Whinchat, Coal Tit, Goldcrest and 16 Wheatear all around the summit of Winter Hill 3 Black Redstart around the rocket mast mid morning 23 Pink-footed Geese SE over Scout Road at 7:30 and a flock call in mist at 7:37 13 Cormorant SE at over 2000ft 40 Pied Wagtail S in half hour before the mist descended
10.30ish till 1pm A few hours around the quarries, Adams hill and Holdens farm area, no sightings on the migration front but the resident birds werent half kicking off,
Several Kestrels in the area constantly Pair of Buzzards hunting over the old Quarry joined by a pair of Ravens started several minutes of aerial conflict, as that broke off one of the Ravens spotted a crow with white wing feathers and chased that very aggressively for some distance. One of the kestrels then put several stoops in at one of the Buzzards over the quarry with the buzzard rolling over each time trying to grab the Kestrel After that had finished had not walked much further when a male Peregrine appeared and put some more stoops in at the Buzzard. Green Woodpecker heard Holdens wood 2 Snipe Juvenile Buzzard making racket at the back of Holdens wood as were several Jays, as I got to the other side of the valley spotted a fox slinking off 2 sightings of Sparrowhawks hunting rounded off a decent Raptor fest although my targets were the Harrier and the Merlin, nice morning after the initial shock of the bacon butty van not being across from the Jolly Crofters
Much quieter than expected this morning along the path from Walker Fold to Holdens plantation. Nothing unexpected and the highlight was probably the 4 Sparrowhawks circling and 'squabbling'.
Georges Lane wasn't much more thrilling 5 Common Buzzards together over Wilderswood and a single Wheatear in the field opposite the car park were the best birds.
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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
3 Black Redstarts on rocket mast around mid-day but couldn't find them anywhere an hour later despite a good search 1 Whinchat behind main compound and a second Whinchat reported up near furthest mast 1 Robin in main compound 2 Kestrels
Todays main highlights, from an all day Migration Watch up to 16:00 -
2,543 Meadow Pipits 1 Fieldfare low overhead calling 64 Pied Wagtails south 55 Pink-footed Geese NW 9 Stock Dove south 1 Golden Plover 21 Swallow & 35 House Martin south 70 Goldfinch south
Also present were,
1 imm/fem Black Redstart in mast compound 1 Ring Ouzel briefly near Rocket Shaped mast 1 Whinchat still near main mast building 1 Merlin 10 Chiffchaff around the various mast compounds including 3 that flew off very high also 1 Goldcrest in compounds.
(with Andy Makin, Alan Warford, Phil Rhodes, Karen Foulkes & Simon Ghilks)
Todays main highlights from a wonderful all day Migration Watch with Andy Makin produced;
6,691 Meadow Pipits south 125 Pied Wagtails south 2 Goosander south 1 Redwing west 33 Mistle Thrush south 64 Linnet south 168 Goldfinch south 230 Swallow south 8 Snipe east 14 Golden Plover south 15 Jay south 47 Jackdaw south 117 Pink-footed Geese (46 and 49 SE; 22 NW)
Birds present included ringtail Hen Harrier, Merlin, Whinchat (main mast building), 3 Wheatear & a superb Jack Snipe near the Masts.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Saturday 27th of September 2014 09:15:19 PM
Very low bird count of grounded birds compared to the last 2 weeks. Birds seen/heard: 1 m Sparrowhawk with distinctive large white patch on back of head working its way along the boundary wall between Lancs & Greater Manchester. 2 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Skylark, 10 Meadow Pipit, a thrush heard, 1 Kestrel, Red Grouse heard, a further 15 Meadow Pipit & 2 Kestrel seen on GM side.
-- Edited by Len Poxon on Saturday 27th of September 2014 11:02:02 PM
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This mornings highlights between myself, Andy Makin and Dan Brown;
Ringtail Hen Harrier on Smithill's Moor 2 Whinchats still by the main Mast building 1 Chiffchaff Rocket Mast compound 11 Wheatear 17 Snipe all over high west
Also movement of Pink-footed Geese all heading NW, 90 at 11:55, 160 at 12:00, 52 at 12:40 and 35 at 13:45. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker high south over moor and kept going 71 Swallow south 113 Meadow Pipits south
This mornings highlights (or lack of them!) with Alan Warford & Andy Makin were 2 Whinchats still by the main mast building, along with 3 Stonechat and 1 Robin and elsewhere 3 Green Woodpeckers and a male Merlin. Everything else present in yesterdays fall had departed.
Good to have Dave Bowman and David Spencer join us today.
Another good fall of migrants in the various Mast Compounds in this mornings misty conditions which were thoroughly checked by myself, Andy Makin, Ken Haydock and Dan Brown produced:
2 Redstart (main mast building) 2 Whinchat behind main mast building with 8 Stonechat 19 Chiffchaff, including 5 which landed half way up one of the smaller towers and then flew off high west into the distance! 2 Goldcrest (one of the smaller enclosures) 3 Robins in the small enclosures 1 Reed Bunting main mast building 4 Linnets and 13 Goldfinch feeding inside the compounds were probably also migrants.
Other birds elsewhere included-
1 Ringtail Hen Harrier over mid afternoon - David Humphreys 3 Redwing 3 Spotted Flycatchers 22 Wheatear 16 Chiffchaff 17 Swallow south 249 Meadow Pipit south.
10.30-13.30 with Tony Darby. Circular walk from below Walker Fold Wood up Burnt Edge to Mast Road and back via Holden's Farm
Kestrel 7 Buzzard 4 Raven 4 Wheatear 2 + 4 in horsefileld at Holden's Farm where also a flock of Linnets and Goldfinch over 200 Reed Bunting 4 near Holden's plantation Meadow Pipits 100s No Whinchat or Stonechat for us. What time were you there Bernard? Hi Tim i got there approx 14-20 and stayed till 17-30ish, Surprising numbers of buttterflies
And fantastically just before noon the Red Arrows flew over Mast Road and did a red, blue and white smoke trail roughly over the Reebok. It may have been further off as they were due over Southport at noon. By 4 pm they were in France doing displays!
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Sunday 21st of September 2014 07:45:17 PM
Todays full list of highlights between myself, Alan Warford and Andy Makin covering 06:45 to 16:00:
1 Red Kite 29 Buzzard 1 Hobby south 1 Merlin 22 Pink-footed Geese SE 3 Golden Plover 44 Skylark NW 2763 Meadow Pipit south also hundreds all over moors still 1 Tree Pipit south 59 Wheatear 3 Spotted Flycatcher 6 Chiffchaff Only migrants around the Mast Compounds today were a single Ring Ouzel and Robin! Yesterdays dead Chiffchaff was actually a juvenile Willow Warbler and was killed by a dog.
Family party of at least 4 Stonechat on Manchester side of George's Lane just along from the kennels. Also Kestrel being harassed by Magpie, and good numbers of Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit.
No sign of Red Kite from George's Lane, but a tight flock of Big Red Birds flew fast west towards Southport over Wilderswood at midday!
Myself and Tim Wilcox also watched the Big Red Birds and the flock was very tight. We lost sight of them as they headed towards Southport. They'll be going south to France tomorrow.
-- Edited by Tony Darby on Sunday 21st of September 2014 08:05:16 PM
10.30-13.30 with Tony Darby. Circular walk from below Walker Fold Wood up Burnt Edge to Mast Road and back via Holden's Farm
Kestrel 7 Buzzard 4 Raven 4 Wheatear 2 + 4 in horsefileld at Holden's Farm where also a flock of Linnets and Goldfinch over 200 Reed Bunting 4 near Holden's plantation Meadow Pipits 100s No Whinchat or Stonechat for us. What time were you there Bernard? Surprising numbers of buttterflies
And fantastically just before noon the Red Arrows flew over Mast Road and did a red, blue and white smoke trail roughly over the Reebok. It may have been further off as they were due over Southport at noon. By 4 pm they were in France doing displays!
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Sunday 21st of September 2014 07:45:17 PM
Burnt edge 7 whinchat, 2 stonechat plus 2 more stonechat higher up the moor, 1 buzzard,at least 3 kestrel,2 raven,20ish house martin,plenty meadow pipit.
Family party of at least 4 Stonechat on Manchester side of George's Lane just along from the kennels. Also Kestrel being harassed by Magpie, and good numbers of Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit.
No sign of Red Kite from George's Lane, but a tight flock of Big Red Birds flew fast west towards Southport over Wilderswood at midday!
Stonechat F Meadow Pipits 10+ in mast area and some migrating over south. Wheatears 20 + Kestrels 10+ Red Kite Buzzard 6 Peregrine 1 Ring Ouzel 1
Ring Ouzel seen in flight near masts then came down on moor. Red Kite circling over Smithills moor with 4 Buzzards then drifted back into Lancs Lost to view flying towards Rivington Pike.
This morning with Andy Makin, the misty conditions with recent easterlies brought in a good number of migrants in to the Mast Compounds with a few site records broken along the way!
Totals in the Mast area as follows; 2 Ring Ouzels, 18 Chiffchaff incl. one picked up dead, 11 Goldcrest with several feeding in the juncus patches and half way up the Rocket mast!, 42 Wheatear, 2 Whitethroat (1 Rocket Mast & 1 main mast building), 2 Stonechat, 3 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 14 Wrens, 4 Chaffinch (Rocket Mast), 5 Goldfinch main mast building, 1 Snipe in main mast compound and a approx.. 100 grounded Meadow Pipits.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Saturday 20th of September 2014 02:46:22 PM
Sightings from today between Andy Makin and myself:
1 Merlin SW over Scout Road 1 Spotted Flycatcher along Georges Road past the kennels 1 Whinchat behind Holden's Farm 36 Wheatear 1 Tree Pipit at Walker Fold
1160 Meadow Pipit, which included 807 between 6:55am - 7:55am from Scout Road 670 Swallow 76 House Martin Grasshopper Warbler flushed from brambles along Georges Lane 47 Wheatear 1 Spotted Flycatcher 6 Grey Wagtail south
Totals from today thanks to Andy Pinches, Dan Brown and Simon Warford:
60 Wheatears 2 Whinchat along Georges Lane, 2 behind Holdens Farm, 1 on Fleet Moor 940 Swallow, 560 House Martin through south 527 Meadow Pipit south 2 Siskin south 1 Tree Pipit south over Georges Lane On the moor tops around the mast, 1 Magpie, 3 Jay, Chaffinch, Wren, 2 Goldcrest Immature Black Redstart around the rocket shaped mast in Lancashire
Around 1pm today: 2 Buzzards circling lowish, over the fields below Walker Fold Rd.... also a Wheatear flying near the Summit of Sheephouse Lane(lancs). Seen while cycling.
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
Fantastic views of a buzzard this morning, circling quite low down and calling for a good 20 minutes. Just at the junction of Scout Rd and Coal Pit Rd. Apart from that, just the usual suspects.
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.
I was very excited by your Stints for a few seconds Craig..
1 juvenile RED KITE, drifted slowly south at 10:15, then lost to view, then later seen eating a dead pheasant in Lancs between 11.30 - 13:30 before drifting off east. 2 Tree Pipits south together, 397 Meadow Pipit SW 545 Swallow South 239 House Martin 11 Sand Martin south Present were 9 Wheatear, 6 Buzzards, several Red Admirals and 1 Wall Brown.
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.
Where on the internet can one find all these blogging birds Craig?
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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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
A walk starting at the car park at the far end of Georges Lane - Rivington Pike - Across the moors to the mast area - around the mast compounds - round the back of the mast down to Coal Pit Lane - Holdens - Mast Road - Georges Lane back to the car. Inevitably some sightings relating to birds out of the Gtr Manchester area into Lancashire.
Kestrel, min 6 birds C Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Whinchat, 2 from Georges Lane but opp the Pike so into Lancs. Raven, 2 (same area as Whinchat) Wheatear 5, 1 in the vicinity of the mast and 4 in the horse field bottom of Mast Road Meadow Pipit, estimated min of 300 birds throughout the walk Swallows several parties of 30 - 40 birds so estimated min of 200 birds Reed Bunting, 2, Holdens Goldcrest, 1 Georges Lane in Lancashire Blue Tit, min 10 in one party (as above) Skylark, less than 20 over the moor tops Low numbers (less than 5) of Great Tit, Goldfinch, Robins, Wren, Long Tail Tit, Linnet, Black Headed Gull, Magpie etc.
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
Goshawk flew directly SW over Dean Ditch at 7:14 am 6 Grey Wagtails south 8 Whinchat in total over the area 4 Redstart: 1 big hedge, 2 male and a female past the kennels at Georges Lane 19 + Buzzard 44 Wheatear 1 Tree Pipit south over Edge Lane 1 Willow Tit at Matchmoor Lane and a Golden Plover over
1 Kestrel, 2 Magpie, several Carrion Crow, 2 Goldcrest, 3 Lesser Redpoll, several Meadow Pipit, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, juvenile Common Whitethroat, juvenile Wheatear, heard Red Grouse.
Georges Lane, Manchester section: Magpie, Carrion Crow, 8 Goldfinch, Robin, several Meadow Pipit.
Winter Hill, on the walk up Mast Road I noted plenty Meadow Pipit, 1 Skylark and a single Wheatear on a wall. At the top on the wall that lies next to the boundary between Lancashire & Manchester, there were at least 12 Wheatear and several Meadow Pipit. At the top of Mast Road, whilst talking to Andy Makin (Manchester Birding) he pointed out to me that there were three Red Grouse sat on the same wall but about 100yds to the south. Around the masts (on the LCC side) there were several more Meadow Pipits, a single Swallow, 3 Kestrel and 2 Carrion Crows. On the walk back down Mast Road I noted most of the Wheatear from the wall had dispersed, but there were at least 8 more by the empty compound on the hill with 6 Meadow Pipit and 1 Reed Bunting (all on Manchester side). Further down on the walls to the east of the road where there had been 1 Wheatear on the way up there were at least 50 Wheatear and a dozen or so Meadow Pipit. Farther down still was a single Kestrel being mobbed by at least a dozen Meadow Pipit. 1 Brown Hawker Dragonfly also seen.
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