A Fox was hunting in the imediate vicinity of the Curlews this evening when I arrived, both birds were frantic, wether it had taken a young one or not I'm not sure, it lay down at the back of the fence for a while partly out of sight before moving on I'll go back over weekend to monitor parents behaviour and see if I can spot any signs of young ones again

27/5/10 (am)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

2 Curlews.........couldn`t see the young, but the parents were making a hell of a racket...
1 Buzzard
1 Sand Martin
1 Yellowhammer
2 Common Tern
1 Kestrel
3 Reed Bunting
Moorhen with 3 well-grown chicks on Aspull Sough No1
1 Bullfinch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Several House Martins & lots of Swifts hawking over Lady Mabels Wood.

late posting for yesterday evening 26th may

2 Curlews + 3 young can just make them out every now and again walking between gaps in the buttercups, best view from canal
1 Oystercatcher over calling loudly and possibly landing in fields behind the horses on pendlebury lane, a new site tick for me
Kingfisher on canal
Tree Sparrow
common Tern
Mallard with two young but on way back there was only one
2 canada Geese near farm
2 Skylarks
usuall Goldfinches and Whitethroats
finally what looked like a Spotted Flycatcher on Pendlebury lane Lodge television mast but as I went for camara missed it fly off and couldnt relocate.
cracking evening only a few bikes and even less dog walkers

Tonight
1 Garden Warbler
1 Grasshopper Warbler Reeling
1 Curlew
6 Whitethroats
More dogs than you can shake a stick at
On canal tow path you take your life into your hands with Manic Bike Riders Do they have to go that fast its not Tour De Haigh

Cheers Jimmy

Paul Risley wrote:

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dave broome wrote:

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Sounds like Carp spawning now that the water's warmed up

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Cheers Dave, A mate of mine who is into fishing saw similar on a canal near him and told me the same, I thought it was a mink chasing something at first,

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Most likely be bream spawning at this time of year,and canals don't tend to have many breeding carp,and they don't seem to spawn very much in canal,but very large populations of bream spawn in canals at this time of year.thats what the thrashing about would be.

dave broome wrote:

---

Sounds like Carp spawning now that the water's warmed up

---

Cheers Dave, A mate of mine who is into fishing saw similar on a canal near him and told me the same, I thought it was a mink chasing something at first,

Paul Risley wrote:

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late posting for yesterday afternoon 22nd may

2 Stock Doves under leyland mill lane bridge
male Blackcap

Also loads of fish in a feeding frenzy in the reeds along the opposite side of the canal

---

Sounds like Carp spawning now that the water's warmed up

late posting for yesterday afternoon 22nd may

2 Stock Doves under leyland mill lane bridge
male Blackcap
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit and Blue tit all seen carrying food to nest holes.
Sparrowhawk plucking post had remains of Starling, Sparrow and what looks like a Canary

Sennicar lane to Pendlebury lane along canal

2 Skylarks
5 Whitethroats
1 male Reed Bunting
several Goldfinches
cock Pheasant
1 Lapwing
2 young Tree Sparrows
1 Curlew
1 Buzzard
Also loads of fish in a feeding frenzy in the reeds along the opposite side of the canal

9 species of warbler this morning including 2 Garden (Sennicar Bridge and Lady Mabel Wood); 1 Lesser Whitethroat (Winstanleys near Pendlebury Bridge); 1 Grasshopper (again Lady Mabel Wood), and 3 Sedge.
Also 2 Common Terns

10.30am to 2.30pm

4 male Manderins on Dougy near coppull lane
Mallard with 7 young
Buzzard over valley same area
1 Goldcrest
G.S. Woodpeckers now feeding young and much more in evidence, 2 active nests with young located
Fem Sparrowhawk in nest area, plucking post found with remains of male Blackbird and a Robin
2 Stock Doves
Moorhen with 5 young
Male Kestrel
several Whitethroats, sadly still not seen a Lesser
Garden Warbler at Sennicar lane bridge with Swallows and a wren nest building underneath as usuall
Male Pheasant in field
young Tawny Owl no longer in nest, hopefully it fledged safely

(Late post for) 13/5/10

(16:30-19:30):

2 Curlew
1 Tree Sparrow
1 Buzzard
1 Sand Martin
2 Linnet
1 Common Tern
3 Stock Dove
1 Kestrel
2 Lapwing
2 Skylark
2 Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
4 Canada Goose

The breeding swans there have 8 cygnets.

Hall end quiet this morning - but further down the hill a lot better
Mandarin - 2 drakes on pond near canal (Thanks to the rangers for pointing me in the right direction)
Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Willow Warbler, Blackcap plus all the usual stuff between canal and river
Unfortunately couldn't find the Dippers.
Green Woodpeckers and Grasshopper Warblers heard on East side of park but not seen.

Curlew over Sennicar Lane today

Whinchat still present in Sennicar Lane at 19.45 - never moved in 10 mins observation.

5.30pm till 7pm

1 Buzzard
Mallard still with 8 young
20+ Swifts and 40+ Martins and Swallows over Dougy Valley
L.T. Tit feeding young in nest
Nuthatch carrying food into nesthole
1 Dipper
Male Blackcap
Young Tawny Owl still in nest
1 Goldcrest

10/5/10

The "Northern Quarter" (16:15 - 19:00):

1 Whinchat (m) - on fences along the drainage ditch, Sennicar Lane.
1 Common Sandpiper still present along the canal bank between Red Rock Moorings and Pendlebury Lane Bridge.

1 Tree Sparrow
2 Common Tern
1 Skylark
4 Linnet
1 Whitethroat
2 Lapwing
2 Reed Bunting
7 Swift
5 Swallow
1 Garden Warbler (heard)

Fledged House Sparrows and Robin..

This morning in cold wind along canal! Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler along with Tree Sparrow by Bridge 61; 5 Sedge Warblers between there and Lady Mabel's Wood; 1 Common tern and 1 Common Sandpiper between Bridges 62 and 63 along with Linnet, Swift, House Martins and Swallows; at least 10 singing Whitethroats.

couple of hours this afternoon, all the usuall stuff. Fem Sparrowhawk on territory and Goldcrests singing in four different locations were the main things of note

Friday between 11.00 and 15.00; by bridge 61 (Senacre) 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Garden warbler, 1 Sedge warbler plus Willw warbler, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat, Also 2 Common Terns and 16 Goldfinches. Between there and Haigh CP bridge 3 more Sedge warblers and 3 Reed buntings, Curlew, Buzzard, Skylark and Lapwing

5/5/10 (pm)

Usual route produced the usual suspects:

1 Curlew
2 Green Woodpecker
4 Mandarin (3 drk)
5 Stock Dove
1 Kestrel (m)
2 Sedge Warbler
4 Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
5 Swift
3 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
2 Grey Heron
4 Canada Goose
1 Pheasant

6pm till 7.30pm

Mallard with 8 ducklings, just hatched

pair of Tawny Owls, 1 nearby calling the other carrying what looked like a wood mouse and carrying it to top of a rotten tree where 1 large Owlet awaited it

Mid Morning - Warblers in song 8 Willow, 5 Chiffchaff, 15 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 2 Sedge, 3 Grasshopper (4th by Aspull RUFC), 2 Garden, 1 Reed (Aspull Sough); also 2 Willow Tits and 1 Stonechat m - Higher Lane, 2 pairs Curlew (Pendlebury Lane and Bawk House Farm), 1 pair Lapwing, Green Woodpecker and 4 singing Reed Buntings

Early Morning
Crawfords Wood
2 Grasshopper Warblers
Canal
Opp peg 38
Garden Warbler singing
2 Mandarins m
Higher Lane
Green Woodpecker calling
Sparrowhawk scattering every thing on its way through


Cheers Jimmy

2/5/10 (am)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane (in a bloody freezing NE wind ):

1 Curlew
1 Sand Martin >N
1 Garden Warbler (Lady Mabels Wood)
2 Mandarin (drks)
1 Buzzard
1 Sedge Warbler (Sennicar Bridge)
5 Whitethroat
6 Reed Bunting
2 Stock Dove
3 Skylark
8 Swallow
4 Rook
1 Coal Tit
1 House Sparrow (Sennicar Lane)
1 Grey Heron

1 Reed Warbler heard in Aspull Sough No.2 Reedbed
1 Green Woodpecker heard

8am-1pm

Plantations

pair of Sparrowhawks calling on territory, Female seen on two occasions later stooping down from high above into tree tops, no signs of any nest though.
Tawny Owl roosting
single Tree Creeper
pair of Coal tits
3 Long Tailed Tits, pair mating and 1 single in attendance
Dipper on Dougy near 64 steps
Female G.S. Woodpecker showing well

Sennicar Lane/canal/Lady mabels wood
pair of Curlews
2 Skylarks
good numbers of Swallows
4 Whitethroats
1 Reed Warbler
1 Reed Bunting
male Manderin on Canal
2 Male Kestrels over Lady mabels wood
good numbers of the usuall suspects

This Morning
1 Lesser Whitethroat in trees on path just over Shedfield Bridge

Cheers Jimmy

20/4/10 (am)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

1 Dipper, perched on the canal-bank between Hall Lane and Shedfield bridges. Flew off (calling) down the canal towards New Springs....
1 Curlew
2 Mandarin (pr)
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Whitethroat
1 Blackcap (2 more heard)
Willow Warblers aplenty
16 Swallows heading N
11 Reed Bunting
3 Skylark
1 Lapwing
2 Meadow Pipit
3 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Wrens collecting nesting material

11am to 2.30pm

pair of Sparrowhawks on territory, female overhead made a close flypast at speed at 4 crows who took to the sanctury of tree tops to call back there annoyance, male Sparrowhawk landed on plucking post with prey item later.

elsewere

2 Coal tits
1 Goldcrest
Heron on pond
Tree Creeper
Moorhen on nest
Buzzard over
good numbers of Nuthatches Great, Blue and Long tailed tits.

Cant remember seeing as many Grey Squirrels for a very long time

17/4/10 (am)

Sightings from Aspull Sough, Copperas Lane, Pendlebury Lane & Sennicar Lane:

1 Oystercatcher heading SE along the canal (only my 3rd site record)
2 Curlew
3 Snipe
1 Green Woodpecker
3 Mandarin (1pr+1m)
2 Buzzard
3 Kestrel
2 Willow Tit
3 Coal Tit
6 Lapwing
3 Skylark
3 Reed Bunting
at least 10 singing Willow Warblers in Lady Mabels Wood
6 House Sparrows at Pendlebury House

Very strange to see birds flying across clear blue skies, with not a vapour trail in sight - history in the making.....

Haigh Hall/Canal area am - 4 singing Willow Warblers inc one at Pendlebury Bridge which as reported started its song as a Chiffchaff every time! Also Curlew there and 6 Tree Sparrows, 2 blackcaps and at least 6 calling Nuthatches around the Hall. otherwise extremely quiet.

12/4/10 (pm)

Mid-afternoon mooch around the Aspull Sough, Shedfield Bridge and Crawfords Wood areas:

1 Green Woodpecker
2 Yellowhammers off Higher Lane, (footpath down to Morris Fold Cottage) - the first time I`ve seen them in this area..
2 Blackcap (m+f)
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
4 Swallow
1 Sparrowhawk (soaring above Lower Plantations)
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Doves over
1 Nuthatch
1 Reed Bunting (m)
Jackdaws collecting nesting material, and a Blue Tit investigating one of the new boxes near the loop line.

Sunday 11 April 2010
17:30 - 18:30

Hall Lane, Canal, Pendlebury Lane:
2 Dipper
1 Raven
2 Blackcap
and a Willow Warbler by the canal at Sennicar Lane which starts it's song as a Chiffchaff, but ends as Willow Warbler.

2pm to 4.30pm

pendlebury lane to Sennicar lane and down along dougy near twenty bridges

pair of Sparrowhawks calling to each other
Song Thrush nest building
4 Manderins, 3 male 1 female
1 Kingfisher
1 Dipper
1 Willow tit
pair of Curlew
4 Swallows
1 Skylark
1 female Reed Bunting
1 Whitethroat (sennicar lane near to drainage ditch)
1 Willow Warbler
1 Buzzard

10/4/10 (am)

A five hour mooch around the estate this morning, after a waking dilemma; face the hordes of sun-seekers at PF to tick(le) the Garganey, or solitude at Sennicar Lane for an Osprey watch ?.............it was a no-brainer

Whelley Loop to Mowpin Cottage, past Crawfords Wood, Holly Nook and the windmill, along Copperas Lane and down to Sennicar:

1 Raven over
4 Buzzards spiralling on the thermals
1 Sand Martin heading north along the canal - very uncommon here (only my 2nd record)
2 Mandarin (pr)
4 Snipe over
1 Yellowhammer, 2 Willow Tit, 2 Bullfinch (near Manor House Farm)
1 Tawny Owl roosting in regular spot
2 Kestrels mating
5 Skylarks singing
4 Swallows passing over
1 Sparrowhawk displaying
Chiffchaffs & Willow Warblers aplenty

No Osprey..................but who cares ?

9/4/10 (am)

Quite a productive walk this morning, following my usual route of Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane, via Aspull Soup and Lady Mabels Wood:

2 Curlews displaying
2 Greylag Geese over, heading for the flashes.......only my 2nd ever site record, the first being almost exactly 3 years ago; 17/4/07 (There`s those lists again, Mr Thacker )
1 Buzzard
4 Mandarin (2 pr); one pair near Shedfield Bridge and the other over the golf course heading North
1 Snipe over
1 Kingfisher
4 Stock Dove
7+ Reed Buntings in the reedbeds at Aspull Sough
2 Lapwing
2 Skylarks singing
1 Redwing
1 Grey Heron at Basin Quay
1 Swallow perched on the flag pole at WRUFC
numerous singing Chiffchaffs & Willow Warblers...

7/4/10 (am)

A fog-bound two hour mooch around Aspull Sough & Shedfield Bridge area produced the following:

3 Mandarin (2 drk)
1 Treecreeper
2 Willow Warbler
3 Chiffchaff
2 Swallow
2 Reed Bunting (m)
1 Stock Dove
5 Canada Geese, grounded by the fog on No.2 pond
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
4 Jay
3 Bullfinch (m)
3 Song Thrush
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Green Woodpecker (heard)

2 green woodpeckers calling 1 seen in the trees on the right before the canal bridge. good numbers of nuthatch calling constantly.i tree creeper and a pair of mandarin on one of the small ponds.

Sunday am a walk up sennicar lane along the canal then down hall lane and back to the
start(with a few diversions). Blatent borough listing some may say but I don,t care ,amongst the throng of birds

1 tree creeper
1 nuthatch
1 stock dove
1 green woodpecker ,very nicely perched up calling viewed from the canal at hall lane lodge a wigan first for me

I spent a hour dipper hunting but 'dipped'

cheers geoff

Green Woodpecker heard, Nuthatch seen last week plastering up last years Green Woodpecker nest but now looks like they've started on another hole nearby, so possibly the Woodpeckers have stopped them
Sparrowhawk left nesting territory as I approached, while checking for plucking posts found a mallards nest underneath one with 2 eggs in
long tailed tits with nest material
pair of Stock Doves
Raven over being mobbed by 2 Crows
2 Fieldfares
2 Coal tits
4 Buzzards

3/4/10 (pm)

Couple of hours at midday around Lady Mabels Wood and Sennicar Lane area:

1 Curlew back on territory,
4+ Buzzards making most of the thermals,
3 Swallow
3 Lapwing
1 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Reed Bunting
Chiffchaffs aplenty
1 Sparrowhawk displaying
2 Kestrel (m+f)
Mute Swan (SLI)

1pm till 5pm Pendlebury lane and senicar lane area

Sparrowhawk, Female with broken primary sticking up when soaring
Male Kestrel
Heron
pair of Manderins
Buzzard
pair of Goldcrests
Dipper
2 seperate pairs of Tree Creepers one pair nest building
single Coal tit
Fox disturbed from cover

1/4/10 (pm)

Late afternoon stroll from Whelley Loop Line to Lady Mabels Wood produced the following:

2 Green Woodpeckers - very vocal and mobile pair around the Aspull Sough area.
1 Mandarin (drk)
1 Treecreeper
5 Stock Dove
1 Sparrowhawk soaring above New Springs allotments
1 Kestrel (m)
1 Reed Bunting (m)
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Bullfinch (m)
Chiffchaffs - several heard.
2 Coot
5 Moorhen
12 Mallard
2 Canada Goose

28/3/10 (pm)

Took a walk from Red Rock Lodge down to the River Douglas and back this afternoon: counted c84 nests in the Rookery at School Covert.

2 Dippers & 2 Grey Wagtails on the river
3 Stock Doves over Rothwells Farm
1 Kestrel

2pm to 5pm cracking Day

Peregrine,
just walking down Senicar Lane looking at the Lapwings in the fields on the left when a flock of about 35 Wood pigeons take flight from the fields on my right, I watch them and suddenly the Peregrine cuts through the flock and just misses one, she quickly wheels around and speeds towards the flock again this time singling one out and hitting it knocking feathers but not holding it, again she gives chase but the woodie makes the cover of some trees on the canal bank literally crashing in to them, the Peregrine circles over it for a few mins before making off towards Wigan Lane.100th species for this area and what a classy one to get it with.
Curlew over
Pair of Dippers mating on Dougy

Pair of Manderins + a single male further on
3 Buzzards
Pair of Grey Wagtails
Goldcrest
Chiffchaff
Pair of Coal tits
3 Lapwings
Heron over

27/3/10 (pm)

Aspull Sough & Shedfield Bridge area, late afternoon:

1 Chiffchaff (Whelley Loop Line)
1 Buzzard
1 Mandarin (drk)
3 Stock Dove
2 Goldfinch
1 Green Woodpecker (heard)

Wednesday 24 March 2010

A very vocal Green Woodpecker flew across Hall Lane and into Lady Mabel's Wood this afternoon.

12 till 4

Kingfisher on Dougy
4 Buzzards
2 Kestrels, Male passing food to Female
2 Pheasants
3 Lapwings
1 poss 2 Skylarks singing
7 Manderin, 1 single female staying on river + the usuall gang of 5 males and 1 female
single Goldcrest
18 Jackdaws
couple of Tree Sparrows seen in mixed flock of Sparrows at usuall place

quick hour after work around the treatment ponds and surrounding fields,
2 Bullfinch
2 Green Woodpeckers, very vocal
female Reed Bunting
Single Raven over again going north. still lightish but after sun down, possibly roosting in woods?
2 Foxes hunting in fields

couple of hours around thornhill viaduct this morning produced a surprising 10 Manderins on the River Douglas, 2 seperate pairs and a small group of 5 males and 1 female.
single Dipper
Sparrowhawk over
pair of Buzzards over and very vocal
lots of the usuall stuff.
worryingly no Kingfishers for a while now, hope they survived the bad weather