Best from a short evening circuit:

1 Cuckoo and 1 Green Woodpecker on the ranges. 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Wheatear and 2 Stonechat.

Cuckoo present on the eastern side of the Moor at about 19.00. Later seen to fly round the southern end of the Moor and continue up the Red Brook Valley.

Also the Red- legged Partridge seems to have found a mate, as 2 birds were present on the western edge of the Moor. Other birds of note:

1 Curlew bubbling.

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Wheatear, 2 Stonechat and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

Holcombe Moor in the rain:

---

Raven

Meadow pipit

Stonechat

Linnet

Green woodpecker

Skylark

Wheatear

Best from a short evening circuit:

Presumably the same Red-legged Partridge as seen by Rob, but it was inadvertently flushed from the western edge of the Moor and flew down into the valley.

Also 1 Little Owl, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Wheatear, 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

Cuckoo in Saplin Wood this morning ..2 Grasshopper Warbler also in the valley ..

5 Ring Ouzel, Grasshopper Warbler, Swallow, 2 Stonechat, Wheatear, Skylark, Willow Warbler, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff and loads of Green Hairstreak butterflies.

At last! 2(1m,1f) Ring Ouzel at the north end of the Red Brook valley. Not in previously reported locations but in the broken ground east of the stream. Best of the rest:

1 Curlew and 5 Lapwing.

4 Buzzard, 2 Little Owl.

Willow Warbler everywhere with a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

12 Wheatear, 5 Stonechat.

6 Lesser Redpoll.

5 Ring Ouzel this evening together in one of the steep rocky gullies on the eastern slope above Moorbottom Road..still plenty of Fieldfare in the sheep fields.

Best from a short late morning circuit:

42 Fieldfare still present, but couldnt find anything else among them. Also 2 Buzzard, 5 Lapwing, 1 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 2 Swallow and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

A good total of 42 species on a morn8ng circuit from 7.10 to 10.45 with the highlights being:

2 Buzzard.

4 Lapwing.

2 Green Woodpecker ( no Great Spotted)

25 Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush on a nest.

5 Wheatear.

4 Chiffchaff, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Bullfinch and 1 Lesser Redpoll in Redisher Wood.

My first Wheatear of the year during a short afternoon circuit. It was singing on the western side of the moor. Also 1 bubbling Curlew and 2 Lapwing.

39 species during a morning circuit 7.20 to 10.10 with the best being:

1 Buzzard, my first here for a while, and 2 Little Owl.

5 Lapwing.

3 Green and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Still good numbers of Skylark on the higher ground.

1 Dipper.

Bullfinch, Goldcrest and Treecreeper in Redisher Wood.

A bit cooler than last week!

Highlights from a longer circuit this morning 7.30 to 11.00:

Singing Skylark everywhere! Probably 40 birds in total.

Stock Dove singles or pairs in 4 locations.

Grey Wagtail.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Little Owl.

2 singing Reed Bunting.

Highlights from a morning circuit 8.00 to 10.20:

2 Stock Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Dipper in Redisher Wood. Also 6 Song Thrush in full song!

5 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare and 1 Mistle Thrush.

1 Raven and 1 Little Owl.

37 species noted during morning circuit 8.30 to 11.30 including:

Kingfisher, Dipper, 2 Grey Wagtail and a Stock Dove in Redisher Wood.

Great Black- backed Gull on sheep carcass.

c30 Fieldfare and 1 Redwing on the rifle range.

Prolonged views of Peregrine including a spell of aerial combat with a Raven.

1 Little Owl and 1 Kestrel.

Best from a morning circuit 9.00 to 11.00:

1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and 2 Little Owl.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Goldcrest in Redisher Wood.

Good sized mixed flock near the stables that included 8 Mistle Thrush together, a few Fieldfare, 30 Goldfinch and 50+ Starling.

3 Lesser Redpoll and 4 Greenfinch.

Couldnt find any Dippers today. 

Highlights from a morning circuit:

Small numbers of Redwing, Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush in Red Brook valley.

Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the woodland.

1 Snipe flushed from the high ground of the moor, my first record since the spring.

1 Little Owl.

Best from a morning circuit 8.00 to 11.20:

2 Dipper in Redisher Wood.

2 Treecreeper, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Stock Dove, also in the Wood.

150 Pink - footed Goose over to the south east.

First site record of Great Black-backed Gull.

5 Raven.

1 Little Owl.

And a new record count of 37 Mallard on the Redisher Wood pond!

Best from a morning circuit 7.30 to 10.30:

1 Green Woodpecker.

5 Redwing and 3 Mistle Thrush.

Still lots of Jay activity with at least 10 birds.

3 Grey Wagtail In Redisher Wood.

c130 Woodpigeon.

1 Little Owl and 1 Kestrel

Of interest during morning circuit 8.30 to 12.00:

Two flocks of Fieldfare, 50 and 30. 1 Redwing among them and 5 Mistle Thrush.

c20 Meadow Pipit still on the higher ground. 1 Grey Wagtail.

2 Raven and still plenty of Jay activity.

1 Little Owl and 1 Kestrel.

Highlights from a high level walk over Holcombe Moor and Harcles Hill this afternoon:

Still good numbers of Meadow Pipit on the high ground, but now mainly in flocks, 80+ birds in total. 2 Skylark.

2 Raven.

1 Sparrowhawk north and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker east, both over the open moorland.

1 Little Owl and 2 Kestrel.

Biggest surprise was 2 Wheatear on the top of Harcles Hill.

Morning circuit 7.40 to 11.00:

Migrants included:

Flocks of 8 and 16 Fieldfare south through Red Brook Valley.

6 Mistle Thrush.

Flocks of 12 and c80 Goldfinch.

Only 5 Meadow Pipit and 2 Skylark.

Also:

2 Stonechat and 1 Grey Wagtail.

1 Green Woodpecker.

1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrel and 1 Little Owl.