thought i put my sightings on for the last week or so from Ashworth Moor Res, there has been some good migration through with a few good birds - for Rochdale anyway.
Pintail - 1 29th Yellow Wag - 1 24th, 2 29th Whinchat - 2 29th White Wag - the best autumn on record for this species here; 4 24th, 2 25th, 1 26th and 4 28th Pied Wag - vismig 71 west in total with 35w on the 28th and 19w on the 24th. Wheatear - 6 29th Swallow - vismig biggest flocks include 340w on the 23rd, 339 w on the 27th and 157 26th - if you count all birds west over the last week then there has been 1003 birds. Goosander - 31 roosting on the 29th is the highest number. Canada Goose - passage of birds peaking at 99 on the 25th. Tufted Duck - scarce here - 2 males on the 24th Grey Partridge - 2 on the 26th Green Sandpiper - 1 breifly on the 29th - first wader apart from lapwing to turn up for a while!
amzaingly there was a female Great Spotted Woodpecker on the dam wall on the 24th - probably a new site species and a site tick for me, and personally beats any of the above birds - goes to prove its all about context! The coot there last year was my best bird of the year!!
