18/03/2016 Crabtree Lane, Burscough

Corn Bunting: With a very foggy start to this mornings bird survey and visibility down to less then 200 metres all I could do was listen out for my target birds and get treated to the Spring songs of Yellowhammer and Corn Bunts.

Once the fog had lifted a little and I finished my survey I grabbed my camera and found a large flock of Corn Bunts feeding in the fields and warming themselves on a huge dung pile off Crabtree Lane.

This was a typical view as the birds were difficult to get close to on foot.

The light was awful, to a point were it was not worth taking any pictures and although the fog had lifted and the visibility improved the cloud cover was thick and grey making for some poor images.

There were plenty of Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow in the area too.

Yellowhammer: As I approached the railway crossing on Crabtree Lane I stumbled upon a tree with five hammers, a beautiful sight to end the morning on.

10/04/2014 Holcroft Lane, Culcheth

Corn Bunting: This morning I took a trip to Holcroft Moss, a Cheshire Wildlife Trust Reserve.


But on the way I stopped off for some Corn Bunting action and I wasn't disappointed.





I pulled up just off Holcroft Lane where I came across two singing males sitting on the telephone wires next to Franks Farm.

This was my first time at Holcroft Moss and I think the site is simply stunning, its a cracking peat bog full of Sphagnum mosses and grasses (if that's your thing) this site is a SSSI and one of ongoing restoration.





If you go make sure to look out for the Hebridean Sheep that graze the land in a conservation friendly way, you can actually see where they have eaten all the young Silver Birch and Willow Trees creating a unique and natural place surrounded by the M62 and farm fields!   The highlight was seeing my first Common Lizard of the year and finding such a lovely site.