9.15am to 9.45am along the Hall 'ith' Wood stretch.
1 Grey Heron Pair of Mallards 4 Goosanders flying over 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Mistle Thrush and a few Blackbirds 2 Chiffchaffs 1 Willow Warbler 3 Jays Pair of Bullfinches
1 Grey Heron, 28 Mallards, 2 Moorhens, & 2 Grey Wagtails near the bridge at the bottom of Hough Lane.
4 Mallards, 7 Goosanders (3m + 4f), & 2 Moorhens on Bank Top Lodge. A Grey Heron was on the brook below the lodge.
Other species seen this morning :- Black-headed Gulls/Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over, Woodpigeons (36), Collared Doves (7), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Goldcrests (5, made up of a pair chasing each other around & 3 single birds), Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Nuthatches, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, & Bullfinches.
No Tawny Owls seen or heard but lots of fresh pellets.
11.30 to 14.30. A thorough check of birds along railway line from Birtenshaw to Canon Slade School and then along brook up to Eagley Mills. Not much about.
3 Bullfinches the best I could do along the railway line. 3 Mallards on flooded pond. 40+ Redwings at school playing fields. A Mistle Thrush & a couple of Nuthatches in the woodland overlooking the brook. 1 Grey Heron on field between Bank Top & Hall i'th' Wood. 4 Mallards on Bank Top Lodge, pair of Bullfinches & 2 Jays nearby.
Birtenshaw to Eagley :- 31 Mallards, 1 Moorhen, 2 Pheasants, 29 Feral Pigeons, 30 Woodpigeons, 22 Collared Doves, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Pied Wagtail, a few Blackbirds, Wrens, Robins, Coal Tits, Great Tits, & Blue Tits, 2 Nuthatches, 1 Treecreeper, numerous Magpies, Jackdaws, & Carrion Crows, + a few Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches.
3 Goosanders (1m + 2f) on Bank Top Lodge at 8am. Kingfisher flew around the lodge before heading down to the brook where another one had been calling. Dipper also flew along the brook here.
Brook from Eagley Mills to Hall i'th' Wood :- 3 Grey Herons, 11 Mallards, lots of feathers suggesting Sparrowhawk kill, 40+ Woodpigeons, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Nuthatches, Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, & a flock of half a dozen Bullfinches.
Canon Slade playing fields :- 2 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail.
Footpath by railway from Oaks Lane to Birtenshaw :- 1 Grey Heron, 3 Redwings, 1 Mistle Thrush, Nuthatches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & a pair of Bullfinches. Plus the usual common species.
Brook at Eagley Mills :- A Black-headed Gull perched on top the mill kept swooping down at me. Seemed strange behaviour until I saw a juvenile by the side of the brook. 2 Grey Wagtails
Mill lodges :- 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, Mallards including ducklings, & Moorhens with well grown young
Bromley Cross Stretch :- Adult & a juvenile Dipper Swifts & House Martins flying about
Family of Dippers by Dunscar Timber works Grey Wagtails at Eagley Mills bridge Pair of Dippers on Bromley Cross stretch Kingfisher at Bank Top (probably the same one on Bromley Cross stretch this morning)
8.15am to 10.00am from Eagley Mills to Crompton Way.
1 Grey Heron, a few Mallards, and a Dipper on the Bromley Cross stretch Pair of Goosanders & 2 Moorhens on Bank Top Lodge 1 Pheasant Numerous Black-headed Gulls Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, & Collared Doves 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 4 Pied Wagtails on Canon Slade playing fields Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, 1 Redwing, Song Thrushes, & Mistle Thrushes Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 5 Nuthatches & a Treecreeper Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, & Carrion Crows Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches
9.10am to 10.55am from Eagley Mills to Crompton Way.
Highlight this morning was a Buzzard which flew in and landed in a tree near Cat Lodge. It soon took off when I came out of cover, heading downstream. After working my way further down the valley I saw it again perched in a tree, near the lodge at Bank Top. Other birds present :- 2 Grey Herons, Mallards, Moorhens, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, 1 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreeper, Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws (70+), Carrion Crows, Chaffinches, Bullfinches.
Canon Slade playing fields :- 40+ Black-headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Common Gulls, 1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Heron 27 Mallards 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Kestrel. After flushing a Pheasant it was chased across a field to Thornham Drive by a Magpie, where it put up a couple of Collared Doves 20+ Woodpigeons Wrens, Dunnocks, & Robins Numerous Blackbirds seen and a few Redwings heard only. Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits. One flock had a couple of Goldcrests mixed in. 2 Nuthatches 5 Jays, 6 Magpies, 40+ Jackdaws, 5 Carrion Crows A few Chaffinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches
8.30am to 10.45am. Eagley Mills to Hall i'th' Wood.
1 Grey Heron 6 Mallards 2 Pheasants Moorhen with 3 juveniles near bridge at Hough Lane 1 Oystercatcher flying over. A mate I saw this morning said one has been visiting Sharples School playing fields. The one I saw yesterday over Dunscar was heading in that direction. Numerous Black-headed Gulls & Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over Numerous Feral Pigeons on Eagley Mills 2 Stock Doves at Bank Top stables 2 Collared Doves at Birtenshaw Farm 20+ Woodpigeons 10+ Swifts & a few Swallows/House Martins 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 at Eagley Mills & 1 at Hall i'th Wood 1 Pied Wagtail at Eagley Mills Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatches Jays, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches
Much the same as last week, apart from a flock of about 25 Redwings. I was first attracted to them when a barking buck Roe Deer, with velvet antlers, spooked a few of them.
Birds seen included a Moorhen, a Dipper, a Sparrowhawk flying over, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Nuthatches, & 6 Bullfinches.
1 Cormorant flying over 1 Grey Heron 24 Mallards 1 Kestrel 10 Woodpigeons 4 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over 1 Tawny Owl. Being mobbed by Blackbirds. As I struggled to confirm they were mobbing an owl I had a very early Christmas bump. A steep slope with lots of mud and wet leaves is certainly not recommended. 5 Wrens 1 Dunnock 11 Robins 10 Blackbirds 2 Redwings All the usual tit species 3 Nurthatches 1 Treecreeper 1 Jay 7 Magpies 8 Jackdaws 3 Carrion Crows 1 Rook flying over 1 Chaffinch 1 Goldfinch 3 Bullfinches
Eagley to Bank Top :- 1 Grey Heron 18 Mallards 1 Sparrowhawk, soaring above Hall i'th' Wood 10 Woodpigeons 2 House Martins 6 Swallows 6 Wrens 8 Robins 8 Blackbirds 2 Willow Warblers 2 Goldcrests Usual numbers of Tits 1 Nuthatch 2 Treecreepers, on adjoining trees to each other 1 Jay 11 Magpies 30+ Jackdaws 5 Carrion Crows 2 Chaffinches 2 Greenfinches 3 Goldfinches 8 Bullfinches, including 6 in one flock
7.45am to 9.55am. Eagley to Bank Top. 1 Grey Heron 17 mallards 1 Buzzard (flew from a tree near Birtenshaw Farm) 1 Sparrowhawk (with a woodpigeon kill) 1 Pheasant 1 Moorhen 12 Woodpigeons 40+ Black-headed Gulls (Canon Slade Playing Fields) Numerous Robins & Wrens 2 Dunnocks 6 Blackbirds 1 Whitethroat Flocks of Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 4 Nuthatches 9 Magpies 4 Jackdaws 4 Carrion Crows 1 Chaffinch 3 Goldfinches 2 Bullfinches
Brook + Hall i'th' Wood Museum 1 Dipper (underneath the bridge at Crompton Way) 6 Black-headed Gulls 2 Swallows 15 Blackbirds 1 Song Thrush 1 Chiffchaff (the first time I have heard chiff-chaff for a while) 1 Treecreeper 2 Bullfinches
