2 January walk around Grane and Quarries and highlights were approx 30 Mallard on Holden Wood and 5 Goldeneye on Calf hey
4 January visit to Holden Wood early morning 5 Snipe, 27 Lapwing in 3 different flocks including 9 on the breeding field, 1 Woodcock, 80 plus Fieldfare in hedge with smaller number sof Redwing, Starling abd approx 20 Blackbird around, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Song Thrush, some Meadow Pipits
Approx 80 Pink Footed Geese going West over my house yesterday lunch time
Grane Reservoirs today 1 Coot, min 8 Goosander, 2 Teal and 7 Goldeneye on Holden Wood Res.....the Goldeneye must have flown off and on Ogden later a minimum of 9 Goldeneye.. one of the highest figures at Grane for a while
7 January Black headed Gull with almost full black head at Grane a bird that wasn't present recently so must have joined the regulars, Fieldfare singing at Holden Wood
17 January first "dawn chorus" of the year with Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren and Robin singing at the back of my house
21 January 2 Swans over Calf hey westwards early morning were probably on Holden Wood as quite low but species could not be positively identified, Song Thrush at Holden Wood twice imitated Redshank
18 March 4 firsts of the year for me at Holden Wood res......2 Sand Martin, 1 Chiffchaff, displaying Meadow Pipits and Butterflies in the form of at least 4 Peacock and 4 Small Tortoiseshell
19 main highlights Holden Wood Teal pair along with 2 goosander, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Coot. Male Stonechat display flighting above the reservoir mimicing Great and Coal Tit!!! 2 Greylag at Ogden and another Stonechat mimicing the call that Moorhen/Black Headed Gulls make...that contact call.
Calf Hey Crossbills heard by another observer
Quarries 2 Crossbills flew form Troy towards Calf hey, Small Copper butterfly at Jamestone West, Female Marsh Harrier mobbbed Buzzard then disappeared towards Haslingden Moor, 1 Sand Martin, pair of Grey heron with 1 fledged young
Good numbers of Buzzard over 10 seen around Grane and Kestrel too
-- Edited by sarfraz on Thursday 19th of March 2026 11:55:49 PM
Saturday 21 March 5 Teal at Holden Wood Res, Fieldfare chckling in the bushes at the top end mmin 10
22 March Holden Wood min 15 Pied Wagtails and approx 20 Meadow Pipits the latter at the end of the visit suggested they had dropped in on some sort of passage migration with some in the fields along the lane flitting Northwards, 3 Sparrowhawks consisting of 1 male and 2 females which included 1 chasing another off, min 3 Sand Martins but they seemed to move off
Sadly no Scoters or Whooper Swans
26 Osprey reported over Grane today poor mobile photo looks good fit
Forgot to add 1 Greylag on Monday at Ogden and 1 Sedge Warbler jump staring behind Holden Arms. Massive fall of Willow Warblers on Monday 6 April nationally
Tuesday 7 April 1 Blackcap and 1 Swallow at Holden Wood Res both firsts of the year for me 7 or 8 Willow Warblers there too
Wednesday 8 April 2 or 3 Willow Warblers at Holden Wood, 1 Swallow, 0 Blackcap
10 April 17 Wheatear oh which 1 female was at Holden Wood Res and the other 16 behind Jamestone East and West ,,,,,3 singing males and some courting going on, min 15 Sand Martins around Holden Wood and the Quarries and min 10 Swallows. 4 to 6 Ring Ouzels in the Hawthorns behind Jamestone East were the first i Have had on this stretch since 2021. Seems to have been a fall of these Over the last 24 hours
Monday 6 April at least 4 Greenfinch together on the junction of Helmshore Road and St Peters Avenue, Haslingden, 2 Mistle Thrush in St Peters field playing fields
Tuesday 7 April 1 large White at Holden Wood
12 April about 7 Wheatear seen earlier by another observer around Jamestone but only 2 by me. 2 Ring Ouzels at Jamestone West Hassy Moor side near the gorse scrub. Another called in Deep Clough
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 12th of April 2026 11:18:17 PM
11 April 1 House Martin with Sand Martins at Holden Wood at 8 am
13 April Holden Wood 8 to 9 am 12 Willow Warbler..a clear fall coincided with min 7 Wheatear again at Jamestone West, also 1 new Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap in....the previous ones seemed to have moved onm
14 April less Willow Warbler at Holden Wood. Paul Jackman told me that the Ring Ouzel are still there and he managed to photograph a Grey Partridge there and a female type Marsh Harrier over today.
16 April a lost looking Greylag at Holden Wood, not the same as the bird I saw on the 6th, 5 Long Tailed Tits having a skirmish?
17 April 3 Pink Footed Geese at Holden Wood grazing with Canadas, 16 Starlings together on a wire at HWR ..migrants?, 3 Grasshopper Warblers which included 1 at Holden Wood Res and 2 at Calf hey reeling at the same time, 1 Wheatear on the stones above Ogden and a min of 20 around the Quarries, 1 min male Ring Ouzel around the gorse patch at Jamestone West
Forgot to add from Friday 17th 3 singing Mistle Thrush at Calf Hey alone and a 4th at Jamestone West. Moorhen at Jamestone East in the open
Sunday 19th the 3 Pink Footed Geese still at Holden Wood res. Some year firsts today starting with min 3 Orange Tips, 2 Green Veined Whites at Grane, 1 Green Hairstreak at Calf hey, 1 Common Sandpiper at Holden Wood res. Pair of Ring Ouzel from gorse patch to Jamestone East. 1 Wheatear in rocks above Ogden and about 24 around Heap Clough , 1 Snipe drumming Jamestone East, first drummer I have this year. 2 Grasshopper Warbler at Calf Hey and 1 at Crow Trees, Heap Clough
1 Blackcap at Victoria Park
7 or 8 Wheatear above Calf hey only 1 female, pair of Stonechat
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 19th of April 2026 05:39:36 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 19th of April 2026 05:41:01 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 19th of April 2026 11:04:01 PM
20 April Whitethroat singing form hedge on Holcome Road
24 April single Whitethroats at Holcombe Road, Calf Hey and in the gorse above Crow Trees Cottage. The return of the Garden Warbler to Holden Wood Res and Calf Hey Res. 3 Pink Footed Geese present at HWR still, mobile across different fields. Ring Ouzel at Jamestone East flew from Trees into quarry. 4 Blue Tit in the scrub above Ogden was an usual sight.
-- Edited by sarfraz on Friday 24th of April 2026 03:55:10 PM
24 April 5 Great Crested Grebes at Grane Res....pair at HWR, pair and a single at Ogden
25 April 1 Painted Lady at Holden Wood Res first of year for me
26 April 1 Red Admiral at Holden Wood Res first of year for me
27 April female Mallard with 12/13 newly hatched ducklings at HWR
28 April 1 Pink Footed Goose at Holden Wood with Canadas, a new bird in as the 3 were still present the following day
30 April 11/12 ducklings with female, she may have lost 1 at HWR, Common Sandpipers displaying there too. 1 Swift (first of year for me) over Haslingden and 7 House Martins over Haslingden too. The latter are first seen over Haslingden but some have been heard.
May 1st Walk around the reservoirs, upper Musbury Valley and Musden Head Moor 2 Red Legged Partridge above Ogden
2 Red Legged Partridge above Ogden, 3 Whitethroat singing at Holden Wood Res one at top end in a NEW area for this species present today too on the 3rd, 3 Whitethroat at Calf Hey too
4 Wheatear at Musbury Heights and Upper Musbury
Lack of Curlew and Lapwing in Musbury and Musden Head Moor a pair each on the Darwen side sadly
Maybe less than usual Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Skylark numbers in Musbury and Musden Head Moor
Saturday a pair of Shelduck at Holden Wood res and 4 Pink Footed Geese still there, 8 Song Thrush noted included 2 separate instances of birds following each other and includes a bird singing from Mary's Wood
Sunday 3rd May visits to Grane Reservoirs, Mitchells House and Clowbridge trying to replicate the Big Bank Holiday of May 2017
Mitchell's House Res 2 Wheatear, 3 White Wagtail, 1 Fieldfare, min 4 Lapwing pairs in fields nearby, Curlew heard bubbling, 4 pairs of Mallard, decent numbers of Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit, a few Pied Wagtail and Robin, 2 Linnet, min 20 Swift, min 40 Swallow, min 10 Sand Martin, Min 20 House Martin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3 Whitethroat singing from scrub, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Song Thrush
Clowbridge Grey Partridge calling up from Boathouse at the widest point of the res, 1 Dunlin there too and 2 White Wagtails
Haslingden 8 Song Thrush Helmshore Road/St Peters Avenue junction and Victoria Park
8 May Holden Wood mallard with 12/13 young on 27 April now has about 8/9, another female Mallard, with 2 very young ducklings, 1 drake Teal seen and 1 heard only but gender not known, 2 Great Black Backed Gull near adult on Ogden, 2 Little Grebes at Jamestone East, 2 Wheatear 1 each at Deep Clough and Jamestone East
11 May 4 Great Black Backed Gulls harassing 2 Ravens at a carcass, the former could not land on it because of vegetation etc
13 May interesting wagtail over Holden Wood call sounded closer to Citrine and a brief bit of yellow seen as it flew over but sadly only 1 call and it could not be pinned down......could have been a Yellow Wagtail but could not be confirmed either sadly, 3 Pink Footed Geese here ...a single and a 2.....the 3rd bird which was with the 2 seems to have gone or died
14th May Little Egret at Holden Wood Res and was probably the bird seen flying over Calf Hey and moors westward...a ROC year tick
14th May 8pm plus visit to Clowbridge and 3 more year ticks added Tree Pipit singing at Limy Lane but not in full gusto, Cuckoo and Redshank
15th May walk around grane and quarries 3 singing Whitethroats at Holden Wood res and 2 at Jamestone West which is a newer location for this species, 4 fledged Grey Wagtails at Calf Hey, 3 Wheatear at Jamestone East including singing male, poor year for Curlew and no Lapwing chicks seen yet
17th May Mallard with 9 ducklings going strong, at least 1 Pink Footed Goose still here, Garden and Sedge Warbler still here, in fact a Blackcap in the car park scrub today too , looks like a couple of Long Tailed Tits families have fledged
The mystery Wagtail form the 13th has been resolved. It is a female Pied Wagtail who makes this not so typical noise!
21 May Hobby over Haslingden first of year for me
22 May 3 more new ticks all at Holden Wood ..1 Whimbrel, 1 Brimstone and 2 Small Heath, fledged Stonechat at Jamestone, 2 fledged Crow families
24 May Teal at Holden Wood Res, Cuckoo calling at Ogden first Grane tick for me this year, 4 Blackcap on walk around HWR and Quarries, 1 Grasshopper Warbler in SW corner of Jamsetone West only heard because i spent ages trying to photograph a Whitethroat, Whitethroat numbers ...4 around HWR and Holcombe Road & 2 at Jamestone West, 4 Lapwing chicks at HWR
25 May TeaL female at HWR , Holly Blue reported on path
27 May Sedge Warbler singing at HWR top end, Garden Warbler still here
28 May 100 plus Starlings in field above HWR, Mallard with 9 ducklings now has 8 & well grown
-- Edited by sarfraz on Thursday 28th of May 2026 10:32:33 PM
-- Edited by sarfraz on Thursday 28th of May 2026 11:15:44 PM
