I must mention that an Osprey was reported on the 25th of August at Grane somewhere on social media I guess.
Decent numbers of butterflies around over the last week - some Green Veined Whites, Red Admirals - min 10 today around Grane and approx 6 min at Holden Wood, a few Speckled Wood, min 6 Wall Brown on 26th August, min 10 Peacock at Grane on 26 August, 1 Comma today, Tortoiseshells were few in number but in excess of 20 about 2 weeks ago,
Quite a few dragonflies around over the last week - the red damselflies, the black ones, Brown Hawkers, Common Hawkers?, Common Darters,
Today at Holden Wood:- 1 Common Sandpiper, 10 Redpoll over, 2 Chiffchaff, 3-4 Willow Warblers, Merlin seen heading to Musbury , 4 Common Gulls, Blackcaps still present
Ogden:- 1 Pintail female/eclipse drake - first time I have seen one in Rossendale , 1 Gadwall, min 6 Great Black Backed Gulls, some Herring Gulls and a juvenile Herring Gull from this year, 1 Green Sandpiper, min 20 Lapwings
Calf Hey - 8 Teal
Heap Clough and Quarries:- 1 Sand Martin - no Sand Martins visiting breeding holes at Jamestone - approx 50 holes not sure if all were used but more than 20 for sure, 3 Wheatear and 1 female/juvenile Whinchat behind Troy, 1 Tufted Duck - in total 5 ducks species seen at Grane today.
General observations around Grane and the Quarries :-
Min 80 Swallows seen around Grane and the Quarries - many family parties
No House Martins seen but I never see them on every visit
approx 60 Meadow Pipits
5-6 Willow Warbler in total including a bird in subsong
3 lots of Long Tailed Tit parties - each with 10-15 in
40 min Goldcrest - seem to have had a good year - lots of family parties
Min 22 Pied Wagtails on the roofs of houses on Beaconsfield Street, Haslingden - most seem to be south, 2nd time noted this week.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 2nd of September 2022 11:02:36 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 2nd of September 2022 11:31:13 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 2nd of September 2022 11:46:45 PM
4th September - min 80 Starling at Grane, Approx 150 House Martins over Calf Hey, min 1 Green Sandpiper at Ogden res, 1 Common Sandpiper at Holden Wood Res Painted Lady butterfly at Victoria Park,Haslingden
7 September - 1 unringed Great Egret at Holden Wood Reservoir - the 4th I have seen here and the first since October 2016! a flock of 6 Barnacle Geese flying westwards
04/09/22 - approx 40 Mallard circling over Holden Vale flash
08/09/22 - 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 female Redstart and Great White Egret at Holden Wood, not to forget 2 adult Moorhen which have almost disappeared from here
Grane Reservoirs and Quarries 09/09/22
Holden Wood:-
Chiffchaff - 2
Robin - 9
Goldfinch - min 50
Woodpigeon - min 15
Coal Tit - 3
Jackdaw - min 20
Reed Bunting - 7
Carrion Crow - min 30
Bullfinch - 1
Great Tit - 2
Wren - 6
Dunnock - 2
Grey Wagtail - 4
Black Headed Gulls - 18
Magpie - 3
Canada Geese - 18
Chaffinch - 8
Great Egret - 1
Grey Heron - 2 however 4 were present later which could have moved from the other reservoirs
Cormorant - 18
Mallard - 8
Pied Wagtail - 4
Meadow Pipit - 18
Linnet - min 8
Blue Tit - 1
Herring Gull - 4 over West
Blackbird - 3
Goldcrest - 1
Stonechat - 3
Starling - 4 - on a pole
1 - Little Egret - flew in around 11.45am - second time I have had both Egret species at Grane on one visit, last time was in 2014!
Blackcap - 2
Ogden:-
Carrion Crows - min 15
Jackdaw - min 10
Stonechat - 1
Reed Bunting - 3
Linnet - min 12 - may have included the ones from Holden Wood as they flew off , most likely seen later flying towards Calf Hey
Robin - 1
Meadow Pipits - min 20
Grey Wagtails - 1
Swallows - 70 -3 flocks of 30,30,10 ....flying south majority not descending ...just few fed over the water
Wren - 3
Jay - 2
Woodpigeon - min 60 - mostly feeding in the fields, many immatures too
Common Sandpiper - 1 - visible from Calf Hey, feeding in stream of Ogden
Green Sandpiper - 1 - with Common Sandpiper
Kestrel - 1
Canada Geese - 43
Lapwing - min 15 - most hidden along rocks on shoreline
Grey Heron - 2
Cormorant - 8 - (12 were present however 4 had flown from Holden Wood which were already counted)
Lesser Black Backed Gulls - 4
Great Black Backed Gulls - 5
Black Headed Gulls - 5
Mallard - 4
A bird that was possibly a Great Short Toed Lark was running on the Rossendale way, flying shortly, then landing. The brief views I had showed it had a short thick bill, the buff sandy colouration of most larks and pipits with dark wing markings and clean unmarked under sides before it flew off downslope into the rushes. No views of the toes or any calls heard. I have seen this species abroad many times. Sadly other than a possible it would have to left at that.
Calf Hey Reservoir :-
Wren - 7
Robin - 6
Teal - 4
Mallard - 3
Grey Heron - 2
Great Crested Grebe - 1 - 2 times this week it has left the water and waddled around on land
Chaffinch - 5
Stonechat - 2
Magpie - 4
Blackbird - 2
Song Thrush - 1
Treecreeper- 2
Goldcrest - min 10
Nuthatch- 2
Pied Wagtail - 1 - on Thursday min 20 feeding on shoreline
Meadow Pipits - approx 15
Great Tit - 2
Pheasant - 1
Black Headed Gull - 1
Heap Clough and Quarries:-
Wren - 6
Pied Wagtail - min 30 - 10-15 around Quarries ,20-25 in horse fields opposite Duke of Wellington
Swallow - 4
Long Tailed Tit - min 5 - 3 separate flocks but each not close
Robin - 3
Woodpigeon - min 20
Stock Dove - 1
Jay - 3 - one on hillside in bush constantly making Buzzard calls
Buzzard - 1 young calling
Coal Tit - 3
Black Headed Gull - 6
Goldcrest - min 10
Goldfinch - 10-15
Meadow Pipits - approx 40
Linnet - 4
Chaffinch - 6
Blue Tit - 3
Grey Wagtail - 1
Greenfinch - 1
Starling - approx 40 feeding in field opposite Duke of Wellington with Pied Wagtails
2 Great White Egrets reported - once last night and before 8.30am today!
Notable absences - no Mistle Thrush again!, resident Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Sand Martin have gone
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 10th of September 2022 09:02:13 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 10th of September 2022 09:59:44 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 10th of September 2022 10:31:06 PM
2 September - female Shoveler present at Ogden res - 6 duck species present that day around Grane
11 September -1 Ring Ouzel at Calf hey
12 September - 2 Skylark over Holden Arms car park heading in a south easterly fashion, min 50 Linnet at Holden Wood
16 September highlights - possibly 50 Pied Wagtails all around Grane, Great Egret not present - last seen Thursday evening, 6 Pink Footed Geese passing south over Holden Wood decided to land on the water at about7.30amand were in the fields with Canada Geese at 11.30am,a further 46 were flying south east a few minutes later, approx 80 Linnet at Holden Wood alone -a further 10 more around other locations, 2 Whinchat on the border of Ogden Reservoir and Holden Wood Res, Further skeins of 15, 26 Pink Footed Geese and 72 heading south again, 4 Kestrels seen,2 Buzzard,1 Sparrowhawk,approx30 Lapwing at Ogden, min 30Swallows - somefamilyparties,1House Martin, 4 Chiffchaff around Grane, min 1 Blackcap at Holden Wood
19 September - 58 Pink Footed Geese heading south over Grane either turned around and started heading North again or landed on Musbury Heights and then turned back north again, 3 Pink Footed Geese were on Ogden and left eastwards, 1 Snipe and 1 Teal which came in from Musbury Heights way and landed on Holden Wood Res, 15 Stonechat around the 3 reservoirs, approx 50 Swallows over reservoir 60-80 Linnets at Holden Wood, a few Pied Wagtail - big drop in numbers
19 September - approx50 House Martins above Mitchells House Reservoir
22 - a few Swallows over Holden Wood - max 4 - numbers have dwindled since Monday
23 September - min 100 Meadow Pipits around Grane, 9 Stonechat around the Quarries, min 20 Pied Wagtails, min 20 Skylark passing over southwards - small numbers heard passing over throughout the week, 8-10Teal present on Ogden, min 50mallard around Holden Wood Res and Ogden res, 0 Swallows and Martins seen, min 15 Reed Buntings around Reservoirs and Quarries, 5 Chiffchaff around, a handful of Siskin and Redpoll, min 50 Goldfinch around, 2 Moorhens at Holden Wood - not been many sightings since water level has dropped,
Saturday 24 September - 10 House Martins over holden Wood
Sunday 25 September - 2 Swallows over Holden Wood Res, Pink Footed Geese skeins over Grane from 7.30am to 10.30am - 27 heading South West, 94 Pink Footed Geese east, 119 east, 62 east, 27 East. A very aggressive Chiffchaff chasing Great Tits - maybe same bird was chasing Robins last Sunday. Maybe it is a Sunday thing? Visit to Musbury - 120 Meadow Pipits + 40around Holden Wood and Ogden, 3 pairs of Stonechats each with 3-4 fledged young, Red Grouse heard coming from beyond Tor
26 September - 2 Swallows and 2 Wigeons at Holden Wood Reservoir
27 September - 4 Swallows and 2 Wigeons at Holden Wood Reservoir, min 50 Mallard too
-- Edited by sarfraz on Wednesday 28th of September 2022 06:25:54 PM
29 September - 10 Redwing North West over Holden Wood, 17 Pink Footed Geese east over Holden Wood, no sign of Wigeons on Holden Wood = last seen 28th Sept, approx 193 Linnet feeding around the edges of Holden Wood counted from a photo but a loose flocks of about 10 may have been separate to these so could be over 200,6 House Martins over Holden Wood Res, min 15 Long Tailed Tits Holden Wood,
30 September - 6 Redwing west over Calf Hey, 60 plus Mallards on both Holden Wood and Ogden, approx10 Teal , 5 Common Gulls heading West over Holden Wood res, 10 Swallows over Calf hey, 10 Chaffinch in willow nearest the widest point of Holden Wood Res - 8-9 flew off southwards - I saw 3 land in here yesterday,
Lots of small bird at Calf Hey - min 10 Long Tailed Tits, min 20 Goldcrest, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, min 10 Coal Tit
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 30th of September 2022 06:22:15 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 30th of September 2022 10:36:13 PM
30/09/22 - min 10 Rooks behind Troy, min 100 Jackdaws and 10 Rooks spooked from fields behind the Cormorant roost
01/10/22 - min 90 Mallards at Holden Wood Reservoir, about 4 Linnets -a big decline
02/10/22 - 5 Dunnock in scrub around the car park at Holden Wood, the scrub active with lots of the small common birds, min 30 Swallows around Grane including some family parties, a few House Martins, small numbers of Redwing over, some House Martins over Haslingden prob a max of10 ?
a few Swallows on 3rd but 0 since. House Martins last seen 5th.
2 Wigeon and approx10Teal on Holden Wood overlast few days. 1-2 Chiffchaff still around. Redwings not seen since 4th.
7 October - approx30 Chaffinch in last willow on the Cormorant roost side, dropping on floor to feed, a few Greenfinch around - been quiet over last month or two,
9 October - a 5-10 Linnets still around, min 100 Goldfinch, min 100 Meadow Pipits around Grane, min 10 Skylarks over southwards
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 9th of October 2022 11:31:00 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 9th of October 2022 11:31:11 PM
Forgot to mention Skylarks passing over Grane until 28th October and never had them so late.
25 November - 1 Crossbill over towards Clough Head
2 December - 4 Mistle Thrush around Grane -- been a very quiet autumn for them so I was very relieved
9 December - very foggy - min 10 Mallard at Ogden but only a tiny part visible, Teal heard at Ogden but not seen, min 40 Black Headed Gulls around, 4 Snipe at Holden Wood, 1 Kestrel, 4 Starling, min 10 Pied Wagtails and min 10 Meadow Pipits at Holden Wood with a few of each at Jamestone/Heap Clough, a few of Magpies, Crows and Jackdaws around Grane, 2 Song Thrush, min 10 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 4 Stonechat including 1 male hit by a car on Grane Road which I took home but sadly died, min 6 Wren, 3 min Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch at Calf Hey, min 3 Dunnock, min 30 Chaffinch at Holden Wood and approx 10 elsewhere, 2 Bullfinch, min 10 Siskin around Calf Hey and Heap Clough, 6 Greenfinch at Calf Hey flying over res, min 5 each of Great, Blue and Coal Tit, 2 Stock Dove, 4 Reed Bunting.
14 December - 7 Common Snipe and 1 possible Jack Snipe at Holden Wood which was highest count over the cold period
16 December - 4 Snow Buntings flying over from Musbury Heights to Tor, Great Spotted Woodpecker at Holden Wood and 1 Green Woodpecker at Musbury, 1 Blackbird in trees at the highest point and a single Meadow Pipit with some Great Tits too. Approx 20 Blackbirds and 5 Song Thrush
16 December - 20 Blackbird, 6 Song Thrush, 4 Redwing, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Treecreeper at Victoria Park Haslingden , 78 Mallard of which 63 flew east from Ogden in small Flocks
Numbers of Robin decreased to approx 10 - every bush close to the shore line was holding a territorial bird or a site of conflict Blackbird Chaffinch Dunnock all feeding on the shoreline of HWR. Snipe were also feeding in these areas along work Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails,.Wren, Woodpigeon and 4 Pheasant.
At the start of the cold spell about 20 each of Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits which decreased to just a few at the end
No Stonechat over the last week, maximum count of 12 Greenfinch, 4 Lapwings and
On the 20th of December the caterpillar bellow was recorded
A Red Kite has been recorded over Cowpe Moss, Ashy Valley in December from the 7th to at least 22nd on a number of dates. Not a bad 2022 with 3 species added to my Rossendale list. Bar Tailed Godwit and Pintail at Grane and Red Breasted Merganser at Clowbridge.
Red Necked Grebe and Knot seen at Ashworth Moor Reservoir but that isn't Rossendale.
