It has been very quiet for the last couple of weeks, but a couple of birds worth noting today(for Castleshaw anyway!)
20/06/09 1300-1520
3 Teal (2 drake) Sand Martin
2 pairs of Coot took up residence at the end of April and both pairs attempted to breed. One pair got washed out during the heavy rain in late May, but the other pair were noted still on the nest on 16th June. However, the nest was occupied by a Mallard today and there was no sign of any Coot.
There was no sign of the last Mallard chick today either, but several recently fledged Swallows were hawking over the water.
This was yesterday I have not been near a computer till now.
2 Sat 7.00pm
2 Tufted 2 Redshank 12 Swallow 2 House Martin 3 Goldfinch 3 Chaffinch 1 Curlew 7 Wheatear 1 Reed bunting 2 Willow warbler 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew in for a few min's and then was off again. 8 Meadow Pipit 2 Pheasent 4 Coots 1 Moorhen The usual Crows, tits, and pigeons
I was looking out for Little owl but on sign. Does any one know a good place to look I was scaning the walls around Castleshaw out door centre and car park
-- Edited by Justin Garner on Sunday 3rd of May 2009 06:53:33 PM
-- Edited by Justin Garner on Sunday 3rd of May 2009 06:55:33 PM
Common Sandpiper 2 Redshank 2 Great Crested Grebe Goosander Goldeneye Grey Wagtail Sand Martin 5 Swallow 2 House Martin Moorhen with 2 chicks 4 Coot 2 Tufted Duck
Sun 26th April 5 Wheatears on "noddle" 90% certain heard Golden Plover but no sighting 1 Fieldfare at the back of Wood Farm 4 Reed Buntings Little Owl tracked down at last , having vamooshed from Castleshaw itself over last few months
I had to go up to Castleshaw to see if the Ring Ouzel was about. I did not get sight of it.
What I did see was
Lower Reservoir 3 Turfed Duck 2 Redshank one was beening chased by Carron Crow for about a min 2 Great Crested Grebe ingaged in courtship display (Very good to watch) 1 Gray Heron 3 Blue Tit 1 Great Tit 1 Chaffinch 3 Swallow 3 Magpie 10 Canada Goose 1 Reed Bunting 2 Robin Lots of Carron Crows
Upper Reservoir 6 Marlard 9 Canada Goose 3 Green Finch 4 Gold Finch 1 Wheatear 4 Medow Pipit 1 Kestrel Willow warbles sing in surrounding woodland
A quick bike ride around Castleshaw produced much the same as Riggers yesterday but a single dunlin flew in calling and landed on the top reservoir. I had at least 4 reed bunting on the wall between the reservoirs plus about 20 meadow pipits until a sparrowhawk disturbed the lot. I also had a green woodpecker calling below Saddleworth church.
I'm new to the area so not sure of names of places where birds where seen.
6.00am
Car park at Castleshaw Centre 1 Chiffchaff in song 1 Heron by pool 1 Robin in song 2 Dunocks 2 Blackbird 3 Meadow pipit 3 Magpie 2 Carrion crow Possable Grasshopper warbler in song but still unsure
19th April 1530-1700 Redstart female back of Wood Farm Fieldfare 15 back of Wood Farm Wheatear 5 Tufted duck 4 male Teal 2 Lapwing 5 Goosander 2 female Goldeneye 1 female Coot 3 (not common here) Great Crested Grebe 2
Reed Bunting 1 male (low in number compared to previous years at this time - any one else noticed this?)
Mike, Riggers, Steve - regarding numbers have submitted borough list to Ian! wait for its publication!!!!!! working on County list.
Raven over top res calling and being mobed by crows 1400hrs Oystercatcher 2 and also a pair on New years Bridge res Fieldfare 5 - behind wood farm. Lapwing 1 Skylark 2 singing Swallows back at T'Heights on 1st April
It circled the bottom res a few times then got mobbed. It flew to the top res, still being mobbed then settled in one of the 3 small trees in the east side of the top res.
It was still being mobbed by the crows and Jackdaws but when the Ravens joined in it flew off north over the moor-same direction as last year!
nice Sunday afternoon birding 13.00 - 16.00 Snipe ? from under feet and didn't go far ? + normal Good day till i get home onto the computer Well done mark I will be dropping my bins off at the charity shop again on the way home today Did the Osprey take the same route as last time over the hill and was it on the top or bottom res?
Fantastic Mark! - isn't that the second year running you have had Osprey there? Don't be expecting one every year!!
A brilliant record. Well done.
Still my best ever sighting at Piethorne was an Osprey hovering over Piethorne Res. on 7th April 2004. I still get nostalgic thinking about it now! Surely must be due another one! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You are quite correct Bill, 04/04/08 was last years date but that was just a flyover. This was hovering over the water and even perched up for a short time, but just got sick of the mobbing and flew off north. Thats 3 in the last 2 years in GM But I would gladly swap 1 for a Red Kite or Dotterel
Its just rewards for persistance. Just as you start to question why you bother freezing your Parus's off, staring at nothing for hours, along comes a stonker like that to give you a boost-mind you, it has been hotting up in recent weeks with Shelduck and Shoveler putting in an appearance. You lowland birders dont know how lucky you are! with your Bitterns, Black Necked Grebes, Egrets and Spoonbills......etc
With the wind having dropped away tonight and a good forecast for the next couple of days, keep your eyes on the skies tomorrow. I still need it for GMC!
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
Fantastic Mark! - isn't that the second year running you have had Osprey there? Don't be expecting one every year!!
A brilliant record. Well done.
Still my best ever sighting at Piethorne was an Osprey hovering over Piethorne Res. on 7th April 2004. I still get nostalgic thinking about it now! Surely must be due another one!
Cheers,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 28th of March 2009 05:45:30 PM
"No upland sightings of Merlins from March onwards should be posted although informing the county bird recorder would be adviseable and the same applies for any locations of owls.
Shelduck-1st record for me there and Oldham tick 9 Cormorants 3 Goldeneye 9 Goosander Great Crested Grebe 31 Mallard Herring, Black Headed and Common gulls