1:00 to 2:30 in persistent rain making it very tricky to keep the optics dry. 40 skylarks 15 yellowhammer 250 ish chaffinch flock .... All too difficult to pick out any brambling in wet bins Buzzard 2 Tawny owl 1 Mixed finch flock c 40 mainly siskin Mixed tit flocks Peaked through the shell pond fence ....... Oystercatcher 2 Lapwing 4 Tufted duck PS - private property signs popping up and steel gates being put up across path by Swiss Cottage farm Chris
-- Edited by Chris Sutton on Friday 3rd of March 2017 03:53:31 PM
I've just come across this forum - I moved back to Sale last year after many years away and am getting reacquainted with the local birding patches. I'm by no means an expert birder but really enjoying getting back into it.
I had a nice afternoon on the Moss yesterday in the mild weather, after not visiting for a few months. Buzzard central with at least 13 knocking about including one that was not remotely bothered with me biking past it's low perch at less than 20 feet away.
There was a nice large mixed flock to pick through in the tress opposite the farm house on the main path at the back of the United training ground, at least 50 linnet, 20 chaffinch, at least 2 brambling, 5 yellowhammer (another 3 seen further along), goldfinch, the usual tits, goldcrest and a smart jay.
I could make out 1 shoveler, amongst the numerous tufties, on the pond just off the access road to the United complex (Is this the 'Shell pond'?).
Toward the Dunham end of the Moss there were lots of singing skylarks in the fields but not too much else of interest other than a flyover of 33 lapwing and a couple of stock doves. 20+ redwing were resting high in the tress near the bridge over the brook. The only ducks that I could make out at the fenced off largish pond at this end of the site were 4 gadwall.
I notice you guys are using grid references for the various fields. Is there a map available which lists these? I also noticed that there are a couple of hides on the Shell(?) pond. Is it possible to request access? All the aggressive new signs popping up regarding trespassing makes me think unlikely....
Could any regular site watchers offer any tips for finding willow tit? This bird has taken on a near mythical status for me! With grey partridge is it a case of being lucky and patient or do they favour any particular fields at this time of year?
From 1 to 3.30pm today. Brambling 6 (seen in one bush seen at edge of f4 from path running between f4 / f13) seen with - Yellowhammers - 8 (at least ) . Chaffinch - aproximately 200 . (all the birds were only 10m away so close , numbers were hard to hard to account for, dropping down feeding , moving back and forth ... Fox in henhouse senario. ) Common Buzzard - 1 f13. Stock Dove - 2 f5 Fieldfare - c50 in flight over f 2. Grey Partridge - 2 ( between f25/26 possibly f 75 ... badly marked on site map.) Pheasant - 4 f71. Linnet - 45 f71. Reed Bunting - 2 f71.
Himor Group are winning friends and influencing people by having the United security guards hand out leaflets to say that you're trespassing on their land. This is nonsense: if you're on the public footpaths you have every right to be there, as Himor's own notices grudgingly admit.
On a brighter note, despite the Shell Pool being largely frozen over, eight gadwall easily seen from the footpath. Also mallard, coot and teal.
Diggers at work on the field by the Shell Pool so not much on (except two grey wagtails in the ditch); 70+ jackdaws and 60+ rooks in the next field. A couple of bramblings with the yellowhammers in the hawthorns along this path.
Skylarks showing well again at midday today, with good numbers in f10 and over fields 1 and 4. A flock of about 50 linnets in f9, together with c.6 redwing. A flock of about 15 redwing plus 1 mistle thrush in the trees between fields 2 and 4, plus about 15 yellowhammers in the hedge between field 4 and 12.
Decided to brave the predicted winter sleet and snow and ended up having a nice dry 2 hour walk around the Moss (2-4pm). Highlights; Brambling (1) in Chaffinch Flock Skylark (5) - flushed by dogs Yellowhammer (1) Redwing (50+) Linnet (11) - species no. 100 for my 2017 year list Buzzard (2) Kestrel (1) ... and the usuals
Late record from today - Sinderland Green area - early this morning.
An indeterminate number of Bramblings in Sinderland Woods, a compact flock of maybe 50 mixed finches sounded like there were at least double figures of Bramblings present, but never seen on the ground.
A Little Owl on the high stump at the junction of Sinderland lane and Brookheys Lane for the second time in a week. This seems to be a regular perch but only until dawn when it moves on to another location which I have not yet worked out.
Little Grebe appears to be resident on Sinderland Brook, but very difficult to find.
Raven: a pair cronking from the pylon in field 25 (amazingly loud at a distance of only fifty metres) with another pair overhead.
Chiffchaff and Willow Tit, both in the north west corner of field 25,
Possibly Craig although in Pink feet sightings this flock is also mentioned by Nick Hilton.
Either way decent sighting
There's a few Bean Geese knocking around in the NE/West Yorks so be worth checking any flocks on the ground for the odd rarer species. I guess their current location doesn't give great viewing options though. Seemed quite difficult to park up and not really a convenient spot to scope from.
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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
Saw these myself this morning they mainly Pink Footed Geese, looked to be a couple of Canada Geese with them but was looking straight into the sun in places
-- Edited by Steve Scrimgeour on Thursday 29th of December 2016 01:15:16 PM
Maybe talking different flocks then Steve? - the ones I had were definitely mainly Canadas, but as I say it looked like a few grey geese so maybe others/more nearby.
-- Edited by Craig Higson on Thursday 29th of December 2016 11:49:35 PM
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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
Saw these myself this morning they mainly Pink Footed Geese, looked to be a couple of Canada Geese with them but was looking straight into the sun in places
-- Edited by Steve Scrimgeour on Thursday 29th of December 2016 01:15:16 PM
Perhaps a little out of the site boundaries but... a large flock of Geese in fields to the east of the A6144, just south of Partington. Probably in the region of 200-250. Looked like mainly Canada's but pretty sure I saw a few grey geese in with them. Couldn't really see too much as I was driving at the time. When I passed again an hour or so later they were much more spread out and farther into the fields.
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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
Little Egret in sheep field adjacent to Sinderland Brook. Also c200 Pink-footed Geese made a couple of low circuits around us seemingly looking for somewhere to land.
Stock Dove 2 Fieldfare c. 100 in stubble and hawthorns Linnet c. 35 Raven 1 over Meadow Pipit 1 (moved away due to the hard frost?) Buzzard 2 Skylark two separate flocks of c. 20 each
Nice to meet a local birder from Sale.
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Adult male Yellow Wagtail + 3 or 4 well grown juveniles in the f25/f24 area. Also in the general area were 5 Whitethroat, 5 Skylark and 6 Yellowhammer (one collecting food).
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-- Edited by Tony Darby on Wednesday 22nd of June 2016 06:57:41 PM
Carried out the Late Visit BTO Breeding Bird Survey on the moss this morning 0630 - 0815, highlights; 2 Redstart on the southern edge of Birchmoss Covert. Fine views of a male that posed on the telephone wires and then flew SW. Thirty seconds later a second bird took off from the hedge and follow the same route (not a male). 2 Yellow Wagtail in F4 (not on the BBS survey route). A single singing Willow Warbler (the only one I've had on the moss in half a dozen visits this spring). I havent had any others locally either that I can recall. Whitethroat and Chiffchaff numbers seem ok but Willow Warblers very thin on the ground (except in my recent week in Scotland where it was all Willow Warblers and no Chiffchaffs!)
Hobby over f25 around 4pm then thermaled up before descending back onto a pylon to the West, then flew low north. Also Yellow Wagtail perched up on a crop-free muddy patch in f11 and 3 Buzzard around f25
Carried out the BTO Breeding Bird Survey on the moss yesterday 0640-0810. Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and Song Thrush relatively well presented (in comparison to previous years). No Grey Partridge recorded for the first time in a while. 7 Chiffchaff, 5 Whitethroat and a couple of Blackcap, but no Willow Warbler. There were 2 Wheatear in F13 and 1 in F60. A single Fieldfare was in F5. Whilst watching 3 Linnet on Isherwood Road I was stopped by a Police Officer who, thankfully, just wanted to discuss binoculars!
Old Orchard: 4 Fieldfare 1 Treecreeper 4 Robins 1 Song Thrush- singing
Ex- Basell site: 2 Oystercatcher 2 Little Ringed Plover - very briefly as they flew off towards the middle of the site somewhere 1 Yellow Wagtail over 12 Linnet 1 Skylark singing 9 Lapwing 1 Sparrowhawk flew over and began circling overhead causing panic as the Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Linnets, Skylark and Yellow Wagtail all flew up to mob it en-mass!
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Tuesday 19th of April 2016 08:06:52 PM