A pleasant circuit this evening from 17:20 to 18:10.

Highlight was two Sand Martins over (unusual here). Warblers were represented by Chiffchaff (1), Willow Warbler (1) and Blackcap (including two males engaged in a sing-off, no more than ten feet apart).

A walk round between about 12 and 2 yesterday
Snipe 6
Buzzard 2
Meadow Pipit 7
Pheasant 1 female
Bullfinch 1 male, a few were buzzing about, only got a clear view of a nice male
No Reed Bunting around, not sure how I missed them
Also Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redwing, tons of Woodpigeon, Magpie and some immense Carrion Crows, Buzzard size in some cases

Also worth noting a building site of sorts is springing up next to Jewson, and the access that way was blocked. The railway bridge way onto the site is gated off now too. 'Roaming the tip'; my mum is so proud of me...but this is such a brilliant habitat to be in the middle of Stockport and if it is a place to come and find Grasshopper Warbler in the spring as well then I really hope it gets left alone for a bit longer.

First visit to this place today 10.30-12.30, accessed from Tenement Lane then headed towards the former brickworks. What a great place, big open and empty. I will be returning.
Birds of note seen:
Fieldfare 1
Reed bunting 1 female
Woodcock 1 flushed up; first ever for me, very pleased
Grey Heron 1 over
Bullfinch 2 male over
Meadow Pipit 7
Reed Bunting 2 female

It was very wet underfoot and reading down this thread I probably might have tried harder to find some Snipe. A lifer is never a bad start at a new spot though! The buntings and pipits were looking lovely in the clear light too. Never seen such richness in the Reed Bunting plumage before, but I was nice and close and the light was perfect.

Saw 2 guys with guns about on the cleared building footprint, what would their game have been? Couldn't think of many legitimate things they could have been doing...pest control of some kind?

Quick look round yesterday.

6 Snipe flushed from the ponds in the old brickworks close to the access road for the new tip.

 

A glorious morning, with a good variety of birds seen during a long dog-walking circuit.

Canada Goose 2
Jack Snipe 2 (first of the year here)
Snipe 8
Black-headed Gull 16
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Woodpigeon 4
Magpie 15
Jay 1
Jackdaw 2
Carrion Crow 6
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 1
Wren 5
Blackbird 6
Fieldfare 13
Redwing 4
Meadow Pipit 6
Goldfinch 8
Bullfinch 5


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of December 2013 02:19:14 PM

25 (minimum) Magpies mobbing a fox
2 Meadow Pipits
33 Feral Pigeons
53 Black-headed Gulls
26 Redwings
1 Reed Bunting
1 Buzzard
3 Jays

Cheers John

I spent a fulfilling hour on Adswood Tip this morning. Redwing are back in force: several loose flocks totalling about 50 birds. Jays were also conspicuous, with at least five seen. Highlight was a Treecreeper by the Midland Road gate - the first I've seen here. Other species included:

Sparrowhawk
Bullfinch - 2
Pheasant - 3
Meadow Pipit - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 5
Greenfinch - 3
Chiffchaff

7 Whitethroats singing
5 Blackcaps singing
2 Chiffchaffs
2 Stock Doves
1 Buzzard
No Grasshopper Warblers reeling on a cool and drizzly morning.

Cheers John

Adswood Tip

Despite it being late morning 4 Grasshopper Warblers seen reeling (with 2 showing exceptionally well to a few feet). Also:

Whitethroats c6
Blackcap 3
Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaffs 2-3
Reed Bunting 8
Buzzard 2
Heron 2
Raven 1

A Buzzard passed by and 2 Herons immediately came up from Ladybrook Valley and mobbed it noisily with all 3 birds circling overhead. Could a pair be breeding down there?

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 1st of May 2013 06:18:41 PM

Adswood Tip 10:15 to 11:45
2 Raven kronking overhead.
Willow Warbler 4
Chiffchaff 6
Whitethroat at least 8
Grey Heron 1
Buzzard 2
Blackcap 1m
Bullfinch 1m+1f
Grasshopper Warbler 2 heard reeling and 1 seen
Song Thrush - 1
Stock Dove - 2
Canada Goose - 2 overhead
Plenty of :-
Meadow Pipit
Starling
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Blue and Great Tit
Chaffinch

Nice to have met up with Vicky Sumner - hope you managed to locate the Grasshopper Warblers.

Rick.


-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Tuesday 30th of April 2013 01:40:34 PM

2 (possibly 3) Grasshopper Warblers
3 Whitethroats
4 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Stock Doves
4 Greylags over

Cheers, John

08:30 to 09:10

Pheasant 2
Buzzard 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Stock Dove 1
Woodpigeon 15+
Magpie 12+
Jay 1
Jackdaw 3
Carrion Crow 25+
Great Tit 2
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler 1
Whitethroat 1
Wren 2
Starling 1
Blackbird 4
Song Thrush 1
Robin 3
Meadow Pipit 4
Bullfinch 2
Reed Bunting 3

A male Whinchat was 50 yards east of the methane burning compound between 19:00 and 19:30 today. This is the earliest I have ever seen one by two weeks, and a cracking bird for Stockport. A pair of Reed Buntings were giving it some close attention, and I couldn't relocate it when I went past the same spot at 20:00.

Also present:

Willow Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Reed Bunting 3
Stock Dove 1

Two singing Chiffchaffs there this morning, plus my first Willow Warbler of the year; also a male Reed Bunting. There may have been more, but I forgot my binoculars. Doh!

It's easy to forget just how rewarding suburban birding can be. On a round walk, with Monty the westie, to and from my front door this morning, I saw no fewer than 38 species of bird. Admittedly, it was a long walk (it took about 1 3/4 hours), and I had unusually good fortune, but it's a good score for February.

The first good record was a Cormorant over Woodsmoor Lane, not a regular sighting here. 15 minutes later, a group of four flew over. Goldfinch and Jay were both seen on Midland Road, Bramhall, on approach to the tip. Once on site, a singing Reed Bunting was soon found, along with many singing Dunnock. The highlight was finches. Most of the regulars were there, including a small group of Lesser Redpoll, feeding close to the ground, and a male Bullfinch. The big find was a female Brambling - the first I have ever seen here, which was associating with a singing male Chaffinch. A Meadow Pipit was also present.

After leaving the tip, I took the path along the Ladybrook from stone bridge to Bramall Park. On this short stretch I added Buzzard, Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, a group of about eight Siskin and a stunning male Kingfisher that allowed views from about 20 yards.

In the park itself were male Grey Wagtail, male Mandarin Duck and the usual common wildfowl. Nuthatch were calling from the trees.

This post could reasonably go on a number of different threads, or I could have started a new one. However, Adswood Tip was the location of the best record, and is most likely to pick up the largest audience.

Pretty quiet this morning: 1 Snipe; 2 Meadow Pipits; 1 Redwing; 12 BH Gulls; 1 Common Gull.

My afternoon walk with Monty found the tip the wettest that I have ever known it. Nonetheless, there were a few good birds seen in poor light.

C35 Lapwing were resting on the abandoned Jewson's yard. A flock of about 12 Lesser Redpoll, also seen on my last visit, was still around. A small flock of six Bullfinch (four males) is a good count here. I flushed one Snipe near Tenement Lane, and a probable Jack Snipe close to the Midland Road entrance. I didn't get a good look at the bird in fading light, but it didn't gain much height as it flew silently off, and dropped within about 80 yards. Plenty of crows, as usual: including 20+ Magpies and a Jay.

Not much going on today.

Buzzards overhead
Blackcaps
Whitethroats (not as many as last year)
Grasshopper Warbler very loud, near the fence by the old brickworks (probably more than one, but it's hard to tell)

Very quiet on the warbler front this chilly evening: a few Blackcaps and Willow Warblers plus two Whitethroat. Other than that, Kestel and male Reed Bunting were the stars.

A Moorhen on Friday evening may have been the first that I've seen here.

Grasshopper Warbler showing beautifully on top of brambles at 7.45 this evening, and audible from quite some distance. Still no Whitethroat.

The sunken car is not a helpful landmark to those not familiar with its position, as the much-corroded car is no longer clearly visible. However, if you find a body of water that looks deeper than a couple of feet, then this is it. OS grid reference is SJ 888 875.

Thank you again,
forgot to mention I found a Yale Key, not yours I hope?

Thanks John,
Can I ask where you access the area, I was parked on a single track in front of some very distinguished houses, one with its own paddock and menage.
Not sure I should have been there, but my car was constantly monitored by a security camera aimed at the house entrance gates!
I think it was Tenement lane.

Had my first visit to the area in the hope of hearing the Grasshopper Warbler, but no such luck, at the area from 2-00pm ish to 3-30ish.
2 Heron and 6 Chiffchaff.

But then whilst heading back towards my car I thought I saw
2 Reed Buntings and cut off the path to investigate.
This diversion flushed what I am fairly certain was a Woodcock.
It made a rapsing sound as it flew away, and had the long beak of either a Wodcock or a Snipe, but from the sound I would say Woodcock, though not too educated on the subject.

Lost the two unidentified "Reed Buntings"!

The position was in front of the large concrete area that has a football looking stand at the back and adjacent to the methane treatment tanks.
There was a methane inspection cover next to me No. 18.

Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 6
Blackcap 4
Pheasant (H)
Meadow Pipit 4
Reed Bunting 1
Buzzard 1
Jay 3

Cheers, John