Afternoon visit

Sankey Valley Trail from Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane:

2 Buzzards, 16 Rooks, 11 Jackdaws, 4 Lapwings and 3 Swallows.

The Lapwings were displaying over the paddocks adjoining the SVT.

Arable fields West of Alder Lane

4m Yellowhammers (2 males were having an aerial tussle above Phipps Brook), 1f Linnet,

7 Swallows, 1 singing male Reed Bunting and 4 singing Whitethroats.

1 pair of Lapwings were displaying above the horse paddocks, whilst 4 pairs were noted

on the large field bordering Tanhouse Lane.

It may be a sign of the times but no raptors or Skylarks were seen on the fields West of Alder Lane.

Afternoon visit Short stroll along the Sankey Valley Trail from Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane roadbridge. Birds seen were 9 Lapwings which were flushed by gulls off a very muddy field alongside Watery Lane. The paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub, which dried out during the summer, is now flooded again and today held 3 Gadwall, 5 Moorhens and a pair of Coots. Sadly I can't walk very far these days, otherwise a stroll along the footpaths to Dial Post Farm from Alder Lane would of been a good idea. I did manage to walk as far as Phipps Brook however, and that produced sightings of 1 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 4 Yellowhammers (Including a resplendent male) and a flock of 4 Tree Sparrows.

16:00-18:00

Sankey Valley Trail from Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane:-

1m Yellowhammer.

Paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub.

2 Oystercatchers (Could not see any youngsters), 14 Jackdaws and 1 Pied Wagtail.

Arable fields West of Alder Lane

2m Yellowhammers, 1 singing male Reed Bunting, 1 Common Whitethroat plus 2 flocks of finches

on wires by Phipps Brook, one a group of 17 Linnets whilst the other was a charm of 30 Goldfinches.

A busy flooded pool today.

Yellow Wagtail - male & female chasing around pool

Mallard - female + 6 young

Coot - with 4 young

Mute Swan - 2

Swallows - 10+ hawking over the area

Goldcrest - 2

Lapwing - several at back of pool

Mid day 

2 Yellow Wagtail

Lapwing,Coot and Mallards with young

Oystercatcher-1 

Flooded field opposite fiddle. Yellow wagtail still present 2 pied wagtail several lapwings and jackdaws 2 oystercatchers 

Pool opposite Fiddle pub - 13:15 - 13:50

 

2 BH Gulls

2 Coot with 2 small chicks

6 Moorhen

5 Teal

1 Shoveler

4 Lapwing

1 Pied Wagtail

2 Woodpigeon

2 Stock Dove

1 Magpie

13 Jackdaw

1 Chaffinch

1 Robin

5 Swallow

2 House Martin

1 Skylark

8 Starling

This Morning Flood opposite Fiddle 

Teal -14

Gadwall - 1 Pair

Shoveler - 1 Pair

Fieldfare - 58 flying Ne

Mute Swan - 1 Pair

Kestrel -1 Male

10.00-13.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

2 Buzzards (1 carrying squirrel/small rabbit sized prey item), 3 Willow Tits (2 involved in an aerial battle, the other merely

a spectator, so perhaps 2 males and 1 female ?), a pair of Oystercatchers, 3 singing Chiffchaffs, 1m Bullfinch, 2 Cormorants and 1m Sparrowhawk.

Flooded paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub:

8 Teal, 1 Lapwing, a pair of Gadwall and 1 Snipe.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road ::

3 Yellowhammers, 4 Buzzards, 8 Lapwings (All on territory and seen jointly chasing off a Buzzard, or just trying to, until they got

expert help from a pair of crows), at least 20 Skylarks and 4m Reed Buntings.

-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 28th of March 2023 01:46:18 PM

09.00-12.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

1 Willow Tit seen and heard calling alongside Beryl's Wood.

1m Stonechat, 1 Buzzard and 12 Lapwings.

Horse paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub :

2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Buzzard, 15 Lapwings and 3 Stock Doves.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

2 Kestrels, 15 Fieldfares (Single flock), 2 Redwings, 8 Lapwings (All appeared to be on territory),

12 Skylarks, 3m Reed Buntings, 1 Buzzard, 1m Teal and 2 Grey Partridges.

A surprise find for so early in spring was a juvenile Robin, which gave the impression of being

recently fledged.

A Little Owl was seen at one point on this mornings walk (Details to be sent to county recorder).

Late post for yesterday afternoon Monday 20th February 14.30-16.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook):

1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 male Stonechat and 7 Gadwall.

The chat was seen tackling a large earthworm on the tarmac path. It appeared to be quite a challenge for him,

but he eventually succeeded and flew off carrying his prize.

A pair of 1st winter Mute Swans looked a little out of place in the centre of the large field alongside Hall Lane.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 4 Gadwall

The stables behind the flooded paddock, which have appeared unoccupied for a while, are being now being developed.

This area as been the most reliable spot for local Tree Sparrow sightings in recent years, especially the surrounding

hawthorn hedges. The hedges currently remain in intact and have received their winter trim. Lets hope they remain

in situ for years to come, not just for the sparrows, but other birds like the Yellowhammer which I have often seen

on these hawthorns too.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, 1 Skylark and 1 Fieldfare (Perched on top of a large oak).

10 Lapwings appeared to have been setting up their territories in the field alongside Tanhouse Lane, which also

attracted a couple of small flocks of Starlings.

The situation regarding the finch and bunting flocks in the area appears dire.

I regularly used to find a flock of around 60 Linnets on overhead wires alongside Phipps Brook, but they have gone,

it's a struggle to find even a single Chaffinch or Reed Bunting in the area now.

The surrounding fields currently appear fallow, perhaps that is the reason the seed eaters have moved on?.

Probable ringtail Hen Harrier seen yesterday from old Alder Lane low over fields to South of fiddle pub.

Morning walk

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Newton Brook): 1 Stonechat and 1 Cormorant.

3 flocks of Lapwings (180,100 and 24) were flushed from a field on the Winwick side of WCML railway,

the same field also attracted a huge mixed group of Rooks and Jackdaws.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 4 Shovelers, 9 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard, 1 Common Gull and 1 Stonechat.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 9 Buzzards shared a field with 54 Black-headed Gulls,

a small flock of Starlings and several crows. Clearly worms were on the menu as some Buzzards were seen running a short

distance before brutally ripping a large earthworm from the ground. The gulls seemed quite relaxed about being within pecking

distance of the big raptors, although clearly the Starlings seemed a little more anxious. 3 Kestrels were seen in the surrounding

fields, 1 of these flew straight into the middle of a flock of around 100 Starlings, although the falcon did not catch anything it

was clearly intent on trying to. Huge numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings were in the area, at one point a mixed flock of at least

300 settled in trees alongside Phipps Brook. A small flock of Blackbirds feasted on haws and with them was a single Song Thrush.

11.00-14.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge to Hollins Lane) :

A flock of 14 Meadow Pipits and a charm of 12 Goldfinches in the adjoining horse paddocks.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

10 Buzzards, 6 Kestrels, a flock of 20 Collared Doves, 1m Yellowhammer, a flock of 10 Meadow Pipits,

8 Skylarks, 4 Linnets, 1f Stonechat, 2 Ravens and a solitary Fieldfare that had a whole field to itself.

Small groups of Redwings were seen around the hedgerows, but nothing like the numbers seen a couple of days ago.

10.30-13.00

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) :

1 Kestrel, 6 Meadow Pipits, 1 Reed Bunting and 1 Jay.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road :

14 Skylarks (In the field alongside Tanhouse Lane, with lots of aerial squabbling taking place).

7 Buzzards (4 sharing the same soggy field, where they appeared to be catching earthworms).

1 Kestrel. 1 Jay with a small group of magpies, crows and starlings, who like the buzzards were gathered together

in the centre of a soggy field in search of worms. It was apparent though that the corvids and starlings do not

like to share the same field as the buzzards.

Regarding seed eaters, with the exception of the single Reed Bunting at Causey Bridge, no other finches, buntings, linnets

or sparrows were to be found, which is very odd. Most fields now contain small seedlings and there was no sign of seeds that

had not germinated lying on the ground.

10.00-14.30

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) 1 Garden Warbler (In the small copse by Causey Bridge parking area).

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 1 Grasshopper Warbler (Posed briefly on a bramble thicket),

1 Spotted Flycatcher (On East-West hawthorn hedge N of Causeway Bridges Farm), 1 Kestrel, 3 Buzzards, 1 Grey Wagtail

plus 3 flocks of Linnets (1@5,1@8 and 1@60).

Midday.

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) : 2 Buzzards and 1 singing Yellowhammer.

1 Grey Wagtail by Sankey Brook. 1 Oystercatcher on the dried up paddock opposite the former Fiddle pub.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Kestrels, 3 Common Whitethroats,

3 singing Yellowhammers, 2 Song Thrushes, 3 Cormorants and a flock of 14 Linnets.

12.00-16.00

Sankey Valley Trail around Causey Bridge : 1 Buzzard, 1m Kestrel and 2 Lapwings.

Horse Paddocks opposite the former Fiddle pub : 3 near full grown+1 half grown Lapwing young together with 3 adults.

Also seen was a near full grown Moorhen youngster alongside an adult.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road. : 3 Buzzards, 1f Kestrel, 4 Yellowhammers, 4 Tree Sparrows,

2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Reed Buntings, 1 Sparrowhawk and a flock of 42 Linnets.

Also noted was a Dunnock which rested right in the centre of a field of oil seed rape, and quite a long way from any hedges or bushes.

Floods opposite Fiddle area

Swift -300+ over rape seed Fields to the west of pool

Redshank-2

Oystercatcher-2

Yellow Wagtail -1 male

 

 

Hobby just gone south over floods opposite fiddle pub

Paddock opposite Fiddle pub this afternoon

 

2 Yellow Wagtails

1 Redshank

9 Lapwing

2 Gadwall

1 Swallow

Morning walk

Horse paddocks opposite former the Fiddle pub: 1 Swallow, 1 Gadwall, 2 Oystercatchers, 10 Lapwings

and 1 singing male Blackcap.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Buzzards, 2 singing Chiffchaffs, 6 Linnets,

1f Sparrowhawk, 1 singing Common Whitethroat, 1 Grey Heron, 3m Yellowhammers, 12 Lapwings and a flock of 8 Stock Doves.

Afternoon walk

Horse paddocks opposite former the Fiddle pub: 3 Snipe, 6 Teal, 2 Swallows, 1 Buzzard, 6 Lapwings and 2 Oystercatchers.

Sankey Brook (Just North of the M62) : 2f Goosanders and 1 Kingfisher.

Arable land between Sankey Brook and Burtonwood Road : 2 Yellowhammers, 5 Linnets, 1 Buzzard, 4 singing Skylarks,

12 Lapwings (All on territory) and 3 singing Chiffchaffs.

Sankey Valley Trail (Causey Bridge area) : 1 Buzzard, 1 singing Willow Warbler and 2 displaying Lapwings.

Horse paddocks on Alder Lane 14:55 - 15:20

 

2 Oystercatcher

3 Lapwing

1 Snipe

4 Gadwall

6 Teal

20+ Woodpigeon