Wheatear

Spotted two male Wheatears in the farmers fields  along Cooper lane footpath at 7am this morning, along with one Buzzard.

Heard my first Chiffchaff of the year this morning walking the dog.  Just hadn't expected to hear it in Rainhill village.  Sounded like it was in the clump of trees, by the railway line, in the far corner of the playing field of the old Youth Club on Old Lane/Warrington Road junction.  I heard one round there last year for few days.

Carr Mill Dam

11.45 Today at Dam

5 Sand Martin

1 Swallow

1 House Martin

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Havannah flash

Plenty of frogspawn in the newly established ponds on the flash this morning (job well done).
Buzzard 4
Lapwings 7
SteB.

7 Singing Chiffchaffs

A count of 7 singing Chiffchaffs from Sankey Valley Visitors Centre along canal to Vulcan Village.

 

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Havannah flash

Birds present this morning.
Tufted duck 2, 1 m/1 f.
Teal 15
Nuthatch 1
Cormorant 3 over.
Reed bunting 1
Buzzard 1
Lapwing.
SteB.

Sankey Valley: Carr Mill Dam to Visitor Centre at Blackbrook

Tues 22nd March: pair of Teal; 3 Mandarin (2 drakes chasing a duck); 2 Chiffchaff.

Derek Evans

Newton Lake

2 Green Sandpipers feeding at the far end of the lake at 4pm today.

 

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Moss Lane

I've not been out for ages due to one thing or another, so it was nice to get out in the sunshine this afternoon. I met another birder who had just seen a merlin down there, but I didn't see it. There wasn't much around at first but the later I stayed out, the more things started to appear. I've never seen so many hare at once before, they were just chilling out in the evening sun.

Redwing 40+
Fieldfare 8+
Corn bunting 2 (kindly pointed out by another birder)
Meadow pipit 3
Goldcrest 1
Skylark 5+
Lapwing 15+
Starling 40+
Buzzard 1
Yellowhammer 10+

Two of the many hare around, the others were more distant.

Corn bunting

Fieldfare flock + lapwing.

A single redwing in the trees which I embarrassingly thought was a corn bunting on the back of the camera! 

This was as close as the flock of redwing got.


Brown Hare 10+

Damian P

Bluetit behaviour My Garden Eccleston

I've had a nestbox camera for a few years on the back of the house and the other day my wife heared noises from it in the middle of the day while she was hanging out the washing. When we checked on the telly, we saw a bluetit pecking away at the bottom right corner of the box and dropping the 'sawdust' bits out of the box. It's been doing this for a few days now. I can't imagine why it's doing this but hope that it is preparing the box for nesting. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know...

Damian P

Merton Bank Open Space, Ravenhead Greenway

Sat 19th: 1 Water Rail at 0725 viewed from the boardwalk.

Derek Evans

Havannah flash

All the ditches that were excavated  last year along Havannah flash are now alive with frogs , but as of yet no sign of frogspawn.

SteB.

 

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Spring has kind of Sprung on Billinge Hill

A quick blast up to Billinge Hill and surround this early am in the hope of a spring migrant was fruitless, no chiffchaffs, no wheatears, no hirundines ..... winter birds dominated the preceedings tho there were certainly some signs of spring including one I have not witnessed before!

The song of skylark and yellowhammer filled the air on the walk up with at least 7 yellowhammer and a couple of linnet territories occupied.

A small flock of lesser redpoll has been present for a number of weeks in the landfill site and on this occasion I counted 8 "buzzing" over.  A few calling overhead siskin added to the winter feel.

I pushed on to the pine copse and sheep fields (favourite haunts for wheatear and ring ouzel in past years) where a couple of goldcrest were singing in the canopy tho a distant noise was attracting my attention, as I moved closer I could distinguish that there was a large number of starling in the next copse over.  And then the sight and sound of 100+ redwing feeding in the field and standing alert in the treetops bowled me over.

As I less than stealthily snuck around the corner the redwing flew to the tree tops but I was able to get into the copse and wait ..... the sound of redwing pre-migration is amazing a mixture of song and call akin to an orchestra warming up!

In addition a male brambling was present.

So spring migrants yet to arrive but plenty to keep one interested

Paul B

Laffak Pond, Chain Lane

Mon 14th: 1 drake Pochard; pair of Gadwall.

Derek Evans

Laffak Pond, Chain Lane

Thursday 10th March: 1 Siskin; pair of Willow Tit.

Friday 11th March: 3 Siskin.

Derek Evans

Laffak Pond, Chain Lane

Sat 5th and Mon 7th; Siskin 5 feeding in alders.

Mon 7th; Raven one south at 0840.

Derek Evans

FW: Havannah flash

---

From: Ste
Sent: ‎08/‎03/‎2016 13:52
To: yicker7@gmail.com
Subject: FW: Havannah flash

---

From: Ste
Sent: ‎08/‎03/‎2016 13:27
To: sightings@outlook.com
Subject: Havannah flash

Just for interest, can anyone identify the tracks in the attached photos? I think the tracks are possibly Mink tracks. They were found this morning along the banks of Sankey brook.
SteB.

Wildlife crime

Please be aware, that Wild life crime is happening in our area, if you see anything suspicious, do not approach the people involved for your own safety, but take notes etc and report it immediately to your local Police.
This is the only way to stop it.

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Parr stocks road

Kestrel spotted on wall as I was driving along Parr stocks road 2-45pm this afternoon.
SteB.

Ravens at Hollin Hey

A pair of Ravens this afternoon opposite Hollin Hey Farm.

Also a flock of 36 Pied Wagtails feeding in a field close by.

Sent from Samsung tablet

Havannah flash

Lapwings displaying well in fields off Havannah flash.
Feeding station.
Jay 4
Nuthatch 1
Great tit
Robin
Chaffinch
Blackbird.
SteB.