F24 was buzzing with birds this afternoon, they appear to be havesting the turf, large numbers of lapwing bh gulls and starling,

No Storks.

buzzard giving the woodpigeons a scare.

keep birding

I went looking for Owls tonight on the mosses and found 6 Little owls and 1 Tawny owl but no Barn owls.
The Little owls were seen at;

1 perched on a post in f15,
3 perched on the large wooden fence at the side of Olive Mount farm,
1 on the wrought iron fence at Red Chalis farm,
1 sat on a small caravan next to Moss Side farm.

The Tawny owl flew out of Rindle woods and went over f69.

Also while watching 4 Hares in the field next to Rindle woods I notice 5 Herons in the same field hunting together in the grass close to the pigeon coop.

Tawny owl heard along Moss lane and 1 Weasel seen running across the road.

grasshopper warbler reeling in the rough field opposite the junction of nook lane and rindle road this evening

Adult Peregrine hunting over the fields along Moss Lane at 2.45pm today.Also numbers of Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammer along Rindle Road by Rindle Farm,also Buzzards and Sparrowhawk in the area.

-- Edited by pete berry at 16:28, 2008-07-10

Afternoon visit to Chat, Irlam and Barton Moss (by bike), 24/06

3 pairs of Yellow Wagtails
5 Buzzard
2 Corn Bunting
21 singing male Yellowhammer
1 Hobby- soaring for ages over Astley Road until a combination of arm ache and the bird being too high forced me to move on.
1 Sparrowhawk

4.30-6pm
Very quiet on the mosses this afternoon for birding.
4 Buzzards over Astley moss
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
4 Yellowhammers
3 Reedbuntings
1 Willow warbler
1 Whitethroat
6 Pied wagtails
1 Roosting Barn owl
3 Jays
4 Hares

After walking about in the shoulder high ferns I found a variety of rather large insects attached to my clothing , some which I have not seen before and hopefully I will not see again as I am now covered in bites, so much for summer birding

Hobby finally this evening, after spending time every day in May around the area I was beginning to think my luck was out but one flew right across the car whilst Pete Berry and I were making our way along Nook Lane at about 7:15pm, briefly chased a small passerine before making it's way north-east across the southern edge of the tip.

an enjoyable walk around Irlam Moss this evening along Astley Rd/ Twelve Yards Rd as far as Barton Moss farm.

A Quail was calling at 8pm from field 17 but impossible to see- presumably same as in F16 yesterday.

Just as the rain really set in at 9.45, 2 Woodcock began roding along the edge of the woods adjacent to Moss Farm/ Chat Moss.

Also seen/ heard:

Little Owl on farm buildings, Moss Farm
Tawny Owl heard 'kewick'-ing
RL Partridge 1 - Moss Farm
Grey Partridge 2, F14
Reed Bunting 3
Yellowhammer 10+
Tree Sparrow 3
Linnet 2
lots of Whitethroats in song

Sunday afternoon the main thing was spectacular dust storms from the dry ploughed fields

A few Tree Sparrows Rindle Rd and a Buzzard

Tree Pipit still singing and parachuting from same telegraph pole at 5pm today. A female stonechat and 6 tree sparrow were in the adjacent field (F16?).

Further east along 12 Yards Rd, 48 Stock Dove and a Cuckoo were in field north of Bartonmoss Farm. 2 pairs of Grey Partridge along 12 Yards Rd.

Spotted Flycatcher at Olive Mount farm, where also 2 Grey Partridge

2 Grey Partridge, 1 R L Partridge, 2 yellowhammer and a Kestrel were in the field alongside the road, behind the building site on Rindle Rd (not named on the map).

15 Lapwing and 2 Oystercatcher in F67

Tree pipit present until at least 1pm this afternoon. Favouring the fourth telegraph post on the RHS. Providing excellent views and loards of parachuting displays with fanned tailed and legs dangling!!

Also, plenty of swifts knocking about plus whitethroat, yellowhammer, tree sparrow, chaffinch, goldfinch, magpie, stock dove, reed bunting and kestrel.

Went straight from work tonight to have a good look at Alans Tree pipit. Waited for about an hour with Iain Johnson until a pipit flew up and perched on the 4th telegraph pole along 12 yards road at 8 pm. It sang for a while then flew up and parachuted down in to the grass with its tail feathers slightly fanned out but no sign of the dangling legs at the end of the flight. Ive just listened to its song again on the BBC website which confirms to me that it was the Tree pipit that we saw tonight.
We also had good views of Grey partridge and a Little owl this evening.

Excellent find Alan, good to see that your varifocals are working
And nice to meet you Iain

Tree Pipit still present, singing along 12 yard road at 7am today.

Info thanks to Mark Rigby.

Well done Mr Rowley, bet you never thought your post would start a twitch, I left me sunday dinner for it

Mr Woosey Mr Mc Kerchar stayed on site till Mr Collins arrived all in all a nice bird, county lifer for some may madness bird for others an excellent little year list blighter for me.

Tree sparrow in same area.

Keep birding.

tree pipit still present 6pm singing its little head off from telegraph poles along 12 yards road, approx 120 metres west from raspberry lane. Also getting in the rough field south of the road, parachuting whilst singing the full lot, a nice and all too scarce bird and a very good find

9-10.30am
Field 68
Wheatear 1
Grey partridge 2
Lapwings 7

Field 69
Two Curlew were joined by a pair of Whimbrel at 9.40am, the Whimbrel only stayed 10 minutes then flew north.
Lapwings 13
Grey partridge 4
Cuckoo briefly on a fence post, they were calling non stop this morning.
Yellowhammer 8
Whitethroat 3
Reedbuntings 4
Skylark 1
Pied wags 6
Buzzards 9 seen in total with 6 in the air at the same time.

Spotted Flycatcher off Moss Lane this afternoon around Allwood Farm but typically very elusive.

Dogs - I strongly advise anyone who is pestered by dogs on the mosslands whilst on a public road or footpath, or on legal business visiting a farm or other dwelling, to contact the council footpaths officer, or the police, or both. The boundary between the local authorities of Wigan and Salford is the canal boat on dry land at Red Chalis Farm (has been there since time immemorial - they must be waiting for the Flood!!) Numerous people have been bitten (including self) and the whole situation needs tightening up.

Getting in training for my eco-dayrode out to Astley Moss via Carrington Moss from Moss Side/Rusholme border where I live - 44 miles round trip. Legs a bit tired. I'm not really any sort of athlete and a bit old for heroics.

Anyway a chap who gave his name as Mr.Hayes of Sale has also been putting down seed at the feeding station which, Craig, is just some seed scattered on the track off Rindle Rd not an obvious collection of hanging feeders. No birds were coming to it. The trees have been knackred by a hedge trimmer needed to get some farm kit down to the field where the Whimbrel were.

Grey Partridge 2

Garden Warbler on the wire on Rindle Rd singing right above my head and carrying nesting material at the same time. How do they do that?

Cuckooo heard in belt of trees E of Rindle Rd.

Lots of good things on the way. Equalled my record for birding in Gtr Mcr by public transport so well pleasedNot a drop of fuel was spent.

Still no Whinchat or L. Whitethroat for me though.

Is it compulsory to keep huge numbers of 'over -friendly' dogs out that way? They don't like bikes.

Ian Campbell wrote:

---

Just curious, but who puts th food out and why is it not done at this time of the year?.
cheers Ian

---

I believe it is Eddie King on behalf of the Leigh Ornithiological Society which puts the seed down. At this time of year the birds are more than capable of finding their own food as there's plenty about but in winter food can be much scarcer, hence the feeding then. I doubt it's cheap either, so there's no point feeding if it's not entirely necesary.

Just curious, but who puts th food out and why is it not done at this time of the year?.
cheers Ian

Cheers Iain

Quick walk round N of the railway this afternoon - very dissapointing.

3 Wheatears and about 150 Woodpigeon in Field 68
3 Pied Wags in Field 67
2 Oystercatchers in the field behind field 69.
1 Tree Sparrow along Rindle Road just N of the 'building site'.
1 kestrel blogging about.
Flock of c15-20 Goldfinch along Rindle road near Shooters Grove.
Crows and Lapwings here and there.

No Yellow Wags, No yellowhammers, No Corn Bunts

Can someone please tell me where this fabled feeding station is? Someone I spoke to suggested Olive Mount Farm South of the Railway but wasnt sure.

late message for yesterday ( got locked out again.)

Whinchat male at olive mount farm astley road,
keep birding