Pink footed Geese - Between 10-11pm last night a considerable - by calls, movement of birds east to NE

Bullfinch - 2 males - today, first time on feeders for awhile

Glazebury Sewage Works was fairly quiet bird wise. However there was an interesting Chiffchaff there which I watched for 30 mins or so. Unfortunately it never called once in that time,so
was unable to id it,but quite a pale bird showing potential for a Sibe.
Other than that just a couple Robins,several Blackbirds and 2 Goldcrest were the only other birds seen.

10 Greenland White-fronted Geese Briefly on the south side of Holcroft lane at 3pm (see silver lane thread for details )

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

White Stork of unknown origin in the freshly cut field alongside the A574 Warrington Road, directly opposite the Raven Inn around midday/early afternoon.

---

 The bird, now gone, was apparently a Little Egret after all.

Jackdaw - 30, spiralling & interacting high overhead, pre breeding/pairing activity?

A check round Glazebury Sewage Works produced at least 1,possibly 2 wintering Chiffchaff in trees adjacent to the filter beds. Also seen Goldcrest,Blue and Great Tit,several male Blackbirds feeding on the filter beds with the usual Pied Wagtails.
A bit quiet really but some cold weather might push a few more birds to feed there,as it's been really mild recently.

Swifts, 30 drifting SW this morning

A walk down Moss lane at dusk. Quail calling occasionally from field opp bungalow also Grasshopper warbler reeling within UU site & Tawny Owl calling nearby.

Red kite drifting north over village

Quick visit to sewage works. Pied Wagtail 140, 40 on field joined by 100 coming off works in single flock; Grey Wagtail, a really striking male; Goldcrest 2 + usual residents.

Mistle Thrush - 2 over part way down Moss Lane

Grey Wagtail - 2, [1 adult male/1 immature] foraging beneath one of the Solar Arrays. Workman nearby so little to see on the usual beds although vegetation is high & obscures the view.

Very little else in the wind & rain

A quick look round the perimeter of the sewage works on the way to Little Woolden produced at least 8 Reed Buntings feeding on midges in the trees around the perimeter. Still plenty of Pied Wagtails flicking between the fields and filter beds,and approx 30 Black Headed Gulls on the grass inside the works.

A pleasant but cool walk down Moss Lane to the farms & back again, snow & ice mostly gone

Kestrel - female was the only raptor seen

Lapwing - 20

Mistle Thrush - 2

Jackdaw - 500+

Starlings - 700+

Tree Sparrow - 30

Greenfinch - 6 among the above flock

Chaffinch - 40+, flitting about the trees

Corn Bunting - 12

Yellowhammer - 6

Treecreeper - 1 on tree beside R. Glaze

+ the usuals

Observing the new Tier 4 restrictions, decided on a farmland walk, exit via back gate & along the local footpath network to fields alongside Holcroft Lane and ending up at Glazebury Treatment works. With a noticeable thaw underway a lot of birds out feeding on the fields.

Mallard 12, on local farm pond

Kestrel 1, female

Stock Dove 120, this various sized flock has been around for a few weeks

Fieldfare 150, total of two separate flocks on different fields

Redwing 10+, not seeing much of these birds this winter.

Starling 800+, again in separate flocks

Skylark 150+

House Sparrow 30 in farm hedge

Chaffinch 40+

Greenfinch 10,

Yellowhammer 3


Treatment Works, pretty quiet but workman close by probably disturbing stuff

Goldcrest 1

Grey Wagtail 1, female looking a bit bedraggled

Pied Wagtail 40+

No sign of any chiffchaff

Another visit to Glazebury Sewage Works this morning produced 3 Chiffchaffs all feeding in the same general area ,unfortunately all of which we just collybita ,and no sign of the possible tristis. Also there 3 Reed Buntings, couple of Goldcrest and a party of Long Tailed Tits feeding in the surrounding trees.
Plenty of Pied Wagtails, a single Grey Wagtail and numerous Black Headed Gulls feeding on and around the filter beds.

Cheers John, nice record & good to hear

Another look around the sewage works this morning was interesting with at least 4 Chiffchaff in the area one of which is a good candidate for tristis. I was watching 2 Chiffchaff one of which was the possible tristis type,the other one which was loosely associating with it was giving a typical collybita call,whereas the possible tristis was completely silent . Whilst I was watching these 2 birds a further 2 Chiffchaff were singing away further behind them !!!. Eventually the 2 Chiffchaff split up and both disappeared into the cover.
Elsewhere around the site the usual good numbers of Pied Wagtails,a few Goldcrest and Long Tailed Tits etc feeding on the masses of midges present.

Still 1000-1200 Pink Footed Geese just south of the M62 Towards the SE side of  Holcroft Moss this morning and early afternoon.  

1000 - 1300 Pink Footed Geese over and around the area South and East of Holcroft Lane this morning in several large flocks  , I have a feeling the farmers are paying a Helicopter and small plane to buzz the area to get rid of the geese as they were disturbed 6 times today by the Helicopter and headed towards Little Wooldon and attempted to land there , but came back up and split into 6 groups going in all directions when I left. 2000 Starling  1500 Woodpigeon , and 200 Skylark also on the Stubble Fields to the south of Holcroft Lane.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 12th of December 2020 01:52:21 PM

Had another look round sewage works in the hope of seeing the Chiffchaffs better,heard at least one calling but unable to licate it. The call was a typical bog standard "sweet" used by collybita.

At least 3 Chiffchaff around Glazebury Sewage Works this morning, unfortunately none were calling and as I was looking into the sun it was impossible to determine if they were all ordinary Chiffchaff or not.
Also large numbers of Pied Wagtails feeding on the beds and a further 41 feeding in the winter crop field just west of the works.2 Grey Wagtails and at least 100 Black Headed Gulls also in the area,and 3 Goldcrest and several Blue,Great and Long Tailed Tits feeding in the adjacent trees.

Greenland white-fronted goose in field with 250 pink-footed geese just SW of Holcroft lane 400 yards North of Frank's Farm

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 3rd of December 2020 12:27:43 PM

 

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 23rd of November 2020 03:03:26 PM

Pink footed Goose - 200 flew east this morning, coming round and landing in the east fields a while later