Rixton Moss today:

 

5 Yellow Wagtail

61 House Sparrow

56 Linnet

39 Skylark

21 Grey Partridge

7 Yellowhammer

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

Rixton Moss this morning:
4 Yellow Wagtail

Rixton Clay Pits LNR:
3 Garden Warbler singing- managed a fleeting glimpse of one!
2 Sedge Warbler singing and in display flight
1 Nuthatch

Back again today. Worked out well with 3 Corn Buntings and 2 Yellow Wagtails on the circuit, although the latter now spending most of their time hidden in the crops, probably nesting. Great to see juvenile Lapwings wandering around one of the recently sown crop fields. Quite a few Whitethroats seen and a very vocal Yellowhammer.

 

 

Highlights from this morning:

3 Yellow Wagtail

7 Wheatear

1 Corn Bunting in song

28 Lapwing

78 Linnet

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

17.40-19.45

Rixton Clay Pits NR :

3 Grey Herons, 1(m)Goosander (Flew over heading SE), 2 Kestrels, a flock of 6 Bullfinches, 1 Song Thrush (Singing) and 2 Shovelers.

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

A flock of 10 Linnets, A charm of 30 Goldfinches, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Buzzards and 1 Kestrel.

15 Lapwings were scattered around the fields. Lots of Lesser Black Backed and Herring Gulls around the landfill.

Rixton Moss today:

 

4 Grey Partridge

394 Lapwing

15 Linnet

37 Teal

2 Shoveler

11 Fieldfare

290 Starling

100 Skylark

 

Info thanks to Dave Steel

10.30-13.30

Rixton Clay Pits NR : 2 Swifts with a single House Martin flew over the meadow and drifted off to the North. 1 Kestrel.

Circular walk along Woodend Lane to Holly Bush lane and back via Prospect Lane : 1 Hobby seen catching and eating dragonflies over the old tip.

2 Wheatears resting on straw bales, 1 Yellowhammer, a flock of 8 House Sparrows, 5 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, 1 Mistle Thrush and 1 Grey Heron.

Late afternoon visit.

Plenty of long-tailed tits and goldfinch, bullfinches and nuthatches heard calling also. Buzzard soaring over the meadow area also small numbers of house martins here. Little grebe and coot on the waterfowl lake with a grey heron flying over. Spotted flycatcher using the bare hawthorns as a feeding post near the main boardwalk area.

 

15.00-17.00

Prospect Lane

1 Buzzard, 6 Collared Doves and 1 Mistle Thrush. (No sign of any Yellow Wagtails in the area where I had seen them a few days ago).

The Buzzard was sat on a mound seemingly oblivious to the barrage of clay pigeon shooting taking place about 100yds away.

A large flock of Carrion Crows and a few Jackdaws (Oddly I could'nt spot any Rooks amongst them), were settled on the tip and adjoining field, which again was very close to the shooting.

These birds seem to have a death wish, as they would often fly over the area where the shooting was taking place, I thought corvids were clever?.

One bird that appeared to be affected by the shooting was a Swallow, it flew out from a farm outbuilding, but with the first shot the bird bolted back into the building very quickly.

Woodend Lane

1 Kestrel, plus 1 Garden Warbler that was showing well whilst sat on top of a hawthorne hedge.

As in my previous visits recently, there was a steady passage of Swifts throughout, all heading West.

16.00-18.00

Walked from along Prospect Lane to Holly Bush Lane and back via Woodend Lane.

Prospect Lane :

1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Linnets, 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards and 3 Reed Buntings.

1 adult Yellow Legged Herring Gull was amongst the numerous Lesser Black Backed and Herring Gulls, together with 1 Great Black Backed Gull, around the former tip.

Woodend Lane :

1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Grey Heron and 5 Collared Doves.

There was a constant stream of Swifts heading West throughout.

Early afternoon walk in glorious sunshine. Whitethroat brood, female blackcap, willow warbler, green woodpecker and nuthatch heard in the woodland area near the visitor centre.

5.30-8.15pm

Rixton Clay Pits NR

1 Grey Heron and 2 Gadwall on pools.

On the heath most small birds were staying hidden, with only a single Wren really showing.

The main feature here though is the insects, see separate thread.

Prospect Lane

Although the nearby landfill now appears to be capped and covered with plastic sheeting, it still attracts large numbers of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, and with them a single Herring Gull.

The bushes bordering the tip and fishing pools held lots of passerines, mainly finches and buntings. The fence along the Western edge of tip appears to attract small birds too, 3 Yellowhammers, 6 Reed Buntings,

1 Willow Warbler and a Pied wagtail posed here. The bushes by the fishing pools produced 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Tree Sparrow, 3 Greenfinches, 1 Dunnock plus numerous Goldfinches and Reed Buntings.

Surprisingly no Linnets were seen. Collared Doves are seemingly everywhere, and even outnumber Woodpigeons, but everyone is worth a second look as Rixton was the last local stronghold of Turtle Dove.

1 Grey Heron was on the fishing pools, and Black Headed Gulls constantly patrolled overhead.

Woodend Lane

2 Buzzards and 2 Kestrels scanned the fields of newly cut hay.

09.00-11.30

Prospect & Woodend Lane area

3 Yellowhammers, 6 Skylarks, 24 Lapwings, 1 Common Whitethroat, 5 Reed Buntings, 2 Tree Sparrows plus a Chiffchaff that was carrying food near the fishing pools.

1 Lesser Whitethroat singing along Prospect Lane.

Rixton Clay Pits NR

1 Hobby flying over, 1 Kestrel, a pair of Buzzards doing an aerial display, 1 Bullfinch, plus a pair of Coots with 4 young, including 1 young from a previous brood that was almost full grown.

5 Wheatears and a male Stonechat along Woodend Lane this morning. Two Little Ringed Plovers on Moat Lane pools. Also 5 Tree Sparrow, 2 Yellowhammers and 2 Grey Partridge.

Prospect & Woodend Lane area (11.00-13.00)

Farmland : 1 Mistle Thrush, 3 Yellowhammers, 2 Kestrels, 1 Oystercatcher, 3 Skylarks, 1 Raven(Carrying Food), 4 Buzzards & 30 Lapwings (Some brooding).

Fishing Pools & nearby scrub : 6 Tree Sparrows, 3m Blackcaps, 1m+1f Greenfinch, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Sparrowhawk & 1 Grey Heron.

Whitethroats were common throughout. There was also lots of adult Lesser Black Backed & Herring Gulls, plus 30 Rooks around the old tip.

Lots of Swifts high above the farmland, and numerous Swallows skimming the tops of the furrows.

Rixton Moss

1 Yellow Wagtail
1 Wheatear
2 Oystercatcher

Four Yellow Wagtails down Holly Bush Lane (3M 1F) were the highlights today, as well as a Whitethroat down Prospect Lane, 2 Kestrels on farmland. The pools had two Whitethroats in the surrounding shrubbery, four buzzards were up as well. inc three at once.

17.00-19.30

Pleasant stroll from Moat Lane, along Prospect Lane and back along Woodend Lane.

Moat Lane Pool

4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwings and 10 Sand Martins.

Moss Side Farm area

1 Mistle Thrush, 4 Starlings, 1 Song Thrush and 1 Sparrowhawk.

Farmland

1 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Wheatears, 2 Grey Partridges, 3 Buzzards, 1 Skylark, 3 Linnets, 2 Grey Herons, 28 Lapwings, 12 Greenfinches and 4 Collared Doves.

2 Swallows were heading North.

A single Goldcrest was on a mature oak along Moat Lane.

The local keeper stopped for a chat, and said he had released dozens of Grey Partridges in the area about 3yrs ago. He blames their demise on Buzzards and the lack of "Set Aside".

I stated a lack of hedgerows does'nt help, not wishing to get into an heated debate regarding Buzzards. He also expressed his dismay at the disappearence of Little Owls locally,

but stated Barn Owls are still seen regularly. Moorhens seem to be doing well on the fishing lakes, with 6 on one small pool.

09.30-12.00

Prospect Lane

A single flock of 50+ Linnets, 6 Reed Buntings in a mixed flock of tits and finches, 12 Meadow Pipits with 3 Pied Wagtails, an

overflying group of 6 Whooper Swans heading West, 4 Mistle Thrushes and a single Kestrel. 2 flocks of Redwings (24 birds in total).

At the Western end of the lane 30+ Skylarks were chasing each other around the furrows.

Woodend Lane

A massive gathering of Starlings on the overhead wires, I counted 600+ here, but many more were on the newly ploughed field to the South,

plus there appeared to be another 600+ on wires along Holly Bush Lane. A single Buzzard flew low over the furrows flushing lots of Starlings

and Skylarks. 1 Grey Heron.

Sadly, I could'nt find a single Grey Partridge anywhere.

Holly bush lane 3 corn bunting

Holly Bush Lane

5th June

5 Corn Bunting
5 Yellow Wagtail
1 Grey Partridge
3 Yellowhammer

-- Edited by James Walsh on Friday 6th of June 2014 10:30:39 AM

Holly bush lane 5 yellow wagtail 3 yellowhammer 2 grey partridge

-- Edited by James Walsh on Monday 5th of May 2014 11:43:27 AM

12.15-1.45pm - Rixton Clay Pits, Moat Lane Pools, Prospect Lane and Rixton Moss

Moat Lane Pools:
1 Common Tern - arrived 12.40pm stayed for a couple of mins then flew off NE
2 Gadwall - pair
6 Tufted Duck - 3 pairs
2 Mallard - both m
1 Coot
1 Bullfinch
1 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Common Gull on pool
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk high up
4 Canada Geese

Rixton Clay Pits:
Lots of Orange Tip butterflies
3 Blackcap - 2m 1f
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
1 Great spotted Woodpecker

Prospect Lane & Rixton Moss:
1 Whitethroat
2 Swallow on wires
4 Skylark
1 Buzzard
4 Lapwing
1 Reed Bunting - m
2 Yellowhammer




-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Monday 21st of April 2014 06:27:09 PM

After meeting Jason Dulhanty at Risley (nice to meet you, Jason :)) and enjoying two Sparrowhawks at once there, I ventured to Rixton for a late do.

Nuthatches x 2
Kestrel - M on Manchester Road, hunted nearby farmland
Over a dozen Chiffchaff
Bullfinch seen near tip.
No Blackcap at all for me today

Moat Lane pool held at least 12 Tufted Ducks with a few Gadwall and Coots for good measure.