the 3 sisters side is good for little owl at dusk. scan the tops of the smaller trees/plantation in the middle.
just a caution: if you have got dogs watch out for tractors coming up the path from under the railway bridge at around 4pm, they go down the tree lined part of the path and upto that farm. they take up the whole track and dont stop for dogs! ive been caught out a few times by them and havent had time to put the dogs on leads. pure good luck they didnt get injured or squashed.
Inspired to go and visit Viridor woods today. VERY WINDY! 4.15-5.15pm Saw 2 kestrels near car park My first ever barn owl- 4 times, twice very close hunting, once on a post in field near road being mobbed by magpies & next hunting by carpark.
If anyone knows the area could you give us some pointers/directions of site. Thanks, Rae
Hi Rachael,
Depends where you want to go really. Virridor Woods is split into two. The side on the eastern side of the road is largely a circular walk, but you can get down to the Abram Flashes if you follow the path under the railway bridge and then go left. Have a look on an OS map if you have one, some other GM birders will probably provide better info on that area of the site (You can actually walk to Pennington Flash from the Virridor Car Park if you are really keen).
The other side of the road, and the paths again lead in a generally circular route but some lead into the Three Sisters Recreation Area, which itself has lots of different tracks.
Rob Thorpe seems to know most about Virridor, so I guess will be able to provide more pointers that I can.
-- Edited by Craig Higson at 21:47, 2008-02-03
__________________
No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
Rae,welcome to the forum and congrats on catching the elusive owl,it would seem that mornings are the most productive for general birding,but a dusk visit for the owl seems to be the order of the day.
Inspired to go and visit Viridor woods today. VERY WINDY! 4.15-5.15pm Saw 2 kestrels near car park My first ever barn owl- 4 times, twice very close hunting, once on a post in field near road being mobbed by magpies & next hunting by carpark.
If anyone knows the area could you give us some pointers/directions of site. Thanks, Rae
craig, this time last year, I used to see stonechats every morning sat on the fence next to the riding stables. as soon as you cross over bolton road, they would be on that fence that follows the path. the horses field would be full of pied wagtails and meadow pipits.
they would only seem to be there early in the morning though. go after say 10.00 and you wouldnt see them.
havent been going much this year though, and never that early. so dont know if you can still see them there.
2 Stonechat (pair) 2 Buzzard 3 Snipe 8 Grey Partridge (6 and 2) 6 Jay 2 Grey Heron loads of Siskins in the Wood by the railway Common Gull over Kestrel Skylark Reed Bunting Goldfinch Greenfinch Chaffinch Bullfinch Goldcrest and all the other usual stuff
blue,great and longtailed 2/3 kestrel 5 magpie 4 crows 1 mistle thrush 1 song thrush 6 sisken 1 pair of stonechats,between the railway and monument(gm lifer for me thanks rob)
Rob, where abouts are you seeing the stonechats? I walk the dog round here quite often but havent noticed these two.
Craig, the last few times i've been the Stonechats have been near the railway bridge. If you go under the bridge and then left along the track that runs parallel to the railway (heading towards Platt Bridge), they tend to be along the right of the track. But i've also seen them (or another pair?) near the Viridor car-park.
whereabouts are you seeing the woodcock? i wouldnt mind seeing those. if i park at the main car park on bolton road where do i go from there? best time to see them?
Brian, the Woodcock seem to be all over that area. The only problem is you have to be really close to them to flush them, so it's a matter of striking lucky. The best place at the moment seems to be the first plantation on the right, just after where the narrow path from the car-park joins the main path. If you walk through the plantation (some of the trees are a bit prickly) and then along the south edge of it you should have a good chance (there was at least 3 just in that area last weekend, and there are often Snipe here too). Another good spot is the plantation near the railway bridge. Hope some of that makes sense. If it doesnt then let me know...
whereabouts are you seeing the woodcock? i wouldnt mind seeing those. if i park at the main car park on bolton road where do i go from there? best time to see them?
Barn Owl - fantastic views of it hunting just to the West of the A58 at 2pm. Woodcock - flushed 4, 3 of them in the plantation just East of the car park. Stonechat Buzzard - feeding on worms in field East of the railway. Bullfinch Willow Tit - pair