4th September 2011

Well my two week excursion to the East coast is over for another year. Back to Boarshaw.

PM (Sunny)

Front Ponds

18 Canada Geese
25 Gulls (Mainly black heads)
1 Moorhen
4 Lapwing (First time I have seen them on the ponds this year )

Rear Pond

4 Magpie
1 Wood Pigeon

Canal (Between locks 60 and 59)

40+ Canada Geese (approx)
4 Magpie
7 Mallard
1 Unidentified duck (Same size as Mallard but a lot darker. Possibly Mallard hybrid?)
3 Carrion Crow

Back Site Between Canal and Railway Line (Adjacent Lock 59)

2 Magpie
1 Wood Pigeon
1 Black-Headed Gull (Dead )

Dave

10th August 2011

PM (Wet and wild)

Front Ponds

100+ Canada Geese (Approx) in newly cut fields to side
4 Magpie
2 Crow
2 Swallows

Rear Pond

1 Pied Wagtail
6 Canada Geese
70+ Mallard (Approx) all female or chicks

Canal (Between locks 60 and 59)

1 Unknown duck (Same size as mallard but alot darker than a female with no definition to feathers. Juvenile perhaphs?)
1 Blackbird
5 Swallow
120+ Black Headed Gull (Approx) in field between canal and school grounds
3 Magpie


Back Site Between Canal and Railway Line (Adjacent Lock 59)

Nothing !


Dave

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 09:15:42 PM

7th August 2011

PM

Front Ponds

100 Canada Geese (Approx)
1 Magpie
1 Wood Pigeon
6 Swallows
2 Moorhen

Rear Pond

1 Grey Heron
5 Mallard (Female)
1 Magpie
1 Wood Pigeon
1 Crow
1 Pied Wagtail

Canal (Between locks 60 and 59)

5 Swallows
7 Starlng

Back Site Between Canal and Railway Line (Adjacent Lock 59)

1 White Throat
3 Magpie
2 Gold Finch
4 Long Tailed Tit
2 Great Tit
3 Blue Tit
1 Wood Pigeon
2 Siskin (Possibly)

Dave

31st July 2011

AM

Front ponds

3 Canada Geese
4 Magpies
4 Wood Pigeon
10 Swallows (Approx)

Rear Pond

2 Black Head Gulls

Canal (Between locks 60 and 59)

40 Canada Geese (Approx)
5 Swallows

Dave

30th March.

Pink-footed Goose still present and 7 Teal.

Cheers,

Bill.

25th February.

PM Visit.

At 1.00 pm 6 Mute Swan (5 adults, 1 immature) was an unusual record for here. A pair engaged in courtship display and spent some time trying to chase way two of the other adult birds, before rather oddly all 4 then flew off together heading south at 1.50 pm. An adult and the immature remained.

Also 2 Oystercatcher (also here on 18/2), the 2 Gadwall are still present. In fields nearby a very large mixed feeding flock of c450 Starlings and c80 Fieldfare, with 2 Redwing spotted amongst them. The Starlings were noisy and very nervous and flighty, never settling on the ground for too long to feed, the Fieldfares less so. A male Reed Bunting seen, 2 Siskin flew over, as did a calling Curlew which headed north. 2 male Chaffinches fought briefly. Airborne flocks of c30 and c12 of Lapwing were over the local industrial estate. Snipe and Teal are usually certainties here in the winter months but have been scarce to non-existant since the big freeze and none were seen today.

Chatted briefly with the local farmer who told me that small single figure numbers of Waxwings were in the area about 1 week ago.

Cheers,

Bill.

17th January.

2 Gadwall on the ponds here this afternoon. First time I have recorded this species here.

Also a pair of Goosander and a single Teal but no Snipe.

Cheers,

Bill.

15th October.

At least 17 Teal on one of the waters. Not a lot else apart from 3 Lapwing.

Cheers,

Bill.

29th April.

Small double figure flocks of Starlings seen foraging across the fields and collecting and carrying very small items of food for what at this stage are still probably quite small nestlings.

Also in the same general area but without giving away their nesting locations - a pair of Grey Wagtails with large bills full of insects. Also seen doing similar in the same location on 26/4. Late April seems to be the time first broods of this species are in the nest as I looked through last years notes and found that I recorded pairs in 4 separate locations carrying food in the last 10 days of April in 2009.

Also 1 Mistle Thrush carrying food - the nest was some considerable distance away from where the food was being collected.

At another nearby location - a pair of Dippers carrying food and chasing away a different Grey Wagtail that was encroaching on their territory!

All pleasing confirmed breeding records for the ongoing BTO and GM breeding birds atlas projects.

Spent a good while scanning around the feet of sheep and horses looking for Yellow Wagtails but without any luck. The local farmer, if watching me, probably thinks I'm some sort of livestock rustler!

Keep atlasing,

Bill.

20th Feb.

At least 24 Snipe here this morning. Plus 1 immature Mute Swan.

Bill.

1st September 7.00 pm.

Very substantial numbers of 4 of the commoner species on the wet fields here this evening:-

These three foraging on the grassland:-

c170 Mallard,
c140 Canada Geese,
c220 Lapwing.

Standing about before all departing to roost:-

c290 Black-headed Gulls.


Also 7 Pied Wagtails and 3 Teal.

Numerous Woodpigeons clattering out of pathside bushes after feeding themselves on ripening elderberries.

Cheers,

Bill.

10th August.

The numbers of commoner species are starting to build up here...
c50 Lapwing,
c90 Starling
c55 Mallard,

A family party of 3 recently fledged Swallows being fed by parents and family parties of Goldfinch and Greenfinch.

1 Snipe.

Cheers,

Bill.

Certainly is cuckooflower Bill. I noticed it earlier this week when looking for the green sandpiper(no luck). I walked through it expecting orange tip butterflies but none at all!
Steve

18th April @ 8.00 am.

Green Sandpiper still present.

16th April.

A Green Sandpiper was the pick of a good selection of passage waders here today.

Also 3 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows, 1 Stock Dove and a steady movement of Lesser Black-backed Gulls heading north or north-east in the early part of the afternoon.


Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 16th of April 2009 07:05:26 PM

16th March.

1 Redshank on back pond @ 9.15am. 1 Woodpigeon carrying nest material and loads of squashed frogs on the farm track!

Bill.

Thursday 12 March, midday - still two oystercatchers present, moorhen, snipe, c.30 BHgulls, crows, magpies but no lapwings or canada geese

Saturday, 12.30 p.m. Two oystercatchers today, plus several snipe, moorhen, mallard, magpies, crows and c.60 BHgulls, many with almost full caps. A few Canada geese on the canal.

Oyster Catcher still there today at noon, along with a large number of mainly BH gulls but very little else

23rd February.

1 Goosander on ponds - there have been up to 5 here recently. 10+ Snipe, 2 Wigeon (1 male & 1 female) & c15 Redwing.

A few Robins were singing - only put this sighting in so that I could be the first to use the Batman emoticon on this website!!

Finally, 1 Oystercatcher was a nice record for the BTO Atlas project for this tetrad (SD80Y Higher Boarshaw).

Keep atlasing!

Bill.

Tuesday 18 November, 11.30 - noon

The usual suspects. C. 100 Canada geese, 60 BH gulls, many moorhen, blackbirds, jackdaws, crows, 2 mistlethrush. No mallards seen - the only duck was a single pochard.

Tuesday Nov 4, Noon - 1.00 p.m.

Few Canada Geese by the pools, the main flock being on the fields to the south. No ducks or lapwings, but ample numbers of moorhen, plus c. 30 BHGulls. 1 snipe, 2 Mistlethrush, plenty of crows, magpies and jackdaws. Several small groups of fieldfare passed over going W. Small flock of chaffinches in the hedgerows. Many blackbirds and woodpigeon feeding on the berries.. Group of c. a dozen redwings landed and fed on the field nearest to the railway line. Some starlings with them. Saw kestrel take a fieldmouse and sit in the field eating it. 1 kingfisher by the canal.

Wednesday 22 Oct 2.15-3.30 p.m.

Superb light to see things. Still 100+ Canada Geese on fields to north of the pools, with another c.30 on the canal and the same number round the pools. Large flock of Lapwings circled overhead for several minutes, then landed on the roof of one of the sheds beyond the railway line. They took off after a few minutes, heading north out of sight. A while later, a smaller group landed by the upper pool. Lots of Woodpigeon and Blackbirds eating berries in the hedges. A dozen or so Mallard, similar numbers of Moorhen and BHGulls, 3 teal, a pair of Pied Wagtails, 5 Jays 7 Crows, 10 Jackdaws, a few Blue and Great Tits, 1 Meadow Pipit, I Mistlethrush, 2 Kestrels, 3 Snipe in the rushes by the middle pool.

21 Oct, 2.30 - 3.30 p.m.

c.30 Canada Geese by the pools, but flock of 100+ on fields to the north of the pools. 5 Teal, 1 female Mallard, 13 Moorhen, c. 50 BH Gulls, 2 Woodpigeon, 10 Jackdaws , several Magpies, 3 Crows, 1 Pied Wagtail, a few Starlings, abundants Blackbirds. Flock of 40 Lapwings arrived while I was there. Two groups of Fieldfare, about 20 in each group, flew over heading westwards.