10.05am to 11.00am.

Passing through Little Stanrose Farm I only found one Fieldfare amongst a mixed flock of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, & Goldfinches.

As I walked up the muddy path to New Butterworth I was surprised to see 4 Snipe fly up from the nearest horse field to Cox Green Road. I was too far away to have flushed them myself and after a few minutes I saw the culprit. A male Merlin was flying very low and fast across the field with a Snipe in it's talons, presumably having caught it on the ground causing the others to fly.

In the copse by the stables I saw more Chaffinches, Greenfinches & Goldfinches, amongst Meadow Pipits and a couple of Reed Buntings.

25+ Fieldfares at Little Stanrose Farm this morning. Made up for hardly anything on Turton Golf Course earlier.

9.50am to 12.30pm. Cox Green & Dimple.

19 Pink-footed Geese flying over heading west
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrels
2 Pheasants, 1 at Dimple and at at the top of the quarry
1 Moorhen at Dimple
A few Black-headed Gulls flying over
55 Woodpigeons
6 Meadow Pipits
2 Pied Wagtails
Wrens, Dunnocks, & Robins
15 Blackbirds
60+ Redwings flying over Little Stanrose Farm, landing in Cox Green Clough
4 Mistle Thrushes At Horridge's Farm
3 flocks of Long-tailed Tits + numerous Blue Tits & Great Tits
Jays, Magpies, Carrion Crows, Jackdaws (100+), Starlings, House Sparrows,
Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches

11am to 12.30pm around Cox Green farmland & moorland.

As with Turton Golf Course all Meadow Pipits were feeding and none were passing over. 40+
6 Skylarks
2 Wheatears on the top of Whittle Hill
Green Woodpecker at Dimple Hall
Buzzard & Kestrel, the same ones seen at Turton GC

Juvenile Stonechat on the fence posts along the narrow muddy footpath between New Butterworth & Whittle Hill farms. No sign of any adults and I do not know of any that bred around here.
A Kestrel nearby was being constantly mobbed by Magpies and a Carrion Crow.

3 hours this morning/lunchtime checking butterflies around Cox Green farmland. Bird highlights :-

2 Buzzards passing over together, followed a few minutes later by a couple of Kestrels
Lots of House Martins, suggesting a good breeding season for the Dimple birds
Meadow Pipits carrying food to their young

7.55am to 11.30am. Cox Green Clough/Quarry, Cox Green Road to Dimple, back across the farmland to Cox Green Meadow. A local wander to see how the local wildlife is going on.
Nothing unusual moving through but good to check how the the residents are doing anyway.

3 Pheasants
Pair of Moorhens with 3 juveniles at Howarth's Fold Farm
1 Curlew
A few Black-headed Gulls on fields with lots more passing over
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over
2 Stock Doves in the quarry
40+ Woodpigeons including juveniles
3 Collared Doves
4 Swifts
10+ House Martins & 8 Swallows busy around nesting areas
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Skylarks & Meadow Pipits
1 Pied Wagtail
Wrens, Dunnocks, & Robins. Juveniles of the latter at Little Stanrose.
Blackbirds
1 Mistle Thrush
7 Whitethroats
4 Blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
9 Willow Warblers
A few Goldcrests in a few different spots
Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits. Hard to count tits at the moment in the foliage, but lots moving around with juveniles.
2 Nuthatches in the clough
1 Jay
9 Magpies
Dozens of Jackdaws in the quarry
90+ Starlings, mostly juveniles
House Sparrows nesting along Cox Green Road & at Dimple
Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, Linnets, Lesser Redpolls, Bullfinches, & Reed Buntings.

8.40am to 12.30pm around Cox Green & Dimple.

2 Grey Herons flying over heading for Entwistle, and one on farm fields
2 Mallards in the quarry
3 Pheasants
2 families of Moorhens. Family on pond at Howarth's Fold Farm (annual breeders here), and another family nearby on the newly created ponds at Dimple Chapel.
Numerous Black-headed Gulls & a Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over.
3 Stock Doves in the quarry
2 Collared Doves
32 Woodpigeons
1 Tawny Owl upsetting Blackbirds in the quarry
1 male Cuckoo
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers at Dimple Chapel
Numerous Skylarks & Meadow Pipits
1 Swift
House Martins nesting at The Squirrels atDimple
Numerous Swallows around the farms
1 Pied Wagtail at Whittle Hill Farm
19 Blackbirds
1 Mistle Thrush at Dimple Chapel
Whitethroats at Cox Green Meadow, Dimple Hall, and in bushes on Blackburn Road near Dimple Chapel
6 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs around Cox Green Clough/Quarry
12 Willow Warblers
2 Goldcrests at Dimple
Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits
1 Nuthatch in Cox Green Clough
1 Jay in Cox Green Clough
16 Magpies
50+ Jackdaws
5 Carrion Crows
20+ Starlings at Little Stanrose Farm
House Sparrows along Cox Green Road & at Dimple
13 Chaffinches
5 Greenfinches
9 Goldfinches
No Siskins seen or heard which is very unusual
4 Linnets around the farms
Pairs of Lesser Redpolls flying over the quarry from Turton Golf Course to Smith Lane area, and around Dimple
5 Bullfinches
4 Reed Buntings around the farms

8.30am to 10.45am.

Very windy on the top of the moor. Could not hear much because of the wind so missed out on Snipe. Managed to see 2 Lapwings, 1 Curlew, and the usual Skylarks & Meadow Pipits.

Because it was an easterly wind the farms had some shelter from the wind. Mostly the same birds as last time.

New Butterworth :-
1 Lapwing, 2 Swallows, Meadow Pipits, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, a Goldfinch, a Lesser Redpoll, and a Reed Bunting.

Horridges :-
1 male Wheatear, 2 Swallows, 1 Swift, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, a Whitethroat, and a pair of Linnets.

Garden Warblers on Cox Green Meadow.

8.20am to 11.30am. Light drizzle as I checked Cox Green Quarry/Clough first waiting for it to blow over, then very windy but fine to Dimple and back through the farms.

Quarry/Clough :-
Woodpigeons, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, pair of Whitethroats, 3 Blackcaps, 8 Willow Warblers, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Starlings, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Lesser Redpolls, Bullfinches.

Dimple Hall :-
1 Song Thrush, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers.

Dimple :-
1 Moorhen at Howarth's Fold Farm & another at the chapel, 2 Swifts, 2 Swallows, Mistle Thrush, pair of Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Goldcrests, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, Bullfinches. 1 Rabbit.

Horridges Farm, some shelter from the hillside :-
1 Lapwing, a few Skylarks & Meadow Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail, pair of Wheatears, pair of Linnets.

Other farms & Cox Green Meadow, very windy with no shelter :-
Hardly any birds moving about in the wind, not even the usual Swallows and House Martins. One male Reed Bunting at New Butterworth the highlight around the farms.
A pair of Garden Warblers have finally arrived at Cox Green Meadow, presumably the pair that normally breeds here.

No cuckoos seen or heard this morning. The couple at Horridges Farm said they have not heard any since yesterday.

9.10am to 12.30pm. Bright weather and light winds whilst on Turton GC earlier made me change my planned route and check the moorland & farmland on the Cox Green side of Egerton. For once I made the right decision.

Started across Whittle Hill and Turton Heights.
3 Lapwings, 1 Curlew, lots of Skylarks, and a few Meadow Pipits. No sign of any Snipe this time but I am not leaving the footpaths in breeding season just to check on them.

Today's fun started as I dropped down the hill from Turton Heights. A calling male Cuckoo, at Buffs Farm, was my first local one this year. As I crossed the farmland at the bottom of the hill I saw the Cuckoo being chased towards me by a Meadow Pipit. It landed in a nearby tree giving cracking views. House Martins also back around here.
The Cuckoo eventually flew down to the Dimple Hall area after being harassed by more Meadow Pipits.
At Horridges Farm, after passing a male Wheatear perched on a wall, I had a chat with the lady mucking out at the farm. She thought she had heard Cuckoos calling from two different places, but I suggested it could have been the same one I had seen moving along the fields. She was right, there were two males calling. A few minutes after leaving her I saw three in flight together. Two males were chasing each other around, and a female landed on top of a bush. She left the bush after the nesting Swallows gave her a lot of stick.
Not long after one of the males returned to a tree at Horridges Farm, but I did not see the other male again, obviously having been chased off.
At this point I had a Tree Pipit land on top of the bush recently vacated by the female, another first local bird for the year.

It got a bit boring after this !
Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, and Reed Buntings the best of the rest.

A great sighting Anthony and nice to know that they are arriving again. Usually count several pairs around here so will keep my ears open. It is wonderful when you get one that is so accomodating and gives a good view. There used to be one at Doffcocker that often came out in the open to reel but it is sadly more a rarity.

5 Whimbrel flew north over Cox Green Quarry, Egerton at 7.45am this morning and out of the county.

Info thanks to Anthony Wainwright

7.50am to 10.15am.

Cox Green Clough :-
1 Nuthatch.

Cox Green Quarry :-
2 Stock Doves, 1 Chiffchaff, 5 Willow Warblers, c75 Jackdaws, Lesser Redpolls, Bullfinches.

New Butterworth :-
1 Lapwing, 1 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, mixture of finches including a Lesser Redpoll.

Between Dimple Hall & Horridge's Farm :-
Pair of Wheatears, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Linnets, 1 Reed Bunting.

Other birds seen around Cox Green/Dimple :-
Mallards, Pheasants, Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeons, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins.

14.40 to 16.00

Good mixture of finches around Dimple. Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, & Bullfinches.

New Butterworth :-
No Bramblings but still found winter migrants with 3 Fieldfares. A Song Thrush & a Blackbird in the small copse with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Dunnock, and a Lesser Redpoll.

A Pied Wagtail at Whittle Hill Farm with a few Meadow Pipits.

Pair of Stock Doves in Cox Green Quarry with a few Redwings.

9 Brambling at usual spot at dawn. Some males even singing despite some enormous snow drifts up here. Also here Curlew 3, Lesser Redpoll, 15, Redwing 1.

Reports of around 50 waxwings on Smith Lane this morning at 8.30 am

Lunchtime mooch around farmland after my good morning around Dunscar. Nothing like the birds here though.

Higher Critchley Fold :-
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Reed Bunting

New Butterworth :-
5 Redwings and the usual Chaffinches and Lesser Redpolls. I did not see any Bramblings for a while but then a couple flew in from Cox Green Road. Again the only place to see them was from the path down to Whittle Hill Farm (Siss Hey on the A-Z map). I picked out 4 birds when I finally found them, again in the copse behind the stable block. You know you are stood in the right place when you are ankle deep in water from the melting snow which came down last night.

Cox Green Meadow :-
2 Reed Buntings

I checked the Bramblings again at 7.50am. Difficult to get an exact number as they were commuting between the copse at New Butterworth Farm and Cox Green Road, but there were at least a dozen. as usual they were mixed with at least 10 Lesser Redpolls and Chaffinches. 3 Redwings also present.

The hedge behind the farm had a pair of Reed Buntings, and in the field with the horses I saw a small flock of Meadow Pipits.

As usual Siskins were widespread along Cox Green Road from the quarry to Dimple. Estimate of 20+.

10.50 to 13.35. Cox Green Clough/Quarry, Cox Green Road & farms, Dimple area.

1 Grey Heron. Flying towards Whittle Hill Farm where I had seen frogs & frogspawn in a ditch earlier
1 Pheasant
3 Moorhens. Pair at Howarth's Fold Farm and one at new ponds at Dimple Chapel
A few Black-headed Gulls passing over
1 Herring Gull flying over, very low for a change
22 Woodpigeons
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. One in the clough & one at Dimple
1 Skylark on the lower fields, lots more heard from higher up on Whittle Hill
2 Meadow Pipits
17 Wrens
7 Dunnocks
30+ Robins
7 Blackbirds
30+ Fieldfares at Little Stanrose
4 Redwings at New Butterworth with a Fieldfare
1 Song Thrush
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Chiffchaff at Whittle Hill Farm
4 Long-tailed Tits
3 Coal Tits
30+ Blue Tits
10+ Great Tits
2 Nuthatches in the clough
3 Jays
19 Magpies
60+ Jackdaws
9 Carrion Crows
1 Raven, being chased by Crows as usual
20+ Starlings
10+ House Sparrows
12 Bramblings at New Butterworth. A week ago I was happy to see one here. Numbers have built up nicely since.
26 Chaffinches
7 Greenfinches
13 Goldfinches
15+ Lesser Redpolls. Very difficult to count as they are moving about all over the area
30+ Siskins, spread throughout the area
6 Bullfinches
4 Reed Buntings. 3 at New Butterworth + one between Dimple Hall & Horridge's Farm

Spent most of the morning (7.25am to 11.45am) around the whole of Cox Green & Dimple. Cracking sunny morning with no wind, being serenaded by lots of Skylarks, and even came across a Small Tortoiseshell.
Surprisingly no Meadow Pipits, and still waiting for Curlews and Linnets.

1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
2 Pheasants
1 Jack Snipe on Whittle Hill. Flushed from the Lancs side of the path further into Lancs. Sorry Ian! At least when I flushed three last winter I got one to change counties.
A dozen or so Black-headed Gulls flying over
3 Stock Doves back in Cox Green Quarry
23 Woodpigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
29 Skylarks seen, must have been more across Turton Heights. I only counted the ones seen from footpaths.
1 Pied Wagtail
5 Wrens
17 Dunnocks
24 Robins
18 Blackbirds
21 Fieldfares at Little Stanrose
1 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush, & 1 Mistle Thrush with the Fieldfares
Numerous Blue Tits & Great Tits
1 Nuthatch
19 Magpies, nest building well advanced
50+ Jackdaws in the quarry
7 Carrion Crows
15 Starlings
c10 House Sparrows
24 Chaffinches
1 Brambling with most of the Redpolls at New Butterworth
4 Greenfinches
10+ Goldfinches
20+ Siskins
12 Lesser Redpolls
4 Bullfinches
3 Reed Buntings (2m + 1f)

12.50 to 14.30

Dimple area :-
Pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 Mistle Thrushes, 30+ Starlings, 2 Greenfinches, 20+ Goldfinches, 15 Siskins.

Dimple Hall :-
1 Kestrel, 1 Raven being chased over by Carrion Crows.

Little Stanrose Farm :-
9 Fieldfares with a flock of 100+ Starlings, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Lesser Redpolls.

Cox Green Meadow :-
4 Reed Buntings with a few Goldfinches, Siskins, and Bullfinches.

10.15am to 12.25am. Cox Green area.

Hardly anything through the farms until I got to Dimple Hall, when a ghostly figure appeared out of the fog. A BARN OWL landed on a fence post not far away for a few minutes
giving great views. Flew off again when it saw me.

Other birds :-
4 Woodpigeons
3 Wrens
2 Robins
10 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare at Dimple Hall
12 Redwings in Cox Green Clough
1 Song Thrush in Cox Green Clough
1 Mistle Thrush at Little Stanrose Farm
A few Blue Tits and Great Tits
1 Jay
9 Magpies
6 Carrion Crows
1 Jackdaw
17 Chaffinches, split between Little Stanrose and Cox Green Meadow
4 Greenfinches
22 Goldfinces at Cox Green Meadow
c35 Lesser Redpolls at Cox Green Meadow. A couple had red breasts rather surprisingly. Certainly not spring weather.
7 Bullfinches spread between Clough/Quarry/Meadow.

9.40am to 12.25pm. Not much about during a thorough search.

Cox Green Quarry. The paths are now so wet a couple of times the water went over the top of my boots. Not surprisingly a Grey Heron and a pair of Mallards were present.
A Siskin and a Lesser Redpoll were amongst the few birds there.

Cox Green Farms :-
1 Snipe on the footpath near New Butterworth. Flew up to Turton Heights when flushed where they are regular in winter on the bogs. The footpaths are also bogs at the moment.
12 Meadow Pipits
1 Fieldfare at Little Stanrose feeding on hawthorn berries
3 Redwings at New Butterworth

Dimple :-
1 Moorhen on pond at Howarth's Fold Farm
1 Fieldfare feeding on hawthorn berries