Craig Higson wrote:

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Managed to position myself out of the way of the Red Kite this morning :-/ but still....


Burnt edge 2 x stints 06.30 - 08.00 and 10.20 - 12.00


Not a huge amount moving through. Large number of Meadow Pipits including 104 perched on the wires at Slack Hall Farm at one point but generally they were just blogging about. 2 Buzzards, 4 Kestrel, 3 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch and a flock of approx 73 Goldfinches


George's Lane 08.20 - 10.00


Nothing at all unusual or noteworthy really. Another tidy flock of 30+ Goldfinches, 5+ Goldcrests in Wilderswood, 1 Chiffchaff. Again plenty Meadow Pipits but difficult to separate out any birds passing through from those blogging around.

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Where on the internet can one find all these blogging birds Craig?

Birds of note this morning:

1 Merlin SE at Georges Lane
1 Golden plover NE
1 Snipe SE
9 Grey Wagtail S

Heading south from Scout Road watch point:

223 Swallow
220 House Martin
198 Meadow Pipit
78 Chaffinch

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Myself and Steve Christmas heard what we thought was a Greenshank shortly after this towards Coal pit lane.

Other sightings for today:

121 Meadow Pipits south
245 House Martin
355 Swallow
10 Sand Martin
7 Wheatear

Info thanks to Andy Makin and Simon Warford

a nice afternoon on the moors up by the mast, followed by a slow decent of the road viewing both sides, i noted
35 Wheatears,
16 Meadow Pipits,
other birds were 2 Skylarks,
3 Kestrels
27 Swallows,
2 Whinchat and
1 Stonechat,
1 Curlew

09.30-13.30
Burnt Edge

7 Goldfinches on thistles, 2 Wheatears, 1 Kestrel.

Path from Burnt Edge to Walkerfold, the area below the wires, 2 Linnets, 3 Stonechats and 1 Whinchat.

Walkerfold seemed birdless, with just a few butterflies around.

Holdens Farm

1 Willow Warbler and 2 Chiffchaffs in a Blue/Great Tit flock.

2 Wheatears on the stonewall. 8+ Swallows still around the farm.

Georges Lane

1 Goldcrest & 1 Song Thrush amongst the conifers just North of the kennels.

Over the border, amongst the rocks, by the steps that lead down from the kissing gate, 3 Wheatear and 1 Whinchat.

Small flocks of Meadow Pipits abundant throughout, Raven heard near Holdens Farm but not seen.

1 Redstart in the sallows just past, and on the opposite side from Wilderswood car park
2 Tree Pipits over going south
1 Wheatear mast rd
4 Red Grouse mast Road
6+ Goldcrests in the pines at the end of Wilderswood
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Sparrowhawks
4 Ravens

Sightings from today:

1 Spotted Flycatcher in the cable compounds on Winter Hill along with 7 chiffchaff (day totals were 18) and 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Whinchat, while 3 Sparrowhawks hunted around compounds. A further 2 Spotted Flycatchers were along Georges Lane past the kennels, and a further 2 single Whinchat also there and another 3 at Burnt Edge.

33 Wheatear
1 Tree pipit Burnt Edge
1 Sedge Warbler briefly on the tops, which is a very rare bird here (first for 11 years).
2 Redstart with one in the plantation below Burnt Edge and one along Georges Lane

Info thanks to Andy Makin

This morning up to 11.45am, with Alan Warford & Andy Makin:

Merlin flew south and chased a few Meadow Pipits along the way.
4 Whinchats Burnt Edge
1 Grasshopper Warbler
17 Wheatear
90 House Martin flew south in 3 groups.

3 Whinchat at Holdens Farm this morning.

Info thanks to Brian Fogg

Today's main highlights for the (huge!) entire moors area for the whole day, with combined sightings mainly from Andy Makin but also a few extras from myself:

23 Whinchat
1 Cuckoo along Deans Ditch
4 Redstart
4 Tree Pipit
2 Hobby
89 Wheatear
19 Spotted Flycatcher
2 Yellow Wagtail
1 Ringed Plover over south

5 whinchats below burnt edge

1 spotted flycatcher at holdens farm

Today 4:20 to 6:40pm:

22 Wheatear
2 Spotted Flycatcher
Lesser Whitethroat
5 Willow Warbler
Chiffchaffs

Info thanks to Andy Makin

Spotted Flycatcher in Newfields Plantation at 12:30 today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

From 0700 until midday Started misty, sun came out about 8 and rain started at midday.

Georges Lane:- The mast was obscured by mist and birds were just leaving their roosts.
7 wheatear, 2 kestrel, 1jay, 1 juv redstart, 1 willow warbler heard only

Wilderswood:- 2 great tit

Matchmoor Lane to Holdens Farm:- 7 Starling, 2 blue tit 2 Wren, 3 Kestrel

Holdens Farm:- 2 whitethroat, 1 robin, 2 great tit, 1 greenfinch about 15 linnet, about 20 goldfinch, 2 spotted flycatcher, 2 possible tree pipit (positive id from photos needed), about 12 swallows.

Holdens Farm to Burnt Edge:- Pheasant, Robin 2 Kestrel

Burnt Edge, past Quarry to Matchmoor Lane:- 5 kestrel playing tag in the wind over the cliff face, joined later by a buzzard, willow warbler heard in conifers.

Mast Road 3 wheatear, 10+ meadow pipits

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 28th of August 2014 07:52:38 PM

Three Whinchat and a Redstart currently at Holden's Farm

Info thanks to Brian Fogg

3.30 - 5.00pm Georges Lane - 2 Redstart - 1 Green Woodpecker Brownstones - 4 Spotted Flycatcher - 4 Willow Warbler

Seems like it was a popular place to be today! Good to meet you too Simon, and nice to catch up with Andy who I've not seen for a long time. I spoke to a couple of other birders who may be on here. Sorry didnt ask names. Anyway, in addition to all the above:

Walker Fold / Holdens Farm area - Great spotted woodpecker 1, Wheatear 1, Redstart 2 female/juvenile types, one in the hedge on the left just past Holdens Farm heading to Holdens Plantation one on the opposite side of the field, Stonechat 3, Willow Warbler 6, Sparrowhawk 2, Jay 4, Mistle Thrush 2, Buzzard 2. There was a sizeable tit flock (coal, blue, great, long tailed) at the end of Walker Fold Woods which had a couple of Phylloscs in but they were very mobile and impossible to nail down.

Coal Pit Road - Great spotted Woodpecker 1, Linnet 12, Grey Wagtail 1 and a possible flyover Tree Pipit - called once and was only half heard.

Nice to meet Andy Makin and from Andy's info managed to see a black redstart near the ruins on Georges lane, from the same area a green woodpecker was feeding in the field,several wheatear, willow warbler,goldfinch and meadow pipit, 2 spotted flycatcher 1 near wilderswood car park 1 just beyond kennels,
Mast road 1 raven, 6 pied wagtail, meadow pipit, wheatear,3 kestrel in different areas.
Thanks for the info Andy much appreciated.

A few hours this morning in lovely weather:

2 Spotted Flycatcher - One at the start of George's Lane and one at Big Hedge, in the same tree as...
2-3 Redstart - flycatching from one of the bigger trees near Big Hedge. One male and 1-2 female/juvenile type
1 Treecreeper - Wilderswood
1 Nuthatch - Wilderswood
1 Wheatear - Off Mast Road
6 Buzzard, all circling in the air at once. Great to watch and to observe the differences in plumage
5 or more Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Blackcap - Wilderswood
2 Raven

Plus loads of Swallow, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit. One possible Tree Pipit on the wires at Higher Meadows, but it didn't stay still long enough or call, frustratingly!

Approx 12.30 - 5pm

Started at Wilderswood, I walked through the wood towards the stone wall with the gap, and within minutes I managed...
1 Spotted Flycatcher
1 Coal Tit
1 Willow Tit (within feet of the Coal Tit)
Long Tailed Tit family of 10+ moving through
Great Tit and Blue Tit
...then it sounded like branches coming down on top of me, an almighty crash as 2 Woodpigeon and a Sparrowhawk came falling from the canopy to the forest floor infront of me. One Woodpigeon flew off, and the Sparrowhawk looked startled to see me stood there. It flew off leaving the Woodpigeon on the floor. It was gasping for breath but within a minute or so it was dead, and when I examined it, it had a puncture wound near the breast and a slice wound on its rump. Chances are the Sparrowhawk would've gone back for it.

A walk up to the mast produced good numbers of certain species, they seemed to be everywhere including...

Wheatear approx 50-60
Meadow Pipit approx 40-50
Goldfinch approx 40-50
Linnet approx 30-40
Pied Wagtail (mainly juv) approx 15-20
5 Kestrel (could be repeats)
1 Raven circling the mast
Numerous Swallow all the way up to the mast and surprisingly some House Martin too.
No sign of the Black Redstart for me.

Nice to bump into Andy Makin again, on Matchmoor Road. As we were talking a Stoat ran across the road and then back again, and yet more Wheatear in the area.

And also nice to see Steve Burke again, multitasking on Georges Lane.
Sporting a new car and watching a Spotted Flycatcher at the edge of the paddock.

Oh yeah and an Alpaca in a garden, unringed but probably not of wild origin.

Cheers
Rob




-- Edited by Rob Creek on Saturday 23rd of August 2014 07:42:42 PM

Black Redstart currently on Winter Hill; around the rocket shaped mast on the Lancashire side.

Info thanks to Andy Makin

I also had a walk in the area From Matchmoor Lane, along Burnt Edge, round the plantation to Holden's Farm and back up to Matchmoor Lane.

Burnt Edge:- 1 Stonechat

Plantation Area:- 2 Stonechats and flock of about 15 meadow pipits

Holdens Farm:- 20+ swallows, about 10 linnets, 2 wheatear, 1 whinchat, 1 whitethroat, 1 great tit, 1 robin, 1 greenfinch, 2 young stonechat.

The farm area seems to be a magnet for bird activity.

I have checked my OS maps and can't find "higher meadows" where the big hedge is, could someone pinpoint it for me please?

Many thanks

Andy V

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 23rd of August 2014 08:49:46 AM

Highlights of a 3 hour walk around the area this afternoon:-

Whinchat, 5 (1 in field below the Kennels, 2 in the horse field along Mast Road, 2 below Burnt Edge)
Stonechat, 6 (2 behind Holdens, family party of 2 adults and 2 juv along Burnt Edge)
Wheatear, min 7 in various parts of the area
Raven, 2 around Two Lads area
Kestrel, min 4 birds around the area
C Buzzard, 1
Long Tailed Tits, small party of around 7 birds in area around Big Hedge with a few Willow Warblers with them
Two small groups of Goldfinch, one group in area below the Kennels the others along Mast Road where they were mixed with around 30 Meadow Pipits
Few Pied Wagtails along Mast Road in horse field
A few Willow Warblers scattered around the area


Bob & Joyce C