of 33 lapwing and a couple of stock doves. 20+ redwing were resting high in the tress near the bridge over the brook. The only ducks that I could make out at the fenced off largish pond at this end of the site were 4 gadwall.   

I notice you guys are using grid references for the various fields. Is there a map available which lists these? I also noticed that there are a couple of hides on the Shell(?) pond. Is it possible to request access? All the aggressive new signs popping up regarding trespassing makes me think unlikely....

Could any regular site watchers offer any tips for finding willow tit? This bird has taken on a near mythical status for me! With grey partridge is it a case of being lucky and patient or do they favour any particular fields at this time of year?

Cheers

Sean

Originally posted today by Phil Kelly:


From 1 to 3.30pm today.
Brambling 6 (seen in one bush seen at edge of f4 from path running between f4 / f13) seen with -
Yellowhammers - 8 (at least ) .
Chaffinch - aproximately 200 . (all the birds were only 10m away so close , numbers were hard to hard to account for, dropping down feeding , moving back and forth ... Fox in henhouse senario. )
Common Buzzard - 1 f13.
Stock Dove - 2 f5
Fieldfare - c50 in flight over f 2.
Grey Partridge - 2 ( between f25/26 possibly f 75 ... badly marked on site map.)
Pheasant - 4 f71.
Linnet - 45 f71.
Reed Bunting - 2 f71.