Little Woolden Moss this afternoon:

Red Kite over the western edge of the reserve drifted off just west and dropped lower until falling into a steep and very tight circular decent onto the ground somewhere just west of Holcroft Lane and in between the moss and Silver Lane Pools. The bird didn't appear to come up in the half and hour or so I waited for it. Missing feathers on its left wing bade it look decidedly tatty.

Marsh Harrier flew west over Astley Moss viewed from Little Woolden Moss

1 Ringed Plover

2 Redshank

4 Curlew

11 Pied Wagtail

Other birds today at Little Woolden Moss included 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk and 15 Meadow Pipit

Sightings from around the mosses today:

Little Woolden Moss;

 

3 Redshank

2 Curlew

1 Dunlin

2  Oystercatchers

29 Lapwing

1 Little Ringed Plover

 

Irlam Moss:

 

1 Curlew 

 

Chat Moss:

 

1 Redshank

4 Oystercatcher

2 Curlew..2 Snipe

2 Gadwall

 

Astley Moss:

 

2 Willow Tit

5 Oystercatcher

1 overflying Greenshank.

1 Raven

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel and Dave Stewart

Late Post due to site access problems, would not except my password.

Yesterday Tuesday 27th Chat Moss

1st Wheatear of the year (for me) Male on newly ploughed section of F9 directly behind Manor farm.

Cheers Ian 

Little Woolden Moss today:

 

3 Oystercatcher

2 Curlew

3 Golden Plover

2 Redshank

6 Snipe

30 Brambling

4 Grey Partridge

15 Tree Sparrow

21 Teal

170 Lapwing

26 Linnet

 

Chat Moss:

 

2 Oystercatcher

1 Tawny Owl

2 Curlew

1 singing Chiffchaff

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel 

Day spent round here today; usual route up Astley Road to Little Woolden Moss via Cutnook Lane and Twelve Yards Road.

Irlam Moss:

1 goldcrest
1 willow tit heard
30+ goldfinch
c20 linnet
10+ greenfinch
40+ chaffinch
2 brambling
1 bullfinch
3 reed bunting
5 yellowhammer
8 meadow pipit
7 pied wagtail
c20 skylark
3 redwing
3 song thrush
3 fieldfare
2 stock dove
c50 lapwing
2 - 6 (probably 4) oystercatcher, with one pair seen mating
c4 kestrel
c5 buzzard

Nice mixed flock on the paths linking Astley Road to Cutnook Lane; modest in size (c30 birds), but comprising of chaffinch (primarily), linnet, brambling, reed bunting and yellowhammer.

Little Woolden Moss:

9 linnet
1 or 2 meadow pipit
4+ pied wagtail
2 skylark
4 fieldfare
1 jay
5 mallard
17+ lapwing (more in surrounding fields)
1 snipe
1 or 2 redshank
2 curlew
2 kestrel
2 buzzard (one distant)

Wednesday, 21st March 2018.

Afternoon stroll down Barton Moss Road - turn left up Twelve Yards Road - Right To Manor Farm - back to Twelve Yards Road - next right to Croxden Peat Fields - and return.

Chiffchaff x 1 seen in woods (Black Wood) between fields 7 and 45
Goldcrest x 1 (seen in same woods as above)
Bird of prey unable to positively identify - could have been Marsh Harrier - heading north over Croxden Peat Fields at 15:30 hrs.
Lapwing x 50 plus (spread over a large number of different fields)
Oystercatcher x 1
Reed Bunting x 3
Charm of Goldfinch x 100
Woodpigeon x 300
Buzzard x 2
Kestrel x 1
Starling x 80
Chaffinch x 150
Fieldfare x 1
House Sparrow x 1
Grey Heron x 1
Black-Headed Gull x 20
Wren x 1
Mute Swan x 2
Great Tit x 3
Blue Tit x 2
Robin x 5
Blackbird x 4
Mallard x 7
Pheasant x 3



-- Edited by Steve Judge on Thursday 22nd of March 2018 11:41:30 PM

Chat and Irlam Mosses this morning:

 

4 Wigeon

1 Golden Plover over

4 Grey Partridge

1 Redshank

1 Curlew

2 Brambling

80 Chaffinch

6 Snipe

 

Infon thanks to Dave

Around the Rindle, Astley Moss area this morning, highlights included:

A flock of c60 Chaffinch by the barn near field 67 still contained 8 Brambling, but there could well have been more

Tree Sparrow 'singing' by Rindle Cottage

2 Fieldfare and small numbers of Redwing in fields at the back of Rindle Wood

 

Other birds today included:
1 Curlew high NE

Irlam Moss 8 Brambling with c60 Chaffinch in field 25, 22 Brambling counted with c200 Chaffinch in fields 4/5
c50 Goldfinch and 10 Reed Bunting in field 5

Barton Moss 2 Grey Partridge, 19 Fieldfare, 1 Tree Sparrow, flock of 10 Skylark

-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 20th of March 2018 07:26:59 PM

Barton Moss today, late afternoon Barton moss farm to Manor farm.

Female Merlin using the round hay bales as look outs, hunting over F8

Fieldfares ~70 plus a small number of Redwings ~ 6 feeding in F8/9

Lapwings ~ 12 pairs on breeding grounds in F8/9/10 trying to dislodge the wintering corvid's

Kestrels, resident pair around Manor Farm area also a pair of Buzzards over the railway banking's

Bramblings ~6 in small flock of ~ 30 Chaffinches + pair of Grey Partridges & Mallards.

27 Grey Herons observed on the 15th March in the uncut cereal field behind Moulders farm F8 

Cheers Ian

 

 

 

k

-- Edited by IANMOFFAT1 on Monday 19th of March 2018 08:09:11 PM

Barton Moss today:

 

1Willow Tit

1 Treecreeper

2  Grey Partridge

14 Reed Bunting

 

12 Yards Road fields 4/5 in the tree line:

 

c120 Chaffinch

18 Goldfinch

10 Brambling

1 Merlin over east  

 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Little Woolden Moss today:

 

89 Lapwing

4 Redshank

1 Dunlin

1 Curlew

5 Redpoll

10 Meadow Pipit

7 Buzzard

 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart 

Male Wheatear this evening by the kissing gate on the north side of Little Woolden Moss.

Little Woolden Moss:

 

3 Redshank

274 Lapwing

2 Curlew

6 Snipe

215 Fieldfare

2 Shelduck

2 Raven

Grey Partridge

57 Linnet

 

Chat Moss:

 

156 Lapwing

2 Great Black-backed Gull

2 Oystercatcher 

1 Redshank

14 Stock Dove

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

Popped down to Rindle to have a look for the Brambling and wasn't disapointed. Didn't do a count but there was plenty of Brambling in the massive Chaffinch flock around Rindle Woods and nearby fields,some of the males not far off full sum plum.The Chaffinch flock was massive and must number in excess of 700 birds.Also a Curlew flew over and a Skylark was singing.

A superb 167 Brambling were around Rindle, Astley Moss early afternoon today. A few small flocks were in the tops of the trees in Rindle Wood but a much larger single flock of 110 was feeding in field 67 along with Chaffinches though the Brambling seemed to keep themselves in their own flock most of the time. Most of the birds from Rindle Wood eventually seemed to fly across Rindle Road to join the main flock though.

Unfortunately, a report later in the afternoon of a birdwatcher trespassing into field 67 causing the flock to disperse was extremely disappointing to say the least and such selfish actions cannot be excused.

Also, a Raven over early afternoon.

Barton Moss;

 

5 Grey Partridge

15 Skylark

7 Snipe

19 Reed Bunting

a pair of Stonechat

2 Yellowhammer

111 Lapwing over west 

 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

Cadishead Moss today:

 

1 Ruff

4 Golden Plover

4 Lesser Redpoll

2 Grey Wagtail

 

Little Woolden Moss:

 

1 Golden Plover

2 Curlew

7 Lesser Redpoll

3 Snipe

38 Stock Dove

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

Little Woolden Moss to Platt House Farm today:

 

7 Yellowhammer

53 Stock Dove

37 Linnet

14 Tree Sparrow

1 Raven

31 Collard Dove

2 Kestrel

 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

14.45-17.00

On the flooded fields next to River Glaze:

1 Ruff
1 Redshank (both Ruff and Redshank associating together - intially south of the bridge at Great Woolden Hall then both flew to the flooded area north of the bridge)
2 Oystercatcher
1 Snipe
40+ Teal
20+ Mallard
50+ Canada Geese
20+ Meadow Pipit
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Buzzard
8 Stock Dove with Woodpigeon flock
lots of Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes

Cadishead Moss:

Large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing in many of the fields plus many Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes and a few Blackbirds amongst them.
Estimated numbers: 350+Fieldfare, 300+ Redwing 50+ Song Thrush, 30+ Mistle Thrush.
15 Linnet
150+ Black-headed Gull
3 Herring Gull
50+ Lapwing
2 Grey Partridge
4 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
200+ Woodpigeon
10+ Stock Dove
2 Greeenfinch
1 Goldfinch
40+ Magpie

Cadishead Moss this morning:

 

21 Golden Plover

90 Lapwing

1 Ruff

800 Black-headed Gull

2 Stock Dove

9 Pied Wagtail

2 Stock Dove

2 Tree Sparrow

70 Fieldfare

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

 

Barton Moss:

 

88 Reed Bunting

c300 Chaffinch

15 Brambling

c70 Goldfinch

5 Yellowhammer

2 Grey Partridge

8 Song Thrush

14 Redwing

10 Fieldfare

800 Woodpigeon

500 Jackdaw

 

Info thanks to Dave Stewart

 

Astley Moss mid-afternoon today:

2 Grey Partridge along the old feeding station track off Rindle Road

c200 Chaffinch still around Rindle Hedge off Rindle Wood though mobile. Contained at least two Brambling, one of which was a practically full breeding plumaged male.

Large flock of finches along the northern edge of Astley Moss SSSI dropping into the stubble field there viewed from Moss Lane but too distant.

Chat and Barton Mosses 09:10-14:10 today:

 

7 Golden Plover

1 female Merlin

600 Jackdaw

15 Stock Dove

7 Snipe

1300 Chaffinch

25 Brambling

2  Grey Partridge 

70 Chaffinch

380 Goldfinch

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel