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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> Cheshire and The Wirral -> Risley Moss
Post Info TOPIC: Risley Moss
Dennis atherton


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RE: Risley Moss
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hobby present most of the afternoon, not doing much though, just perched up most of the time very distant though, yellowhammers singing, loads of lesser black backed flying over, also green sandpiper and sparrowhawk made a few appearences, hoping for a good hooby shot but too far away

smile.gif

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Ian Moran


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Had my first visit in over ten years today and saw some good stuff.

1 Water rail - On the edge of the reeds and occasionally swimming on the small pool to the right of the tower hide.wink.gif
1/2 Hobbies - Flying and resting in the distant trees, scoped well.
1 Raven
1 Yellowhammer
2 Bullfinch
1 Common tern
1 Whitethroat
1 Lapwing

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Jonathan Platt


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Hobby arrived around 2.30pm today, there were two kicking about earlier apparently. There's been a bit more hobby activity in the past several days compared to recent weeks, they seemed to disappear around 2nd week in June. I saw two last Thursday and they've been seen over the weekend too. At least three male yellowhammers have been singing on the moss for weeks now. A female was definately there in spring but hasn't been seen for a couple of months, no sign of any juveniles either.

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Dennis atherton


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No hobbys again today,


buzzards, kestrel, sparrowhawk, also the local yellowhammer in its favorite tree, whitethroats singing, reed bunting, chiffchaff, willow warblers,

quiet day today cry.gif

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Nik Grounds


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11am - 1pm 13/6/10

Visit to Tower Hide

2 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk
4 Swifts
1 Swallow
2 House Martins
2 Chaffinches
2 Blackcaps singing
1 Yellowhammer singing
1 Chiff Chaff singing
Plenty of Whitethroats singing
1 Jay
4 Blackbirds
2 Song Thrushes

No Hobbies cry.gif


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JOHN TYMON


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early pm
hobby-2
buzzard-2
kestrel-1
yellowhammer-2
family party og greater spotted woodpecker
smile.gif

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Dennis atherton


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three hobbies this afternoon hunting dragonflys ont moss, also kestrel, buzzard, sparrowhawk, female marsh harrier, a water rail in the pool to the right front of the tower, also whitethroats, chiffchaff and yellowhammers smile.gifsmile.gif

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Monday 31st of May 2010 05:46:58 PM

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Jonathan Platt


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A hobby and a female marsh harrier on the moss between 3.30-5.00pm today. Earlier a turtle dove, seen by several observers (though not me unfortunately), flew across the moss. Otherwise, usual buzzards, a couple of sparrowhawks (one mobbing the marsh harrier) and a kestrel.

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Dennis atherton


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Nice to meet you Stuart, i am glad you got the hobby, i must of missed Mel B, i always miss the stars when they come to town, biggrin.gif

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stuartherring


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only one hobby this afternoon but i got one at last , heard yellowhamer and whitethroat plenty of dragonflies around in the sweltering heat nice to meet dennis atherton and as for the question nikon or canon you know what they say "IF ANYONE CAN CANON CAN"wink.gifwink.gif

-- Edited by stuartherring on Sunday 23rd of May 2010 07:47:00 PM

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Melanie Beckford


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Approx' three Hobby's around today, great sights biggrin.gif

Never saw the Dragonfly eating Kestrel though hmm.gif

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Raymond Ashcroft


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Tues 18th May

Two Hobbies showing early afternoon - along with 5 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and the Dragonfly chasing Kestrel

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Jonathan Platt


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Four hobbies over the moss at dinner time, along with a dragonfly-catching kestrel just to cause a little confusion!

Edit: Make that six - I've just had a text from one of the birders there.

-- Edited by Jonathan Platt on Monday 17th of May 2010 02:17:00 PM

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Jonathan Platt


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Female marsh harrier again on the moss at 4.00pm-ish, it was also seen earlier. Two hobbies were seen earlier too apparently.

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Jonathan Platt


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A female marsh harrier was on the moss for the hour I was there this afternoon, though it spent most of the time on the ground. A raven flew west, several buzzards and sparrowhawks on the soar and a yellowhammer was singing.

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Jonathan Platt


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sid ashton wrote:

13.30 - 15.15, Overcast

Risley Moss today was a bit like sea-watching without the sea and the birds disbelief.gif

No sign of the recent Cuckoo or much else - certainly no raptors - just the usual birders including Jonathan Platt - so at least there was someone to chat to wink.gif.




Hi Sid,

Just come back from a wander around Silver Lane Pools, perhaps half a mile away from Risley - two cuckoos seen twice flying over the largest pool and the landfill. Typical!

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Dennis atherton


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I know what you mean, sometimes risley can be a baron desolate place..............cry.gif

sid ashton wrote:

13.30 - 15.15, Overcast

Risley Moss today was a bit like sea-watching without the sea and the birds disbelief.gif

No sign of the recent Cuckoo or much else - certainly no raptors - just the usual birders including Jonathan Platt - so at least there was someone to chat to wink.gif.





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sid ashton


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13.30 - 15.15, Overcast

Risley Moss today was a bit like sea-watching without the sea and the birds disbelief.gif

No sign of the recent Cuckoo or much else - certainly no raptors - just the usual birders including Jonathan Platt - so at least there was someone to chat to wink.gif.

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stuartherring


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first visit in search of a hobby not to be but saw my 1st cuckoo for years ,2 buzzard,2 sparrowhawk,1 whitethroat,1 bullfinch(M) and 2 gsw will visit again when it warms up a bit moresmile.gifsmile.gif

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Dennis atherton


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saturday dinner time, mmm

yellowhammers from feeding station plus the usuals, also a quite tame jay,

from tower, red kite flew over this week, seen by the infamous last of the summer wine birdwatchers crew, biggrin.gif i think it was brian who came up with that name smile.gif

also today cuckoo ont moss plus whitethroat and a inquisitive chiffchaff right on the fence near us, also reed bunting and a couple of buzzards, biggrin.gif

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Dennis atherton


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afternoon, buzzard over, water rail from tower hide, nuthatches from feeding station, great pecker drumming, the first hobby was seen this week but none today, also marsh harrier this week too, little ringed plovers over moss

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Jonathan Platt


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A cuckoo appeared on the moss this afternoon. It was perched in the owl box oak tree around 2.30pm.

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Jonathan Platt


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Peregrine over the moss and a barn owl showing at the entrance to the owl box this afternoon.

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Pete Welch


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I thought I saw a distant harrier this afternoon flying low over the last field between the end of the mosses area and the M6. just south of the railway line - but dismissed it as probably a buzzard [which are plentiful] - must get some spare bins to leave at work! Have been lucky enough to see Sprawk, Buzzard, Kestrel and Hobby [the latter hunting over the trees which line the railway last summer] all from the office windows!

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Jonathan Platt


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2.00-3.00pm

A peregrine was circling over the NE end of the moss this afternoon before drifting off to the SW. Ten minutes before I arrived a female marsh harrier had risen from the moss and also flew off SW. Apparently it had a damaged leg which was visibly hanging as the bird flew by. Three short-eared owls were flushed on Monday morning by someone doing survey work on the moss, and a new barn owl appears to have taken up residency in the owl box - it was seen hunting last Sunday and yesterday.

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Jonathan Platt


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A ring-tailed hen harrier swept across the moss around 3.00pm, from south to north, and appeared to land in the NE corner. Apparently this is the fourth day in succession it's made an appearance, usually between 2-3pm. Also two sparrowhawks, at least three buzzards and a kestrel in the hour I was there. A lesser-spotted woodpecker was seen last week by several of the regular birders.

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Dennis atherton


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3rd

loads of woodpecker action, the great spotteds were all hammering away around the woods, nuthatch on show all day from the feeding station hide with all the usuals, no bramblings or siskins yet

kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzards from the tower

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John O'Neill


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Sat 2nd Jan
4 Woodcocks in air at once, at dusk. Prob 6 seen in all.

Tawny Owl calling.

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Gary Gorner


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quick visit , enjoyed the hide at the feeding station with nuthatch,willow tit,coal tit,great,blue and long tailed tits all showing very close to the hide.Robins were busy bossing one another and at least 10 blackbirds and 4 magpies.
nothing much from the tower hide 2 sparrowhawk and some very distant gulls oh and a read buntingbiggrin.gif

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Jimmy Meadows


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Not great weather this afternoon
Juv Green Woodpecker
2 Sparrowhawks
1 Kestrel
White Winged Carrion Crow

and plenty of rain showers

Cheers Jimmy

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Pete Welch


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Found three Green Sands at Risley Moss this afternoon on a ridge of exposed peat 150m front and left of the tower hide [quite chuffed to find something on me own as it were!] and then let some other birders know who in return kindly pointed out the Hobby and let me watch it through one of their scopes. A friendly bunch so thanks if you're on here! Peter

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Nick Isherwood


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Called in at Risley Moss yesterday with the hope of seeing a hobby or two. Unfortunately they didn't put in an appearance while I was there. Did have close views of a very vocal Garden Warbler though at the side of the tower hide.


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sid ashton


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Risley Moss today 11.45 - 13.00 excellent views of two possibly three Hobby. One of the birds was quite brown - perhaps one of last year's youngsters.

P.S. - Anyone going should remember the strange opening times, 9 - 5 during the week, 10 - 6 at the weekend and closed Fridays - just as well these Hobbys come out in the middle of the day wink.gifwink.gif



-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 4th of June 2009 04:36:15 PM

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sid ashton


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Yep Melanie me too - it was a year to the day that they appeared last year - and if I remember it was always late morning/early afternoon as best viewing times - we shall see.

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Phil Owen


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Thanks Melanie,

I'll have to give it a visit soon.



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Melanie Beckford


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Phil Owen wrote:

Anybody know if the Hobbies have returned there yet??

Maybe worth a trip there soon!!





Yeah l saw a couple of Hobbies on Sunday morning the moment l arrived approx 10.30 (ish),literally when l got there one was flying around and stayed all morning till noon.

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Phil Owen


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Anybody know if the Hobbies have returned there yet??

Maybe worth a trip there soon!!

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John O'Neill


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If you do visit Risley Moss again at around this time of year, if you wait until it starts to go dark, you have a good chance of seeing Woodcock. They seem to fly over the Moss right in front of the Tower Hide most evenings if the weather is clear.

Beware, though...the gates to the car park are locked at 5pm !!

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Geoff Walton


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Thanks for that Sid.smile.gif

Geoff

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sid ashton


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Geoff you need to visit Risley early June when the Hobys first arrive and then again in August when hopefully the young are around as well.

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Geoff Walton


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First ever visit today, and apart from the Woodland Hide, saw nothing at all - Not one bird whilst walking and nothing from the Tower.

The Woodland Hide was the redeeming factor.
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Robin
Sparrow
GS Woodpecker on the broken Silver Birch post
Jay
LT Tit
Willow Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Reed Buting

All that was nice, but don't think we will drive there again unless we combine it with pennington or Chat Moss


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Steven Nelson


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Little Egret on the mossland at about midday today. No sign of hobbies but couldn't stay very long.

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Mike Baron


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Eric Finch wrote:

Hi Mike - was that you with the border collie then? Thinking of going back today armed with a dragonfly ID book - I think common darters, a few black darters and southern hawkers may have been all on show, but since found out Risley has upto 15 species of dragonfly/damselfly! idea.gif Definitely need to brush up on ID skills for these.





Hi Eric

That was me - nice meeting you. Haven't a clue on dragonflies - I see plenty around my local patch - Houghton Green Flash - but never take the time to learn to ID them.

Good luck

Mikesmile.gif

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Eric Finch


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Hi Mike - was that you with the border collie then? Thinking of going back today armed with a dragonfly ID book - I think common darters, a few black darters and southern hawkers may have been all on show, but since found out Risley has upto 15 species of dragonfly/damselfly! idea.gif Definitely need to brush up on ID skills for these.

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Mike Baron


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Eric

I suspect I was there at the same time as you this morning late on?

A second Hobby showed later but distant.

Mike

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Eric Finch


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24.08.08 - Great views of an Hobby - probably just the one today. Generally good for raptors with 2+ buzzards, a kestrel and 4 sparrowhawks visible at the same time. Large amount of dragonflies about too. Not so many hirundines today and no swifts sighted.

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Gary Gorner


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23.08.08
sunny day and loads of raptors
2 hobby
8 buzzard
3 kestrel
3 sparrowhawk

loads of fodder about ie dragonflies and swallows
heard willow warbler and chiff chaff callingbiggrin.gif

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sid ashton


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Two Hobby showing this afternoon (14.30ish) - one tatty adult with missing wing feather close to the tower and probable juv far left corner at tip end of moss.

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sid ashton


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Thought I'd make my 100th posting on the forum a good un - was watching at least two Hobby for about two hours 11.30 - 13.30 catching dragon flies etc - at the same time in discussion with one of the local guys (Pete H) who predicted that this was the best time to view the birds when they first arrived in June. There was also a Water Rail calling but we didn't see it.

PS thanks for the chat Pete - hope that you sorted your video out!!!

Sid

-- Edited by sid ashton at 21:22, 2008-08-06

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Rob Smallwood


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The kite was reported Sunday morning also - if it is lingering in the area it may be straying on to the Manchester Mosses?

I tried a couple of hours graveyard shift Sunday afternoon - with the inevitable negative results!

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