Afternoon walk around Piethorne Res.

Birds of Note:

Grey Wagtail seemingly chasing a Carrion Crow. Tufted Duck (2 male courting a single female), Goosander (2 male and 6 female in a tight raft), at least 5 singing Willow Warbler, Bullfinch, single Oystercatcher and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler (Juncus reeds just before the track up to Hanging Lees Res - S side of Piethorne Res). Mixed flock of mainly Swallows with about half a dozen Sand Martins thrown in for good measure - plenty of food on the causeway splitting Piethorne and Kitcliffe Res.

Afternoon walk round Ogden, Kitcliffe and Piethorne Reservoirs.

Relatively quiet but birds of note:

Unringed Mute Swan on Ogden Res for a change. 6 male and 1 female Teal (though possibly more given the undergrowth available waterside for hiding under) on Kitcliffe Res. Single male with 2 female Goosander also on Kitcliffe. Green Woodpecker (heard in woods by the fishing ponds), Chaffinch, Nuthatch - 2 seen together (Old House Grounds), Goldcrest - 2 seen together (Nature Reserve running alongside Ogden Res).

Short visit around 1pm. Birds of note:

Meadow Pipit, Tufted Duck (3 on Hanging Lees Res), Stonechat - 3 (single male inluded), unringed Mute Swan still on Kitcliffe Res. Cormorant, female Kestrel, c40 Fieldfare

Birds of note. Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher (3) on Ogden Res, Sand Martin (2) on Piethorne Res, Reed Bunting, single Great Crested Grebe on Piethorne Res. 
Also hundreds of Common Toadlets all around Piethorne Res seemingly coming from the Res to anywhere of safety. Those visiting, please watch your step!!

Morning walk around Piethorne. 
Birds of note

Cormorant, singing Chiffchaff, singing Skylark, Tufted Duck (pair), Common Sandpiper and a pair(?) of Great Crested Grebe - infrequent here by my observations.

Afternoon walk around Piethorne.

Birds of note:

Common Sandpiper, Reed Bunting, Curlew, Oystercatcher (pair(?) flying together, then a single perched on the roof of Greenhalghs factory where they have nested before - keeping guard?) female Kestrel hunting, female Wheatear with a beak full of insects (on bank between Piethorne Res and Hanging Lees Res), Skylark, Raven over Cemetry, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warble, single male Tufted Duck (Kitcliffe Res) and Canada Goose pair with 4 goslings - common almost everywhere else but I have not seen any sign of breeding on Piethorne Res before.

Birds of note this morning - lower part of valley.
Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker (at back of Bulls Head pub), Female Grey Wagtail feeding young (hole in the wall nest), 1 (possibly 2) Dipper (one feeding) in different sections of Piethorne Brook - but could possibly be the same bird. 

Early morning around Piethorne Res. 
Birds of note: Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap (1st of year for me here), Tawny Owl (5.34am), Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Skylark, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper (pair), 2x male Linnet. The perplexing one was a fleeting glimpse of what first impressions suggested cuckoo - sadly, I didnt get anywhere near a good enough view to regard it as anything other than possible.

Footnote from yesterday: Apologies, I forgot to mention the 2 Wheatear given to me by the same guy who told me about the Common Sandpiper on Kitcliffe Res (sorry, I didnt catch his name).

Birds of note: Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pheasant, Greylag Goose (apparent pair) on Piethorne Res with a pair of Canada Geese. Unusual because although I have seen single Greylag geese in with Canada Goose flock they are by no means a common occurrence in the valley.

Sorry forgot. Oystercatcher (x3) and Single Cormorant (Piethorne Res)

-- Edited by Tim Pears on Saturday 15th of April 2023 07:40:19 PM

-- Edited by Tim Pears on Saturday 15th of April 2023 07:40:43 PM

-- Edited by Tim Pears on Saturday 15th of April 2023 07:41:16 PM

-- Edited by Tim Pears on Saturday 15th of April 2023 07:47:48 PM

Morning walk around Ogden Res and Kitcliffe Res. 
Birds of note - Striking male Wheatear (first of Spring for me here), 2 singing Willow Warbler, 2 singing Chiffchaff, male Peregrine flying through, male Kestrel, Oystercatcher (pair) between Kitcliffe Res and Ogden Res - very vocal, Nuthatch, Jay (pair?), Meadow Pipit (inc 1 parachuting), at least 10 singing Skylark, Grey Wagtail pair (on Piethorne Brook), Pied Wagtail, Cormorant, Tufted Duck (6 male, 2 female) - Kitcliffe Res, Teal (4 male, 2 female) - again Kitcliffe, 2 Grey Partridge - Ive heard them here before but never seen them - so a visual site first for me.

Early Afternoon. Birds of note: Single Cormorant and a pair of Goosander on Piethorne Res. 6 Teal (4 male, 2 female) on Kitcliffe Res. Kestrel between both reservoirs.

3pm - 5pm. Birds of note: 3 female Goosander, Raven over and a Kingfisher (my first on site for over 20 years). All Piethorne Res.

Nice Female Redstart in Hawthorn scrub above Kitcliffe farm from the track just after gate favouring a small Hawthorn  with no leaves and the banking to the right

same area 4 Linnet and a flock of Goldfinch adult and Juveniles

Birds of note.

Single Raven over. Green Woodpecker showing well for at least 20 mins in quarry. Chiffchaff. Swallow. Tufted Duck (9 on Kitcliffe Res).

Early morning. Piethorne Res. Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Swallow, Singing Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Old House Grounds), Green Woodpecker (wood opposite Water Treatment Works).

Afternoon walk. 
Birds of note - Tufted Duck and Grey Heron - Kitcliffe Res. Willow Warbler, Green Woodpecker (seen and heard in woods opposite water treatment plant).  Male Stonechat, Stunning male Linnet. Mistle Thrush family.

Green Woodpecker heard. Blackcap and Common Whitethroat heard. Common Sandpiper. Grey Heron. Reed Bunting. 2x Oystercatcher.

 

Sunday 23rd January 2022

The Barnacle Goose flew in to fields on the south side of the Piethorne Valley at 11:55am with c100 Canada Geese, during the early afternoon it was on the fields that are out of sight from the public footpaths - due to undulating topography - and then at 2:45pm flew onto Ogden Reservoir with the Canada Goose flock

c50 Fieldfare
5 Greenfinches

Walk around Kitcliffe and Piethorne Reservoirs this afternoon (14:10 - 16:00)

Kitcliffe Reservoir
1 Barnacle Goose - later moved to fields above Odgen Reservoir
12 Teal
4 Goosander
3 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron

Piethorn Reservoir Area
1 Cormorant

Odgen Reservoir Area
c88 Canada Goose

Barnacle Goose photographed on Kitcliffe Reservoir this afternoon

Walk around Kitcliffe and Piethorne Reservoirs this afternoon (14:00 - 16:00)

Kitcliffe Reservoir
1 Willow Warbler
2 Tufted Duck
2 Green

Piethorn Reservoir Area
2 Willow Warbler
1 Pied Wagtail

Norman Hill Reservoir Area
1m Red-breasted Merganser
1m Reed Bunting
2 Skylark
4 Meadow Pipit

elsewhere
1m Stonechat

Walk around Ogden and Piethorne Reservoirs this morning 09.00-10.30.

3 male Ring Ouzel on moorland opposite Kitcliffe Res. 

9 Fieldfare, 2 Raven, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit

3 Tufted Duck - Kitcliffe Res.

 

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 8th of April 2021 12:14:38 PM

Drake Red-breasted Merganser Piethorne Reservoir but flew off at 10:08am - still paired up with a female Goosander

Also in the Piethorne Valley 3 additional Goosanders (1 drake), 3 drake Tufted Ducks, 2 Cormorants and 1 Great Crested Grebe

-- Edited by James Walsh on Sunday 7th of March 2021 11:15:37 AM

Drake Red-breasted Merganser Piethorne Reservoir with female Goosander