couple of hours in cold sleety rain 11-30--13-30

Fir Tree Flash C6
23 mallard, 1 great crested grebe, 10 tufted duck, 6 coot, 1 moorhen, 1 canada goose, 1 grey heron,
trees around flash, carrion crow, magpie, wood pigeon, robin, 2 goldfinch, small flock of 6 long tailed tit, 5 great tit, mistle thrush heard singing but i could't see it. 2 linnet
C8 2 meadow pipit
C9 Diggle flash + stock pond
4 great crested grebe 2 on flash 2 on stock pond seem to be paired 2 on main flash have been performing courting dance + rituals all week.
4 gadwall ( stock pond) 46 coot 14 main flash 32 stock pond, 18 mallard 12 flash 4 stock pond, 2 mute swan, 2 moorhen, 23 black headed gull, 1 lesser black backed gull, 21 tufted duck majority on main flash.
trees around flash, 3 blackbird, robin,magpie, wood pigeon, great tit, blue tit.

C9 Diggle flash + stock pond
93 black headed gull + 1 lesser black backed gull, approx 30 each of tufted duck + coot, 4 mallard, 1 moorhen, 6 gadwall on stock pond. little grebe heard trilling but not seen,
3 blackbird, 2 great tit, magpies, wood pigeon in trees.
C7 buzzard over being harassed by gulls
C8 1 skylark,1 linnet with a flock of 16 goldfinch
C6 Fir tree flash
5 coot, 8 mallard, 2 tufted duck, 2 cormorant, 1 great crested grebe, 1 grey heron. 1 wren, flock of approx 20 long tailed tit.
4 jackdaw over.

Quick walk this morning around flash

C9 small mixed flock in trees around stock pond mainly great + long tailed tit, with 1 coal tit + 2 m bullfinch, plenty magpie 2 collared doves with wood pigeons, 4 robin, 5 blackbird,
approx 40 black headed gulls + 1 lesser black backed gull, 3 gadwall, 1 pochard, c30 tufted duck, 8 mallard, 1 grey heron, c40 coot, 3 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, little grebe heard but not seen.

9.15-11.00
extremely windy
Mute Swan 2
Mallard 15+
Tufted Duck 35+ (10 on Stock Pond)
Great Crested Grebe 2 DF
Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Skylark 2 (c2)
Wren
Mistle Thrush 2
Meadow Pipit 3
Gadwall 7 SP
Pochard 1 SP
Cormorant 1
Moorhen 2
Black-headed Gull 40+ DF
Woodpigeon
Jay 3
Goldcrest 3 (behind scrapyard c10)
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Blackbird 1
Robin
Chaffinch 1 (c10)
Total number of species 26
got talking to a fisherman and ran out of time so didn't check gulls properly, I'm sure there could be more to had pm as the wind was getting stonger.

1.30-12.15
1 Water Rail - in corner of c10
1 Woodcock - flew low over scrub of c10 and over bank out of view
1 Buzzard - c10 perched in tree then later hunting over c6
1 Sparrowhawk - c4
plus usuals

a trudge through the snow, 11-15-- 13-50
C9 road above flash first pass only 1 magpie + 1 blackbird, second pass 90mins later, 2 wren, at least 8 blackbird possibly more or seeing same birds moving around but did see 6 at same time and could hear 2 more. 2 redwing 1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 m bullfinch, 4 great tit, 1 robin, numerous wood pigeon, magpie + carrion crow.
stock pond 100% frozen Diggle flash 99.9 % frozen just one small pocket of water that the pair of mute swans were monopolising,
1st pass 94 gulls mainly black headed with 6 lesser black backed + 5 common, 2nd pass 62 gulls no lesser black backed and only 1 common, 3 carrion crow on ice eating bread, 57 coot, 16 mallard, 1 kestrel in surrounding trees, 1 heron in overflow ditch.
C8 3 common snipe, 1 buzzard in trees between C8 + C9,

11-30--14-30

C9 great views of a female linnet at eye level and a maximum 10 ft away 1 wren, at least 6 blackbird + 2 dunnock foraging amongst the leaves at the side of the concrete road, 1 robin, 2 chaffinch near car park + a further 8 in trees behind school field, 4 goldfinch, 4 great tit, 1 blue tit, 6 collared dove, 4 wood pigeon, 1 carrion crow in trees in garden of house backing onto the site,
stock pond still completely frozen, Diggle flash approx 20% frozen, 117 black headed gulls, 8 common gull, 5 mallard, 5 gadwall, 1 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 31 tufted duck, 36 coot.( no sign of shoveller, wigeon or pochard)
as i was walking to the site along Bickershaw lane a sparrowhawk flew low from between the houses crossed the road very low and flew in the general direction of plank lane.
C6 Fir Tree flash almost completely frozen, saw only 1 mallard + 1 coot in the small pocket of clear water although i could hear mallard on the island, 4 blackbird, 9 goldfinch, 3 long tailed tit,wood pigeon + magpie in trees around flash.
C8 2 meadow pipit, 1 robin,
C4 top rucks very quiet only 2 blackbird + magpies,

14-15--16-35
1f stonechat C10 old cornfield feeding in same area as a wren, 5 meadow pipit in area where C8,9 + 10 meet, 1 common snipe flew over c8 having been flushed by kids snowballing, 1 kestrel hunting over C7 + C8, 1 buzzard perched in trees in C10.
C9 2 bullfinch 1m, 1f, 2 robin, 3 blackbird, 1 jay, magpies, carrion crow + wood pigeon, with flock of c30 starling in trees beside Bickershaw lane.
distant flock of carrion crow presumably heading to roost that i think also contained a number of jackdaw.
stock pond 100% frozen main flash ice free.
6 gadwall, 9 mallard, 2 mute swan, 2 moorhen, 34 coot, 19 tufted duck, 3 herring gull perched on fence beside flash along with 5 black headed + 1 common gull, 37 black headed gull on water with a further 20-30 over nearby field C8, 2 lesser black backed gull.

Hi Bernard/Gordon
I did put a question on here, but had a second thought and stuck it on to the Discussion thread.......
Cheers
Dave

-- Edited by dave broome on Monday 21st of January 2013 08:15:08 PM

11.30-12.30
very quick hour walk

Buzzard 1 c2
Kestrel 1male c4
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3
Woodpigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Blackbird
Fieldfare 1c8
Meadow Pipit 1
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting 2 c3

10-20---13-35
C9 higher hall flash + stock pond, stock pond 60% frozen main flash virtually ice free

kingfisher on stock pond at 12-57pm, 1 reed bunting.
main flash, 2 mute swan, 1f shoveller, 2 pochard, 4 mallard, 30ish black headed gull, 1 lesser black backed gull, 1 common gull, 32 coot, 27 tufted duck, 10 gadwall,( 2 on stock pond, 8 on flash) 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 3 moorhen.
C9 trees behind school, numerous great tit, 3 robin, 4 blackbird, 1 jay ( 1st i've seen this year). magpies, carrion crow + wood pigeons,
C4 top rucks, 2 flocks of long tailed tit (7 + 18) magpies , 1 blackbird
C6 fir tree flash almost completely frozen, 9 coot, 6 canada geese, 1 mallard, 1 great crested grebe, 1 moorhen, 1 reed bunting,
trees around 1 great tit, 1 robin, numerous wood pigeon, magpie + carrion crow.

10-50-- 14-10 drizzle that turned to persistent rain

C9 plenty of activity in trees above flash 2 chaffinch, 1 siskin, plenty of great tit + long tailed tit 8 blackbird, at least 2 robin, wren + dunnock, blue tit, magpie wood pigeon,carrion crow.
2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 lesser black backed gull, 24 black headed gull, c40 coot, c30 tufted duck, 8 mallard, 1 moorhen,9 gadwall ( 5 stock pond, 4 main flash) 1 female shoveller on stock pond 1 grey heron on stock pond, 1 cormorant over.
C10 11 redwing numerous great tit + goldfinch,
C12 looking across to crankwood road just up from childrens play area, i spotted fieldfare in the trees at first count i got 42 with 3 redwing, but i noticed they kept dropping into the field and i couldn't see anything from my vantage point so i moved further down, a large flock of predominately fieldfare were feeding in the fields with the birds in the trees i would estimate close to 200, as well as fieldfare i did see blackbird, redwing and at least 1 mistle thrush among them.

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Tuesday 8th of January 2013 04:24:31 PM

11-00---14-15

good walk all round but very little seen around C2,3,4,+5, probably due to the very noisy off road motorbikes in all these areas.

C9 higher hall flash, stock pond + surrounding area,
plenty of blackbird in good song with one even trying to mount a female although she was having none of that.
numerous robin along top road and behind scrapyards also in good voice,
3 chaffinch, 2 wren, great tit + blue tit, 2 small flocks long tailed tit,magpie, carrion crow + wood pigeon.
on flash 2 mute swan, 1 lesser black backed gull, 154 black headed gull, 37 coot, 2 great crested grebe, 34 tufted duck, 2 moorhen, 11 mallard, 12 gadwall ( 6 on stock pond,6 on flash,) 1 female shoveller,
C7 approx 40 starling, 5 house sparrow, 3 collared dove, long tailed tit, great tit, wood pigeon, magpie. kestrel.
C6 fir tree flash + surrounding area,
19 tufted duck, 6 canada geese, 6 coot, 1 moorhen, 1 great crested grebe, 31 mallard, 1 pochard, 2 mute swan, flock of 20+ goldfinch, 1 chaffinch, long tailed tit, blue tit, great tit, wren, blackbird, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon.
C5 3 meadow pipit, 1 skylark.

10.40-13.00
highlights today:

1 Woodcock - flew from top rucks (c4) low directly over my head, over trees by football field and dropped into corner of C3 near where I saw one on Xmas day (still surprises me how big these birds look when close by in the air).
75 + mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwing flew from rucks c4 over c12 towards the fields beyond (was unable to count them more precisely as I was in tree cover with limited viewing).
1 Common Gull - on football field with 20 Black-headed Gulls
3 Snipe c10
4 Reed Bunting - c6
3 Skylark - in song over c2
plus usuals

15-15--17-30 Wednesday 2/1/13

Quite late when i got out today and dull so much of walk in dark or poor light with some drizzle.

Higher hall flash, 2 mute swan, 3 moorhen, 2 great crested grebe, 6 gadwall, (4 main flash, 2 stock pond) 1 cormorant, 40+ coot, 50+ tufted duck, 20ish black headed gull, 8 mallard
trees above flash 16 goldfinch, 7 chaffinch, 1 wren, blackbird, magpie, wood pigeon, carrion crow, long tailed tit.

Yesterday new years day 09-15-- 11-45

trees + bushes (C9) above flash very lively flock of approx 40 mainly goldfinch also contained at least 2 siskin, 3 linnet + 3 redpoll, flock of 30-40 long tailed tit with 8 great tit + 2 blue tit, robin, wren, magpie,blackbird, carrion crow + wood pigeon when i came back a couple of hours later very little showing 2 long tailed tit and 3 magpie.
Higher Hall flash,
4 gadwall 2 on main flash 2 on stock pond. 1 goldeneye, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 lesser black backed gull c70 black headed gull couldn't pick any common gull out, 1 cormorant, 40+ coot, 50+ tufted duck, 9 mallard, 5 moorhen.
C9 behind scrapyards, 20+ long tailed tit, 2 redwing, 5 chaffinch, numerous great tit,
C7 in trees near haulage yard off Smiths lane, 20+ starling with house sparrows + 3 collared dove,
C8 1 buzzard over, 2 meadow pipit, not seen stonechat since Dec 18th so probably moved on.
completed my new years day with an hour watching the waxwings at Howe bridge then a couple of hours at Penny flah.

11.30-12.30
Quick walk round top rucks
1 Woodcock close to entrance by Firsway Garage
2 Redwing

Happy Christmas everyone

my dad said that but i only got a quick glimps in flight

james

late walk 2:30-4:30 produced:

1 goldcrest(fir tree)
4 linnet
loads long-tailed tit, siskin and redpol together
sparrowhawk
1 feildfare
a couple of common gulls with loads of black headed

no sign of short eared owl

and if any one could help me with my mistery bird today whitch i thought was a red legged partridge as i was near the new road by the fishermans gate and we flushed it - it was alot bigger than a grey partridge and called as it got up. Are they seen round there and has anyone else seen one?

13-35--16-00 very quiet

Higher Hall flash still 95% frozen although yesterdays rain was lying on top of the ice giving the gulls + coot the appearance of walking on water.

70+ gulls mainly black headed with 4 common and 1 lesser black backed, 3 moorhen, 2 mute swan, 40+ coot, 14 tufted duck, 4 mallard,1 grey heron.
14 wood pigeon in trees at back of stock pond, small flock of long tailed tit, 1 wren, a few magpies, 1 blackbird, 1 carrion crow.

09-40--12-05
2 stonechat in corner of c8, was watching 1 for 2-3 minutes perching on stems then dropping down and returning to stems, then joined by another, 11-10am

82 pink footed geese over 11-27 heading nw
stock pond completely frozen Higher Hall flash over 95% frozen

87 gulls mainly black headed with 9 common, 40+ coot, 1 little grebe, 2 mute swan presumably residents no sign of yesterdays visitors, 9 mallard, 5 moorhen, only 16 tufted duck.
small charm of 12 goldfinch in trees around flash,
1 grey heron over, blackbird, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon,long tailed tit + robin all in small numbers.

common snipe, wren in c8

11-00-- 14-20 very cold+ frosty, rime frost covering on all the trees, bushes + plantlife

stock pond completely frozen, Higher Hall flash over 95% frozen.

32 tufted duck, 28 coot, 33 black headed gull, 2 common gull, 1 lesser black backed gull, 6 mallard, 3 moorhen, 1 cormorant, 1 pochard, 2 resident mute swan with 2 more landing on ice, the 2 residents are very territorial i have seen them chase off other mute swans + canada geese in the past, they did make threatening gestures but were unwilling to leave the bit of unfrozen water they were in.
3 grey heron + 2 common snipe around the unfrozen drainage/ overflow channel, 2 more grey heron in corner of Fir Tree flash with 6 coot,
6 blackbird, 15 magpie, 2 long tailed tit with blue tit + great tit, flock of 14 long tailed tit.3 robin, 2 carrion crow, 2 wood pigeon, 1 reed bunting, 3 meadow pipit, 2 jay.
1 pied wagtail in trees near Bickershaw lane and on road at top of HH flash, collared dove, starling, house sparrow and 1 great spotted woodpecker in gardens of two big houses backing onto road above flash.

09-20-- 12-35

Stock pond completely frozen Higher Hall flash about 50% frozen

2 mute swan, 1 godeneye, 3 common gull amongst 48 black headed and 1 lesser black backed gull seen on 1st circuit of flash on 2nd circuit later on no sign of goldeneye and only 1 common gull.
46 coot, 39 tufted duck, 9 moorhen, 1 cormorant, 3 mallard, no sign of any grebe.
drainage/ overflow channel was free of ice and on 1st circuit 6 mallard, 1 grey heron and 1 grey wagtail were showing, nothing on 2nd circuit.
nice to meet Gary + Wayne on 2nd circuit and we studied a flock of 50 ish mainly goldfinch but also containing siskin, redpoll and linnet in trees around flash,
top road near flash was very quiet seeing only 2 long tailed tit and 1 great tit with a few magpie in trees.
flock of c 20 redwing over near scrapyards but again pretty quiet with 2 blackbird, 1 robin, 1 carrion crow + magpies.
flock of 16 goldfinch in trees off new road, 2 meadow pipit, 1 wren, 1 kestrel hunting above field,

10-30--14-15 sunny but cold

Higher Hall flash + stock pond

1 lesser black backed gull, 35 black headed gull, 29 tufted duck, 31 coot, 12 mallard, 2 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 7 moorhen, 1 cormorant, no sign of goldeneye today,
above the houses on Bickershaw Lane 15 loft pigeons were mobbing a sparrowhawk,
numerous wood pigeon + magpie approx 35 carrion crow. 9 blackbird, 2 blue tit, 4 robin, 1 wren, 2 goldfinch, 2 great tit, 3 chaffinch seen but could hear more deeper into trees, flock of 14 long tailed tit plus a single and further on 3 that i think were stragglers from bigger flocks that i could hear but not see, 20+ redwing, 1 buzzard, 1 common snipe, 1 jay,1 mistlethrush, 1 kestrel.

2 skeins of pink footed geese c140 + c60

Higher Hall Flash
2 goldeneye, 1m,1f, 2 gadwall ( stock pond), 9 mallard, 3 great crested grebe, 8 moorhen, 2 cormorant ( 1 on flash 1 over) 28 coot, 33 tufted duck, 47 black headed gull on flash numerous over approx 600 in all probably heading back to roost at pennington, 2 mute swan, 1 wigeon. no sign of grey wagtail today but did see it again yesterday,

19 meadow pipit, 9 linnet ( near bottom of new road) 1 kestrel, 1 buzzard, c25 goldfinch, 12 blackbird, 4 robin, 1 wren, 2 mistlethrush,1 collared dove, numerous carrion crow, magpie and woodpigeon. 1 pheasant seen but sounded like at least 3 squabbling. only saw 3 long tailed tit usually lots more.