of note this morning

Goosander - 6 (2 M , 4 f)

Wigeon-4

Teal - 17

Buzzard -3

Little Grebe - 6

Tufted Duck - 17

Coot - 28

Mute Swan - 1 Pair

Skylark - 6 

Goldfinch -40

Redpoll - 10

5 Goosander and 7 Wigeon of note this morning,  also 11 Teal .

Today more or less sane as yesterday apart from Wigeon had dropped to 15 and a pair of  stonechat extra. 

No real Change today been Deja Vu most of the Autumn and Winter so far , pools have the lowest population of Waterfowl ive seen here , the big west pool 

the most noticeable with about 7 Cormorant and 6 Tufted Ducks the only birds on there today , which is shocking really compared to the norm at this time of 

year. 

others 

Shoveler- 1 

Teal -7

Tufted Duck - 11

Coot - 21

Grey Heron-1 

Chiffchaff - 1 

Lapwing -19

redpoll - 8

Goldfinch - c100

Raven - 1 > West

Goldcrest - 1

Bullfinch -6

Redwing - 50

Blackbird - 30+

of note this morning - Pools quieter than I have ever seen them 

Mute Swan - 1 pair

Shoveler-3

Teal -7

Cormorant-7

Grey Heron-1

Siskin-10

Redpoll- 12

Chiffchaff-1

Stonechat - 1 Pair

woodpigeon- 500+ 

Lapwing - 40

 

plus the regular bits and bobs

From this morning of note Cormorant 11 - Mute Swan 2 - Coot 27 - Kingfisher 1 - Chiffchaff 1 - Goldfinch 45 - Lesser Redpoll 8 - Siskin 3 - Black headed Gulls 70

Same at Moore John.

Gulls, waders, ducks seem OK (but on the wrong pools per tradition).

Passerines.....last three / four years crashed out. Think it is a bigger thing than just a Silver Lanes Pool issue. Almost no Blackcap at Moore this year (more Garden Warblers for the first time ever for me), Willow Warbler 75% down I'd say but Chiffies were at normal levels. No Wheatear on return passage despite right land conditions. Greenfinch almost totally absent again after a brief revival last year.

Only bucking trends this second winter at Moore are Chaffinch (big influx from flocks of 14ish trad to flocks of 50+ this year), Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Mallard.

Pretty Quiet this morning of note

Wigeon- 1 Pair

Chiffchaff-1

Shoveler -3

Cormorant-8

Grey Heron -3

Kestrel-2

Buzzard-2

plus the usuals

This morning 

Pretty devoid of birds 19 Teal, 1 goosander only things of note 

 

9.30 - 12 noon, very quiet all round except for

Greenland white fronted Geese - 3, over from the east, presumably from Little Woolden, circled over the east field & calling before turning and flying back the way they came

Pink footed Geese - 15, flew NW

Common Redpoll - 1, among a small flock of

Lesser Redpoll -13

Lapwing - 60 circling area

Peregrine Falcon - male, putting up the lapwing & gulls

Common Buzzard - 2, one very light coloured

Kestrel - 2

Kingfisher - 1, possibly 2, seen on two different pools

Cormorant - 8

Coot - 20, numbers steadily increasing

Goldcrest - 3 among 2 mixed flocks in different parts of the site

This pm - Shoveler 7 - Gadwall 4 - Mute Swan 2 - Stonechat 2 pair - Grey Wagtail 1 over east - Meadow Pipit 15 around summit

12.11.24. 9-12.30

Of note

Stonechat - 4 

Fieldfare - 50

Redpoll - 55

Yellowhammer - 7 ( record pic attached)

Plus the regulars 

This Morning and early afternoon 10.30-14.00 a decent day

Greenland White-Fronted Geese - 10 on the eastern arable after apparently being disturbed from LWM earlier, they turned up strangely in the exact spot the one I found in December 2020 was found, at about 10.50 , I wonder if that bird is a lead bird in these 10?you never know stranger things have happened. They only landed for short while before a bang from possible a gun to the SE flushed them , they then headed onto the far SE of the eastern arable fields, but again only stayed down for about 10 mins before flying over the disused railway and landed again Just South of Holcroft lane , they seemingly didn't stay long there either as by 11.30 they were back at LWM in the regular field . So great to see them on the patch( record shot below) 

Stonechat-1 Male 

Redpoll - c30 (record shot below)

Siskin - c40

Fieldfare - c50 onsite and a further 300 or so over SW

Redwing - 120 over SW and about 30 or so onsite

Willow Tit-1 

Long Tailed Tit - 40+ onsite

Goldcrest-2

Chiffchaff-1

Shoveler- 2 Pair

Common Gull -1 Adult

Marsh Harrier - 2nd cy Male with Grey tail over NE 

Cormorant - 8 including the regular orange ringed bird

Meadow Pipit - 16

Grey Partridge -5

Yellowhammer-4 at the set aside

Goldfinch - 40+ 

Kestrel -2 

Buzzard-4

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 9th of November 2024 06:54:07 AM

Short walkabout this pm

Peregrine Falcon - immature male putting to flight - Lapwing-120; Starling-500+; Woodpigeon-200

Mallard - 36

Tufted Duck - 16

Shoveler - 6

Gadwall - 3

Coot - 12

Cormorant - 6

Pink footed Geese - 60, circling area

Black headed Gull - 120, following tractor as it ploughs

Jackdaw - 40

Goldfinch - 30

Siskin - 7

Stonechat - 2

Treecreeper - 2

Great Patch day - There are more than ever great reasons for patch birding , as these days anything can turn up anywhere highlights today

Fieldfare - Massive movement 3000+ heading SW in the main ,some large groups dropping in to feed( see pic below)

Redwing - 2000+ SE 

Linnet- 26 > South

Wigeon- 1 Male 

Gadwall - 2 Male

Shoveler - 4 

Meadow Pipit - 25

Hawfinch - 2 briefly landed then carried on South

Hen Harrier - 1st Winter Male > flew over high north

Then on hearing the 10 Greenland White-Fronted Geese had been disturbed from the field north of little Wooldon moss and had headed west I fired back to the patch , headed to the highest point and managed to pick them out near to franks farm on the south side of Holcroft lane , they got disturbed almost immediately by a Helicopter and tractor and flew off to the SE towards Irlam . a picture can be seen of them flying back into Manchester space via my photo site link below as it was too big a file to post here. Altogether a Beltin' day . Its one of those dilemma's can a bird seen from a patch that's not on a patch be counted for the patch , bit like garden lists do you only include birds in your garden or birds that flyover the garden . In this instance the geese were slightly north of the silver lane patch but seen from the centre of the patch . They were really at Holcroft Lane / Holcroft moss . From the spot they flew through Cheshire and Greater Manchester Airspace.

Last shot below ignore the exif time as my camera clock cannot be adjusted due to a fault it was 15.01 

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 4th of November 2024 09:05:53 PM

This morning of note 

Pink footed Geese - a few hundred around the surrounding area

Siskin - 30 

Goldfinch - 80

Mute Swan - 1 Pair

Lapwing -200 

Marsh Harrier - imm Male flew over SW towards woolston

Stonechat -1 Male 

Cormorant (sinensis race ) ringed 271 present again. Ringed in the nest 24th June 2023 Hale . Pic below 

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 2nd of November 2024 06:57:09 AM

10.00 - 1300 Very quiet in the Drizzle this morning only things of real note were 30 siskin , and a pair of shoveler , the masses of fieldfare yesterday  seemingly moved on to pastures new.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 1st of November 2024 09:24:59 AM

12.00 - 14.30 Mostly from yesterday on the patch and of interest

Firecrest - 1, (on 27th) moving south along east side in mixed flock, calling & briefly seen

Goldcrest - 2,

Pied Wagtail - 27, on field E2 with

Sparrowhawk - immature dropping in among the PWs, & sat there for a time while the PWs flitted around it

Pink footed Geese - 133, actually over the reserve in 3 skeins 38, 35 & 60

Raven - 2, have been around the area for several days now

Stonechat - 2

Chiffchaff - 1

Fieldfare - 15, flew SW

Of note this morning and early afternoon

Stonechat -1 Pair

Kingfisher -3

Mute swan -2

Pink Footed Geese - 2500 in massive flocks heading towards Manchester over the mosslands , they seemed to not want to go into the mist and fog that way and most turned SW and headed over me towards the Mersey.

Kestrel -2 

Marsh Harrier -  a crackin'2nd winter Male came across the area searching for birds by the look of it record shot below , it headed off towards woolston Eyes 

Of note this morning 

Stonechat - 1 Pair

Kestrel - 3

Shoveler - 3

Meadow Pipit- 25

Fieldfare - 12+ > S

Redwing - 100+ > S

Pink Footed Geese - 48 > W 

Chiffchaff - 2

7.45 - 11.30, Of note this morning during & post migration watch.

Whooper Swan - 3, flew SE

Redwing - 426, [80 largest flock]

Fieldfare - 3,

Woodpigeon - 582, [largest flock of 113]

Jackdaw - 29

Skylark - 46

Meadow Pipit - 20

Greenfinch - 10

Chaffinch - 2

Brambling - 2


Local sightings included

Pink footed Geese - 60 flew SW

Greylag Goose - 2, north

Ruff - 1, immature. My first record here in 20+ years of monitoring!

Common Snipe - 1, flying around

Jack Snipe - 1, up from under my foot!

Lapwing - 30

Great spotted Woodpecker - 1

Tufted Duck - 31, 9 on pools, remainder flying around & then out west

Chiffchaff - 2,

Goldcrest - 2

Goldfinch - 23

Info on the pair of Mute Swans that appeared a few weeks ago - Info from Steve Christmas 

4FIV cygnet (brood of 8) Polly's Pond, Abram 18/11/2022. It was at Pennington from April 2023 until Jan 2024

4FAL cygnet (brood of 5) Vulcan Village, Newton-le-Willows 7/8/22. This one has travelled around a bit more, to Sale WP, Moses Gate, Leigh and most recently Pennington in August 2024. 

Redwing - 200+ south in 10

9.15 - 11.30, 14/10/24 - Highlights of the day Hawfinch 1, flew south at 11.50 this morning - Pink footed Geese 70, - Lapwing 200 - Grey Partridge 5 - Saturday 12th October Great white Egret 1, on east field - Yellow browed Warbler 1, among long tailed tit flock

-- Edited by Rob Smith on Monday 14th of October 2024 07:38:16 PM

-- Edited by Rob Smith on Monday 14th of October 2024 07:39:59 PM