Just heard some Pink-footed Geese passing over our house. Moonlit night with very clear skies (here). Obviously difficult to estimate numbers - I tried to guess the direction they were heading in and it seemed to be SE. Normally I only see geese over Winwick which I think are commuting between the Lancs moses and the eastern feeding grounds.

I have heard about Pinks feeding at night and therefore commuting between feeding and roosting sites during the night - anyone any idea of how likely it is they would do the whole flit between Lancs and EA at night?

I'm assuming Mike refers to the Highfield Lane which is just to the west of Houghton Green Pool, south of the motorway and residing in Cheshire.

20-25 Waxwings in Highfield Lane mid afternoon - flew off west (no berry bushes here to hold them)

A quick stop at the feeding station on Waterworks lane at lunchtime.

30 Tree Sparrows (largest flock I've ever seen of these)
7 Grey Partridge
Not much else

Merlin hunting fields west of Waterworks Lane this afternoon

Waterworks Lane this evening

4 Yellow Wagtails
11 Corn Buntings
3 Yellowhammers
10 Grey Partridges (5 prs)

Mike Baron wrote:

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Gary Gorner wrote:

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nice one mike much appreciated me and mary enjoyed watching from the car window and a nice walk aound the area, we also put seed down on our visits in the snowme and vernon called on saturday but the place was dead apart from a rat looking for scraps.

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Gary / John

You are welcome. The primary reason is to hopefully help local pops of certain species - the birding is a nice bonus. Bit lucky but the site seems to be just ideal for birds and birders alike.

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It is interesting to see the change ,year on year at the feeding station,look at this year compared to last hardly any bramblings this year,yet last year they were fairly regular.this year the corn buntings have been the highlight for me and the best flocks of tree sparrow i have ever seen,also merlin pretty regular
Best sight of the winter was the day me and you were watching from your car and the falconer released his peregrine falcon,which flew from his harm landed for 5 mins on the pylon,then flew off never to be seen againwhile the falconer just as though it was normal got back into his van and drove off,as though peregrines were 10 a penny,and he wasn't bothered at all
see ya ont pool
john

nice one mike much appreciated me and mary enjoyed watching from the car window and a nice walk aound the area, we also put seed down on our visits in the snowme and vernon called on saturday but the place was dead apart from a rat looking for scraps.

Just for info - due to increased farming activity and the birds generally drifting away I have now stopped feeding Waterworks Lane.

All things being equal will be back in business late October.

grey heron on the J22 roundabout at 11.15pm !!!

Plenty of yellowhammers today and tree sparrows plus a corn bunting and we only saw one grey partridge. Plus the usual.
A sparrowhawk swooped into the field scattering everything and came to sit for a good ten minutes in the tree right in front of us giving us a superb view. When he flew off we thought he was going to sit on the wing mirror of our car he was so close.

Large group of gulls circled over Winwick this afternoon presumably from Arpley Tip / Richmond Bank included an adult Med Gull which flew over my front garden

Today:

75+ Tree Sparrows
13 Yellowhammers
20+ Chaffinches
1 Reed Bunting
1 Merlin
1 Kestrel
3 Buzzards
2 Jays
26 Grey Partridges - plenty of squabbling - I suspect the coveys will be breaking up soon
210+ Herring Gulls flew over NE with a few Great Black-backs
70+ Black-headed Gulls in next field

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 05:19:29 PM

can someone give me info on where to see the corn buntings? I know where waterworks lane is but it looks quite a big road on the map.

hi all, don't usually post on forum's , but read this one daily, i would like to visit the feeding station to catch up with the corn bunting,s is this possible or is it on private land,
many thanks,
denn.

Pete Astles wrote:

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Mid Morning

50 plus tree sparrows on waterworks lane. Various mixed flocks with some yellowhammer amongst them. 2 / 3 redwings near waterworks. Kestrel hovering in field plus a very large buzzard on fencepost. Saw a number of nervous flocks of LBJs about a dozen in flocks but could not get close enough on bins to identify. Could see they were not chaffinches may have been linnets or corn buntings maybe.

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id say linnets as there have been a few about, but if they were corn bunts which are in that area also,i think you would notice as they are big beggers,twice the size of the linnets

Mid Morning

50 plus tree sparrows on waterworks lane. Various mixed flocks with some yellowhammer amongst them. 2 / 3 redwings near waterworks. Kestrel hovering in field plus a very large buzzard on fencepost. Saw a number of nervous flocks of LBJs about a dozen in flocks but could not get close enough on bins to identify. Could see they were not chaffinches may have been linnets or corn buntings maybe.

Mike Baron wrote:

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Managed to scrape some snow away from the feeding station this weekend.

This afternoon there:

7 Corn Buntings
15 Yellowhammers
5 Reed Buntings
22 Tree Sparrows
24 Grey Partridge

plus Chaffinches and other common stuff

Buzzard and Kestrels nearby and also male Sparrowhawk

2 Brown Hares in field opposite

Also large numbers of big gulls flying over early this morning heading NE - presumably coming off the Mersey

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and me driving past you while you were counting

Sat 9th: Barn Owl flew across the M6 approx 8pm. seemed to come from parkside road area near J22. woodhead farm?

-- Edited by Brian Harding on Sunday 10th of January 2010 12:33:19 AM

much the same as john but 3 buzzard, 3 kestrel,2 bramblings,2 jays,2 grey partridge and 50+ mixed group of redwings and fieldfare in field on the right past feing station on waterworks lane. hope the regulars dont mind i took some seed and fed them.

Gary Gorner wrote:

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11.00am-12.30pm

Arrived at feeding station and a mass of birds in the shrub and on the ground many tree sparrows 40+
yellowhammer 8 in a flghty flock
corn buntings 8 on pylon cables
reed buntings 4
jays 2
buzzards 3
sparrowhawk 1
20+ lapwings
10 fieldfare
10 robin
4 dunnock
1 bullfinch
20+ chaffinch

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Gary - John Tymon and I had much the same this morning though the Tree Sparrow flock was at 85+ before a local moggy decided to have a bash at them. The local falconer then appeared with his Peregrine x Gyr tiercel which promptly b*ggered off with owner in hot pursuit! A Stock Dove was also at the feeding station and a flock of 25+ Skylarks over. The male Merlin has also apparently been active the last few days.

Mike

Female Brambling in private garden near Waterworks Lane feeding station today

JOHN TYMON wrote:

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70+ tree sparrow
3 yellowhammer
1 kestrel
1 male merlin
1 peregrine
1 buzzard,
1 sparrowhawk
1 reed bunting
100+ woodpigeon
not bad for a 30 min mooch.

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Do you mean to say you missed the ring-tailed hen harrier, the three Med Gulls in the field, the fly over Snow Goose and the flock of 47 Bramblings?

75+ Tree Sparrows in Waterworks Lane this afternoon plus:

1 Yellowhammer
1 Reed Bunting
13 Chaffinches
2 Greenfinches
1 Buzzard
2 Kestrels
430+ Woodpigeon
280+ Starlings