Surprised to see a Whinchat early this morning, only seems like five minutes ago when I saw two on spring migration on the 6th May and todays bird was more or less in the same spot as one was in spring. Further evidence that autumn migration is well under way was a fresh juvenile Wheatear hopping around the edges of the main UK Coal car park.
Its not all been doom and gloom for breeding birds, lots of juvenile Starlings feeding on the site along with freshly fledged Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Reed Buntings being fed by adults. There are more Whitethroats this year compared to 2011 and Reed Buntings are also up on last year with 14 singing males this summer. On the downside hardly any Grasshopper Warblers(unless my hearings going!) and Willow Warblers are also down on last year with only 3 singing birds this summer. Linnets are definitely up with 23 seen today including young birds. Also today 62 Lapwing, 70 (20+ juvs) Goldfinch, 7 Grey Partridge, 16 Skylark, 250 Woodpigeon, 4 Stock Dove and the Swift migration is in full flow with 150+ moving south in 3 hours.
One evening in the middle of last week at least 450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present with them all flying off north-west just before dusk.
Look around this a.m., heard Grasshopper Warbler, lots of Linnet, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, had a really enjoyable walk. Cheers Ian
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 24th of June 2012 04:24:54 PM
Great weather for my second Breeding Birding Survey this morning and the place was alive with birds. As soon as I parked up by the main buildings at 6.45am the first of two Whinchats was perched up on tall grasses. Numbers of Lapwings and Skylarks are down though as a result of large areas of bare earth which has replaced last years grassland. No sign of any Little Owls on the site now with no birds present where they were last year. On the plus side a Cuckoo was singing in the same area where one was seen last year. Whitethroats widely scattered with 17 singing males along with six Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps and a single Garden Warbler but no Grasshopper Warblers on site yet. Other birds included 15 Reed Buntings, four Grey Partridge, three Stock Dove, three Oystercatchers, single male Wheatear, 120 Woodpigeon, six Sand Martin, two Swift, 25 Swallow, single Buzzard, Bullfinch, five Linnets and a Shelduck was a surprise on a small bit of floodwater on the old tip.
Full mornings survey in great weather this morning produced the following-
6 Snipe, 2 Mandarin, 1 Wheatear, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 21 Skylark, 4 Grey Partridge, 15 House Sparrow, 9 Reed Bunting, 2 Jay, 2 Little Owl, 5 Stock Dove, 4 Buzzard, 11 Linnet, 4 Kestrel, 4 Bullfinch, 10 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 17 Lapwing, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Fieldfare, 6 Song Thrush and 15 Golden Plover with a further 23 Golden Plover on nearby Plodder Lane fields.
Also a Stoat was busy running up and down a ditch near one of the farms, it didnt see me as I watched from behind a mound. It certainly attracted the attention of a Pied Wagtail, Wren and Reed Bunting which were all taking it in turns mobbing it!
As part of the ongoing restoration of the whole site a large lake has been created which might prove interesting in the coming months.
Apparently I have spent 8.30 to 9.30 this am on the South side of Cutacre. My error however the following seen:
Several small flocks of Redwing /Fieldfare in the Hawthorn. Song Thrush : 1 superb view. Kestrel 1 Grey Heron: 1 on Earth mound. Carrion Crow 10 Pheasant 1 Goldfinch 5 on seed. A large bird on a distant pylon ... Buzzard I think. I will try for the Owl again!
-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 3rd of November 2011 10:39:19 AM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
At 8.00am this morning a Short-eared Owl was hunting over the spoil heap on the west side of Cutacre. Viewed from the public footpath that runs round that side. Also a Brambling and 5 Partridge.
Jason, the only option really is to walk the public footpaths around the west and south side, you can park at the A6 and take Rosemary Lane and walk south or Breeze Hill Road, near Hulton park entrance and walk either north or south from there. Alot of Cutacre is just bare land now, with the coal excavation nearly finished the landscape changes every week.
Cuckoo still present today(also seen yesterday), viewable on and off from the public footpath that runs around the south western perimeter of Cutacre, just as noteworthy were 7 Dunlin feeding on a small pool again on the western side.
First survey of the summer today produced 6 singing Grasshopper Warblers, 17 singing Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 6 Grey Partridge, 2 Raven, 2 Buzzard, Little Owl and 70 Sand Martin.
The pools where I had a Little Egret last year have now been replaced by a 100 foot deep quarry!
Still 9 Golden Plover on Plodder Lane.
Unfortunately a dead Barn Owl was picked up on the A6 this week.
I know the site well as my late father-in-law lived nearby and I used to go to see the GP and Lapwing flocks there whenever I dropped him at the hospital.
I'm sure Ian McK will correct me, but I believe the strength of the white line from the head down to the flank is a better indication of race than the blackness of the "face" and breast. Will look carefully at Dennis' photos.
Cheers, Steve
I haven't studied these for a few years now, not since the nice annual early spring flocks disappeared from the Moss Lane area in Astley. It is thought that birds attaining such full and distinct breeding plumage (i.e. extensive black on the underparts) are from the northern race 'altifrons' and perhaps their annual early gathering also hint at a more northerly breeding destination anyway. Trouble is that there is much variation between the two races (northern and our UK breeding race) plus again between the sexes which clouds the situation somewhat and has lead to some believing there are no distinct races within Golden Plover. I'm not sure what if any, work has been done on this (and if so I've missed it!) but I did hear a couple of years ago murmurings that such plumage variation was dependant on breeding habitat selection and that apparent 'northerns' often attain a much drabber plumage depending on where they are nesting . Frankly I've lost track of it all
I know the site well as my late father-in-law lived nearby and I used to go to see the GP and Lapwing flocks there whenever I dropped him at the hospital.
I'm sure Ian McK will correct me, but I believe the strength of the white line from the head down to the flank is a better indication of race than the blackness of the "face" and breast. Will look carefully at Dennis' photos.
The 5 Golden Plover that I saw were viewed feeding among short green shoots. They were all 'side on' and disappeared sometimes in the furrow. However I noted that no black marking could be seen, just the whitish line on the head and neck. Although lower parts of the bird were hidden, the birds that I saw were not in striking plumage. It may well be that Dennis Atherton, who first found these birds, has Photographs. I had considered the anomaly with the site name thread. As Plodder Lane is over 2.5 miles long ,I thought Watergate Lane ,which passes through the fields to be a better guide. The OS map shows the name ''Edge Fold'' at the Lane's Junction. By the way I learnt that an underground canal runs under these fields.
Hope this helps ,Steve.
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 12th of April 2011 07:10:43 AM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
Yes there a few smart northern birds amongst them Steve, also many still in winter plumage. Viewing can be awkward as many of the birds are down below a ridge in the field.
Also I should point out that these birds are not actually at Cutacre, but in the large ploughed field on the other side of the motorway along Plodder Lane.
As the Golden Plovers already seem to be paired up and settled into their breeding territories on our local moorlands, are these ones at Cutacre migrants heading for proper arctic tundra? Are they showing plumage characteristics of the northern race? I'd be interested in local observers' opinions.
There is nowt worse than posting a sighting on the infomation super highway that is Gmbirding only to read that birders turned up on your tip off and the birds were not there anymore, Gutted, i now feel redeemed
i had a very nice 50 ish on tuesday, but only 7 tonight, so i am very happy to see Alan also got a large flock too, briilliant
Great to see Keith also got them after a few attempts, sorry i dragged you away from your Ouzel search, hopefully you will get that one tommorow,
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
Watergate the truth! Thanks to Dennis the Golden Plover located tonight at 6.45 pm: In ''green shoot'' field next to the ploughed Watergate Lane fields(nearer to Farnworth) When I arrived 5 Showing quite close to the road down from Plodder Lane to the Cattery. Dennis just leaving had seen 7. Thanks again Dennis for your perserverance here and the phone call.
-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 8th of April 2011 09:26:11 PM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
No Problem Dennis. I spoke to a local lady who calls them the Lapwing fields. There was about 20 Lapwing present at Luchtime when I went back. But thats all. Had a ride on my bike aroud Cutacre on the Tracks . Found a nice Graveyard with a Chiffchaff for company.
-- Edited by keith mills on Wednesday 6th of April 2011 10:00:45 PM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
Sorry Keith, me neither, two hours hunt tonight from 6-8pm this time with camera, covered all the adjacent fields, both sides of motorway and also all the hills around cutacre,
no sign at all, gutted never seen one locally
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
on the otherside of the motorway junction tonight from cutacre in between plodder lane and the junction, 7pm 50 ish golden plover in ploughed fields to the left as driving down from plodder lane
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
Walk along S edge of Cutacre site, 9.00 -10.30, 6th Oct. 3 crossbill flew over high S in a group of 2 and a single Willow Tit 1 Goldcrest 1 Chiffchaff 1 Blackcap 1 Grey Wagtail 2 Meadow pipit 50 S Skylark 1 singing Goldfinch 30 Reed Bunting Chaffinch 20 Bullfinch 8 Siskin 2
Green Sandpiper 2 Golden Plover 2 Lapwing 60 Snipe 25 Grey Partridge 7 Skylark 36 Meadow Pipit - 124 over the 3 spoil heaps & further 110 flew south early am. Linnet 16 Willow Tit Swallow - approx 100 south early am Peregrine carrying prey. Blackcap 6 Garden Warbler 2 Chiffchaff 6 Whitethroat 4 Redpoll 3 south Woodpigeon 260+
The excavation of coal has now moved to the southern end of the site and the west side where they were excavating earlier in the year should be restored soon. Its amazing how quickly a landscape can change.
This evening, single Green Sandpiper, Peregrine on the pylon, Wheatear, 50 Mistle Thrush, 50 House Sparrows, 300 Goldfinch and small passage of Sand Martins heading south.
That sighting must be worth tournament points, a bald Warfy head from 4 miles away!
Only if they fill a raritys form in and they can prove they have seen a warfy beforepictures can be included,with tha raraties formor a few crappy sketches with all relevent id markings included
I haven't laughed so much in ages. It was remarkable when my companion Pete Berry said to me "you can see cutacre clear tonight" to which I though 'Warfy's just text me from there 30 seconds ago' so started scoping it. Ten seconds later a lonely figure appeared over the baron landscape! A quick phone call later and to be waving to each other whilst looking through our scopes and four or so miles apart was rediculous
One of my best finds of the year so far
I also more than chuckled when Pete commented at one stage "is he wearing a baseball cap"? No I said, that's his bald head!
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 3rd of August 2010 11:38:50 PM