38 species this morn on the lower half transect along Prospect Lane for a BBS survey (upper transect now seems to be in Network Rail "trespass=fine" territory.

Black-headed Gull

Blackbird

Blackcap

Blue Tit

Bullfinch

Buzzard

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

Chiffchaff

Collared Dove

Coot

Dunnock

Goldfinch

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Grey Heron

House Sparrow

Jackdaw

Lapwing

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Linnet

Mallard

Pheasant

Raven

Red-legged Partridge

Robin

Sedge Warbler

Skylark

Song Thrush

Starling

Stock Dove

Swallow

Tufted Duck

Whitethroat

Woodpigeon

Wren

Yellow Wagtail

Yellowhammer

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Friday 26th of May 2023 09:20:16 PM

Walk from 6am-9am around Prospect Lane, Hollybush Lane, Claypits and environs. Main purpose was to survey habitats for upcoming BBS Survey as Prospect Lane is one of my transects but I did have in the back of my mind reports of Hoopoe in that area.

Highlights, two Northern Wheatear (m,f) one Male Fieldfare in Summer Plumage, four Red-legged Partridge, Sparrowhawk, three Linnet, three Yellow Wagtail (2m,f) (all Prospect Lane or North of in fields or by railway), Pink-footed Goose with Greylag and Canada south of Woodend Lane, and on the return from Hollybush Lane three Yellowhammer (2m,f), two Tree Sparrow on Prospect Lane. 

Absolute highlight, as the morning mist cleared and the frost lifted at 6:30am at the end of Prospect Lane there were visible to the naked eye at least 11 Skylarks, six or seven singing at once a gorgeous cacophony of sound in clear crisp air.

No Hoopoe on the morning visit...... .....can't twitch 'em all.

10.30-13.30

Rixton Clay Pits NR/Moat Lane Fishing Pools:

1 Kestrel, 2 Teal (M+F), 8 Tufted Ducks, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Nuthatches (1 carrying food),

3 singing Chiffchaffs, 2 singing Greenfinches and several sizeable bachelor groups of drake Mallards.

Flooded former sand quarry alongside Moat Lane(Viewed through the metal gate):

2 Little Grebes, 2 adult Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 1 Buzzard.

Woodend Lane/Holly Bush Lane/Prospect Lane circular walk:

2 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Grey Partridges, 10 Skylarks, 24 Lapwings, 4 Stock Doves,

1 Collared Dove, 2 singing Greenfinches and 3 singing Chiffchaffs. A Willow Warbler was heard singing

briefly near the fishing pools alongside Woodend Lane.

A flock of 26 Linnets rested on overhead wires by the specially seeded area at the junction of Woodend and Holly Bush Lanes.

10.30-14.30

Rixton Clay Pits NR: 1 Peregrine (Chased a group of Woodpigeons but not seen to catch one), 1 Sparrowhawk,

1 Kestrel, 1 Treecreeper (Amongst a flock of Long-tailed Tits), 14 Shovelers (Total for NR and adjoining larger pool),

4 Tufted Ducks, 1m+1f Bullfinches, 1 Kingfisher and a single Teal.

Small groups of Redwings and Blackbirds were seen feasting on berries on many of the tall ivy covered trees.

Flooded former sand quarry alongside Moat Lane (Viewed through the metal gate): 1 Little Grebe, 7 Tufted Ducks and

a group of 6 very noisy Grey Herons that aggressively chased each other around the pool.

Woodend Lane/Holly Bush Lane/Prospect Lane circular walk: 1 Kestrel (Over former tip), 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Song Thrushes,

2 Grey Partridges, 2 Collared Doves, 3 Grey Herons, a flock of 7 Skylarks and a group of 12 Greenfinches.

A flock of 250+ Lapwings were on the arable fields, no sign yet of any trying to set-up a territory.

Oddly no buzzards were to be found anywhere, apart from a single bird seen by the nearby A57/M6 interchange.

230922...a wander with Team Friday...a circuit from Moat Lane 1000-1215

180 Linnet

9 Grey Partridge

85 Lapwing

2 Stonechat....Pair

30 Goldfinch

2 Wheatear

32 Skylark

12 Reed Bunting

4 Tree Sparrow

6 Swallow

1 Grey wagtail

10 Chiffchaff.

Visit early am (+ previous visit three weeks ago) for BB survey along Prospect Lane Transect, species list observed as follows:

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Grey Heron

Kestrel

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mistle Thrush

Pheasant

Reed Bunting

Reed Warbler

Robin

Buzzard

Dunnock

Long-tailed Tit

Stock Dove

Wren

Yellowhammer

Canada Goose

House Sparrow

Magpie

Collared Dove

Moorhen

Starling

Mallard

Tree Sparrow

Whitethroat

Blackbird

Black-headed Gull

Goldfinch

Linnet

Yellow Wagtail

Carrion Crow

Skylark

Wheatear

Lapwing

Swift

Swallow

Woodpigeon

Rixton Clay Pits   14:00 to 16:00. First visit here - Visitor Centre open but car park shut!

Of note :- Coal Tit; Long-Tailed Tit; Pied Wagtail; 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker; Reed Bunting; Goldcrest;

                Goldfinch; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Chiffchaff; Nuthatch; Treecreeper; Redwing;

                Cormorant; Greylag Goose; Sparrowhawk & Buzzard.   

10.30-14.00

Rixton Clay Pits NR : 2 Buzzards, 2m+1f Shovelers, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch, 6 Cormorants, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel,

4 Gadwall and 1 Sparrowhawk (Flying very fast along Moat Lane just a couple of feet from the ground).

Woodend Lane/Holly Bush Lane/Prospect Lane circular walk : 2 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, 1 Redwing, 5 Fieldfares, 1 Stonechat,

a flock of 60+ Chaffinches (On what appears to be a specially seeded area at the junction of Holly Bush and Woodend Lanes),

a flock of 52 Lapwings and a single Mistle Thrush.

Also a group of 10 Song Thrushes which appeared to be migrants as they were close to the Fieldfares and a small flock of Starlings.

24 Moorhens were seen around the fishing pools, 17 of them in a single group.

Rixton Moss
3 Grey Partridge in field alongside A57 this morning.

Had high hopes of finding a Yellow Wagtail today but it was not to be. A distant pair of Yellowhammer feeding on the ground on a freshly tilled field had me going for a second but still a pleasing find nevertheless. There were at least 3 Wheatear enjoying the productive new ground and still a few Linnet in the patch of last years crop that has presumably been left for them. As usual the main feature was the Lapwings and Skylarks. The odd Tree Sparrow was in the bushes near the farm buildings and Chiffchaffs near the fishing pools. The Green Sandpiper was still on the pool up near the greenhouses behind the tip along with a couple of Shelduck.

Lovely day wandering around the Moss' lanes today. As well as the many Lapwings & singing Skylarks, my highlights were 2 Grey Partridge skulking on the far fringe of one of the fields, a sizeable flock of busy Linnets, my first Chiffchaff of the year and an unexpected Green Sandpiper I discovered whilst exploring off the footpath beyond the refuse site.

Closest thread for this:

Walk along Manchester Ship Canal - Hollins Green to Rixton as far as R.Mersey

1 Raven
182 Tufted Duck
2 Goosander- pair
7 Pochard
12 Gadwall
21 Mallard
3 Great Crested Grebe
6 Cormorant
24 Greylag Geese
70 Canada Geese
12 Mute Swan
25 Coot
2 Moorhen
Feeding flock of 100+ Chaffinch and 20+ Linnet
3 Bullfinch
1 Goldcrest
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel

Wellies essential!

Rixton Moss today, with Les Jones and Derek Britch

Barn Owl, Merlin, 4 Kestrel, 5 Buzzard, Common Snipe, 4 Tree Sparrow,

75 Skylark, 40 Linnet, 30 Lapwing, 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Raven, 2 Reed Bunting,

11 Meadow Pipits, 30+ Rooks, 17 Pinkfooted Geese NW.

 

A Rain-swept wander Moat Lane---Woodend Farm---and up to Collier's Tip with Team Friday 0945-1205.

 

1 Green Sandpiper.

16 Magpie

70 Redwing

16 Stock Dove.

2 Kestrel.

2 Nuthatch.

 

Hobby flew by twice towards firing range at the top end of holly hedge lane at 12:30 ish today.

At least 2 pairs of yellow wagtail, swallow, pied wagtail, skylark, lapwing, yellowhammer, tree sparrow, buzzard x3, kestrel, linnet, song thrush, pheasent.

4 yellow wagtail including a pair with a young bird. Yellowhammer Skylark Linnet Whitethroat Grey Partridge x5 Reed Bunting Grey wagtail Buzzard Kestrel Lapwing Brilliant highlight was a Garden Warbler in full song in the scrub area up by where the railway line splits rixton moss from Risley Moss. Park on the dirt track that runs up to the shooting range and walk along the edges of the field into the far back corner. Where the wooded area is split by an area of scrub from the farmland. The joys of exploring on a beautiful day!

Sightings from today Included:

1 Little Ringed Plover

1 Snipe

1 Green Sandpiper

2 Yellow wagtail

2 Wheatear

1 Reed Warbler

3 Chiffchaff

8 Willow Warbler

42 Linnet

Info thanks to Dave Steel

Great to connect with 4 Wheatears today on the newly ploughed fields. Lapwings & Skylarks on territories everywhere on the Moss farmland. Tree Sparrows in the bushes near the farmhouses. 2 Oystercatchers and a Shelduck by the pond/flood in one of the fields and a few Stock Doves in the same area. Buzzards and Kestrels were the only raptors on offer today. Disappointed not to connect with any Yellowhammers or Grey Partridges today. However really good to find 50+ Fieldfare descending from the windbreak conifers onto the stubble field. I love it when the incoming and outgoing migrants overlap at the same location.

That shooting range over by the railway line has really taken the shine off the place for me though. Even midweek there is one car after another, arriving or leaving, all throwing great clouds of dust up as they pass. It used to be such a quiet, peaceful place.

-- Edited by Paul Flackett on Thursday 28th of March 2019 10:49:05 PM

-- Edited by Paul Flackett on Thursday 28th of March 2019 10:54:03 PM

Rixton moss 2 x Raven 3 x Bullfinch 1 x stonechat (on woodpile on Hollybush lane) Huge winter feeding flock in freshly ploughed carrot field - 131 x Fieldfare, 45 x Redwing, 42 x Chaffinch, 3 x Brambling, 8 x yellowhammer, 5 x Pied Wagtail, 22 x blackbird, 3 x song thrush, 155 x starling

Rixton Moss today:

 

410 Starling

440  Skylark

10 Stock Dove

180 Pink-footed Geese flying SE at 12:22

2 Willow Tit

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

14 Grey Partridge 1 Stonechat Skylark Meadow pipit Stonechat Buzzard Kestrel Redwing Fieldfare

Excellent morning birding the rixton moss area. 8 x buzzard sat in the field with the 750 strong lapwing flock at Rixton Old Hall off the A57. Hollyhedge/ prospect lane/ woodend area: Jay Bullfinch Tree sparrow x7 Linnet Yellowhammer winter flock x9 Kestrel Huge finch flocks (gold, green, chaffinch) Reed bunting Skylark Stonechat Pied wagtail Grey wagtail Fieldfare x7 Redwing x30 Mistle Thrush Grey Heron This place is literally packed with birds. Still looking for a regular partner in crime to do this patch or anyone who already does to get in touch.

Rixton Moss today:

 

9 Fieldfare

261 Lapwing

236 Skylark

3 Stonechat

283 Linnet

2 Grey Partridge

2 Grey Wagtail

131 Starling

1 Siskin

1 Cetti's Warbler

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel