Full Moorbottom rd loop over to Edgeworth this afternoon. Fairly quiet on the Holcombe side of Red Brook yet the other side was absolutely teaming with life along the path. 

x9 Kestrels 

x4 Adult wheatear (2m 2f)

x6 Stonechat (2 adults 4 juvenile) 

x20 plus meadow pipits (mixture of adults and juveniles) 

x20 plus juvenile goldfinch 

x6 Carrion crow

x1 buzzard

x1 green woodpecker (heard only) 

And the star bird of the day for me was a single female Whinchat, a first for me in this area 

 

singing willow warbler

singing blackcap

Kestrels

Raven

House Martins

Two pairs of Stonechat one feeding young

three singing Skylarks

two pair of Wheatear

three  singing Linnets

lots of Meadow Pipits

Highlights of a 3 hour walk round the moor this morning- Cuckoo still calling at top end of firing range, pair Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 3 Curlew and 10 Lapwing. Also post breeding flock c120 Starling including lots of juveniles, and Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark still singing.

Cuckoo currently on Moorbottom Rd adjacent to sapling woods getting heavily mobbed by a load of Jackdaws 

2 Ring Ouzel near Paddy's Pond and a Cuckoo by Redisher Woods this evening 

Just attempted a loop of Moorbottom rd on my mountain bike yet had to take the biggest detour ever around the top of the moors due to the MOD using the firing range. I'm glad in a way as I came upon a quarry just off Crowthorne rd on the Edgworth side of the moor and spotted a pair of ring ouzel foraging in it   along with a pair of brambling. 

Lots of wildlife seen today, of note:

X1 green woodpecker heard calling from the trees behind the public carpark on Lumb car rd

X1 wheatear along Moorbottom rd

X1 golden plover up on the tops 

Numerous meadow pipits and skylarks up on the tops (skylark in photo)

X2 ring ouzel 

X2 brambling

I heared Curlew calling from a few fields as I was cycling back to Affetside too

 

2 Ring Ouzel to the west of Red Brook this morning  . 2 Red Grouse also in this area .

Not a single Curlew on the moors  completing 2 BBS squares was a first for me here and disappointing 

A good 4 hours spent covering an extensive part of the moors and saplin wood area.  Most of the time spent in thick cloud and rain, saw one single skylark and had great close up views of 2 woodcock that I accidentally flushed, they were about 100 metres appart roosting in the heather on the top of the moor near to the Edgeworth boarder. 

4pm till 7pm 

X8 pairs of Stonechat visible hunting insects along the Moorbottom rd path and many more heard throughout the evening. 

X2 Raven 

X2 Kestrel 

X2 Little Owl 

Yesterday afternoon, covered a large area of the moors by bicycle.

Meadow pipits in abundance, X2 kestrels. X1 little owl. Plus I startled a green woodpecker that was foraging just off the path on Moorbottom rd. Which in turn startled me! 

X3 Rooks, half way up Moor rd 9pm 

Cuckoo, heard then seen early afternoon.
Cheers Ian

Cuckoo still this morning , lower down into Redisher Woods/Saplin Woods area..

3 Grasshopper Warbler

2 Cuckoo this evening on The Ranges..

info fm Miss V.J.Irving 

2 Raven, Buzzard, Kestrel, 4 Curlew, 2 Green Woodpecker or one very mobile, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warbler, Nuthatch, Bullfinch, 8 Wheatear, Pheasant, Mallard, Canada , Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipits and 5 singing Skylarks. 

Short-eared Owl still present in the same area on Holcombe Moor at last light tonight..

06:30-08:30am in the hope of seeing Short Eared Owl at first light but failed to see it. 3 Fieldfare 17+ Meadow Pipit heard a lot more than seen 1 Pheasant 1 Kestrel 2 Ravens Cheers Steven

very lucky to see the Short-eared Owl tonight - last light in a break in the fog in the area mentioned below

something small and dark also flitted of the dry stone wall near the kissing gate in the same area the black redstart was seen but couldn't re-find

Woodcock flew out of saplin wood 70 Fieldfare on the moor

No trace of the Short-eared Owl or Black Redstart last night..

On Saturday 31st Oct a local chap took a good photograph of a Great Grey Shrike on the path up to Holcombe Tower..There are plenty of suitable areas around the Ranges and over towards Quarlton where it could still be if anybody is in the area..

Short-eared Owl tonight hunting around the heather edges above Moorbottom Rd and around towards the heather on Holcombe Moor ... Great views in evening sun ..

info fm V. Irving 

6.50am - 11.30 am

Watched from the valley bottom near saplin wood due to the mist and cold wind on the tops

16 Crossbill flew south in parties of 7 (male and 6 female/imm) 8 (all female/imm) and then one heard over
Redwing flew sw
700+ meadow pipit flew south/se
29 Skylark in a single party came over the top and sw
270+ Goldfinch
2 Peregrine
Raven
20 + Lesser Redpoll
Green Woodpecker
4 Nutchatch
5 Chiffchaff

lots of goldcrest and coal tit calling from the woods

10.05am to 12.50pm.

Crowthorn Delf to Bull Hill :-
2 Lapwings, 5 Meadow Pipits.

Bull Hill :-
9 Carrion Crows.

Pilgrims Cross to Peel Tower :-
1 Kestrel, 34 Skylarks, 33 Meadow Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail.

Holcombe & Peel Tower hillside :-
2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 1 Nuthatch, 5 Jackdaws, 5 Carrion Crows.

Track across the army range past Red Brook to Lark Hill :-
1 Kestrel, 1 Green Woodpecker, Pair of Stonechats on a fence + another one calling not too far away, 1 Skylark, 15 Meadow Pipits, regular sightings of Wrens, 1 Jay, 5 Carrion Crows, 1 Raven, 120+ Goldfinches.

Lark Hill to Longshaw Head :-
70+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks, 100+ Goldfinches.

7-12

15 Pink-footed Geese flew east late morning
1600+ Meadow pipit sw
Green Woodpecker
2+ Crossbill heard over
8 Buzzard
Peregrine
24 Skylark sw plus 16 on the moor
2 Snipe
3 Raven
7 Kestrel
15 Goldcrest near the miniature pony stables

spotted flycatcher in trees near assault course this morning.on way up to moors via moorbottom rd 6 kestrel hovering all in a line.male and female wheatear 2 raven and a buzzard over.in the bracken at head of valley 1 whinchat and at least 6 stonechat inc 1 juv.strangely didn't see any meadow pipit.cheers andrew