paulderrig wrote:

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Hi, whats the best way/ formula for counting birds. Many thanks

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Hi Paul, try putting ‘counting birds’ into the search facility on here and it will bring up the previous threads and answers to this often asked question but feel free to add any further question and queries on there and I’ll certainly answer as I can mate.

Yesterday morning from Scout Road:

627 Redwing S

517 Fieldfares S

12 Song Thrushes S, including a flock of 11

11 Crossbills S in flocks of 7 and 4

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning:

1798 Fieldfares S/SE and 12 NW

2923 Redwings, with 12 NW and 2911 S/SE

14 Blackbirds S

Imm male type Ring Ouzel SSE

Redhead Red-breasted Merganser SW

34 Siskins S

279 Woodpigeons SW

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning’s highlights from Scout Road included:

9763 Redwings mainly S/SE/SW

7756 Fieldfares mainly S/SW

184 Chaffinches, with 161 S and 23 N

16 Lesser Redpolls S

6 Crossbills S

3 Bramblings S among Redwing flocks

859  SW

1 Merlin S

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning’s highlights included:

1748 Redwings, with 1030 NW and 718 S/SW

1220 Fieldfares, included 735 W/NW and 485 S

17 Cormorants S/SE

67 Collared Doves S, with two followed by an unprecedented flock of 65! 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Highlights from Scout Road this morning:

3 Goosanders SE

3745 Woodpigeons SW

191 Redwings mainly SW

1 Coal Tit high S

4 Bramblings S

11 Bullfinches S

65 Siskins S

1 Crossbill S

7 Yellowhammers S

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Highlights from the east slope of Winter Hill yesterday morning:

52 Chaffinches, 10 Brambling, 12 Bullfinches, 53 Lesser Redpolls, 41 Goldfinches, 132 Siskins, 26 Greenfinches S

134 Redwing SW

15 Song Thrushes SW, including a flock of 13

28 Reed Buntings SW

12 Whooper Swans crossing the valley NW

670 Pink-footed Geese W/NW

4 Tree Sparrows S

7847 Woodpigeons S/SW

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Late news for yesterday:

2047 Redwings SW

1 Fieldfare

132 Goldfinches S

7 Swallows together S

1 House Martin S

78 Pink-footed Geese NW 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning's highlights from Scout Road:

1178 Siskins over south in many flocks, the largest of 250+

27 Crossbill S

107 Goldfinch S

66 Lesser Redpoll S

2 Brambling S

35 greenfinch S

682 Woodpigeons S

364 Redwing S

2 Fieldfare S

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Today's highlights included:

55+ Whooper Swans SE

178 Pink-footed Geese in 3 skeins with 40+ S, 60+ SE and 78 NW

16 Greylag Geese in 2 skeins of 8 each

173 Siskins with some dropping into the huge cone crop at Gale Brook

19 Crossbills

27 Lesser Redpolls

105 Redwings N

10 Goosanders S 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Attached photo of said showy Black Redstart from one of the compounds from this morning. 

Yesterday morning from Scout Road:

46 Meadow Pipits S

25 Siskins S

39 Linnets S

1 House Sparrow low S

10 Long-tailed Tits with a single Blue Tit flew in high from the N and continued until lost to view half a mile to the south

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning:

140+ Pink-footed Geese west

680 Redwings, with 600 S/SW in 22 small flocks 80 extremely high north in 6 small flocks

3 full male Ring Ouzels S/SE from Scout Road and later an immature male type went high north with Redwings

1 Brambling low N

28 Siskins, 45 Goldfinches, 17 Linnets south

33 Swallows south

313 Meadow Pipits south

Male type Merlin chasing the odd pipit and deviating to a couple Swallows as it raced south

Birds down included an immature type Black Redstart around the mast building on Winter Hill

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Yesterday morning from Scout Road a juvenile Hobby flew low SE and was quickly followed by a female type Marsh Harrier which came in from the north and continued SE at 08:10 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Yesterday's birds from Scout Road included:

716 Meadow Pipits south

A Water Rail flushed from around Dean Ditch by a Sparrowhawk dropped back into the peat bog on Smithies Moor

9 Pink-footed Geese SE which turned back NW in an attempt to avoid a wall of mist

18 Jays E/SE, including a single high flock of 11

4 Snipe N

6 Greylag Geese SW

10 Linnets S

6 Swallow S

A male Marsh Harrier low south over Dean Ditch

Also, on Tuesday, 920 Pink-footed Geese SE in 5 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Yesterday saw a phenomenal movement of hirundines over the moors and almost 11 hours of constant movement saw 17,700 House Martins and 2660 Swallows go through.

Other birds included:

2 Whooper Swan south before flying back north

10 skeins of Pink-footed Geese SE totalling 1740+ birds

80 Meadow Pipits S

4 Jays 4 high SE

16 Buzzards S

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Highlights for yesterday morning from Scout Road:

2 Whooper Swans NW (which briefly landed on Belmont Reservoir and apparently later went to Anglezarke Reservoir)

4 skeins of Pink-footed Geese SE numbering 584 birds

1 Yellow Wagtail S

3 Grey Wagtails S

5 Jays 5 high E

1 Chiffchaff S

1041 House Martins, 735 Swallows and 9 Sand Martins S

582 Meadow Pipits S

10 Snipe N

14 Golden Plovers N

73 Linnets S

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Yesterday morning included:

522 Pink-footed Geese over E/SE in 12 skeins

1 immature Marsh Harrier low close to Mast Road then flew off south

324 Meadow Pipits S

68 Swallows S, 50 N and 60 feeing over the moors

17 Linnet S

2 Wheatear

20 Crossbill NW in a single flock 

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Sightings for yesterday included:

A Black Redstart showing well on the county border wall east of the mast

16 Wheatear along Dean Ditch, 6 in the horse fields off the bottom of Mast Road and 10 along the Mast Road wall up to the mast.

2 Whinchat along Dean Ditch, 1 along Coal Pit Lane and another in the horse field off Mast Road

120+ Meadow Pipits on Smithills Moor and a further 40+ over south

2 Snipe over south

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Late news for 3rd September, Scout Road/Coal Pit Lane/Smithills Moor:

19 Tree Pipits south

49 Meadow Pipits south and 74 down on Smithills Moor

14 along Dean Ditch

1 Golden Plover overhead

1 Spotted Flycatcher in Roscoes Tenement Clough

30 Swallows and 10 House Martins south

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Late news for yesterday when 26 Wheatears were around the moors with another 4 at High meadows and a single Spotted Flycatcher in Burnt Edge.

This morning from the east side of Winter Hill:

24 Tree Pipits south, with a largest flock of 5 birds

570 Swallows, 745 House Martins and 8 Sand Martins S

2 Swifts SSE

1 Whiimbrel low S

Birds down in bracken near the watchpoint included 12 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Other birds around the moors yesterday included:

9 Tree Pipits over south and a further 5 down around Walker Fold

1 Wheatear

730 Swallows S

425 House Martins S

10 Sand Martins S

9 Swifts

1 Hobby low W

16 Snipe W

2 Spotted Flycatchers in Walker Fold along with 11 Chiffchaffs and 6 Whitethroats

Crossbill flock heard in Gale Brook Plantation but not seen

12 Stonechats in Burnt Edge and a further 4 along Scout Road

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Yesterday from Scout Road up to 9am:

360 Swallows S

143 House Martins S

8 Sand Martins S

10 Tree Pipits S and a single bird down

1 Green Sandpiper SW with 2 Dunlins

1 Yellow Wagtail S

20 Siskins S

8 Chiffchaffs down

Info thanks to Andy Makin