Saturday 5th October 2019, 9.00 - 11.30am.

Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw, then Irontongue.

Lower Swineshaw

c25 Redwing and c6 Fieldfare flew north (?) out of the trees at the scout hut
9 Mistle Thrush followed them, noisily
3 Chiffchaff, two singing

Higher Swineshaw

2 Dipper were a very unusual sighting for this site
1 Cormorant
10+ Reed Bunting
20+ Meadow Pipits
A flock of approximately 20 Blue and Long-tailed Tits flew across Boar Flat, landing briefly in the bracken at Higher Swineshaw Dam, then made off down the valley
1 Raven
1 Pied Wagtail

Irontongue.

A flock of approximately 80 Goldfinch feeding on the moor
2 Reed Bunting
10+ Meadow Pipits

Walkerwood Reservoir

1 Cormorant
11 Black-headed Gulls

Sunday 29th September 2019, 10.00 - 11.00am.

Only two sightings of any note, fittingly, given the conditions.

Walkerwood Reservoir.

1 drake Mandarin

Brushes Reservoir.

1 Dipper in the torrent of an overflow channel

Thursday 26th September 2019, 9.00 - 11.00am

Around the Gamekeepers cottage.

1 Kestrel hunting from a pylon
1 Buzzard
1 Raven
c 20 Meadow Pipits, up in the air each time the Kestrel left the pylon
4 Swallows
5 Mistle Thrush on one pylon
3 Pied Wagtail

Walkerwood Reservoir.

1 Mandarin drake yesterday was the first sighting for months
1 Cormorant
8 Mallard
17 Canada Geese yesterday was the highest count of autumn so far
1 Grey Wagtail

Country Park.

10 Chiffchaff
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Several Goldcrest
1 Song Thrush

Thursday 19th September 2019, 9.30 - 11.30am.

Stalybridge Country Park.

13 Chiffchaff, one singing
2 Blackcap
2 Nuthatch
26 Robin (tried a full count today)
1 Wren
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 House Martin overhead
Several Long-tailed Tits

Walkerwood.

1 Cormorant
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
Nuthatch on the feeders
4 Bullfinch

Around Brushes football pitch.

4 Chiffchaff feeding amongst Knotweed flowers
45 Starling
2 Buzzard over Wild Bank

Monday 16th September 2019,

Walkerwood area.

1 Kingfisher still around Walkerwood Dam
1 Grey Wagtail - yesterday there were three chasing around
1 Blackcap
1 Cormorant

Friday 13th September 2019, 6.30 - 7.20am.

Walkerwood Reservoir.

2 Kingfisher
19 Mallard
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Grey Heron over the Country Park
1 Goldcrest around the feeders

Tuesday 10th September 2019, 9.00 - 10.30am.

A very quick up and down the valley, as far as Higher Swineshaw Reservoir - quiet.

Three Raven very noisily around the top end of the valley, and Harridge. It appeared that two birds were trying to see off a third.
2 Siskin flew down the valley, calling
3 Chiffchaff along Brushes Valley
Only a couple of Reed Bunting calling at Higher Swineshaw. No sign of the juvenile flock today.
Several Nuthatch calling, including around the scout hut at Lower Swineshaw, and on the Walkerwood feeders
1 Buzzard over Harridge, being harassed by around 30 hirundines
1 Cormorant on Walkerwood Reservoir

Monday 26th August 2019, 9.00 - 11.00am.

Stalybridge Country Park.

8 Chiffchaff, one singing
5 Blackcap, including two juveniles feeding on elderberries
1 Willow Warbler
2 Nuthatch
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, one briefly drumming
3 Chaffinch
23 Great Tits
12 Blue Tits
2 Long-tailed Tits
2 Wren
14 Robins
2 House Martins
1 Grey Wagtail in Walkerwood overflow
2 Blackbirds

Saturday 17th August 2019, 9.00 - 11.30am.

Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw and Irontongue Hill. Very blustery conditions.

Higher Swineshaw and Irontongue.

A Peregrine made a couple of unsuccessful stoops at Meadow Pipits, before heading off over Irontongue Hill, towards Mossley.
Female Stonechat at Irontongue
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
c12 Swallows over Higher Swineshaw Reservoir
2 Reed Bunting
10+ Meadow Pipits

3 Kestrels over Harridge
Plenty of Bullfinch around Walkerwood

Not a single bird on all four reservoirs.

Sunday 11th August 2019, 4.30 - 5.45pm.

Higher Swineshaw.

Pair of Stonechat with 4 juveniles
1 male Whitethroat

2 Chiffchaff in Brushes Valley
1 female Sparrowhawk around Cock Wood
2 immature Grey Wagtails on Brushes Reservoir j
2 Cormorant on Walkerwood Reservoir

Saturday 3rd August 2019, 7.00 - 11.00am.

Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw and Irontongue Hill.

2 juvenile Wheatear flew onto the Boar Flat side of Swineshaw Brook, from the north east. They were constantly harassed by juvenile Stonechat and Reed Bunting. By the time I left, they had made their way as far as Higher Swineshaw Dam.
7 juvenile Stonechat, of varying ages
10+ Reed Bunting, mainly juveniles
10+ Willow Warblers, including some very yellow youngsters
2 Kestrel
3 Swift over Harridge Moor
10+ Meadow Pipits, including a couple carrying butterflies back to nest sites

Brushes Reservoir.

1 Common Sandpiper
1 Grey Wagtail

1 Cormorant on Walkerwood

John Taylor wrote:

---

Maybe not the right place for this but there was a common sandpiper in the spillway at Buckton Vale Reservoir at 13:30 today.

---

It is close enough, John, (and frighteningly close to Mossley, whose border runs along the north western by-wash of the reservoir), though I usually post sightings from here in the Stalybridge, Ashton, and Dukinfield thread. I think the reservoir you mean is Cowbury Reservoir, which used to supply Buckton Vale Print and Dye Works. The valley, woods, and reservoir itself is another local area that promises much, but delivers very little. There were actually a pair of Common Sandpiper on the reservoir during the breeding season this year, along with Pied and Grey Wagtails, and very little else.

Saturday 27th July 2019, 9.30 - 11.45am. Deathly quiet.

Higher Swineshaw.

1 Common Sandpiper on the reservoir
1 male Stonechat feeding caterpillars to a youngster
Couple of Reed Bunting singing

Several Goldcrest in the woods

Common Sandpiper calling from Brushes Reservoir

Friday 26th July 2019, 6.15 - 7.30am.

Walkerwood Reservoir.

1 Kingfisher patrolling the southern side of the reservoir
1 Grey Heron
1 adult Pied Wagtail with two juveniles

Saturday 13th July 2019, 7.30 - 11.30am.

Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw Reservoir.

5 Oystercatchers flew west at 8.35, calling.
At least 4 Common Sandpiper on Higher Swineshaw Reservoir
6+ Treecreepers, including one feeding juveniles. They have been much in evidence this week, throughout the area.
Nuthatch calling
Male Stonechat with young at Higher Swineshaw
Whitethroat singing at Higher Swineshaw
Plenty of Reed Bunting around Higher Swineshaw, including singing males, and several juveniles
1 Buzzard
I picked up a Peregrine way up above Swineshaw Moor, which then came hurtling down, crashing into the bracken, feet away from me, before appearing several minutes later carrying off a kill.

Sunday 7th July 2019, 8.30pm.

Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the field between Brushes Road and the Rifle Ranges

Thursday 4th July 2019, 8.00pm.

Walkerwood and the Brushes end of the Bridleway.

1 Cormorant on Walkerwood Reservoir
1 pair of Grey Wagtail
2 pairs of Swallows, feeding four juveniles each

Over Wild Bank.

At least 100 Swift, drifting slowly west
3 Kestrels
2 Buzzards

Wednesday 19th June 2019, 6.30am.

Female Goosander on Walkerwood Reservoir

Sunday 16th June 2019, 9.30 - 11.30am.

Brushes Rifle Ranges and Wild Bank Hill.

19 Willow Warblers, several feeding youngsters
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the boggy area behind Range House
1 Chiffchaff singing
1 female Reed Bunting
20+ Meadow Pipits
6+ Lesser Redpoll
2 pairs of Linnet on Wild Bank, both visiting nest sites, with one female seen removing a faecal sac

BTO BBS Survey, late visit for SJ9899, Thursday 6th June 2019.

The most notable sighting was of a pair of Goldcrest in the valley bottom. The only other record of this species for this BBS square was of a single bird in the area of the Gamekeeper's Cottage on 25th May 2007. Other notables are the low numbers of Robin, Magpies, and Woodpigeon recorded on the day, but that is the nature of these snapshot surveys.

For anyone interested, the full list is as follows:

7 Canada Geese
8 Mallard
1 Pheasant
3 Lapwing
10 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Stock Dove
19 Woodpigeon
5 Collared Dove
12 Swallows
5 House Martins
7 Meadow Pipits
8 Wrens
8 Dunnock
3 Robins
11 Blackbirds
7 Song Thrush
3 Mistle Thrush
3 Whitethroat
4 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
11 Willow Warblers
2 Goldcrest
11 Blue Tits
15 Great Tits
3 Magpies
54 Jackdaws
3 Carrion Crows
18 Starlings
53 House Sparrows
10 Chaffinch
7 Greenfinch
25 Goldfinch
3 Linnet
2 Lesser Redpoll

Tuesday 4th June 2019, 6.30 - 7.20am.

Stalybridge Country Park.

7 Willow Warblers
5 Chiffchaff
7 Blackcap
1 Garden Warbler
5 singing Wren
10+ Robins, a couple carrying food
1 Swallow
1 Lesser Redpoll
Plenty of Goldfinch and Chaffinch
Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the fields opposite

Saturday 1st June 2019, 7.30 - 11.00am.

Brushes Valley, and around Higher Swineshaw.

3 Whitethroat singing, 2 around Lower Swineshaw, one on Swineshaw Moor. Its seems a good year for this species
Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the field off Brushes Road
One pair of Stonechat
Good views of a male Cuckoo, patrolling the fence posts between Harridge Woods and the moor
6 Linnet, including a pair together, the others singing males
1 Buzzard over Harridge
2 Lapwing flying over Harridge Moor, towards Turf Pits
Curlew alarm calling, and flying up over Boar Flat and above Lower Swineshaw
Willow Warblers carrying food at Higher Swineshaw
6 Reed Bunting, including a female carrying food into a nest at Higher Swineshaw
2 Swift over the moor

Of the 21 nest boxes we have arranged around the valley, grouped in threes, we have had 5 Great Tit broods, 4 of Blue Tit, and 2 of Nuthatch. Where Nuthatch have nested, none of the other boxes in that group have been used; not sure of the significance of this? Unfortunately, the only Flycatcher activity I have seen was a male Pied Flycatcher singing on one day only, several weeks ago.

Looks like I got to these Nuthatch just in time this afternoon, as they look ready to leave.

Monday 20th May 2019, 6.30 - 7.30am.

Stalybridge Country Park.

Warblers are singing males, unless otherwise indicated.

8 Willow Warblers
5 Chiffchaff
3 Whitethroat, plus one next to Walkerwood overflow
8 Blackcap
2 Garden Warbler, plus another bird, presumed female, flitting around next to a singing male
2 singing Chaffinch
3 Goldfinch
1 Lesser Redpoll
Mistle Thrush feeding young

Cuckoo singing on the Harridge side of Walkerwood Reservoir

Thursday 9th May, 9.30pm.

Pair of Common Sandpiper calling at the eastern end of Brushes Reservoir