2 Common Sandpiper still. 6 Sand Martin and 9 Swallow strongly North.  4 Stonechat, 10 Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtail, Raven, Sparrowhawk 

Isaac Heath wrote:

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Walk up to swineshaw early afternoon
Cormorant on Walkerwood
2 jays
Pair of Buzzards up on higher swineShaw
4 blackcaps
Sparrowhawk over swineshaw
First Siskin sighting this year near the scout hut
Thought I saw yellow wagtail too?

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Isaac,

Yellow Wagtail would be an unusual (but not impossible) sighting for the valley, but there is currently a pair of Grey Wagtails on all four reservoirs, and the males in particular are stunning at present in their breeding plumage.

Keep posting,

David

2 Common Sandpiper around Higher Swineshaw reservoir this morning. 

Also Curlew displaying over Lower Swineshaw, Common Snipe heard, Reed Bunting, 2 Stonechat, 10 Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, 2 Willow Warbler. 

Possible distant Redshank heard too.

Tuesday 7th April 2020, 6.30am - 7.15am.

Stalybridge Country Park, primarily counting singing males on a reasonably brisk walk, around the top half of the area only, adjacent to Brushes Road.

Singing males.

1 Willow Warbler, my first of the year
12 Chiffchaff
5 Blackcap
5 Chaffinch
5 Wren
4 Dunnock
1 Song Thrush
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, plus a female calling from a nearby treetop

Saturday 4th April 2020, 7.15 - 10.30am.

Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw.

4 Pink-footed Geese on Higher Swineshaw Reservoir were a real surprise.
One pair of Curlew displaying over Swineshaw Moor, and another bird flying west over the same moor.
2 Stonechat singing
Several Reed Bunting
Pair of Grey Wagtail in the Higher Swineshaw bywash
6 Lesser Redpoll around the scout hut
1 Moorhen on Brushes Reservoir
Female Kestrel at a traditional nest site

Saturday 28th March 2020, 6.15 - 9.00am.

Huddersfield Road, up Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw, then back via Harridge Moor. Very windy and cold at the top end.

On an exercise walk, so felt uneasy at tarrying for any length of time, therefore most records either heard, or easily seen species.

Which at Higher Swineshaw means Stonechat and Reed Bunting.

Three pairs of Stonechat, plus another at Harridge Moor.
6+ Reed Bunting
Pair of Grey Wagtail
Pair of Pied Wagtail
26 Canada Geese, a very high count for this reservoir at this time of year. Just four pairs were present on Thursday
1 redhead Goosander
Curlew calling from Boar Flat
5 Lesser Redpoll around the scout hut

Lower down.

Blackcap heard ticking from the country park on the way up
Pair of Grey Wagtail in the Walkerwood bywash

Walkerwood reservoir to Higher Swineshaw. Hope I can use this as a regular exercise regime.

Kestrel pair including display and mating, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Red Legged Partridge, 2 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail. 

Walkerwood reservoir to Higher Swineshaw and back from 08.45-10.25

Stonechat pair, 6 Meadow Pipit, 2 Red Legged Partridge, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, 2 Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, singing Treecreeper. 

Saturday 21st March 2020, 6.45 - 10.00am.

Mainly around Higher Swineshaw, in a strong, biting wind, which kept everything down.

Highlights, such as they were:

2 Stonechat, a male singing towards Irontongue, and a female below Higher Swineshaw Dam
Curlew calling from the moor
8+ Reed Bunting
20+ Meadow Pipits
Pair of Goosander on Higher Swineshaw Reservoir

Cormorant on Walkerwood Reservoir

Wednesday 18th March 2020, 11.00am.

Wheatear on the moor edge above the Gamekeepers cottage

Saturday 14th March 2020, 6.30 - 10.00am.

Brushes Valley and around Higher Swineshaw.

1 male Stonechat, singing
3 Curlew, calling around Pack Saddle, and Lees Hill
10+ Reed Bunting, 4 males singing
Pair of Buzzard displaying over Harridge, another over Swineshaw Moor
1 Kestrel
2 Raven
15+ Meadow Pipits
Skylark singing from Turf Pits, and Boar Flat
Pair of Grey Wagtail in Higher Swineshaw overflow

5 Jays seen along Brushes Valley

Saturday 7th March 2020, 6.30 - 10.00am.

Brushes Valley, as far as Irontongue Hill.

The sight and sound of my first returning Curlew, along with a mildness to the drizzle, made it feel like springtime at Brushes. Two were calling from Boar Flat and Lees Hill, and one called briefly from Lower Swineshaw Reservoir. The gamekeeper reported one flying straight over Swineshaw Moor on the 18th February, but none since.

Other highlights:

Higher Swineshaw area.

8 Reed Bunting, including three singing males. Another pair present at the bottom of Irontongue.
1 pair of Grey Wagtail, male singing
1 Pied Wagtail
1 redhead Goosander
14 Canada Geese, making a right old din
22 Mallard
2 Skylark singing over Boar Flat
2 Raven over

Lower down

6 Lesser Redpoll
Several Goldfinch around the scout hut
1 pair of Mistle Thrush at the scout hut
3 singing Song Thrush
Nuthatch singing (one near one of our boxes)
1 Cormorant over

Wednesday 26th February 2020, 6.15 - 7.15am.

Brushes Cottages to Lower Swineshaw.

1 Woodcock at Brushes Quarry

1 Cormorant roosting in trees on the southern side of Walkerwood Reservoir

Sunday 23rd February 2010, 10.30 - 11.30am.

The Walkerwood bywash was a raging torrent this morning, so the Dipper pair were found on the northern shore of Brushes Reservoir, engaged in a courtship display. Plenty of wing quivering and neck stretching going on.

I have high hopes of this pair breeding this year, and if they do, it will a first for me personally, in Brushes Valley, although one of the UU managers said he thought a pair bred a few years ago. I wondered whether anyone else has any evidence of historical breeding records for Dipper at Brushes?

Tuesday 18th February 2020, 6.45 - 7.30am.

Dipper in the overflow channel between Brushes and Walkerwood Reservoirs
Cormorant on Walkerwood
2 Mistle Thrush singing. Numbers of singing males in the area seem lower than most years. Song Thrush numbers seem up?

Sunday 9th February 2020, 10.00 - 11.00am.

Pair of Dipper in the overflow channel between Walkerwood and Brushes Reservoirs

Saturday 25th January 2020, 10.00 - 11.30am.

Pair of Goosander on Walkerwood Reservoir
Dipper feeding in the overflow channel at the eastern end of Walkerwood Reservoir
Grey Wagtail at Brushes Reservoir

Thursday 19th December 2019, 10.00 - 11.30am.

Around Brushes Reservoir.

3 Ravens escorting firstly a Sparrowhawk, then a Buzzard out of the area
Good numbers of Coal Tits around Brushes Cottages and the Walkerwood feeders, stashing away seeds

Saturday 7th December 2019, 9.30 - 11.00am.

Around Brushes Rifle Ranges and Flaxfield Farm.

Good numbers of winter thrush moving around the hedgerows and trees, particularly to the south of Flaxfield Farm.
A reasonable estimate would be 200 each of Redwing and Fieldfare.
4 Mistle Thrush
15 Blackbirds
1 Reed Bunting called from behind Range House
Kestrel over Wild Bank

Saturday 23rd November 2019, 9.30 - 11.00am.

Around Cote Farm, and the Brushes end of the Pennine Bridleway, in very windy conditions.

There has been a decent sized flock of Fieldfare and Redwing around Cote Farm for a couple of weeks now, but an accurate count is difficult because of their movement, and the undulating nature of the fields. Some very good views this morning, as a lot were feeding on the ground, and a wide variation in plumage of the Fieldfare.

c100 Fieldfare
c 50 Redwing
15+ Blackbirds
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Song Thrush

A very noisy mixed group around Brushes Cottages included:

Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Long-tailed Tits
Great Tits
Blue Tits
Coal Tits
Goldcrest
Lesser Redpoll also heard

Other highlights from this week, around dawn, and at night.

Dipper in the Walkerwood overflow most mornings
Tawny Owls hooting or calling from both sides of Walkerwood Reservoir, and in the Country Park
Up to a dozen Red-legged Partridge around the Bridleway
Bullfinch still the most numerous finch, particularly higher up the valley, around the woods

Sunday 17th November 2019, 10.00 - 11.00am.

Walkerwood Reservoir.

1 Greylag goose on the reservoir was an unusual record
28 Mallard
1 Moorhen
10 Black-headed Gulls

Around Cote Farm.

c25 Fieldfare
c10 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
8 Blackbirds
A flock of c60 Starlings moving between the fields and the pylons
7 Goldfinch
4 Chaffinch
1 Lesser Redpoll

Flaxfield.

A flock of c45 Redwing moving between the fields and hawthorn hedges around Flaxfield Farm
2 Fieldfare
3 Blackbirds
A flock of c30 Starlings moving between the fields and pylons at Copley
2 Goldfinch

Wednesday 13th November 2019, 6.30 - 7.20am.

Around Walkerwood Reservoir.

2 Tawny Owls on the northern edge of the reservoir. Very good views of one, apparently hunting Blackbirds around the hawthorn bushes between 6.50 and 7.00am.
12+ Blackbirds
A few Redwing over at first light, into the country park

On the reservoir.

1 Dipper
1 drake Mandarin
8 Mallard

Sunday 10th Nov. 15.45 hrs.
After a tip off from Dave Walsh.

12 Whooper Swan on Walkerwood Reservoir ..... 11 adults plus 1 juvenile.
Speaking to walkers they had been there all day.
All departed north at 16.20 hrs ... watched as far as Saddleworth.

Roger.

Wednesday 6th November 2019, 6.45am.

Dipper singing in the overflow of Walkerwood Reservoir