12.00-3.00

Pair of Sparrowhawks calling in vicinity of last years nest, yesterday a.m. female was doing the food begging calls the juveniles do.

elsewere, lower plantations pair of Dippers on Dougy.
singles of Goldcrest, Tree Creeper and Coal tit

Hall Lane feeding station
2 Stock Doves
2 male Reed Buntings
male Sparrowhawk, first time I've seen it active hunting at the feeding station. cracking view, alarm calls started and everything took cover, spotted him coming down middle of road about a foot off the ground at speed, straight past me opposite feeding station, nothing spooked so he carried on straight at a parked car before flipping past it and then over the top of an evergreen hedge further down the lane

Buzzard over Lady Mabels wood and nice male Kestrel still hunting in fields

good numbers in most areas of Blue, Great and L.T. Tits, Nuthatches and Goldfinches
and a small influx of Redwings and Fieldfares

1/3/10 (am)

The sun is out, Chaffinches are singing, Spring is upon us........

4 Buzzards displaying over Thorn Hill
1 Green Woodpecker in fields off Shedfield Bridge

Sennicar Lane/Rothwells Farm:

4 Common Gull
1 Lapwing
1 Skylark
4 Rook
2 Stock Dove
6 Reed Bunting (canal end)
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel

1 Treecreeper
1 Coal Tit
4 Bullfinch

Pendlebury lane
mixed flock of house and tree sparrows
pair of Dipper
pair of Manderin
Buzzard
Kestrel

Sennicar Lane
charm of 60+ Goldfinch

Dusk stroll around the water treatment ponds produced the following

2 Singing Song Thrushes
4 Bullfinches
32 Magpies
4 Canada Geese
1 dead Wood Pigeon, half eaten, typical looking Sparrowhawk kill
1 Raven over, calling loudly, heading north
and a few Fieldfare and Redwings over

Douglas valley, pendlebury lane and sennicar lane

7 manderin, 6 male 1 female. another pair m+f further along
single Dipper and Woodcock
couple of tree sparrows near the houses
Heron landed in fields on opposite side of canal
6 fieldfare mixing with large flock of Starlings
Sparrowhawk flying very low across fields at sennicar lane

60 Starlings and 16 Fieldfare on fields at Pendlebury Lane at lunchtime today
1 Great Black-Backed Gull flew south, among the usual drift of Herrings and Lesser Black-Backeds (Rigby Landfill, in Chorley Borough just north of Worthington has now stopped receiving waste, but there were still quite a lot of gulls over there)

late report for yesterday, Sat 6th. pm

walk from copull lane to thornhill viaduct along Douglas valley

Dipper
Buzzard
3 Manderin 2m 1f
3 skeins of pinkfeet, all heading west 200-300 birds in each
2 Ravens heading towards town centre
7 Fieldfare
tree creeper
good numbers of blue, L.T. and great tits, single coal tit
nice view of a Fox hunting on opposite bank

5/2/10 pm

2 Tawny Owl
2 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Stock Dove
6+ Nuthatch
2 Coal Tit
2 Bullfinch
2 Mistle Thrush
19 Mallard
All site count of at least 55 Magpies, with 35 in fields behind Aspull Sough alone, and many more on the golf course..

31/1/10 am

Aspull Sough & Shedfield Bridge area:

1 Raven (over, heading towards the town centre)
2 Buzzard
2 Green Woodpecker
1 Snipe (over)
2 Skylark (over)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Bullfinch
1 Fieldfare
17 Goldfinch

Sunday 17 January 2010

noon/early afternoon:
83 Pink-footed Goose (over heading west)
1 Buzzard
2 Green Woodpecker
3 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Treecreeper
several Nuthatch
1 Goldcrest

16th Jan

water treatment ponds and nearby fields
Dipper on the outlet stream of the ponds
Kingfisher on the 1st pond
Green Woodpecker in fields
Buzzard on sheep carcass

Woodland
tree creeper
Heron over
cracking view of a male Sparrowhawk about 40 feet away who stayed long enough for me to get 4 photo's on automatic which all turned out blurred

11.45-3.30

water treatment ponds and nearby fields

1 Tufted duck, site first cheers Ian
18 Mallard
3 Snipe
Crow with white feathers on wings
2 Woodcock
1 Lapwing
Fox eating Sheep Carcase

Woodland

4 Tawny Owls, a pair at both roost sites. one sat out suning itself and could be seen from some distance
Sparrowhawk
Moorhen sitting down on path, before being disturbed by dog walker. probably in very low condition
Willow tit heard near path just on from Shedfield bridge
29 species in all

8/1/10 am

Quick hour round Aspull Sough & Shedfield Bridge:

1 Buzzard
1 Yellowhammer
1 Little Grebe
84 Herring Gulls & a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls >NE
1 Bullfinch
1 Coal Tit
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 Green Woodpecker heard)
Tufted Duck still present, along with 1 Coot & 4 Moorhens. Strangely though, no Mallards

7/1/10 am

To quote Mr Hargreaves, today I experienced "Deep Joy" at finding an absolute site mega ! Read on:

1 Tufted Duck (drk) on the orange soup that is known as Aspull Sough. Swimming with the orange Mallards it had obviously found refuge from the frozen waters of the North-West. It is only the fourth species of duck I have seen at this site (the others being Mallard, Mandarin & Goosander on the canal and river).

Other sightings of note were:


2 Ravens & 1 Buzzard at a new sheep carcass
1 Tawny Owl
8 Snipe over
7+ Nuthatch
same Siskin flock as yesterday
1 Goldcrest
1 Kestrel
4 Common Gulls over
Fieldfare, Lapwings, Bullfinches etc........

6/1/10

2 Buzzards over Whelley entrance
2 Dippers on River Douglas
11 Snipe flushed from a ditch off Sennicar Lane (most I`ve ever counted at this site)
1 Little Grebe & 25 Mallard on Aspull Sough
1 Sparrowhawk
5 Nuthatch (3 on feeders at Hall Lane lodge)
7 Siskin in Lady Mabels Wood
3 Lapwing
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 Green Woodpecker heard)
2 Grey Heron
5 Moorhens ice-skating on the canal
Bullfinches, Coal Tits, Redwing, Fieldfare, Pheasants etc.......

12 till 3

Kingfisher on small pond inlet to boating lake, glad to see it's ok and still coping with the difficult conditions,
2 Tawny Owls, singles at both sites
Green woodpecker heard near bottling wood
Heron over aspull sough
a few G.S. Woodpeckers and Nuthatches only other noticeable sitings today

11-30 to 3-30

Loop line, Water treatment ponds and nearby fields
single male bullfinch
4 greenfinch
2 Buzzards
single Fieldfare
5 Redwings
single female Reed bunting
single Snipe
single Lapwing over and another single in fields on senicar lane
2 Woodcock
single Green Woodpecker

Woodlands

3 Tawny Owls, checked the site of the single roosting bird first and was pleasantly surprised to find a pair there then made the trek to the other roost hopeing to make it 4 Owls only to find just a single bird here
3 Coal tits
Nuthatches in several places
single G.S. Woodpecker

34 species in all

11-30 to 3-30

Whelley Loop line, Water treatment ponds and nearby fields
3 Nuthatch
Male Bullfinch
Heron on water treatment ponds
Woodcock
Buzzard
2 Female Reed Buntings
2 Greenfinch
Fieldfare
Fox skulking back to woods

Woodlands
2 Tawny Owls together at roost
3 Coal tits
good numbers of Great Blue and Long tailed Tits
Goldcrest
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming
Sparrowhawk, another close encounter as it made an unsucessfull pass at a tit flock. didnt get chance to tell what sex the blur was.

Senicar lane
10 Redwings
4 Jackdaws
Missle Thrush
Snipe

another good day 36 species in total

12.30 - 3.30
Whelley loop line

Male Bullfinch
small tit flock, mainly long tailed, single coal tit present
8 Goldfinch

Woodland

single Tawny Owl at roost
singles of Nuthatch, Tree Creeper and Goldcrest
Female Sparrowhawk over
Kingfisher on pond near to hall lane
2 Roe deer running across field on hall lane
2 male Reed Buntings at feeding station + 3 Moorhens underneath
disturbed Female Sparrowhawk from bushes here, she flew straight at a great tit about 20 feet away from me which managed to avoid her, cracking view
single G.S. Woodpecker

fields near water treatment ponds

another sheep carcass already located by 2 Ravens and a single buzzard, plus the usuall hoard of Magpies
2 Female Reed buntings
2 Greenfinch
5 Redwings
Fieldfare
A nice afternoon despite the weather

late post for yesterday 25/12/09

short walk around water treatment ponds and nearby fields,
Kingfisher perched on Fence near orange coloured pond and heron also flew from same pond
Fem Sparrowhawk just starting to sun herself, wings and tail spread before I disturbed her
Fem Bullfinch on loop line
Buzzard and hoards of magpies at the sheep carcass, Fox heading back to woodland
3 Lapwings in field

21/12/09 am

Usual route of Whelley Loop Line up to Shedfield Bridge, along the canal to Sennicar & Pendlebury Lanes, then back through Lady Mabels Wood produced the following:

2 Ravens in the field behind the stables on Pendlebury Lane,
2 Buzzards, watching 22 Magpies and 2 Foxes argue over a sheep carcass near Aspull Sough,
5 Tree Sparrow: 3 (with a Reed Bunting) near Samuel Fold Cottage, Pendlebury Lane, and 2 at Rothwells Farm, Sennicar Lane,
2 Snipe
6 Siskin
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrel
3 Skylark
3 Bullfinch
29 Lapwing over
About mid-morning there was a noticeable movement of gulls coming from the Rigby Landfill/Worthington Lakes direction, all moving south. Predominantly Herring Gulls, but a few Lesser Black-backed, 2 Common Gulls and 1 Great Black-backed.

47 Pink-footed Geese NW @ 12:35 rounded proceedings off......

40 species seen in total.

Sat 12th

3 Tawny Owls, pair together in one roost, single at another location
4 Coal tits
1 Siskin
1 Dipper
good numbers of usuall suspects

Sun 29th pm
Upper Plantations,
3 Mute Swans on canal near basin, 2 adults 1 Juv
40 Mallard
Heron on Golf coarse
2 Redwing
Tawny Owl roosting
2 Nuthatch
3 Bullfinch
good numbers blue and great tit, chaffinch and blackbirds

Sat 21st Upper plantations
Kingfisher on pond that feeds boating lake
10 Moorhen on boating lake
2 Treecreepers
2 Nuthatch
4 Bullfinch
good numbers LT Blue and Great tits
Grey Squirrels everywere

lady Mabels wood
single woodcock flushed from brook
large flock of starlings feeding
single goldfinch, had a charm of 70+ here last weekend in trees between sennicar lane and lady mabels

31/10.09 Early morning

Rothwells Farm:

One of the Ravens flew in from the south @ 09:30 and took up one of its (their) usual perching posts along the fences.
9 Skylark
12+ Meadow Pipit
1 Kestrel
1 Rook
Lesser Black-backed & Herring Gulls were streaming over all morning in a south-westerly direction, but the biggest single flock was of 110+

Kingfisher fishing near Shedfield Bridge
60+ mix of Fieldfare & Redwing >SE
32 Jackdaw >NE
Sparrowhawk
7 Reed Bunting
Green Woodpecker heard near Whelley Loop Line.

24/10/09

Leeds / Liverpool canal nr Crown pub going to Shedfield bridge
Kingfisher giving good views
1 Willow tit
Female Sparrowhawk over
14 Jackdaws
Male Kestrel
Heron in fields just north of Shedfield bridge

Thornhill viaduct.
large tit flock foraging and then taking cover as a male Sparrowhawk dove into flock. outcome out of sight
Dipper on dougy singing

19/10/09 Morning

1 Buzzard perched up behind Aspull Sough
1 Reed Bunting

2 Kingfishers along canal @ Basin Quay
33 Mallard
2 Mute Swans with 2 cygnets

3 Willow Tits near Shedfield Bridge
5 Redwing
9 Blackbird

1 Kestrel @ Rothwells Farm
7 Meadow Pipit.

3-30 to 6.00pm

fields near water treatment ponds
Buzzard over twice and both times being mobbed by crows
snipe
Single Raven calling constantly and trying to land but being mobbed by Magpies, good numbers of Magpies feeding on 2 Sheep carcasses.
Carrion Crows, Jackdaws and Jays also in area
Green Woodpecker seen once and heard also several times on edge of woods
3 Bullfinches
good size flock of Long tailed Tits
3 Pheasant 1 Male, 2 Female
Kingfisher on canal

2 Roe Deer

10/10/09 Morning

Rothwells Farm area:

1 Raven
2 Buzzard above School Covert (another sighting later on of a single perched up near Aspull Sough, with 14 Magpies in attendance.)
2 Snipe over
2 Skylark
16 Herring Gulls over >SE in a perfect `V` formation
2 Reed Bunting.

1 Kingfisher
1 Kestrel
1 Common Gull
2 Bullfinch
1 Green Woodpecker heard near Shedfield Bridge.

4/10/09 Morning

Rothwell Farm area:

2 Raven
1 Stonechat (m) on wires off Sennicar Lane. It has been 4 years since my last one Mr Broome, so you`d better be sharp !
1 Buzzard (another above Upper Plantations)
5 Swallow >S
5 Skylark (two singing)
15 Meadow Pipit
14 Mistle Thrush
2 Linnet, 3 Pied Wagtail, 5 Pheasant, 13 Goldfinch.

Aspull Sough area:

c80 very distant Pink-footed Geese >S @ 09:15 (looked to be over Billinge Hill, possibly in Merseyside ? )
4 Cormorant over heading for the Flashes (another one perched up along the canal)
1 Grey Wagtail over
10 Blackbirds & 5 Song Thrushes.

29/9/09 Midday

Literally the first birds I saw after getting out of the car were 2 Ravens being mobbed by Crows right over the Plantation Gates/Balcarres Ave entrance in Whelley, just a few doors up from my parents house
They flew off over Whelley Hospital towards the town centre.....

Not much else of note after that excitement:

1 Kingfisher
1 Kestrel
2 Coal Tit
at least a dozen each of Jays & Magpies

not much of note birdwise on my recent rambles, tonight had a pair of buzzards over fields near water treatment ponds and a vocal green woodpecker in same area, had a look for Ian's little Grebe a couple of times but drew a blank, interesting to note that Moorhens actually thrive in these same waters without getting discoloured about 30+ Swallows roosting in the reedbeds here on sunday night. 3 Roe Deer in area also worth mentioning.

19/9/09 Midday

Just for the record, and a bit of interest (well, to me at least) was a Little Grebe on one of the small pools at Aspull Sough Water Treatment Works. It was quite happily swimming about and diving in the water which can best be described as being the same colour of Heinz Tomato Soup. The (few) Mallards that have been seen here are permanently coloured orange......

Little else of note from a four hour mooch :

1 Kingfisher near Hall Lane bridge
19 Goldfinch
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker

15/9/09 Early evening

2 Ravens at Rothwells Farm, feeding in the fields and chasing the horses about !!!!

50+ Swallows over Lady Mabels Wood.

10/9/09 Morning

1 Spotted Flycatcher on wires at Sennicar Bridge, doing what it says on the tin. Rather uncannily this is more or less the exact same spot that Paul had one eleven days ago, but this must be a new bird moving through......?

2 Buzzards & a Sparrowhawk together over Thorn Hill.
1 Green Woodpecker on Whelley Loop Line.
1 Kingfisher along canal @ Sennicar Bridge.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 singing Chiffchaff
1 male Blackcap
1 juv Kestrel
5+ Willow Warbler
Cormorant over.

7/9/09 Morning

My recent ramblings have not been worthy of a report but this morning it has changed, with me adding a long-looked-for site tick :

1 Lesser Whitethroat roaming about in the Hawthorns at the side of Shedfield Bridge.
2 Ravens sat preening on fences at Rothwells Farm, Sennicar Lane, then eventually flew off towards Wigan town centre.
1 Buzzard over School Covert.

Sennicar lane;

Spotted Flycatcher, near to canal bridge, on left going up the lane flying from fence posts and low bushes into field
male Blackcap
Whitethroat
Greenfinch
Goldfinch, good numbers including recently fledged young
Swallows still going to nests under bridge, good numbers
Swans on canal, blue ring SLI with unringed partner and 6 well grown cygnets
Comic Tern with noisy youngster in attendance
Buzzard near thornhill viaduct
4 manderin on river douglas in lower plantations close to coppull lane
2 willow tits in same location

Hobby over Thornhill viaduct briefly then again just up valley, headed towards Boars Head
kingfisher
2 willow tit
tree creeper
nuthatch
on canal at pendlebury lane mallard with 5 young about 2 weeks old
good numbers of swallows and goldfinches with young on sennicar lane

young buzzard in good voice
2 young Sparrowhawks moved into douglas valley, both calling.
2 Kingfishers
1 Dipper
2 Nuthatches
2 Jays
almost forgot 4 manderin and 2 young moorhens

-- Edited by Paul Risley on Sunday 9th of August 2009 05:28:29 PM

Juvenile Buzzard calling in same location again this evening, 1 hour an 20 mins swatting midges an those annoying large black flies that bite before a parent bird finally arrived and passed a prey item over, something small and black ? a family of qaurrelsome magpies also provided some entertainment

juvenile buzzard calling for food
also while sitting at edge of field waiting for a photo oppertunity of the buzzard a falcon came low over the trees at high speed and shot past me before I could even get bins on it, dark back but didnt see underparts and then it had gone
pair of ravens
pied wagtail with 2 young

butterflies
2 peacock
1 speckled wood
good numbers of meadow browns, gatekeepers and large whites

walk along canal from basin to sennicar lane bridge.
Garden Warbler 1 possibly 2, 1 near basin the other further down canal near entrance to lady mabels wood. managed to get a record photo, how difficult are these birds to see, cracking songsters though.
willow warbler
chiffchaff
mallards, 2 broods, one with 2 well grown young the other with 3 young ducklings
moorhen with 3 young on basin
not heard any grasshopper warblers this year, usually one in lady mabels wood and one in the field nearer to sennicar lane

2 young Sparrowhawks heard calling in nest area tonight, short visit so not sure if any more have fledged.

went to check if the young Sparrowhawk was ok this morning and found his body under some bushes, looks like last nights torrential rain soaked him as couldnt see any injuries on him, what a sickner other young on nest still active

-- Edited by Paul Risley on Sunday 12th of July 2009 11:56:07 AM

fledgling male Sparrowhawk on ground near nest, half eaten blackbird nearby so parents are feeding him, hope he makes it off the ground soon as there are foxes in area. 2 other young visible on nest.

Sennicar Lane;
2 young Kestrels on barn roof, another one in large gutters eating something
4 crows, 1 flew at feeding wood pigeons in longish grass and attempted to grab one returning to fence post with a pigeons tail feather in its beak
2 Tree Sparrows
5 Goldfinches
5 Mistle Thrushes
Skylark

Pendlebury lane,

2 young Kestrels on telegraph pole, male on wires over next field.
Raven over,
Jay feeding young,
Buzzards heard

Thanks Ian, wondered why we'd never spotted it.
Cheers,
Phil

Young Sparrowhawks visible on nest female nearby

Sennicar lane.
3 young Kestrels on end of large barn roof male Kestrel put in a cracking flying display to see off 2 Ravens
Buzzard over Rugby union ground
swallows feeding young under canal bridge, lots of blue damselflies on canal here too

pendlebury lane.
Mallard with 5 well grown young on dougy
skylark
tree creeper

Alreet Jackdog ?

The "feeding station" which comprises of a bird tray, some fat-balls and nut-bags hanging from branches, is located on the left-hand side of the road going up to the Lodge in one of the parking laybys, next to the entrance to Lady Mabel`s Wood (a five bar gate). Blink and you will miss it - don`t expect an official feeding station like the one at Pennington - it is topped up by members of the public and is prone to heavy disturbance, situated as it is on the side of the road.

Hello,
Where exactly is the bird feeding station on Hall Lane at Haigh Country Park?
Cheers,
Phil