02/07/2013 - Spotted Flycatchers have fledged several young in the wood. Also:
c20 House Martins 4 Swifts 3 Grey Wagtails - inc one youngster down on the Bollin 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 1 Treecreeper 1 Goldcrest 1 Blackcap 4 Chiffchaffs 2 Bullfinches
A pair of buzzard sat on the gate just before the entrance this morning, and as we stopped to look at them they flew into the field but still within 20 feet of us, looked like a parent and juvenile but could be wrong.
Both were very pale coloured birds and seemed to be happy eating worms or insects of some sort from on the damp ground.
Jays still seem to be very active in this area, 4 very visible birds along the lane most mornings.
16/07/2010 - No sign of any Spotted Flycatchers this evening.
1 Kingfisher - feeding juv along the Bollin 2 Grey Wagtails - feeding what looks like a second brood along the Bollin 40+ Swifts 2 House Martins 1 Bullfinch 1 Linnet
and family of foxes on the Cheshire side () giving wonderful views, the 3 cubs frolicing around in the open!
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Friday 16th of July 2010 08:55:21 PM
23/06/2010 - 2 Spotted Flycatchers still present early morning, also several Nuthatch families very conspicuous now. Kingfisher flashed by on the Bollin river, below the wood. North of the wood were 10 Linnets (3 pairs + 4 juvs) and 20+ Swallows (including first brood juvs) around the farm off Sunbank Lane.
on the way past this morning two great spotted woodpeckers in the trees just at the entrance, we didn't stop (Doh!) would have been nice to see and hear the flycatchers but we never stop if the big dogwalking van is parked there! Not big dog fans!
16/06/2010 - Me and Phil struck Sunbank gold this morning with 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the wood. Also about were a families of Grey Wags, Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers.
10/06/2010 - A walk to grab some breeding records for the atlas in SJ78X. Birds seen around Sunbank Lane, Sunbank Wood and the Bollin Valley up to Hale Golf Course and Hale Barns:
1 Kingfisher 2 Grey Wagtails 1 Oystercatcher (flyover) 2 Black-headed Gulls (flyover) 1 Sparrowhawk 2 Stock Doves 2 House Martins 4 Blackcaps 3 Chiffchaffs 2 Whitethroats 8 Goldcrests (singing males) 13 Coal Tits (good numbers around the larches in Sunbank Wood and the leafy gardens of Hale Barns) 1 Siskin (flyover)
Re: Pied Flys - The majority of nestboxes in Sunbank Wood seem to have been raided by Grey Squirrels/Woodpeckers either this year or in the past and are beyond use for any species now. Still must be a few natural holes knocking about but alas no flycatchers.
Checked Sunbank and Cotterill Clough (from the outside) for Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher this morning but it was pretty quiet despite good-looking nestboxes up in Sunbank Wood. Shooting across the road kept most things a bit low and quiet. Grey Wagtail singing along the Bollin River, 1 Grey Heron over, 1 Stock Dove and 2 House Martins in the area.
Does anybody know of any records of Pied Fly and Wood Warbler here ?. Surely this site has the potential considering the habbo and proximity to Alderley Edge as the PF flies. I must prompt MV management to erect some PF nestboxes. Nice to know other folk watch this place as I rarely get the chance to visit.
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brief walk round before school for us 2 nuthatch (mating) goldcrest dunnock long tail tits blue tit robin blackbird ( saw the very pale (light brown) one on chapel lane as approaching wood) treecreeper carrion heard the little owl (narrowed him down to one tree but could not see him!)
I covered the wood for the Cheshire Bird Atlas (even though it's mainly in Manchester !) and between 2005 and 2008 I managed to see 54 Species in total but it took a lot of visits. Linnet, Tree Sparrow, Little Owl and Yellowhammer were on the Cheshire side. LSW was a bit further downstream towards the Golf Club. I never did see Green Woodpecker though.
BH Gull Blackbird Blackcap Blue Tit Bullfinch Buzzard Carrion Crow Chaffinch Chiffchaff Coal Tit Collared Dove Dunnock Feral Pigeon Goldcrest Goldfinch Great Spotted Woodpecker Great Tit Greenfinch Grey Wagtail House Martin House Sparrow Jackdaw Jay Kestrel Lapwing Linnet Little Owl Long-tailed Tit LS Woodpecker Magpie Mallard Mistle Thrush Moorhen Nuthatch Pheasant Pied Wagtail Redwing Robin Rook Sand Martin Skylark Song Thrush Sparrowhawk Starling Stock Dove Swallow Swift Tree Sparrow Treecreeper Whitethroat Willow Warbler Woodpigeon Wren Yellowhammer
That list is the result of about 5 hours in the area Sid. Things keep popping up over time and the larger the area covered. Great conditions though today for birding around woodlands and rivers with the thin 'seeps' of distant pipits audible for example, with the lack of any wind. Henry.
01/04/2009 - A two woodpecker walk along the Bollin River and Sunbank Wood this morning but alas no lessers. Greens showed really well, yaffling away with a sunny, flower filled backdrop making it a lovely area for a spring walk. Grey Wagtails were collecting nest material near the bridge and flashing back and forth along the slow meanders. Sightings included: