It was a little quiet on the bird front at the pools this afternoon due to the peatworkers machinery making a racket. Only found 3 LR Plovers 2 Snipe 1 Curlew 4 Redshank 2 Mallard Also a pair of Shellducks were preening beside the far pool. 2 Willow warblers singing 5 Swallows over. Woodpecker heard dr...
Andy Isherwood found a female Ring Ouzel at the top of Rindle Road, Astley Moss on the 19th. The bird was in the hedge around the horse paddock just before the level crossing, also present were 2 Greenland Wheatear. Come on the 'lowlands'
At this time of year I get Herons visiting my garden ponds each day.Normally just one arrives and looks at my Koi and Goldfish through the netting and fence which I have built around my main pond before deciding it would be easy to catch a frog in my smaller open pond.This is better for me considering the...
Anybody who knows me (and 99% of you reading this probably wont), knows I rarely twitch. Recently however Ive been looking at my life list and thinking it needed improving. So rather than jumping in full tilt with a pager and charging round the country, I decided Id ease myself in by trying to improve my...
On my BTO Waterways Breeding Bird Survey today from the swing bridge on Slag Lane to the A58 at Bamfurlong, I had 57 species including 9 Black-tailed Godwits, Reed and Sedge Warbler at Dover Basin, a Wheatear and Common Sandpiper along the canal, House Martin, and Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethro...
I am currently searching for Rock and Water Pipit images to use in a forthcoming article for the website, if anybody out there has any photos they feel may be of use and don't mind me using them then please contact me by email. I welcome photos from out of the county (as birds are usually easier to photogr...
PF: 2 Garganeys (slag lane end) 1 Little Gull 4 LRPs 1 RP 3+ Redshank 3 White Wagtails 2 Common Terns 1 Reed Warbler 1 Sedge Warbler 2 Whitethroats 1 Weasel seen at feeding station Chat Moss 2 Wheatear Field west of Rindle road 2 Curlew f67 2 Stock Dove f67 1 Cuckoo wood south of Nook Lane 4 LRP Astley peat poo...
2 Swifts screamed over my garden in Astley earlier on today, whilst I was cleaning my pond filter- which is nice Probably loads about now though but these are the first I've seen this year (in the UK anyway!).
3 on Birdguides at Holcombe Moor (1m) at the top of Saplin Wood near ruined Taylors Farm today. Rob Adderley had 14 in the east today - will let him tell you all exactly where they were...
Ever get envious of reading about Ouzels someone else has found? Well today (after a 15 hour night shift ) I got myself up to Watergrove Reservoir, one of the few locations I hadn't heard of any Ouzels from for a while and a likely spot to cash in on my own 'Ouzel fest'. Now when you look at the valley and h...
Having read about everyone tripping over Ring Ouzels in the west of the county I searched a few likely spots over here in the hills today and was pleasantly surprised to find at least 8 (5 males and 3 females) in the area above Higher Chelburn Res'r, Littleborough giving stonking views. Also in the ar...
Andy Makin reports that the 5 Ring Ouzels (3m 2f) were back at the Adam Hill plantation area tonight, with 5 Wheatear, and 2 Snipe calling on Mast Rd near the cattle grid. At Elton Resr Simon Johnson had 2 White Wagtails, a Common Tern, a Little Ringed PLover and 6 Teal. At Dover Basin today I had a singing W...
Target for today was common tern managed 4 from horrocks hide along with 2 common snipe,6 redshank,2 ringed and 2 little ringed plover,200 sand martin,10 great crested grebe,6 cormerants,8 lapwing. new hide-shoveller,teal,gadwall,carrion crow,chiff chaff,long tailed tit. also bagged me a l...
There were two Tree Pipits at Adswood Tip yesterday evening, in small saplings at the south eastern end, close to Tenement Lane. Also present: 2 Chifffchaff 2 Willow Warbler 1 Kestrel
quick look 08.00 fairbrother st 4 mute swan 2 coot 2 blackbird 1 wren 30 sandmartin buzzin all over does any one know if they nest on the irwell i watched some investigating the holes in the pomona dock wall?? cheers geoff
First swallow has arrived at top farm resting on telephone line then skimming across the field.joined by 3 singing skylark and 4 meadow pips. 4 crows 8 magpies 2 grey wags coal tit willow tit long tailed tit blue and great tits 4 chiff chaff 6 woodpigeon song thrush great spotted wood nuthatch no signs...
Phil Lord has only just rung me (2pm ish) to let me know that he's found a first winter Glaucous Gull on Scotsmans Flash, a very good county bird indeed! Large Gulls don't roost on Scotties and only use it to rest, wash, preen etc, but it is possible it may stay a while so long as the boats don't come out! Well...
Pual Hammond and I had a Cuckoo at Moss Brow Farm, Rindle Rd. early morning. What with the mist and sun in our eyes it led us a merry dance for at least half an hour, until it flew across the road just in front of us. Later on we picked out a Little Gull preening on the Peat Pools, which led to a momentus occasio...
Willow Warblers are back at last! Two were singing this afternoon. Other signs of summer included two Chiffchaff, two Swallows, and two House Martins high overhead. Also seen: 1 Sparrowhawk 2 Linnets 2 Meadow Pipits 1m Bullfinch 1 Lapwing 2 Skylarks. The mystery 'grouse' reported by local kids s...
Whilst up Walker Fold (Bolton) this afternoon my son and I happened upon a Lizard on the path! Completely gobsmacked, we followed the little fella to a crack in some rocks were it couldn't escape from and we studied it to only afew inches, it was about 5 inches long, generally green but with rather intri...
