Large Chaffinch flocks in winter with Brambling, running into hundreds, seen in the beech woods between Anglezarke and Watermans cottage. These woods are around the track that goes up the eastside of the reservoir at a point where the track cuts across the headland. Flock also seen in winter at bottom of Lock lane , Rumworth/ Chew moor, Bolton. Chaffinch very common everywhere I go, and plenty in my garden!
May I also suggest that you read the last (2011) County report by the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group which gives the best sites for Chaffinch, and states ''in the period 1995 to 2010 this species has shown a statistically significant increase of 24% in the North West.
With regard to woods you could check with Lancashire wildlife trust, who manage several local woods. If you google Dean Wood Bolton, which they manage, you will see it has a base of Sessile Oak.
-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 3rd of September 2017 05:11:47 PM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
True ancient woodland is rarer than chaffinches in Greater Manchester. There is more nearby in Cheshire and Derbyshire. Deciduous woodland is more common and suitable habitat for chaffinches. You can identify all woodland types on an interactive map. http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx Chaffinches are increasingly becoming a suburban species (adult and 2 juveniles in my Swinton garden at the moment )
-- Edited by David Kaye on Sunday 3rd of September 2017 10:46:39 AM
Thanks all - Pennington Flash is really close to me so I'll definitely visit there. Was much easier in Madeira as they're really abundant. If anyone knows of any dense, old woodland in Manchester as well please let me know, as ancient woodland is one of the areas I have to survey.
Hopefully I'll have some luck tomorrow! Much appreciated.
Chaffinches are fairly widespread so you should easily be able to pick up the sightings you need. But if you're struggling the agricultural areas around the Wigan and Salford mosses can hold good numbers, especially in autumn.
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
I'm a student doing my MSc on ecological release in chaffinches (specifically differences in their abundance/niche/spatial use between here and Madeira, looking at whether they could be a different species over there). I've done the Madeira part and I'm struggling a little now I'm back here in the UK!
Are there any places where you think you've seen a lot of chaffinches? I have 100 + observations for Madeira and haven't seen a single one since I got back. I know they're common but I'd like to try to go to areas where there might be a higher chance of seeing them: they're not singing now so it's a little harder.
I'd really appreciate some advice from the experts!
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