Astbury Mere
Goldeneye fem
Little Grebe x 8
Astbury Mere
Goldeneye fem
Little Grebe x 8
Astbury Mere
Goldeneye fem
Shoveler x 5
Congleton Park
Goosander x 2
Dipper x 2
Grey Wagtail
Mistle Thrush x 3
American Mink.
NEARBY
Lapwing Hall Pool Chelford
Smew (Redhead)
Acre Nook
Black-Necked Grebe (elusive).
Astbury Mere
Goldeneye fem
Pochard x 3
Shoveler
Wigeon
Little Grebe x 5
Lesser Redpoll x 10
December 21st
Mow Cop
Jack Snipe x 11
Common Snipe x 7
Woodcock x 2
Brambling
Astbury Mere
Pochard x 3
Wigeon x 2
Teal x 5
Shoveler
Kingfisher
Astbury Mere
Shoveler x 7
Wigeon x 3
Pochard x 10
Little Grebe x 4
Gadwall x 1
Tufted Duck x 100+
Astbury Mere
Soveler x 5
Pochard x 15
NEARBY
Meramid Pool Leek
Snow Bunting
Astbury Mere
Woodcock x 1
Teal x 7
Tawny Owl x 1
Tufted Duck x 173
Astbury Mere
Pochard x 19
Wigeon x 2
Gadwall x 2
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter fem still present.
Pochard x 17
Shoveler x 3
Wigeon x 1 (drake)
Little Grebe x 5
Mow Cop
Little Egret x 2 flew S/W mid morning.
Astbury Mere
Shoveler x 9
Common Scoter fem still present.
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter fem still present.
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter (fem) still.
Pochard x 14
Teal x 2
Tufted Duck x 150
Little Grebe x 6
Siskin x 9 f/o
Goosander x 2 drakes (afternoon).
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter x 1 fem still present.
Teal x 1
Pochard x 13
Tufted Duck x 175
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter x 2
Little Egret fly over.
Astbury Mere
Mandarin x 2 (pairs)
Little Grebe x 3
Pochard x 2
Tufted Duck x 172
Astbury Mere
Pink feet x 45
Tawny Owl
Tufted x 112
Astbury Mere
Little Egret over early morning
Peregrine
Kingfisher
Pochard (1 x pair)
Astbury Mere
Tufted Duck x 116
Pochard x 2
Gt S Woodpecker x 2
Treecreeper x 2
Astbury Mere
Crossbill over
Shelduck
Tawny Owl
Kingfisher
Shoveler x 3
Raven
Siskin
Astbury Mere November 6th
Brambling
Astbury November 5th
Shoveler x 2pair
Pochard x pair
Little Grebe x 5
Fieldfare x 12
Tufted Duck x 102
Astbury November 3rd
Pochard x 3 (2 x drakes)
Tufted Duck x 81
Little Grebe x 3
Kingfisher
Raven x 2
Lesser Redpoll
Siskin x 2
Astbury Mere November 1st
Pochard x pair.
Astbury Mere
Sandwich Tern two briefly mid afternoon.
Astbury Mere
Reed Warbler
Raven x 2
Little Grebe x 2
Mow Cop
Wheatear x 2
Astbury Mere
29 x Pinkfeet flew over west at 17-05
Congleton
Lapwing x 16 Childs Lane
Rudyard
Yellow Wagtail
Little Egret x 2
Teal x 34
Astbury 12th Sept
Raven x 3 over
Greylag Geese x 12 over
Meadow Pipit x 5
Little Grebe
Reed Warbler
Rudyard Lake
Black-tailed Godwit x 7
Dunlin
Little Egret
Teal x 24
Lapwing x 44
Astbury Mere
Teal x 9
Wigeon x 5
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit
Rudyard Lake
Snipe x 5
L R Plover x 3
Little Egret x 2
Congleton River Dane
Dipper
Grey Wagtail x 2
Congleton Town Centre
Redshank over calling 6-00.
Congleton River Dane
Dipper
Goosander
Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher
Rudyard Lake
Green Sandpiper
Ringed Plover x 7
Little Ringed Plover x 2
Common Sandpiper
Dunlin
Little Egret x 4
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
Gadwall
JUST OUT OF OUR AREA
Tittisworth Reservoir
Sandwich Tern x 3 on first island opposite car park
Rudyard Lake
Osprey over early morning (6-45) heading north
Rudyard Lake
Greenshank
Ringed Plover x 3
Dunlin
Oystercatcher x 2
Little Egret
Gadwall fem
Astbury Mere
Osprey caught fish 9-00
Congleton A34
Childs Lane Junction
Barn Owl early morning
Rudyard Lake
Black-tailed Godwit
Greenshank x 2
Little Egret x 2
Oystercatcher x 3
Raven x 2
White Wagtail
Rudyard Lake
Black-tailed Godwit
Little Egret
Congleton (River Dane)
Dipper
Kingfisher
Goosander adult fem + 8 Juv
American Mink
Rudyard Lake
Green Sandpiper
Little Egret x 2
L R Plover
Oystercatcher x 2
Knypersley Res
L R Plover
Common Sandpiper
Mandarin
Congleton (River Dane)
Mandarin
Dipper
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
Knypersley Res
Green Sandpiper x 2
Common Sandpiper
Dunlin x 2
Little Egret x 2
Congleton (River Dane)
Goosander x 8 Immature
Congleton River Dane
Mandarin x 3 juveniles
Kingfisher x 2
Dipper immature
Congleton River Dane
Grey Wagtail several
Kingfisher
Rudyard Lake
Green Sandpiper
Little Egret x 3
Common Tern
Common Sandpiper
Little Ringed Plover x 2
Oystercatcher
Astbury Mere
Common Sandpiper
Knypersley Res
Common Tern x 2
L R Plover x 2
Little Egret x 2
Astbury Mere
Common Scoter x 5( 3 x drake, 2 x fem )
Raven x 2
Little Grebe x 3 juveniles (possibly first breeding record for the site.)
Rudyard Lake
Little Egret
Common Sandpiper x 3
Common Tern
Oystercatcher
L R Plover x 2
Rudyard Lake
Greenshank
L R Plover
Common Scoter x 3 drakes
Common Tern x 2
Common Sandpiper x 3
Redstart x 3
Congleton River Dane
Mandarin x 5 juvs
Grey Wagtail
Goosander x 4 juvs
Dipper
Kingfisher
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Dipper....River Dane
Goosander fem + juvs...River Dane
Congleton Town Centre
Hobby over early morning.
Mow Cop
Raven x 4
JUST OUTSIDE OUR AREA
Westport Lake
3 x Common Terns
JUST OUT OF OUR AREA
3 x Common Scoter Westport Lake
Astbury Mere
Common Tern early morning .
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Dipper
Knypersley Res
Pied Flycatcher
Dipper
Grey Wagtail
Rudyard Lake
Common Tern x 2
Common Sandpiper x 3
Little Ringed Plover x 2
Oystercatcher x 1
Redstart x 3
JUST OUT OF OUR AREA
Green Sandpiper Tittisworth.
Bent Lane
Oystercatcher at Sand Quarry
Yellowhammer
Yellow Wagtail
Reed Bunting.
Congleton Park
Blackcap male
Kingfisher + 2 juviniles
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Grey Wagtail
Goosander fem + 4 juveniles
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher pair showing well mid-morning.
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher x 2 early morning
Dipper
Stock Dove
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Oystercatcher over town centre @ 7-00
Congleton Park
Goldcrest
Chiffchaff
Blackcap male
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail fem + juv
Goosander fem with 4 young
Spotted Flycatcher
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher
Dipper
Goosander fem + 4 juv
Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher
Knypersley Res
Spotted Flycatcher
Tawny Owl x 2 juveniles
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher
Stock Dove X 2
Grey Wagtail
Goosander female + 4 juvenile
Mandarin female +3 juvenile
Kingfisher
Dipper.
Rudyard Lake
Same as yesterday + Green Woodpecker
All photos below by Tracey Stubbs.
Goosander with juveniles by Tracey Stubbs.
Mandarin by Tracey Stubbs.
Spotted Flycatcher by Tracey Stubbs.
Rudyard Lake
Common Sandpiper
Little Ringed Plover x 4
Oystercatcher
Redstart x 6
Garden Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Kingfisher x 2
Spotted Flycatcher
Willow Tit
Brereton CP
Garden Warbler
The Cloud
Tree Pipit
Siskin
Rudyard Lake
Common Scoter x 33
8 x flew north at 17-40 leaving 25 still there at 18-10.
Knypersley Res
Cuckoo early morning
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Tawny Owl juveniles
Dipper x 4 on waterfall
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit
Grasshopper Warbler
Rudyard Lake
Common Tern
Redstart x 4
Spotted Flycatcher
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Common Sandpiper.
The Cloud
Tree Pipit x 2
Raven
Siskin
Astbury Mere
Common Tern briefly
Reed Warbler x 2
Linnet x 2
Little Grebe
Raven x 2
The Cloud
Tawny Owl
Tree Pipit
Redstart
Congleton River Dane
Dipper X 2
Grey Wagtail X 2
Child's Lane
Yellow Wagtail X 3
Yellowhammer X2
Rudyard Lake
Redstart X 6
Common Sandpiper
Ringed Plover X 2
Little Ringed Plover X 2
Oystercatcher X 3
Bent Lane / Childs Lane
Yellow Wagtail
Yellowhammer
Astbury Mere
Butterflies....
Red Admiral
Speckled Wood
Common Blue
Meadow Brown
Also
Reed Warbler x 2
Willow Warbler x 2
Blackcap x 2
Swift x 18
House Martin
Swallow
Nuthatch
Goldcrest
Coal Tit
Bullfinch x 2
Astbury Mere
Kingfisher
Willow Warbler
Reed Warbler x 2
Common Blue Butterfly.
Congleton Park
Dipper
Grey Wagtail
Spotted Flycatcher
Glebe Farm
Yellow Wagtail
A34 Astbury Garden Centre
Yellowhammer x 2
Whitethroat
Bent Lane
Yellowhammer x 2
Childs Lane
Yellowhammer
The Cloud
Linnet x 2
Swift x 5
Siskin
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit showing well from layby with Trig Point in it. Also Red Kite over.
Tree Pipit.Rudyard Lake
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Redstart x 3
Oystercatcher x 3
Common Sandpiper
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Mandarin drake
Knypersley Res
Pied Flycatcher x 2
Spotted Flycatcher x 1
Mandarin fem with one youngster.
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit still view from layby along top road.
Another excellent read , if your interested in the birds in Cheshire then why not make yourself a member.
Membership Secretary
Phil Hampson , 2 Winsfield Rd Hazel Grove
Stockport SK7 6ES.
Email ....memsec@cawos.org
Ordinary Membership £15.00
Joint/Family membership £18.75
Congleton Park
Dipper
Grey Wagtail x 5
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit
Rudyard Lake
Redstart x 4
Oystercatcher x 3
Common Sandpiper
LR Plover
Common Tern briefly
Kingfisher
SpottedFlycatcher x 1
Rudyard Lake
Spotted Flycatcher
Redstart x 4
Common Sandpiper
Oystercatcher
Little Ringed Plover
Oystercatcher.
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Mandarin drake x 2 females
Dipper adult
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit
Astbury Mere
Swift x 12
Reed Warbler x 2
Rudyard Lake
Redstart x 4
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Tawny Owl x 1
Garden Warbler x 2
Oystercatcher x 3
Common Sandpiper x 1
Greylag Goose x 2
Congleton Park (River Dane)
Dipper
Grey Wagtail x 3
Mandarin drake
Congleton River Dane
Dipper adult and 2 Juv
Grey Wagtail x 5
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit
Astbury Childs Lane
Red Kite
Yellow Wagtail
Astbury Mere
Reed Warbler x 2
Astbury Mere
Common Tern x 5 briefly early morning.
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit x 1
Grasshopper Warbler (possible ).
Bent Lane
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
Yellowhammer
Knypersley Res
Kingfisher x 5
Green Woodpecker x 1
Pied Flycatcher x 1
Spotted Flycatcher x 1
Dipper x 1
Mandarin female
Grey Wagtail
Nuthatch several
Congleton Park
Spotted Flycatcher x 1
Dipper feeding juvenile
Mandarin drake x 1
Rudyard Lake
Redstart x 2
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
GardenWarbler x 3
Raven x 2
Oystercatcher x 5
Little Ringed Plover x 2
WillowTit x 1
Astbury Mere
Reed Warbler
Rudyard Lake
Little Ringed Plover x 2
Ringed Plover x 1
Oystercatcher x 3
Spotted Flycatcher x 1
Sedge Warbler x 1
Garden Warbler x 2
Willow Tit x 1
Raven x 1
Mow Cop
Tree Pipit x 2
possible Grasshopper Warbler.
Rudyard Lake 16-30
Little Ringed Plover x 3
Ringed Plover x 1
Oystercatcher x 1
Common Sandpiper x 1
Curlew x 1
Mandarin x 2 drakes
Spotted Flycatcher x 1
Redstart x 1
Garden Warbler x 2
Sedge Warbler x 1
Willow Tit x 1
Raven x 1
Garden Warbler.27th May Knypersley
Cuckoo @ 7-15 by lake
Pied Flycatcher x 2
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
25th May Rudyard Lake
Redstart x 1
Little Ringed Plover x 3
Common Sandpiper x 1
Mandarin by bridge north end.
23rd May Rudyard Lake
Osprey
Spotted Flycatcher
Garden Warbler x 2
Mandarin
Willow Tit
23rd May The Cloud
Tree Pipit x 2
22nd May Rudyard Lake
Osprey north end.
15th May Knypersley
Barn Owl
Redstart
Spotted Flycatcher x 2
8th May Knypersley
Willow Tit
Dipper
Little Egret
Water Rail x 2
Mandarin
7th May Knypersley
Redstart
Mandarin x 2
6th May Rudyard Lake
Common Tern x 2
5th May Chatterley Whitfield
Little Egret x 2
Willow Tit
2nd May Knypersley
Pied Flycatcher
Common Sandpiper
Redstart
Water Rail.
The Blog is now changing by adding two further sites into its area. We are extending to the east by a couple of miles to include Rudyard Lake , which has extra habitat that our local areas do not have . This will include wading birds to our list. Also Knypersley Reservoir and Marshes Hill a couple of miles to the south . This increases our chances of recording more birds than before and brings the areas total to a very impressive 205 species. We will still record news from Mow Cop , The Cloud and of course Astbury Mere from where this blog all started some five years ago. We have had some quiet times of late from these sites, so by adding Rudyard and Knypersley into our area we should be reporting on a more regular basis. Thank you all for staying with us and lets get out there and find something good. Rudyard has a very impressive list on its own which stands at 179 species. Such good birds include Caspian Tern , Temminck's Stint , White Rumped Sandpiper , Pectoral Sandpiper , Green Winged Teal , Eider , Red Throated Diver and many many more. It is also a very under watched site , and only a short drive from Congleton why not give it a go.
May 12th Astbury Mere
Oystercatcher over
Swift x 12
May 11th The Cloud
Redstart south of plantation
Astbury Mere
Sand Martin x 140
Black Cap x 6
Chiffchaff x 5
Little Grebe
Song Thrush x 5pair.
Newsbank Pool
Shelduck pair in flooded field.
May 10th Congleton
Lesser Whitethroat by Treatment works
Swift x 10 same area.
Little Morton Hall A34
Osprey seen flying towards Little Morton Hall @13-15 then 10 mins later again over A50 Brereton area love over at tree top hight.
Astbury Mere
Sedge Warbler (scarce at this site)
Sparrowhawk x 2
House Martin
Swallow x 4
April 24th
Newsbank Pool
Mandarine (drake)
Oystercatcher
Green Lane
Common Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat.
Mow Cop
Little Owl
Common Whitethroat
Tree Pipit
Green Hairstreak's x 2
Clarke's Mining Bee
Tawny Mining Bee
Ashy Mining Bee
Astbury Mere
Swallow x 2
Raven x 2
The Cloud
Tawny owl ( calling )
Redstart male top wood
Crossbill 6 flew top wood
Brambling 5 + in top wood inc least 3 males
Redpoll 3
Siskin 2 ( also top wood )
Linnet pair on Heath
Raven
Willow warbler 4
Astbury Mere
Willow Warbler x 5
Blackcap x 8
Chiffchaff x 10
Mow Cop
Osprey over
Wheatear in ploughed field.
Astbury Mere
Sand Martin x 200+
Mow Cop
Wheatear in ploughed field.
Astbury Mere
Wigeon x 2 pair
Astbury Mere
House Martin (first one back)
Sand Martin x 120+
Swallow x 2
Little Grebe x 4
Astbury Mere
Willow Warbler x 2
Chiffchaff x 11
Sand Martin x 40
Swallow x 4
Raven x 1
Little Grebe x 1
Astbury Mere
Blackcap
Sand Martin x 3
Butterflies
Comma
Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Astbury Mere
Chiffchaff x 8
Sand Martin x 5
Bent Lane /Brownlow Farm
Red-legged Partridge
Yellowhammer
Linnet
Astbury Mere
Sand Martin X 11
Chiffchaff X 2
Bent Lane / Brownlow Farm
Red kite mid morning.
Congleton Park
Dipper x1 river Dane .
Lapwing Bent Lane photo by Tracey Stubbs.
A34 by Bent Lane
Little Ringed Plover X 2 ( in flooded field)
Astbury Mere
Swallow (first back)
Sand Martin X 6.
Astbury Mere
Sand Martin x 2
Goldeneye x 2 pairs
Shoveler drake
Astbury Mere
Gadwall x 4
Shoveler x 4
Teal female
Little Grebe x 2
February 27th
Astbury Mere
Oystercatcher f/o
Bent Lane Farm
Chiffchaff calling
Watery Lane / Glebe Farm
Little Egret in flooded Field
Bent Lane
Teal drake
Shelduck x 22
Oystercatcher x 2
Skylark
Raven
Astbury Mere
Common Gull adult
Gadwall 1 pair
Little Grebe
Great Spotted Woodpecker x 2
Gadwall female photo by Tracey Stubbs.
Gadwall drake photo by Tracey Stubbs.
Astbury Mere
Gadwall x 3 ( 2x drakes)
Pochard X 7 (5x drakes)
Tufted Duck 103
Little Grebe X 5
Lesser Redpoll
Gadwall Astbury photo by Tracey Stubbs .
Bent Lane
Peregrine x 2
Linnet X 70
Yellowhammer X 10
Lapwing x 45
Astbury Mere
Mallard x 315 first light possibly a site count record.
Newsbank Pool
Oystercatcher x 2
Shoveler x 1 pair
Gadwall drake
Lapwing x 21
No sign of Green Sand from nearby flooded field .
Newsbank Pool
Green Sandpiper in flooded field (New Lane) close to Newsbank Pool.
Astbury Mere
Water Rail still.
Mow Cop
Stonechat yeterday.
Green Sandpiper Newsbank by Phil Oddy.
Astbury Mere
Adult winter Kittiwake 9.45 per Mark Stubbs.
First record since 2008.
Astbury Mere
Dusky Warbler still present and photographed this morning. The bird is feeding actively all around the meres edge picking off insects close to the water. It was seen at various points around the mere this morning. Also present a adult Common Gull and a pair of Gadwall , and Water Rail showing occasionally .
Astbury Mere 23rd January
Goosander (drake)
Cormorant i x on water , 7 x flew over
Pochard x 3
Little Grebe x 3
Siskin
Nuthatch
Meadow Pipit 1 x f/o
Bent Lane Sand Quarry
Shelduck x 43
Atsbury Mere
Water Rail x 1
Grey Geese x 32 flew high south early morning.
Astbury Mere
Amazingly the Dusky Warbler was seen again this afternoon by Mark and photographed by his wife Tracey.
Astbury Mere
Pair of Gadwall again this morning also pair of Shoveler.
Astbury Mere
Snipe x 1
G B B Gull x 1
Shoveler x 3
A34 / Childs Lane
Barn Owl early morning.
Astbury Mere
Pochard x 11
Gadwall (drake)
Shoveler (2 x drakes)
Wigeon (drake)
Astbury Mere
Water Rail
Wigeon x 1 pair
Shoveler x 5 (3 x drakes)
Gadwall drake
Little Grebe x 2
Goosander x 2 f/o
Buzzard
Nuthatch
Cormorant
Bent Lane
Grey Wagtail x 1
Brownlow Farm
Yellowhammer x 2
Linnet x approx 50
Fieldfare
A drake Gadwall on Astbury Mere mid-day which is always nice to see as we only get a couple of records each year.Apparently the Water Rail was seen again today along with a single Lesser Redpoll .
January 1st 2021
Astbury Mere
Dusky Warbler x 1
Water Rail x 1
Shoveler x 1 pair
Little Grebe x 4
Greylag Goose x 1
Goosander x 3 f/o
Pinkfeet x 130 f/o