Possible Yellow Wagtail this morning on the Eastern bank of Higher Swineshaw with Meadow Pipits. Also Curlew, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Tufted Duck on Lower Swineshaw, 2 Mistle Thrush.
Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw, then back across Harridge Moor, to the smell of burning heather drifting over from the east. Still very windy at the top end
At least 4 Common Sandpiper on Higher Swineshaw Reservoir 6+ Reed Bunting 2 Linnet Several Lesser Redpoll around the scout hut Pair of Stonechat on Harridge Moor 1 Lapwing north over Harridge Moor 1 Raven Plenty of singing in the woods, particularly Nuthatch and Blackcap. Common Sandpiper calling at Walkerwood Reservoir
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?
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.
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?
6 Lesser Redpoll, Red Grouse, Sparrowhawk, Linnet, Reed Bunting, 14 Willow Warbler, 3 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, Kestrel all between Wild Bank and Higher Swineshaw.
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
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
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
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
A female Stonechat was feeding from fence wires near to Flaxfield farmyard 2 Linnet on wires near Range House was an early record for here 5 singing Dunnock 4 singing Chaffinch Pair of Bullfinch 4 Long-tailed Tits. One pair gathering nest material
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
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
Walkerwood Dam and a circuit of the Country Park, counting singing thrushes.
15 singing Song Thrush, including 10 in the Country Park 3 Mistle Thrush - 2 singing males, one with a female in close attendance 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming 8 singing Dunnock 7 singing Wren 1 Grey Heron on a pond adjacent to Brushes Housing Estate 3 Chaffinch 8 Bullfinch 1 Lesser Redpoll 2 singing Greenfinch
Walkerwood Reservoir
There has been a pair of Grey Wagtail around the dam all week, the male singing 1 Cormorant
There has also been a Buzzard around this week with what appears to be maybe a foot long piece of line trailing from one of its legs?
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?
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?
Brushes Cottages to Higher Swineshaw Dam. Morning aborted at 9.00am with the onset of driving rain.
7 Song Thrush singing between Brushes Cottages and the scout hut 2 Kestrels 1 Raven around Harridge 1 Skylark heard calling briefly at Higher Swineshaw 2 Treecreeper having a sing off in the woods, a first for me. I have never actually watched them singing before.
Pair of Goosander on Walkerwood Reservoir Dipper feeding in the overflow channel at the eastern end of Walkerwood Reservoir Grey Wagtail at Brushes Reservoir
Brushes Valley, to Higher Swineshaw Reservoir and around Lees Hill.
Deathly quiet at the top end, with just one Kestrel drifting from Lees Hil, out over Boar Flat. Other than that, just Robins and Wren calling, and three Red Grouse.
2 Reed Bunting and 2 Lesser Redpoll around the scout hut.
Brushes Valley
5 Jays 2 Nuthatch 11 Blue Tits 7 Great Tits 2 Coal Tits 10 Long-tailed Tits
A Peregrine was circling high over Harridge
1 Redhead Goosander fishing successfully on Walkerwood 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
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
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
2 Woodcock flew over the dam and dropped into the woods in the valley bottom at 6.55. 1 Cormorant perched in a tree overlooking the reservoir 1 Dipper around the overflow
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
On a very quiet morning, the only thing of note was a loose flock of at least 12 Reed Bunting at Lower Swineshaw. A solitary Meadow Pipit flew up at Higher Swineshaw. Plenty of Bullfinch calling along the valley, with a flock of seven moving around Lower Swineshaw.
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
None of yesterdays excitement - just one Dipper in the overflow Fieldfare heard chacking from the fields above the northern end of the dam, as it was coming light. Around 40 were present yesterday, in the hawthorn bushes.
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.
__________________
Blessed is the man who expecteth little reward ..... for he shall seldom be disappointed.
Brushes Valley, around Higher Swineshaw Reservoir on Swineshaw Moor, then back across Harridge, and down through the woods above the Gamekeepers Cottage.
Around Higher Swineshaw.
16 Reed Bunting 1 Kestrel 7 Dunnock 5 Robin 3 Wren 1 Great Tit 1 Lesser Redpoll over 2 Red Grouse 9 Black-headed Gulls on the reservoir
Other than one Buzzard and a couple of Grouse, Harridge Moor was devoid of bird life.
Brushes Valley.
There are a few mixed flocks in the woods at present, particularly the moorland edges higher up the valley sides. One today contained mixed tits, Treecreepers, and Bullfinch, which seem to be calling from all around the valley at present.
20+ Bullfinch 6+ Chaffinch 3 Lesser Redpoll 40+ Long-tailed Tits, in three areas. I never tire of watching these beautiful little birds buzzing around. 6+ Coal Tits 4 Treecreeper 2 Nuthatch 2 Mistle Thrush 1 solitary Fieldfare calling as it made its way up the valley