Full circuit, 08:45 to 09:55, overcast and blustery, 10C.

Nothing remarkable, but good to see the Kestrel back after an absence of a few weeks. An absence of Goldfinch is surprising here.

Canada Goose 7
Mallard 13
Kestrel 1
Moorhen 2
Black-headed Gull 2
Woodpigeon c25
Wren 8
Dunnock 5
Robin 5
Blackbird 6
Song Thrush 1
Redwing 2
Mistle Thrush 1
Goldcrest 1
Long-tailed Tit 1
Blue Tit c10
Great Tit 2
Jay 1
Magpie 15
Jackdaw 3
Carrion Crow 6
Starling 4
House Sparrow c10
Chaffinch 2
Greenfinch 5
Bullfinch 2

24 species this morning. Highlights were 20 Redwing on Stockport Georgians FC pitch and a Grey Wagtail over.

There was a female Mandarin Duck on Chudleigh Close anglers' pond (alongside Mirrlees) this afternoon, along with 33 Mallards and a Moorhen.

Just a quick look round this afternoon, as the weather was dreadful.
Lots of Blue and Great tits feeding young and a fantastic male Bullfinch.
No sign of the Spotted Flycatcher though.

The only spotted thing that I spotted in a 30 minute wind-blown spell late this afternoon was a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A Blackcap collected food silently from under sycamore leaves and a Chiffchaff sang, otherwise it was pretty quiet.

I'm intrigued to see that other birders are finding Whitethroat and Reed Bunting here. I used to cover this site very regularly and sightings of these two species were not regular. I must give it more attention.

The Spotted Flycatcher was still in the same area as yesterday at 11.45

Also,
Sparrowhawk carrying prey (looked like a juv Blue Tit)
Wood Pigeon sitting on nest
Whitethroat

Cheers, John

Much the same birds as Henry plus:

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff carrying food
A juvenile Treecreeper fending for itself
Blue Tits feeding young at 2 nest boxes

[Tree Bumblebees, a recent continental invader, have built a nest in another tit box]

Cheers, John

Yes, I suppose he will

A windy evening, but a Blackcap was singing from the eastern end of the anglers' pool. I also heard two Chiffchaffs, probably a subset of the five that I found around the western part of this site on Sunday; they seem abundant everywhere this year. One Jay seen near pool.

The pace of spring was clearly picking up as I cycled through Mirrlees at 07:45 this morning. In the ten minutes I was there I heard four Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps and the first Willow Warbler of the year.

I had detected the last of these yesterday evening, after a concerted search for this new arrival had taken me on a 25 mile cycle journey home from work. The route through the Goyt Valley (between Bredbury and Offerton), along five miles of the Middlewood Way, and then through Adlington and Poynton, had produced no sign of one. My final stretch takes me around a small section of Mirrlees fields, and within 20 yards of leaving the trail, just a quarter of a mile from home, I heard the bird that I relocated this morning. It seemed to be taunting me!

My records show that Willow Warbler is probably the most consistent of the local summer visitors: over the past ten years the difference between the earliest and latest arrival in the area has been just 12 days (3rd through 15th). The late example was probably an indication of my lethargy, rather than a truly late movement.

There was a Treecreeper near the gates to the angling pond this evening.

I also thought I caught a quick blast of Goldcrest song near the railway bridge. This is surprisingly exciting news: sightings of Goldcrest have been as rare as Boat-tailed Grackles in Woodsmoor this year (currently a 0-0 draw).

On nearby Chudleigh Close pond a drake Mandarin that I first noticed last Sunday was still present, and looking more confident. 13 Mallard, 2 Canada Gees, 2 Moorhens and a Heron looked on.

One Lesser Redpoll was with a flock of about 20 Goldfinch in the alder carr at the North West corner this morning. Twenty or so Redwing fed in the leaf litter below.

A potter round today in a snow storm but not much of note.

Treecreeper, Bullfinch (2m, 1f) and Great-spotted Woodpecker were best. 2 Moorhens on ice on fishing pool.

Cheers, John

Phil,

Mirrless is accessible from numerous points and has well maintained public paths over much of its area.

The nearest access point for me is at the end of Flowery Field. From here a track leads towards Woodsmoor Station. If you turn to the right at the end of this track, the path takes you towards Bramhall Moor Lane via Barlow's Lane South, with Stepping Hill Hospital on your left. It is near this turn that I saw the Lesser Redpolls. This hedge-flanked track is good for Bullfinch and the commoner thrushes, plus Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler in the spring. I have also seen Lesser Spotted Woodpecker here a couple of times, though not recently. There used to be a rooftop Lapwing roost on the factory itself, in which Golden Plover made very occasional guest appearances. The roof, and therefore the Lapwings, has now gone.

Adswood Tip is less accessible, and the tracks much less user firiendly once you're in. I enter by a gap in the trees at the Bramhall end of Linney Road. Although it is used by dog walkers, junior motor cyclists and the odd birder, I'm not sure that any of them have a right to be there.

Adswood has much more variety than Mirrlees, though overall bird numbers are often
smaller. It is a good bet for Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting and Snipe at this time of year, with a fair chance of Redwing and Fieldfare. Jack Snipe and Woodcock are also winter regulars, but are harder to find. In the spring there is a fair selection of warblers, including Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. I have also found Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler in each of the last two years. It used to be good for breeding Skylark, but sadly I didn't locate any this year. May offers the chance of passage birds, such as Tree Pipit and Redstart, with occasional Whinchats on return in August / September.

One side of the site has been scraped recently, which may make it less appealing to wintering Snipe.

Happy hunting!

I found five different species of finch as I passed through Mirrlees on Christmas errands this morning. Stars of the show were two Lesser Redpolls, initially feeding low down in roadside weeds, but joining a group of about 20 Goldfinch in an alder, once flushed.

This is not quite a return to the halcyon days of 5+ years ago, when a flock of 30+ was a regular feature in late winter, but it is a step in the right direction, since I haven't seen any here for about three years.

Completing the finch set were a single Chaffinch, two Siskin and a pair of Bullfinch by the anglers' pond.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the small carr near the station, and a female Grey Wagtail in the stream near the Shady Oak.

I will step up my visits after the promise of this brief tour.

What a great find, John. Mirrlees is the most local of my local patches, and I have covered it at different levels of frequency for nearly ten years, but I have never seen a Grasshopper Warbler there. There are plenty of suitable areas, but I had always suspected that the disruption from so many noisy dogs, and even noisier owners, would prevent any from sticking around.

On my unsuccessful search for the Wood Warbler last Saturday morning I momentarily thought that I heard reeling in the 'plantation' area between the railway line and the old Mirrlees building, but found nothing. Was this where you stumbled on your bird?

It has been a bumper year for 'Groppers' at Adswood Tip, about a mile in a direct line from Mirrlees. I found at least four, and possibly as many as six over the weekend. Two were so close together that I had them in stereo!

The noise of birds filled the air at 8:00 this morning, but none of it was Wood Warbler noise. At least four Willow Warblers, four Blackcaps and two Chiffchaffs in the same small area.

A little further down the road, a Buzzard was over Handley Road in Bramhall, and the first House Martin was back over North Park Road.

A WOOD WARBLER, found this morning by Geoff Lightfoot, was singing from 8.00 - 10.35 (at least) from Sycamores in Mirrlees Fields. Approximately opposite 17 Barlow's Road South, Hazel Grove. There is no access for vehicles so, if visiting, please park around the industrial estate on opposite side of Bramhall Moor Lane and respect privacy of residents.

Cheers, John