Ashton Moss

Andrew Newall · Status: Offline

RE: Ashton Moss

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

Hi Steve,
Yup i'm here I will e-mail you off forum.
Cheers Kane

-- Edited by Kane Brides at 13:30, 2007-05-17

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Drizzly morning for second visit to count plovers: only one pair of Ringed Plovers dodging all the earth-moving machinery this time. Little Grebes have only one youngster and the Swans have gone. Still plenty of Lapwings and Skylarks - they must be desperate!

Kane (if you're out there) - do you know anything about the history/movements of these Mute Swans?
(Darvics SHB & SHD)?

Steve

Andrew Newall · Status: Offline

Bit late but sightings from yesterday between 8am & 9am

6 - Skylark
2 - Linnet Lifer tick for me !
2 - Canada Geese
1 - Moor hen
1 - Grey Heron
6 - Lapwing
4 - Pied Wagtail

cheers

Andrew

Mark Evans · Status: Offline

nice one mate, ill let you know how i get on

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

If you start at the east end of the moss (Sainsbury's), follow the main road towards the Snipe retail park. When you cross the railway there's a path on the right hand side of the road which runs alongside Ashton Cricket Club. Follow this path (slight deviation as you cross the M60) all the way to Mockridge nursery (at the back of the new garden centre). There are two pools: one on the left before the garden centre (check for LR Plover) and one on the right by the nursery (Swans & Little Grebes). Best to go early morning before bulldozers start work (or evening when they're finished - but there are more likely to be stone-throwing youths then!).

There are a few side routes. The best is to turn right after crossing the motorway and head north towards Moss Side Farm (good for warblers in the bushes). A woman from the farm told me she had recently seen a "black deer" there!

Good luck.

Andrew Newall · Status: Offline

Steve,

i know what you mean about the lapwings, they have been there all winter along with golden plovers, normally alot of pied wagtails around pond next to garden centre as they roost ontop of MFI on the snipe retail park.

Andrew

Mark Evans · Status: Offline

where do you go on the moss steve? im not sure where the paths or the pond are

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Early morning visit to carry out Ringed & Little Ringed Plover Survey. 2 pairs Ringed Plovers but none of their "dubius" cousins.
This once bird-rich site is now devastated by bulldozers and warehouses but that dosn't seem to be putting off all the Lapwings and Skylarks which seem to be nesting everywhere they can. Whitethroats seem to have arrived in droves and I got my first Sedge Warbler of the year.
On a pool at the edge of the moss Little Grebes were nesting and a pair of Mute Swans seem to have taken up territory (Darvics SHB & SHD - presumably from the same brood, not intending incest I hope!).