Few hours this morning,

1 Kingfisher
2 Little Grebe
12 Tufted Duck
2 Great Crested Grebe
5 Linnet
2 Stonechat, both youngsters
3 Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Reed Warbler
5 Reed Bunting
2 Skylark
5 Meadow Pipit
2 Lapwing
1 Kestrel
1 Water Rail

Plus all usuals

kingfisher on stock pond this morning, 1 grey heron, 2 great crested grebe ( they seem to have lost their youngster only ever saw a single always being carried on a parents back but been no sign for at least 3 days now) 2 moorhen, several coot and 3 mallard also all on stock pond,
diggle flash - good numbers coot, 2 families of little grebe 2 young in each, 1 great crested grebe, 3 tufted duck, 4 mallard, 8 black headed gull, pair mute swan with 3 remaining cygnets, moorhen with 1 young,
great tit, blue tit, 1 juvenile whitethroat, blackbird, dunnock, robin, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon,

decent numbers of very noisy gulls over diggle flash @06-00 am presumably from an overnight roost all bar a few black headed gulls had left by 06-10, , i picked out 2 great blacked backed gulls, 5 adult and several juvenile lesser black backed gulls and 2 common gulls amongst 70+ black headed gulls,

Hour straight from Penny, Very quiet.

3 Kestrel, including youngster.
1 Buzzard, scruffy looking bird, had secondaries missing from both wings.
2 Whitethroat
2 Reed Warbler
1 Meadow Pipit

little grebe with at least 2 young on diggle flash i think there was another in the reeds but i never actually saw it,pair of mute swan with 6 cygnets, plenty of young coot with parents, 5 well grown mallard ducklings, 2 young moorhen, plenty tufted duck, 1 grey heron, reed warbler, sedge warbler, 1 lesser whitethroat showing really well, 4 whitethroat, blue tit, great tit, robin, dunnock, blackbird, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, approx 10 each of swallow and swift over field beside flash,

Out for a hour early this morning, still very windy and it was really quiet. The only birds of note were a Female Whinchat in C6 with an Insect and a Lesser Whitethroat also C6.

common tern over diggle flash this evening being harassed by lesser black backed gulls

Early this morning,

A Hobby was present this morning seen hunting on the border of C4/C6. Lots of Warblers singing including, Grasshopper, Sedge, Reed and Willow Warblers. A total of 8 Whitethroats were singing. A Single Garden Warbler was singing in C6, also two juvenile Blackcap in C6. 1 Water Rail heard in Nevisons Flash. Decent numbers of the usuals about Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Reed Bunting. Singles of Linnet, Snipe, Kestrel and Little Grebe.

Early this morning,

Highlights,

1 Female Whinchat
2 Stonechat
2 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Male Cuckoo, Heard only
1 Grey Partridge, Flushed
1 Kingfisher
2 Willow Tit, 1 C9 the other C6
1 Common Tern, Diggle Flash

07.30-08.30
C3 and as far as New Water only
1 Hobby briefly showed an interest in a passing Swallow before departing east
1 Raven mobbing a Buzzard
1 Kestrel
Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Warbler all singing loudly

Cuckoo in flight over woodland behind Diggle Flash early afternoon

cuckoo flew from church yard on Bickershaw lane @05-50 to trees around stock pond calling before settling down still calling first of the year for me, decent numbers of warblers, blackcap, whitethroat, sedge warbler, reed warbler, grasshopper warbler, chiffchaff and willow warbler all seen, skylark, reed bunting, great tit, blue tit, dunnock, wren, kestrel, buzzard, pheasant, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon.
diggle flash- 4 pairs of coot with young a 3, 2x2s, and a single on the stock pond, mallard with 6 ducklings also on stock pond, tufted duck, mute swan, moorhen, great crested grebe, 3 little grebe, black headed gull, 2 lesser black backed gull.

Male Cuckoo present this afternoon in C8, also a Female Whinchat in the same area.

grey wagtail around diggle flash this am, 1 lesser whitethroat, 6 whitethroat,

An hour this afternoon, C8,9 and 10

3 Grasshopper Warbler
4 Whitethroat
1 Willow Tit
1 Kestrel
5 Skylark
3 Sedge Warbler
2 Reed Warbler
1 Kingfisher
1 Little Grebe
1 Common Tern
1 Singing Yellowhammer, rare on this site.

Plus all usual suspects

morning dog walk
7 greenfinch picking grit on old car park, great tit, willow warbler, chiffchaff. blackbird and robin all into double figures, 2 wren, 3 dunnock, 1mistle thrush, 4 pheasant, 2 meadow pipit, 2 blackcap, whitethroat heard but not seen, 5 reed bunting, 3 blue tit, 2 jay, 7 jackdaw, magpie, carrion crow, wood pigeon, 2 skylark.
diggle flash- 3 reed warbler, 1 sedge warbler heard but not seen, 2 grasshopper warbler from field to side of flash, 1 drake gadwall, c30 tufted duck, 2 mute swan, 14 coot, 1 lesser black backed gull, 3 moorhen, 3 great crested grebe, 2 little grebe, 2 mallard, 2 swallow hawking over water.

Those who keep piping on about developing "brownfield" sites before any others need to take a peep at Scott's list for Bickershaw today. The warbler variety alone, with the additional importance of numbers of locally declining 'grassland' species - Skylark, Meadow Pipit, and Linnet - (as well as Stonechat) knocks the "build on brownfield first" suggestion for six. As for the 4x4s, we've tried for years to get shut of them, without success. When/if the site acquires 'Country Park' status, perhaps there'll be a greater determination to send them packing. For the record, the future of the site has been discussed at umpteen meetings for at least the last fourteen years, and, hopefully, the time will come when any lingering doubts about its vulnerability will be dispelled!

06.15 -07.45
C3 & C4 only
single Whimbrel flew NNW over New Water @ 07.13
4 Grasshopper Warbler - 2 C3, 1 C4 & 1 reeling C5
pair of Lapwing displaying
2 Whitethroat
2 Blackcap

07.45 - 11.00
9 Grasshopper Warbler - 6 C8, watched one singing from top of thicket for 30 mins occasionally dropping to the floor before quickly returning to its singing perch, others reeling in C2,3 & 5
1 Sedge Warbler
3 Whitethroat
3 Blackcap
plenty of Reed Warbler
5 Sand Martin
12 Swallow

no sign of Cuckoo yet (thought they might be early this year but got it wrong)

07.45 - 10.15
C2,3,4 & 6
7 Reed Warbler - 4 NF, 2 Central ditch, 1 New Water
1 Grasshopper Warbler - showed briefly in C5
1 Whitethroat -C4
2 Raven flew from C4 over C5 and landed on phone mast in Firsdale Industrial Park and stayed there for an hour before leaving
Willow Warbler calling from everywhere

An amazing spectacle of well over 4000 sand martins at Tinker Joe's yesterday evening. There were a few coming and going up to 8pm, but it really got going at about 8:10pm when thousands came in. I've attached a photo with a crude grid in an attempt to count them.

In the field we'd estimated 3 - 5000 birds, and I just wondered how accurate we had been. I haven't counted every bird in every square on this image, but I have counted birds in every other square, and for the rest estimated the number based on counted squares if you see what I mean. If you add up the totals for each square it comes to 4005 birds. Bearing in mind that not every bird is on this photo because there were smaller flocks on the periphery of the main swarm, an estimate of 5 - 7000 birds might have beeen more accurate. Even so, not a bad attempt in the field and what an amazing number of sand martins!

A Treecreeper was either nest building or visiting existing nest in C3, the latter the more likely, as I didn't notice it carrying any nesting material, although it was constantly popping in and out of the hole. Will keep a close eye on it when passing.

07.25 - 10.15
1 Grasshopper Warbler - reeling from Blackthorn on edge of path between C8 & C10 (I was ready with camera 10ft away but I didn't even manage to see it never mind photograph it)
1 Whitethroat - C4
1 Grey Wagtail - C3
2 Lesser Redpoll
Pair of Buzzard copulating rather precariously on a thin branch in C8 with the male still displaying later on
Mute Swan on nest - FTF
3 pairs of Linnet - 2 C4 + 1 C8
2 pairs of Little Grebe - C10
plenty of Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler
a few Sand Martin over and 5 Blackcap

-- Edited by Gordon Newman on Sunday 9th of April 2017 10:56:27 AM

6 sand martin + 2 swallow over diggle flash this am, 11 chiffchaff

wednesday morning a nice clean yellow + white cockatiel around stock pond.
Tuesday morning 2 whooper swans over north-north east @06-50