Summer plumage golden plover on the ground on top of winter hill , 2 wheatear , 1 swallow , 1 male reed bunting , several meadow pipits , 1 dislpaying curlew along georges lane great views of a male ring ouzel feeding near to the big hedge , 10+ willow warblers in song , great views of a cuckoo on the lancs side last seen flying towards the boundry with greater manchester , 4 stonechat , 2 whearear .
12 Wheatears across the moor, also 30 Redpoll, several Swallows and Sand Martin north. Unfortunately couldn't connect with Phil's Osprey despite it heading for Winter Hill.
This morning from Scout Road with Andy Makin and Simon Johnson;
1 female Ring Ouzel flew north east over Smithill's Moor 1 Brambling over south 1 female Wheatear 2 Mediterranean Gulls over 173 Meadow Pipits north 11 Redpoll south 2 Sand Martin north 5 singing Willow Warblers.
Adult Mediterranean Gull over Scout Road this morning. Later, just off the moors, 3 were among Black-Headed Gulls in fields below Bob's Smithy Inn along Old Kiln Lane
-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 28th of March 2017 11:21:01 AM
Layby off Matchmoor Lane - Burnt Edge - Holdens Farm - Gilligant Farm - Hampsons Farm - Colliers Row - side of Walker Fold wood - Sugar Loaf Plantation - and return via Burnt Edge back to Matchmoor Lane.
Quiet birdwise - too cold for me to go to top of Winter Hill - so stayed in foot hills!
Kestrel x 6 separate sightings Stonechat x 1 Fieldfare x 7 Dunnock x 2 Magpie x 10 Great Tit x 1 Robin x 3 Carrion Crow x 5 Grey Heron x 1 Buzzard x 1 (seen on M61 on way home)
Visible migration from Scout Road today, 07:50-11:50 included:
40 Pink-footed Geese over NW 3 Snipe 3 NW 1 Golden Plover 280 Lapwing N in 12 flocks 377 Woodpigeon N/NE 3464 Redwing N/NE in 81 flocks 901 Fieldfare in 34 flocks 1 Waxwing low NE with Redwing and a further 3 birds low E 1 Ring Ouzel 1 NE tagging on to Redwing flock 1 Brambling N 1 Crossbill S
Today's visible migration watch 8-11am from Matchmoor Lane:
2546 Pink-footed Geese; 3 skeins NW numbering 168, 7 sKeins SE numbering 878 and 1 skein of 1500 E 6 Whooper Swan SE at 08:20 2224 Woodpigeon; with 10 flocks NE and 31 flocks N/NW 75 Brambling S
Visible migration watch from Matchmoor Lane today 07:30-10:00:
Single Woodcock directly south at first light A single Waxwing SE 7 skeins of Pink-footed Geese SE numbering 634 and 1 skein NW numbering 25 20 Goosander 20 SE 445 Woodpigeon NE and 200 SW 1545 Starling N/NE in 6 large flocks 11 Brambling S
Other highlights from today's visible migration watch this morning included:
Whooper Swan 3 SE Woodpigeon 1172 in total Stock Dove 60 NW with 13 woodpigeon Fieldfare 96 NW Starling 1419 in total Brambling 13 N Crossbill 1 N Reed Bunting 23 N
Whooper Swan 2 SE over Horwich 08:05 Brambling 56 N in 4 flocks and two singles Bullfinch 13 N Crossbill 13 N in flocks of 8,2,1,1,1 Reed Bunting, notable N movement with 21 in a short 15 minute spell
Late news for yesterday included 2563 Woodpigeon S.
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