Coal Tit, high numbers indicate a good breeding season.
Long-tailed Tit, two small groups.
Bullfinch, good numbers as usual, two young which must have late fledglings.
Chaffinch, year on year increase, 5 years ago they were unusual here.
Goldfinch, high numbers for this time of year. [see feeding station report]
Robin, the most I have ever seen here, this included young which must have fledged in early September.
Dunnock, several pair, as usual always near habitation.
Wren, plenty everywhere.
Treecreeper, 3 individuals seen over the weekend but I know they have had a good year.
Nuthatch, I have watched 4 nest sites this year all of which produced 5 or more young, they are still doing well.
House Sparrow, still two small groups but numbers are down.
Goldcrest, one with a flock of mixed Tits, not common down here.
Chiffchaff, one on the river bank in Irwell Vale.
Great Spotted Woodpecker, I know they bred well but could only find one bird.
Green Woodpecker, one adult on the old railway line in Irwell Vale not far from the nest site.
Blackbird, good numbers still, a couple of continental birds seen.
Song Thrush, one of the success stories this year, still good numbers here.
Mistle Thrush, three birds on Rowen in Stubbins.
Redwing, three flocks of 40+ very flighty heading north.
Starling, they are spreading down here from Edenfield, fortunately they have not found the feeding station yet !.
Kestrel, one male perched in Stubbins Vale, this is unusual here.
Tawny Owl, there is one bird using a nest box to roost in, this makes it really easy to see him/her.
Jay, only one seen, put that down to bad luck.
Magpie, numbers have increased again.
Jackdaw, usual very mobile flocks.
Rook, more than normal, there was a lot of young from St Johns rookery.
Carrion Crow, two or three pair in with the sheep.
Black-Headed Gull, small flock feeding in the horse field.
Collard Dove, still only a couple of pair.
Wood Pigeon, extremely high numbers, I have never recorded this many, they are feeding on Beechmast with up to 40 in each tree.
Pheasant, two males in the grounds of the Cliffe.
Mallard, they had a slow start but made up for it later, good numbers.
Cormorant, one over.
Goosander, three Females on the river.
Grey Heron, numbers have dropped here over the last couple of years, only one seen.
Dipper, had a good season, at least 7 seen enjoying perfect feeding conditions.
Kingfisher, after our local pair bred we have three birds seen regular.
Grey Wagtail, two on the river in Strongstry today, had no evidence of breeding this year.
Pied Wagtail, three in the horse fields, they have bred along the river again this year.
Moorhen, one bird on the river.
The winter feeding stations have been up and running for a week now, and have attracted the usual suspects, the surprise was the numbers of Goldfinch, this afternoon in the rain there was 30+ feeding with another 10/15 flying in and out. We never see good numbers of Greenfinch here, but unfortunately I have seen none for a while. Not seen this weekend but a Female Sparrowhawk has been around this week,
There has been a lot of discussion about this year being a "mast crop year", I have got to agree as I have never seen such a high crop of Acorn, Beech, Rowen, Holly, Hazel and Hawthorn.
Steve makes a good point about cleaning feeders, mine are disinfected when put away and again when they are put back up, it may be a good idea to talk to neighbours who unknowingly may not know about the problem.
Thanks, it is nice to be at home even although the weather is deteriorating. I have three areas one is in some private woodland, the other two are around my house in Strongstry, they are for any one to enjoy, there is a bench in my front garden which is regularly occupied, if we are around a brew can be supplied.
Depending on the weather and the season we have a good turnout which can include, Siskin, Common Redpoll, Brambling, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and all the usual suspects.
LCC and RBC have spent, apparently, nearly a million pounds on flood defences along the river, the main work was in Strongstry and Chatterton, initially they made a bit of a mess, a lot of trees were taken out and four new land drains installed. The river was dredged deeper and wider and a new overflow built.
Guess what, this was the first year in four that we had no summer floods, that's called sods law. So we do not no if the work has been successful, yet !
They have tidied up pretty well and promised to plant new trees, we have suggested Lime and the new strain of Elm, the river is looking well and the bank which collapsed in the large flood last August has been used by a small colony of Sand Martin, 14 pair bred and fledged young, the main bonus was a pair of Kingfisher bred for the first time in the village since I have been here.
