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
Marsh Harrier at 07:15 over Horrocks Moor until 07:22 when it drifted off SW 10 Dunlin over (flocks of 7 and 3) 46 Swallow and 24 House Martin through south 2 Twite over north 5 Chiffchaff at Higher Meadows 1 Wheatear on Wildersmoor Skein of Pink-footed Geese over Higher Meadows early am but unable to see them due to low cloud Info thanks to Andy Makin, Dan Brown and myself
2 Whinchat and 1 male Redstart Georges Lane 44 Wheatear across whole area 237 Swallow south 2 Sand Martin south 171 House Martin south 86 Meadow Pipit south 4 Stonechat 45 Mistle Thrush Burnt Edge
This morning's sightings, including a sudden rush of hirrundines around midday:
882 Swallow and 560 House Martin south 59 Meadow Pipit south A single Garden Warbler in sub song from brambles and weeds by Scout Road quarry 1 Whitethroat on Edge Lane 35 Wheatear
149 Meadow Pipits moving south First winter Redstart around the compounds on the top of Winter Hill 17 Wheatear 1 Whinchat pony field off Mast Road 924 Swallow and 463 House Martin south Possibly as many 6 Hobby moved through south Female Marsh Harrier south just after midday 39 Buzzard through south
Info thanks to Andy Makin and Andy Pinches; images by Andy Makin.
Moors totals this morning 7am-12pm, with a passage of hirundines south:
91 House Martin 189 Swallow 2 Wigeon NW 2 Tree Pipit S 1 Crossbill S 55 Goldfinch S 11 Wheatear 1 Whinchat in the horse paddock at Edge Lane along with a single Whitethroat.
This morning's moors totals from Andy Makin and Andy Pinches:
1 Redstart and 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the dell off Georges Lane 1 Merlin sat for 5 minutes on the wall on Wildersmoor before flying off SE 7 Wheatear along Mast Road 2 Chiffchaff in Wilderswood
1 Whinchat in the pony fields along Mast Rd 3 Spotted Flycatcher in the big hedge at Higher Meadows 1 Tree Pipit south 10 Wheatear 141 Swallow and 90 House Martin south
Rather quiet on the moors this morning, but highlights were:
1 Spotted Flycatcher in the Dell off Georges Lane 5 Tree Pipit over south, with a group of 4 and a single 1 Whinchat in the pony field off Mast Road 12 Wheatear 4 Whitethroat 6 Chiffchaff
A walk Coal Pit Lane - Holdens - Mast - Holdens - Sugar Loaf Plantation - Brownstones Quarry - Coal Pit Lane 9.00 - 12.30
Holdens:-
Small flock around trees below farm included 4 Redpoll. 1 or 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Long Tailed Tits, 1 or 2 Dunnocks, several Meadow Pipits, Goldfinch, Linnets and at least 40 Swallows in the area.
Mast:-
Very quiet with only 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Crow and 1 Kestrel seen.
Sugar Loaf Plantation:-
Mixed flock of 4 Tit species included 1 or 2 Willow Warblers and 2 Spotted Flycatchers.
Brownstones Quarry:-
1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 or 2 Willow Warblers, small flock of Goldfinch, 15/20 Swallows in the area.
Today's highlights thanks to Andy Makin and other observers:
12+ Spotted Flycatcher spread over the whole area 2 Tree Pipits south over Georges Lane and 1 down at Brownstones Quarry 2 Redstart with a male Lomax Wife's Plantation and a female Holdens Farm 1 Whinchat at Holdens Farm 10 Wheatear 7+ Willow Warbler 2 Chiffchaff
Female Marsh Harrier NE over Sugar Loaf Hill briefly landing about 11am 3 Spotted Flycatcher with singles at Wilderswood, Walker Fold and Higher Meadows 1 Tree Pipit E 8 Chiffchaff 14 Wheatear
Whimbrel 1 over south 71 Wheatear 2 WhinchaT 6 Spotted Flycatcher, including 1 in the cable compounds on Winter Hill 5 Redstart around mast buildings on Winter Hill Grasshopper and Sedge Warbler around the mast building 49 Chiffchaff 21 Willow Warbler 1 Garden Warbler
Only 4 Wheatears 2 Tree Pipit; 1 over east and one down at Wilderswood 11 Spotted Flycatcher, 9 Chiffchaff 10 Willow Warbler 1 juvenile Green Woodpecker in the big hedge at Higher Meadows 7 Siskin over Single Willow Tit in Wilderswood clearing
Today's totals spread over the moors with combined counts between Andy Makin and myself:
173 Wheatear spread over the area, mainly on the top of Winter Hill (in GM) once the thick cloud had lifted early morning 9 Whinchat 15 Spotted Flycatcher 12 Tree Pipit 13 Willow Warbler 1 Chiffchaff 2 Merlin 1 Swift over south
11-12 this morning, parked at Burnt Edge Lane to look for Whinchat, 5 Stonechat in field immediately, then walked to Holden's Plantation and back with Meadow Pipits the only birds seen. On arriving back at car the Stonechats had gone but a single Whinchat was in the field. Cheers Ian
Single Ruff on Lancashire side viewed from Georges Lane at 17:30 with a flock of 70 Lapwing and 200 starling. The flocks were low down on the slope. Other birds seen included Black Headed Gulls, Carrion Crows and Woodpigeon, Wren and Robin heard.
On the GMC side of the border were two male Stonechat feasting on the masses of flying ants quite close to Georges Lane. There were two very large swarms close to the tree tops in the grounds of the Kennels with numbers that must have been in the hundreds. I can see why the Green Woodpecker must like this area!
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Len Poxon https://www.flickr.com/photos/69575632@N02/with/20879853990/
Burnt Edge/Walker Fold 17:30 - 19:00. 2 Tree Pipit. 2 Spotted Flycatcher. 1 Whinchat. John Bradshaw had 1 Pied Flycatcher in the same area this morning.
Additional sightings this morning courtesy of Andy Makin:
2 Whinchat on Burnt Edge Single Ruff in the sheep fields along Georges Lane just over the border in Lancashire; flew off with 20 Lapwing and dropped down towards Rivington Reservoir Single Golden Plover NW over Higher Meadows 4 additional Tree Pipits all SE over Georges Lane; taking the days tally to 12 29 Wheatear Single Spotted Flycatcher at Higher Meadows; taking the days tally to 6
Not a lot more to add to that in a walk from Coal Pit Lane > Walker Fold > Burnt Edge > Mast Road > George's Lane > Three Lads > Holdens Farm > Coal Pit Lane Sunday 14th 9.15 to 12.30.