Sparrowhawk on Rindle Road

Just a quick post here to show a single picture of a Sparrowhawk which I took today on a rather uneventful trip down Rindle Road. It's one of the few shots I've got of a Sparrowhawk in flight. For some reason I just don't seem to see them very much.

In Search of Cuckoo

The Cuckoos have returned to the Mosses now and so today I went off to find one.  On the way I managed to get these shots of a Wren and a Whitethroat from down Rindle Road near Astley Moss.

Needless to say, I didn't find a Cuckoo anywhere - I never even heard one.

Rindle Road

Here's the only half-decent shots of a Kestrel I got whilst out on a quick trip down Rindle Road in Astley on a very grey and dismal day today. Sorry about the grainy photos but there was very little light.

I saw:

• 2 Kestrels
• 2 Buzzards, one being mobbed by about eight Carrion Crows
• 2 Jays
• Both Song and Mistle Thrushes
• Blackbird, Robin and BlueTit
• A few Goldfinches
• Good numbers of Starlings congregating on the telephone wires.
• Small numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares overhead.
• Hundreds of Woodpigeons
• Large numbers of Jackdaws and a few Carrion Crows
• Loads of Pheasants

My First Half-Decent Goldcrest Photograph

This photograph isn't that great (although some people on Facebook seem to like it), but it's historic for me!  It's the first half-decent photograph of a Goldcrest that I've ever managed to take.

You see, Goldcrests are bogey birds for me - I rarely ever see them and never normally get anywhere near as close as this when I do.  I was driving slowly with my windows down on Rindle Road near Astley Moss (in a town you'd suspect me of kerb-crawling, but not here) and it just caught my eye in the bushes.

I stopped the car immediately, reached for my camera and for once the bird did not fly away. I didn't have time to think about settings and just shot four quick photos from inside my car, before it did disappear deeper into the bushes.  It was greatly underexposed when I looked at it on the back of the camera, but that's better than the other way round - at least you have got something with which to work.

After a bit of post-processing, this was the best of the four shots and I quite like it because it pretty much captures the essence of the Goldcrest.  As a photographer, you always want a better shot, but this one will do me for a while - well at least until tomorrow.

Whitethroat - Got It!

I went down Rindle Road this morning with just one objective - to get a decent photograph of a Whitethroat.  Here's what I came back with ...

Astley Moss and Rindle Road Area

Today was the first time for a while that I've spent any length of time down here, and it was what Winnie the Pooh would call 'a rather blustery day'. Here's what I saw:

Fields Near Astley Tip
Some Wood Pigeons
A few Collared Doves
4 Jays - all together
Later a single Jay flew across the field and another landed in a small Oak tree

Moss Lane
A few more Wood Pigeons
Around 40-50 Corvids
40-ish Goldfinches on wires
4 Juvenile Partridges (could have been juvenile Pheasants as I only got a brief glimpse)
1 Buzzard
30-ish Pink-footed Geese flying west - I heard the coming from way off.
Another group of six flying South, but may have been Canada Geese
10-12 Starlings on the wires

Rindle Woods and neighbouring fields
2 Pheasants
2 Great Tits
Quite a few Wood Pigeons
4 or 5 Swallows
1 Kestrel
4 Buzzards
5 Carrion Crows
3 Magpies
Mallard landing on a scrape

Rindle Road and neighbouring fields
2 Song Thrushes on wires
1 Chiffchaff
A few Swallows, but a lot less than earlier in the week.
Even more Wood Pigeons
Buzzard being mobbed by a Crow
2 Kestrels - probably same one twice
Great Spotted Woodpecker on telephone pole

Did I mention the Pigeons? - Seems like they had a good year.

P.S. Beware of the footpaths around Astley Moss SSSI at the moment as they're underwater in many places. I turned back from my normal anti-clockwise route through Rindle Wood and around the edge of the Moss because I sank into a deep puddle on the path and I was carrying my camera gear. And when I went the other direction along Rindle Hedge, I nearly lost a wellie when I sank in again up to my shin - the water came over the top of my boot and I had to put my gear down to get out without the peat sucking my boot off.

In Search of Cuckoos and Cranes

A good half day out at Rindle Road in search of Cuckoos and Cranes produced very little in the way of usable photographs, but it was great to meet some new birders.

Here's the best of what I got:

Goldfinch

Tree Sparrow

Whimbrel

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Birch Trunk

I didn't see a Cuckoo but I did hear a female with her distinctive 'bubbling' call. The Cranes were nowhere in sight today but it was very nice to meet Manchester Birding Forum members Paul Pennington, Kevin Forde, Craig Higson and Jason Atkinson.

Moss Lane and Rindle Road

As it was cold but sunny today, I decided to pop out mid afternoon to Moss Lane and Rindle Road, which is only ten minutes from where I live. I parked up at the last but one bend on Moss lane where there were at least 200 Jackdaws in and over the fields at around 3pm.  Large groups would regularly take off and head westwards, off to a roost somewhere in that direction.  

Whilst I was there I met another birder from Manchester in search of Grey Partridge.  We chatted for a long time about birds in the area and he gave me some good pointers to locations a little further afield, such as the pontoon which is covered in waders at New Brighton (Wirral) at high tide, and where and when to se the Hawfinches at Sizergh Castle car park. I did ask his name, but I'm afraid I've forgotten it - that's senility for you.

Whilst we chatted a female Sparrowhawk flew out of the trees and low over a field and there were quite a few Wood Pigeons around. We didn't see the Grey Partridge but a Mistle Thrush was in the field next to 'Cobs and Plods' riding school on the way to Rindle Road.

There was another large group (100+) of mixed Corvids (mainly Jackdaw) at the corner of Rindle Road and Nook lane, before they took off and landed in the trees behind.  As I drove down Rindle Road a Kestrel was sitting on the telephone wire outside Moss Bank Farm.

At the Rindle Road feeding station there were less birds than usual, but there were still some Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, two Robins, a Great Tit and two Blue Tits - no Willow Tits though. I walked through Rindle Wood and around the SSSI trail but saw nothing of note. On the way back towards Rindle Hedge a group of 20 or so Linnets flew out of the hedge and into the ploughed field.  A Jay also flew over the field next to the ploughed field in which there were also three Pheasants.

But the best was left until last - a Treecreeper was showing well in the trees around the entrance to Rindle Wood. I've only seen one once before and have often looked for them to no avail, in spite of visiting many times.  This just shows you what birding is like - go for a nice walk and if you happen to see some birds that makes it even better!

Rindle Road and Astley Moss

I went out down Rindle Road for a couple of hours after work tonight hoping to see the Hobbies that have been reported catching dragonflies over the Moss in the last few days.  When I arrived there were at least five cars parked up (there are usually no more than two and often none) with other birders presumably looking for the same thing or the Cuckoos.

I parked at the top of the feeding station track and the farmer was driving his tractor up towards the gate.  As he got out to close the gate I asked him about the crops he was growing in the fields here. He's a nice bloke who I've met before and he's always stopped for a chat. He told me that barley was being grown in two fields, potatoes in the ploughed field and two fields were grass for silage. I checked that it was alright to leave my car here and he said that as long as he could get past with the tractor it was fine.

The first thing that struck me as I walked down the track towards Rindle Wood was the sound of Yellowhammers making their 'little bit of bread with no cheeeese' call. They weren't in the usual hawthornes and trees along the feeding track but somewhere out in the fields.  When I looked through my binoculars I saw a couple sitting on a fence wire bordering two of the fields.  This loud calling went on most of the time I was out tonight - I've never heard it so loud and clearly before.

As I entered Rindle Wood I briefly met a lady birder who had come here in search of Cuckoos, but who was leaving disappointed.  I told her she must come back because they'd be here for a while and show quite well when they do appear.  I also met a new character called Gordon from Martin Mere as most people seem to know him and had a really good chat with him about allsorts of stuff. And then on towards the SSSI.

Willow Warbler

There were lots of very pale Mistle Thrushes in the ploughed field on the edge of the Wood, and the Yellowhammers were obviously there too although I didn't spot any. As I approached the edge of the SSSI there were a couple of Willow Warblers singing from what seems to a favourite place in some dead brich tree branches.  As the light wasn't too bad, I took this opportunity to photograph them, even though they were quite high up.  Whilst I was doing this someone was looking at me through binoculars a little further down the path - it was Dave Thacker and he gave me a wave when he recognised me.

Willow Warbler

I went to meet Dave and he was with another lady birder who's name I'm sorry to say I've forgotton already. They were looking for Hobbies and Cuckoos but hadn't seen either, despite having been here a while. They mentioned lots of people who had seen them today including John Tymon who'd been here earlier and so understanderably they were both a bit fed up!  We talked about a few things (during which time I think I spotted a Linnet in a dead tree) before Dave and moved on to walk round the trail past the scrapes.

Is this a Linnet?

There really wasn't very much about tonight save for a pair of Tufted Ducks which I accidentally flushed off one of the scrapes.  There were quite a few dragonflies about however and that's why this is good Hobby country.  In fact on our way back towards Rindle Hedge we met another birder who knew quite a lot about dragonflies and he and Dave had a good chat about them, but it was all lost on me!  I'll have to get a book.

As we approached the hedge, we looked across the ploughed potato field and Dave spotted two Grey Partridges on the edge of the ditch that separates the fields.  They were very hard to see as they crouched down in the grass and I wouldn't have spotted them on my own.  Apparently like many birds, they nest in the ditch and come out onto the ploughed field to feed.

Whilst we watching the Partridges we heard a Cuckoo calling for the first time tonight.  Dave scanned the trees with his bins and had soon found one sat some distance away across the fields. It was at the top of  a dead tree on the edge of the SSSI where we had first been talking some 20 minutes ago.  The calls continued for a while and another Cuckoo appeared briefly before they both flew off over the tree tops.  Well, at least we could report that we'd seen them tonight.

Oystercatcher

Dave and I walked back to the feeding station through Rindle Hedge where there were no birds at all tonight as far as I could see.  We looked in the barley field for the Whimbrel and Oystercatchers which had been there recently and couldn't see them until they popped their heads up above the long vegetation.  There was at least one Whimbrel and two Oystercatchers here tonight and we witnessed a very brief scuffle when one Oystercatcher moved the Whimbrel on its way.  And then they all disappeared into the long vegetation again.

Buzzard on fence post

It was at this point that Dave spotted a large Buzzard sitting on a fence post looking for voles.  It was some way off and close to the railway line, but it wasn't disturbed when a train went past - it must be used to this by now.  From time to time the Buzzard would drop down off its perch on to the ground before returning again a few minutes later, maybe after a meal.  Another birder joined us at this point who was an old friend of Dave's who he hadn't seen for a while.  We chatted for a while before deciding it was time to head for home.

Chaffinch

I left Dave and his friend at the top of the feeding station track and decided to try to get a little closer to the Buzzard for some pictures.  I walked up towards the level crossing at the top of Rindle Road whilst perusing the hawthorne hedge and taller trees.  I saw a Chaffinch and a pair of Goldfinches on the telephone wires here.  I looked for the Curlew in the field next to Rindle Cottages, but instead found another pair of Oystercatchers which might have been the ones we saw previously.  I took some photos here before looking for the Buzzard on the other side of the road.  It was still perched on the same post but the light wasn't good and it was still some way off, so I didn't get any really good shots.

Goldfinches

Well, I hadn't seen the Hobbies but I'd I met a few nice people and had a good birding session with Dave in which we saw a fair number of species this evening.  Happy Days!

Goldfinch

Moss Lane and Rindle Wood

A walk down Moss Lane and through Rindle Wood to the edge of the SSSI from 5pm to 7.45pm on a very windy but sunny late afternoon / early evening produced:

Moss Lane:

• 2 Red Legged Partridges
• 6 Pied Wagtails
• Swallows
• Carrion Crows
• Lapwings mating
• Our Marsh Harrier friend with the missing primaries

Ploughed field next to Rindle Wood and the SSSI:

• Skylarks heard but not seen
• Cuckoo calling and showing in tree tops in the usual place on the SSSI
• A brilliant display of aerobatics by up to twelve Swallows catching flies and just having fun flying low along the furrows in the ploughed field
• Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds in furrows
• Carrion Crows and one Oystercatcher over
• No hobbies though

Drake Mallard raising its head just above the long vegetation in field next to Rindle Cottages and Curlew calling from nearby on way back to car. It was nice to meet Gary Mills out looking for hobbies too.

I originally posted this report on the Manchester Birding Forum.

Astley Moss and Rindle Road

Whimbrel in field

I went out fairly late this afternoon for a look round Rindle Wood and Astley Moss in the hope of seeing the cuckoos which have been reported there this week.  There were no birds at all along the often packed feeding station track as I left the car and approached the Wood.

Whimbrel on the move

The first thing I saw was a pair of Whimbrel in a field and so I spent some time trying to get a decent photograph through the trees along Rindle Hedge - unfortunately the results aren't that great - it was very windy and I couldn't keep the camera completely still without a tripod.

One Pheasant has been alerted by my presence

I also saw a pair of plump Pheasants in the same field who scurried away as soon as they heard me coming and I could hear Willow Warblers in the trees but I couldn't see any here.

And now bith of them have

By now I was at the bottom of Rindle Hedge and so I decided to walk the opposite way round the SSSI trail to my normal anti-clockwise route. The water in the scrapes here was very low and there were quite a few flies about.  There weren't many birds about at all, save for a couple of Carrion Crows above the trees in the distance.

Then, as I approached the newly created raised pools, I heard a Cuckoo call in the distance.  After 10 minutes of looking through my binoculars I couldn't see it and so I carried on up the path where I did see a Reed Bunting and a Yellowhammer in the trees and several other LBJ's flying from the Moss into the trees that border the ploughed field.

A little further down the path the Cuckoos called again, this time for a longer period of time. When I looked though my bins I got a brief glimpse of two grey birds flying over the distant trees on the edge of the Moss - I'm sure these were two Cuckoos because their wings were very pointed - and then they were gone, not to be seen again tonight.

At the far end of the path I met up with Dave Thacker and we had a good chat whilst looking in the newly ploughed field behind Rindle Wood.  There were many different birds here, which I've listed below:

• A single Oystercatcher
• Lapwings
• Skylarks
• Blackbirds
• Mallard
• Mistle Thrushes
• Pied Wagtail
• Many Swallows flying low over the ploughed field catching flies

Before leaving we had a last look for the Cuckoos to no avail, but we did see a couple of Willow Warblers singing their hearts out and silhouetted against the sky as the sun was going down. As we walked back to Rindle Road, we heard a Curlew calling in the distance and then eventually saw it on the ground in the far field next to the new Rindle cottage.

• A single Curlew
• 2 Grey Partridges
• A Marsh Harrier

We had great views of the Marsh Harrier being mobbed by the Curlew and a Lapwing as it looked for nests on the ground.  It had a couple of inner primaries missing from its right wing and Dave now thinks this was a 2nd calendar year male, but I'll have to take his word for that! 

Here's how the story unfolded:

Curlew sees Marsh Harrier

Curlew goes for Marsh Harrier

Curlew hits Marsh Harrier and veers off

Lapwing joins in

Lapwing bides its time

Lapwing goes for it

Marsh Harrier flies off luckily without losing any more feathers

Thanks Dave, I'd have a missed a lot these birds if you hadn't been there tonight. Here are some enhanced pictures of the Marsh Harrier with a bit of artistic license: