Visited Calf Hey dam end this afternoon in the hope of some Crossbills, but no joy. Neither did fellow Blackburn birders Bob & Joyce Calder who walked around the plantings to the SW of the reservoir.
Vis, 15:10-16:10. Fieldfare: 415 > W/NW between 15:15 -15:35, with no more seen by 16:10. Flock sizes, 250, 65 & 100. Redwing: 1 > W/NW. Raven: 2 > NW.
Also, 15 Siskin, c50 Goldfinch, 10 Long-tailed Tit & 1 Mistle Thrush in woodland below dam/car park. 1 fem/imm Stonechat & 1 Green Woodpecker by Ogden Reservoir. A Peregrine over Heap Clough area.
Bill Aspin.
PS - Bryan, what numbers of Crossbill do you estimate to be in the Grane area?
Hi Bill, Just as I thought, the Thrushes must have continued for most of yesterday, and looking already at todays (Saturday 20th Oct) vismig counts which have already come in, its does look like yesterday may well have been the "big push day" for the Thrushes, but I think not for the Starlings, however we shall obviously see over the next day or two.
Now getting down to the Crossbills. Where I watch from lies within a 100/150 yard area to the North of Calf Hey Reservoir. And in the past few days (though I must say - with the exception of the 19th - and not had chance to check out since) I had a couple of parties, one at 9 and one at 10 and several individuals or pairs. I at first thought all these birds where going through East - West on vismig, but then had my doubts because I was suspicious of the 9 party dropping in to the Top O'th' Knoll Plantings (which lies to the South West corner of the Calf Hey Reservoir. The day after (18th) Crossbills where very active and noisy from around the general area of Calf Hey tooing and throwing and I was of the thought that this would be a party of tennish in number.
Its as been usual that when Crossbills do actually drop into the area of Grane they have been known to stick around for a month or two, but who knows at this particular time of the year they could well be on the move, which is probably more likely.
Interestingly I was up myself for 4 hours on the morning of the 19th and did not have any Crossbills either going through on vismig or calling from around the Calf Hey area.
When Crossbills are in the area, they also usually spend time at the Heap Clough Planting (Near to Troy Quarry, Heap Clough Quarry - NE of Ogden Reservoir.
I will be back on my patch tomorrow and will obviously check out if theres any about and will keep you up to date.
Many thanks for your detailed reply. Its good to be able to see what you Rossendale area birders are seeing just 'over the hill' from us in the Blackburn area.
For info, I had a few Brambling today in the Blackburn area whilst checking some plantings for Crossbills, but no joy again with the latter. Some good numbers of grounded Fieldfare as well inc. one observer recording a flock of 1000+.
