Bill,

when you have finished with the diver, could you please sent it on its way over the hill to Castleshaw.

Cheers.

Hi Neil

if it is one of the Hollingworth Lake birds at Ogden, then it is heading in the right direction for Norfolk. Have you had a Great Northern on the Nunnery Lake?

Steve

27th October.

A small flock of 7 Siskin flying about the lower valley this morning. 1 Lesser Redpoll over.

Also there appeared to have been a small influx of Goldcrest into the valley. In some of the previous years this has been a really substantial influx and October is the month that this usually occurs, when birds can sometimes be seen and heard along the whole length of the large conifer plantation in the lower valley. The elusive nature of these tiny birds and the fact that they are well spread out makes counting the numbers of these arrivals quite difficult but numbers must be substantially into double-figures. Today "only" 7 or 8 concentrated at one end of the plantation. Maybe the larger influx is yet to come?........ isn't the folklore that they are supposed to arrive on the backs of the continental Woodcocks that spend the winter here! Hence their nickname of "The Woodcock's Pilot". What a lovely image that conjures up... I can see them now, sat on the backs of the bigger birds - all wearing tiny little pairs of goggles as they cross the North Sea! A Treecreeper was amongst the Goldcrest today.

Also c40 Redwing moving east and 4 Fieldfare not quite certain which direction to take! 11+ Long-tailed Tits.

Cheers,

Bill.

15th & 16th October.

15th - 7.30 to 9.30.

Still a flock of c25 Linnet in the valley. 1 Kingfisher. 4 Goosander.

c64 Redwing west, c33 Fieldfare west.

Also on both 15th and 16th three figure counts of winter thrushes down in the valley feeding. Mostly Fieldfares with just small numbers of Redwings and Starlings although there was one Redwing flock in one of the plantations of c40 birds. A female Sparrowhawk was hunting the new arrivals on 15th! Small numbers of heard but unseen Skylarks passing over on both days.

16th - 7.30 - 11.00.

2 Ravens - not a pair - in dispute and after a brief skirmish they went in opposite directions. c15 Common Gull, 9 Reed Buntings.

Cheers,

Bill.

12th October.

A single Fieldfare amongst the large flock of Mistle Thrush this morning.

c5 Redwing, 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Goldcrest and 6+ Linnet - including one in song! Lesser Redpoll and Siskin both heard in flight.

Bill.

2nd October.

A flock of 22 Mistle Thrush feeding with a slightly smaller number of Starlings in the drizzle shrouded valley this morning.

Last Swallows reported on 26/9.

Cheers,

Bill.

18th September.

Morning visit - 8.00 - 11.30.

Chilly very early on - but not too cool for c(h)ats! ... 2 Wheatear, 5 Stonechat, 2 Whinchat and there seemed to be plenty more Robins about than usual as well.

Also - plenty of migrant Chiffchaffs passing through the valley - 3 singing and other parties of 2 and 3 birds seen. Other birds on the move - Meadow Pipits absolutely everywhere in the valley - the largest party seen was of about 40 expending all their nervous energy chasing after a Kestrel.... but there will have been three figure numbers in the valley. Also 4 Skylarks present.

Singles of - Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Dipper, Goldcrest, Siskin, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck (male) and Song Thrush.

There was a female Pheasant with what appeared to be 5 well grown young - although they did seem to be a bit too approachable.... it made me wonder if they might have been releases? A pair of Collared Doves were with 1 juvenile.

Now down to the last 8 Swallows!

Cheers,

Bill.

A nice walk around the valley but head down looking for fungi rather than birds, still a few things

Green Woodpecker - 2 around Kitcliffe
Raven
40+ Goldfinch on hillside N of Kitcliffe
25+ Meadow Pipit in same area.

Wildlife sightings on the wildlife forum.

Dave

2 green sand pipers , 2 lrp,4 teal and a female sparrowhawk hunting finches and swallows/martins over the kitcliffe edges brilliant

29th August.

A flock of c70 Linnet - an exceptional count for here! - foraging on weeds/wild flowers on the drained floor of Kitcliffe Reservoir.

A few Chiffchaff about - one seen and one heard singing weakly. One or maybe even two Green Woodpeckers?

A Swallow was still visiting a nest site.

Far too windy and cloudy to practice my photographic "skills". Thank goodness!

Cheers,

Bill.

Hi Mike,

A warm welcome to the Greater Manchester area and also to Ian's top-notch GM birding website and forum.

I keep a monthly record of all the bird sightings at Piethorne and hope it is in order for me to include your excellent records from today in the August '09 log.

I think I might have spotted you on the north side of the valley in mid to late afternoon. Other birders are quite scarce at Piethorne - so you tend to notice them! Don't know if you spotted me but I was the half-wit stood at the side of Kitcliffe Reservoir trying to digiscope some birds but with the flash on the camera repeatedly going off in bright sunlight! Just can't get the hang of this photography lark - mind you I did manage to get some incredibly rubbish photos of some really blurred distant blobs! After I had wasted my time downloading them from the camera on to my computer I have a suspicion the "birds" I snapped might actually have been stones!! It was hard to tell either way!!!

Hope you enjoy your visits to other GM bird watching sites. As a general rule of thumb I think the further west you go the more variety and greater numbers you are likely to see. Details of many local sites can be found on this website under the banner "County Birding sites and Maps" on the home page. Have been meaning to try and produce a site guide for Piethorne for Ian but the only (?) thing that's holding me back is the lack of some decent photos to accompany it!! Honest!

Best wishes,

Bill.


-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 27th of August 2009 08:20:34 PM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 27th of August 2009 08:21:59 PM

24th August.

Visit early morning - hoping the overnight grimy weather might have brought something different in. A few scoter maybe or some different waders.....no such luck!

A Tree Pipit flew north(?) calling.
Now 2 Teal.

Still no records yet this year for Piethorne for either Redstart or Spotted Flycatcher which have been annual vistors here over the last few years....and time is running out.

Cheers,

Bill.

Thanks for the Dave!

Re the local christmas lights - have also subsequently heard that the council has put them up so all faiths and beliefs can benefit from them. Fair enough, I'm all in favour of equality.....except I just can't quite bring to mind which religion it is that has a penguin on skis as part of its religious and spiritual beliefs!

Bill.



-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 23rd of August 2009 06:02:19 PM

23rd August.

Regular daily visits to keep an eye on a few things over the last week or so has found the following:-

Green Sandpipers (on Kitcliffe Reservoir) have remained there since the first sighting on 7/8. Numbers have ebbed and flowed, with max 5 on both 12th and 13th. 4 yesterday and today (23/8).

Kitcliffe Reservoir has been low for several months and the floor is now covered with numerous weeds (I'm sorry what I really meant to say was wild flowers! ) - Linnet numbers have built up to what is really good counts for here - today 23/8 - c45 feeding on Common Sorrell Rumex acetosa seeds.

A juvenile Teal has been on Kitcliffe the last three days.

A single adult Little Grebe on Hanging Lees Res. this afternoon.

2 Skylarks this morning were presumably migrants, with the valleys summer resident birds having been gone for a few weeks now.

On 21st August a Sparrowhawk flying over one of the reservoir overflow drains put up a party of c10 Grey Wagtails.

Always good numbers of Goldfinch and Swallows in the valley at this time of year - with c140 Goldfinch on 22/8 and 130+ Swallows today (23/8).

At the "top end" of the valley there is a well known local alpaca farm. Walking across the fields here this afternoon I was watched by numerous pairs of camelid eyes. There were some absolutely beautiful jet black ones in the fields today and also some cute looking young ones , which apparently are called cria. Not many birds up here but these certainly made up for it!

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 23rd of August 2009 04:58:30 PM

21st August.

Plenty of interesting birds in the valley this morning.

Nice to catch up with Pat and Maggie Culkin again.

Always feel a bit sad at this time of the year, when my favourite birding time - the breeding season - is coming to an end. The feeling that it was all coming to an end rather too quickly was heightened when driving through Milnrow on the way home I noticed that the local council had put up the Christmas street lights! Honest.... on 21st August!!

Therefore, can I be the first to say a very Merry Christmas to all!

Cheers,

Bill.

13th August.

5 Green Sandpipers in close proximity on Kitcliffe this afternoon.

Looking through my collection of old local birding records, this would appear to be a record count for Rochdale MBC?

Cheers,

Bill.

10th August.

3 Green Sandpipers this morning on Kitcliffe Res. Isn't it just typical... you wait absolutely ages for one to turn up, then three turn up at once!

Begging sounds of young Linnets heard and a few Siskins still flying about.

Cheers,

Bill.

3rd August.

For the first time in several months spent a good few hours in the valley today and really enjoyed the good weather and some decentish sightings. Mind you - didn't spend quite as long as Riggers marathon session of 11hrs and 35 mins at Castleshaw on 24/7. What was that all about then Mark?- someone slash your tyres? and super-glue the soles of your shoes to the reservoir road? and also inject and overdose you with a muscle relaxant? - surely these can be the only possible reasons for such madness.... er I mean epic and worthy feat of endurance!

Anyway today and for the last couple of days there have been a few Siskins and Lesser Redpolls flying about. Indeed a Lesser Redpoll was displaying yesterday! - bit late for that sort of stuff mate!

A Green Woodpecker was yaffling and a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker seen. A Chiffchaff was singing and also in the last couple of days a small number of Willow Warblers have recommenced singing - albeit it rather weakly and half-heartedly. Have ofter wondered if these late season singers are this years fledged young, which might be getting in a bit of early practice for next year? After all if young birds can call after they have recently fledged - why is not possible that they might be able to sing after a short time too? When do birds actually learn to sing? One to think on maybe? - unless anyone knows the answer!

Two Chaffinches put on a great display of flycatching in the style of Spotted Flycatchers! Really energetic, twisting airborne sorties to pick off flies out of mid-air before returning to a perch. Also watched a female Chaffinch feeding a begging juvenile 10 times in approx. 3 or 4 minutes - the female had no trouble just shuffling along branches and picking off insects at will and feeding her grateful juvenile.

A covey of 9 Grey Partridge consisted of 2 adults and 7 juveniles. Plenty of other young birds about - begging Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Robin & Pied Wagtail. 3 independent juvenile Stonechats and 3 Wheatears included a juvenile. A flock of 8 Mistle Thrush rested on a pylon.

c40 Swallows and c10 House Martins. Like at many other locations in GM this year, House Martins have been pretty scarce and have not bred in the valley this year.

3 Kestrels hovered together over a small area of moorland. Probably a family party? Sat and enjoyed watching them for a while. Got me to idly thinking..... so there you are as a young Kestrel sat very comfortably in your nest on a cliff face or on the ledge of a disused factory, being regularly fed by you parents and then all of a sudden bang .... you are "turfed out" and have to learn to hover in a stiff breeze, whilst keeping your head very still all the while trying to spot some tiny rodent sneaking through some long grass 50 or so feet below you!! What a culture shock!!

Cheers,

Bill.




-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 3rd of August 2009 08:38:00 PM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 3rd of August 2009 08:44:06 PM

11th and 14th July.

Small numbers of heard but unseen Siskins in the valley on these two dates. These small summer influxes of this species appears to becoming a regular occurence? - they were also present in small numbers briefly in late June & early July of last year.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Tuesday 14th of July 2009 07:50:20 PM

Had a Garden Warbler singing around lunchtime in the lower valley today- and went back around teatime and bizzarly saw it bathing in a nearby stream (assuming its the same one!)
Also present
2 male Blackcap
Male & female Bullfinch
20 Sand Martin
2 Oystercatcher
Grey wagtail
And tits etc

Cheers
Steve

There are a few pairs at the mo in the Naden Valley, at least 2, but far fewer than usual - havent seen them in a while around AMR.

Dave

-- Edited by David Winnard on Monday 20th of April 2009 09:07:06 PM

BBGM ( 1984 ) states that cold weather exterminates Stonechats - there were 8 breeding sites 1974-8 but only one in 1979 after a cold winter and none breeding in the period of the atlas (1979-83). After this winter just gone, I think we can only expect them to have been knocked back - Colin found none today in the Naden valley, either. However I know of a pair on territory in the Leigh area, so they survived (they bred there last year too).

eveng visit 19 April ( 5.pm - 7.45pm)

4 wheatears - all at the eastern end of valley (Norman Hill & Hanging Lees res's.) also a single Ring Ouzel in the field immediately west of the old quarry on the south side of the valley, above where the building cabins were - GR 964123.

+ all the usual suspects

Sunday 13 8.30-9.30
Had a Buzzard behind Ogden Res watched it for sometime before it was seen off by a pair of Curlews. Willow warblers in good numbers also a few Swallows about.

Dave Phillips