​Tocholes. Crookfield Road. Hollinshead Hall
Monday 12th August
Warm Sunny
19.00 to 20.30
1.5 miles
Parked on Brookfield Road then a party of 13 set off by walking up a path to the corner. Crossed the road and onto a track. (Witton Weavers Way)
Path on left after a few yards to follow a grassy track up on a slope that came back to the road and crossed and followed a path to Hollinshead Hall.
Had a look at the famous Well House then retraced our steps.
Some of the party retired to The Hare & Hounds in Abbey Village after a lovely summer's evening's walk.
A Barn Owl was seen on the hill plus one flew over the car while driving to Abbey Village.
Canada Goose 4 (Abbey Village)
Kestrel (young female)
Common Buzzard (very pale juv?)
Black Headed Gull 10+
Wood Pigeon 15+
Barn Owl 2
Carrion Crow 10+
Blue Tit h
Wren 1
Blackbird h
Goldfinch 3
Roe Deer 1
Brown Hare 1
h=heard only

​Bretherton Moss. Tattersall's Farm
Monday 5th August
Damp. Light Rain
19.00 to 21.30
2.5 miles
Parked at the top of Ridley Lane then a party of 12 set off by walking over Cockerham Bar bridge then right along track. At a junction, continued to the left following an overgrown track (Moss Lane)
Just after a bend, had a look at a tree with a large hole to see if the Tawny Owl was in residence, without success.
Returned and followed a path from the corner that led to Tattersalls Farm. This section was very overgrown and there wasn't a stile into the yard. The house had been boarded up and a gate and concrete blocks blocked the access from Green Lane.
There were a couple of Pig Styles in the yard. A reflection of an older-less complicated way of life sadly no longer with us.
Walked down Green Lane then crossed a section of wet waist high grasses to a stile on a corner of Cocker Bar Road. Followed this back to the cars.
As it was going dark and we were all wet, it was decided to give the pub a miss after a wet difficult walk without many birds.
The highlight of a damp evening was a lone Yellow Hammer singing from the top of a small tree.
Not a patch on last week's walk but I think the night's weather had a bearing on the results.
Kestrel 2 (A box in a barn. Tattersall's Farm) Swallow 4+
Black Headed Gull 10+
Wood Pigeon 15+
Carrion Crow 10+
Jackdaw 300+ (moving south)
Magpie h
Chiff Chaff h
Blue Tit h
Wren h
Blackbird h
Chaffinch h?
Yellow Hammer 1+
h=heard only