Sorry for the late reply. As I am at work (yes, I get paid for submitting posts) I don`t have any maps with me, but I do have a Bird Report to hand. The ref. for Knowl Hill is SD841167. The Harrier and Owl sightings were literally just hundreds of yards to the South-West of the hill.
David,
It is a great pleasure to come up to Rochdale and `pinch` your birds. You must do the same with us in the west sometime !
Still there today (20th) with an all-too-brief fly-through at 1700hrs east to west, also the Short-eared Owl was showing well on the moorland between the road and Knowl Hill, Also a couple of Stomechat. Another male Hen Harrier was also reported from Ogden Resr, Piethorne valley at 1615hrs - not the same.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
I will be out and about looking for it in the morning as well as the short-eared Owl which Steve atkins picked up on sunday. We have a text system up and running for bird info in Rochdale, so if it is seen then people will know with in minutes of the birds being seen, if you want in on this then see www.wildlifeofrochdale.co.uk for more. I'm glad you got another manc lifer in Rochdale Ian - but please wait until i am on my own patch before you do it again! - only joking - will hopefully see you up there tomorrow.
I had a report of this bird on 15th February but the location was just given as Norden moors and the observer was completely unknown to both me and Dave Winnard, the Rochdale recorder. I have had hoax emails in the past, which have been so serious I had to go to the police, so we are extra careful these days. I asked the observer to come back to me with an address, but he didn't...luckily Ian went up there and confirmed it - let's hope it stays around despite the windfarm workers!
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
Male Hen Harrier - Knowl Moor / Higher Red Lumb Farm, 16.15
Flew in from the East and along the dry-stone wall at the top of the field then spent a couple of minutes hovering and quartering before two Crows intercepted it and drove it off. It flew Northwestwards over Cheesden Edge.
I was here looking for the Short eared Owl and simply could not believe my luck when this beauty drifted in !