1 Swift over Holden Wood Reservoir - picked out by Paul - first of the year for both of us.
0 Whinchat - it was AWOL and we did a thorough enough search
4 Stonechat pairs - 1 at Holden Wood Res, 2 at Ogden res, 1 at Calf Hey,
2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling - 1 a t Holden Wood and other at Calf Hey
1 Dipper - in feeder stream from Ogden at Holden Wood
approx 6 Lapwing around Holden Wood Res
5 Kestrels
Sparrowhawk above Ogden
4 Buzzards - incl a pale one bird which could have been young from last a year.
0 Greylag !!
1 Nuthatch at Calf Hey - very quiet this year!
3 Treecreepers
2 sets of young Wrens heard - one on the Rossendale Way above the ruins at Ogden and the other at Calf Hey,
The highlight of the day was a minimum count of 45 Wheatear - 1 at Holden Wood Res, 2 above Ogden, min 42 above Jamestone's and Troy - the bulk in the surrounding pasture around Deep Clough consisting of a group of 12 together. This was amost certainly an undercount because Paul and I deducted a few birds because we could not guarantee they had been previously counted. On top of that there seemed to be at least 5 hidden in the gorse at Deep Clough. They were not showing very well and the real number could have been much higher in there. More or less evenly split numbers of males and females with some males in song. They were quite active on the ground and chasing each other and constantly tacking. Some even landed in the hawthorns. It was quite a spectacle and douybled my previous record for this area from last week.
Interestingly there have been a number of days over the last week at Portland Bill Birds Observatory where numbers if Wheatears have hit the 100 plus mark per day. This is quite late.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 2nd of May 2021 06:54:28 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 2nd of May 2021 09:35:31 PM
Hi David makes me wonder if we checked that area we could have had even more.
Monday 3 May - female Whinchat, min 3 Wheatear and 2 Swift at Holden Wood Res
Tuesday 4 May - walk around Grane - highlights 1 female Whinchat still at Holden Wood Res - favouring the section of the wall either side of the Wheatear wall by the path around res, 3 Wheatear around Holden Wood Res and another 3 around the path above Jamestone's near Ring Ouzel tree. 2 White Wagtail in Heap Clough, A walk up 13 Stone Hill produced - 1 Snipe, min 15 Skylark, min 20 Meadow Pipit, min 5 pairs of Lapwing
Mitchells House in late afternoon - 2 Moorhen, 1 female Wheatear, 1 White Wagtail, min 3 Meadow Pipit, Mallard pair,
4th May - 4 species of Gulls on Holden Wood including Great Black Backed and Herring Immature
6th May - no sign of female Whinchat
7th May - maLe Whinchat singing above Ogden but very close to Calf Hey side.
Possible Garden Warbler singing from felled bit at Calf Hey and a singing Whitethroat too.
6 Wheatear - 3 at Holden Wood, 1 near tram track, 1 at dam end of Calf Hey and another at the legendary raptor watch point and migrant hotspot of Crow Trees. First Wheatear I have seen here for a few years.
Common Sandpiper on all 3 reservoirs.
Plenty of trips around Grane and a few onto 13 Stone Hill over the last few weeks have not resulted in much. Swift numbers over Haslingden are low - I haven't seen over 10 yet. House Martin numbers seem even lower. Strange seeing more Swifts in the air over Haslingden than House Martins.
Fledgling Robins and Blackbirds around Victoria Park. Great Spotted Woodpecker called but no drumming and I am not sure if they nested. The Cuckoo at Grane has evaded me so far. The water levels at Grane are at their highest. The Lapwing chicks weren't visible but I am guessing they were just hiding recently.
Wednesday 19 May - female Goldeneye at Calf Hey and Mallard with 2 big ducklings.
BBS Square at Stonefold on Sunday 16 May :-
Skylark - 17
Dunnock - 2
Redpoll - 1
Linnet - 1
Lesser Black Backed Gull - 8 - in flight
Reed Bunting - 3
Goldfinch - 7
Wren - 3
Swallow - 14
Chaffinch - 4
Lapwing - 2
Carrion Crow - 10
Curlew - 1
Buzzard - 2
Meadow Pipit - 9
Woodpigeon - 5
Blackbird - 4
Magpie - 1
Jackdaw - 5
Pied Wagtail - 7
Great Tit - 2
Willow Warbler - 1
Greenfinch - 1
Robin - 2
Canada Geese - 2 - in flight!
Blue Tit - 2
Swift - 2
Kestrel -1
Weasel - 1
White Butterflies - 6
Orange Tip - 1
16 May visit to Ewood Bridge and 1-2 Garden Warbler present but the song sounds more similar to Blackcap. Quite a few White butterflies and Orange Tips present here.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 22nd of May 2021 11:14:32 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 23rd of May 2021 06:04:33 PM
Common Sandpipers extremely agitated in North East corner of Calf Hey Res -glad Kevin confirmed the young - 09 /06/21
A Chaser species of Dragonfly seen sometime last week - my first dragonfly of the year
Family of Long Tailed Tit in hedgerow at top end of Holden Wood
2 families of Pied Wagtails around Heap Clough
Great Spotted Woodpecker family at Victoria Park Haslingden - some fledged Blackbirds, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush there too!
13 June BBS Square visit with Paul Burke
Skylark - 11
Jackdaw - 2
Curlew - 4 min - 3 territories - including a pair with young judging by the behaviour of the adults - 2 territories just outside the actual BBS Square
Starling - 2
Meadow Pipit - 6
Swift - 2
Blackbird - 10
Wren - 1
Linnet - 2
Goldfinch - 27 - many juveniles too
Lapwing - 5 - 4 in flight over and 1 calling from grass probably had young
Whitethroat - 3 singing males - 1 just outside of BBS Square - there could have been 1 very mobile male but I doubt it
Carrion Crow - 7
Chaffinch - 9 - including 2 juveniles
Stock Dove - 1
Dunnock - 4
Swallow - 5
Pied Wagtail - 10 - including 2 family parties
Robin - min 3 - 2 juveniles
Great Tit - min 1 - nesting in a digger
Woodpigeon - 10
Magpie - 1
Oystercatcher - 1 - flying NW
Lesser Black Backed Gull - min 30 flying South and North mainly
Snipe - 1 - adult and possibly 2 young
Reed Bunting - 1
Kestrel - 1 nearby out of BBS Square
Willow Warbler - 5 - all out of BBS Square
Redpoll - 2 - out of BBS area
Blackcap - 1 - out of BBS area
Sparrow - min 20 - Stonefold village
Holden Wood Reservoir 13 June with Paul Burke:-
5 Lapwing chicks - 1 + 1 + 3
5 young Pied Wagtails - including 3 motionless hiding in the grass in the same field as 3 Lapwing chicks
1 Mediterranean Gull in field between the holcombe road and the lane leading to holden wood reservoir - poor year so far, this is the 3rd Med Gull Day at Grane this year
9 juvenile Black Headed Gulls
First Damselfly of the year
Holden Wood Reservoir on the 14th - 5 Lapwing chicks - the 3 had become 4
Holden Wood Reservoir on the 15h - 6 fledged immature Lapwings
Osprey seen on 8 or 9 June at Holden Wood flying over to Ogden
-- Edited by sarfraz on Wednesday 16th of June 2021 12:07:47 AM
After the first days of June the House Martins started appearing and there were about 20 in the sky and 10 Swifts over Haslingden. Overall numbers of Sand Martins, Swallows, House Martins and Sifts seem lower than usual. Greenfinch and Song Thrush numbers seem higher. Nuthatch numbers seem quite low too.
15-06-21 Biggest surprise was a female Cuckoo at Grane - looked like it was on the lookout for Pied Wagtail nests because of the terrain.
A male Cuckoo was been present and audible from Holden Wood and Heap Clough since 4th June on a number of days - the latest I have had my first Cuckoo in Rossendale since I started recording them annually in 2015.
There was a Grasshopper Warbler in the field along the lane that leads to Holden Wood Reservoir on the 4th of June but that is the only one I have heard reeling there. There have been a maximum of 3 around the Grane Reservoirs this year and most likely only 2 - a poor year for them!
Osprey seen 8-9th June at Holden Wood headiung to Ogde
18/06/21 - Red Damselfly at Holden Wood, Painted Lady above Ogden Reservoir, Meadow brown at Holden Wood
No sign of the Cuckoo at Jamestone West but in 3 weeks there could be baby Cuckoos around there in 3 weeks!
13 Common Scoter at Holden Wood on the 24/06/21
8 Common Scoter at Ogden on 25/06/21
1 Mole scurrying over the path and into the grass just below Mitchell's House Reservoir - first time I have seen a live mole
Female Goldeneye at Calf Hey Reservoir - finally caught up with it
25 June - Green Sandpiper heard over my home - a nice house tick as I was in the yard, seemed to be moving south.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 26th of June 2021 10:51:57 PM
4 Crossbills at Crow Trees Cottage, Grane on 30th June
1 nearly fledged Lapwing with a parent stood on wall, 1 Green Sandpiper and female Mallard with 6 small young at Holden Wood on the 1st of July
1 female Mallard with 7 small young at Holden Wood on 2nd July
A few Mistle Thrush families have fledged around Grane over the last week and good numbers of fledged Pied Wagtail too. A few Swallow families have fledged over last week.
5 families of Swallows around Jamestones and Heap Clough 4-6 young each
1 Greenfinch family at Crow Trees - min 3 maybe more
20 Swift approx over Haslingden seems more than House Martins
Collared Dove pairs - Helmshore Road, Kirk Hill Road, Middle Gate Green area Love Clough, a pair near my house
76 Lapwing today at Holden Wood,
min 100 Black-headed Gulls all heading West to Fishmoor some with fresh juveniles
Lesser Black Backed Gull juvenile over Haslingden following parents 16/07/21
2 Whitethroat singing - 1 at Holcombe Road and another in the scrub near Holden Wood res park - the latter singing frantically over last few days. I never knew they were mimics and listening to this one it had the calls of a Swallow in it.
5 Ravens Heap Clough 16/07/21
female Goldeneye still at Calf Hey 15/07/21
Bullfinch family in the scrub at HWR car park 08/07/21
Egret species at Ogden on Sunday 18 July views from Calf Hey - one of the smaller ones most likely Little
Mallard with 2 small young still at Holden Wood Res 18 July
6 Oystercatcher at HWR on 18 July
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 17th of July 2021 10:39:46 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 18th of July 2021 09:53:27 PM
Around 20 Swifts over Haslingden until around the 26th of July and then single fingers from around the 30th.
1 August - possible juvenile Mediterranean Gull flying over Holden Wood and 18 Swifts in the last 15 minutes of light appeared from the direction of the reservoirs and headed towards Haslingden
3 August - juvenile male Redstart at Crow Trees, Grane and a Green Woodpecker at Jamestone West - first at Grane this year. Approx 40 Meadow Pipits
5 August - 2 Kingfisher at Holden Wood.
Noted some House Martin nests around Haslingden, Rawtenstall area with quite noisy young in the nests - must be first broods ready to fledge?
Monday 9 August - lots of white butterflies out around Grane maybe up 50, min 20 Small Tortoiseshells, a few Meadow Brown, Small Coppers, Red Admirals and Gatekeepers. 8 Mistle Thrush at Crow Trees, a few Willow Warbler in subsong. A few Swifts over Haslingden still.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Tuesday 10th of August 2021 12:00:12 AM
I spoke to a fisherman who saw an Osprey catch a Rainbow Trout from Ogden Reservoir in March 2019. In the first week of September 2019 an Osprey was present at Ogden.
3 August - forgot to add Mallard with 1 small duckling at Jamestone West
Swift heard over Haslingden today morning 8 am - 2008/21
Walk around Grane today:-
Holden Wood:-
Whitethroat - 1
Robin - 8
Magpie - 3
Wren - 5
Goldfinch - 1
Woodpigeon - min 24 - seeing more immatures in August than previous months altogether
Stock Dove - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Mallard - 11
Great Tit - 2
Swallow - min 10 maybe over 20
Carrion Crow - 9
Jackdaw - min 20
Cormorant - min 10
Black Headed Gulls - 18
Grey Wagtail - 3
Starlings - approx 100 on North side of Grane Road visible from Holden Wood Reservoir
Goldfinch - min 20
Buzzard - 1 - visible over Troy
Bullfinch - 2
Redpoll - 1
Siskin - 1
Teal - 1
Kestrel - 1
Meadow Pipits - min 10
Blue Tit - 2
Grey Heron - 2 - including 1 immature
Great Black Backed Gull - 1 - adult
Pied Wagtail - 5 - 1 adult and 4 young
Butterflies:-
Min 30 White Butterflies
Wall Brown - 2
Meadow Brown - 1
Skippers - 2
Small Copper - 9
Peacock - 1
Tortoiseshell - 2
Ogden Reservoir:-
Grey Wagtail - 2 - could have been birds present at Holden Wood which flew that way
Goldfinch - min 30
Woodpigeon - 1
Robin - 2
Stonechat - 3
Wren - 4 plus some youmg calling
Carrion Crow - 4
Jay - 1
Lapwing - 11
Meadow Pipit - a few probably not more than 5
Buzzard - 1
Great Tit - 1
Butterflies:-
Peacock - 2
White Butterflies - min 30
Meadow Brown - 2
Calf Hey Reservoir:-
Wren - 8 plus a family party
Pied Wagtail
Robin - 6
Stonechat - 4
Carrion Crow - min 10
Chaffinch - 4
Goldfinch - min 10
Coal Tit - 2
Long Tailed Tit - min 2
Woodpigeon - 3
Goldcrest - 4
Blackcap - 1
Willow Warbler - 1
Mallard - 1
Buzzard - 1
Nuthatch - 1 - they seem to have been very scarce to me this year
Blackbird - immatures calling in bushes
Butterflies and Dragonflies:-
Red Admiral - 2
Peacock - 2
Brown Hawker - 2
Small Copper - 3
Tortoiseshell
Common Hawker
Gatekeeper - 1
White Butterflies - approx 40
Heap Clough:-
Woodpigeon - 36
Stock Dove - 3
Kestrel - 4
Carrion Crow - min 15
Magpie - 4
Wren - 3
Willow Warbler - 2
Robin - 2
Goldeneye - 1 female at Jamestone West
Meadow Pipit - approx 10
Goldfinch - min 10
Little Ringed Plover
Wheatear - 1
Pied Wagtail - min 1
Buzzard - 3 - 1 fledged young constantly calling
Sand Martin - 3
Swallow - approx 50 -at least 1 family party - adults feeding young, second brood?
Jackdaw - 17
Butterflies and Dragonflies:-
Red Admiral - 1
Small Copper - 2
Peacock - 3
White Butterflies - approx 20
Brown Hawker - 5
Red Damselfly - 3
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 21st of August 2021 11:31:04 PM
24 August - 1 Yellow Wagtail calling at Holden Wood
25 August - 1 Common Blue butterfly at Holden Wood
26 August - 2 Dunlin at Holden Wood and 1 Green Sandpiper at Jamestone West
Sunday 30 August - Arctic Tern added to my Rossendale list, thanks to David Nuttall. It is my 3rd species of bird added to my Rossendale list in 2021 - Rock Pipit and Reed Warbler being the other 2.
September 1 - approx 100 Starlings around Haslingden library
September 2 - 1 Wheatear in the lapwing field at Holden Wood, 1 Little Ringed juvenile and 3 Teals at Holden Wood. 18 Collared Dove including many immatures in a loose flock on TV wires and rooves around the Bury Road Manchester Road junction in Haslingden and onto Laneside Road
September 3 - walk around Grane and Quarries - 1-2 Willow Warblers around Holden Wood, 3 Chiffchaffs - 2 at Holden Wood and 1 at Crow Trees, 3 Wheatears at Jamestone East, 1 female Goldene at Jamestone East, 8 Greenfinch at Heap Clough car park
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 4th of September 2021 08:13:39 PM
