1 Hobby (Seen to catch what appeared to be a small bird, it then landed on the moss to pluck and eat it's meal).
Also 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards (1 of these was seen flying behind the combine harvester in an adjacent field), 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Yellow Wagtails,
14 "Alba" Wagtails, 6 Meadow Pipits, 10 Linnets and 1 Raven. 2 Sand Martins were with a flock of 60+ mixed Swallows and House Martins flying over the moss.
Nice walk in pleasant sunshine at Little Woolden Moss LNR
1 Yellow Wagtail (m) 1 Common Sandpiper ~50 Pied Wagtails, mostly juv ~5 House Martin 1 Sand Martin ~15 Swallow 2 Meadow Pipit ~35 Linnet ~6 Willow Warbler (h) 1 Reed Bunting 1+ Chiffchaff
1 slightly odd raptor, presumably juv Common Buzzard hunting just N of reserve. Seemed to have quite long wings & jizz more like a Marsh Harrier than Buzzard. However, plumage not consistent with any variation of Marsh Harrier (note, obvious juv Marsh Harrier photographed there y'day), but all dark head & throat, pale body & underwing, slight dark on flank, pale underwing coverts except tiny dark mark on greater coverts - hardly a "dark carpal patch"; Upper wing all dark, but covert tips pale (hence juv)
1 Greenshank 3 Green Sandpiper 9 Snipe - 5 feeding and a further 4 heard fly in as the light faded. 9 Teal 2 Tawny Owls heard - 1 in trees on southern edge and 1 on the northern edge c70 Canada Geese over in 4 flock 15 Swallow east in a single flock
Walked from Rindle Road to Litttle Woolden Moss and back 13.00-16.30
The manure pile alongside Rindle Road attracted a flock of 20+ Chaffinches plus a single Greenfinch.
A flock of 6 Mistle Thrushes fed in the field just South of the level crossing.
Above the car park at Little Woolden Moss a large Peregrine was being harassed by a female Kestrel.
The Peregrine appeared to be a juvenile, but it dwarfed the Kestrel, and I watched a tremendous aerial display from both birds as they drifted off towards Astley Road.
The Kestrel did'nt give up and kept mobbing the larger raptor, she was joined by a small group of Swallows with the drama taking place a couple of hundred feet up.
The Peregrine became increasingly agitated and made several breathtaking dives at the Kestrel, but broke off the attack at the last moment.
I was sure I'd witness the end of the little falcon, but luckily the Peregrine did'nt have a taste for Kestrel today, there were masses of Woodpigeons about after all.
Both raptors were later seen over the mossland, the Peregrine flushing every bird off the pools. Not a single bird returned for half an hour.
On the mossland pools were 2 Ringed Plovers, 10 "Alba" Wagtails and 3 Yellow Wagtails.
A second calendar year Hobby was the only bird present Little Woolden Moss this early afternoon, other than the small bird it had caught and taken to ground on the bare peat before flying off!
Saturday, late afternoon ..... Rindle rd to Little Woolden Moss and back . Common Buzzard over cottages and rindle wood . Swallow - about 10 in each field up to Salford Angling club pond where I saw about 20 Mistle Thrush on a Sorbus tree (heavy in berry ) and overhead wires. Also lots of House Martin as I neared Little Woolden Moss. Ltitle Woolden Moss - Pied wagtail - 8 Inc 2 adult. Little Ringed plover - 1 juvenile. Kestrel - 3 (one mobbing a Raven). Raven - 3 (2 on the peat ) . Linnet - 2. Ps. Raven mobbed by kestrel landed on top of peat works mound then dropped down to a smaller mound next to a adult rabbit, which then launched itself at the Raven which moved a few feet away. The rabbit then had a other go ! The Raven moved again and the rabbit had another go at it. Never seen owt like it !!! Saw another Kestrel on the way back and also the nice Green Jag Man in the usual place on Rindle rd. ( I apologise for forgetting his name ) also nice to meet Dave Stewart again .
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Saturday 12th of August 2017 11:55:34 PM
Also heard 2 Common Sandpiper over Astley rd.
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Sunday 13th of August 2017 12:00:23 AM
Weds evening 19.00-21.00 on Little Woolden Moss with Steve:
100 swallows hawking low
1 Swift
1 Greenshank
3 Little ringed plovers
2 Curlew heard
1 Green sandpiper heard
1 Kestrel
several Willow warblers heard only
c300 Swift feeding south of Windy Bank Wood this morning, before they all departed W, smaller groups totalling 71 flying between W-NW later; 50 Goldfinch feeding nr Old Moss Lane