Cutacre Country Park; north of the railway

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

RE: Cutacre, Middle Hulton

Dennis atherton · Status: Offline

on the otherside of the motorway junction tonight from cutacre in between plodder lane and the junction, 7pm 50 ish golden plover in ploughed fields to the left as driving down from plodder lane

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

Green Sandpiper present today, 13 Skylark, Buzzard & several Redpoll.

Alan Warford · Status: Offline

Brief stop today on A6 enroute from Daisy Hill (Lapland Bunting) to River Irwell.
3 Buzzards and 2 Raven all on same Electricity Pylon having a spat.

-- Edited by Alan Warford on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 08:03:48 PM

Steve Christmas · Status: Offline

Walk along S edge of Cutacre site, 9.00 -10.30, 6th Oct.
3 crossbill flew over high S in a group of 2 and a single
Willow Tit 1
Goldcrest 1
Chiffchaff 1
Blackcap 1
Grey Wagtail 2
Meadow pipit 50 S
Skylark 1 singing
Goldfinch 30
Reed Bunting
Chaffinch 20
Bullfinch 8
Siskin 2

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

Sightings from recent survey work 12th+13th Sept,

Green Sandpiper 2
Golden Plover 2
Lapwing 60
Snipe 25
Grey Partridge 7
Skylark 36
Meadow Pipit - 124 over the 3 spoil heaps & further 110 flew south early am.
Linnet 16
Willow Tit
Swallow - approx 100 south early am
Peregrine carrying prey.
Blackcap 6
Garden Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 6
Whitethroat 4
Redpoll 3 south
Woodpigeon 260+

The excavation of coal has now moved to the southern end of the site and the west side where they were excavating earlier in the year should be restored soon. Its amazing how quickly a landscape can change.

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

This evening, single Green Sandpiper, Peregrine on the pylon, Wheatear, 50 Mistle Thrush, 50 House Sparrows, 300 Goldfinch and small passage of Sand Martins heading south.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Where we saw you, from our position was 4:18 miles three miles would end up in Tyldesley

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 4th of August 2010 10:09:07 PM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

No sign of the egret this evening, just a single Green Sandpiper, several Snipe & 6 Groppers!

Ian I was on the very southern edge, near the Wigan border so it could be 3 miles to there maybe

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Simon Warford wrote:

You lot need to work on your distances, its only 2 miles from the Peat pools to Cutacre, lets hope your bird counting is not as bad

Oh dear

, 4.18 miles between the two according to Google Earth. Clearly mine is quite accurate

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Mark Rigby wrote:

That sighting must be worth tournament points, a bald Warfy head from 4 miles away!

Well done, Riggers - you've just given away one of the answers to this month's mystery photo competition

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

Ok lets not get too carried away

You lot need to work on your distances, its only 2 miles from the Peat pools to Cutacre, lets hope your bird counting is not as bad

Was funny though

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Warfy on Cutacre is a common resident

Any proof of him breeding there

were any females present

and if they were ,was they in full summer dress or moulting the dress rapidly

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Warfy on Cutacre is a common resident

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Mark Rigby wrote:

That sighting must be worth tournament points, a bald Warfy head from 4 miles away!

Only if they fill a raritys form in and they can prove they have seen a warfy before

pictures can be included,with tha raraties form

or a few crappy sketches with all relevent id markings included

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

That sighting must be worth tournament points, a bald Warfy head from 4 miles away!

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

I haven't laughed so much in ages. It was remarkable when my companion Pete Berry said to me "you can see cutacre clear tonight" to which I though 'Warfy's just text me from there 30 seconds ago' so started scoping it. Ten seconds later a lonely figure appeared over the baron landscape! A quick phone call later and to be waving to each other whilst looking through our scopes and four or so miles apart was rediculous

One of my best finds of the year so far

I also more than chuckled when Pete commented at one stage "is he wearing a baseball cap"? No I said, that's his bald head!

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 3rd of August 2010 11:38:50 PM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

This evening,

Little Egret, single Green Sandpiper, 20 Snipe, 500 Goldfinch, 2 Buzzard, 3 Little Owl, 4 Partridge, 2 Grasshopper Warblers.

and amazingly I received a phone call from a well known birder who was watching me from Astley Moss through his scope!! Theres no escaping

.

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

The burn up of the Bolton Borough continues...

While I was wondering around Cutacre this evening I stumbled accross a juvenile LITTLE EGRET on one of the drained pools!

Just goes to show what can be hiding in the middle of nowhere! I checked these pools a couple of weeks ago and they were full, now they are half empty and water is being pumped out, presumably ready to be filled in for the forthcoming industrial estate. Also on the pools were 3 Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover.

Also this evening 3 Grasshopper Warblers continue to sing.

Easily 500 Goldfinch in 3 huge flocks.
Single flock of 40 House Sparrows.
Stock Dove - 4

Some sightings for July.

Hobby 3rd July
Curlew, Oystercatcher.
2 family parties of Grey Partridge.
Mandarin 4

-- Edited by Simon Warford on Sunday 1st of August 2010 10:00:24 PM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

Grasshopper Warbler singing still yesterday evening. Of interest, where I park now on the Over Hulton side, a chap from one of the large houses that overlook Cutacre started talking to me, and he went on to show me some footage from his CCTV of a pair of Mandarins that were nesting on his garden pond(its a big pond), then the footage went on to show a Fox taking all 11 eggs from the nest at 6am in the morning!

-- Edited by Simon Warford on Friday 4th of June 2010 08:41:55 AM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

16/5/10 pm - back down to earth after a week in wonderful Hungary.

Raven 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Buzzard 3
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Whitethroat 3
Stock Dove 4
Swift 30

Late news 7th May - 4 Mandarin.

Steve Christmas · Status: Offline

10.15am Friday 14th May
Whinchat on fence posts along eastern edge of works.
Also singing Sedge warbler and Lesser Whitethroat.

Melanie Beckford · Status: Offline

Rob Thorpe wrote:

Simon Warford wrote:

This evening with Melanie B.

Of Spice Girls fame?

Sadly for Simon....no

Can't see Scary Spice, legging round Cutacre, hanging round Astley etc....in the hope of seeing birds, like me

Although Scary and l share the same name (almost) and similar hair, alas l don't have her money or fame

Rob Thorpe · Status: Offline

Simon Warford wrote:

This evening with Melanie B.

Of Spice Girls fame?

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

This evening with Melanie B.

Very suprised to find a pair of Mandarin on one of the small pools late this evening, obviously a site first for me

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

18/4/10

Buzzard 4
Stock Dove 4
Grey Partridge 2
Chiffchaff1
Swallow 2
Linnet 5

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

2/4/10

Good numbers of birds in the fields just south of Adises farm today, included at least 50 Meadow pipits, 6+ Pied Wagtails, 7 Fieldfare and best of all 2 pairs of Wheatears. Also around 2 Grey Partridge, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 6 Stock Dove, 3 Kestrel, 20+ Skylark, many Reed Buntings & Lapwings and another male Wheatear near "Shorelark summit".

-- Edited by Simon Warford on Friday 2nd of April 2010 05:09:05 PM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

27/2/10

Buzzard 1
Little Owl 1
Barn Owl 1
Skylark 15
Stock Dove 4
Grey Partridge 2
Meadow Pipit 3
Woodcock 1
Kestrel 2
Teal 3

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

14/2/10 pm

Peregrine 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 2
Skylark 20
Linnet 25+
Pheasant 15
Stock Dove 2
Reed Bunting 6
Bullfinch 5
Kestrel 2

Mike Cooper · Status: Offline

Sat 6/2 15:45 - 17:00

1 G Heron to add to Tetrad list

Also, found a mobile phone on the stubble field leading up to the rocky ridge. Please contact me by mail for deatils and collection.

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

6/2/10 2pm till late

Covered all the spoil heaps

No sign of Shorelark despite a good search by at least 4 birders.
Little Owl 1
Buzzard 2
Skylark 8
Linnet 8
Reed Bunting 12
Bullfinch 7
Greenfinch 20
Fieldfare 40
Pheasant 25
Partridge 9

Snipe 5
single Fox

2 large skiens of Pink Feet both north west, 150 at 2.30 & 90+ at 3.45pm.

-- Edited by Simon Warford on Saturday 6th of February 2010 07:42:32 PM

Simon Warford · Status: Offline

Mike ive read your private message, it definately sounds like you were looking in the wrong place im afraid. Where the path goes to the left after the metal gate you need to go straight on over a fence and onto the second spoil heap back, it maybe Sunday before I can next get down but if anyone wants to see the bird and are unsure where to go (it is rather elusive at times) I would be happy to assist sunday morning. pm me,

The Shorelark wasnt seen this morning in a brief search.

-- Edited by Simon Warford on Friday 5th of February 2010 06:21:24 PM

Mike Cooper · Status: Offline

Fri 5/2 12;00 - 13;15 Sunny spells, mild, still.

No sign of Shorelark - was it seen yesterday 4/2?

Not sure if I was in the right area? I was on a steep green grassy bank with a pool to my right looking at a large mound of rocks and shale with a grassy / field bank to the right.

Skylark 1+ singing (Spring is almost here?) + 1's over
Pied Wagtail 1 (M)
Chaffinch 1 (M)
Greenfinch
Robin 1 + 1(singing)
Dunnock
B Tit
G Tit
Blackbird 1 + 2
Staring c. 50
Fieldfare c. 20
Redwing 2
M Thrush 3
C Crow
Jackdaw
B hd Gull 5

sid ashton · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Presthaven Sands ? Let's keep to the thread guys and rejoyce that we have a marvellous Shorelark of our own before we advocate on a county bird sightings thread travelling over a hundred miles to see one in another county

Plus 'our' Shorelark was present today and not just reported yesterday

Sorry Ian - I was just trying to maintain the "tongue in check" slant of this thread bearing in mind Henry's knowledge of the coast of North Wales

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Presthaven Sands

? Let's keep to the thread guys and rejoyce that we have a marvellous Shorelark of our own before we advocate on a county bird sightings thread travelling over a hundred miles to see one in another county

Plus 'our' Shorelark was present today and not just reported yesterday

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

Haven't thought about the Gronant bird but I saw the elusive individual at Southport last year Sid. I am inquiring as this is such an unusual record and fairly close to home.

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 10:30:26 PM

sid ashton · Status: Offline

Henry Cook wrote:

Although the bird's location has no general access is it possible to get a vantage point to see the bird from a safe position with general access?
Thanks. Henry.

Henry have you thought about a trip to Presthaven Sands - it may not be in GM but you should be ok there

and their Shorelark was still being reported yesteday.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 10:09:30 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Absolutely no chance Henry, barring a flypast in a microlight or similar. The point at which the Shorelark has favoured is the highest point around on the flattish 'plateau' of the spoil heap. The only way would be a very early morning or weekend visit keeping away from the obvious raised banks of the edges of the mining area (for which there is no real reason to ho near) and avoiding 'skylining' which would draw the attention of any workers there. Of course I am certainly not advocating anyone should do such a thing because if they did that would be unbelievable naughty and can only reiterate that the site has no general access.

I should also point out that before I knew the area had no general access during my visit on Sunday and coming from a personal profession where health and safety, dynamic risk assessments and the like are (apparently) paramount, I was entirely confident that in my opinion, so long as you kept away from the ridge, there was no more danger from being up there than any public place you could visit.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 10:04:24 PM

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

Although the bird's location has no general access is it possible to get a vantage point to see the bird from a safe position with general access?
Thanks. Henry.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

The comment was intended to be tongue in cheek Neil but the site is a working coal quarry and therefore is controlled by strict health and safety regulations.

The fact is that, as you rightly note, this forum will not encourage trespass in any way (and having to climb a barbed wire fence to access the site gives you an idea you shouldn't be on there

) and I have been asked by the workers of the site to point out that birders should not be up there. There would be little chance of arrest of course but the point is that not only would birders repeatedly being asked to leave tarnish our reputation far and wide but it would also make things uncomfortable for the person whose local patch it is likely to become and of course who happened to find the Shorelark in the first place.

The fact is that it would be just as easy to stop releasing the news of it's presence but you're all grown adults and I'm in the buisness of providing bird news, if you know what I mean

.

Neil McCall · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

No sign of the Shorelark again today up to midday.

Please also note that where the Shorelark was is apparently () private coal board land and we shouldn't be up there. Tresspassing is a crime you know, even after working hours when there's no one else about, no danger to yourselves and you're doing no harm. Please bear that in mind

Trespassing isn't a crime, it's a civil matter except in a certain number of exceptions such as railways and power plants - is there something specific about this place as opposed to private land generally?

Obviously a responsible bird site won't encourage trespass but is there any possibility of arrest as opposed to being politely asked to leave?

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Shorelark still present this morning (pre 9am) but of course it's location has no general access and to do so would be tresspassing

info thanks to Simon Warford

should anyone be granted access or get lost and find themselves up there, keeping below the ridge line (in fact away from the ridge line) would likely eliminate your chances of drawing attention to yourself. Just a thought

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 3rd of February 2010 09:20:38 AM

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Typically, there is a grain of truth which has been coverted into 'the usual tosh'. There was never any legitimate access anyway and as has already been stated here, if you go on there you are tresspassing and will get slung off. During working hours atleast...

Easily over 100 people saw the bird over the weekend, no trouble, no deaths, no massive raves, no illegal activities, no stealing coal, hotwiring quarry machinery or diving over cliff edges nor any contact with site 'officials'. Just a nice well managed and behaved county twitch.

I didn't go,as i was happy enough taking pics of the scaup i found at penny,but well done to everyone who saw it and it was nice to see everyone stayed thier distance and to be truthfull the shots on here prove that you don't have to get so close to get nice shots,id say Jon Taverners shots were some of the best ive seen of shorelark and a pleasure to see on here,lets keep all twitches the same good banter ,good birds ,good shots

,and i wouldn't worry about whats said on other sites we know the area Lee Evans doasn't

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 2nd of February 2010 10:10:35 AM

pete berry · Status: Offline

Its health and safety rearing its ugly head again.What a great excuse for denying people access to areas where as Ian says no harm was done to man,beast, machinery or coal.I remember several years ago when Ian and I found a great viewing place on the landfill site near me, it was at the most 10 feet inside the boundary,well away from any activity.Needless to say it was not long before we got chucked off the tip because of H&S issues

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Typically, there is a grain of truth which has been coverted into 'the usual tosh'. There was never any legitimate access anyway and as has already been stated here, if you go on there you are tresspassing and will get slung off. During working hours atleast...

Easily over 100 people saw the bird over the weekend, no trouble, no deaths, no massive raves, no illegal activities, no stealing coal, hotwiring quarry machinery or diving over cliff edges nor any contact with site 'officials'. Just a nice well managed and behaved county twitch.

John Rayner · Status: Offline

Just seen this on Surfbirds News - posted by Lee Evans

"Well inland, one [Shorelark] continues on the spoil heap at Middle Hulton (Greater Manchester) but all access has now been denied after birder's activities upset the site owners".

Have there been any new developments restricting access, other than what we already know from this thread? Or is it just the usual tosh

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Please ensure if you visit the site, which you shouldn't because you'd be tresspassing if you did

, that you keep a very sensible distance from the bird. It has been very unconfiding and does not like to be approached (yesterday's 'rock-hound' proved that!) and was feeding merrily on grass seeds legging it up and down the grassy area next to the mounds whilst the crown watched on from a good 120 foot away. That might sound a lot but there really is absolutely no need to go any closer. Let it feed in peace, if it is sat on the rock mounds constantly then you're probably too close

steve ashworth · Status: Offline

just arrived back, myself and bernard hooley:

Shorelark still there at 2.45 this afternoon showing well sat on top of ridge

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 1st of February 2010 04:00:37 PM

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

No sign of the Shorelark again today up to midday.

Please also note that where the Shorelark was is apparently () private coal board land and we shouldn't be up there. Tresspassing is a crime you know, even after working hours when there's no one else about, no danger to yourselves and you're doing no harm. Please bear that in mind

Think that area has always been coal board land,and if im not mistaken used to be a beltin area for golden plover!i used to walk over that way quite often when i lived in west leigh used to go via the top of atherton and up to the area below plodder lane,used to be plenty of small birds up there ,yellowhammers,redpoll,skylark etc

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

No sign of the Shorelark again today up to midday.

Please also note that where the Shorelark was is apparently (

) private coal board land and we shouldn't be up there. Tresspassing is a crime you know, even after working hours when there's no one else about, no danger to yourselves and you're doing no harm. Please bear that in mind