Great start to the year with the first Slavonian Grebe I have seen in Rossendale.  I wonder if this is where the Rossendale birding year will peak?  It is now on Fishmoor Reservoir.   Having added Black Necked Grebe and Red Necked Grebe locally.  

Although the Red Necked Grebe was at Ashworth Moor Reservoir which isn't in Rossendale.

Snipe 1 at Holden Wood Reservoir on 19th January and 5 Teal at Mitchell's House Reservoir.

02/02/25 - 1 Golden Plover calling over Ogden heading North-ish,  lots of Siskin at Clough Head feeders - Paul Jackman counted approximately 140 - quite an experience,  approx 5-6 Kestrel around, 

The highlight of the visit being 2 Oystercatchers at Ogden Reservoir.  1 seen but 2 heard.  Spring is on the way.  Savour the last of the winter before it disappears.  

Forgot to add 4 singing Mistle Thrush, singing Dunnock and about 14 Lapwings over Grane from the 2nd of February - unusually a 3 wader day!

Paul Jackman has counted approx 460 Siskin at the Clough Head feeders - counts from photos of flocks.


09/02/24 - approx 5 Skylark over North - spring is on it's way! 3 duck species seen - Goosander, Mallard and Goldeneye.   At Grane of course.

Grane Reservoirs and Quarries today highlights:- 

24-26 at Oystercatchers at Ogden

3 Male Wheatears behind Jamestone East

3 singing Stonechat  - Ogden, border of Ogden Reservoir and Calf Hey Reservoir, Deep Clough

min 3 Brambling 

3 Skylark over Holden Wood Res and 3 just over Quarries

1 Lapwing dispalying over Jamestone West

lots of Siskin still at Clough Head probaby a min 100

5 Kestrel

Lots of Meadow Pipit displaying

Visit to sewage works after 4pm and 0 Sand Martins  

Sunday 24 December - 1 Chiffchaff singing in trees near St Peters playing fields

Friday 29 December  - 30-32 Oystercatcher in field at Ogden Reservoir, min 2 Little Ringed Plover - (4 wader day) at Jamestones and 0 Wheatear seen!    Approx 40 Pied Wagtails at Ewood Bridge Sewage Works about 6pm 

Sunday 31 December - approx 60 Fieldfare heading East and the 65 approx Pink Footed Geese Kevin saw heading west flew over,  1-2 Sand Martins over Jamestones, min 2 Linnet over Jamestones, Chiffchaff at Clough Head centre, 1-2 Wheatears too at jamestone East.   Looke like an influx of Meadow Pipits too.   Plenty of Siskins at Clough Head feeders but much reduced, Brambling still there.  Mediterranean Gull photographed at Jamestone East.

April 1 - 2 willow Warblers at Holden Wood - 1 near car park in sub-song and other at far side in full son.

April 5 - 2 Willow Warblers at Calf Hey and another at Crow Trees cottage, 2-4 Sand Martins at Jamestone West, 1 Dunlin over Jamestone West calling, 

April 10 - Holden Wood Reservoir - min 4 Willow Warblers, 8-12 Mallard, 1 Greylag, 1 Blackcap, 7 Oystercatchers heading over high North East, 1 Drake Teal, 2 Great Black Backed Gull immatures, min 3 Cormorants, Raven and Buzzard tussling and the former looking considerably larger

14 April - Holden Wood Reservoir - 1 White Wagtail, 1 Mallard with 4 ducklings, min 8 Willow Warblers around the reservoir.  Male Blackbird collecting worms at Paytons Farm, Holcombe Road

17 April - Mallard with now 1 duckling although I was told 1 week ago  there were 6

19 April - walk around reservoir and quarries:-    min 10 Wheatear - 3 at Calf Hey Reservoir and at least 5 behind Jamestone East, 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling behind Jamestone East, min 2 Common Sandpiper at Calf Hey Reservoir, 1 White Wagtail at Jamestone East, min 10 Sand Martins at Jamesone West, only a handful of Swallows present.  Mallard still with 1 duckling at Holden Wood Res.   4 adult / near adult Great Black Backed Gulls over Holden Wood Reservoir but weren't on any of the other reservoirs when I walked over that way.

14 April -  4 Ring Ouzel aboce Calf hey reservoir - 3 males and a female - seen by an observer who doesn't use the forum.  

-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 19th of April 2024 11:16:38 PM

-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 20th of April 2024 10:52:07 AM

24 April - 3 Wheatear and Drake Teal on Holden Wood Reservoir and  a Green Sandpiper on Ogden Reservoir 

26 April - 1 Redshank on Ogden Reservoir, approx 30 Wheatear around Grane all but 3 around the Quarries, 2 Ringed Plovere flying North/North West from Jamestone East, min 10 Swallows over Holden Wood Reservoir and  min 15 Sand Martins at Jamestone West,  

               1 Curlew Brookside Nurseries

28 April  - Duck with 1 duckling still at Holden Wood Reservoir,  lots of Hirundines at Holden Wood Res today - including my first 2 Rossendale House Martins of the year, min 20 Sand Martins and min 40 Swallows 

               First few House Martins over Haslingden today That I have seen and Starling feeding noisy chicks in guttering

               Ewood Bridge Sewage Works late afternoon -  on arrival - min 20 House Martins, 20 Swallows but Swallow numbers built up and I assume birds were feeding and moving on. At least 30 sand Martins arrived and they moved  on.  More Swallows and House Martins came - in total probably 30-40 House Martins and 100 Swallows approx 

Common Sandpiper pairs at Holden Wood  Res, Ogden Res and Calf Hey Res.  

Grasshopper Warbler at Holden Wood Res, Calf Hey Res and Jamestone East this week but only Calf Hey bird has stayed on.  

Whitethroat - first of year for me at Holden Wood Res on 30 April and maybe 2 at Calf Hey Res today.   The Holden Wood bird seems to have moved on since.  

4 Tufted Duck on 30 Apri - 3 drakes and a duck.  

Drake Teal on and off at Holden Wood Res  

2 female Mallards seen one with 8 ducklings and another with 6 on Wednesday 1st May

May 1 - Cuckoo heard at Calf Hey Reservoir and probably at Ogden Res that day - but no sign since then.   

Tuesday 7 May - 5-6 Swifts over Haslingden, my first of the year.  1 Whimbrel and min 10 Orange Tip butterflies at Holden Wood Res.  2-3 Cuckoos at Calf Hey - 1 Hepatic female and possibly 2 males with different calls but they never called at the same time.  1 Green Sandpiper at Ogden Res.  Min 4 Whitethroats at Grane - 2 each at Holden Wood Res and Calf Hey

Wednesday 8 May - 1 Redshank heard from Holden Wood Res at Ogden Res.

Friday 10 May - 1 Sedge Warbler at Holden Wood Res and a Whitethroat at Crow Trees Cottage - a new location for a singing bird.  1 Green Hairstreak butterfly above Ogden Res and  5 Great Black Backed Gulls  on Calf hey res.

Sunday 12 May - min 30 Canada Goslings and 1 female Mallard with maybe 8 ducklings till.