This afternoon :-
Rear of Birch Moss covert F22 horse paddock - 29 Pied Wagtail.
-1 Buzzard heard calling.
After the opening ( thinning) up of BM covert a few years ago the area is now inaccessible due to growth of fern and bramble around the perimeter and a distant view of the interior shows aggressive colonisation by Birch , Willow and Alder trees.
Rear Brookheyes farm :-
Goldfinch flock - c20.
Collard Dove - 23.
Buzzard - 1.
Kestrel - 1.
On my way back passing F2 (@ 3:30 pm ) ploughed field :-
Starling - 2
Meadow Pipit - 3.
Linnet - 4.
Chaffinch - 2.
Yellowhammer - 1 plus 1 other near MUTD training ground.
Pied Wagtail - 36 .
Skylark - 63.

Today around 1400hrs;
F2 - circa 30 Skylark, 50 Pied Wagtail, 20 Meadow Pipit, 15 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Goldfinch
F4 - 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel

WOW, thats a cool find in a garden , I was just talking to a welsh inspector about shearwaters yesterday, lets hope it managed to get back up into the air 

I have only just seen this posted on the Friends of Carrington Moss Facebook page. A Manx Shearwater was in a Partington garden last night (12-09-18) but not today. There are 3 photographs. These are the links to best two for Facebook users.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=693819350985932&set=pcb.235940133933074&type=3&theater&ifg=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=693819424319258&set=pcb.235940133933074&type=3&theater&ifg Reading into the thread it seems the bird had a damaged wing and was placed on a pond somewhere. Still awaiting permission to share photo's for the benefit of those not on social media.

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Thursday 13th of September 2018 09:38:41 PM

very late post for Sunday 12.08.18

As I arrived via Isherwood rd.at 1pm ,I could hear shotguns being used nearby . I found the shooters hide, the spinning Woodpigeon decoys and their vehicle in field 12/14 with the pylon in it.
Nothing was about, everywhere quiet as the grave .
I headed towards Swiss cottage farm and the trans pennine trail . This was futile only 2 Common Buzzard, 30 Starling and 4 juvenile Chiffchaff about.
On my return home I mentioned the shooters on Facebook - Friends of Carrington moss.
The reply was quite a surprise !!!
They contacted HIMOR who will be speaking to the farm concerned and will have a talk with the company doing the shooting. The Police are also involved as public footpaths were close to the shoot.
Any further occurrences should be reported to police on 101.
I hope this episode hasn't done to much damage to this part of the moss as there is shooting elsewhere on it.

Isherwood Rd. to ETW, then old railway, right to training ground, left at crossroads to F1, then return at rear of Basell site and Shell Pool.

Whitethroat 9 singing plus 1f.
Chiffchaff 5 singing.
Chaffinch 7 singing.
Mistle Thrush 2
Song Thrush 6 singing.
Buzzard 3
Skylark 5 singing.
Lapwing 6
Blackcap 7 singing plus 1f.
Yellowhammer 4 singing.
Linnet 1 singing plus 5.
Willow Warbler 1 singing.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Pied Wagtail 2adults 1 juv.
Reed Bunting 1 singing.
Greenfinch 2 singing.
Bullfinch 4
Swallow 6+
and finally in F11, 1 Yellow Wagtail heard.
etc.

As is usual at this time of year, returned with about 6 bites/lumps and 1 Cleg or whatever actually got some blood, so my next visit will be September!

Beautiful day out on the Moss today - virtually had the place to myself too. 

Highlights:

5 wheatear in F4

yellowhammer at seemingly ever corner with 22 counted at least

possible corn bunting but didn't get close enough to definitively rule out y/hammer (are corn bunting still possible at this site out of interest?)

20+ linnet

pair whitethroat and two others heard

singing chiffchaff in almost all suitable areas

1 willow warbler singing near narrow track path between F1 and F10 (I think.. still getting to grips with the numbered fields!)

pair blackcap

2 pheasant

16 stock dove 

3 buzzard

1 sparrowhawk

1 kestrel

No whinchat for me...

BUT the three yellow wagtail 1f and 2m more than made up for it! The two males put on a spectacular aerial fight display lasting around 15 minutes. Brilliant birding moment! Coming from the bridge over Sinderland brook heading north and taking the narrow track first on the right. They were about 10 minutes along in the narrow dry field on the left hand side. The much larger field to the right is already cultivated. Not sure of the numbered location but certainly quite close to Brookheys Farm and just before the field with horses/sheep. 

With the Stockport area seemingly within a migrant force-wall, this was like a blast of fresh air. Best were 2 whinchat males in all their finery, with 2 wheatears, and a pair of whitethroats as well as 2/3 other songsters. Other than these I had forgotten how good yellowhammers look as I haven't been to an area that holds them for ages. I saw 10+, and also linnets were well represented with at least 15 seen. 18 stock doves were counted. All these were within the area bounded by the MUFC approach road to the east and the old rail line to the west (adjacent to the nature reserve compound), but didn't do the whole area. As the butterflies were also on show, I will return when the sun really shines (not like today). One other thing. Is it just me, or are chiffchaffs much reduced this year? Nowhere near as many everywhere I've been so far in 2018.

 

-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 3rd of May 2018 09:37:04 PM

F5 ......
Buzzard - 1.
Wheatear - 8 (at least).
Grey Partridge - 2.
Stock Dove - 2.
Pied Wagtail - 4.
Pheasant - 4.

Elsewhere ......
Yellowhammer - 15.
Linnet - 21.
Skylark - 2.
Stock Dove - 5.
Chiffchaff - 1.
Whitethroat - 1.
Chaffinch - 2.
Robin - 1.

There are no Rook nests in Hogswood Covert this year, I don't recall the last year this occurred (has there been disturbance I wonder??).

There are circa 6 in Brookheys Covert but the majority, circa 40, are in the small wood adjacent to Brookheys Farm

Green Sandpiper on field 32 today

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

2 Wheatear by the flare north of field 2.

Info thanks to Tony O’Mahony

There is a finch flock of 250+birds moving between F4 and F13
Chaffinch 230+,
Brambling 6+,
Reed Bunting 6+
Yellowhammer 8+
Fieldfare c300 mobile F12
Skylark 3 (1 in song F4)
Chiffchaff 1 singing from the Shell pond
Oystercatcher 1 at the Shell pond

As I understand it the land may be private, but the major tracks on Carrington Moss are public rights of way or have been given permissive path status by the new owners Himor. All the signs really mean is keep out of the fields!

I was talking to a local person near to Brookheys Farm and it seems that Little Egrets (usually two) are regularly being seen there. They are being seen both on the brook and in the adjacent fields. As the brook is so winding here it is quite easy to miss them as even if they are there they could easily be hidden just around the next bend! Already this year they have also occurred on the brook both upstream and downstream of this point (from Heath Farm to Sinderland Woods).

I remember seeing the first for Greater Manchester and now I would not be surprised if they were to breed in this area within a few years. How things change!

Additionally I was told that there was a Dunlin present for some days in a wet area near to Brookheys Farm during the recent very cold spell, but I do not have any dates for this.

From 1pm today.....
Grey Partridge - 2.
Buzzard - 3 over f5 +1in distance.
1over f4.
2 in f11 (1 having it's tail pecked by 2 carrion crow after its food).
2 over f25 with another 1 in the distance.
Kestrel - f2.
Fieldfare - c 90. F11.
Stock Dove - 4.
Yellowhammer - large flock disturbed by me possibly around 50 birds which I found quite unusual. It was impossible
to get a proper count as they dissappeard /were spread out everywhere.
On the way back to the car I spotted a flock of Chaffinch in the Hawthorn hedge f5 of c100 including 3 Brambling.
Best birds of the day were 2 Harrier sp. unexpectedly over f4 heading North.

Passing through Sinderland Road so stopped for a quick check of the fields which seemed busy with birds. There were plenty of Fieldfare with fewer numbers of redwing. Plenty of Starling and Wood Pigeon. But of note;

Green Sandpiper (1) - came out of a flooded area in field 32. Flew off high and distant. Great bonus bird for the day.
Green Woodpecker (1) - F60
Yellowhammer c. 6

Chris

Little Egret this morning on Sinderland Brook close to Sinderland Green Woods (field 72), later it flew off in towards the north-east. This may well have been in the area for some time (see my previous post here on 24^th January). Previous birds have often stayed for a week or more.

After four years of watching birds in the Sinderland Green area I have written up a report of my observations for this small area (which few other birders visit). If anyone would be interested in seeing this please PM me your email address and I will send you a copy.

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Monday 5th of February 2018 08:20:33 PM

This afternoon by bike

Fieldfare large flock of 250 f25
Grey Partridge 2 F11
Yellowhammer c.40 w/ few Chaffinch and Reed Bunting f8/9
Kestrel 3 in f25, f11, f6
Buzzard f25
c750 strong corvid flock f8 mostly Jackdaws
Woodpigeons in short supply and no Stock Doves at all

A wander down the Trans-Pennine trail and Back Lane this afternoon produced;
F151 = 2 Jay, 1 Pied Wagtail
F129 = 110 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, 75 Starling, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Blue Tit
F134 = 6 Yellowhammer, 3 Meadow Pipit
F126 = 9 Chaffinch, 5 Linnet, 1 Kestrel, 85 Black-headed Gull

Quick bike ride back across the Moss today without binoculars.

Very lively, lots of birds about today.

Large flocks of Thrushes, large flocks of Finches, large flock of Meadow Pipits round f12, few Buzzards, Kestrel and a very vocal Raven over and around f8/f9.

Big flock of Woodpigeons (100s of 'em) on f5.

They really shouldn't be allowed to build over there...

-- Edited by Richard Would on Tuesday 5th of December 2017 04:43:57 PM

-- Edited by Richard Would on Tuesday 5th of December 2017 04:44:19 PM

Grey Partridge - 6 f5.
Chaffinch - c300 f5.
Tree Sparrow - 4 f5.
Yellowhammer - 2 f5.
Greenfinch - 2 f5.
Brambling - 1 f5.
Grey Wagtail - 1 f5.
Woodpigeon - c1000 f5.
Stonechat - 4 f12.
Meadow Pipit - c200 f12.
Skylark - c200 f4.
Merlin - 1 f26.
Elsewhere ..........
Kestrel - 2.
Common Buzzard - 6.
Stock Dove - 30.
Starling - ( two flocks) c400 and c200 .
And on the way back to the car - Tawny Owl 1.
Also Redwing flock c100. Fieldfare flock c200. .

-- Edited by phillipskelly on Sunday 12th of November 2017 06:23:08 PM

Stonechat 2, pair by the butty van on Isherwood Road (in the hedgerow along the footpath)
Reed Bunting 1 (location as above)
Linnet 6 (location as above)
Skylark c100 F4

An hour this morning produced;
>200 Chaffinch, mainly in F4 at the west end
Within the mobile flock 7 Brambling were picked out (good close views were had of birds in the adjacent hawthorn hedges)
Plus Greenfinch, Goldfinch, the odd Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting
2 Meadow Pipit in F4
>100 Skylark, mainly in F4 and F13
A single Stonechat on the boundary of F12 & F13
2 Kestrel were hunting F2, with 3 Goldcrest in the hedges
>75 Woodpigeon in F10
Small numbers of Redwing were around
Circa 120 Pink-footed Geese went over SE