This mornings sightings between Andy Makin, myself, Simon Johnson and Phil Rhodes;
Decent morning, with first Meadow Pipits moving, but highlight was a notable movement of Buzzards, a fine kettle of 16 birds spirraling high and then further birds very high over heading south east (wonder whether this annual movement consists of dispersing juveniles?), some were only picked up due to us watching our first Merlin of the autumn having an aerial disagreement with a Kestrel.
George's Lane - juv Sedge Warbler, 4 Whinchat and 9 Wheatear.
Holden's Farm - 3 Whinchat still present, a Sand Martin on overhead wires with Swallows and a Merlin high up over Smithill's Moor, later seen hunting.
Burnt Edge - 2 Wheatear.
Fleet Moor - 2 Whinchat, 11 Wheatear and fantastic spiral of 16+ Buzzards.
Mast Road - 27 Wheatear.
Other birds moving through included 27 Buzzards, 30 Meadow Pipits, 10 Sand Martin and 8 Siskin.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Saturday 2nd of September 2017 08:15:37 PM
Gale Brook Plantation - 1 Whinchat and 2 Spotted Flycatchers.
Mast Road Pony Fields - 10 Wheatear and an Oystercatcher.
Mast Compounds on Winter Hill - 10+ Wheatear around the walls and 2 Robin's inside the main compound. Also slightly further down the mast road 2 juvenile Whinchat on square fenced area.
Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and 21 Willow Warbler in the most compounds on Winter Hill with 24 Wheatear and a Whinchat along Mast Road.
George's Lane: 3 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 2 Raven, one apparently with an egg (?hen's) in its mouth, 2 Kestrel, 40 Goldfinch, a few Meadow Pipit.
Burnt Edge: 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 1 juvenile male Redstart in the large willow at the Walker Fold end. Also 2 Willow Warbler and a juv Chiffchaff in same tree. Single (or possibly 2?) Wheatear in adjacent tree (thanks to another birder). Flock of 40 or so Swallows. 30 Goldfinch around Holden's Farm, along with a few Linnet and a Kestrel.
Unidentified juvenile Acro Warbler (Reed or Marsh) present all day 100 yards up the track from Walker Fold Road, showing on and off. Probably a Reed Warbler but a very interesting bird, with ID inconclusive in the end.
Also,
Walker Fold Wood to Burnt Edge area were 6+ Tree Pipit, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Redstarts, 3 Wheatear, 4 Grasshopper Warblers and 25 Willow Warbler.
Brownstones Quarry - 2 Spotted Flycatcher.
Georges Lane - 2 Whinchat, male Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher (Andy Pinches).
Fleet Moor - 1 Whinchat, 3 Wheatear, 150 Lapwing.
-- Edited by Simon Warford on Sunday 20th of August 2017 06:13:41 PM
A couple of hours stroll from the Walker Fold end, past Holdens Farm and back down Burnt Edge this lunchtime didn't produce an awful lot unfortunately. Quite a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were around, along with a few Goldcrests. I didn't see any Wheatears, Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchats or Tree Pipits, although I thought I caught a Tree Pipit calling as I walked down the path from Newfields. Singles of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were the only raptors seen.
__________________
No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
1m Whinchat and 1 juv Stonechat both sat on fenceposts below the kennels.
2 Buzzards calling and doing an aerial display. A family of 3 Kestrels, one of which was mobbing a Buzzard.
Burnt Edge
3 Spotted Flycatchers showing very well on the the edge of the wood, near the old brick building. Many thanks to the birder who pointed these birds out to me.
A group of 12 Meadow Pipits and 4 Reed Buntings were near the plantation.
Walker Fold
6 Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff moving through the conifers beside the track.
Holdens Farm
1 Tree Pipit sat on the wires along with 18 Swallows.
Pleasant mooch from Walker Fold up to Holden's Farm and round back via Burnt Edge. Most activity was early from 0730 through to 0900 - after that all was noticeably quieter.
No Spotted Flycatchers or Tree Pipits for me today. The one unusual find was a Willow Tit in the trees near Holden's Farm. It gave its "zee-zee" call so it wasn't a Marsh Tit. Not particularly a species I would expect on the moors? (Record shot attached) One was seen a couple of hours later on the wire near the farm - possibly the same bird.
Otherwise
16 Mistle Thrush on wires by Walker Fold parking area flew off south. Goldcrest 8 in a mixed Tit flock on the access track Also Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit (6), Long Tailed Tit (about 10) and Chaffinch in same flock, with a single Willow Warbler.
Burnt Edge : 1 Spotted Flycatcher (On the the woodland edge near the "S" bend on the track) ,2 Kestrels and a flock of 8 Linnets.
Holdens Farm : 1 Kestrel, 6 Meadow Pipits, 2m Stonechats, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker plus lots of Linnets.
It was difficult to count the total number of Linnets, around dozen were in the horse paddock by the path, but at one point 60+ erupted from the overgrown pasture opposite.
All the small birds, including Swallows, frequently rested in the hawthornes that line the path, thus giving nice clear views.
8 Tree Pipit, with three individuals flying over south at Higher Meadows and others down on the ground with at least two at Walker Fold, one on the path by Sugar Loaf Plantation and at least two at Holden's Farm.
Single Spotted Flycatcher at Walker Fold
5 Wheatear in one group along Matchmoor Lane
10 Kestrel hunting over Burnt Edge Moor
16 Willow Warbler at Walker Fold with 3 Chiffchaff and another 3 Willow Warbler at Holden's Farm
The Hobby was having a tussle with a Kestrel over plantation near the Lancs border, with the former appearing to be aggressor, although they appeared equally matched.
The Kestrel then carried on hunting over the sheep pasture, whilst the Hobby disappeared, but was seen shortly afterwards soaring high above the lane.
There was a cloud of Goldfinches moving through the thistles below the kennels, 200+ here, another smaller charm of around 60 was near the Lancs border, sheltering in the conifers
and bathing in the stream that crosses the lane. Even more were around Wilderswood.
Burnt Edge :
4 Stonechats (Family Group), 2 Goldcrests (Perched on bracken), 1 Kestrel, a charm of 30+ Goldfinches, a flock of 12 Meadow Pipits and 3 Reed Buntings.
Walker Fold :
6 Goldcrests and 2 Coal Tits were flitting around the lower branches of a conifer and 6 Willow Warblers were in a mixes tit flock.
A pair of Chaffinches were in the same small tree with the warblers, and the female finch in particular was very aggressive towards the little migrants, she gave them no peace.
Holdens Farm :
A manure pile by the path was attracting pipits, and they were drawn by the same stuff in the horse paddock below the farm.
A dozen Meadow Pipits were here, plus 6 Linnets and 5 Reed Buntings, although the Linnets appeared to be feeding on Sorrel seeds.
(Despite the strong SE wind and occasional shower numerous Swallows were flycatching, swooping low along and below Georges Lane, as well as around Holdens Farm, often flying almost close enough to touch.)
The Kestrels too put on a great show today, with the pair above Burnt Edge in display flight.
Late post for Saturday 3rd June 2017 12:00 - 16:00 hrs.
Burnt Edge - Holden Farm - Gilligant Farm - Winter Hill - Mast Road - via Holden Plantation and return
Linnet x 2 Stonechat x 2 Whitethroat x 1 Curlew x 1 Kestrel x 7 sightings Meadow Pipit x 20 Skylark x 5 Grey Heron x 1 Swallow x 15 Swift x 7 House Martin x 1 Carrion Crow x 8 Magpie x 3 Goldfinch x 5 Great Tit x 3 Chaffinch x 1 Pied Wagtail x 2 Pheasant x 1
A female Black redstart was perched on the sign by the pull in near the bend on Mast Road at 9am this morning. It seemed to be moving along wall which eventually runs to the bottom of the pony field.
Also around today were a Yellow Wagtail over north and the 6 Fieldfare were still at Higher Meadows along with a male and female Cuckoo and six Wheatear around the moors.