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Post Info TOPIC: Newchurch Common


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RE: Newchurch Common


On Newchurch both am and pm, hot & sunny.

There were just 2 adult and 5 young Mute Swans today, all on Small Pool, so in traversing the track it looks like they lost a cygnet.



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On Shemmy Moss am. Dull, no sun.

But a real highlight, a female Cuckoo bubbling away, and as usual I was stumped by the call initially! This happens every year! A male Cuckoo was heard too.



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Two visits to posts since I missed yesterday (my pc away for repair currently so struggling a bit!).

Saturday 17th May 2005, all on Shemmy Moss:

A Hobby showed extremely well, hunting low over the mossland pools and taking numerous dragonflies. A male Cuckoo was seen in the top of trees by Shemmy Moss and then flew over myself and two friends. The Hoopoe was present on Sandy Lane again today.

Sunday 18th May 2025, again the only notable birds were on Shemmy Moss:

A Water Rail called from its usual location off the Abbotsmoss Nursery entrance road. Despite at least 25 birders looking NO SIGN today of the Hoopoe.



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Had a couple of visits today, the pools am and mosses pm. Hot & sunny.

The swan family were seen a bit better today on Big Pool and the confirmed family is 2 adult and 6 young Mute Swans. Another family of 6 recently hatched young were 2ad and 6 young Coot on Small Pool.

A distant Sparrowhawk was seen thermalling west of Big Pool. There were 12 Stock Doves at Common Farm and 10 Stock Doves on the Abbotsmoss Nursery fields, possibly some being the same birds, but still good numbers of this farmland species. Another farmland specialist, a Skylark, was in song above the Nursery fields. A young Goldfinch was near Nunsmere.

p.s. contacted by the local paper and they say that online wildlife news will be added Sunday, not today!

 



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 16th of May 2025 10:48:43 PM

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Glad you got him Mark, good to see you again.

On patch am and then very briefly late afternoon. Sunny and hot but a wee bit of breeze today.

As you say the Hoopoe was seen briefly very early by a cyclist and then was in the pines just after lunch, seen by fellow patcher Dave, before heading over to Sandy Lane mid afternoon. It then flew off west-ish, when I heard it, but wasn't in the Pine Belt when I went over there. I was interviewed about it for the local paper, the Northwich Guardian, today and the online version will be out tomorrow, in print next week!

The swans finally have young with at least 3 Mute Swan cygnets with 2 adults seen distantly.

A Swift was over Big Pool today.



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After being absent yesterday, news was put out on our WhatsApp Group late afternoon today, that the star bird had been seen again. As I parked up on Sandy Lane, the Hoopoe was calling from the tree above the car and decent views were then had but only for three or four minutes. It then flew over to the trees, east of Big Pool and was lost from view.

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If you do come down again Ruth, PM me on here & Ill give you a tour so you know where the places that I mention are! Yes a real shame that one or two can spoil it for the many. I had a serious meeting at the farm today to discuss future news. To say the farmers were unhappy would be an understatement & probably only a few folk have entered the fields out of more than 250 visitors.

On to todays news. A very brief visit pm in hot sun again.

No reports of the Hoopoe came out at all today! So John the farmers son was a bit happier!! The Great Crested Grebe pair on Big Pool now only have 1 chick, but that is growing at an extraordinary pace. Around 20 Sand Martins were over Big Pool.



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 14th of May 2025 10:46:16 PM

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I had read your posts Doc and had been trying to locate the areas mentioned, thanks a lot as it was your info that led me to the right part and also made me even more mindful than usual to avoid any trampling of crops. Also none of us would have known about the Hoopoe if not for you, it is funny how the information you gave is travelling now through so many people! I was in a state of Hoopoe-delirium (and still am!!) when I posted so I wasn't clear sorry.

I have never visited your patch there before. When I have seen the thread previously I have read it but thought it was in an entirely different place.

It turns out I am not far away (Warrington) and so I will definitely return, it will always be very special to me now after the Hoopoe and I am hoping I might even get chance to go back and see this bird again if it sticks around longer (busy week though..).

Sorry to hear that someone there benefitting from your find is now behaving like that Doc, it's a shame and ruins it for everyone... I can't understand some people..

Steven it was great to meet you and thank you for sharing your pictures, I tried to zoom in with my phone to at least get a record shot but my hands were shaking too much with excitement!

 



-- Edited by Ruth Mott on Wednesday 14th of May 2025 04:26:20 PM



-- Edited by Ruth Mott on Wednesday 14th of May 2025 04:27:23 PM

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Doc Brewster wrote:

Popped down am and pm, am mainly to help a mate find stuff. Hot & sunny.

The Hoopoe was heard by two of us briefly although we didn't go looking for it, someone had had it earlier but it didn't show for the rest of the day. After impeccable behaviour all weekend by 3-figure crowds one photographer today decided to shout the odds about being asked not to trample farmers crops saying a few birders trampling over them would do no harm. I'm afraid his attitude has now possibly made future news from here less likely when I told 2 other patchers about him. He wasn't even a birder, just the worst sort of photographer that spoils it for all furious

The other side of human nature was when 2 locals who are friends rang to say they'd rescued a bird from the road and could I help. I was on site so met them and took a very young Woodpigeon squab 'into care'. On examination the squab had severe injures with it's insides hanging out, probably from a cat mauling. Unfortunately it had to be put to sleep.

Thanks for clarification re scopes Steven, totally understand now. For info I have well over 25 singing male Garden Warblers with a couple that show really well, one of which I took a group of visiting birders to one evening over the weekend. Sorry I wasn't around when you needed me!







I was quite surprised to only hear the one, never mind, will catch up with one soon.

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Popped down am and pm, am mainly to help a mate find stuff. Hot & sunny.

The Hoopoe was heard by two of us briefly although we didn't go looking for it, someone had had it earlier but it didn't show for the rest of the day. After impeccable behaviour all weekend by 3-figure crowds one photographer today decided to shout the odds about being asked not to trample farmers crops saying a few birders trampling over them would do no harm. I'm afraid his attitude has now possibly made future news from here less likely when I told 2 other patchers about him. He wasn't even a birder, just the worst sort of photographer that spoils it for all furious

The other side of human nature was when 2 locals who are friends rang to say they'd rescued a bird from the road and could I help. I was on site so met them and took a very young Woodpigeon squab 'into care'. On examination the squab had severe injures with it's insides hanging out, probably from a cat mauling. Unfortunately it had to be put to sleep.

Thanks for clarification re scopes Steven, totally understand now. For info I have well over 25 singing male Garden Warblers with a couple that show really well, one of which I took a group of visiting birders to one evening over the weekend. Sorry I wasn't around when you needed me!



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Post for yesterday 11th may.

The hoopoe started singing in the pines along the pine belt around 2pm, I had been on good wonder around since after 11am & was starting to make my back down nova scotia lane. I noticed 3 birders along the lane looking through the trees towards the pine belt, I foolishly first decided to walk along the path of the pine belt, silly man, soon came back to join the 3 birders who were watching the hoopoe at the top of the pines. Obviously from a previous post the lady present must of been Ruth mott ( doc, none of us then present had a scope so we 4 had good binocular views) I took some ok photos & shown them to the other birders. We watched the hoopoe fly down towards 2 smaller trees where it sang a couple of more times then lost from view & not seen or heard again after that. The time was then around 2.35pm, I stuck around for another hour just incase it went back to sandy Lane but obviously didn't.
Well done on a great find doc, nice to have a chat with you when I first arrived, & great to finally hear one singing.

smile

Just one garden warbler was heard on my wonder around & I didn't even see it no



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Only had the morning so joined fellow patcher Dave and walked off to the south on what we call the Common Farm Loop. Sunny and hot.

On Shemmy Moss we were surprised to find 5(3drk) Tufted Ducks which didn't move even though we were relatively close, breeding birds methinks!

The best bird today was a classic male White Wagtail showing the ashy-grey back, clean pristine white flanks and a mask which didn't join on the lower edge. I know not an official BTO species but we like to record everything and this was missing before today for the patch yearlist! A pair (m+f) Yellowhammer were together on Shemmy Moss, the male singing from a tree top by the entrance track. A Robin with 2 just fledged young was by the edge of Shemmy Moss.

The Hoopoe showed pm on Sandy Lane when I wasn't on patch, after a report of it at Old Pale, Delamere this am.



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A morning and afternoon on patch, sunny and hot all the time. A wee bit of policing of the Hoopoe, but everyone is behaving so well it will give twitchers a good name biggrin biggrin

The Hoopoe turned up around 2.15pm today and spent almost all the time atop a distant pine in the Pine Belt, viewed from the main track. This is the first location in which I found it mentioned in my Friday post. I didn't stay with it given the distance it was seen at and I had arranged patch watching elsewhere with Dave my fellow patcher! The departure south and no further sign is quite negative as it has never flown off like this before so early in the day.

A Great Crested Grebe is sitting on a nest in a usual location on Small Pool. The Mute Swan is still sitting too.

Unusually away from the mosses 2 Hobbys fed over the former leek field west of Small Pool, giving stunning views.



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Did you see my three posts below about it Ruth wink The first post gives site info and the main 2 locations the bird favours, including today's one!!

Keep an eye on here as I post each evening and had shown nearer than today if you'd come down Friday or Saturday. But still better today's views than none at all. That tree it was in is another of its usual places and was the first place I found it last Friday. I am surprised no-one offered you a view through a scope. I was showing everyone the bird through mine, even members of the public, on the first two days. I didn't bother too much with it today given that it was over three times the distance away compared to yesterday so couldn't have improved my pics. I am glad my find was a lifer for you (and lots of others I spoke to), a reward for all the hours I put in on my patch. to help folk see birds they really want to see!! It was me who told folk about the fisherman, and it was Friday night he had heard it constantly, it kept him and his mate awake!! It calls constantly as the trees it frequents here are its calling trees which it has come too each afternoon after feeding elsewhere each morning!

A mate who was there later saw it fly off high south which is a new direction of departure and could mean that it has left the area. I am away tomorrow but have primed my one fellow patch watcher to let me know it it is around pm! Watch this space!



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 11th of May 2025 09:28:59 PM

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Thank you for the post Doc, I'd seen on Bubo that someone had seen a Hoopoe on Sandy Lane and although I am not usually one to Twitch this one was too tempting.. I missed the one in Risley last time.  I woke up in the night thinking about this Hoopoe, I came on here and this post helped me better home in on it... After two hours of walking around the area and up and down Sandy Lane, we heard it and followed the sound down Nova Scotia. A splendid birder was kind enough to point us to it then which undoubtedly saved a lot of frustration. 

The Hoopoe was located at the top of some distant pines, through a gap in nearby trees viewed from Nova Scotia Lane at around 2pm today, it was helpfully calling for 15-30 minutes too and stayed in place for a fair while. I only had bins and still got a great view. I was told that in the afternoon it often flies to the top of an oak on Sandy Lane. Apparently a Fisherman who had spent the night on the lake not too far away heard it calling at 3am so it seems to be quite vocal.

This male Hoopoe was a lifer for me and my number one bird I'd wanted to see since I was small when it graced the cover of my bird book, I am very chuffed to have heard it and also had good views. Thank goodness I checked this great forum :) :)

 



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On my patch again to help police' the pretty large twitch today. My Hoopoe still present, mainly on Sandy Lane where most visitors got good views and heard him singing! Showed several folk the best area for Garden Warbler too where we connected pretty easily.



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I couldn't edit my post below as normal, not sure why, so here are a couple of record shots of the Hoopoe that should have been attached!



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Hot and Sunny am and pm on Patch, and a great day!

the huge highlight was a local MEGA, a male Hoopoe. Weirdly the timeline was that a local dogwalker had heard a weird call of something she'd never seen before and this was tracked down and sounded like a Hoopoe. That seemed so far fetched that we tried to make it fit some other species. But I persisted and found the tree in which it seemed to be singing in. By this time I was sure of ID and then to confirm it a stunning Hoopoe flew out of the pine it was in in the Pine Belt and headed off roughly eastwards. It was then heard distantly a while later so we drove round to Sandy Lane and could hear it in an oak right by the road. After a while circling the tree we found it high up singing its head off!! I then realised I had no digiscoping gear so took phone shots through my bins for record purposes (attached). After a while it flew off to by Novia Scotia Lane where it was heard calling. After I left a mini-twitch occurred and the bird was seen again by Sandy Lane! Some bad behaviour was reported so if anyone visits please keep OUT of the fields, they are newly sown and trampling will incur the farmers wrath big time!

Whilst searching in the Pine Belt I also had 2 Oystercatchers land in the adjacent field. Lapwings are also sitting here, another reason not to enter fields as breeding birds may be disturbed.

Over on Shemmy Moss late morning a stunning raptor display was seen. A pristine adult Red Kite was seen as it flew in then right above us it thermalled up giving superb views. At the same time 4 Hobbys were over Shemmy Moss, a couple actively hunting dragonflies and giving a breathtaking aerial display. In the background a Sparrowhawk and 2 Buzzards were also up taking advantage of the warm thermals. In the fields east of the Pine Belt pm around 10 Stock Doves were seen, the highest number for some time.



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A morning on Newchurch Common, cool but warming up to hot!

The 2 Great Crested Grebe chicks are doing well and growing rapidly. They are now even diving themselves!

A Hobby was over Big Pool catching insects, the first in this location this year.



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A morning visit starting early. Cool at first but sunny and warm later. All sightings were on Shemmy Moss.

There were 3(2drk) Tufted Ducks today, up one form the usual pair.

As I was leaving 2 Hobbys appeared and whizzed round feeding on insects, a fantastic sight. The Cuckoo was most vocal early on and showed in one of the trees bordering Shemmy Moss. A close encounter was had with 2 Skylarks, whether a pair or rival males I'm not sure. They were by the path just before the nursery entrance, hovering around 3m above the ground. A Goldcrest was in a pine on the north edge of the moss and collected a caterpillar and took it away, possibly to feed young in a nest nearby.



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An afternoon visit to return an insect taken home for photography. I always return specimens back where I collect them alive and well! Dull and cooler again.

I came across my first brood of 6 Mallard ducklings on Big Pool today, newly hatched with an adult female.

My first 3 Swifts of the year were over Big Pool, these came in from a distance and ended up headed straight over me.



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A brief morning visit hosting guests again, then pm around the pools. Some sun but cooler than of late.

On Big Pool there were broods of 7 & 2 Canada Geese goslings, my first this year. Late in the afternoon hordes of gulls dropped into Big Pool, seemingly feeding on a huge fly hatch and then dropping down to wash. The flock included an adult Herring Gull, 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 65 Black-headed Gulls, all were calling frequently making quite a racket. A Grey Heron flew through whilst the gulls were feeding. In the field east of the Pine Belt 10 Lapwings were counted with two sitting.

A male Cuckoo was heard north of Big Pool.



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Again out am, early start too. It was cool at first but warming up as the sun got higher in the sky.

Bird-wise it was very quiet with just a couple of things of note. The male Cuckoo sang for a really long spell and did several flyovers giving excellent views. Also giving good views were at least 2 Garden Warblers, singing in the tops of birches and watched down to as close as 20m away.



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Out on Shemmy Moss am in hot sun but trying to avoid the afternoon scorcher!

There were 4(3drk) Teal on the mossland pools. A patch yeartick was the highlight when an unusual, but recognisable, call was heard overhead. On looking up I could see 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 adults and a 1w/1s bird, the sunlight emphasising the adults pale white wings and jet black heads.

A Rook flew over high looking more like a Raven or a raptor, thermalling and drifting through. It then returned doing the same 20mins later. A flock of 25 Feral Pigeons flew through, my largest flock of these ever on patch, but probably a flock of racers released somewhere locally! One of the many Garden Warblers showed superbly well in full song today.



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A morning on the mosslands part of my patch with friends smile Hot & sunny.

Not concentrating on birds but a drake Teal was on Shemmy Moss and 2 Greylag Geese flew over. A Grey Heron also flew over as did 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls.



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A hot, sunny afternoon on Patch today.

The aforementioned 2 Great Crested Grebe chicks were seen at close quarters today being fed by their 2 parents, nice to confirm that two is the brood size.

The Cuckoo was again calling on Shemmy Moss where the male Yellowhammer was seen again.



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Managed to get my puncture fixed by 8am so a normal day, am and pm on patch! Hot & sunny again.

On Big Pool 2 Greylag Geese were amongst the usual Canadas. Just 6 Sand Martins were over the pool.

The male Cuckoo called most of the time once it started in the afternoon and showed well on top of an Oak on Abbot's Moss. A male Yellowhammer was also on Shemmy Moss. Garden Warblers showed well on both Newchurch Common and Shemmy Moss, they are well and truly 'in' now! A Pied Wagtail was in a ploughed field by Sandy Lane. The Blackbird's nest that I found on Shemmy Moss with chicks in it was empty today and from the angle that it sat at it has obviously been predated. I'm not surprised given its location and visibility.



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The day started badly with finding a nail in my car tyre, but got dropped off on my patch and had a superb morning! Sunny and hot.

I walked from where I was dropped to check out the ploughed fields off Sandy Lane. I'm glad I did as I found a stunning male Yellow Wagtail. This was only the second one I've had on patch and a yeartick anywhere in 2025. I then walked the Common Farm loop where an Oystercatcher was heard and 5 Swallows were seen around the farm. Finally over onto Shemmy Moss where I first found a number of raptors thermalling which turned out to be 2 Sparrowhawks and 4 Buzzards. Then even better my first Hobby of 2025 came into view and showed really well catching insects on the wing as it stayed in the general area for at least the next 45mins.

Three Patch yearticks (with 2 being UK yearticks) in the last two days aint bad!!



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Again am and pm on patch, am on Newchurch, pm on Shemmy. Overcast and occasional sum but not cold!

As I scanned Big Pool am I noticed a Great Crested Grebe with young on its back, at distance it was hard to tell but it looked like 2 young. There was a flock of hirundines containing 10 Sand Martins and 3 Swallows over Big Pool too.

But the stand out bird today was a Red Kite over Shemmy Moss pm. I was alerted to it by Ravens noisily mobbing it. Then 3 Buzzards joined the fray! The Red Kite was a patch tick for 2025.

 



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 27th of April 2025 04:01:00 PM

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Two visits today, the first from 7am then back pm, both on the mosslands and sunny and eventually warm.

A group of 4 Oystercatchers flew noisily over Shemmy Moss and headed off southwards, I can't recall having a group of four before.

Plenty of warblers with now an estimated minimum of 5 Whitethroats, 3 Garden Warblers and lots of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. One of the latter species, a Willow Warbler, was demonstrating distraction behaviour, indicating a nest nearby as I was checking an area for lizards! A Song Thrush exhibited the same behaviour in an area on the north side of Shemmy Moss. Birds carrying nesting material included Linnets and Long-tailed Tits.



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On the pools area am and Shemmy a short walk pm.

On Nunsmere 5(4drk) Mandarins showed well with the four drakes displaying to the lone female.

The Cuckoo called again briefly near Nunsmere pm. Near Small Pool a negative sighting was 2 Jays collecting nesting material, one of them with a beakfull of fishing line, a very bad choice to build a nest out of!



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A very brief pop down to the mosses section of my Newchurch Patch when it brightened up pm.

A kettle of 4 Buzzards circled above Abbot's Moss. The Cuckoo was heard again distantly. Best bird was the first patch Garden Warbler of 2025, heard first then showed well by the approach road to Abbotsmoss Nursery.



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On my patch am and pm again in warm sunshine.

Very little to report bird-wise. There were 2 Sand Martins over Big Pool and a Swallow over Daleford Farm. A Whitethroat showed really well on Shemmy Moss.



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A walk on Shemmy Moss only had notable sighting, a nest with 3 Blackbird hatchlings in it. These were still small and unfeathered and in quite an exposed site. I'll keep an eye on their progress!



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Dull and raining most of the time I was out, so spent it in the pools area, Newchurch.

Out of interest I counted just 25 Tufted Ducks on the two pools, in comparison with the WeBS Count total of 64 just last Sunday! Two Oystercatchers flew over in a noisy, chasing display flight. The rain brought down a huge flock comprising 150 Sand Martins and 6 Swallows over Big Pool. A further 4 Swallows were on territory at Common Farm.

Not common on patch there were 5 Starlings and 3 Collared Doves at Common Farm.

 



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Again a morning walk on the Shemmy Moss part of my patch. Sunny and warm but not much to report bird-wise.

Just 2drk Teal were seen on Shemmy today. A Grey Heron flew over.

A male Yellowhammer was seen again. Lots of the three species of common warblers including 3 Blackcaps comprising two males fighting for a female who watched on!



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A short morning walk on Newchurch on Shemmy Moss due to a busy day later! Dull but dry, cool.

Investigation of the same site as yesterday revealed a male Whitethroat in full song and finally showing well. Confirmed as the first this year anywhere.

An influx of 20 Tufted Ducks were seen on Nunsmere. An Oystercatcher flew over calling whilst a flyover Cormorant was silent! A small passage of gulls contained 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Herring Gull. A trickle of 9 Sand Martins flew through the mosses.

The male Cuckoo called distantly but moved closer and showed well in a tree before flying off south over my head, superb! Three Skylarks were chasing each other over Abbotsmoss Nursery fields. A male Yellowhammer was seen on Shemmy Moss. Several Linnets were seen including one carrying nest material. Lots of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps made it the first four warbler day of 2025 on Patch! One Blackcap was doing very good mimicry of a Garden Warbler song but every so often threw in one flutey 'Blackcap' note!!



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A quick 4miles or so this am, dull but dry and mild.

There were 4(2drk) Teal on Shemmy Moss. A feeding flock of 22 Sand Martins were over Big Pool.

A first for patch this year was a male Wheatear on the Swallow Farm big field viewed from the end of the track through Daleford Farm. The bird was very distant but last year this species wasn't recorded on patch so a nice surprise! A Tawny Owl pellet was found on Shemmy Moss. A snatch of subsong on Shemmy Moss sounded like Whitethroat, the location will be investigated further tomorrow!



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 15th of April 2025 11:17:35 AM

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A morning visit for my monthly WeBS Count on the designated day! Again it seems to have come round so quickly. The count started in rain but finished in sunshine warm throughout though!

On the pools totals of water birds were as follows: 18 Canada Geese, 25 Coot, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 15 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 1 Mute Swan, 64 Tufted Ducks, 1 Black-headed Gull, and 1 domestic Mallard. In addition, and the biggest bonus, the rain pushed a flock of hirundines down to feed over Big Pool first thing, these were 25 Sand Martins and 2 House Martins, both new for patch for the year, and 2 Swallows. Also seen but not on the WeBS Count were 10 Lapwings in the breeding field east of the Pine Belt, however this is being ploughed and I fear that any nests already started will be lost.

Willow Warblers have reached Big Pool now too after the arrival on the mosses, at least 4 were seen or heard.



-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 13th of April 2025 02:59:52 PM

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Popped on briefly today, all on Shemmy Moss and starting sunny but ending overcast!

A pair of Teal were on Shemmy Moss and 3 Herring Gulls flew over.

Yesterday's Cuckoo was heard again by fellow patcher Dave, before I arrived. Also heard, but not by me, was a Grasshopper Warbler by the approach road to Abbotsmoss Nursery (by Carys my wife).



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A cracking day on patch today in hot sunshine again and out am & pm again, be rude not too!!

On Big Pool 2 Common Shelducks were a surprise this morning. They stayed out in the centre of the pool but unusually stayed all day. Don't think there's any chance they will linger until WeBS day on Sunday!! Not a yeartick as I had one short-stayer in early March.

Another god bird, and bird of the day, was the first singing male Cuckoo, heard singing distantly over Abbot's Moss towards Nunsmere. This seems to be the usual location that the first bird is heard in every year! The first Cuckoo here last year was on May 4th so this is early but in line with other sightings in the UK! There were 2 Collared Doves on Sandy Lane, one patch stronghold for this scarce patch bird! A male Pied Wagtail was on the roof of a barn at Dairy Farm.



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Morning and afternoon on patch in hot sunshine.

A drake Teal was on Gull Pool and lots of Tufted Ducks were still around with WeBS weekend approaching!

Best birds were 3 Swallows, my first on patch this year and all back on breeding territory, the first at Common Farm and then two more at Dairy Farm. At least 8 Willow Warblers were heard today, 7 being on Shemmy Moss. On Newchurch Common 2 Linnets were watched following each other in flight and then dropping into gorse, their nesting habitat. A Goldcrest was in the Pine Belt.



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Another afternoon visit, particularly happy today as it was a post-dermatology visit which confirmed a skin lesion as a non-melanoma :) Hot and sunny again.

A group of 3 Greylag Geese flew over Shemmy Moss where 2 Snipe were also seen. A Water Rail called form Gull Pool again.

A Green Woodpecker again called distantly over the mosses. A Tawny Owl was heard near Big Pool. Today 4 Willow Warblers were heard and one seen, all on Shemmy Moss. A male Reed Bunting and a Skylark were also here.



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An afternoon visit today in warm sunshine, mostly on the mosslands again.

There were at least 2(1drk) Teal on Gull Pool where a Little Grebe was heard calling. A Water Rail also called on Gull Pool at length. Just 1 Snipe came up off Shemmy Moss today as I walked past.

Best birds of the day were a first for the year, 3 Willow Warblers, all on Shemmy Moss, all heard and one seen well. A male Yellowhammer also showed well on Shemmy Moss. A Nuthatch was in full breeding colours looking stunning in Gull Pool Wood.



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A morning walk on my patch, just on the mosslands today. Hot and sunny!

On Shemmy Moss 2 Teal and 5 Snipe came up as I walked in the bracken some way off the moss. All came down not far away in the same area. There were 3(2drk) Gadwall on Nunsmere at the western edge of my patch.

The best bird was a calling Green Woodpecker on the mosslands, to the south as usual now. a new bird for the year anywhere for me. A pair of Ravens flew over displaying / pair bonding. A male Reed Bunting was seen on Shemmy Moss, on breeding territory.



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A first walk on patch post-holiday! Sunny and warm, out am & pm.

On Big Pool a count of 38 Tufted Ducks was made, later others were on Small Pool but there may have been duplication. There were 3 Common Gulls still on Big Pool. An Oystercatcher was heard flying over Big Pool where 2 Grey Herons were also seen, not usual as most sightings of this species are singles.

A Tawny Owl flew out of a gorse bush at head height north of Big Pool much to my surprise and then was seen by a second observer soon afterwards. Counts of a minimum of 16 Blackcaps and 18 Chiffchaffs were made across the whole area.



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An early afternoon walk on the mossland section of my Patch. Sunny and hot again.

A drake Teal was on one of the pools on Shemmy Moss. The drake Goosander was still hanging around on Nunsmere, he must have a mate there! Whilst walking in bracken alongside Shemmy Moss at least 40 Snipe came up from there. An adult Herring Gull flew over the mosslands, a scarce bird on Patch.



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A Shortened morning visit as I got called home asap! Sunny and warming up.

The pools seemed like winter with 4(2drk) Goosander and 7(2drk) Goldeneye still on Big Pool. A Grey Heron was on the willow spit here too.

There were now 2 Blackcaps singing near Big Pool.



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A morning walk incorporating the mosses and the common. Warm and dry, no sun.

A drake Goosander was on Nunsmere again. There were 6(1drk) Goldeneye on Big Pool, a surprising ratio.

In the distance 2 Sparrowhawks and 3 Buzzards displayed high up in the sky. A group of 7 Redwings flew over Big Pool. The best birds today were 2(1m) Bramblings in a Silver Birch on Shemmy Moss, I'd written this species off for this winter so this was a major find! Another good find today was the first male Blackcap singing in Big Pool east meadow. On patch in total were 12 Chiffchaffs. a group of 6 Linnets were on Shemmy Moss.



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A walk from c.11.45am onwards to try to take advantage of the warmest part of the day, sunny & hot at first with wispy cloud later.

A drake Goosander was on Nunsmere still, hanging around it certainly looks like he may have a female there too! A Little Grebe was on breeding habitat at Gull Pool.

A day-calling male Tawny Owl was heard again on Shemmy Moss. A Skylark was also heard here again



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This forum is dedicated to the memory of Eva Janice McKerchar.