Hi Paul, it was about 12 ish when I found the Ouzel but lost to view about 15 mins later when the farmer ran his tractor up the field!

It was sat very close to the edge of the field nearest the pipeline but was very confiding!

Cheers e

-- Edited by Iain Johnson at 21:16, 2008-04-19

Cracking male RING OUZEL at the north end of field 1 along with 20 yellowhammer, 1 corn bunting and a few chaffinch, dunnock and robin.

Kestrel and Buzzard also.

Doh - just driven passed field 1!!

The basell site is the shell compound no public access at all sorry

this evening 5-7pm, cold and windy. from Brookheys end of the Moss to Fields 1 &2, via Dark Lane.

best of the action was on newly disturbed soil at N end of Field 1:
CORN BUNTING 2
Yellowhammer - at least 30
Stock Dove - 24
Lapwing - 6
Wheatear - 1
Skylark - 1
Jackdaw - c50
Rook - c40
Carrion Crow - c20
Jay - 2
Song Thrush - 4
Mistle Thrush - 2
Mallard - 2
Chaffinch - c20

Field 2:
Yellowhammer - 6
Reed Bunting - 2
Stock Dove - 4
Skylark - 2
Jackdaw - c50
Rook - c20
Carrion Crow - c20
Woodpigeon - c40

Field 25
Oystercatcher - 2 on small flood
Lapwing - 4
Skylark - 1
Buzzard - 1
c30 Linnet over
Swallow - 4

Dark Lane
Blackcap 2 singing
Chiffhcaff 2 singing
Goldcrest 1

Brookheys Covert
G S Woodpecker 1
Nuthatch 1
2 Yellowhammer close by.

Thought i heard a Yellow Wagtail flying over field 2 but couldn't get bins on it in time, so can't be 100% sure.






-- Edited by declan savage at 20:28, 2008-04-17

Very good lunchtime walk around the moss today began with a disappointing showing at the ETW - just the one pied wagtail.
8 Gadwall on the pond to the SE of Danewell Wood and 2 in the flooded field/paddock just to the NE of the ETW. ((Just what has that soil company done to the scrubby area to the north of the ETW - are they going to repair this???? - this was a good Sedge Warbler area.....))
1 Wheatear on Field 17 which flew off east
1 Yellowhammer on the track between Field 17 and MUFC
Upto 10 Mistle Thrush on Fields 5 and 4
Skylark singing over Field 4
5 Wheatear on Field 5
GSW between Fields 2 and 4
10 Linnet on Field 15
1 Oystercatcher roving from Fields 14/15 to Fields 12/13
Fantastic bright Male Yellow Wagtail on Field 14/15 - viewed from the grey railings by Birchmoss Covert - flew towards the ETW at 13.20
10 Yellowhammer in Field 33
2 Willow Warblers at the north end of MUFC
Swallow at Woodcote Stables and 2 over Field 5
Sparrowhawk in Birchmoss Covert
Kestrel in Field 33
Little Owl in the right hand Oak Tree in Field 32 (the first time I have managed to see it - was beginning to think it was a hoax)
Still haven't found a partridge this year

Also had a Redpoll and a Willow Warbler in the garden this morning


-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 08:45, 2008-04-14

-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 08:47, 2008-04-14

Hope so too, Henry. Certainly no sign or sound this morning, but i only covered one small area of the Moss.

40 minute walk in mixture of squalid showers and sunshine this morning, from Brookheys Covert to field 1 (edge of Shell complex) via Dark Lane.

Mallard - 6 over
Grey Heron - 1 over
Cormorant - 2 over heading S
Buzzard - 2, Brookheys Covert; 1 in Field 10
Kestrel -1 Field 10
Pheasant - 4 in total
Moorhen - 2, Sinderland Brook
Lapwing - 2, Field 67; 2, Field 1
BH Gull - 2 over
Feral Pigeon - c30
Woodpigeon - c90 fields 27/28
Stock Dove - 2, field 25
Great Sp Woodpecker - 1, Brookheys Covert; pair (noisy) Sinderland Brook/ edge of F25
Skylark - 8 singing in total (fields 25, 10, 11 and 1)
Swallow - 4, Brookheys farm
Sand Martin -2, Field 1
Meadow Pipit - 4, Field 1
Pied Wagtail - 2, Field 1
Wren - 6
Dunnock - 3
Robin - 6
Wheatear - 5, Field 1
Song Thrush - 2
Mistle Thrush - 2
Blackbird - 5
Blackcap - 1 singing, Dark Lane
Willow Warbler - 1, Dark Lane
Chiffchaff -6 singing in total - Dark Lane/ Brookheys
Blue Tit - 12
Great Tit - 4
Willow Tit - 1, N edge of Field 1
Long-tailed Tit - 4
Jay - 1, Dark Lane
Magpie - 25+
Jackdaw - 50+
Rook - 50+
Carrion Crow - 30+
Starling - c20
Chaffinch - c20
Goldfinch - 14
Linnet - 2, on bridge, N of Field 25
Bullfinch - 3 males, Dark Lane
Reed Bunting - 1 male, Field 63
Yellowhammer - 16 in total; 4 singing; 8 together in field 11

Cheers for the info on mileage - I need a rest! Any thoughts on the glowing Kingfisher?

Hi Henry

Just got back from Dunham again! - see Dunham thread - oiled the zimmer frame, had a glass of red and contemplated a really good birding day and thanks for the company which would not have been possible without this site - so thanks all round for those responsible for the organisation- Ian Mc that must be you thanks. Henry you worked out yet how far we walked or are you still tired?

Henry,

Think I saw you, did you have a older guy with you?

You were peering round the corner of the hedge looking into the on coming traffic ( direction prtington - Altrincham) about 12.13ish..If you had peered out any further may have ended up on the bonnet.... Hahaha...

Looks like you had a good morning for it, weather pretty settled at the mo.....

Steve

Sunday 11.00-13.30

Dark Lane to Shell and back
100+ Yellowhammer - Field 2
50+ Yellowhammer - Field 1 along with a few Reed Buntings
58 Stock Dove - Field 1
Skylarks singing - Fields 2,4,10,11
20+ Meadow Pipit - Field 4
Bullfinch - Field 3
Long Tailed Tits everywhere
At least 5 Kestrels and 4 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk soaring above field 25

NO - Corn Buntings, Willow Tit, Partridges or early Wheatear.

Short walk yesterday late afternoon along Townsend Farm Lane. Several resplendant Yellowhammers near to the farm, 8 or 9 Fieldfare, a buzzard, a kestrel and a sparrowhawk. Has anyone seen any partridge this year on the moss?

PS

Huperade Ltd is a soil supply company based in Altrincham. Have they been given a contract to 'mine' the moss?

Had a very quick walk around the sewage farm area on Saturday afternoon - there is a lot of work going on, looks like they are putting up a couple of missile launching sites. The "donkey "paddocks were teeming with pied wagtails, must have been at least two hundred along with a three grey wagtails and a couple of meadow pipits. There are several piles of earth which the wagtails seem to find very much to their liking - hopefully this will remain the same for when migration starts and the yellow wagtails and wheatears find them similarly attractive.

Large flock of Yellowhammer,in excess of 100 in field 1 with 1+ Corn Bunting.

Also,

Buzzard
Kestrel
10+ Stock Dove
Mixed flock of Corvids (300+birds)
Lapwing near the flare stack
Reed Bunting

-- Edited by Mark Rigby at 22:36, 2008-02-19

Seeking some solace in a bit of birding today during a bit of a break after a tough and intense week - my Mum died last Sunday and I'm off down south again for the funeral next week.

Tony Darby and I were rewarded with:

Willow Tit w/ LT Tit 6 ride between field 11 and 12
Chaffinch 400 field 25 w/
Brambling 8 (3m 5f) sat up nicely in the trees between field 25 and 27

Starling 20
Jackdaw 200
Crow 100
Stock Dove 5

(all fields 10 and 11)
no flocks of Woodpeigeon

the Stonechat pair were in field 4
Yellowhammer only 3 seen - probably hunkered down out of the wind

Carrington Riding School:
Redwings 100+
Fieldfare 50+
Starlings 100+

v.rough counts as all disturbed by a Sparrowhawk through

Short afternoon walk from Isherwood Road to between fields 1 and 10.
Friday, 25th January.

Stonechat 1 pair along ride between 4 and 13. Plus a male along northern edge of 10.
Chaffinch 30+
Yellowhammer 10+
Brambling 1
Goldfinch 10+
Reed Bunting 1
Fieldfare 10+
Linnet 30+
Corn Bunting 10+
Corvids 200+
Starling 70+
Cormorant 2 over south.
Kestrel 3, all male.
Buzzard 1 on pylon near fields 12/14.
Peregrine 1 towards field 20.
plus robins, wrens etc.

This was from the week before Ann - but we should get together along with young Rob soon ....

A couple of crappy pictures from the finch flock in fields 2/3

Saturday - 12.00-14.30

Took a walk from the Crem' to Shell Pools and back.

Stock Dove 1 - Field 62
Skylark 7 - Field 10/11
Redwing 4 - Over Field 10
Kestrel 1 - Field 10
Bullfinch 2 - Field 10 and 1 Field 3 Orchard
Goldcrest 1 - Field 3
GSW 1 - Field 3
(2 Willow Tit reported in Field 3 but I didnt see them)
Buzzard 2 - Flare Stack pipes and Field 10
Corn Bunting/Yellowhammer/Reed Bunting - Large mixed flock - Field 2 into Field 3
Stonechat - Field 11 / Field 2 border

Made a quick first visit today at 2.30 more to find where it is and very impressed. Followed your advised route Nick to the Flare stack and then back.
More than 100 yellowhammer in field 2 with a few reed bunting. They were continually on the move into the field and the trees and bushes on either side but settled more often as you said in the end of the orchard hedge line. Unfortunately didn't find any corn buntings today but will keep looking.
Along the way had bullllfinch, great spotted woodpecker, mixed tit flock with at least 2 lesser redpoll. Surprised to find a treecreeper on the edge of the orchard.
Looking forward to spendind a long early session there.
Once again thanks for everyones help
Cheers
Steve

23/12/07 1000hrs
Field 2 = 60+ Skylark, 75+ Mixed Bunting (inc. at least 1 Corn), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 35 Woodpigeon.
Field 2,4,11,12 Jct = 150+ Mixed Bunting (inc. at least 6 Corn) and Finch flock, 6 Snipe, 20+ Skylark.
Field 12 = 120+ Corvid.
Field 13 = Buzzard.

All very flighty as a party of 6 scramblers about !

No shopping at Carrington - I think you'll find it's used by the local community - but that doesn't make good tabloid headlines does it?! ;)

It's your best opportunity in 32 years - but you'll have to play betterthanyou did at the Council House to change the record.

Anyway - enough footy banter - good the see The Moss getting good coverage. Still no sign of any decent sized flocks of Corn Bunting yet I see...