Sunday 24th July 1.30-3.30pm

Very little around this afternoon on a warm day.
Highlight was a Kingfisher by the green bridge.
Others seen were:
4 Reed Buntings
3 Linnets
1 Pied Wagtail
7 Tree Sparrows
Lots of juvenile Blue Tits and Goldfinches.
Mallard with 4 juveniles (sadly down from the initial 9 seen a couple of weeks ago)
20+ Swallows sat once again at the end of the runway.

Thursday 14th July 7.30-8.15pm

30 Swallows all sat on the runway enjoying the warm evening sun.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Around 30 Tree Sparrows in two separate groups.
Lots of juvenile Goldfinches

Monday 11th July 7.15-8.00pm

1 Curlew
6 Oystercathcers (high over)
1 Skylark
1 Common Buzzard
6 Linnets
8 Pied Wagtails
4 Reed Buntings
10 Tree Sparrows
12 Lapwings
150+ flock of Starlings on the airfield
7 Goldfinches

Sunday 3rd July 7.15-8.00

Pretty quiet this evening, but the highlight was a Sparrowhawk being chased by several Sand Martins. It flew across the golf course and towards the airfield.
15 Lapwings
4 Pied Wagtail
1 Skylark heard over the runway
5 Goldfinch (4 juvenile)
1 Curlew heard

Wednesday 29 June 6.30-7.15

Highlight, was a Hobby that flew a circuit of Old Hall Farm. This made the Tree Sparrows go very quiet for once. (They really are their own worst enemy)
Others seen tonight included:
4 Oystercatchers
1 Skylark
2 Pied Wagtails
7 Lapwings
25 Tree Sparrows
1 Common Buzzard
4 Linnets
Lots of Sand Martins and two good size flocks of Starlings. I'd say at least 30-50 in each.



-- Edited by Adam Jones on Wednesday 29th of June 2011 08:21:48 PM

Chris Harper wrote:

---

Hi-lights of my final timed tetrad visit 5.15-8am:

It's been a great 4 years, I think I will now suffer from atlas withdrawal syndrome.

---

It's not over yet Chris!

Still a month or so to enter Roving Records of confirmed breeders that you've only got as possibles or probables, etc...

That'll give you the chance to wean yourself off the evil TTV

Thanks for all your recording efforts,

Steve

Friday 24th June 8.00-9.30am

A fantastic mornings birding with lots of activity. Highlight of the day though, was definitely a female Redstart. (kindly confirmed by Ian) Located on the fence to the right of the main track heading towards the bridge. A County first for me.
2 Curlews
5 Skylarks (I think some were juveniles)
4 Oystercatchers
7 Linnets
10 Tree Sparrows
4 Stock Doves
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Common Buzzard
8 Lapwings
1 Grey Heron
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Chiffchaff
3 Long Tailed Tits
2 Reed Buntings (with grubs in mouths)
Pheasant (heard)
Many Sand Martins, Swifts and several Swallows

11:30 to 12:45 highlights:-

2 Oystercatchers.
6 Lapwings.
2 Linnets.
1 Skylark - singing high over airfield with 1 or 2 others 'twittering' in the grass below.
1 Tree Sparrow - first for the year
1 Grey Heron landing airside.
2 Curlews flying from airfield in SW direction.
Plenty of Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins and a couple of House Martins.
4 Pied Wagtails on golf course.
1 Buzzard over bottom end of Old Hall Lane.
2 Juvenile Woodpigeons with 12 adults.
2 Jackdaws.
8 Carrion Crows.

Rick.

Another visit from 14:00 to 17:30 this afternoon up Old Hall Lane and twice round the perimeter footpath of the Golf Course.

The scrape on the right now has 5 piles of soil/rubble deposited in the middle and seems to have pushed most of the Lapwing and the Oystercatchers onto the field behind it.

Altogether seen:-
4 Oystercatchers
15+ Lapwings
1 Skylark feeding/collecting food on golf course
2 Buzzards
4 Curlew - 3 in airfield and 1 on golf course
100+ Woodpigeons
4 or 5 Stock Doves
2 Kingfishers in small brook (that joins the River Dean) along side of the 4th fairway just before the 4th green.
6 House Sparrows near large house on the right leading up to the club house.
Many Pied Wagtails - probably well over 12 seen throughout the golf course.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker but no sign of Lesser.
8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls overhead.
Plus many Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins and a few Swifts.
Also Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows , Wrens, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, and Starlings.
Rick.

It helps a lot - many thanks Adam

whereabouts on Old Hall Lane do you regulars park? I've been down there a few time without finding an obvious place

A great find Ken. I will have to keep an eye out for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Any finds will be posted here.

Friday 10th June 7.30-8.30

2 juvenile Oystercatchers on the rough scrape. Parents were around, in the next field.
Lots of noise from the Lapwings, and I could see why, as a small ball of fluff (a juvenile) ran around the scrape looking for cover.
4 Curlew in total, across the airfield. Two were close to the road by the newly mowed grass at the top of the runway.
2 Skylarks. One seen carrying food to a possible nest site.
3 Pied Wagtails
3 Linnets
1 Tree Sparrow
Lots of Sand Martins and many juveniles sat along the barbed wire fence.
6 Swallows
4 Swifts

Thanks Adam.
Rick.

My first visit for nearly 50 years (when I used to cycle up to watch the planes as a kid), but this time used my bus pass from home right to the end of Old Hall Lane

Pleasant hour before the rain came produced:-

4 Buzzards - 1 pair circling overhead together at the bottom of Old Hall Lane, 1 further up over the airfield and 1 over the golf course.
1 Curlew over the airfield.
2 Pied Wagtails with food in their beaks on top of farm building.
3 further very light coloured Pied Wagtails - Juveniles or White Wagtails (?) chasing about in the rough scrape. They didn't stay still long enough to get a good look so not too sure what they really were.
2 Oystercatchers in the rough scrape and what looked like young huddled together.
8 Lapwing.
1 Skylark.
6 Linnet.
Mallard with chicks near green bridge.
Many Sand Martins with several Swifts, Swallows and House Martins.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker in small wood beyond green bridge.
3 Stock Doves.
Many Starlings, Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Rick.

Tuesday 31st May 7.10-8.30pm

A Kingfisher flew towards and then round me as I stood on the green bridge. It headed across the field to rejoin the river. Only the second time I have seen one on this site and the first for over a year. Lets hope it sticks around.
1 Curlew (heard, in the direction of the airfield)
1 Skylark
3 Mistle Thrush
2 Tree Sparrows
12 Lapwings
11 Canada Geese (over head)
Many Sand Martins and Swifts
Also saw the large group of Starlings that John mentioned yesterday.
Lots and lots of young rabbits too.

Sunday 29th May 7.15-8.30

A pair of very busy Oystercatchers tonight, between the rough scrape off Old Hall Lane and over towards the airfield.
A Hobby towards Wilmslow.
Also seen tonight:
2 Curlews (on runway)
2 Skylarks (over runway)
3 Tree Sparrows
c20 Swift
c60 Sand Martin
2 Swallows
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Heron
4 Mallard
1 Mistle Thrush

I arrived just as the heavens opened and the lightning began. So I remained in the car for a short while. As I did, 18 Greater Black Backed Gulls came in to land on the runway. As soon as the rain eased they were off again, heading North towards Hazel Grove.
Skylark 2
Lapwings 7
Sand Martins 20
Lots of the usual bits and bobs too.

John Rayner had a Sacred Ibis fly north east over Woodford at c09:42 this morning. Almost certainly the bird from Carsington Water, Derbyshire yesterday.

After a very foggy start, highlights of my tetrad visit today:
1 Wheatear
2 Reed Bunting
Bullfinch
2 Buzzard
3 Grey Heron
5 Stock Doves
Goldcrest
2 GS Woodpecker
30 Sand Martins
19 Swallows
2 Whitethroat
14 Blackcaps
9 Chiff Chaffs
2 Willow Warbler
4 Lapwings
Curlew
Skylark
4 Tree Sparrow

Single Starling and no Wagtails!

Saturday 23rd April 6.00-6.30pm

Plenty of activity in this half an hour. The main fields have been ploughed and it seemed to bring quite a few birds out.
A pair of Skylarks were on the path having a dust bath. A Wheatear was scurrying around the fields. A buzzard was being mobbed by two ravens and then Lapwings as it made it's escape.
Lots of Sand Martins, which seemed to be pairing up and then taking a rest on the path.
To finish off the evening, 2 Oystercathers came and landed in the first field.

Thursday 7th April 7.00-7.30pm

Church Lane:
3 Canada Geese
1 Lapwing

Old Hall Lane:
2 Chiffchaff
1 Greenfinch
4 Goldfinch
6 Chaffinch
4 Curlew on the runway, calling and generally in flight a lot
5 Lapwings
1 Wheatear

Old Hall Lane:

Sand Martin (24 around the R. Dean)
Swallow (1)
Wheatear (2)
Chiffchaff (1)
Oystercatcher (1)
Curlew (1)
Meadow Pipit (5)
Buzzard (5)
Skylark (2 heard)
Tree Sparrow (heard)

Cheers, John

Thursday 31st March 5.00-5.30 A quick scoot round to finish off the afternoon. 2 Red Legged Partridge (Old Hall Lane just past grave yard) 2 Buzzard 3 Curlew (on the airfield) 30 Fieldfare (spooked by something) 7 Lapwings 1 Raven (being hounded by Lapwing) 2 Chiff Chaff heard from (Old Hall Lane) 2 Mallards No sign of the Oystercatchers on Church Lane.