ASTLEY, CHAT, LITTLE WOOLDEN AND ASSOCIATED MOSSES

Rob Smallwood · Status: Offline

RE: ASTLEY, CHAT AND IRLAM MOSSES

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Hi Rob
If you go down Rindle road until you get to the metal gate on your right about 75m before the rail crossing.This small track beyond the gate is the feeding area where the seed is put down for the birds.If you walk down the track for 100m Rindle wood is on your right.

Rob Smallwood · Status: Offline

Had a scout around the Rindle Road area for about an hour yesterday evening in the hoppe of Barn Owl but no joy and finally beaten off by the hail.

Is Rindle Wood the Silver Birch covert on the right as you go out along Rindle Lane?

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Early am
Rindle road feeding area
16 Tree sparrows
4 Yellowhammers
4 Redwing
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
I went for a quick look at the roosting Barn owl on Astley moss , its still there and still asleep, I just hope that its not stuffed

Ian Woosey · Status: Offline

19/3/08 (12.15-14.15)

4 Buzzards soaring together over Bedford Moss.
Raven and Curlew over Astley Moss.
2 Treecreepers, single Goldcrest, and 3 Redwing in Rindle Wood.
another Treecreeper and a Willow Tit at Bedford Moss.
various Kestrels and Sparrowhawks mooching about.
only small numbers of Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers at the feeding station.

Robert Adderley · Status: Offline

Mon 17/3/08 pm

male Merlin by Moss Lane early pm.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

This afternoon
Rindle road feeding area
Reedbunting 6
Yellowhammer 4
Great tit 3
Tree Sparrow 3
About a third of the hedge has been removed during the cleaning out of the drainage ditch along the side of the track.

Curlew 2 in f68, very vocal
Pied wagtail 4 in f67
Ringed plover flying north
Buzzard over f67 trying to hover like a Kestrel.

Astley moss
At least 20 Redwing in the bushes along the track going towards the potato field
Kestrels 2
Hares 2

A pair of Mallard and a Snipe in the scapes beside the woodchip path

Bedford moss only contained a Wildlife trust volunteer clearing the trees.

I found a Barn Owl asleep in a tree which I managed to photo and leave without waking it and then found another within 75m of the first Owl ,at the beginning of Rindle wood.

Rindle wood
GS Woodpecker 2
Treecreeper 3
LT Tit 4 , one carrying nesting material
Goldcrest 1
Coal tit 1
Redwing 60+

Along Moss lane were 40+ Lapwings and 2 Buzzards soaring high up
Also a Little Owl was sat on the hopper at the rear of the wood moulding factory

-- Edited by Dave Thacker at 21:52, 2008-03-16

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

Hi Dave

Unfortunately I didn't get a good look. As soon as I rolled up it nailed a small furry critter on the bank of the dyke and swiftly retreated into the wood with its dinner.

Will keep an eye out for the tail next time.

Cheers

Mike

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Hi Mike
Did the Barn Owl have a couple of tail feathers missing as I am wondering if it is the same Owl that I saw last week hunting around Bedford Moss.

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

Barn Owl hunting by Rindle Wood this evening.

Mike Baron · Status: Offline

At least 14 Brambling with a mixed finch flock (approx 200) of mainly Linnet and Chaffinch at SJ718962 this lunchtime.

Flock is mobile and viewing conditions were difficult (directly into sun) so Brambling numbers could have been higher.

-- Edited by Mike Baron at 13:25, 2008-03-04

Rob Thorpe · Status: Offline

Astley Moss

11:00

at least 3 Brambling (2m 1f) with 200+ chaffinch and a few Yellowhammer and Reed Buntings at the end of Moss Lane.

about 20 Tree Sparrow at Rindle Road.

also, forgot to post last week (Sunday 24 Feb): 30 Golden Plover with 200+ Lapwing in field south of Moss Lane, near Allwood Farm.

mark3_alias · Status: Offline

Thanks, nice to see your a City fan too.

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

1 Brambling at Millennium Green Astley (also 1 Woodcock) and 4 Brambling opposite Birchwood farm this morning. Also counted 200+ Chaffinches feeding in the fields either side of Rindle Road.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

25 bramblings reported on the pager at 11.30 this morning SJ 718.962

Ian Campbell · Status: Offline

Mark, If you go back on this thread to Sun Dec 30th you will find instructions.
Cheers Ian

mark3_alias · Status: Offline

Hi

Been to Astley Moss before but never to Rindle Road or the feeding staion. Can anyone give me directions and tell me where the feeding station is. Thanks

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

12.30-14.30 today
Rindle road feeding area
20+ Tree sparrows
14 Yellowhammers
8 Blackbirds
4 Chaffinches
Also 4 Bullfinches 3f,1m came to the seed while I was watching.

Bedford moss
2 Buzzards
2 Kestrels

Rindle wood
1 GS Woodpecker
6 Jays
24 Redwings
1 Willow tit

Iain Johnson · Status: Offline

slightly fewer yellowhammer and only 2 tree sparrow at the feeding station with 2 reed bunting, greenfinch and chaffinch etc

plenty of stock dove on moss lane with a couple of kestrels knocking about.

had a stonechat by the fishing pond the other week plus sparrowhawk and grey partridge on moss lane

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Moss Lane 2-430pm

143+ Stock Dove south of lane then flushed by a Peregrine.
Buzzard,kestrel and Little Owl.

Rindle Road

10 Tree Sparrow, 20 Yellowhammer and few Reed Bunting

Paul Cliff · Status: Offline

female stonechat by where the barn owl was hunting before xmas off whitehead road.

usual yellowhammers, plus reed buntings, blackbird and a pheasant at the rindle road feeding station

2 sparrowhawks over the A580 turn to higher green

Judith Smith · Status: Offline

The have planning permission at Rindle to build 6 houses where the barns are. I am liaising with GMEU and the owner (who is an aviculturalist) to safeguard protected species there. Everything should be OK and perhaps better in the end as there will be security in place to stop intrusions, but they may be some temporary disruption, just bear with it. It's been on the cards for several years.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Hi Alan
A large area has been cleared in front of the farm, the hedges and brambles to the edge of the field are now all gone.A large steel hopper storage tank has been placed at the rear of the farm with lots of steel fence sections on the ground waiting to be put up. Looks like building work is going to start.
Lots of shooters/beaters about on Astley moss, while on the other side of Rindle road in the field at the corner of Nook lane 13 Male Pheasant showing their feathers off to a couple of females.
Clifton will probably be better than the mosses tomorrow as there is likely to be more shooting going on and everything will be keeping their heads down.

Hedge sparrow, Dunnock or in some cases when I`m wearing my varifocals a LBB

.Looks like I am showing my age.

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

Have the developers moved in Dave, or is it somebody's idea of maintenance? I was going to do the late Winter atlas survey down there tomorrow but if the shooters are at it, I may have to do the Clifton and/or Blackleach CP tetrads. From the postings on here it sounds like duck numbers are getting interesting at Clifton so that may be favourite.

By the way, your're showing your age..."Hedge Sparrow"....not heard em called that for a long time.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Due to there being more shooters than birds today on Astley moss I only spent 45 minutes in the area.
Rindle road feeding area
Tree sparrows 6
Yellowhammers 4
Blackbirds 9
Chaffinch 3
Buzzards 3, all perched in the same tree next to the railtrack beside the horse paddock.

Its a shame that the large hedge with the bird table in front of the farm door has been cut down. I`m sure that the hedge sparrows nested in it over the last couple of years and it was always a good spot to get close with the many finches that visited the table.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

12.30-15.30pm

Along Moss lane,
150 + Mixed finches in the stubble
Sparrowhawk [f] sat in tree watching the finches

Rindle road feeding area pretty quiet just
Tree sparrow 4
Yellowhammers 5

Rindle wood
Large flock of at least 30 LT Tits
GS Woodpeckers 3
Treecreeper 1

Astley moss
Buzzard over

Bedford moss
Redwing 20 over

As I walked back to Rindle wood beside the horse paddock a large mixed flock of Redwings,LT Tits, Yellowhammers and Tree sparrows , 50+ birds, all flew into the large tree at the edge of the woods.
I also had a nice chat with a Wildlife trust volunteer who was clearing the paths and who told me that the main work ongoing at the moment is to flood Bedford moss in the near future.
I might have to invest in some wellies.

Paul Cliff · Status: Offline

did the feed station this morning. decided to leave the moss after reading of the farm dogs until a day when i can go with someone who is familiar with the area.

redwing - lots
2 pied wagtails
GSW
goldfinchs
tree sparrows
blackbirds
robins
m & f sparrowhawk
yellowhammers - yah! lots.
woodpigeon
pheasant
collared dove
kestrel
mistle thrush

Paul Cliff · Status: Offline

i'd like to spend tomorrow morning there... anyone planning on going who is familiar with the area and doesn't mind me tagging along i'd appreciate it, drop me a line. looks huge on the map!

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Best bit was that it was so intricately marked on the breast with the full barring and the lot, a few white feathers on the scapulars, grey upperparts and a more warmish brown head. Unfortunately it was facing away so I didn't get anything of it's face...it doesn't look like I was taking notes now does it

Craig Higson · Status: Offline

Ah ha (as Alan Partridge would say ) Welcome to the Plastic Owl stalking/spotting club

. Can we have our own page on the website please. My personal total of plastic owls twitched/stalked/spotted is three so you've got some catching up to do.

Nice to know that even superhuman birders can slip up every now and then

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

36 Tree Sparrow and 50 or so Yellowhammers at the Rindle Road feeding station today and in the ploughed field behind Rindle Wood (Yellowhammers).

On Chat Moss 6 Lesser Redpolls gave nice views feeding in trackside weeds, oh how I wished I'd bother to charge any of the 3 camera batteries I had with me at the time

Best of all, as I made my way west along a track off Astley Road to view the fields beyond I spied a large bird on a low post a long way off, an owl and a flippin' big one too, complete with Magpies 'having a go'. Scope up, increase magnification! Hmm, a big owl indeed, facing away, very well and intricately marked but not one I was familiar with

Of course there was only one answer, especially after it hadn't bothered to move it's head to follow the Magpies...PLASTIC

In the middle of absolute nowhere, now who'd expect that!

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Moss Lane 1400

71 Stock Dove
12 Starling
large mixed flock of Skylark and Chaffinch
6+ Grey Partridge

Merlin flying along the fields south of Moss Lane briefly at 1540

Then lost to view to the North.

Rindle Road Feeding Station

Usual suspects as previous post and Barn Owl late pm.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Wednesday 9th January, 1:30-3pm

Pretty quiet out there on Bedford Moss but 20 or Yellowhammers and several Tree Sparrows as usual at the feeding station with a small group of Redwing, plus still a nice flock of Chaffinch on the corner of Rindle Road and Nook Lane and 20 or so Stock Doves off Moss Lane but...

2 Kinfishers were along the ditch further up the track past the feeding station, true Chat Moss mega's (although there have been previous sightings). I first flushed one with Pete Berry which whizzed down towards the feeding station then must have doubled back on us over the field as we were obscured by the bushes, I quickly 'phoned Ian Woosey who was still pottering around Bedford Moss to let him know to keep an eye open on his way back up, then a little later on he informed me that 2 of them had whizzed past him along the track (!) within 20ft, heading back towards Bedford Moss. Great stuff

Alan Warford · Status: Offline

Cheers for the tip off Paul, caught up with Merlin, (my bogey bird in GM) on Moss Lane at 4pm.
It was sat on fence post by farm near bend. Nice to meet Pete Turner there also.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

caught up with tree sparrow today at rindle road.
38 fieldfare
24 redwings
lots of starling
chaffinch
plus skylark
and merlin on moss lane but no points

believe Mr warford senior twitched it to improve his county list, well done that man.
buzzard and kestrel as well, where were they all on NYD

No sign of barn owl behind colliery but lots of gulls on landfill site.

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

A far cry from the 70's when I used to count 20+ Corn Buntings in the breeding season on Nook Lane alone. My records in the last 7 years on the Astley side are equally scant.

December 2004 - 4
January 2005 - 3
20th March 2005 - 1 male singing top end of Little Moss Lane
2006 and 2007 none

My peak count (on record anyway) was 103 on the 29th December 1983.

-- Edited by Alan Rowley at 10:30, 2008-01-08

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Ian is quite correct in that Corn buntings are a rare sight on the Astley side of the rail track. I have only had 2 sightings in the last couple of months , 11 buntings in the trees beside the potato field which then flew off over the railtrack on the 22/12/07 and a single bird in a mixed flock of finches and Reedbuntings at the feeding area earlier in December which also flew over the rail tracks.
Chat and Irlam mosses are the best places to see them especially along 12 Yards road.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Thanks for directions to Rindle Road feeding station Alan we got our Tree Sparrows there and later a covey of 10 Grey Partridge in stubble off Moss Lane and the Merlin finished off the day by appearing near the farm north of the road feeding on something on the newly ploughed field and then flying up to show well on a telegraph post. Tony wasn't persuadable to hang around for long enough to get a Barn Owl and a tramp round Bedford Moss failed to put up a Woodcock but all in all a good pm finish after my first full visit to Wigan Flashes.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

No Corn Buntings at the feeding station Alan, I think it's not their scene and they're pretty uncommon (nay, rare?) on the northern side of the railway anyway (Astley Moss side). I had a dozen birds on telephone wires in the middle of the fields along Moss Lane late last year (2007) and was extremely surprised to see them as they were my first around this side for some time!

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

6/1/08 1:30PM 4PM
1 Merlin showed at 3PM in fields to south of L Moss Lane, along with:
3 Grey Partridge.
80+ Skylark by Alwood farm
1 Buzzard.
1 Kestrel.
60 Starling.
70 Lapwing
2 Linnet
16 Fielfare
et al

Rindle Road
1 Stonechat
12 Mistle Thrush
1 Redwing
et al

Feeding station 1:50PM - 2PM
Yellowhammer 15
Jay 2
Chaffinch 1
Blackbird 2
Great Tit 2
Reed Bunting 1
Collared Dove 2
Tree Sparrow 4
Goldfinch 1
Blue Tit 2
KINGFISHER 1 (along ditch)

Has anybody seen Corn Buntings at the feeding station?

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

6/1/2008 - Me and my Dad. Morning walk from Little Woolden Hall to 12 Yards Rd area, had the following -

Skylark 60+
Yellowhammer 30+
Chaffinch 30+
Brambling 3
Corn Bunting 20+
Grey Partridge 9
Peregrine - female sat on Peat area.
Buzzard 4+
Teal 80+
Fieldfare 100+
Willow Tit 1
Redpoll 2
Linnet 7/8
Tree Sparrow - rindle rd.

Moss Lane - 30+ Skylarks, no Merlin.

-- Edited by warfy at 14:53, 2008-01-06

Steve Collins · Status: Offline

Moss Lane 3.30-4.30
4 Grey Partrige and Pheasant fields to south
Buzzard
Kestrel
sadly no Barn Owl for me tonight!
Steve

Andrew Newall · Status: Offline

1sr ever visit today, forgot to take the map i printed off the website, doh !. So had a quick walk down by the canal had no idea where i was going so went back and have decided to visit antoher day.

cheers

Andrew

-- Edited by Andrew Newall at 00:23, 2008-01-04

Steve Collins · Status: Offline

I called by at 3pm to look for the feeding station which was ok to find thanks to directions. There were 30+ yellowhammers and 2 tree sparrows along with 2 reed buntings and chaffinches. They were up and down into the bushes but continued until about 3.45pm. A buzzard and kestrel also showed overhead. It was very cold and windy tonight so being able to sit in the car was a bonus!
Steve

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Its interesting to see the numbers of Tree sparrows fall during the day at the feeding area.If like yesterday the birds are not disturbed by the Sparrowhawks they will quite happily gorge themselves on the seed from first light till around midday and then start flying off possibly to an early roost. The more disturbance there is then the later they go to roost.

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Feeding area at Rindle road 1215-1300

10+ Yellowhammer
2 Tree Sparrow
buzzard
8 Stock Dove over field to left (69?)
3 Reed Bunting

Andy Isherwood · Status: Offline

Female type Merlin was hunting along Moss lane at about 2.30PM today aslo Little owl showing well in the trees at the west end of the long straight on moss lane and a barn owl hunting fields to the north.
Andy

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

8.15am - 16.40pm
Usual birds at the feeding area at Rindle road, mainly in the morning as it went a little quiet after 1pm including
Tree Sparrows ,up to 15-20 at a time
Yellowhammers 20+
Willow tits 2
Reedbuntings 6
In field 69,
Grey partridge 5
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 15+
Stonechat 2

Bedford moss
Buzzards 2
Woodcock 2
Snipe 1
Kestrel 1

Chat moss
In the trees beside f18 mixed flock of Redwing , Brambling ,Chaffinch and Yellowhammers

Irlam moss
5 Pied Wagtails at f23

When the mosses are dull and overcast there are normally not too many birds about

What did brighten up a dull day was meeting Simon + Alan Warford ,Paul Heaton,Paul Hammond, Dave Evans and friends and the other birders who turned up though the day at the Rindle road feeding area.

-- Edited by Dave Thacker at 20:54, 2008-01-01

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Hi Alan , Welcome to the forum

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

Good to meet Dave Thacker and Eddie King at the feeding station on Rindle Road yesterday. Seems to be drawing in every Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow for miles around.

I did the official BTO Winter Atlas to SJ79D (Birchwood Farm, south to Twelve Yards Road) on the 16th December. Needless to say all the Yellowhammers were at the one spot. Yesterday, I was testing out a voice activated digital recorder before the late Winter tetrads start. This is because my reading vision has gone so as I can't use notebook and bins together and I can no longer remember what I've seen for more than a few minutes. For anyone with the same problem..it worked.

The numbers on the official 2 hour visit were as follows:
Mallard 5
Red-legged Partridge 3
Pheasant 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 2
Moorhen 3
Lapwing 5
Woodcock 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6
Herring Gull 5
Feral Pigeon 27
Stock Dove 2
Woodpigeon 2
Collared Dove 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Meadow Pipit 1
Wren 8
Dunnock 4
Robin 4
Blackbird 30
Song Thrush 1
Redwing 1
Mistle Thrush 2
Goldcrest 2
Long-tailed Tit 15
Willow Tit 1
Coal Tit 2
Blue Tit 10
Great Tit 8
Jay 2
Magpie 14
Jackdaw 7
Carrion Crow 9
Starling 117
Tree Sparrow 3
Chaffinch 80
Goldfinch 1
Bullfinch 1
Yellowhammer 14
Reed Bunting 5

Total species: 40