August 31 - Red Underwing moth at Victoria Park, Haslingden
September 14 - 40 Swallows over Grane
September 17 - walk around Grane - min 10 Blue Tits around Holden Wood Reservoir, 2 flocks of 15 min Long Tailed Tits and Heap Clough and Holden Wood Reservoir, Hobby over slicing through the air, min 40 House Martins over reservoirs, 0 Swallows, min 40 Rooks feeding in field above Troy Quarry
Not much of note sadly. No hirundines seen around Haslingden or Grane recently. They seemed to disappear mid- September all at once.
19 September - 1 Small Heath at Holden Wood
20 September - 1 Small Heath at Crow Trees, min 20 Rooks still above Troy
21 September - Yellow Wagtail at Holden Wood
22 September - 5 Greenfinch at Jamestone West, approx 40 Lapwings at Ogden
24 September - 4 Greylag Geese and 24 Pink Footed Geese flying west over Grane - in 2 separate flocks. 3 Geese day!
28 September - 3 Snipe and 2 Teal at Holden Wood
30 September - approx 60 Mallard at Holden Wood - a big increase
Ring Necked Duck reported at Fishmoor Reservoir, Guide/Blackburn today which is barely a mile or two from Grane. Good chance it could visit the Grane Reservoirs.
Not much to report over the last few weeks but:-
06/10/21 - 5 Teal on Holden Wood Reservoir, minimum of 30 Skylark flying mainly west but some south over the reservoirs and the quarries in some sort of trickle, 2 Linnet over the Quarries, 1 male Goldeneye on Jamestone West in dazzling fresh plumage so almost certainly not the same bird as Kevin photographed on Sunday.
Hi David - would be nice if another one turned up. They are not the rarest of American birds in the UK but still they are scarce and would be a welcome addition to my ROC list.
In September - a fully fledged Moorhen - the only one sign of successful breeding I have seen in Grane this year of this species.
08 October - min 35 Long Tailed Tits in2 flocks - about 20 at Calf Hey and 15 around Heap Clough
09 October - adult Woodpigeon feeding a fully fledged young in Victoria Park, Haslingden.
15/10/21 - min 100 Redwings heading West over Grane but not settling in any of the Hawthorns , 1 female Wigeon and possibly 1 female Pintail on Holden Wood reservoir but flew off - will have to analyse photo some point. Possibly 1 Ring Ouzel in Hawthorns at Heap Clough. Min 20 Robins around - maybe over 30. Possible influx? Not to forget at least 3 Large Red Damselflies.
I have scattered some seed in the exposed mud which is now carpeted with vegetation at the western end of Holden Wood. If you stand at the metal gate and look in front where the willows are, is also one of the places I have scattered some seeds.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 16th of October 2021 11:48:00 PM
Hi Guys, I dug out my record of the sighting of the RN Duck and Dave's right with over 25 years ago as it was 12th Jan 1992 when first recorded it in Rossendale at Holden Wood. It had been seen earlier at Edgworth. The other interesting record in my notes from that day was that the RN Duck was in the company of 44 Pochards; where have all those disappeared to as quite a rarity now? Regards, David.
-- Edited by David Nuttall on Sunday 17th of October 2021 11:28:28 AM
44 Pochards? I was ecstatic to see my first Grane Pochard last September. I probably saw Pochards on my visits to HWR in the 90s - there were certainly more Tufted Duck and Goosander in those days. Even when a Tufted Duck appears ....it is a bird of note now, sadly
Last year was the best year for Pochards in the last decade easily even then none of them wintered.
They are not getting any commoner sadly.
Sunday 17 October - HWR - 1 female Wigeon, 8 Teal and 6 Blackbirds - the latter were in the willows at the top end , at least one had that dark bill.
Wednesday 20 October - HWR - 9 Teal, 10 Blackbirds min in scrub around car park with 1 Redwing and 2 Song Thrush, 10 redwing flying high westwards.
min 100 Fieldfare passing up the valley and feeding on the berries
min 50 Redwing
min 40 Goldfinch
1 each of Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk
A few Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Long Tailed Tit
Stonechat pair
1 Treecreeper
No Wagtails, Dippers, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting
3 Siskin flying up and down the valley
2 Mistle Thrush
min 2 Meadow Pipits over
Usual Black-headed Gulls, Carrion Crows, Magpies and Woodpigeons
Kestrel over Victoria Park, Haslingden today and quite a few Dunnock calling on St Peter's Avenue
November 16 - approx 80 Pink Feet so low over Grane/Calf Hey and flying upwards -
November 23 - 78 Pink Footed Geese flying west over Grane, 200 plus Starlings over and around Grane, 5 species of ducks around Grane - 1 Tufted Duck flying over, 3 Teal, 1 Drake Wigeon, 1 Goldeneye and min 4 Mallard. min 6 Stonechat
November 26 - male Merlin mobbing a male Peregrine over Calf Hey, 8 Teal at Holden Wood
November 28 - 5 Lapwing at Holden Wood, thrushes more agitated and visible but only a small number of Redwing and Fieldfare, 2 Buzzard, 5 Bullfinch,
Tuesday 30 November - a flock consisting of about 10-15 small unidentifiable birds flying above Ogden reservoir - would have been visible from path at top.
Thursday 2 December - 32-36 Teal at Jamestone East - never seen that many here before - being stalked by a Great Black Backed Gull.
12/12/21 - min 40 Great Black Backed Gulls heading over Rising Bridge Roundabout south-ish. They looked liked they were comin from Mitchell's House as they were low and considering the time ie 2pm and the direction probably going to Ashworth Moor Reservoir to roost.
15/12/21
Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush in sub-song this week. In fact I had Mistle Thrush in sub-song back in late November.
Other than the usual suspects main surprise at Grane was at least 1 Skylark calling over Jamestone West heading in a North Westerly direction. Approx 60 Fieldfare too. Duck numbers low.
