BLACKSHAW FARM (as below). - 3 Curlew - 4 Lapwing - 2 Common Swift - 1 Pied Wagtail - Cuckoo heard distantly again - 15+ Black-headed Gulls
...and then I could hear a call like a Swallow but constant as if distressed. I glanced up to see a Common Buzzard circling above the sheep moor, and a Swallow literally attacking the Buzzard relentlessly. Never seen that before!
This afternoon - tacho break in same location as below BLACKSHAW FARM.
Of note... - Cuckoo singing distantly coming from near the farm, as I scanned the area with my bins I could hear another one singing from the moor. I scanned for that one and picked up on it briefly but it had gone within seconds. The one near the farm was still singing when my break came to an end and I had to go.
Also of note - 1 Curlew in the field (more heard calling) - 2 pr Lapwing - 1 Pied Wagtail - 4 Black-headed Gull - 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 Blackcap heard further down Woodhead Rd, 1 near Windy Harbour Hotel and another further down towards Norfolk Street
Today - Tacho break, location as below but in brilliant sunshine.
Birds of note... approx 25 Curlew - feeding and calling 4 Lapwing - flight displaying 1 Kestrel - hunting along the roadside 1 Skylark 5 Pied Wagtail 1 Meadow Pipit 1 Great Tit Few Rooks Lots of Woodpigeon Small flock of around 10 Starling
Tacho break at exactly same location as below, and yet again strong winds up here on the tops.
Birds of note... Black-headed Gulls - a group of approx 60-70 moving around locally Carrion Crow - 1 Rook - approx 10 Jackdaw - approx 10 Magpie - 1 Starling - group in of roughly 30-40 (sometimes with Rooks and Jackdaw) Buzzard - 1 doing a lot of wind hovering and eventually glided off Kestrel - 2 (m+f present) Lapwing - 1 Woodpigeon - 1
Yesterday afternoon, tacho break on Padfield outskirts, looking out over the moor and the farm opposite Windy Harbour on Woodhead Road that leads down to Glossop town centre. Battering winds against the wagon.
Birds of note... Black-headed Gulls - approx 75 (They were in 1 of the fields feeding earlier and all came flying over towards Swineshaw Reservoir) Jackdaws - approx 250 maybe more swirling around in a giant flock Rooks - approx 20-30 with the Jackdaw's - also singles and 2's and 3's in the fields Fieldfares - counted 5 in one of the sparse hedge trees Sparrowhawk - 1 female (dark brown) gliding low over the field towards the farm
... 1 Common Buzzard that I observed for a while, at first I could make out a darkish band around the belly, pale head and tail, long primaries, and doing a lot of wind hovering. The thought crossed my mind could it be a Rough-legged? It was hard to get a good close look at the tail however due to firstly it being a distance away and secondly the wind making the bird constantly adjust position. Something just said it's going to be a Common Buzzard. I'd tried comparing the images to some of my shots of the Rough-legged Buzzards up at Binn Green some weeks back but to be honest it confused me even more
Many thanks for your help with this one Ian. I was using the wrong ID features in this instance as the images weren't of sufficient quality to show the things I was initially thinking of. A valuable comment regarding the tail though, just not long enough! So Common Buzzard it is! Many thanks again Ian.
On Sat 4th Jan 2015 saw a Kingfisher fishing on Lower Swineshaw res,above Glossop.Also a male Kestrel flew over and on Cote Lodge was 1 redhead and 2 male Goosander. Also on the fields nr Windy Harbour was a small flock of about 20 Meadow Pipits.
A walk down to the river ethrow (Hadfield),finds it swollen due to the rain we have had. A dipper flew up river, calling as it went , in the wood, we got good views of a treecreeper. We then carried on and went up to arnfield reservoir and reserve, all very quiet today the highlight being 5 siskins in an alder. Birds seen today:- blue tit robin jackdaw woopigeon dipper starling magpie carrion crow black headed gull canada goose moorhen long tail tit treecreeper nuthatch coot blackbird siskin great tit chaffinch mallard house sparrow
New years day finds my wife and i walking down on the river ethrow, and around ethrow lodge, highlights include a small flock of siskins(25ish), and 2 treecreeper on one tree The rest include, robin great tit jackdaw collared dove woodpigeon blue tit goldfinch starling blackheaded gull blackbird dunnock sparrowhawk chaffinch redwing heron carrion crow nuthatch siskin magpie coal tit mallard jay pied wagtail fieldfare, and to top the day off, we caught up with 56 waxwings at woodley precinct.
A walk down on the river Ethrow and ethrow lodge , amongst the usual we noted a flock of siskin (50+) grey heron, two goosander (f) on the river, goldcrest, plenty of redwings and the odd fieldfare
A circular walk from Hadfield to glossop and back , birds of note include a tawny owl in daylight (08.40) on the top of castle hill, (Bankswood Park) second time we have seen this in daylight over the last couple of weeks in Glossop behind tescos on the old mill pond, amongst the mallard was a wigeon , many thanks to phil moss for giving me that info, good views of redwing and fieldfare at dinting railway station , and great views of a female kestrel in the same area.
Stroll around the river ethrow and ethrow lodge park , 5 goosander on the river ,2 male, 3 female near the bridge leading into the wood.further up the river(towards the reservoir end ), the trees on the water treatment plant below tintwhistle had a lot of fielfare and redwing ,and we also spotted a buzzard flying in to land on a telegraph post , great views of that, and a heron on the river.
An early morning stroll on to castle hill in Hadfield saw us catch up with a tawny owl on top of castle hill in daylight (8.45) we also had good close views of a buzzard in the sparse woodland which caps castle hill. it flew in to a nearby tree and perched there for a good while, other birds seen include-- chaffinch Bullfinch(m) Great tit Blue tit Coal tit Long tail tit Redwing Blackbird Fieldfare Robin Pheasant Woodpigeon Jackdaw Carrion crow Starling
