Highlights from a short morning circuit around Redisher Wood only:

3 Lapwing.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Spotted Flycatcher in large mixed tit flock.

1 Treecreeper.

1 Dipper and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Sparrowhawk and at least 6 Kestrel.

3 Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

At least 10 Stock Dove.

2 isolated male Stonechat ( hopefully with second nests?) and a separate group of 6 mixed age young birds.

1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler.

1 lesser Redpoll and a flock of 15+ Linnet.

Red kite photographed also along Moorbottom rd at 5pm..by Aaron Wilkinson.  

Same circuit as Monday, and quite a few differences in the species seen, with the following highlights:

1 Hobby, my second record of the year, 3 Kestrel and 1 Raven.

Small numbers of Swift, Swallow and House Martin.

2 Green Woodpecker, with a juvenile bird showing particularly well.

2 Stock Dove.

7 Stonechat and 2 Wheatear.

10+ Linnet, 4 Bullfinch.

48 species on a longer morning circuit this morning was pretty good for the time of year, with the following highlights:

1 Buzzard, 5 Kestrel, 1 Little Owl and 2 Raven.

1 Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Kingfisher, 1 Dipper and 1 Grey Wagtail- all scarce of late.

c70 Swallow around the farms and stables, hopefully a good sign after a poor year for this species locally.

Still the odd Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat singing. 

3 Goldcrest and 1 Treecreeper.

6 finch species including 3 Lesser Redpoll( 2 splendid males), 3 Bullfinch and 3 Linnet.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Kestrel.

5 Stock Dove.

2, possibly 3 Green Woodpecker.

2 Lapwing.

1 Garden Warbler singing in yet another new location. Ive never seen/heard more than one on any day so suspect it is an unmated male. 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling and 1 Whitethroat.

1 Treecreeper and 1 Goldcrest.

1 Lesser Redpoll.

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 2 Raven.

2 Swift and 15+ Swallow around the farms.

6 Stonechat, but only 1 Wheatear.

1 Garden Warbler singing in a new location. 

3 Linnet.

Highlights from a late circuit in the drizzle:

1 Raven.

2 Green Woodpecker, showing well for a change.

My first singing Snipe of the year.

3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Wheatear and 3 Stonechat.

I finally managed to track down a Garden Warbler this morning, my first anywhere this year. It was singing well close to a path that I seldom use at the top of Redisher Wood. Also 2 Whitethroat and good numbers of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. 

48 species including a patch tick on a long circuit this morning! The highlights:

Pair Buzzard and 1 Kestrel.

1 Curlew and 1 Lapwing.

9 Stock Dove.

1 Common Gull, the rather surprising patch tick!

The first Whitethroat of the year with 2 birds.

3 Stonechat, including one bird carrying food, and 8 Wheatear.

Female Ring Ouzel seen briefly but appeared to head off south over the firing range.

6 Linnet including pairs in 2 new places.

47 species on a longer morning circuit with the highlights being:

Single Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.

3 or 4 Curlew.

11 Stock Dove, my record count here, in 5 locations with a group of 5 together in one place.

1 Green and 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Herring Gull over- quite scarce here.

4 male Stonechat, hopefully with 4 females sitting nearby.

4 Wheatear.

6 Fieldfare over.

2 Lesser Redpoll in display flights with a separate flock of 12-15 birds moving through. 3 Linnet , 1 Bullfinch.

Highlights from a shortish morning circuit:

1 Green Woodpecker.

Pair Stock Dove.

Good numbers of singing/displaying Skylark and Meadow Pipit on the higher ground.

My first Linnet and first Chiffchaff of the year here.

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

My first returning Curlew.

Pairs of Buzzard and Raven.

4 Stock Dove including 2 singing males, suggestive of 3 pairs in different locations.

1 Green and 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Kingfisher.

1 Stonechat, the first bird this year.

25 Redwing.

An excitable group of 5 Lesser Redpoll, and 5 Siskin flying north.

Highlights from another morning circuit:

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Stock Dove.

1 Dipper.

7 Skylark and my first returning Meadow Pipit.

6 Siskin and 2 Lesser Redpoll, my first record of both species here this year, 3 Bullfinch. 

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

2 male Goosander and the first returning pair of Canada Geese.

4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, but still no Green.

1 Goldcrest, amazingly my first of the year!

20+ Redwing, 5 Mistle Thrush.

2 Dipper.

2 Brambling, 6 Bullfinch.

Another rather quiet morning circuit with the following highlights:

1 singing Stock Dove.

1 male Goosander.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

50+ Redwing and 3 Mistle Thrush.

1 Treecreeper.

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

6 Cormorant fishing on Simons Lodge, my first record here.

2 Green and 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Stock Dove.

1 Mistle Thrush vigorously defending a berry laden holly tree from a marauding flock of Redwing! 50+ Redwing in total.

1 Stonechat.

1 Dipper.

1 Lesser Redpoll over, 2 Bullfinch. 

Green Woodpecker on the east side of the moor this morning.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Kestrel and 1 Tawny Owl showed well after being flushed out of a thicket by a group of noisy blackbirds.

1 Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker .

1 Common Gull (not so common!)

Lots of small birds feeding in the leaf litter including (surprisingly) 1 Treecreeper. Also 2nd Treecreeper and 1 Goldcrest.

10+ Redwing, 2 Song and 1 Mistle Thrush.

Flock of at least 8 Lesser Redpoll and 4 Bullfinch. Plus another 4 Bullfinch elsewhere.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

Excellent count of 48 Siskin in a single flock feeding on an Alder. Also 7 Goldfinch and 4 Bullfinch in the same flock.

1 Kestrel, 2 Raven.

1 Mistle Thrush.

2 Dipper, 1 Grey Wagtail and 2 Goldcrest.

1 Stonechat.

Highlights from a longer morning circuit:

1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 2 Raven.

2 Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, all in different places.

Big (for here!) movement of Redwing south/south west with at least 250 birds over. Also 10 Mistle Thrush mixed in with the Redwing on the east side of the moor.

1 Stonechat.

1 Siskin and 3 Bullfinch.

Another day of contrast between the east and west sides of the moor. The west was very quiet and wet, with only singles of Raven and Kestrel of note.

The east was sunny and alive with birds! Finches predominated again with lots of Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch, with at least 3 Bullfinch and 3 Siskin mixed in. About 12 Swallow and a lone House Martin flew south.

An interesting contrast this morning between the exposed western side of the moor and the sheltered eastern side. The western side was very quiet, with only 4 Kestrel and 1 Stonechat of note.

The eastern side was alive with birds in a loose large mixed species flock. Most numerous were the finches, with 50+ Goldfinch, 10+ Greenfinch and 5+ Chaffinch. Also 7  Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Skylark, 8 Meadow Pipit, 1 Coal Tit and 1 Chiffchaff , with a few Blackbird, Starling and Blue Tit mixed in.

Also 1 Green Woodpecker on the east side.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Kestrel and 1 Sparrowhawk.

1 Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Kingfisher.

1 Raven.

1 singing Chiffchaff.