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

skylark, meadow pipit, juv stonechat, 6 Wheatear (1 Juv) 4 Kestrel, Redpoll, Grasshopper Warbler Chiffchaff, 3 Curlew on range, Jay, and a Green Woodpecker

Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May 2015 10:30 - 15:00 hrs.

Walk from Peel Tower Car Park - Holcombe Village - over Holcombe Moor (via Chatterton Close, Buckden Clough, Beetle Hill, Pilgrims Cross, Peel Tower) - 'Shoulder of Mutton' pub (light refreshment!) - back to Peel Tower Car Park.

Greenfinch adult with at least three fledglings
Curlew x 1 (spoke to chap doing bird survey with NT guy who had spotted 2 pairs of Curlew on Holcombe Moor)
Kestrel x 1
Meadow Pipits x lots
Skylarks x lots
Jay (Buckden Clough)
Pied Wagtail
Jackdaws x 7
Carrion Crows
Magpies
Blackbirds
Great Tit
Chaffinch
Robin
Swallows
Swifts

-- Edited by Steve Judge on Monday 25th of May 2015 04:01:06 PM

Five Ring Ouzels were a pleasant surprise early this morning while doing my BBS squares in the Bull Hill area, also 18 Wheatear.

Early AM 1 Grasshopper Warbler 7 Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff Buzzard, 1 Curlew, Moorhen 2 Canada Geese, 2 Stonechat, 11 Wheatear, 1 Green Woodpecker, two flocks of Linnets (6 & 4) 11 Ring Ouzel lots of meadow Pipits and 6 Singing Skylarks, Pied Wagtail,Pheasant 4 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Reed Bunting, Goldcrest Blackheaded Gull, 2 Swallow and usuals and Bagpipes.

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Wednesday 22nd of April 2015 09:41:09 AM

Excellent morning for 2 BBS Squares around the moors and Ranges..
12 Ring Ouzel
26 Wheatear
Stonechat in a new area for me.
2 Golden Plover
Grasshopper Warbler
2 Stock Dove
2 Green Woodpecker

In trees along road: 4 Willow warblers singing Nuthatch 3 Chaffinches singing 3 Ring Ouzel including a pair at the far end of moorbottom road on top of slope 5 Wheatears 1 Stonechat 1 Green Woodpecker 1 Peregrine flew over Grey heron flew over numerous singing skylarks and Meadow Pipits