Monday, 1st January 2018 10:30 - 14:30 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal then through Haigh Country Park - back through Lady Mabel Wood - along canal and return.
Good to get some fresh air in my lungs after the festivities! Happy New Year to all fellow birders.

Kestrel x 2
Buzzard x 2
Sparrowhawk x 1
House Sparrow x 2
Coal Tit x 2
Nuthatch x 2
Treecreeper x 1
Goldcrest x 2
Dunnock x 1
Mistle Thrush x 2
Carrion Crow x 5
Blackbird x 8
Chaffinch x 2
Blue Tit x 5
Great Tit x 3
Robin x 5
Moorhen x 3
Mallard x 10
Magpie x 12
Woodpigeon x 2
Mute Swan x 2

nice walk in the falling snow, not much showing.

the remains of a female Sparrowhawk close to a regular Buzzard still hunting perch was a sad find

no signs yet of the Tawny Owls using their usual winter roost sites

Grey Wagtail along the river

Coal Tit and Treecreeper among a decent sized Tit flock

usual other stuff, Blackbirds, Robins Wrens Wood pigeon Magpies 

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 10th of December 2017 08:41:12 PM

Decided to try my theory that Haigh might offer a good bet for finding one or more of the Hawfinches frequenting GM at the moment. Sadly my theory didn't pay off today. 2 hours around the middle section of the plantations - an area dominated by beech - produced not a single Hawfinch. It did however produce lots of Nuthatches, Goldcrests, tit species etc and two Ravens over which were a site tick! A skein of pink-footed Geese went over but were largely obscured by trees so I couldn't count them.

-- Edited by Craig Higson on Sunday 5th of November 2017 09:26:09 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 5th of November 2017 10:00:25 PM

Saturday, 15th July 2017 - 13:00 - 16:00 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Haigh Country Park (including Upper and Lower Plantations) - back through Lady Mabel Wood - along canal and return.

Fairly quiet birdwise. Sightings included Blackcap, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Kestrel, Jay, Pied Wagtail, Swallows, Swifts, Moorhen, Carrion Crow, Magpies, Juvenile Robin, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Wren, Canada Geese, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Great Tit

5 juvenile Kestrels fledged, 2 yesterday the other 3 today, a wonderful sight

Sparrowhawk incubating at one site another pair on territory elsewhere, nest not located yet

So far it seems to have been a good breeding season, fledged juveniles of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Mandarin with 2 young, Grey Wagtail, Long tailed Tits and Coal Tits, Song Thrush seen with food, the 13 nest boxes produced, 80+ young Blue tits from 11 nests, 6 young Nuthatches from one box and 4 young Great Tits from another box, one of the boxes was taken down due to squirrel damage before the season started and three Treecreeper boxes were kindly donated and put up but too late in the season for them to be used.

Sennicar lane fields still have around 10 Lapwings no juveniles visible but adults are still mobbing  any passing corvid, 3 pairs of Whitethroats at different stages of the breeding cycle, 1 pair carrying nesting material 1 pair carrying food whilst another pair were alarm calling at the presence of a Magpie,

Swallows nesting under the bridge again, a couple of pairs of Skylarks are in the fields and quite a few pairs of Reed Buntings too.

 

 

Sennicar lane and lady mabels wood

single juvenile Lapwing in fields, not much cover for it though, still about 4 pairs present.

single Willow tit

single Tawny Owl

blue tits feeding young in nestbox

3 pairs of Reed Buntings

several whitethroats and chiffchaffs

Saturday, 22nd April 2017 - 11:00 - 16:30 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Haigh Country Park (including Upper and Lower Plantations) - back through Lady Mabel Wood - along canal and return.

Grasshopper Warbler x 1 (heard reeling and seen in Lady Mabel Wood)
Willow Warbler x 3
Chiffchaff x 5
Wheatear x 2
Greenfinch x 1
Swallow x 5
House Martin x 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1
Pied Wagtail x 1
Lapwing x 8
Mistle Thrush x 2
Kestrel x 2
House Sparrow x 10
Coal Tit x 2
Nuthatch x 5
Dunnock x 1
Jackdaw x 5
Carrion Crow x 8
Blackbird x 7
Chaffinch x 3
Blue Tit x 7
Great Tit x 4
Robin x 4
Moorhen x 1
Canada Geese x 7
Mallard x 12 (and 2 chicks)
Mute Swan x 2
Buzzard x 1 (on way home at Junction 13 M60 near Worsley Woods)

Lady Mabel's wood
Grasshopper Warbler's back in usual spot

Along the canal
Mandarin x 2
Curlew x 2

Plus the usual stuff

Karl

Saturday, 25th March 2017 - 11:30 - 16:30 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Haigh Country Park (including Upper and Lower Plantations feeding stations) - back through Lady Mabel Wood - along canal and return. On return to Red Rock - walked along Leeds/Liverpool canal towards Adlington as far as Bridge 66 and return.

Highlight - Leucistic Magpie in field opposite exit to main car park at Haigh Country Park
Goldcrest x 2
Lapwing x 10
Buzzard x 1
Nuthatch x 4
Coal Tit x 3
Jay x 5
House Sparrow x 6
Dunnock x 4
Wren x 3
Chaffinch x 1
Robin x 12
Blue Tit x 8
Great Tit x 7
Blackbird x 3
Collared Dove x 2
Woodpigeon x 50
Moorhen x 3
Magpie x 4
Mallard x 7
Black-Headed Gull x 2
Carrion Crow x 20
Rook x 1
Goldfinch x 5
Long Tailed Tit x 3
Canada Geese x 5

Two Mediterranean Gulls feeding with Black headed Gulls amongst sheep by canal at Red Rock at 13.00

3 hours on saturday and 3 hours on sunday

 

3 Willow Tits, single at shedfield bridge pair in lady Mabel's wood, first Ive seen on my patch for some time

Pair of Tawny Owls lower plantations

Pair of Lapwings, two Snipe and a single Curlew on fields off Sennicar lane

Single Kingfisher upper plantations

Pair of Goosanders on canal

Pairs of Mandarin and Dipper on Dougy

Single Grey Wagtail on Dougy

Singles of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk

Pairs of Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch using the shedfield bridge feeding station

Leucistic Magpie in Lady Mabel's wood, again not seen this bird for some time

Goldcrest singing

 

Frog spawn in ponds

 

Steve Christmas wrote:

---

Probably micro moth larvae. I have found both brown house moth and white-shouldered house moth in nest boxes.

---

 Cheers Steve

A couple of hours this morning cleaning out nestboxes,

 

Pair of Mandarins

Buzzard over

Pair of Dippers

Pair of Goldcrests

Singles of Grey Wagtails and Heron, good numbers of the usual suspects

 

As a side issue I often wondered about cleaning nest boxes out, my thoughts being that natural nest sites would not get cleaned out and that adult birds often roosted in nest boxes during winter and that the lining would act as insulation, I finally decided to clean them out, Whilst cleaning out the boxes this morning I was surprised to find that at least four nests contained very small live maggots and at least half contained fleas, has anyone got any ideas on what the maggots would be?

Saturday, 28th January 2017 - 12:15 - 15:30 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Sennicar Bridge - cross over bridge and turn left back along canal to Pendlebury Bridge - up to School Lane - through Haigh Country Park (including Lower Plantations feeding station) - back along canal by side of Lady Mabel Wood - and return

Goldcrest x 2
Bullfinch x 3 (1M and 2F)
Redwing x 30
Buzzard x 1
Kestrel x 1
Mistle Thrush x 1
Nuthatch x 2
Coal Tit x 3
Jay x 1
House Sparrow x 1
Dunnock x 2
Wren x 3
Moorhen x 3
Chaffinch x 4
Robin x 7
Blue Tit x 4
Great Tit x 5
Blackbird x 5
Woodpigeon x 50
Magpie x 7
Mallard x 15
Black-Headed Gull x 1
Carrion Crow x 4
Rook x 30
Jackdaw x 10

pair of Tawny Owls in the lower plantations roost site, the pair in the upper plantations have relocated so not found them yet

5 Bramblings and a single Dipper on the Dougy best of the rest, good numbers of Titmice using both feeding sites

Saturday, 7th January 2017 - 12:15 - 15:30 hrs. Foggy, misty rain, mild conditions.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Lady Mabel Wood - back through Haigh Country Park and return

Kingfisher x 1
Goldcrest x 1
Nuthatch x 2
Reed Bunting x 3
Coal Tit x 3
Jay x 5
Goldfinch x 3
Moorhen x 1
Robin x 4
Blue Tit x 8
Great Tit x 6
Blackbird x 5
Woodpigeon x 50
Magpie x 4
Mallard x 20
Black-Headed Gull x 10
Canada Geese x 12
Cormorant x 1
Carrion Crow x 8
Mute Swan x 2

pair of Dippers on the Dougy, one singing away, Buzzard over and Ravens heard the highlights of a quick hour 

Saturday, 5th November 2016 - 12:00 - 15:30 hrs.

Walk from Red Rock / Bridge 63 (Leeds/Liverpool Canal) - along canal to Lady Mabel Wood - back through Haigh Country Park (past Haigh Hall) and return

Kingfisher x 1
Goosander x 3
Redwing x 4
Buzzard x 1
Kestrel x 1
Chaffinch x 3
Moorhen x 1
Blue Tit x 5
Nuthatch x 1
Great Tit x 5
Blackbird x 4
Collared Dove x 4
Woodpigeon x 20
Magpie x 7
Mallard x 5
Black-Headed Gulls x 20
Herring Gull x 1

-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 5th of November 2016 08:35:53 PM

-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 5th of November 2016 11:09:39 PM

-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 5th of November 2016 11:14:16 PM

HAIGH COUNTRY PARK

Pleasant half hour this morning watching a pair of Little Grebes feeding two young on the Swan Pond in the Upper Plantations (first breeding we've seen here),

plus Moorhen and Mallard also feeding young. Hope they survive the Mink.

Hi Neil

 

I placed them between 8 and 10 foot high, mainly because I was worried about them getting vandalised, they were situated away from any of the main paths mainly on sloping ground, bought an 8 x 4 sheet of 12 mm exterior ply and managed to get 14 bto measurement sized boxes out of it, after cutting the wood up some of the plywood layers started to part indicating it was not a very good quality exterior ply, so ended up giving each box 3 coats of a water based dark coloured varnish, hardest part was putting them up by myself, hiding ladders and tools whilst going back and forth for the boxes, been well worth it though really chuffed with the results and hopefully should get a few more years out of the boxes.

hope this helps

Jimmy Meadows wrote:

---

Mandarin F with a single young nr shedfield bridge this morning seen while doing BBS,

 

Jimmy

---

The female Mandarin had a brood of 7
On the 27th May. That's a low survival rate if they are down to one.

Upper plantations, juvenile Tawny Owl reported

Lower plantations

Mandarin with 3 young

Tawny Owl out in daylight

Sparrowhawk on nest

Dipper and Grey Wagtail singles on Dougy

Buzzard over

Jay carrying food

In one of the quieter more private parts of the woods I put up 14 nest boxes back in February, incredibly all 14 are in use, 9 by Blue Tits and 5 by Great Tits, on checking today there are 67 young Blue Tits and 18 young Great Tits in these boxes with one Great Tit nest not checked as someone was camping nearby, the boxes were placed at least 70 yards from each other and on doing my rounds I have found another 2 Great Tits, 1 Blue Tit, 1 Coal Tit, a family of fledged Long tailed Tits and a Treecreeper nest that unfortunately got predated by Great Spotted Woodpecker , what surprised me was the population density of all these Titmice, just praying that the weather holds out for the next few days for them as most are getting close to fledging,

Lady Mabels Wood

Tonight 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling and showing well but briefly at times.

Jimmy

 

Wednesday 13fh April 18-15 to 20-30
Of note
Leeds Liverpool Canal
Wheatear - field in front of big house towards bridge 63
Dead Mute Swan
Lady Mabel's Wood
Grasshopper Warbler - brief glimpse and reeling away in usual spot 20-15
Cheers
Karl