Looks as though you're the only one birding at the moment Bryan! I only see the garden birds at weekend now as it's dark morning and evening. It'll be even worse after weekend.
some parties of ravens/carrion crows around - not sure exactly which and i can find it hard to tell which is which at times....if not flying and if not big
plenty of rooks, magpies around too, pigeons, woodpigeons
kestrel
a large bird soaring over ogden with a smaller bird in tow.....any buzzards aroun the area today? was driving and was far to busy to slow down to see what it could have been exactly..
Hi Jim, To be honest with you things have begun to wear a bit thin at present, with very little going on, not just here but throughout the Country. Its all been down to the run off with high pressure and the very light to no wind situation and also what little there where coming from the East/South East/South directions - we want light Westerlies for good passage - and more important for the weather to be right over the North Sea and the Continent. Things are looking rather grim today (never even bothered - fogged off) and would expect things to change for late Monday early Tuesday if the forecasters have got it right. Anyway I am ready to go again tomorrow if the fog is not around. - Sad as it maybe for me the vismig season is quickly coming to a close and usually I sign off with it on or around the 5th November, so not long - just hope there will be further pushes with the Thrushes or Starlings. - This year seems to have been good especially for Chaffinch, Siskin and Brambling which are coming through regular as are Crossbills.....
Hi Sarfraz, Great to have your contributions and I never saw any Buzzards over the Grane yesterday morning (Friday), but they can turn up now and again especially later in the day.
I was very interested to hear about your sightings of Rooks over the Grane. I do occasionally get the odd one or two on passage through Grane, in fact I did have one a couple of weeks ago, but for me its quite a rarity especially at this time of year, although the Carrion Crow and Jackdaws are definately on the move through Grane at present. I have to be especially careful at first light at Grane - In fact I dont usually count any corvids until after the first hour as gone by, because it usually take this time for the Carrion Crow & Jackdaw roost to clear from the Fairy Glen Areas. Like Rooks its the same with Ravens, I do occasionally get them and when I do they are always seem to be going in the NE - SW direction and clearly of slow flight, enormous size with diamond shaped tail and usually sort of honk noise repeated perhaps every 10 seconds. For me its very difficult to negotiate the actual size of a Raven until you get a comparison to judge by like a Jackdaw or Crow which regularly decide to have a go at the Raven and then the size really stands out and hits you.
would cold weather be reason why rooks would be rare at grane at this time of year? i have a lot to learn about bird behaviour. i have seen rooks in quite large numbers over clough head side and the largest party i ever saw was in january over clough head - righter after the bad weather. i remember that because i was ill then. there really were a very large number of them. i probably wont have mentionned it on the forum as i tend to ignore common birds sightings. the best place to get them is around the layby heading to blackburn. there are always a good number of carrion crows and probably ravens too. what do you mean the carion crow and jackdaw are on the move through grane at present? is this a local migration of some sort taking place? i have seen a raven travel from what was haslingden moor side in the direction of tor once. is that like a NE to SW direction? why do they tend to travel this way? i have seen a photo of a carrion crow in flight next to a raven and the size and shape is quite unique. i have seen a raven chasing off a carrion crow as it went close to its nest site and then the size difference is a little more obvious. in flight it seems the rook looks more similar to a raen whilst on land, the carrion crow of course. although ravens are bigger than buzzards they are less prominent and look smaller. thats probably because the buzzard has a longer wing span if anything. the first time i saw a raven i was a bit disappointed as it was not that obviously bigger. ideally its better going to scotland and then there will be no mistaking it on the ground.
With regards Rooks, I see very few up Grane, during the Winter months I was to understand that they tend to spend more time at their ancient communial Winter roosting sites eg: Simonstone or the Ribble Valley.
"You mention What do you mean the Carrion Crow and Jackdaw are on the move through Grane at present? Is this a local migration of some sort taking place?"
On this issue I cannot give you all the answers to whether it be a local migration, simply migration is so complex and is a complete minefield and we gather pace very very slowly, what I can say to you is that there is definitely some sort of movement taking place with Corvids whether this be far off or local, and itseems to be most noticeable in relation to the Jackdaw, Jay, and Carrion Crow and to a far lesser extent the Raven and Rook, I have not really taken much notice in regards to the Magpie neither have I read many reports in regards to this species.Years ago I never took Corvid movement that serious, because it did not seem to be of great interest, but in the more recent years it appears to be gathering far more attention nationally and has become more interesting locally.From September/October we start seeing Jays and Jackdaws on a regular daily basis, in areas where we never usually see them or see them rarely, they seem to fly with determination (as the Crow flies!! Without waveringand more often than not in one given direction in relation to Grane, its usually East to West) in many cases they also show great altitude whilst they are on passage, sometimes they are in groups, and all in all they give the indication that they too are on some sort of hard weather movement.Especially during the past two years reports are coming in from all over the Country from persons practicing visible migration that they too are also witness to these events in their particular areas.In some instances it is being reported that birds are coming off the sea perhaps suggesting that there maybe some continental birds involved, and it is also witnessed in other areas that birds are leaving land and heading out to sea.As yet everything on this subject is in early witness and debate and I am sure it will be a very long time before we have the full answers, but in the meantime we are building and it is becoming more and more interesting. With regards the Haslingden Moor to Tor direction which you refer, I would have actually thought this to be of a North South (Southerly move).The NE to SW direction to which I refer is eg: Burnley/Crawshawbooth to a Edgeworth/Darwen direction. Happy Birding. Bryan.
ok explains why i have een quite a large numbe rof Jays over the last 2 months. novices like me have a lot to learn from more experienced birders like those present here. i remember a day aftyer the january storms loads of rooks over clough head. there were a lot. they are not common there as such but theres a colony near winfields which may move around i guess?
