All my sightings will now be in this thread rather than separate UNLESS a major rarity occurs (on a local level) which will get it's own thread but do not hold your breath.
January 2nd
minimum of 30 Great Black-Backed Gulls flying over Haslingden about 5pm - quite dark.
January 3rd
5 Snipe at Holden Wood
January 5th
Morning at Holden Wood and Quarries:-
1 Buzzard at Holden Wood
3 Kestrels - 1 at Holden Wood, 2 at Quarries
1 Goosander over Quarries, may have landed
60 Fieldfare above Heap Clough
20 Redwing at Holden Wood
2 Greenfinch at Holden Wood
5 Siskin at Holden Wood
1 female Bullfinch at Holden Wood
20 approx. Chaffinch approx
40 approx. Goldfinch - 20 at Quarries, 20 Heap Clough
9 Stock Dove - some pairs looked like displaying
30 lapwings
133 Pink Footed Geese about 12 noon - same birds as Brian heading West
a few Meadow Pipits at Heap Clough
minimum of 15 Robins
min 10 House Sparrow opposite Holden Arms
min 20 jackdaw
min 30 Starling at Heap Clough
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker at Jamestone
1 Song Thrush at Holden Wood
2 Mistle Thrush -1 at Holden Wood, 1 at Jamestone
3 Stonechat - a pair and a lone male at Holden Wood
quite a few of the 4 commoner tit species around too
Curlew - bird bubbling above Calf Hey 30/3/18 and pair at Stonefold
Black headed Gulls chasing Herons and large Gulls - could they breed at the quarries?
Great Black Backed Juveniles sighted 1-3
Marsh Harrier crossing over from Heap Clough to Musbury - first noticed with a Buzzard circled but looked different jizz.....as it flew across I could see uniform dark under wing pattern ...did not see head..... very different jizz than Buzzard...A Young with me too but did not see enough of it for him to conclude
2 greylag over Holden Wood 30/3/18 - flew west not seen at other reservoirs
sand Martin 4/4/18
maybe 3 pairs Kestrel at Quarries similar number around Reservoirs
Raven - 1 bird heading to Hutch Bank and 2 others above Musbury Heights...
Siskin - plantation next to Jamestones - 21/3/18
Meadow Pipits displaying since 14/3/18 but since 21st numbers have shot up...
Skylarks ...numbers seem lower only a few singing around Stonefold and Quarries...
08/4/18 - min of 6 Swallows at Holden Wood Reservoir 08/4/18 - 1 male Common Scoter at Calf Hey - thanks to A Young 08/4/18 - 2 male Wheatears at Stonefold 08/4/18 - 4 Shelduck on Mitchells House Reservoir - having had 1 in 2015 ..now my tally totals 5!!!
10-20 House Sparrows in Stonefold area
08/4/18 - a cloud of Starlings maybe even over 300 at Stonefold....a bit of a mini-murm!!! shame it was not a maxi-murm!!!
08/4/18 - 3 Curlew at Stonefold
09/04/18 - min 80 Fieldfare in bacup and 1 Chiffchaff in song
Walk Around reservoirs and Heap Clough on Wed 11 April :_
2 Grey Partridge - 1 at start of middle path above Ogden and 1 at Jamestone 1
1 Red Grouse before flushed from heathery bit just before stream and clough.
Saturday 14 april
1 House Martin maybe 2 at EBSW min 50 Swallows 5 Sand Martin 1 Blackcap 2 Willow Warbler 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming mainly Corvids there 1 Grey Wagtail
Holden Wood Res:-
1 Willow Warbler singing 2 Pied Wagtails not many Ducks seen 12 Swallows
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 15th of April 2018 10:31:10 PM
14 Linnet in Alden Valley
1 Golden Plover flying off from Tor
Wednesday 18 April:-
Brief Visit to Ashworth Moor
2 Tree Pipit calling and flying over and on into Rossendale.
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling
Thursday 19 April
Visit to Grane and Stonefold
Big fall of Willow Warblers - min 10 around Grane Reservoirs
min 6 Reed Buntings - around Holden Wood highest I have seen for a few months
1 Coot - which disappeared by Friday
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Tufted Duck - pair at Jamestone's Quarry no1
2 Blackcap - at Holden Wood and Calf Hey
1 Stonechat at Calf Hey
2 pairs of Curlew min - Calf hey and Haslingden Moor
3 Wheatears - including a pair with a singing male
At Stonefold - 3 Buzzard, min 150 Gulls - approx half Herring Gull immatures and half Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 2 Wheatear males, 2 Reed Buntings, min 3 Redpoll, 4 pairs of Kestrel from Stonefold to Mitchells House Reservoir
Friday 20 April
Visit to Holden Wood and Musbury
1 Common Snipe drumming in Musbury - my first ever drumming Snipe in Rossendale
2 pairs of Curlew on Musden Head Moor
1 Stonechat singing in Musbury
0 Wheatears in Mubsury when previously at this time of year I had double figures.
2 Kestrel - pair
min 2 Redpolls
Saturday 21 April
Visit to Holden Wood, Musbury, Ewood Bridge, Ashworth Moor Reservoir and Stonefold
3 Reed Buntings - 2 males and a female feeding on walls and chasing each other
Managed to miss the Cuckoo, Ring Ouzel and the Great Grey Shrike all by a day :(
27th April minimum 200 Swallows, Martins over Holden Wood - approx. 3 House Martins, 20 Sand Martins rest Swallows.
29th April - Mitchells House Reservoir and Stonefold - 7 Wheatears , 8 Reed Buntings at Mitchells House
2nd May - 4 Wheatear at Holden Wood and first 2 Lapwing chicks seen
2nd May approx. 70-80 Pied wagtails at EBSW about 7.30pm. At least 2 looked White Wagtails, minimum of 200 Jackdaws flew off to roost.
4th May:-
Holden Wood Reservoir :- 3 Wheatears, 6 Reed Buntings, 1 Kestrel, 2 Dunnock, Great Crested Grebe pair, 1 Common Sandpiper
Ogden:- 4 Linnet, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Reed Bunting
Calf Hey:- 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling near dam wall, 1 pair Stonechat, 2 Reed Bunting
Heap Clough and Quarries - 3 Common Sandpiper Territories, 3 Wheatear, 1 Mediterranean Gull adult in full summer plumage with Black-headed Gulls in fields next to car park at heap Clough, 6 Linnet, 1 pair Curlew, 5 Reed Bunting around Quarries
13 Stone Hill - 1 Snipe, 1 pair Curlew, a few pairs of Lapwing
Good day for Meadow Pipits and Skylarks
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 5th of May 2018 08:45:31 AM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 5th of May 2018 08:47:35 AM
6th May - Cuckoo calling and Grasshopper Warbler reeling in Musbury
9th May - Whitethroat at scrub near car park at Holden Wood Dam wall. Second bird noted around 16th May - a female presumably. 9 Lapwing young noted too. Mallard with 11 young.
Friday 11th May BBS Square at Stonefold :-
skylark 5
great tit 2
chaffinch 2
stock dove 4
dunnock 1
carrion crow 2
pied wagtail 4
meadow pipit 6
linnet 1
woodpigeon 6
Reed Bunting 3
Goldfinch 7
Jackdaw 4
Bullfinch 1
Swallow 6
Redpoll 2
Wheatear 1
Kestrel 2
Saturday 19th May at Holden Wood:-
5 Moorhen
3 Common Sandpiper - pair mating.
Teal pair.
5 Ravens
Sunday 20 may:-
1 Juvenile Grey wagtail at Musbury ....looking developed,....
Monday 21st May :-
Cuckoo at Calf hey - sounds exactly like Musbury bird heard on may 6th. Not heard in Musbury on 20th May
1 adult Mediterranean Gull at Calf Hey then flew to Ogden - hawking insects.
min 10 Starlings feeding at Holden Wood reservoir
stonechat with min 4 young on hill side
Tuesday 22nd May:-
1 Mediterranean Gull adult circling before King Hillock Wood
2 Collared Dove at Holden Arms
Mallard with 11 young still going strong.
Visit to Clowbridge in afternoon and highlight was 1 Ringed Plover minimum.
Water level has dropped a lot with mud exposed creating good feeding for 5 species of Wader, Mallards, Moorhen, Gulls. Wren numbers seem a bit down.
Butterflies :-
min 10 Orange Tip on 6th May - 3 at Holden Wood and 7 in Musbury
1 Large White Butterfly on Friday 18th May at Holden Wood and 21st May too same place.
1 Small Copper at Holden Wood on 21st May.
1 each of Speckled Wood, Tortoisehell and Peacock at Holden Wood 22nd may
Decent numbers of Green-veined White and Orange Tip at Holden Wood.
Dragonfly and Damsel fly:-
a large red Damsel fly mature male at Calf hey - photo should be attached please feel free to correct.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Tuesday 22nd of May 2018 10:51:12 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Wednesday 23rd of May 2018 02:20:42 PM
Tuesday 22 May - Common Sandpiper over Haslingden at midnight, heard not seen, Tawny Owl heard quite regularly recently too
Wednesday 23 May - approx 8 juvenile Starlings with in small group with adults, about 17 Lapwings flew off together - - only 2-3 pairs in field - 1 relatively large young soon
Thursday 24 May - 1 single Dunlin at Ashworth Moor Reservoir with Common Sandpiper also 5 Lapwings
Friday 25th May - approx 10 drake Mallards at Holden Wood - female with 11 ducklings who are now 2 weeks old at least going strong. Lots of Gulls - mainly Lesser Black-Backed at Mitchells House - pair of Bullfinch in quarry, Blackcap too
Saturday 26 May - Whitetroat still at Holden Wood, Bullfinches calling, min 2 Linnet pairs. Brief visit to EBSW - min 40 Black-headed Gulls and min 40 Jackdaws. Strongstry - highlight pair of Redpoll sadly no sign of Wood Warbler or Garden Warblers.
Rosy Starlings are on the move in Europe and there is no reason why one will not turn up here. Hundreds recorded in some countries, so far a trickle here but who knows - will be the best year to get one!!!
Cuckoo seen and heard calling when I was at Holden Wood on Monday 28 May - located on the Holden Wood Side of that Hutch Bank hill - sitting on wall, wires and then flying across to Musbury about 5pm=-ish. Paul and Neil Burke had it at Musbury earlier on that day. Cuckoo was calling from same place today when I was at Holden Wood - not visible and calling less frequently. I have been to Holden Wood everyday this week but not heard from Tuesday to Thursday. 5 Oystercatcher too - which were also present on Sunday.
Tuesday 29 May - 1 fledged Pied Wagtail with adult at Holden Wood. Some fledged Meadow Pipits too. Grasshopper Warbler reeled briefly - first I have had here this year. Paul Burke had one last week. Lapwing have nested in fields next to lane which leads to reservoir from Holcombe Road - one very large young - Sparrowhawk landed on ground mobbed by many Lapwings but luckily did not take that young. Young Grey Wagtail also.
Thursday 31 May - Blackcap singing from scrub near Holden Wood car park and another singing from near antiques- first I have heard from these locations this year. Trip to Stonefold - 200-300 Starlings - many juveniles. 10 Goldfinch approx. 4 Linnet, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Curlews.
Friday 1 June - Cuckoo calling today at Holden Wood again as mentioned previously. Mallard with 11 young going strong. Whitethroat could be heard across Holcome Road probably in that scrubby area around the old Holden Vale flash - a second singing bird in area?
Butterfly news:-
1 Gatekeeper out today and still 1 Wall Brown.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 1st of June 2018 08:31:52 PM
June 13th - Hummingbird Hawkmoth at a Haslingden Garden
June 17th - first Meadow Brown of the year for me at Holden Wood
June 3 - 9 Oystercatcher at Holden Wood and 1 Dunlin
June 6th - quite a few Pied Wagtail fledged
June 13th - no Crossbills at Calf Hey
June 14 - very showy Grasshopper Warbler above Holden Wood and an adult/near adult Great Black Backed Gull over Ogden , 11 Mallard young fully grown almost, 1 female Mallard with 1 small young
June 21 - 2 family parties of fledged Swallows - 8 young in total
Grane and Musbury today 22/6/18 8am - 12.40
Whitethroat singing in scrub at dam wall Holden Wood
min 20 fledged Swallows at top end Holden Wood
family party of 4 Linnet - male feeding young Holden Wood
Willow Warbler family party of 4-5 at Holden Wood
1 Dunlin at Holden Wood
4 Cormorants at Holden Wood
2-3 Reed Bunting at Holden Wood
min 15 Meadow Pipit at Holden Wood
1 Blackcap at Holden Wood
2 Blackbirds at Holden Wood
1 fledged juvenile Robin at Holden Wood
family party of 3 Grey Wagtail at Holden Wood
min 7 Pied Wagtail immatures
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Curlew above farm
1 Snipe
Musbury:-
min 30 Meadow Pipits
min 10 Skylark
Stonechat pair
Ogden and Calf Hey:-
4 Buzzards soaring and hovering above reservoirs
min 5 Kestrels above reservoirs
family party of Blue Tits in woods at Calf Hey
Blackbird pair at Calf Hey
min 20 Woodpigeons at calf hey - min 40 throughout
no time to have a look in woods
2 Wren at Calf hey - they feel a bit depleted
Stonechat pair above Ogden
1 Common Sandpiper alarming at Ogden
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 22nd of June 2018 05:28:13 PM
Min of 20 fledged Lapwings on Holden Wood on Sunday 24 June and 2 Dunlin too.
25 June min 17 oystercatcher - 9 on Calf hey and 8 on Holden Wood
28 June
Holden Wood:- family of Long Tailed Tits in car park scrub, Blue Tit family at top end, min 10 Pied Wagtails mostly young birds,
Ogden:- what could only have been Twite passing higher above slope near ruined building - call was identical, possible Tree Pipit in area,
Calf Hey - min 30 Rooks coming from Haslingden Moor side to feed above Calf hey with Crows - early Whinberry?, a Rossendale first in the form of Crossbills - female flew over woods above steps into conifers and possibly 2-3 more birds around, min 12 Redpoll, Min 5 Siskin ., 1 Common Sandpiper on res, Tree Pipit called and a Pipit seen just up from wooden bridge over stream, Coal Tits quite active, 1 female Bullfinch by feeder
Quarries:- 1 male Wheatear,
Quite a few Willow Warbler in song around, Meadow Pipits displaying,
