Today's moors visible migration highlights 7-11am thanks to Simon Warford and Andy Makin:
Whooper Swan 3 SE at 8:30am Pink-footed Goose 9374 in 40 skeins; with 104 NW and 9270 SE Woodpigeon 3776 S in 43 flocks Fieldfare 613 S in 8 flocks Brambling 5 S
Highlights from today's visible migration sightings at Scout Road:
29 Crossbill S and 10 N 1 Brambling N 3548 Fieldfare WSW, with 200 of those in through in 20 minutes between 08:50 and 09:10 1139 Woodpigeon S 13 Whooper Swan over SE (record shot below) 1 Merlin
Late news for yesterday's visible migration highlights from Scout Road, 07:15-11:00:
Pink-footed Goose 147 SE Woodpigeon 390 S Redwing 52 S Fieldfare 369 S in 9 flocks Brambling 7 Siskin 13 S Twite 5 S Crossbill 2 down in Gale Brook Plantation
This morning's visible migration highlights from Scout Road 07:30-11:30:
Woodpigeon 663 SW Fieldfare 763 in 17 flocks S/SW Redwing 63 S Song Thrush 28 S in two low flocks S Brambling 4 N and 1 S Crossbill 4 down in Gale Brook plantation
Late news for visible migration highlights from Scout Road 07:30-11:15:
Whooper Swan 20 E/SE Pintail 15, flew in from the east and departed SW Pink-footed Goose 2659 in 9 skiens SE and 12 skiens NW Woodpigeon 729 mainly SW Tree Sparrow 5 S Fieldfare 383 mainly NW Redwing 208 mainly NW Brambling 8 S Crossbill 43 S in 4 flocks
Today's visible migration totals from Scout Road, 07:30-11:45:
Pink-footed Goose 4955 over in 19 skiens all heading SE Woodpigeon 1567 S/SW in 30 flocks House Martin 1 S Redwing 824 mainly W/SW in 23 flocks Fieldfare 568 W/SW in 14 flocks Crossbill 13, with 10 S and 3 N
Whooper Swan 6 E Woodpigeon 1168 S/SW in 36 flocks Fieldfare 272 S in 4 flocks Redwing 113 S in 7 small flocks 23 Crossbill over with three flocks S and 2 N Stonechat 7 on the moors around the mast buildings
Highlights from this morning from Andy Makin and myself:
4 skeins of Pink-footed Geese, with SE and a skein of 16 NW 579 Fieldfare S over Scout Road in 16 flocks and 120 feeding at Holdens Farm before heading off NW 343 Redwing S in 16 small flocks 23 Ring Ouzel with 18 over Scout Road in two flocks and 5 together S over Higher Meadows 67 Crossbill S over Scout Road 2 juvenile Hen Harrier over Smithills Moor, one of which had earlier in the morning been hunting over Wildersmoor/Two Lads Hill
Highlights from today's watch from Scout Road, courtesy of Phil Rhodes and Andy Makin:
3 Hen Harriers hunting over Smithills Moor, presumed some of the same individuals as seen yesterday 4 Tree Sparrow 1 Ring Ouzel flew east early morning, probably out of its roost 857 Redwing mainly SSW in 23 flocks 391 Fieldfare SSW in 13 flocks 35 Siskin S 13 Crossbill SE 5 Brambling SE 3 Golden Plover NW
Visible migration sightings from Scout Road all day today thanks to Andy Makin:
Merlin 1 SE Hen Harrier 8 sightings during the day involved at least 5 individuals Single Long-eared Owl seen coming from long distance south over the moor briefly landed on a dead tree and departed Ring Ouzel 1 east with Fieldfare and 1 adult male over NE Fieldfare 1741 in 31 flocks the largest of which was 450+, all heading S/SW Redwing 4272 W/SW in 100 flocks the largest of 500 Swallow 12 S Brambling 2 E Crossbill 3 S
Don't get hooked on the thought that they are only in sugar loaf plantation. On Sunday there were 6 in the trees on the left hand side as you approach sugar loaf plantation coming from burnt edge. They were feeding on berries.
Then they were also in the field opposite holdens farm. (Could have been the same birds, I only ever saw a group of 4 or 6 together)
Many thanks to Phil Rhodes for kindly letting me and my family have a look at them through his scope.
Chris
Further sightings from today from Andy Makin and myself:
740 Redwing NW in 28 flocks 16 Fieldfare 21 Ring ouzel out of the dell at Higher Meadows were possibly roosting and flew SE at 08:30 Brambling 1 S at George's Lane 6 Wheatear (4 on top of Winter Hill, 1 on Two Lads Hill and 1 on Wildersmoor) 24 Stonechat, with 12 on the very top of Winter Hill, 7 at Higher Meadows and 5 at Holdens. 8 Chiffchaff, with 6 at Holdens Farm and 2 on the very top of Winter Hill
Sightings for yesterday thanks to Andy Makin:
1 juvenile Hen Harrier, probably the same bird as other recent sightings
59 Fieldfare 5 flocks
1600 Redwing mainly NW 61 flocks
8 Crossbill N
14 Wheatear down in the area
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 10th of October 2016 08:22:02 PM
Myself and the wife visited the moor from 1030 until 1300 primarily to see the ouzels.
We dipped out on the ouzels mainly because we didn't know where sugar loaf plantation was.
We visited the plantation at the top of burnt edge, holden's plantation, and the one with the beech trees and stream running through, just east of holden's farm.
The moor was very quiet, with just a few mippets and stonechats, but I was surprised to find a pair of reed buntings in the bracken below burnt edge. I suppose they were migrants passing through.
Can someone tell me where sugar loaf plantation is for future reference please?
Cheers.
Down the track from Holden's Farm towards Burnt Edge it's the plantation on the left as you get the where the stream goes under the path (there is a small sign denoting the plantation and it's name).
18:00 4 Ring Ouzel near Sugar Loaf Plantation. 5 Stonechat at Holden's Farm and a small flock of Thrushes containing at least 6 Fieldfare and 1 Redwing.
Myself and the wife visited the moor from 1030 until 1300 primarily to see the ouzels.
We dipped out on the ouzels mainly because we didn't know where sugar loaf plantation was.
We visited the plantation at the top of burnt edge, holden's plantation, and the one with the beech trees and stream running through, just east of holden's farm.
The moor was very quiet, with just a few mippets and stonechats, but I was surprised to find a pair of reed buntings in the bracken below burnt edge. I suppose they were migrants passing through.
Can someone tell me where sugar loaf plantation is for future reference please?
10.10 a.m. today viewed from bench on burnt edge a ringtail Hen Harrier came into view above what I think is green nook and landed by the side of one of the stone walls, a GM tick I've long been after. GM Year tick 167. Cheers Ian
Thought I saw the Ringtail Hen Harrier yesterday afternoon around 12.45 along Coal Pit Lane but it was as we were putting the binoculars away after our walk and so only an extremely brief view before it disappeared over the hill.
Saturday morning walk 8.45 to 12.30. Coal Pit Lane> Holdens>Mast Road>Georges Lane to just past kennels, return via Georges Lane> Mast Road>Burnt Edge> Sugar Loaf Plantation> Holdens>Coal Pit Lane.
Highlights include:-
Appx 15 Siskin, Coal Pit Lane
Mixed flock appx 20 birds Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings plus a couple of Bullfinch and Goldfinch (Coal Pit Lane) with a further flock of abt 20 Meadow Pipits nr Holdens and a small flock of Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings along Burnt Edge.
Noticeably a few Blackbirds around with min 7 at Holdens and flock of abt 15 birds at Sugar Loaf that contained probably 4 Ring Ouzels. The latter seen around noon but all flew quite strongly up and away.
Flock 20 - 30 Goldfinch at Holdens, also a loose flock of around 10 Chaffinch in same area.
Stonechat, just below kennels George's Lane.
Wheatear, 2 in fields bottom of Mast Road
2 small flocks of 15 - 20 Redwing over plus several Mistle Thrushes over.
Min of 4 Kestrel in the area plus 1 Common Buzzard.
Today's watch from early morning to midday produced:
1 immature type Ring Ouzel S 2 Swallow S 1376 Redwing SSW in 33 flocks 153 Siskin S with many still mixed into Redwing flocks 89 Linnet S also mixed in with Redwing 1 Crossbill S 2 Wheatear 'down'
Highlights from another day's visible migration watch from Scout Road early morning to just after midday:
Hen Harrier 2 with one female SW at 09:17 and 1 juvenile SW at 10am Snipe 20 N Meadow Pipit 124 S Redwing 650 SW in 28 flocks Ring Ouzel 3 NE Swallow 21 S in ones and twos House Martin 3 S Goldfinch 121 S Siskin 232 S moving in small flocks all morning Crossbill 2 S Linnet 50 S
Highlights from today's visible migration highlights from Andy Makin and Rick Else with most heading south included:
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 high S House Martin 26 Swallow 46 Pied Wagtail 68 Meadow Pipit 109 Redwing 826 A single Fieldfare low N Chaffinch 54 Lesser Redpoll 10 Goldfinch 46 Siskin 130 Linnet 36 Crossbill 8
Today's visible migration totals with Rick Else and Andy Makin from Scout Road:
Common Buzzard 3 NE Sparrowhawk 1 S Marsh Harrier adult female E at 10:53am Greylag Goose 1 NE Golden Plover 1, Snipe 15 Woodpigeon 30 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 high S Swallow 39 House Martin 13 Sand Martin 3 Skylark 3 E Pied Wagtail 35 Meadow Pipit 374 Mistle Thrush 2 Song Thrush 12 N Redwing 708 with birds moving S then SW Dunnock 1 S Siskin 91 Chaffinch 29 Goldfinch 23 Linnet 34 Greenfinch 12 Redpoll 14 Crossbill 1 Bullfinch 2 N Reed Bunting 7
Birds down and feeding included 3 Wheatear and 5 Stonechat
This mornings Vis Mig watch highlights with Andy Makin, Paul Wilson, Dan Brown and Rick Else -
ringtail Hen Harrier, quartering Smithill's Moor at 7.20am and again around 8.30am before disappearing, the same or a different Hen Harrier seen about an hour later beyond Deans Ditch in Lancs. 3 Ring Ouzels dropped out of the sky and landed in Gale Brook plantation. 173 Redwing 5 Crossbills dropped in to Gale Brook plantation. 53 Pink-footed Geese SE 48 Swallow south 39 House Martin south 152 Meadow Pipits south 41 Siskin 40 Jackdaw south
Also present across the moor were a single Merlin, 12 Wheatear and 15 Stonechat.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Sunday 2nd of October 2016 03:17:33 PM
This mornings Vis Mig watch highlights with Andy Makin, Paul Wilson, Dan Brown and later Phil Rhodes (after his lie in), produced -
34 Pink-footed Geese NW 6 Golden Plover west 1 Merlin 907 Swallow south 95 House Martin south 9 Redwing SW 78 Pied Wagtails 3,945 Meadow Pipits south 136 Chaffinch 197 Linnet south (highest ever site count) 104 Siskin
All day Vis Mig session with Andy Makin and Rick Else, a very memorable day included -
dark phase Honey Buzzard south east at 4.15pm (Andy), the bird seemed to be just outside GM, but no doubt went through GM airspace. 1 Merlin south 10,096 Meadow Pipits in what was a remarkable broad front movement right over the whole moor and valley. Overwhelming and two of us with clickers could barely keep up with the amount of birds 4 Golden Plover south 50 Skylark south 51 Pied Wagtails south 8 Grey Wagtail south 1 Sand Martin south 87 House Martin south 374 Swallow south 15 Mistle Thrush south, 5 north 2 Song Thrush south 23 Redpoll south 132 Linnet south 117 Goldfinch south 245 Siskin south 141 Chaffinch south 15 Reed Bunting south
Yesterday's (20th) visible migration highlights early morning to midday:
4 Golden Plover NE Pink-footed Geese: 30 SE at 9.15, 67 E at 10.25 561 Meadow Pipit south 3091 Swallow south 3618 House Martin south 3 Sand Martin south 3 Wheatear grounded
Vis Mig watch with Andy Makin this morning produced,
1 Osprey flew north-west over Belmont Resr at 07:45 (in Lancs). 1 Merlin south 55 Pink-footed Geese SE 577 Meadow Pipits south 1 Wheatear straight through south and 25 present across the area 4 Grey Wagtail south