Chaffinch - lots missed going extremely high ...

0645hrs-0830hrs

Today was OK with birds moving steadily up until about 0830hrs then it just died. The party numbers where very good today (pipits) eg: 23,26,19,80 etc. Lots of Chaffinches where being missed as I could hear parties going high overhead but could not see..

Meadow Pipits: 416, Pied Wagtail: 13 (6W), Chaffinch: 25 (1W) but lots missed... Goldfinch: 10 Siskin: audible only Blackbird: 1 Greenfinch: 8 Redpoll: 1 Linnet: 2 (1W) Kestrel: 1L Woodpigeon: 1

Pied Wagtail increasing & nice to see Snipe..

0645hrs - 0900hrs

Wind SE 10-12mph and decreasing.. most movement finished by 0815hrs.

Today Pied Wagtails in better numbers and Snipe showing.

Meadow Pipit: 252 (2W), Chaffinch: 13 (2W) Pied Wagtail: 27 (3W and best party 8) Siskin: 20 (14,6) Goldfinch: 4 Linnet 11 (9W) Reed Bunting: 1 Common Snipe: 3 (2,1) Carrion Crow: 3 Jackdaw: 6 Kestrel: 1 probs local..

Meadow Pipits flying through sideways in strong winds...

0645hrs-0845hrs,

Wind: NE 15mph and weakening by 0830hrs. Very strong birds coming through sideways on... All Movement South unless stated otherwise.....

Meadow Pipits: 269, Linnet: 8, Pied Wagtail: 5 (4,1), Goldfinch: 1, Chaffinch: 1, Kestrel: 1, LBBG: 2

Lapwings on the move today...

0645hrs - 0845hrs Birds:

Meadow Pipit: 127 (6W), Pied Wagtail: 1, Linnet: 3 (1W), Siskin: 10 (6,4), Chaffinch: 7 (4W), Greenfinch: 1 NW, Goldfinch: 1W, Mistle Thrush: 2, Lapwing: 11 plus a very large party to the North West over Oswaldtwistle area, Stock Dove: 3, LBBG: 3.....

Migration still in limbo with very little showing....

0645hrs - 0830hrs

The movement never got going again today, although there was some wind though light SE 3 mph. Chaffinch looked like they where picking up..

Birds: Meadow Pipit: 96, Pied Wagtail: 9 (1W), Chaffinch: 15 (1W), Linnet: 19 (7W), Twite: 10 NW, Siskin: one party audible only, Goldfinch: 2, Greenfinch: 4 (2NW), Mistle Thrush: 2 (1NW), Reed Bunting: 1 NW, LBBG 3 (2NW), BHG: 49 below in Carrs, Magpie: 2, Golden Plover: Audible only, Magpie: 2, Woodpigeon: 1..

Panopticon is one year old today.......

The Panopticon is one year old today... sadly it is still not working on account of the recent fire damage.

(This is the flyer which was given out last year to announce the official opening - click on photo to enlarge ) If you want to see the reverse of the flyer Click Here...

0630hrs-0830hrs, Wind: Variable 3mph, movement South unless stated otherwise... Again today it never really got going and by about 0730hrs the main movement was over with....

Birds: Meadow Pipit: 225, Pied Wagtail: 9 (2W), Grey Wagtail: 2, Chaffinch: 16 (4W), Goldfinch: 3, Linnet: 31 (one party of 20), Siskin 6 (3 pairs), Greenfinch 1, Wheatear:1 (came within one metre), Swallow: 2, Stock Dove: 1, Woodpigeon: 1, BHG: 11 down at Carrs heading South, Starling: 1

Cormorants on the move today.....

0645hrs - 0845hrs Wind SW 3mph - Movement South unless stated otherwise. Very murky with fog building at times at 200 metres visability... The passage today never got going with just trickles of birds throughout watch.... Meadow Pipit: 163 (9W), Pied Wagtail: 5 (1W) Grey Wagtail: 1 Chaffinch: 11 (4W) Siskin: 11 House Martin: 7 (6 & 1) Very high and only picked up through hearing them.. Swallow: 11 (3 & 8) Goldfinch: 3 (1W), Linnet: 12 (1W) Redpoll: 6 (5NW) Greenfinch: 1 Cormorant: 5 Woodpigeon: 10 Herring Gull: 2

Sunrise behind the mast.....

Sunny, but murky to South and West... bird movement had finished completely by 0830hrs...

0645hrs-0830hrsWind: variable 3mphMovement: South unless stated otherwise...

Meadow Pipits: 306, Pied Wagtail: 10 (3W), Grey Wagtail: 1, Goldfinch: 2, Chaffinch: 6, Reed Bunting: 1, Starling 5 (1NW), Linnet: 13 (4NW), Greenfinch: 3, Magpie: 7 (5,2), Swallow: 17 (5,5,7), House Martin: 9, Twite: 9, Siskin: 2 audible parties, Common Snipe: audible only, Skylark: audible only...

Best days Vismig this year....Anyday now the big push with Pipits.. And Redpoll now showing..

0645hrs - 0930hrs Wind: SE 5mph All movement South unless stated otherwise.. Today was without doubt the best so far this Autumn especially with good numbers of Pipits. Its looking good and maybe the "big push" is not far away..... Birds: Meadow Pipit 721 (best parties: 100 (came through at 0915hrs), 80, 43) Pied Wagtail: 2 Greenfinch: 3 Redpoll: 40 all NW (a 30 and 10 party) Reed Bunting: 2 Siskin: 3 Twite: 21 (1NW) Starling: 1 Swallow: 8 (2NW) Goldfinch: 11 Linnet: 29 (best parties 8W,9) Chaffinch: 4 Carrion Crow: 1 BHG: 19 down at Carrs heading SE

(Photo: South East Directional Map from the Panopticon - click to enlarge)

First moving Woodpigeons....

0645hrs - 0945hrs. A far better morning. Wind at 8mph SE moderate heavy rain specking from 0800 on... Birds: Meadow Pipit 375 (5W) best parties: 26,24,18,17) Linnet: 31 (14W) Greenfinch: 4 (2W) Siskin: 2 audible parties - not seen Reed Bunting: 1 Goldfinch: 11 (2W) Chaffinch: 9 (7W) Swallow: 3 NW plus 1 audible party not seen Kestrel: 1 probably local Woodpigeon: first party of 8 LBBG: 2 (1W) Canada Goose: 1 (NW)

Meadow Pipits starting to go through.....

0645hrs - 0830hrs - Red Sky to East on arrival, strongish 6-8mph SE winds. Steady movement up until around 0800hrs then movement suddenly died and by 0830hrs rain.... All movement South unless stated otherwise... Birds: Meadow Pipit 268 (best parties: 22,18,16,15) Chaffinch: 4 Goldinch: 11 Linnet: 25 (one party 14) Siskin: 15 - one party Kestrel: 1 probably local Sparrowhawk: 1 probably local Magpie: 3

Fogged out yet again and not good for Vismig

0645hrs - 0900hrs Completely fogged out, just had a trickling of birds which came close and was able to observe - overhall very poor. Meadow Pipit: 29 Linnet: 35 (5W) one party 20,8. Siskin: One party audible Swallow: 4 Reed Bunting: 1 Pied Wagtail: 4W one party, 0930hrs - 1000hrs Fog now lifted but still very little going through. Meadow Pipit: 15 Linnet: 5 (4W) Greenfinch: 6W Kestrel: 1 Local. Sparrowhawk: 1Local

Vismig very quiet...

0700hrs - 1130hrs First hour or so was continual light drizzle and at times foggy closing in and out all the time but came OK for about 0900hrs... very little going on to say the conditions looked good....

Birds: Meadow Pipit: 51 (2W) plus about 50 bloggers near Cribden Flatts which showed themselves when a Sparrowhawk came on the scene...Goldfinch: 2, Pied Wagtail: 5 (2W), Greenfinch: 3, Swallow: 12 (7,4,), House Martin: 6, Linnet: 18 (all W) one party of 12, Reed Bunting: 1, Chaffinch: 3W, LBBG: 1 dark phase immature W, Kestrel: 2 (1 local) and 1 passage, Mallard: 2 female, Starling: 9 W (5,4), (Photo of map from panopticon viewpoint showing west, click on photo to enlarge)

Pied Wagtails starting up......

0630hrs-0830hrs. Quite thick with fog mainly to the East and then filling in all around with very low visability but did manage to record some movement. It cleared to 75% but had to go at 0830hrs. Wind changed to variable light SW... Birds: Meadow Pipit: 101 Goldfinch: 21 (14 one party) Pied Wagtail: 7 (2W) Linnet: 20 (one party 10W, 8W) Chaffinch: 7 Siskin: 3 parties heard not seen. Swallow: 10 Greenfinch: 1 Magpie: 2 probably local. 1000hrs - 1130hrs. Still some fog around to the East Side but overhall it was OK. Meadow Pipit: 109 Goldfinch: 40 (one party 14, one party 25) Linnet: 2 (1W) Kestrel: 1 Pied Wagtail: 2 Starling: 1NW Swallow: 4 LBBG: 1 Jackdaw: 6E

1500hrs - 1630hrs...

Birds: Swallows on passage 19 (13,4 party) Goldfinch one party of 15 feeding up on Slate...

Insects: Red Admiral B (1), Speckled Wood B (1) at Pitt Heads on way up.... Angle Shades Moth (1), Picromerus bidens (Shield Bug)...

Flora: Bridewort (Spiraea salicifolia ).....and Sticky Mouse Ear (right photo - click over photo for supersize)

Swallows heading out North West.... Seen this many times before.... Why North West?

0645hrs- 0730hrs. Beautiful on arrival then within 15minutes completely blanketed in fog.. Just managed to records a few... all South unless stated. Birds: Meadow Pipit: 12, Swallow 4, Pied Wagtail 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Linnet 3 plus audible party missed, Siskin at least 3 audible parties missed, Goldfinch two audible parties missed, Chaffinch 2, Twite 1.... 0900hrs - 1100hrs. Although the fog had 90% cleared plus the wind had grown a little stronger to SE 6mph, the movement momentum had already gone, unless you get the weather first thing, you struggle for passage numbers to pick up later..... Birds: Meadow Pipit: 26, Linnet 28 (20 party plus 8NW) plus a audible party not seen. Goldfinch: 7 (4W) Siskin: 1W plus audible party not seen. Swallow: 26 (2 parties of 10 went out North West), Pied Wagtail: 1, Goosander: 1 NW, Chaffinch: 1, Mistle Thrush: 1, Stock Dove: 2, Starling 2 NW, Kestrel 1 probably local, BHG: a pair heading NW over Martin Croft..

(Click over photo of viewpoint directional map South from Panopticon)

Herons on the move?

0645hrs-0800hrs Wind SE 6 mph, heaving rain stop play at 0730hrs.... All moving South unless stated otherwise... Meadow Pipit: 44 (best parties 7,7,9) Chaffinch: 2 Linnet: 7 (one party 6) Swallow: 7 one party Siskin: party heard but not seen. Common Snipe: 1 Heron: 2W - a pair high and calling.... Kestrel: 1 Carrion Crow: 1.

Vismig warming up - Goldfinch on the move....

0700hrs-0900hrs Today was better with vismig and saw parties of Goldfinch in particular and a steady Meadow Pipit passage of 40-60 per hour... All passage South unless stated otherwise.... Swallow: 29, incl: 5,6NW,4,4 etc. Pied Wagtail: 1 Meadow Pipit: 101 (6NW) 43 1st hour and 58 2nd hour. House Martin: Over 50 bloggers, they maybe local or maybe not... Chaffinch: 9 (1W) Greenfinch: 2 (1W) Goldfinch: 72 (best parties: 14,18,14,8,13) Linnet: 45 (best parties: 20,13) 7W Reed Bunting: 1 Siskin: 2 Starling: 3NW Kestrel 1 probably local Carrion Crow 2 Magpie 2 probably local..

Red Arrows pass by at 0930hrs.....

0900-1100hrs.

Birds: First decent day on the vismig front: All South unless stated otherwise.

Meadow Pipit: 67, Swallow: 4 (probably still local), Linnet 25 (best 7,14), Kestrel: 1 (local), Twite: 7 (One party straight South), Siskin: 2, Goldfinch 10 (one party), LBBG: 1.

Red Arrows: (click over photos to enlarge) At 0930hrs on the dot.. they came in from the Burnley direction following the Cribden Side heading South - over Laund and then Cribden flats and then veered in a arc west over Broadway towards Tor and headed out in the Darwen direction....

Panopticon set alight last night Thursday.....(September 4th 2008)

This is a news article which has just appeared today on Rossendale Online "Fire crews were called to an incident at Haslingden's Halo last night. The year old panopticon structure was found alight, around 8.40pm last night. One fire appliance was despatched and Lancashire Fire and Rescue report 5% damage to the plastic skirting of the Halo. The 18m diameter circular steel structure, dubbed 'the flying saucer', is sited above Haslingden at Top O' Slate and was part of £550,000 land reclamation and art project".

Two Twite feeding near to main entrance.....

1530hrs-1700hrs

Birds: Swallow (8) 4+4 but local, Twite (2) near main entrance, Goldfinch (2), Linnet (7) at various points but 5 local to Higher Lane and feeding on either dock/thistle or nettle.. Meadow Pipit (2) overhead, Kestrel (1) local..

Flora: New site for Sneezewort (click over photo for supersize)

Swallow party heading South and first Grey Wagtail..

0800hrs - 0930hrs. Again that autuminal foggy start with Cribden side completely fogged out and yet almost clear on the west side (click on photo).

Birds: Swallow (14) at least one party of 7 heading South, Meadow Pipit (2), Goldfinch (2) probably local, Kestrel (2) and displaying to one another almost over the Panoptican, and first Grey Wagtail calling and heading South....

Stonechat, Goldfinch and Linnet feeding together....

0800hrs-1000hrs Again autuminal fog early on which clung around the East side obscuring Cribden etc. Birds: Linnet (15) with one party of 13, Meadow Pipit (16), Starling 2NE, Goldfinch (13) with one party of 10, Chaffinch (3), Stonechat (3), Swallow (2) local, Heron (1) local, BHG about 80 moving North through valley below... On turning into Higher Lane heading in the direction of Slate Farm, I immediately noticed the 3 Stonechat, 10 Goldfinch and 13 Linnet all in the same area feeding on Dock, Nettle and Thistle etc...

Crossbills & Wheatear

0700-0830hrs - Again a typical gloomy fogged out autuminal early morning with vis down to 100 yards at times (click here). Nothing much going through:

Birds: Crossbill (2) paired and went local to Duckworth Clough Plantings. Pied Wagtail (1)S, Meadow Pipit (22) 17 blogging and then W & 6S, Robin (1) young still in juvenile plumage, Kestrel (1) probably local. Wheatear (1) on wall within 100 yards of Panopticon .... It is also now confirmed that per Saturday's indications - 95% of the Higher Lane Swallows have now left...

1300-1430hrs

Birds: Meadow Pipit (1) straight through S. Goldfinch (2) probably local, Linnet (2)

Insects: Small Tortoiseshell B (1) near Kirkhill Tollbar House. Green Veined White B (1).

Flora-Fungi. Vermillion Waxcap (Hygrocybe miniata) in field Kirkhill (click to see photo), (2) A 4" approx dia White Fungi Not identified yet (click here to see photo) (3) Small Brown Mushroom - Nr. Panopticon Not identified yet (click here to see photo)

Flora: Today I found what I think are 2 separate plants of Japanese Knotweed (click here to see photo)