First curlew of the year for me here. Heard briefly across deep moss towards deeply vale from the bridle path continuing from castle hill rd. Also a steady stream of skylarks from the west, approx 15 in all.
Deep Moss . Dozens of swallows and house martins carving the air in pursuit of flys . As I walk along dozens of meadow pipits rise from the heather to join them , sometimes chasing each other . Never seen so many together , seemingly enjoying the warm conditions . An enchanting spectacle . We disturb a sparrowhawk , who flies off a short distance then returns to give me a very close inspection . I can see his eye turning . Marvellous !
From birtle edge to Buckhurst And return via deep moss.
birtle edge. Pair of kestrels with a youngster, swallows, meadow pipits, reed bunting juv.
valley floor past wash wheel mill, greenfinch, linnet, jay, 2x buzzard, another kestrel, Raven over
deeply vale, Chiffchaff, willow warbler, reed bunting, common sandpiper, great black backed gull over.
deep moss had only carrion crows and gulls( herring & g b b juv) on cut fields. The whole moss is now under grass cultivation, not even any cattle, no lapwings & only 3-4 pairs of curlew, 4-5 pairs of skylark this year. Very Sad!
2 pair Reed Bunting, single Wheatear, up to 10 singing Curlew down the valley, 6 Grey Wagtails, Dipper, 2 Sand Martin, Willow Warbler Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, 8 singing Skylark, 4 Lapwing Several Pheasant
12 Rooks, Kestrel, several Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Jays, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long Tailed Tits, Large Flock of Goldfinches Meadow Pipits, Heron, Cormorant, 100 Fieldfares and a Common Buzzard.
very qas uite, parts of the valley not even a tweet, otherwise Peregrine betwenn Birtle and the valley, Heron, flock of long tailed tits song thrush goldfinches, In lancs around Deeply Vale and Dene 4 Goosander, back in GM huhe flock of 100 mixed rook jackdaw and carrion crow above golf course several lapwing, Birtle mill odge 70 canada goose 5 tufted duck 6 mallard more goldfinches and long tailed tits.
Long Walk Two Nuthatches Birtle Herd of Curlews and Exaltation of Skylarks calling all the way up the valley Heron Great Spotted Woodpecker Lots of Coal tits A Spring of Six Teal at Deeply Vale (In Lancs) Kestrel and a deceit of Lapwings at Deeply Deane (In Lancs) Coming back into Birtle Little Owl Meadow Pipits Flock of Linnets Large Parliament of 20 Rooks Large train of 50 Jackdaws And a web site for collective nouns found sounds so much better than group
Very cold everything covered in frost Not much only things of note Two flocks of bullfinches usual tits and other finches One dipper first seen for some time
In the Valley Raven, Sparrow Hawk, Reed Bunting Long Taile Tits Bullfinch. Back of Golf Course Rook, flock of snipe and meadow pipits Birtle Mill Res two goosander two tufted duck
A productive four hours spent in the Cheesden area this afternoon (tetrad SD81I). Since the start of the Atlas 14 species had been recorded in the breeding seasons 2008-11, of which only three were confirmed.
Unless otherwise stated birds were in Rochdale.
4 Meadow Pipits carrying food Reed Bunting - 2 singing Kestrel Wheatear - 16 (mainly juvs) including a family party consisting of an adult in moult and 3 juvs following it.
A juv Curlew flew up from the ground a few feet from where I was standing, struggling to get airborne. Then an adult started circling and alarm calling. Skylark - 2 Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling Little Owl (Rossendale) Pied Wagtail collecting insects then fed one of two juvs (in Rossendale but the nest could have been in Rochdale!) 7 juv Swallows on fence being fed by adults (same comment as PW)
Greenfinch - male & 2 juvs (Rossendale) 3 juv Goldfinches begging to be fed by adult Whitethroat collecting food (what looked like a moth) for 2 juvs Willow Warbler collecting small caterpillars (unusually for this species it was not calling)
The warbler species were not present in this tetrad in 1979-83 (BBGM), so further evidence of range expansion. Possibly the highest in GM at 270 M above sea level!
So as you can see there's still time to pick up some more confirmed breeding records for the Atlas
Steve
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
Hope I didn't make it sound more serious than it is - I was in grumpy old man mode at the time. I will have to put one on behind the bar at the Packhorse for you to make amends.
Ian McKerchar's summation of last year referred to the 'Birtle Eider' being the bird seen on the River Roch. It was cited as one of the amazing Birtle records. Now if the hamlet of Birtle stretches down to the Roch that's news to me - I don't think so.
All I can say is that it's a shame it has taken this long to be brought up then. I take the advise and opinion of the local birders as I don't know the area particularly well at all so clarification at the time would have been advantageous
Some touchy touchy people about. But so you should be if people are nicking records for Heywood even if they do call it monkey town.
It gets even more confusing when the name has several spellings Birtle, Bircle, Birtle Cum Bamford and Heywood.
Placename snobbery both the poshing up bit and reverse can be fun. Gee Cross in Hyde has similar problems. One chap I know tried to claim it stretched as far as Kingston Bridge on the Denton Border. That elastic snapped a long time before that.
Whilst I am not saying that you were confused its worth bearing in mind that the area is a bit of a Bermuda Triangle. Up and over the hill from where you were and straddling the same boundary there are people citing records for Birtle - Bury, despite the fact that Birtle is in Heywood and therefore Rochdale. Reference to clear boundary signs on the main road or an A-Z, the cheapest of which clearly shows the boundaries, or even to Wikipedia, which clearly states that Birtle is in Heywood and the date from which it became part of Heywood, would clarify the matter.
This 'Triangle' effect is however contagious and in such way myths are born. Ian McKerchar's summation of last year referred to the 'Birtle Eider' being the bird seen on the River Roch. It was cited as one of the amazing Birtle records. Now if the hamlet of Birtle stretches down to the Roch that's news to me - I don't think so.
As far as 'Birtle - Bury' goes I think the Birtle residents are getting confused with postal addresses and as far as I know birds don't use these and sitings of birds are not referenced to them. Of course when you are manouvering your 4x4, flash sports car or horsebox out of the Birtle hills there's less prestige or feel good factor in thinking 'how pleasant to be in Heywood' (Monkey Town) - I suspect 'Birtle near Bury' looks better in the estate agents window as well.
These things may only matter to Heywood Monkeys like me, but I 'm damned if i am giving up Heywoods records to toffs who would rather think they are in Bury!
So perhaps if you stick to the published boundaries Ian, Birtle will revert to Heywood as well. Failing that we will rush up the and put the Boote in!
OK I'll do my best as it is very complicted boundary area an I was walking in the bottom of the valley.
Washwheelmill area at botom of valley east of old Birtle going north Generally if on the east of the vally in GMC in the areas seen.
Curlews SD 84082 13462 3 flying from the Bury/Lancs Side to the Rochdale GMC side and 1 circling on rochdale side SO IN GMC More heard both sides SD 83593 13368 one circling Bury/lancs side so OUTSIDE GMC Dipper Green Wood pecker flying from heather into woods both on rochdale so IN GMC Linnits sen in valley but also in lane from OLd Birtle so IN GMC
Canada Geese were on th lodges outside GMC
two curlew Heard only Just SD 82316 15901 rochdale side of brook These would be in GMC as they came from the east side of the valley boundary 50 yards up the valley side Dipper ETC this was outside just GMC as it was in the brook area or lane above
Sighting back down into birtle seen from lane in Lancashire for this purpose. GMC boundary again about 100 yards west from lane in fields
started at SD 82030 14478 toSD 84082 13462 One curlew each sides of the lane circling and two flying over towards Bury GMC side So that one outside GMC and three in GMC
Chiff Chaff Lapwing etc were seen/heard at several location so would both be in and out and flapping all about GMC
I'm aware that the Bury Rochdale boundary arounf Deply Dene is transgressed by Lancahire. I said I wasn't bothered about boundarys (!) as I find it hair splitting. But lines have to be drawn
Wash Whel Mll area Dipper 5 curlews circling more heard Green Woodpecker flushed from heather Linnets WillowWarblers Chiff Chaff Pied WAgtail Canada Goose with chicks
Usuals
Lumb Car Mill area Dipper Skylarks More Curlew heard Lapwing Meadow pipit Pheasant Grey Wagtails Swallows Swifts
Back Down into Birtle 4 More curlews circling more heard Lapwing Meadow Pipit skylarks carrion crows Linnets Lapwing Mallard Moorhen
And some chaps hidden in nets shooting wood pidgeons. Not that I'm against shooting if done in a proffessional manner like these.
That could be a start of a thread
cheers
ian
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Monday 31st of May 2010 02:21:45 PM
Lower Valley IE GM Loads of willow warblers 1 blackcap 2 Green woodpeckers calling, Bullfinch Some wheatears and mistle thrush lapwing further up not sure if in GM Back of Walmsley golf club few linnets
From Deeply Vale to Cheesden Pasture Lot of Snow Snipe cArrion Crow Cheesden Pasture Carrion Crow, Kestrel, L Owl Near Cheesden lower Mill Ruins Above Deeply Vale Heron 18 Bullfinches and usual chaffinch Gold finches Blue Great Tits House Sparrows ETC
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Monday 22nd of February 2010 04:10:59 PM
Was in the lower portion from Birtle to Deeply Vale Green, Gold, Chaffinch Blue Geat LT Tit Dipper Heron Large flock of Jackdaws I expected/hoped for a bit more
