White Stork of unknown origin in the freshly cut field alongside the A574 Warrington Road, directly opposite the Raven Inn around midday/early afternoon.
The bird, now gone, was apparently a Little Egret after all.
White Stork of unknown origin in the freshly cut field alongside the A574 Warrington Road, directly opposite the Raven Inn around midday/early afternoon.
A check round Glazebury Sewage Works produced at least 1,possibly 2 wintering Chiffchaff in trees adjacent to the filter beds. Also seen Goldcrest,Blue and Great Tit,several male Blackbirds feeding on the filter beds with the usual Pied Wagtails. A bit quiet really but some cold weather might push a few more birds to feed there,as it's been really mild recently.
A walk down Moss lane at dusk. Quail calling occasionally from field opp bungalow also Grasshopper warbler reeling within UU site & Tawny Owl calling nearby.
Repeat walk of last year from Culcheth - Culcheth Carrs - East Lancs etc. Just a few of the usual farmland birds, its dire how populations have changed!
Linnets - 60+
Yellowhammer - 5
Corn Bunting - 2
Chaffinch - 20, all the above in mixed flock
Mistle Thrush - 4, singing birds on the walk
Song Thrush - 4, singing birds
Fieldfare - 80
Redwing - 15
Jackdaw - 250
Rook - 40
Kestrel - 1 male
Great spotted Woodpecker - 1
Stock Dove - 20
-- Edited by Rob Smith on Thursday 2nd of February 2023 06:21:15 PM
Quick visit to sewage works. Pied Wagtail 140, 40 on field joined by 100 coming off works in single flock; Grey Wagtail, a really striking male; Goldcrest 2 + usual residents.
An hour round the perimeter of the sewage works in the hope of a wintering Chiffchaff was unsuccessful, no sign of any in the usual places. In fact apart from reasonable numbers of Pied Wagtails on the filter beds there was very little bird wise. Just a couple of Goldcrests and a few Blue Tits. Very disappointing compared to previous winters.
Grey Wagtail - 2, [1 adult male/1 immature] foraging beneath one of the Solar Arrays. Workman nearby so little to see on the usual beds although vegetation is high & obscures the view.
A quick look round the perimeter of the sewage works on the way to Little Woolden produced at least 8 Reed Buntings feeding on midges in the trees around the perimeter. Still plenty of Pied Wagtails flicking between the fields and filter beds,and approx 30 Black Headed Gulls on the grass inside the works.
Rob, I've been to the Sewage works several times since Christmas - no sign of the Chiffchaffs. However, more of the birds (Tits, Goldcrests, Bullfinch) seem to be in the denser cover North of the works (warmer?), so they could still be around. Several Lapwing on the fields 3 days ago
Observing the new Tier 4 restrictions, decided on a farmland walk, exit via back gate & along the local footpath network to fields alongside Holcroft Lane and ending up at Glazebury Treatment works. With a noticeable thaw underway a lot of birds out feeding on the fields.
Mallard 12, on local farm pond
Kestrel 1, female
Stock Dove 120, this various sized flock has been around for a few weeks
Fieldfare 150, total of two separate flocks on different fields
Redwing 10+, not seeing much of these birds this winter.
Starling 800+, again in separate flocks
Skylark 150+
House Sparrow 30 in farm hedge
Chaffinch 40+
Greenfinch 10,
Yellowhammer 3
Treatment Works, pretty quiet but workman close by probably disturbing stuff
Still 3 Chiffchaffs around the works this morning, unfortunately all looking like collybita. Also 3 Reed Buntings feeding on midges in the trees around the edge of the filter beds and small numbers of Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tits and Blue and Great Tits. On the winter crop field just west of the works 72 Pied Wagtails, with good numbers still on the filter beds,must be well in excess of 100 of these birds in the area. Also at least 150 Black Headed Gulls feeding around the works and 3 Bullfinch in the nearby trees.
Another visit to Glazebury Sewage Works this morning produced 3 Chiffchaffs all feeding in the same general area ,unfortunately all of which we just collybita ,and no sign of the possible tristis. Also there 3 Reed Buntings, couple of Goldcrest and a party of Long Tailed Tits feeding in the surrounding trees. Plenty of Pied Wagtails, a single Grey Wagtail and numerous Black Headed Gulls feeding on and around the filter beds.
Still 800-1000 Pink Footed Geese just south of the M62 Towards the SE side of Holcroft Moss this morning and early afternoon. They are on private land with little disturbance so seem more settled than previous weeks
Another look around the sewage works this morning was interesting with at least 4 Chiffchaff in the area one of which is a good candidate for tristis. I was watching 2 Chiffchaff one of which was the possible tristis type,the other one which was loosely associating with it was giving a typical collybita call,whereas the possible tristis was completely silent . Whilst I was watching these 2 birds a further 2 Chiffchaff were singing away further behind them !!!. Eventually the 2 Chiffchaff split up and both disappeared into the cover. Elsewhere around the site the usual good numbers of Pied Wagtails,a few Goldcrest and Long Tailed Tits etc feeding on the masses of midges present.
Rob, I see you lament the loss of Grey Partridge in the area - a few days ago, I forgot to mention a covey of 9 of them at the entrance to Frank's Farm on Holcroft Lane, in the stubble
1000 - 1300 Pink Footed Geese over and around the area South and East of Holcroft Lane this morning in several large flocks , I have a feeling the farmers are paying a Helicopter and small plane to buzz the area to get rid of the geese as they were disturbed 6 times today by the Helicopter and headed towards Little Wooldon and attempted to land there , but came back up and split into 6 groups going in all directions when I left. 2000 Starling 1500 Woodpigeon , and 200 Skylark also on the Stubble Fields to the south of Holcroft Lane.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 12th of December 2020 01:52:21 PM
Had another look round sewage works in the hope of seeing the Chiffchaffs better,heard at least one calling but unable to licate it. The call was a typical bog standard "sweet" used by collybita.
At 15:30 about 160 Pinks flew due E, seemed to be landing distantly near E end of Little Woolden Moss (GM); too distant to see anything else in the flock
Just 2 Blue Tits, no other Parus or Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest - all very quiet
At least 3 Chiffchaff around Glazebury Sewage Works this morning, unfortunately none were calling and as I was looking into the sun it was impossible to determine if they were all ordinary Chiffchaff or not. Also large numbers of Pied Wagtails feeding on the beds and a further 41 feeding in the winter crop field just west of the works.2 Grey Wagtails and at least 100 Black Headed Gulls also in the area,and 3 Goldcrest and several Blue,Great and Long Tailed Tits feeding in the adjacent trees.
I Found a Greenland White- Fronted Goose among a roving flock of 100 Pink Footed Geese between Silver Lane and Holcroft Lane to the west of Holcroft Lane early this afternoon, the flock was disturbed by a farmers car and flew east and over Little Wooldon moss until they could barely be seen then they turned turned and came back and landed between Holcroft Lane and Little Woolden Moss on fields out of my view.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 2nd of December 2020 02:32:08 PM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 2nd of December 2020 06:03:05 PM
From my Vis Mig perch on my patch at 11.00 am, a massive flock of Starlings moved SE over Culcheth ,over Holcroft Moss and off towards Stockport between 7000 and 10000 strong some forming murmurations as they went. Picture just a small section of a flock that was half a mile long.:)
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 23rd of November 2020 03:03:26 PM
Huge flock of Long-Tailed Tits (30+) with a few Blue Tits, 1 Great Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Goldcrest
Tried hard for anything with a yellow brow, but nothing called. It was rather breezy, so not ideal for picking up movement, could easily have missed stuff
Thought I'd try Glazebury Sewage Works in the forlorn hope of a Yellow Browed Warbler, no joy on that front,at least 5 Chiffchaff in the general area around the works,several Jays collecting acorns and a couple of Grey Wagtails on the sewage beds. On a more disturbing note the large area of set a side that has been left for a number of years and held large nos. of finches in the winter has been ploughed over and sown with a winter cereal crop.