Tuesday 4th December 2018, 6.40 - 7.30am.

Walkerwood Area.

1 Woodcock over the southern end of Walkerwood Dam, from the direction of the country park, towards Cock Wood, at 7.15.
3 Tawny Owls. Two birds hooting - in the country park, and at Cock Wood; the third calling from the trees on the northern side of the reservoir.
26 Canada Geese on the reservoir.

Saturday 24th November 2018, 6.30 - 9.30am.

From Walkerwood Dam, up Brushes Valley, and to the far end of Higher Swineshaw Reservoir.

3 Woodcock. Birds have been returning to roost at 7.00am this week, so I timed this morning to be in Brushes SBI at this hour, because on a working day, I havent enough time to get back from this far up the valley. I was rewarded with two birds flying from Walkerwood direction at 7.00, into the woods, and another at 7.05, from Lower Swineshaw, into Brushes quarry. Since the autumn influx, I have recorded them all along the valley, from the country park, as far as Lower Swineshaw.

I should have called it a day there and then. The rest of the morning was deathly, with an icy, buffeting wind from Lower Swineshaw upwards cancelling the planned return across Harridge Moor.

Higher Swineshaw.

1 Grey Wagtail
10 Red Grouse (it is a Grouse moor!)
4 Meadow Pipits
1 Blackbird

Back at Walkerwood in daylight.

A flock of c150 Fieldfare and c30 Redwing moving around, at one point chasing a pair of Kestrels, accompanied by several noisy Mistle Thrush
1 Song Thrush singing
Several Nuthatch
1 Willow Tit on the feeders, calling loudly this week

Monday 19th November 2018, 6.30 - 7.30am.

Walkerwood area.

2 Woodcock; one down the side of the reservoir, into the country park, at 7.01, the second over Harridge from the direction of Millbrook, across the reservoir, towards Cock Wood, two minutes later.
1 Buzzard over Harridge
1 Kestrel in its usual roost spot.

David Walsh wrote:

---

The weeks most unusual sighting was of a Red-legged Partridge perched on the roof of Brushes Cottages at 7.00am on Monday!


There seem to have been quite a few Red-legged Partidges released in the Tame Valley this year. Maybe they've eaten all the apostrophes?

There are more apostrophes missing in the follow up!!

Not sure whether it is my iPad, or the Activeboard?

I will move on

Thursday 8th November 2018, 4.30 - 5.30pm.

Brushes Valley, as far as Lower Swineshaw.

1 Woodcock out of the woods on Harridge, over Lower Swineshaw scout hut, at 4.55
1 Tawny Owl calling from the trees around the scout hut
1 Kestrel on a telephone wire near Brushes Cottages

Stalybridge Country Park, 10.00am - 11.45am.

Ash keys seem to be the favoured food source this week.

10 Redwing
5 Fieldfare over
10+ Blackbirds
6 Bullfinch
11 Goldfinch
Several Lesser Redpoll heard
10+ Chaffinch
1 Greenfinch
4 Coal Tits
Several Long-tailed Tits
2 Nuthatch
3 Jays
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 juvenile Kestrel at Walkerwood Dam
1 Grey Wagtail in Walkerwood overflow

Other sightings from this weeks dawn shifts.

A lot of Fieldfare and Redwing movement at first light, with flocks of up to 150 Fieldfare, and 30 Redwing overhead. There seems to be a static population of around 100 Fieldfare and 30 Redwing feeding in the general area, particularly on the Harridge side.
A Peregrine putting in a couple of appearances over Harridge
Up to 3 Kestrel over Harridge
Several Nuthatch around Brushes Valley
30+ Chaffinch down the valley shortly after dawn each morning
12 Lesser Redpoll down the valley on Monday morning
A couple of Siskin heard only around Brushes Cottages
The weeks most unusual sighting was of a Red-legged Partridge perched on the roof of Brushes Cottages at 7.00am on Monday!


--

-- Edited by David Walsh on Thursday 8th of November 2018 09:29:12 PM

Monday 29th October 2018, 6.30 - 7.20am.

Walkerwood area.

c 230 Fieldfare, as follows: 150 west, 70 east, and 10 in hawthorn bushes near Walkerwood Dam
c 20 Redwing mixed in with the Fieldfare flocks
c 25 Chaffinch flew down the valley at first light
Lesser Redpoll heard
1 drake Mandarin
13 Mallard
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Heron

Wednesday 24th October 2018, 6.30 - 7.30am.

2 Woodcock flew over Walkerwood Dam and into the Country Park at 7.18 and 7.20am, my first sighting since midsummer. Given the location, I would guess at recently arrived migrants, rather than resident birds, although it is obviously impossible to say for sure.

6 Red-legged Partridge were in the fields on Harridge, overlooking Walkerwood, on Sunday.

Sunday 14th October 2018, 8.30 - 10.15am

Around the Walkerwood area, in heavy rain throughout.

1 Mandarin drake swimming with 12 Mallard
1 Cormorant
4 Mistle Thrush over
1 Chiffchaff
A very noisy group of 20+ Long-tailed Tits. I never tire of watching this species - such beautiful, delicate little birds.
6+ Goldcrest. Seems to have been an influx.
1 Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Good numbers of Robin and Wren

Usuals on the feeders, including Willow Tit and Nuthatch.

Monday 8th October 2018, 6.30 - 7.30pm.

A small flock of Redwing passed west over Walkerwood Dam at 7.20pm
2 Tawny Owls calling, from Cock Wood, and the woods above the Gamekeeper's cottage, at dusk.
Female Kestrel hunting from a telephone wire next to Walkerwood Dam just before dark.

Tuesday 2nd October 2018, 6.30 - 7.15am.

Walkerwood Dam.

1 Mandarin drake
1 Grey Heron
Mallards, Canada Geese, and little else, on a gloomy morning.

From Stocks Lane up to the Trig Point via Wildbank Lower down 2 Swallows, 3 Jay, 1 Mistle Thrush and 3 Red-legged Partridge Higher up 1 Kestrel, 1 Red Grouse and what I would expect must be the same two Raven in Davids post from earlier today

-- Edited by Stuart Pike on Saturday 29th of September 2018 07:18:46 PM

Thursday 13th September 2018, 8.00 - 10.30am.

Around Wild Bank Hill, and Hobson Moor. Majority of sightings in Wild Bank SBI, hence this thread.

1 female / juvenile Merlin low over the moor from the direction of the Trig Point, down Gallows Clough, having a go at flushed Meadow Pipits
150+ Meadow Pipits, everywhere this morning
10+ Skylarks
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker perched up on a pylon, on top of the moor, called, then flew off southwest.
1 Rook
1 Little Owl

Also stumbled across a Lesser Spotted Roger Baker, loitering on Hobson Moor Road.

Monday 10th September 2018, 6.30 - 7.20am

Walkerwood Dam.

1 Kingfisher, again on the depth marker posts
2 Cormorant
3 Grey Herons
38 Canada Geese
7 Mallard
1 Willow Tit, in a small mixed flock
6 Bullfinch
6+ noisy Jays
1 Kestrel over Harridge

Friday 7th September 2018, 6.30 - 7.15am.

Walkerwood Dam.

1 Kingfisher on the exposed depth gauge posts near the dam. Only ever an occasional record here - almost always in September.
4 Grey Herons
3 Grey Wagtails
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Willow Tit
2 Nuthatch
1 Chiffchaff singing
Lesser Redpoll over

Monday 3rd September 2018, 6.30 - 7.30am.

Walkerwood area.

A mixed flock of Hirundines moved through south west, and consisted of roughly:
60 Swallows
40 House Martins
1 Swift

5 Lesser Redpoll were moving around the dam area

Thursday 23rd August 2018, 9.00 - 11.30am

From Walkerwood to Higher Swineshaw Reservoir, then back across Harridge Moor, in intermittent drizzly rain.

Harridge Moor.

1 Wheatear
1 Whinchat
2 juvenile Stonechat
2 Ravens on the pylons

1 male Reed Bunting at Higher Swineshaw
1 male Stonechat plus juvenile at Lees Hill
Nuthatch at Brushes Cottages, and Walkerwood
Great Spotted Woodpecker at Walkerwood
A Buzzard over Wild Bank, and one at Brushes Valley
1 Cormorant on Walkerwood Reservoir

Saturday 18th August 2018, 7.00pm.

8 redhead Goosander on Brushes Reservoir
1 juvenile Grey Heron on Brushes shoreline
1 Cormorant flew off Walkerwood Reservoir at 6.45
1 Kestrel on the wires by Walkerwood

Friday 17th August 2018, 6.30 - 7.30am

8 redhead Goosander still present at 7.30am, tucked into the far eastern corner of Walkerwood Reservoir.
Couple of Chiffchaff singing

Tuesday 14th August 2018, evening.

Wild Bank Hill.

2 juvenile Wheatear feeding in the fields around Shaw Moor Farm

Sunday 5th August 2018, 9.30 - 11.00am

Harridge Moor, and the woods above the Gamekeeper's cottage.

100+ each, of Swallows and House Martins feeding over the moor
A Willow Warbler feeding at least two fledglings in the bracken, a few others singing.
10+ Coal Tits calling in the trees, very much in evidence in all the wooded areas at present.
1 Nuthatch
4 Treecreepers, with more calling
Several noisy Jays
1 Kestrel over Harridge
4 Kestrel, looking like a family group, noisily around Lower Swineshaw dam
1 Buzzard perched over at Wild Bank

Walkerwood Reservoir.

1 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron, present constantly at the moment. A juvenile bird has also been seen on a couple of mornings over the past week
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
2 Moorhen

Yesterday, around Higher Swineshaw.

No waders at all
42 Black-headed Gulls
1 juvenile Grey Wagtail
2 Pied Wagtails
3 Mallard
1 Reed Bunting flushed from low in the bracken on the track towards Irontongue, the only one seen or heard. This species seems to have disappeared from the area since the fire, despite their territories (at least half a dozen) being in areas of bracken around the reservoir untouched by the fire. I can only assume it is due to the disturbance caused by the firefighting machinery and personnel?
One pair of Stonechat with at least 2 juveniles at Lees Hill
At least 6 Lesser Redpoll between Higher and Lower Swineshaw
1 Linnet
c 35 Meadow Pipits on Higher Swineshaw dam banking

Tuesday 24th July 2018, evening

Higher Swineshaw Reservoir.

1 Green Sandpiper
2 Common Sandpiper
10+ Pied Wagtails, mainly juveniles, feeding on the shoreline.
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Buzzard, looking very pale against the blackened moor.

Lower Swineshaw Reservoir

3 Lapwing
5 Pied Wagtails
3 Stonechat (male and two juveniles) on the moor above the reservoir

Thursday 19th July 2018, 8.00 - 9.00pm

Grasshopper Warbler still reeling in the field adjacent to Brushes Road
30+ Swifts over Wild Bank
1 Buzzard over Wild Bank
Grey Heron on Walkerwood Reservoir

Earlier today in Cock Wood

Great Spotted Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Juvenile Treecreepers
Couple of family groups of Long-tailed Tits
Juvenile Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch
Juvenile Great Tits everywhere
Several Lesser Redpoll

30+ Swallows, mainly juveniles, over Walkerwood Reservoir
Juvenile Cormorant on Walkerwood
Kestrel over Harridge

Saturday 14th July 2018, 8.00 - 11.00am

Lower Swineshaw Reservoir

2 Common Sandpiper, an agitated adult, and a well grown juvenile. They were late breeding this year, but this is a breeding record that I thought I'd missed, due to the recent access restrictions in the valley. Good to see.
c 30 Meadow Pipits feeding around the dam banking
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Buzzard on the shoreline
5 Lesser Redpoll around the scout hut

Higher Swineshaw, and environs

4 Stonechat, a family party of a pair, plus at least two juveniles in the bracken, towards Lees Hill
4 Common Sandpiper
c 60 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lapwing flew over Lees Hill, from the direction of Arnfield, and dropped in briefly, before continuing west
40+ Meadow Pipits, mainly, as at Lower Swineshaw, around the dam banking
2 Pied Wagtails, an adult and well grown juvenile
3 Blackbirds, one carrying food into bracken, right at the edge of the burned Moor
1 Goldfinch
2 Lesser Redpoll in the bracken
1 Buzzard

Brushes Valley

6+ Treecreeper, calling everywhere, and feeding in twos, presumably young birds?
Several Coal Tits, a mix of adults and juveniles, one carrying food