This mornings Vis Mig watch with Andy Makin and Sean Sweeney, produced;
678 Meadow Pipits and 200+ still on the moor 12 Buzzards high south 41 Swallow 21 Crossbills (16 south-west and 5 briefly in Gale Brook Plantation then flew west) 32 Siskin.
Birds seen/heard: 2 Stonechat, flock of approx 15 Linnet and small flock of Meadow Pipit 8-10, 1 Wheatear on Lancs/GM boundary wall, occassionally other Meadow Pipit here and there. No sign of Black Redstart, although works were being carried out on the main mast and there were several vehicles in the Rocket mast compound.
A dead common newt was found on Mast Road about 150 yds south of the main mast compound.
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Len Poxon https://www.flickr.com/photos/69575632@N02/with/20879853990/
266 Meadow Pipits south and 20 flew north 35 Swallow south 2 Merlins (1 south and another one caught a Meadow Pipit above Deans Ditch) Black Redstart main mast compound and 5 Wheatears and 2 Stonechats, but no Chiffchaffs.
Yesterday 19th Sept-
137 Meadow Pipits south and in the evening 160 flew north. 41 Swallow south 68 Chaffinch 7 Grey Wagtails south
Migrants around the compounds included 8 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, 2 Song Thrush and 14 Wheatears.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Sunday 20th of September 2015 04:22:29 PM
Single Tree Pipit south and two flocks of Crossbills (4 and 2) also south, both over Scout Road. Hirundines moving over the moors tops in huge numbers ssw with 2405 House Martins and 1687 Swallow from late morning to 1pm. Usual Black Redstart around the mast building in Winter Hill but did wander around and popped into GM for a while too. 12 wheatear.
Black Redstart and Redstart feeding around the mast building on Winter Hill Hobby soaring South over moor 7 Buzzard South 1 Whinchat at Holders Farm A total of 45 Siskin South
13/09/2015 Walker Fold to Winter Hill: 12:00 Red Grouse 1 - very brief encounter with a solitary bird over the moor between Holden's Plantation and Mast Road. 13:27 Wheatear - 1 female on compound fence by Mast Road. One of two birds. 14:38 Siskin - small flock by path along Walker Fold Woods. Other than a few common species area appeared quiet - but it was mid-day!
No sign of Black Redstart this evening 4 Wheatear on or adjacent to Mast Road,. 2 Raven and a Stoat in Lancs side. Several Meadow Pipits and at least 1 Red Grouse heard, but not seen.
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Len Poxon https://www.flickr.com/photos/69575632@N02/with/20879853990/
Black Redstart still just in Lancs on the mast building on Winter Hill 2 Whinchat with a family of Stonechat on Burnt Edge, also 2 more on Matchmoor Lane 7 Spotted Flycatcher Drake Pintail flew NW 1 male Redstart along Georges Lane 1 Wheatear 17 Chiffchaff
Black Redstart on the mast building on Winter Hill just within Lancs, perching on the roof and picking insects of the side of the mast at about 08.30 2 Redstart 2 Tree Pipit 3 Whinchat 12 Wheatear 1 Spotted Flycatcher
Today's total thanks to Andy Makin, Simon Warford and Dan Brown:
17 Crossbill, many males feeding for 20 minutes around midday at Walker Fold 2 Redstarts along Georges Lane 2 Tree Pipits as singles over Georges Lane and Scout Road 2 Spotted Flycatcher at Walker Fold 31 Siskin S 3 Wheatear
1560 House Martin SSW 241 Swallow South Greenshank SSE at 07:10 over Scout Road 1 Tree Pipit S 3 Spotted Flycatcher at Brownstones 1 Yellow Wagtail S 25 Siskin S 2 Whinchat on Fleet Moor 13 Wheatear
Rather cold and windy on the top with 6 Willow Warbler over (after some indecision they flew off eastwards) and 2 Wheatear in the smaller mast compound areas.
On mast lane on my descent there were 2 Carrion Crows in the heather and 3 flocks of birds on the road consisting of one flock of 6 Meadow Pipit a flock of 25-30 mostly Meadow Pipit but with at least 4 Wheatear and a third flock of 40-50 Meadow Pipit in the second to last cattle grid area.
On Georges Lane there were 4 Wheatear on an overhead wire.
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Len Poxon https://www.flickr.com/photos/69575632@N02/with/20879853990/
3 Redstarts Georges Lane 1 Spotted Flycatcher 5 Whinchats 2 Yellow Wagtails down Georges lane Hobby through SW 17 Siskin S 14 Chiffchaff 7 Willow Warbler
The whole area was full of wheatear. No black redstart for me, but at almost the highest spot on the hill a grey squirrel was perched on a dry-stone wall. Maybe it was after the Bilberries!
Today's Wheatear total for the entire site was a fantastic 162, all of which had moved through by afternoon!
Also seen today were:
4 Whinchat 8 Spotted Flycatcher Merlin Black Redstart on the county boundary wall on the top of Winter Hill flew off behind the mast buildings 8 Chiffchaff
Just finished with horses in the arena at Holdens Farm and watched a Hobby darting, swerving and diving through the small trees surrounding the arena. Only 30' from it when first seen. Brilliant.
Fantastic day up on the moors today, with a superb fall of migrants right on the very top of Winter Hill around the mast buildings and cable compounds. Full totals from the moors thanks to Andy Makin, Phil Rhodes, Dan Brown and Barry Worsick are as follows:
A ring-tailed harrier went through low SE with a Merlin also briefly mobbing it. An Osprey went low over Coal Pit Lane heading surprisingly NE in pouring rain at 5:25pm. 2 Tree Pipit 3 Black Redstart 20 Redstart 16 Whinchat 5 Whitethroat 31 Willow Warbler 2 Chiffchaff 1 Garden Warbler 1 Grasshopper Warbler 84 Wheatear 5 Spotted Flycatcher
I had a really quiet morning along George's Lane. Apart from a couple of calling Chiffchaffs, the highlight was a mixed flock of siskins and redpolls numbering around 70. Impossible to separate the two species in the flock as they came up over the top of Wilderswood, and went down just as quickly, with just the flight calls giving the species away.
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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
A flock of 42 Golden Plover with a partial breeding plumaged Knot flew NW just above Georges Lane. 1 Whinchat and 1 Spotted Flycatcher at Burnt Edge. 2 Crossbill 2 NW. 6 Wheatear. 13 Chiffchaff. 376 House Martin and 175 Swallow south.
Yesterday's sightings included:
4 Green Sandpipers heading west over Scout Road at 08:10. 4 Spotted Flycatchers at Walker Fold and 2 in bracken at Burnt Edge, the latter of which flew off SE. 3 Tree Pipits at Burnt Edge. Single Yellow Wagtail over South.
Quiet morning on the moors with the only birds of note a Spotted Flycatcher which briefly landed on a fence along Georges Lane before flying of south; also 12 Siskin south east and 21 Wheatear.
Wednesdays sightings on a walk 9.00 to 12.30 taking in Walker Fold, Burnt Edge, Mast Road, George's Lane, Mast and compounds and Holden's.
8 Wheatear plus in fields bottom of Mast Road with another nr the mast. 5/6 Kestrels 2 Common Buzzard 1 Sparrowhawk 35/40 Goldfinch area nr Burnt Edge and Holden's appx 6 Willow Warblers seen/heard Swallows the only Hirundine seen in small numbers throughout the walk
5 Tree Pipits along Georges Lane plus 2 adult Redstart and 2 Spotted Flycatcher just past kennels 1 Spotted Flycatcher with a feeding flock which included 25 Coal Tits at Walker Fold. 8 Wheatear. 2 Green Woodpeckers at Higher Meadows and Wilderswood.
Redstart: 2 along Georges Lane with 1 by the kennels and 1 just over border in Lancashire. Tree Pipit: 3 in the kennels gardens at Higher Meadows, 3 in the cable compounds on the Greater Manchester side, 6 together in Roscoes Tenement Clough briefly, 1 at Holdens Farm, 1 at Sheep Cote Green. Female/immature Black Redstart on the mast building on Winter Hill 10-11am at least. 47 Willow Warbler in the top of Winter Hill in cable compounds and around the mast buildings, with a total moors site count Wheatear: 32 Spotted Flycatcher: 2 Roscoes Tenement Clough and 1 at Walker Fold. 19 Swift and 37 House Martin flew through South.
2 spotted flycatchers , 2 redstart , 2 fem blackcap , willow warblers , robin , great tit , several goldfinches all in the big hedge and dropping to the small pool for regular drinks .
Sightings from today by Andy Makin and myself (mainly Andy):
7 Tree Pipit with 5 along Georges Lane and on 2 Burnt Edge 19 Wheatear 4 Whinchat on Burnt Edge with Stonechat Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart in trees between Burnt Edge and Sugar Loaf Plantation 17 Willow Warbler
Sightings from early this morning to early afternoon:
A large flock of 800 Swallow and 500 House Martin moving south in from of a weather front. 3 Spotted Flycatcher (one big hedge at Georges Lane, two at Burnt Edge). Single Pied Flycatcher along Georges Lane just over the county border in Lancashire. 8 Tree Pipit with 4 at Georges Lane and another 2 over east;1 at Burnt Edge;1 at Lomax Wifes Plantation. 2 Whinchat at Holders Farm. 19 Wheatear 44 Willow Warbler. 15 Common Scoter seen to drop down on to Belmont Reservoir after flying over the moors.
2 x Spotted Flycatchers (in field next to Roscoe Farm and Barn) 1 x Raven above moors between Winter Hill and Roscoe Tenements Clough 1 Wheatear (on wall on Burnt edge) 1 x Kestrel (behind Gilligants Farm) 1 solitary Swift 3 x Mistle Thrush (next to Gilligants Farm) Swallows 30 plus Goldfinch Carrion Crows Robin Black Headed Gulls Woodpigeon Feral Pigeon Pied Wagtail (at side of Chorley Old Road near Blundell Arms) on way home
And Lancashire winning off last ball (in 20-20) to round off a great day
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 15th of August 2015 05:43:19 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 15th of August 2015 05:45:55 PM
Highlights of a 3 hour walk in the area this morning mainly spent dodging showers:-
2 Spotted Flycatchers bottom of Burnt Edge nr Walker Fold Min 6 Wheaters on middle part of Mast Road nr the barriers Family party of 6 Mistle Thrush 3 Jays 1 Chiffchaff 1 C Buzzard 2 Kestrel
Spotted Flycatcher at Newfields Whinchat with Stonechats at Burnt Edge Single Tree Pipit (still?) on wires by Walker Fold car park and two in hawthorns along Georges Lane above the big hedge, the latter incredibly 'showy' snd approachable.
Two Whinchat and a Tree Pipit at Burnt Edge 5 Spotted Flycatcher by Sugar Loaf Plantation and one at Walker Fold Single Redstart below Burnt Edge Whimbrel over early morning.