ASTLEYMOSS

byIanMcKerchar

TypicalmosslandhabitatonAstleyMoss(IanMcKerchar)AstleyMossisoneofthefewremnantlowlandmossesremaininginthecounty.IthasundergonemuchmanagementandrestorationworkbyLancashireWildlifeTrusttore-wetthesiteandtoremovethe'invasion'ofbirchtrees.Theactualmossesthemselves(AstleyandBedfordMosses)canappearratherpoorbirdwisebutsupportasmallbutsignificantpopulationofimportantbreedingbirds.Atothertimesoftheyeartheycanstartlinglybirdlessbuttheperipheriesofthemosslands,thearablefields,hedgesandsmallbirchwoodlandsprovideallyear-roundinterestandsomeverygoodbirdingindeed.Unfortunately,the'winterraptor-fest'ofdaysofoldarelonggoneanddaysofthreeorfourHenHarriersandhalfadozenShort-earedOwlspatrollingthemossesareallbutadistantmemory.TheoccasionalHenHarrierstillglidesthroughonpassageandmoreoften,MarshHarrierisamoreregularvisitor.Ospreyhasbeenrecordedflyingthroughattreetoplevel,Buzzardsareaseemingly'ever-present'andcanoftenbefoundindoublefiguresandGreatWhiteEgrethasutilisedthemossesairspace!AvisittotheAstleyMossareawouldnotbecompleteifoneweretoignoretheareaaroundRindleRoad(itselfactuallyintheAstleyMossboundarybyrights!)andathoroughperuseoftheRindleRoadsiteguideontheManchesterBirdingwebsitesiteguidesisadvisable.

AccessTheareaisaccessedviathetrackheadingwestneartherailwaycrossingendofRindleRoad.ThereisparkingforseveralcarsoppositeRindleCottagesbutcaremustalwaysbetakentoparksensibleandtoprovideaccessforthelargefarmmachineryandfrequentheavygoodsvehicleswhichuseRindleRoad.ThistrackusedtobeseededandassuchattractedlargenumbersofbirdssuchasYellowhammersandTreeSparrowbutplacingseedonthetrackhasnowceasedandassuchboththelatterspeciesaremuchlessprominentinthearea.

Itmustbestressedthatvisitorsmustadheretothefootpathsandnotstrayontothemossesthemselves.Notonlyaretheystrictlyaccessbypermitonlybuttheyareaverydelicateecosystemnotwellsuitedtodisturbanceandcanbeverydangeroustoo.

Mapandlocationphotographs

Above:MapoftheAstleyMossarea.RindleRoadisvisiblerunninguptheright-handsideoftheimage;parkingoppositeRindleCottagesismarkedPandtherailwaycanbeseenrunningacrossthebottomoftheimage.Theletteredredpointersrelatetotheimagesbelow.Thefootpath,followedeitherthroughRindleWoodorviaRindleHedgecontinuesinacircularrouteborderingthemosslanditselfandcanbetakenineitherdirection.

A

RindleRoad(ex-feedingstation)track.Atthetopofthetrackthefieldsbeyondareveryattractivetomanybirdspecies.TotheleftisRindleHedgeandtotherightRindleWood.Walkpastthegateandupthetrack,makesurenottoparkyourcaratthetopofthistrackasaccessisrequiredatalltimes.

B

RindleWood.Aslenderlengthofdeciduouswoodland.ThetrackrunningalongiteventuallybearsroundtotheleftandtowardsthefieldsandtheSSSI(SiteofSpecialScientificInterest).InwinterWoodcockcanbefoundandtheChaffinch/Yellowhammerflockswhichfrequenttheareaoftenutilisethewood,oftenwithBramblingsintowifoneisluckyenough.Thecommonerwoodlandspeciescanusuallybefoundyear-round,includingTreecreeper.

C

ThepathwhichdividesthearablefieldsfromAstleyMossSSSI.ThetreelinedborderofthefieldsandmossprovevaluableforpasserinessuchasWillowTit,Yellowhammer,ReedBuntingandMeadowPipit.Thepathcanbeseenalongtheleftofthepictureandthereisasmallinformationboardhalfwayalong.Thispathcanbefollowedalongtheedgeofthefieldsuntilitreachesthescrapeswherevisitorsmustveerleft

towardsthesecondinformationboardclosetotherailway.Cuckoosinspringoftenliketousethetreesinthisimage.

DAstleyMossSSSI.Aratheruniquehabitat,thereisnoaccessontoitbuttherearepointsatwhichitcanbeviewedover.Insummer,themossusuallyhasbreedingMeadowPipit,WillowWarbler,ReedBunting,Linnet,LesserRedpoll,WillowTit,BuzzardandCuckoo.Inotherseasons,itcanbestartlingly

birdlessalthoughithasmaintainedawinteringpopulationofSnipeandthelargequantityofdragonfliesinlatesummerandautumnattractspassageHobbytothearea.

F

AstleyMossscrapes.OncenothingbutadampandovergrowncarrotfieldithasnowbeenfurnishedwithseveralpondsandasmallareaofreedcourtesyoftheLancashireWildlifeTrust.GrasshopperWarblerhas'reeled'intheareafromtimetotimeandthescrapeshaveattractedsmallnumbersofSnipe,TealandMallardplustheoddpassageGreenandCommonSandpiper.Wellworthalook.

GThefieldsbehindRindleWood.Thesethreefieldshavedevelopedintoageneralstarattractionforbirdingintheareaandareoftenploughedinearlyspringwhichleadstothembeingveryattractiveforpassagemigrants.Aroundmid-AprilsmallflocksofWhimbreloccasionallyappearandfeedonthefields,increasingtowardslateApril-earlyMayand

currentlyaffordtheeasiest,mostreliableandbestviewingofthisspeciesinthecounty.Caremustofcoursebetakennottodisturbtheseflocksbututilisingthefootpathswillnotusuallydisturbtheminanyway.OtherbirdsaroundthistimeincludeWheatear,wagtails(includingYellow),pipitsandthrushesbeingevident.Inotherseasons,particularlyinwinter,thefieldsharboursmallflocksofMeadowPipits,Skylark,finches,buntingsandwinterthrusheswhichcanofcourseattracttheoddMerlin.

H

RindleHedge.Inwinterespecially,thehedgeisusuallybusywithYellowhammers,ChaffinchandTreeSparrow(latterunfortunatelydeclining),ofteninlargeflocks.BramblingcanoftenbefoundhereandunusualvisitorshaveincludedKingfisher,LesserSpottedWoodpeckerandoccasionallyCornBunting.WillowTitisalsooftenseenhereandinspring/summer,warblersaboundandhaveincludedGardenWarbler.

Cuckooissomethingofamosslandspecialitybutotherthaninspringwhentheircallsresoundaroundthearea,theycanbehighlymobileandelusive.(IanMcKerchar)

TreeSparrowusedtooccurinlargeflocksduringwinter,attractedtoseedplacedalongthefeedingstationtrackbuttheceasingoffeedingthetrack,alongwiththegeneraldeclineofthespeciesmeansitismuchlesscommonlyencounteredinthearea.Listenoutfortheircharacteristiccallsastheflyintothehedgesandtrees.(IanMcKerchar)

YellowhammerisanAstleyMossfortewithregularflockswhichhaveexceededthreefigures.TheyusuallyfavourRindleHedgebutcanbeseenanywhereintheareaandtheirsongishighlyprominentinspring.(JohnTymon)

ThefieldsbehindRindleWood(alongwithoccasionalotherfieldsintheRindleRoadarea)havebecomeaspringmagnetforWhimbrelandsmallflockscanoccasionallybeseenfeedinginthem,affordinggreatviewsforobservers.(IanMcKerchar)

AlateMayOspreyglideslowoverAstleyMoss.(JonathonPlatt)

AspringRingOuzelshowswhatthefieldsbehindRindleWoodcanproduceandwithseeminglyincreasedpassagerecordswithintheimmediatevicinitytheyareperhapsbeingoverlooked?(IanMcKerchar)

CombiningAstleyMosswithavisittotheRindleRoadareaandperhapsChatMosssouthoftherailwaywillprovideagreatday'sbirdingatanytimeoftheyear.Itisoftendevoidofotherbirdersandcanaffordaserenebirdingexperience,agoodselectionandvarietyofspeciesandofcourse,alwaysthechanceofsomethingoutoftheordinary.

IanMcKerchar,May2010

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