Greenfield

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

RE: Greenfield

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

2 male and 1 female Ring Ouzel on the slopes below Pots and Pans this morning from Knowl Top Lane. Another heard round towards the refurbished cottage.

Also:
Linnet 2
Meadow Pipit
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Mistle Thrush (the last two feeding down in the sheep fields

Chew Brook
Dipper 2 (minimum - no rings seen)
Grey Wagtail pair.
Possible Cuckoo heard towards Dacres, but after the first call drowned out by baying dogs.
plus usuals

steven burke · Status: Offline

Another couple of hours up at pots & pans this morning, still no ring ouzel for me.
5 wheatear
3 willow warbler
1 blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 kestrel
1 mistle thrush
Several meadow pipits

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Originally posted today by Dave Philips:

Late post from yesterday Thursday. At Pots and Pans above Greenfield about lunchtime, had two very confiding Ring Ouzels allowed me to get very close. Also a single Wheatear and numerous Mipits and Skylarks.

Cheers Dave Phillips.

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Around the ruined cottage beneath Pots and Pans this morning:

2 (possibly 3) wheatear
c25 meadow pipit
1 skylark heard singing
5 mistle thrush
1 kestrel

From station along Chew Valley Road

1 chiffchaff heard
1 blackcap heard singing
2 dipper on Tame by The Kingfisher pub

Green woodpecker heard yaffling around the brook at the bottom of Holmforth Road (first one I've ever had north of the West Midlands).

steven burke · Status: Offline

almost 2 hours this morning trying for any early luck at pots & pans for ring ouzel drew a blank. I did manage...
4 wheatear
1 willow warbler, singing next to me
1 green woodpecker
2 grey partridge
2 skylark
2 goldcrest
several meadow pipit around
a chap on a hill with a rifle who soon disappeared when I turned up.

1 blackcap, singing at waterside/tanners mill
1 dipper, singing on the river
2 grey wagtail

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Big Lapwing flock below Intake Lane has now dispersed. Around two dozen remaining, most of which will probably attempt nesting.

First lambs but no Wheatear yet...

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Liz Headon wrote:

Lapwings very noisy and active last night - around 11.00 pm it sounded from the calls as though some were in flight, though my ears may have been deceiving me, and any activity was beyond the range of the street lighting on Friezland Lane, so I couldn't see.

Well so much for the full moon theory - last night was just about as far away from a full moon as you can get!

Maybe the big flock has decided to head North at last?

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Steve Suttill wrote:

Still 60+ Lapwing in a loose flock, as well as the established breeding pairs, in the field below Intake Lane.

Also in the field: 100+ Starling, 40+ Fieldfares and the Mistle Thrush pair.

Lapwings very noisy and active last night - around 11.00 pm it sounded from the calls as though some were in flight, though my ears may have been deceiving me, and any activity was beyond the range of the street lighting on Friezland Lane, so I couldn't see.

Grey heron in the same field this morning. That was a surprise!

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Still 60+ Lapwing in a loose flock, as well as the established breeding pairs, in the field below Intake Lane.

Also in the field: 100+ Starling, 40+ Fieldfares and the Mistle Thrush pair.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

March WeBS counts:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): 1 Grey Heron, 3 Mallard & 20 Canada Geese

Royal George Mill + Manns:
21 Canada Geese
17 Mallard
6 Moorhen
2 Tufted Duck (pair)
1 Kingfisher
1 Cormorant
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

+ Dipper on river carrying oak leaf (obviously at late stage of nest building) & pair Grey Wagtails

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

My first Chiffchaff of the year, singing from trees above Wright Mill weir on the Tame, just over the border from Mossley.

Also, pair of Dippers below the weir.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Apparently Lapwings feed regularly after dark, especially when there is a clear sky and plenty of moonlight.

Let's hope they have less disturbance and more nesting success this year.

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Yes, I have a view of the same patch from my house, and have been noticing increasing lapwing activity, including calling after dark - something I had never realised they did till I moved here.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Still 110+ Lapwing in the field below Intake Lane.

5 pairs displaying over lower field whilst the other 100 or so were still behaving as a flock, mainly resting with the occasional half-hearted peck at the ground.

Also in the field: c80 Starling, c50 Wood Pigeon and a pair of Mistle Thrush.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

having noted David Walsh's report of Lapwings back on territory further down the valley, thought I'd check out my local sites.

There were none in the regular moor-edge fields in Mossley, so I continued into Greenfield and found a flock of c120 in the fields below Intake Lane, where they had a similar number of Starlings and c50 Fieldfares for company. On the walk back I noted 2 Lapwings had arrived in a traditional nesting field over the Mossley border. The next few weeks should see the start of Lapwing display flights which, for me, says Spring is here!

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

February WeBS counts: near blizzard conditions, 50mph gusts and snow flurries!

Waterside Mill (Tanners): 1 Cormorant (and nothing else wildfowl wise)

Royal George Mill + Manns:
190 Canada Geese (highest WeBS count for some years - all on the most sheltered part of the site)
17 Mallard
4 Moorhen
114 Black-headed Gull
8 Common Gull
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (all immatures)
1 Little Grebe
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

+ Dipper singing on river

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

January WeBS counts: very wet!

Waterside Mill (Tanners): 1 Cormorant, 1 Heron & 2 Mallard

Royal George Mill + Manns:
56 Canada Geese
42 Mallard
3 Tufted Duck (2 males)
4 Goosander (1 male)
13 Moorhen
82 Black-headed Gull
1 Common Gull
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

December WeBS count:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): 5 Canada Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cormorant, 1 Heron
(+ a female Sparrowhawk which took a male Blackbird)

Royal George Mill + Manns:
138 Canada Geese
78 Mallard
6 Tufted Duck (4 males)
10 Moorhen
1 Little Grebe
2 Heron
31 Black-headed Gull
1 Cormorant
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

November WeBS count:

Waterside Mill (Tanners): 1 Heron (that's all!)

Royal George Mill + Manns:
42 Canada Geese
31 Mallard
pair Tufted Duck
10 Moorhen
1 Little Grebe
1 Heron
56 Black-headed Gull
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

also 2 Dipper on river

JSPALDING · Status: Offline

Little Grebe on the Royal George Mill pond this morning.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

October WeBS count:

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
5 Canada Geese, 4 Mallard, 1 Heron.
Also 4 Jays

Royal George Mill + Manns:
48 Canada Geese
35 Mallard
7 Moorhen
6 Black-headed Gull
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan

Dave Sanderson · Status: Offline

Circa 100 Meadow Pipits on Wharmton Hill this morning...and a Wheatear.

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Dipper on the Tame by the Kingfisher pub at about 9.30 this morning, and then again later (singing) at around 6.30; possibly different birds as the later bird was ringed, and I didn't see one on the first.

Nine pied wagtails and a grey wagtail whilst walking along Chew Valley Road in the morning, and six cormorant over when waiting for the train home in the evening.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

September WeBS count (it's that time of year again!):

Waterside Mill (Tanners):
5 Canada Geese, 4 Mallard, 1 Moorhen, 1 Heron.
Also Red Grouse calling from the moor, singing Chiffchaff, 2 Dipper on Chew Brook .

Royal George Mill + Manns:
8 Canada Geese
60 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck (male)
1 Kingfisher
6 Moorhen
2 Black-headed Gull
1 (pinioned) Mute Swan
and one rather bedraggled young Lapwing

also 3 Buzzards circling above.

stuartherring · Status: Offline

3 ring-necked parakeets over Robert Scott's factory

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Saturday afternoon visit to Intake Lane:

Stonechat family still accompanied by juvenile Willow Warbler. It seemed most attracted to the male but, when the adult pair moved on, it started to follow the two juveniles.

A field on the Mossley border had been recently mown and provided a good hunting ground for a Buzzard and a juvenile Kestrel. A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over, shortly followd by two Spitfires and a Lancaster hmm

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

A dipper and a grey heron on the river by the Kingfisher pub at about 8.25 this morning.

c10 house martin along Chew Valley Road.

Around the ruined cottage and walk up to it from Binn Green:

1 willow warbler heard
2 wheatear
10+ swallow
20+ meadow pipit
1 pied wagtail
3 mistle thrush
60+ jackdaw
c30 rook

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

A Sunday morning visit for a change:

family groups of Linnet (x2), Blackbird, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock and Stonechat.
3 young Red Grouse
2 Kestrels
Whitethroat
young Willow Warbler constantly following the male Stonechat

and, on the walk home, a CUCKOO flying past at head height. Appeared to be an adult bird, but I thought they were all back on the continent by now (?)
Buzzard constantly mewing over Noonsun Hill.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Another morning walk along Intake Lane:

Male Stonechat and 2 juveniles; family groups of Linnet, Mistle Thrush and Meadow Pipit.

This week the raptor activity was at the Mossley border - hunting female Kestrel dropped down into the field but flew off in a panic when a cock Pheasant appeared. Female Peregrine also hunting low over the same field.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Morning walk along Intake Lane:

Family groups of Stonechat, Robin, Wren and Dunnock.
Two Ravens and a Kestrel flying over Alphin.

Makes a nice change to have a dry day smile

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Pair of grey wagtails in the stream at the packhorse bridge on Ladhill Lane at lunchtime today.

Lots of goldfinch activity at Bockin - I think a brood must have fledged but still be hanging around, and the adults rearing another brood. Lapwings displaying in pairs below the intake for the past several days, but given the amount of disturbance there has been and continues to be, I'm not confident they have much chance of success. Occasional curlew calls, but I haven't seen one yet this year.

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Not really a sighting, but a hearing... I've heard lapwings calling after dark on three occasions recently, the first time I've noticed this, though perhaps it has happened in other years and I just haven't heard them. I don't know whether it's yet more disturbance - they're not having a good time of it from that point of view this year. :(

JSPALDING · Status: Offline

Dipper and kingfisher on the river behind the Royal George Pond this morning at 10-30.

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Nice to see the swallows and house martins back at Bockin - after a brief glimpse or two before the colder snap, they seemed to have disappeared for a while.

Lapwings very active in and around the raked field below Intake Lane these last couple of mornings. One pair in particular seemed to be trying to see off a small but persistent flock of jackdaws which had perhaps got too near a nest.

Has anyone else noticed, regularly over the past few days, the pair of lads with a noisy trail bike (I may have the wrong term here, but whatever it is, it's noisy) in the field just below this? Whether they're there with or without permission I couldn't say, but they certainly scattered the sheep yesterday and I can't imagine the lapwings are too thrilled either...

JSPALDING · Status: Offline

A Ring Necked Parakeet flew over the Royal George at 8-30 this morning plus my first Swifts of the year overhead.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Pots and Pans:

Lunchtime stop after seeing the Wood Warbler this morning. 8 Ring Ouzels in the Yarns Hill area, mainly along the hedges in the bottom fields, with 4 very smart looking males in the group

JSPALDING · Status: Offline

An Oystercatcher in the field at The Manns at 3-30pm, my first at that location.

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

2 grey wagtail on river next to Kingfisher pub this morning
1 grey heron on Chew Brook near the Clarence pub early this evening
2 peregrine over when waiting for my (late) train home at about 6.30 this evening

Area around the ruined cottage beneath the obelisk, and walk up to it from Binn Green this morning:

2 willow warbler heard singing
13 meadow pipit
4 wheatear
2 skylark singing
Jackdaw, rook, carrion crow
2 grey partridge
2 red-legged partridge
1 curlew

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

Steve Suttill wrote:

Intake Lane: farmer has raked bottom field since last week. Less than half the number of Lapwings remaining. Suspect at least 5 nests destroyed. Plenty of time to relay, but I expect they have moved to another site. Some may have gone to the turnip field at the top of Shadworth Lane over the Mossley border (5 pairs there today)

Yes, I've noticed a distinct reduction in lapwing activity in that field, which I can see from my house.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Intake Lane: farmer has raked bottom field since last week. Less than half the number of Lapwings remaining. Suspect at least 5 nests destroyed. Plenty of time to relay, but I expect they have moved to another site. Some may have gone to the turnip field at the top of Shadworth Lane over the Mossley border (5 pairs there today)

S Rothery · Status: Offline

10 Ring Ouzels moving between the quarries north and south of the obelisk on Pots and Pans.
One male actually headed down over the derelict barn and into trees in Dick Clough.
Also 3 wheatear, great spotted woodpecker, willow warbler and skylarks

Dave Sanderson · Status: Offline

A flock of 12 ring ouzels seen very clearly on this beautiful morning in the old quarry just north and a little downhill of Pots & Pans at 10.30. Then, half an hour later, another four (think they were additional, not repeats) just uphill from the old barn to the south of Pots & Pans!

Also a peregrine, several wheatear, skylarks, goldfinch flock, meadow pipits etc.

JSPALDING · Status: Offline

About a dozen swallows with house martin and sand martin at the Royal George lodge at 3-30 this afternoon.

C Brown · Status: Offline

In gloomy and very windy conditions, ring ouzel heard near Pots and Pans war memorial. Despite much trying and with the call being seemingly 'bounced' off the rocks in all directions by the wind, I just couldn't actually see the bird. Also two grey partridge and a golden plover over, heading north.

Regards, Chris Jepson - Brown

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

A cracking male Ring Ouzel on rocks below Pots and Pans. Other were calling but couldn't be located.

4 Wheatear
Loads of Skylark

-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Sunday 10th of April 2016 03:47:39 PM

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Field below Intake Lane had at least 10 pairs of Lapwing (some already sitting) but no Wheatear (which I expected) or Ring Ouzel. Even the Stonechats seem to have moved on.

Things were better in the valley. Near the sewage works were: my first Willow Warbler and my second Blackcap, plus singing Siskin and Chiffchaff. Royal George lodge delivered the goods with my first Swallows (five of them).

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

2.30pm Ring Ouzels 3 flew south calling directly over my head from the direction of the war memorial at Pots and Pans and landed amongst the rocks on the top of Brockley Moor but I couldn't relocate them in my scope (at some range) and they probably flew on while I was adjusting the tripod.

Also Wheatear 3 but by the time I'd been up to the memorial and came back down they had gone too.

Liz Headon · Status: Offline

31st March (but didn't have chance to post) Pheasant (f) strolling across Manchester Road at Dacres. Canada geese feeding in the lower fields at Bockin, sometimes in small numbers but sometimes in sizeable flocks. Wood pigeons also present in large numbers.

This morning... Grey heron landed in front of Springfield Farm at the bottom of Friezland Lane, on the land used by Scotts as an overflow car park, and foraged around in the scrub round the edge for a while. Lapwings and a curlew calling from the higher fields.

steven burke · Status: Offline

dipper on the river tame next to Tesco.
blackcap singing near tanners mill.