Geoff Walton wrote:

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Did not see any Golden Plover this luchtime. Just 3 Wheatear and a Skylark.

Where where they John?

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Back of your field with the 5 Wheatear.

Cheers, John

29th April 14.30 - 16.00

Wheatear 6
Curlew 2
Skylark 4
Swallow 2
And nice to see the Golden Plover flock back for the first time this year. A flock of 74 including some spankingly bright males.

Cheers, John

April 25th - Early morning

Wheatear 2
Fieldfare 9
Little Owl 1
Swallow 2

2 more fields of rushes being strimmed

Cheers, John

22nd April 07.30 - 09.00

4 Swallows
2 Green Woodpeckers
1 Litttle Owl
5 Wheatear

The field where one of the Grasshopper Warblers was reeling has been strimmed to allow cattle to feed

Cheers, John

A number of Curlew flying this morning, although it might have been the same pair overtime.
2 Buzzards
Loads of Skylarks

2 Pied wagtails in a a field near Smithy lane.

1 Curlew in a field on the right going down the hill on Gunn Road

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Tuesday 5th of April 2011 05:21:24 PM

1 male Wheatear on the wall down Smithy Lane (assume our patch) First of the year for me) John, where did you see the Green Woodpecker and little Owl please? Geoff

Monday 28th Nothing on our patch, but two Curlew landed in ememy terrority to join a single Lapwing in the corner field as you turn to Little Mill Inn

Hi Andy (B), This is cut from your General Birding Discussion post on S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). "... when you are seeing your birding patch torn apart (see John Rayner's Ludworth Moor entry for today), and bird life becoming scarcer ..." I do not wish to depress you further but I forgot to mention Far Bradshaw. The farmer here has fenced off the left hand field and introduced about 20 sheep. The last remnant gorse stands are being slashed and burnt. Presumably gorse and sheep don't get on. This is prime nesting habitat for Stonechats (should they ever return), Linnets, Greenfinches etc. Ludworth Moor is the only area of moorland habitat left in Stockport borough, no more than a few fields at the moment and it is dwindling so rapidly that I think it will be gone forever in a couple of years. The derelict Far Bradshaw farmhouse has recently been bought and the new owner has blocked off the outhouse window and roosting Barn Owls are a thing of the past. If he tidies up his back 'garden' that will be the end for breeding Grasshopper Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings etc. It's not a happy picture but nevertheless - keep smiling Cheers, John

Curlews bubbling and Skylarks singing.
Meadow Pipits are paired off and parachute diving.
Pair Little Owls.
5 Teal (2m, 3f).
Many corvids and Woodpigeons but no Ravens or raptors.

Cheers, John

A pleasant sunny afternoon walk with Scott Reid. Not many birds but there were some highlights.

c106 Lapwing including a single flock of c100
c80 Common Gulls
2 Tree Sparrows (Larkhill)
2 very vocal Green Woodpeckers (Cloughend)
A flock of 5 Skylarks
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Little Owl

Plus a Stockport Borough MEGA. A small covey of 5 GREY PARTRIDGE flew from close to the GM/Derbyshire border into Greater Manchester

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 2nd of March 2011 09:13:21 PM

Sorry fellow Ludites, I've not seen any bird to get excited about. This is just a call to arms.

I was up there last weekend, when a geezer on a powerful motorbike stopped just as I was about to climb the stile at the start of the path up to the pond and quarry. He asked me if I knew where the quarry was because, and get this, the owner had told him that if he thought it was suitable, he and his chums could use it as a motorcycling circuit!!! Much as though I thought of saying, 'Oh yeah, it's about 20 miles down the road', I knew that he knew he was close to it, so I told him the path on the other side of the gate lead to it. Anyway, he walked up there, took a few photos and was away. I did let him know that I did not think what he had in mind was conducive with the peace of the countryside (as far as it is round there), but I don't imagine that this put him off at all.

Anyway, this is just to say that if anyone sees anything going on in that area which they think might be preparatory work towards the formation of a TT training track, please can they tell me because Stockport Council (whom I have already alerted) would be eager to follow it up with the landowner (who lives in Hayfield; just out of hearing range of a Honda 750 it seems!!!).

Only the usuals this morning with the exception of a Chiffchaff heard at Larkhill.

Cheers, John

Dec 6th.

At long last

2 male Bramblings at the Larkhill feeders, plus 4 Tree Sparrows.

Cheers, John

Nov 16th. (09.30 - 13.15)

35 species including:

6 Collared Doves
3 Tree Sparrows
1 Raven
1 Treecreeper
3 Nuthatch
31 Fieldfare
6 Redwing
Little Owl (heard)
44 Comon Gulls

220 Pinkfeet (nw @ 12.20) were led by an unidentified brown wader with paler underparts. First thought was Golden Plover but it looked a size too big next to the Pinkfeet.


Cheers, John

Oct 27th (10.00 - 15.30)

Noticably fewer Meadow Pipits (only 12)
But increase in Chaffinches (9)
Tree Sparrow (5)
Steady movement of Fieldfare (mostly NE with a total of 313)
Only a few Redwing (3)
Little Owl sunning itself (1)
Jays very active (6)
Coal Tit (1)
Buzzard (3)
Kestrel (2)
Raven (1)
Pheasant (only 1 ?)
Common Gull (104 in usual pre-roost)
Black-headed Gull (113)
Lapwings (98)
Snipe (1)
Teal (5)

A total of 33 species recorded in 5.5 hours. Horwich it certainly isn't

Cheers, John

Unusual behaviour indeed John and one I haven't witnessed for myself. I has been noted in the county before though and it even graced the pages of an old county bird report 'Black-headed Gulls eating Haws' and subsequently, the pages of British Birds too

Just a quick afternoon stroll on a different route than Friday with the pick of the best being:-

Little Owl
Chiffchaff (heard)
3-4 goldcrest
a distant flock of large thrushes (c85) which I assume were fieldfares.

Oh well, back to work...

12.30 - 16.00. Larkhill - Gird Lane - Hollywood End - Clough End - Quarry area.
Another sunny afternoon (it can't last!). Birds much the same as Monday:

4 Tree Sparrows
2 Buzzards
Many Redwings
3 Common Gulls
2 Ravens
29 Lapwings

Cheers, John

Far Bradshaw area:

c40 Goldfinches
3 Stock Doves
2 Buzzards
2 Jays
5 Reed Buntings
5 Pied Wagtails
2 Ravens
17 Meadow Pipits
1 Sparrowhawk perched
2 Bullfinches

No sign of Stonechat

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Monday 4th of October 2010 04:23:57 PM

Not particularly exciting compared with elsewhere:-

2 ravens
2 swallows
2 tree sparrows
siskin heard
2 bullfinches
chiffchaffs heard
goldcrest
quite a big flock of goldfinches, but flushed by sparrowhawk and then mingled with meadow pipits so impossible to count properly.

Only sign of any movement was of two skylarks heading south quite high up.

10.00 - 13.00

A single juvenile Wheatear and a male Sparrowhawk were the highlights from this morning.

Cheers, John

Wed 10.00 - 13.00

Nuthatch 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Jay 2
Whitethroat 1
Coal Tit 1
Buzzard 2
Spotted Flycatcher 2 (1 below April Cottage and 1 by the pool)
Bullfinch 2
Goldfinch 96 (including a flock of 51)
Mipits c40
Willow warbler 3
Chiffchaff 1 (singing)
Reed Bunting 3
Grey Wagtail 2

No sign of the Stonechat today although I didn't cover the Far Bradshaw area.

Cheers, John

Mon 30th Aug 10.00 - 14.00

Nothing out of the ordinary at Far Bradshaw and yesterday's Whinchat seems to have moved on. Spotted Robert & Sonia Addeley about 1K away and after a quick phone call discovered they were watching a STONECHAT just below the small quarry. Must be post breeding dispersal as it's the first for the year up here. Let's hope it sticks around and finds a mate.

Also Whitethroat and 3 Wheatear.

Cheers, John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Monday 30th of August 2010 03:12:34 PM