May I say a great big thank you to all who visited Turton Golf Course over the Greenish Warbler week. I was initially in two minds about whether to release the news but after the impeccable behavior of you all I am glad I did; I knew you would set a great example. Also thanks to Turton Golf Club for their quick organisation, all the people who've sent me emails, photo's sound recordings etc and Ian Mckerchar who liaised with the club despite the bird being in Lancashire.

Thanks again

P.S. I stood on the Greater Manchester border and heard it singing. Does that count as a GM tick?

Other Notable Sightings this Week -

Black-headed Gull, the first fledged juv
Magpie 3 fledged juv
Curlew Pair over territory
Great Spotted Woodpecker Pair feeding young
Cuckoo 1
12 nestboxes in use - Great/Coal/Blue Tits
Pied Wagtail 3 fledged families

Greenish warbler singing and showed briefly 17.00

More footage and sound recording from this morning of the Greenish Warbler http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=youQ5wzqw9g

7.50am to 10.00am. Turton Golf Course & onwards to Greens Arms Road via Clough House Farm.

Started off from Last Drop Village, getting the usual Whitethroat at the edge of the course. As Anthony said last week as we listened to it this is where the first Whitethroats appeared 7 years ago. They are now all over the course.
Lots of Starlings with a family of Pied Wagtails on the fairway, and a family of Coal Tits flitting about. A couple of Swifts flew overhead. Greenfinches also around with Woodpigeons and Magpies.
Another Pied Wagtail was on the clubhouse, with a couple of Swallows skimming the roof.
I missed out on the Garden Warblers in the dip behind the clubhouse, but heard Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, and Bullfinches. One of the latter flew overhead.
I worked my way up to the Greenish Warbler, which was conveniently perched on the dead branch to save me searching for it. Just in time before the fairway was closed to birders from 8.30am. A couple of birders also there, who also moved before the deadline following the rules. Great to see everybody working together again so everyone benefits, birders and golfers alike.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the same area of woodland, with numerous Lesser Redpolls flying around. Goldcrests were in the conifers towards Cox Green Road.
From the top of the course I could hear Skylarks and I saw a couple of Curlews flying across. A Pheasant, a pair of Linnets, & a family of Dunnocks were down the hill below Torra Barn.

New flowers for the year included Meadow Vetchling and Southern Marsh Orchid.

A Reed Bunting and a Meadow Pipit were on the field between the course and Turton Tower, and a Nuthatch was calling from the wood. Looking back about 15 Swifts were above the golf course.

A Grey Heron was on the pond near The Bungalow, with the usual Swallows, Pied Wagtails, and Reed Buntings near the barn. The family of Canada Geese was further up the hill with 4 Curlews. The pond near Clough House Farm had a family of Moorhens.

Along the track to Greens Arms Road I came across more Curlews, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, and Reed Buntings.

0455-0545
Greenish Warbler still present
Finally pleased to see this bird after dipping (on sighting) on saturday pm.

Again singing loudly, but this time much less breeze and was able to get closer.
Bird singing in usuals spots, giving good intermittent views.
Came down from bare twig to investigate Birch tree low down briefly at one point about 4m or so away.
Good to meet two local photographers (apologies didn't get your names).

I was the last one to leave this evening with final views at 8.30 in the low branches of the wood. It showed very well about 45 minutes earlier in these lower branches, occasionally singing. Pleased to finally see it after only hearing it on Friday afternoon. Massive thank you all round to Anthony (great write up) and the golf club.

Public thanks to Anthony for his find and his kindness - a lot of happy birders!

I got to the drop zone after a few day's of deliberation. Finally found the site after walking right around the back of the course and I instantly picked the bird's song up, but it showed only fleetingly UNTIL an hour and a half later where it gave prolonged views, often perched for minutes at a time singing and looking superb in the many scopes around. The weather got better and the company was great.
The icing on the cake was a Green Woodpecker which was viewed and also called plenty.
But the CHERRY was the second lifer of the day, a single M Crossbill in the conifers on the way out.
That's what I call a twitch


-- Edited by John Doherty on Sunday 16th of June 2013 08:31:52 PM

Just received word Greenish Warbler singing away this morning

No sign after thorough search from 5.30-7.30 with no singing. Nice bright weather perfect for song but also perfect for migration.

Greenish warbler still around between 11 and 12 today. Had to wait half an hour to see it, but well worth the wait. What a cracking find. Well done Anthony!

Greenish Warbler still singing loudly and regularly showing well from exposed perches in the canopy of Hazlehurst Wood at 7am.

Park only in Cox Green Lane or in the car park behind the Last Drop Village. From the latter follow the footpath around the golf course (keeping the course on your right at which point you will meet the footpath from the former park spot too) and follow the red marker posts (of which there are four, the fourth one being across from the bird's usual location) with a two bird symbol on them until you come to the line of traffic tape (red and white tape) alongside the bridlepath and the bird is in the wood across the fairway.

There is strictly no access across the fairway this weekend.

Huge thanks to Andy Hurst of the golf club for his tremendous work in ensuring birders get to see the bird and to Antony of course for initially finding the bird!

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 15th of June 2013 08:25:06 AM

Greenish Warbler still present this morning and showing well.

Info thanks to James Walsh

No parking at the golf club car park today.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 15th of June 2013 05:58:40 AM

I presume it was Andy, the director of the course, who contacted you Ian. He said he would after stopping his car to voice his concerns with me in Bromley Cross early this afternoon.
Our discussion went the same way as your's with the sound of it. The club have been excellent, even moving the tee position today, to accommodate all the birders.

Being a regular birder on the course I know how proud the club are of the environmental work done to the course by Anthony and the greenkeepers. We have a great relationship regarding wildlife (personally I was asked to write a wildlife article for the Centenary Book and I supply a wildlife summary every twelve months) and we do not want a few selfish birders setting us back with our great relationship. I know that the vast majority of birders have been great and let's hope that if the bird is still there tomorrow everyone will show respect to the golfers during their competition day.

Well done to anybody who has seen this little beauty already, and good luck to anyone going for it tomorrow.

THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING AT TURTON GOLF COURSE TOMORROW (SATURDAY).

Having been contacted by the golf club this afternoon, due to a competition there tomorrow the course will be very busy and given several near misses between golf balls and birders today, access over the weekend other than viewing from the public bridleway is currently under discussion. The golf club are being tremendously accommodating and wish to continue to permit access to see the bird but there are clear and potentially serious Heath and safety issues here, especially with no chance of the marshalling which has been available today.

Further details will be available early tomorrow morning (if not tonight) once I've been down and discussed the options etc.

For now though, birders must remain extra vigilant when present at the site and remember that it is a golf course first and foremost!

Greenish Warbler singing and showing well on and off till 1138 at least. Very good on site organisation as well.
There was a whisper that access may be stopped over the weekend due to a golf tournament? Somebody will clarify this...

Greenish Warbler constantly singing and showing very well as I type.

Cheers
Jason

I would appreciate anyone sending me images taken of the Greenish Warbler please

Brilliant local find by Antony Wainwright. Didn't you just find a Red-footed Falcon the other day? The Greenish Warbler showed superbly after a 40 minute wait. The golfers who came by were welcoming and intrigued but I did hear disparaging comments from some (non-GM) birders about golfers. Wrong! I play golf too! So if going please be careful crossing the fairway (Birdguides is sending people over the course anyway). If you look back and see golfers playing up please clear the fairway and don't interfere with play by standing on it and move off into the rough. I've been hit by a ball whilst playing and it hurts.

Top bird and a lifer having dipped in Finland (one of few birds missed on the trip). To get one only a few hundred yards out of County? Superb!

1545....Greenish Warbler still singing and showing by 15th fairway after crossing behind 3rd tee of Turton Golf course. SD723146.

Garden Warbler singing by Cox Green quarry.

Singing Greenish Warbler at Hazelhurst Clough, near Turton Gold Course, SD721150. View only from bridleway.

Info thanks to Antony Wainwright

Green Woodpecker near Turton Tower at 8.15am.

Afternoon walk across the golf course along the top of Hazelhurst Wood. Two new moth species from yesterday.
Cydia ulicetana on gorse bushes.
A brown longhorn moth looked to be Nematopogon schwarziellus, did not seem big enough for N. swammerdamella. Hazelhurst Wood is a good site for longhorn moths with Nemophora degeerella and Adela reaumurella also seen most years.

8.00am to 9.15am from Turton Golf Course to Greens Arms Road (same birds as yesterday on a brief look at the golf course).

The Bungalow area :-
1 Grey Heron flying over, 2 pairs of Canada Geese (including the pair with 5 goslings which were hidden away last time), 1 Pheasant, 1 Woodpigeon, pairs of Swallows & Pied Wagtails nesting at the barn, 1 Wren, 1 Robin, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Blue Tits, 6 Jackdaws, 1 Carrion Crow, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Linnet, 3 Reed Buntings.

Clough House Farm to Greens Arms Road :-
2 Pheasants, 1 Curlew, 1 Black-headed Gull, 2 Skylarks, 3 Meadow Pipits, 2 Wrens, 2 Robins, 1 Song Thrush, 4 Willow Warblers, 1 Jay, 1 Magpie, 1 Carrion Crow, 5 Chaffinches, 3 Siskins, 2 Linnets, 2 Bullfinches, 1 Reed Bunting.

7.45am to 9.10am. Windy and a bit quiet on Turton Golf Course, apart from a busy greenkeper hoping for a visit from one of the Egerton Cuckoos ! Good luck Tony.
Great Spotted Woodpecker the highlight on a short visit.

The Bugalow area, Clough House Farm, and the track to Greens Arms Road :-
Pair of Canada Geese. Another pair here last week with 4 goslings. Possible they were hiding on the side of the moor today.
3 Mallards
7 Pheasants
1 Curlew
Black-headed Gulls & Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over
2 Woodpigeons
A few Skylarks & Meadow Pipits
2 Swallows
2 Pied Wagtails
3 Wrens
1 Song Thrush
4 Willow Warblers
2 Blue Tits
1 Magpie
10+ Jackdaws
6 Carrion Crows
5 Chaffinches
4 Siskins
5 Linnets
6 Reed Buntings

I wandered through Turton Tower at lunchtime and noticed that Whitethroats were spread all the way along the railway line.
Blackcaps & Willow Warblers also present.

House Martins & Swallows nesting in Chapeltown.

Turton Tower species this morning :-
Pheasant
Woodpigeon
Stock Dove
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Whitethroat
Blackcap
Willow Warbler
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Grey Squirrel
Rabbit