Starlings On the Move today... and other Thrushes..

0700hrs-1100hrs
Wind: N 10mph
Movement W/NW unless stated otherwise.

Starling day without doubt!! kept going steadily all morning, even at 1100hrs on leaving I had a party of 100 approx going through.. it was nice and steady with other thrushes to...

Starling: 1520 (46 parties, best parties:100,130,170),
Redwing: 1148 (30 parties, best parties: 126,80,90,70,80,
Fieldfare: 1291 (26 parties, best parties: 120,120,120,80,80,80,120.
Chaffinch: 50 (best party 14), Goldfinch: 7, LBBG: 2, Common Gull: 18, Greenfinch: 9, BHG: 19, Woodpigeon: 1, Meadow Pipit: 3, Carrion Crow: 21, Jackdaw: 12, Linnet: 30 (one party), Kestrel: 1 probably local

Lots of bird movement W but at Cloudbase altitudes....

0645hrs-0900hrs
Wind: NE12mph and very cold..
Movement: W unless stated otherwise.
Also got tip off yesterday evening and again early this morning by the radar people currently based at Skegness and from another contact in Holland that thousands of Starlings and Thrushes where coming in off from the North Sea all night, and from this information it was expected to be a burster here in Rossendale. However a funny sort of morning developed with only dribs and drabs going all over the place in various directions. After about one hour I realized what was going on. I thought where are all these birds, we're not getting them... but it soon become apparent after looking high into the cloudbase that thats where they were going through with haste and on several occasions when I could bear to look up with the glasses into these high levels, I could see good large 30-50 parties going through, so thats where they were and obviously thousands will have been missed, with just a sampling actual recorded going through at ordinary levels...
Redwing: 221 (best parties: 20,32,20,30,30,30,30) and will have missed thousands going over in the cloudbase.....
Starling: 121 (best party: 50) again they went quiet after the opening hour and again then went high into the cloudbase.....
Fieldfare: 43 (some even going E and SE) but again the main would be going high over...
Woodpigeon: 3SW, Cormorant: 1 probably local, Meadow Pipit: 1, BHG: 12, Mistle Thrush: 2, Greenfinch: 1, Blackbird: 7 (2,5), Goldfinch: 1, Redpoll: 1. (photos: l: Shimmering over Calf Hey Res at 3pm today.....r: another strange cloud pattern over Calf Hey at 9am today - click over photos to enlarge)

Thrushes on the Move today but soon fogged off....

0700hrs-0800hrs
Movement: West unless stated otherwise.
S 4mph

They where definately going for it this morning sadly mine came to a ubrupt end with rolling mist which before long had made up a pea soup.... and consequently stopped play...Fieldfare: 1140 (best parties: 200,120,300,120).Redwing: 62, Starling: 58, Chaffinch: 45, Meadow Pipit: 13, Woodpigeon: 11, Goldfinch: 1, Green Woodpecker: 1 local.....

Who's that peepin? Click over photo to enlarge... also Steve Duckworth (farmer) rounding up is sheep ready for market at 2pm today...

Today was the first proper frost of the year. It did start to bring a few more birds through on movement, however by 0745hrs a rolling mist had completed engulfed the area and stopped any migration.

0700hrs-0830hrs Wind: SW 2mph all movement West unless stated otherwise.

Best Chaffinch party today with 15 party and best Fieldfare party today 150. Here is full list: Redwing: 26, Fieldfare: 261, Meadow (25,30,7NE,150,40,plus), Meadow Pipit:14, Chaffinch:40 (7S), Pink Footed Goose: 2, Siskin: 2...

also today a couple of photos of sunrise, and one showing that rolling mist, and also a photo of a late Foxglove. (Click over photo to enlarge)

Chaffinch still going strong and Woodies making a move..

0730hrs-0830hrs... all west unless stated... Wind was very light maybe SW 3mph..

Chaffinch: 24, Starling: 22, Meadow Pipit: 11(party of 10), Fieldfare: 12, Greenfinch: 3, Siskin: 3NE, Reed Bunting: 2.. Woodpigeon: 100.. On leaving house there was a couple of parties of Woodies going over and then when up at Grane I had a further party, probably there would be far more going through but you need to be at a North to South routing eg: Hutch Bank or the Accrington Valley.. you never get many on a E-W valley like Grane..

(Photo: approach lane to Calf Hey (bad bend) click over photo to enlarge)

Thrushes about in odd parties and Chaffinch still going strong...

0800hrs-1000hrs
Starling: 55 (3 parties 30,20,5), Redwing: 123 (one party 100), Fieldfare: 65 (50 blogging on Haslingden Moor and then 1 party 14E plus a single one going W. Meadow Pipit: 8, Greenfinch: 4, Chaffinch: 26, Goldfinch: 7, Pied Wagtail: 1, Siskin: 1, GSW: 1, Green Woodpecker: 1 Local, Kestrel: 1W, Sparrowhawk: 1Local....Woodpigeon: 1

Chaffinch moving through steadily and lichen and sunrise shots...

0800hrs-0930hrs - Watching from Stoney Rake (Calf hey)...... Chaffinch being the main mover... Pied Wagtail: 1, Goldfinch: 4, Meadow Pipit: 9, Chaffinch: 28 (one party of 8), Fieldfare: 3, Redwing: 7 (3,3,1), Starling: 6, Jay: 1 -local, BHG: 4 local, Green Woodpecker: 1 -local.... Click over photos to enlarge. 3 Lichen (Cladonia Macilenta) photos from earlier this morning on walls at Stoney Rake, and two sunrise photos.....a tree near to Fairy Glen with plenty of fungi, mosses and lichens growing on it...

Mining or Quarrying? plus Lichens & Fungi....

0900hrs-1030hrs. Observations from Stoney Rake (Calf Hey).... Still quiet on the bird front because of the windy wet weather, hope it gets back to normal soon..... did have a few bits and pieces eg: Fieldfare: 20E (one party), Redwing: 11 (one party), Chaffinch: 21 (best party 9) going through fairly regular, Starling: 9, Goldfinch: 4, Meadow Pipit: 10 (6 of these where bloggers!!), Siskin: 6, Mistle Thrush: 1, Woodpigeon: 1.

Not got round to photo identification yet but for now here is six shots taken this morning of old soil heaps (between Stoney Rake and main road) I wonder what went on here.. would it be mining or quarrying?..... some superb lichens growing on trees near to Calf Hey and some fungi's in the meadows..........

The fungi on the bottom left photo is a well spent Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellia). The 2x orange fungi in moss on the bottom right photo have now been identified as Scarlet Caterpillar fungi (Cordyceps militaris). Although not rare, they are very seldom seen, because this particular fungus only grows on the dead remains of insect larvae, and if you were to dig down below the fungi, you would certainly see whatever dead larva it was growing from. (Thanks for kind information and identification supplied by Mike Valentine on both of these fungi.

More Pink Footed Geese... Back to reality after yesterdays count...

0700hrs-1000hrs
Wind: SSW 8mph, All movement West unless specified...

After yesterday, today was back to a harsh reality!!! Throughout the count today it was foggy and at times completely fogged out and always murky especially on the horizon, raining, at times sheeting it down. Not a good weather vis day, but by 1000hrs on leaving it did actually seem to be clearing.... anyway a very poor count.

Redwing: 50 (had calls 0703 and 0724 and first visual at 0730), Fieldfare: 71, Pink Footed Goose: 36 (0820hrs only 50 yards away and 40ft high brought down with fog), Chaffinch: 24, BHG: 26E all presumed local.. LBBG: 1E presumed local, Meadow Pipit: 17, Woodpigeon: 6, Greenfinch: 3, Starling: 2, Pied Wagtail: 2, Cormorant: 1 presumed local, Goosander: 2, Kestrel: 1W, Jay: 2 presumed local....

Photos: On the left is a lichen found on walls behind Long House Near Higher Ormerods yesterday.. Click over picture to enlarge (the right hand photo is of a view looking down over Haslingden at 0700hrs this morning... )

7000 Thrushes in 3 hours - FIELDFARE & REDWING GALORE!!

0700hrs - 1030hrs
Wind: SW5mph then freshening to W/SW 8-10mph by 0900hrs...
Movement: all North West unless stated otherwise.
Brilliant morning right from the word go (at 0724hrs) with Redwing coming in all directions from 50ft down to almost ground level, the majority only 20ft down and at one time totally blanketting over 1/2 mile wide. Best Redwing party 500 and a couple of parties at 300...then started to quiet off by 0900hrs and by 1000hrs virtually no birds. Fieldfare did not start until 0815hrs - best parties 150,150,90... and they just stopped coming through by 0945hrs..
Redwing: 4921 (79 parties), Fieldfare: 2152 (35 parties), Starling: 28 (4 parties), Chaffinch: 49 (best party 10), Greenfinch: 4, Goldfinch: 2, Mistle Thrush: 1, Blackbird: 1, Meadow Pipit: 9, Woodpigeon: 6, BHG: 14, Jackdaw: 25 (3 parties), Pied Wagtail: 2, Siskin: 2, Pink Footed Goose: 20 approx NNW 0930hrs looked like they where over Haslingden Moor.., Peregrine Falcon: 1 all the way through W.

In 25 years of Vismig I can report that for Thrushes, it really does'nt get much better than this!! (photo: Showing Redwing going through straight from the word go - click on image to enlarge)

Redwings going over Steady with Stealth.....

Wind:0 - variable..
Movement W unless specified.
0715hrs -1030hrs.
Foggy in and out but generally clear...

Redwing: 565 (20 plus parties average parties 20/30 best party 60, went really quiet by 1000hrs.
Starling: 9, Chaffinch: 63 (best party 8),Cormorant: 1, BHG: 50W but 30W (these 30 were definately migrant going NNW), Meadow Pipit:26, Redpoll: 6, Goldfinch: 4, Siskin: audible only, Greenfinch:6, Woodpigeon 15,Reed Bunting: 1, Pied Wagtail: 4, Mistle Thrush 7, Blackbird: 1, Jay: 2 probably local, Great Spotted Woodpecker:1W, Green Woodpecker: 1 probably local...
Photos: Area between Stoney Rake and Car Park across from Bird Hide & Sky "herringbone" pattern this morning....
Lichen record and photo added today: "British Soldier Lichen (Cladonia cristatella) found at rear of Lower Ormerods...

HAVE NOW INCLUDED A LINK TO A COUPLE OF GREAT SITES: DAVE BICKERTON'S BIRDING BLOG & LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE FAUNA SOCIETY.....

Redwing and Starling parties now going through Grane....

0800hrs went up to Haslingden Grane (my Thrush corridor watchpoint at Stoney Rake) and straight away I had several parties... It was superb for counting today because they were doing roadworks on Grane Road and all the traffic was stopped from coming over the Grane in both directions, so it was tranquil without all the usual traffic noise...in fact it was quite "eerie".....wind increasing and keeping Redwing very low and Starlings within inches of ground...
0815am - 1100hrs
Movement: West unless stated otherwise.
Wind: NW 5mph increasing to 10mph.

Redwing: 254 (most parties averaged 20-25 birds) 14 parties in total..,
Starling: 21 (3 parties, best 11), Chaffinch: 54 (best party 11) Redpoll: 4, Siskin 1, Meadow Pipit: 20 (2S), Linnet: 20E one party, Pied Wagtail: 4, Blackbird: 4, Woodpigeon: 13, Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1, Green Woodpecker: 1, BHG: 31.

Stoney Rake

Got a tip off today at 1400hrs that Redwings from the East are entering the Country in their thousands at Spurn (Nr. Hull) and making their way West... So went to my favourite Thrush Passage station at Stoney Rake... None going through, winds pretty strong.... but thinks they chose a different route or maybe theyve dropped for feeding up......took some of photos etc... Photo 1 is bottom end of Stoney Rake where it meets with Calf Hey Road 2) is Fungi Shaggy Scalycap (Pholiota squarrosa) which is growing on rotten decideous tree which can be seen in the centre photo below. 3) A long shot of Ogden taken from on the top of Stoney Rake. 4) The rotten tree stump which shows the Shaggy Scalycap. 5) is Vermillion Waxcap (Hygrocybe miniata) found in meadow just yards from the rotten tree stump shown here...

What Lies Beneath ......Our Ring of Bright Water.....

Here is a cracking picture of "Broadholden" which now lies under Ogden Reservoir - the photo is pre 1902, however the reservoir was built in 1912.. The property is said to be 16th Century or possibly earlier and had a datestone 1765 Henry and Betty Hargreaves, it was possibly part of the Holden Estate... Occupied by the Kay family until Ogden Reservoir was built in 1912.

A Otter was caught in the brook running alongside the front of the house and is on display in the Rossendale Museum (Whittaker Park).....

Photo of Wren on Holden Vale Res last November

Photokid of Helmshore has just sent in this superb photo of a Wren taken last November at the Holden Wood Reservoir..

Click over photo to enlarge....

A Pair of Stonechats at Calf Hey Reservoir....

A pair of Stonechat on the fence on Musbury Heights side of Calf Hey Reservoir, this afternoon. (1500hrs)...

Vintage Grane photos - Calf Hey House

These are very old photographs of
Calf Hey House, the one on the right is dated from c1943. But the one on the left must be much older.... (click over photos to enlarge).

Grane Road to close for up to 5 days.....

This notice is currently showing on Rossendale Online.....
Grane Road to close for up to 5 days
Grane Road in Haslingden is to close for up to 5 days, in order to complete the £300,000 safety works.As well as the closure, a speed restriction of 30mph will also be in place along parts of the road.A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said, "The temporary prohibition will be operative from 08:00 hours on Friday 3rd October 2008 until 18:00 hours on Sunday 23rd November 2008, or until completion of the works within this period. It is anticipated that the road will be closed for 5 working days within this period. "An alternative route for vehicular traffic and cyclists affected by the closure is via: -B6232 Grane Road – A6177 Helmshore Road – A680 Blackburn Road – B6236 Hud Hey Road – B6231 Lottice Lane/School Lane – Guide Roundabout, Blackburn and vice versa.

Grip Blocking and Re-wetting at Bentley Moss....

Just some info you might find interesting.I have been carrying out some grip blocking and re-wetting work across Bentley Moss recently as part of a Habitat restoration project funded by the Scout Moor Windfarm Habitat Enhancement Fund( Peel Holdings).

Work will eventually be ongoing to re-wet our upland water catchments with the view to keeping water up on the moorland catchments longer ( A sponge effect0 )rather than it entering straight down into the reservoir catchments.

We are looking to eventually continue our SCAMP programme of work across the west pennines subject to funding approval but my project up on Bentley Moss is a taster/pilot scheme of what we will hopefully be doing more of soon Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP).

United Utilities owns 57,000 hectares of land in the North West, which UU hold to protect the quality of water entering the reservoirs. Much of this land is home to nationally significant habitats for animals and plants, with around 30% designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP), which has been developed in association with the RSPB, aims to apply an integrated approach to catchment management within two key areas of United Utilities land, Bowland and the Peak District area. This will help to deliver government targets for SSSIs, enhance biodiversity, ensure a sustainable future for the company’s agricultural tenants and protect and improve water quality.SCaMP has created an unprecedented level of interest, and therefore the overall aim of this website is to improve the accessibility and sharing of information and knowledge about SCaMP to all interested.

Glynn Haworth - Countryside Ranger - United Utilities...

Hen Harrier on Bentley Moss today.......

Glynn Haworth (United Utilities Countryside Ranger) had a Hen Harrier today on Bentley Moss....

Cannabis plants growing at Clough Head!!

This was a short article published in the Rossendale Free Press last Friday September 26th 2008 and this on the right was a follow up on 3rd Oct 2008.

(click over newspaper article to enlarge)