Highlights from a longer morning circuit through Redisher Wood and over the Moor:

Single Curlew and 8 Lapwing.

1 Buzzard, 1 Little Owl and 1 Raven.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker including a drumming bird.

4 Stock Dove.

1 Dipper.

2 Goldcrest and 1 Treecreeper.

Flock of c 40 Lesser Redpoll, 3 Bullfinch.

Highlights from a morning circuit today and a short one yesterday afternoon:

5 Lapwing braving the weather!

2 Kestrel.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Stock Dove.

1 Dipper and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Good mixed finch flock at the top of Redisher Wood that included at least 30 Lesser Redpoll and 1 Siskin.

1 Treecreeper.

Highlights from a morning circuit through Redisher Wood and along Moorbottom Road:

Pair of Goosander.

1 Sparrowhawk.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Dipper and 3 Grey Wagtail together, with one of the Wagtails starting to get its summer plumage.

Flock of 10 Siskin.

Highlights from a morning circuit:

1 Sparrowhawk.

1 Green and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming.

3 Stock Dove.

Flock of 7 Raven together soaring and playing in the updraught on the side of the moor. I wonder what the age composition of such a flock is at this time of year?

A bit more activity this morning with 31 species noted in a 2 hour circuit through Redisher Wood and along Moorbottom Road, with the best being:

1 Buzzard and 1 Kestrel.

1 Green Woodpecker and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker displaying.

All 5 Turdus species again.

1 Treecreeper.

2 Stonechat.

11 Bullfinch including a compact flock of at least 8 birds together.

A good morning for raptors with Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel and Little Owl all being noted. Also 1 Raven and 25 Fieldfare.

Best from a short circuit through Redisher Wood only:

1 Goosander.

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Dipper and 1 Grey Wagtail.

2 Bullfinch.

1 Kestrel and 1 Little Owl this morning and 2 flocks of Fieldfare headed south, totalling 30 birds.

A good sized mixed flock was in Redisher Wood this morning. Mainly Redwing and Blackbird, but also Goldcrest and Treecreeper among the Tits. There was an explosion of birds when a male Sparrowhawk  came in and perched among them, but I think he went away empty handed ( or should it be taloned?) Also Dipper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 7 Bullfinch and 4 Lesser Redpoll.

Highlights from a murky morning circuit round Redisher Wood:

Single Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

1 Dipper.

Mixed flock of c30 Redwing and Fieldfare.

2 Siskin in with a flock of 15 Goldfinch.

Best from a morning circuit through Redisher Wood, Saplin Wood and along Moorbottom Road:

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Raven.

Dipper, Grey Wagtail and 3 Goldcrest in Redisher Wood.

Flock of c30 Fieldfare with a few Redwing and Blackbird.

Notable flock of 50-60 Lesser Redpoll at the top of Redisher Wood, with c20 Chaffinch and 3 Reed Bunting.

An interesting morning circuit after the school run, with the highlights being:

2 Ring Ouzel in the area north of Saplin Wood and west of Moorbottom Road. Initially a female type was seen briefly in flight, but after a bit of searching a male was found in a hawthorn tree - and it was joined by the first bird. The 2 birds were associating with a group of Blackbirds, Mistle Thrush and a single Song Thrush.

Also 2 Red-legged Partridge, presumably the same birds from earlier in the year, in the same area.

2 Green Woodpecker.

What looked like a small influx of Goldcrest, with at least 5 birds noted, 1 Treecreeper.

1 Lesser Redpoll and 5 Bullfinch.

A quiet long morning circuit through Redisher Wood, Red Brook Valley, Holcombe Moor and Peel Tower, but still some interest:

1 Little Owl.

2 Raven.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper and 2 Nuthatch.

Still 4 Meadow Pipit and 1 Skylark on the higher ground.

2 Bullfinch and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

Highlights from a morning circuit through Redisher Wood and along Moorbottom Road:

1 Merlin zipped through in a southerly direction at about 12.00, my first site record. Also presumed migrant flock of 5 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, and 2 Kestrel.

1 Green Woodpecker.

Flock of c60 Meadow Pipit , 4 Swallow and 6 Stonechat - all presumed migrants.

2 Raven.

2 Treecreeper and 10 Nuthatch. 

Limited highlights from a morning circuit including Redisher Wood and Moorbottom Road:

2 Buzzard and 2 Sparrowhawk.

5 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Treecreeper and 7 Nuthatch.

3 Bullfinch.

A quiet morning circuit round Moorbottom Road, with the limited highlights being:

Mixed flock including Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.

1 Snipe inadvertently flushed off the path back over the top.

An interesting lower level circuit this morning through Redisher and Saplin Wood.

2 Red-legged Partridge again. One bird looked rather pale and washed out, so maybe mixed parentage.

Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Three mixed flocks encountered all containing some summer migrants, although nothing unusual. The totals include all 4 common tits, 15+ Goldfinch, 7 Chaffinch, 5 Bullfinch, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Linnet, 3 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and 2  Goldcrest. 

Also 1 Treecreeper, 10 Nuthatch and an apparent influx of Robin with 30+ birds noted.

2 Spotted Flycatcher this morning in the trees between Saplin Wood and Moorbottom Road. Also Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff with them. 2 Goldcrest in Redisher Wood.

An adult male Merlin was perched up on the cairn on White Hill this afternoon before flying off north towards Bull Hill ( Lancs). 

Nice couple of hours sat in the sun above the bracken by Red Brook . At least 8 Stonechat ( mostly juv) here and another family party of 6 by the ruin below Lark Hill .

Also in the bracket below Red Brook... 2 Whinchat , 4 Willow Warbler and a few Meadow Pipit  with 4 Wheatear on the higher slopes .

Very worn adult meadow Pipit

Of note during a longer morning circuit today:

2 sightings of Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrel and 1 Little Owl.

1 Green Woodpecker.

3 Stock Dove.

At least 4 Jay together, presumably a family party.

c35 Swift, c50 Swallow, 2 House Martin and 1 Sand Martin feeding on the windward side of the Moor, with the Sand Martin being my first site record.

1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling, the only Warbler noted!

Lots of juvenile Wheatear, and 2 Stonechat.

2 Lesser Redpoll and flock of c120 Goldfinch.

No sign of Spotted Flycatcher in either of the previous locations.

After a visit to a Sand Martin colony, I did a tour of Holcombe Moor. Very quiet and not much about around Redisher Wood...I hoped to see the Spotted Flycatcher but I did not know where to seek it out.

Crossing from the distal part of the Redisher path across the moor to Moorbottom Rd I came across 2 separate breeding territories of Meadow Pipit and I saw one adult Stonechat on the very long fence.

Moorbottom Road:- A male Wheatear moulting and no tail, adult female, and 8 juvenile birds. I have visited this location many times over the years and have never seen so many juvenile wheatears. There was 1 adult male Stonechat taking food to a nest site, 1 Kestrel. Around 50 Goldfinch and Swallows and 2 more Meadow Pipits, one of which I photographed.


When I sat down for a drink I was joined by a delightful juvenile Wheatear that posed and sunbathed right in front of me...couldn't wish for more really:)...except high overhead sun is a killer for good images:(

A newly fledged female Peregrine ( unringed)  spent most of the morning around Red Brook battling with everything it could find including a Hobby which we watched taking a Swallow .excellent entertainment ..with V Irving ...