Morning visit to the Northern end of Anglezarke Reservoir and Watermans Cottage area.

Woodlands : 1 noisy pair of Nuthatches, 1 squabbling pair of Treecreepers, a pair of Goldcrests and 3 Buzzards.

A flock of 28 Rooks flew over.

Reservoir : 8 Great Crested Grebes (Inc 2 displaying pairs), 1m+1f Mandarin Ducks and 1 Common Sandpiper.

A male Kestrel came close enough to see that he was carrying a mouse (With a longish tail) in his talons.

Walked all round Anglezarke Reservoir, and had a quick look over Yarrow Reservoir too. 09.00-13.00

Anglezarke Reservoir : 1 adult Great Black Backed and 6 adult Herring Gulls amongst a gathering of Lesser Black Backs.

1 f (Or eclipse male) Mandarin Duck in flight low over the water. 5 Buzzards soared high over the N.End of the reservoir.

A large mixed flock of Swallows and House Martins drifted South. Also seen 2 Grey Herons and 3 Jays.

A Nuthatch was among the common woodland birds, together with a noticeably large number of Coal Tits.

A single Cormorant was the only bird on Yarrow Reservoir.

Also by Heapey Fold Lane a mixed flock of around of a dozen Tree and House Sparrows, containing at least 3 of the former.

I can't recall finding a mixed flock like this before, do they hybridise?.

-- Edited by John Williams on Monday 24th of August 2020 08:47:25 PM

-- Edited by John Williams on Monday 24th of August 2020 08:50:12 PM

11.00-15.00

Circular walk from White Coppice along Black Brook to the beech copse and return via Anglezarke Moor,

Round Loaf and the path above the quarry at White Coppice.

40+ Bramblings were in the beech copse, where there appears to be a very good supply of mast still remaining.

The beech nuts also appear to have attracted 5 Reed Buntings and a few Great Tits.

1 Woodcock flushed from a patch of bracken and a pair of Mistle Thrushes were above the quarry.

The only other birds seen were 3 Wrens along Black Brook and 5 crows plus a single Meadow Pipit on the moor.

Sadly I could not find a single Dipper anywhere along Black Brook, where on previous visits I have had no trouble finding them.

Also notable for their absence were Kestrels, indeed not a single raptor was seen throughout the walk.

Kestrels can usually be seen hovering above the moor, and are usually very much a feature of any walk here regardless of the season.

Much of the moor though seems to be absolutely sodden due to the recent rain, and many parts appear to be changing into peat bog.

Could it be that most of the vole population on the moor have drowned?. Oddly not a single Red Grouse was seen either.

couple of hours Friday evening and Sunday lunchtime

Spotted Flycatchers, 3 possibly 4 large feathered young dead in nest, absolutely gutted with this, met one of the Chorley lads near this nest early on during incubation and we both agreed it was destined to fail, however it lasted so long each time I passed it and they were still feeding I got the feeling they were going to make it against the odds

Redstarts, both Adults and 2 young feeding along the hedges and fence lines at one site, adults still taking food into nest hole at another site

Treecreepers feeding young in nest

Nuthatches at least 3 broods of fledged young

Willow Warbler with fledged young just out of the nest

Curlew Oystercatcher and Tawny Owls heard plus a jay mimicking Tawny Owl

lots of Long tailed, Great and Blue tits about

a couple of hours last Saturday and a couple of hours yesterday (Saturday)

male Pied Flycatcher feeding female in nest, unfortunately not there yesterday though looks like they've failed

Spotted Flycatchers going into nest

2 pairs of Redstarts feeding young in nests

Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Great Tits also feeding young in nest holes

 

3 Crossbill at Lead Mines Clough this morning

Impressive views from the dam of an Osprey fishing over the water at 0845 today, and being harassed by several gulls. On the third pass, it caught something (in the area roughly below the Anglezarke car park) and flew off northwards, presumably looking for a suitable place to perch and eat.

We were on a walk, so no further views of the reservoir until we got back to the dam at 12.15 - nothing to see at that stage up until about 12.30.

09.00-12.00

A last attempt to find Redstart or Spotted Flycatcher as the breeding season closes for 2018. Sadly I could neither.

Plenty of yellow faced Blue Tits around though, many still being fed by parents.

At Lead Mines Clough 2 adult and 3 juvenile Grey Wagtails were by the almost dried up River Yarrow.

A female Mallard led her brood of 3 half grown ducklings and 2 Curlew called loudly as they circled above the woodland.

3 juvenile Black Headed Gulls were with a couple of adults and a pair of Lapwings on the scrape by Yarrow Reservoir.

The Southern end of Anglezarke Reservoir was devoid of birds apart from a single Great Crested Grebe.

A couple of Oystercatchers, a Lapwing and a Grey Heron were at the Northern end.

A thorough scan through the large oaks and ashes near Watermans Cottage produced a few more Blue Tit families but little else.

A Robin was still in full song here, Chaffinches and Wrens managed a few notes too.

At least the cooler weather and light rain kept horseflies at bay, mosquitoes were still biting though.

09.00-14.00

Lead Mines Clough :

1 Chiffchaff (Only summer migrant found throughout), 2 Buzzards, 1 Dipper and a pair of Coal Tits.

1m Goosander on Yarrow Reservoir.

Anglezarke Reservoir & Adjoining Woodland :

4 Oystercatctchers, 2 Curlew, 3 Buzzards, 12 Tufted Ducks, 1 Treecreeper, 4 Ravens, 1 Kestrel and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

(09.00-13.30)

Lead Mines Clough

2m+1f Redstarts, 4 Nuthatches and 2 Treecreepers. Also, a family of Coal Tits with 2 fledged young being fed by their parents.

Watermans Cottage

2 Nuthatches and lots of Chaffinches etc, in the woodland by the reservoir but no sign of any flycatchers of either species.

A single Great Crested Grebe was on the reservoir, which is surprisingly full after a dry spring.

White Coppice

1 Kestrel, 2 Nuthatches (They appear to be plentiful around here), 3 Ravens and 1 Curlew.

( Is this going to be a bad year for Pied Flycatchers, I could'nt find any in areas where I could easily do so in previous years, and I struggled to find

a single male in Macclesfield Forest/Teggs Nose a few weeks ago?.)

Easter Monday, 17th April 2017: 10:15 - 15:00 hrs.

After yesterday's washout it was good to get the bins out and get my lungs full of fresh air!

Walk from north side of Upper Rivington Reservoir - Yarrow Reservoir - Anglezarke Reservoir - White Coppice cricket ground - and return via south side.

Willow Warbler x 10
Chiffchaff x 3
Swallow x 4
Dipper x 1
Curlew x 3
Lapwing x 7
Oystercatcher x 4
Great Crested Grebe x 3
Pied Wagtail x 1
Nuthatch x 3
Jay x 2
House Sparrow x 2
Long Tailed Tit x 2
Goldfinch x 3
Tufted Duck x 8
Mallard x 15
Canada Geese x 3
Greylag Geese x 11
Wren x 5
Dunnock x 1
Coal Tit x 2
Robin x 5
Blue Tit x 3
Great Tit x 4
Chaffinch x 7
Blackbird x 5
Magpie x 4
Carrion Crow x 30
Jackdaw x 1
Black Headed Gull x 30
Herring Gull x 1
Woodpigeon x 10
Moorhen x 2
Cormorant x 3
Coot x 2
Pheasant x 1

18 Curlew north of Yarrow reservoir today

Quick walk from Anglezarke Reservoir to White Coppice and back. Highlights;

Cuckoo - 1 flew over the sheep field at top end of the reservoir.
Redpoll - displaying - further up the valley towards White Coppice.
Plenty of willow warblers

Chris

Saturday, 5th March 2016: 12:45 - 17:00 hrs.

Walked from Lower House Car Park - 'Pigeon Tower' - Great Hill - White Coppice - Angelzarke Reservoir - Upper Rivington Reservoir - and return via Great Barn.

Great to see work being done to put large stone slabs on boggy parts of walk up to Great Hill. Good deal of work completed - some outstanding work still to be done.

Raven x 2
Oystercatcher x 4
Goosander x 1
Goldeneye x 3
Kestrel x 3
Buzzard x 1
Mallards x 10
Canada Geese x 15
Robin x 3
Blue Tits x 4
Great Tits x 1
Blackbird x 3
Magpies x 10
Carrion Crow x 20
Chaffinch x 3
Black Headed Gulls x 50
Cormorant x 1
Mute Swan x 2
Pheasant x 1
Woodpigeon x 7
Moorhen x 2

10.30-14.00

Anglezarke Reservoir

3m Goosanders, 3 Shoveler, 10 Canada Geese and 60+ Mallard.

Sadly, I did'nt get the chance to scan properly through the Black Headed and Common Gulls which were not only massed at the Knowsley Lane end but on floods in surrounding pastures.

The surrounding woodland appeared to be eerily birdless, with just one flock of 10 Long Tailed Tits and a single Nuthatch.

Singles of Blue Tit and Robin was all I could find in the woods around High Bullough reservoir, where 3 Tufted Ducks were on the water.

In previous winters, when there as been a good crop of nuts, these areas of mature Beech have been teeming with Chaffinches and Bramblings.

Great White Egret on Upper Rivington Reservoir 10.30 am today

There has been a Great White Egret at north end of Anglezarke Reservoir for last couple of days.

Walked from Joan Meadow Wood to White Coppice along the edge of the moor,then followed Black Brook onto the moor, and back across the moor to Moor Road.

5 Ravens were displaying above the high moor, also seen were 3 Kestrels, 1 Buzzard, a pair of Red Grouse and 4 singing Skylarks.

Not a single Meadow Pipit seen throughout, and no sign of either Dipper or Grey Wagtail on Black Brook.

Watermans Cottage area.

Early Evening

A pair of Spotted Flycatchers in the oak woods.

Anglezarke to White Coppice n Back with Wigan RSPB group

3 Garden Warblers,
1 Bullfinch,
3 Raven over,
2 Redstarts seen at least 3 heard,
1 Cuckoo,
6+ Lesser Redpolls,
4 Oystercatchers,
Treecreeper taking food to nest site
Also seen
Willow Warblers
Blackcaps
Long Tailed Tits
Chiffchaff
Black Headed Gulls
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Buzzard
Wren going to nest site
Grey Wagtail

Didn't find the Wood Warblers but then again we might not have walked in the area that they are.

Jimmy

Yarrow Reservoir/Lead Mines Clough/Watermans Cottage (AM)

2 male Redstarts (Chasing each other around), 1 Treecreeper & 5 Oystercatchers.

1 Roebuck.

A real abundance of Great Tits, almost every tree seemed to hold a pair, Blue Tits too, will there be any vacant nestboxes left when our little migrant friends arrive back?.

Chaffinches & Wiillow Warblers also plentiful.

A very early Spotted Flycatcher was reported near the Watermans Cottage, although I could'nt find any flycatchers anywhere, maybe it's still too early?.

Wood Warbler still present at 7 p.m., also Spotted Fly same area.

Lead Mines Clough 08.00-30

1 Grey Wagtail.

Yarriow Reservoir

1 Oystercatcher

Anglesarke reservoir 09.15

1 Osprey mobbed by 2 crows & a BH Gull, raptor flew off towards Rivington

Reservoir.

White Coppice 09.40-11.30

4 Wheatear in old quarry

1 Cuckoo ( mobbed persistantly by pipits) 1 Tree Pipit & 1 Redstart (m)

along moorland edge towards Brinscall. 1 Roebuck.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 4th of May 2012 04:38:00 PM

4th February, 11am, walking from White Coppice along The Goit
towards Brinscall, 3 Dippers seen together. (Bolton CHA Rambling Club walk)