Both Wood Sandpipers present 16.00 to 17.00 although only one was showing at first. When the second one appeared they were both set upon by a fractious Moorhen and appeared to fly over to the next pool. They did return in time for Ian Woosey and Mike Duckham to get good views - nice to see you both
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Jun 16 4:46 PM, 2011
Both Wood Sandpipers still present at 4:45 this afternoon.
Info thanks to Ian Woosey
Nick Hilton said
Thu Jun 16 3:22 PM, 2011
Ian W - if pies are critical there is a Waitrose within 500yds march !!!!
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Jun 16 12:59 PM, 2011
Ian Woosey wrote:
Aye pal. Maybe it is time to cut the Borough shackles, and get back to County birding ?
Hoorah I say, county birding will be a the better for it too
Ian Woosey said
Thu Jun 16 12:35 PM, 2011
Iain Johnson wrote:
Blimey ian, you feeling ok mate? It's not in Wigan you know and there isn't a decent pie shop for twenty miles
Make sure you take your passport and some medication with you in case you feel dizzy!
Aye pal. Maybe it is time to cut the Borough shackles, and get back to County birding ?
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Jun 16 12:06 PM, 2011
Both Wood Sandpipers still present by midday.
Info thanks to Karen Foulkes and Mark Rigby
Iain Johnson said
Thu Jun 16 10:13 AM, 2011
Blimey ian, you feeling ok mate? It's not in Wigan you know and there isn't a decent pie shop for twenty miles
Make sure you take your passport and some medication with you in case you feel dizzy!
Ian Woosey said
Thu Jun 16 10:02 AM, 2011
Cheers Henry. I have visited Sinderland Green/Dark Lane in the past but not the sewage works. Will have a mooch toneet..
Henry Cook said
Thu Jun 16 8:41 AM, 2011
Woodcote Road off Sinderland Lane is the nearest road Ian. Best to park outside Woodcote Stables and walk north beyond the lake on the right. The middle pool is just east, behind the first lake. Henry.
Ian Woosey said
Thu Jun 16 7:30 AM, 2011
Can anyone supply a grid ref or the name of the nearest road to ASW ? Thanks in advance..
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jun 15 8:53 PM, 2011
Both Wood Sandpipers still present at 8:45.
Info thanks to Iain Johnson
Steven Nelson said
Wed Jun 15 6:15 PM, 2011
Correction! 2 Wood Sands 6.10pm!!! both feeding together. One must have been hidden for a while!
Steven Nelson said
Wed Jun 15 6:06 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper currently present on middle pool near round metal object - 6.00pm Also reeling Grasshopper Warbler Lots of common warblers singing
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Jun 11 10:22 PM, 2011
This afternoon with Phil Kelly
Leucistic Black Headed Gull still around, didn't see any evidence of its normal mate, although it was being mobbed by some normal Black Headed Gulls
Pair of Shoveler Little Grebe Gadwall (two lots of small ducklings) Lapwing with 3 small chicks 10 Magpies in horse paddock all appeared to be non breeding adults c8 House Martin nesting near stables
-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 11th of June 2011 10:39:15 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jun 1 4:10 PM, 2011
Drake Shoveler present today plus leucistic Black-headed Gull (paired to a 'normal' bird) and Yellow Wagtail.
Steve Suttill said
Tue May 31 6:03 PM, 2011
Following your comments about racial variation (or not, as the case may well be) in Golden Plovers, I went out and bought Brykjedal & Thompson's "Tundra Plovers".
Fascinating read - but I think I'm starting to get obsessed (quiet at the back there! )
Steve
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 31 5:39 PM, 2011
All ours in the county are (or have been as far as we know up to this point) islandica. Limosa would be a county mega (first no less) but their identification is a challenge at the very least
Steve Suttill said
Tue May 31 5:34 PM, 2011
Ian McKerchar wrote:
With regards the 'non-breeding/partial breeding plumaged' Black-tailed Godwits, are these not more likely to be first summer individuals? Just asking
limosa or islandica?
Just asking...
Steve
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 31 5:21 PM, 2011
It's an interesting subject for sure.
Henry Cook said
Tue May 31 5:16 PM, 2011
Yes Ian, I just wasn't sure.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 31 4:42 PM, 2011
Also two Yellow Wagtails around the second pool this morning.
Info thanks to Phil Kelly.
With regards the 'non-breeding/partial breeding plumaged' Black-tailed Godwits, are these not more likely to be first summer individuals? Just asking
Henry Cook said
Tue May 31 3:49 PM, 2011
31/05/2011 - 2pm:
3 Black-tailed Godwits; 1 in winter type plumage and 2 in partial summer plumage 1 Ringed Plover 2 Oystercatchers - flew over 3 Lapwings
Pete Hines said
Mon May 30 11:56 PM, 2011
Monday 30th May
2 Black-tailed Godwit 1 male Yellow Wagtail 1 Garden Warbler in song
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Thu May 26 4:56 PM, 2011
No sign of Wood Sandpiper mid morning but good view of singing Garden Warbler just north of main, road-side pool.
Male Yellow Wagtail on second pool (scrape).
Swifts, Swallows and House Martins overhead.
Pete Hines said
Thu May 26 4:18 PM, 2011
No sign of the Wood Sandpiper this afternoon 13.20-14.20
1 Yellow Wagtail called in flight
Phil Owen said
Wed May 25 10:48 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper still present at 8.15pm tonight.
sid ashton said
Wed May 25 9:49 PM, 2011
In understand that the first pool along the road from the riding school used to be a horse grazing paddock until the clay became "puddled" by constant use and now holds water. You have to look through the fence for this one. There are two more pools viewable from up the hill by turning right at the end of the fencing. I guess it is the first one of these pools that is being called the "second" pool and this was where the bird was?
-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 26th of May 2011 05:13:42 PM
Richard Norris said
Wed May 25 8:49 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper still present at 19:30 at back of second pool .
Also 1 Yellow Wagtail.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 25th of May 2011 09:01:52 PM
Pete Hines said
Wed May 25 7:52 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper still present at 18.30 (info from Tony O'Mahoney)
At 12.30 I'd walked round to the back of the second pool lifted my binoculars and said to to myself **** me I've got a Wood Sand , the following seconds were 'do I stay and take notes ?' (it was 40 -50 metres away) or leg it back to the car and grab my scope and camera, knowing full wel that this is a GM rarity requiring a description. I took the second option. Thankfully I managed to relocate it after a few minutes and rang Ian at 12.50. I watched it until 15.30, hopefully got some record shots and took a description just in case. Brian Hilton arrived at 13.50 and Henry Cook at 15.00. The bird can disappear at times behind vegetation and viewing through the fence is a bind. Hope it sticks.
Just checked and it isn't a County rarity after all . Decent enough bird though
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 25th of May 2011 08:03:26 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 25 3:33 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper still present at 3:20pm.
Info thanks to Pete Hines
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 25 12:53 PM, 2011
Wood Sandpiper at 12:50 today, at the back of the second pool.
Info thanks to Pete Hines
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Fri May 13 2:59 PM, 2011
Friday morning visit but no sign of Blue-headed Wagtail.
With reference to my late moulting White Wagtail a few days ago, there was further evidence of late moulting, concerning a Grey Wagtail with blotchy black throat markings, not a fully developed black throat of a male. Possibly the same bird I had mistakenly identified as a female a few days ago, which did have an odd mark on its throat at the time but which I'd discounted.
Also a female Yellow Wagtail near the filter beds. 5 House Martins plus numbers of Swallows, Swifts and Sand Martins.
Lapwing 4 Gadwall 6 Little Grebe 1 2 Coot families of 3 and 4 young. Canada Geese 2 adult and 5 young. etc.etc.
Phil Owen said
Thu May 12 11:08 PM, 2011
Evening visit 6.45pm-8.15pm where I bumped into John Barber. Despite an extensive search by the pair of us, no sign of the Blue-headed Wagtail.
In the field North of the horse paddocks were:
1 Grey Wagtail 4 Yellow Wagtails 3 Pied Wagtails
A Dunlin was a nice suprise for the site, on the flooded field to the side of the main pond.
Henry Cook said
Thu May 12 9:50 PM, 2011
Black-headed, if only!
The Blue-headed Wagtail was present at 2.40pm in the first Horse Paddock just north of Woodcote Stables with a single Yellow Wagtail. Thanks for putting the news out Mike, not got near an internet source for a bit.
The interesting White Wagtail was still present on the marshy field Phil. Agree it looks like it's still in winter plumage, strange. Perhaps if it's not moulted into full sum.plum. this explains why it has not headed upto the expected breeding grounds yet.
The Cuckoo was heard calling from within the united utilities compound.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 12 7:31 PM, 2011
I did sweat at the thought of it being Black-headed
Mike Duckham said
Thu May 12 5:52 PM, 2011
You're quite right Ian. And BHW could mean at least 2 different flava races! In fact i did put Blue Headed Wag as the title but it seems it might default to Re:Thread Title Anyway - Blue Headed Wag at ASW lol!!
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Mike Duckham wrote:
One BHW present with a Yellow, got text from Henerz a coupla hours ago, local birders could see it before dark if so inclined. Sure Henerz will be on later with more detailed directions. Cheers.
Mike, with reference to the current 'abbreviated and misspelled bird names' thread on this forum, an awful lot of visitors simply won't know what a BHW is I'm afraid
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 12 5:23 PM, 2011
Mike Duckham wrote:
One BHW present with a Yellow, got text from Henerz a coupla hours ago, local birders could see it before dark if so inclined. Sure Henerz will be on later with more detailed directions. Cheers.
Mike, with reference to the current 'abbreviated and misspelled bird names' thread on this forum, an awful lot of visitors simply won't know what a BHW is I'm afraid
Mike Duckham said
Thu May 12 5:15 PM, 2011
One BHW present with a Yellow, got text from Henerz a coupla hours ago, local birders could see it before dark if so inclined. Sure Henerz will be on later with more detailed directions. Cheers.
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Tue May 10 3:42 PM, 2011
Tuesday, May 10 am.
Grey Heron 1 Cormorant 1 over Shelduck 1m 1f Mallard 15+ Gadwall 6 Mute Swan 1 ad Little Grebe 1 Tufted Duck 2m 1f Canada Geese 9 ad and 5 young Coot 12+ including young Moorhen 4 Sand Martin 20+ Swift 2 Lapwing 4 BH Gull 5 Reed Bunting 1 singing Sedge Warbler 3 singing Grey Wagtail 1f White Wagtail? 1 with light grey crown, nape, mantle and rump, strong black bib but no black throat and no hint of yellow/brown of a juvenile Pied Wagtail. Could it be an adult female still in winter plumage?
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 28th of May 2011 08:05:30 PM
Phil Owen said
Tue May 3 12:13 AM, 2011
Quick afternoon walk with the Mrs in her search for Butterflies:
1 Common Sandpiper 1 Yellow Wagtail 4 House Martins and 1 Swift amongst the many Sand Martins
Only Green-veined Whites and Orange Tip seen.
-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 3rd of May 2011 12:18:07 AM
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Sun May 1 5:51 PM, 2011
Mid Sunday
Oystercatcher 2 Lapwing 3 Hs. Martin 2 Sand Martin 20+ Yellow Wagtail 2 Shoveler 1m Reed Bunting 1 singing. Little Grebe 1 BH Gull 10+ Gadwall 12+ Mallard 10+ Canada Geese 6 Coot 2ads plus 3 young and other adults. Moorhens.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of May 2011 06:44:54 PM
Henry Cook said
Sat Apr 30 5:06 PM, 2011
30/04/2011 - a couple of hours over midday, not many passerines visible in the high winds:
2 Swifts 2 House Martins 30+ Sand Martins 6 Swallows 2 Reed Warblers 1 Sedge Warbler 1 Garden Warbler - east of soil works compound near Sinderland Brook 2 Shovelers 1 Teal 14 Gadwalls 4 Little Grebes 1 Mute Swan 2 Lapwings 1 Cormorant - flyover
no Yellow Wags, Greylag Goose or Oycs unusually
John Rayner said
Sat Apr 30 1:14 PM, 2011
In case you missed it I saw a Sacred Ibis again in the Woodford area today (just over the border in Cheshire) - see Woodford thread.
Cheers, John
John Doherty said
Sat Apr 30 12:57 PM, 2011
Interesting article: http://www.birdingworld.co.uk/images/SacredIbises.pdf - pictures of French colonies here!
2 Garden Warblers + juvs
2 Reed Warblers
3 Sedge Warblers + juvs
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
Plenty of Reed Buntings singing, Sedge and Reed Warbler along with lesser Whitethroat close by.
Drove back via Dunham and stopped to listen to the Yellowhammers singing before the sun went down.
Also saw a Hare.
SS
Info thanks to Nev Wright
Thanks for showing me the spot Sid. Great site..
Also seen:
1 Peregrine (over SE)
1 Grasshopper Warbler
2 Oystercatchers
1 Buzzard (distant)
1 Little Grebe
Info thanks to Ian Woosey
Hoorah I say, county birding will be a the better for it too
Aye pal. Maybe it is time to cut the Borough shackles, and get back to County birding ?
Info thanks to Karen Foulkes and Mark Rigby
Make sure you take your passport and some medication with you in case you feel dizzy!
Henry.
Info thanks to Iain Johnson
2 Wood Sands 6.10pm!!! both feeding together. One must have been hidden for a while!
Also reeling Grasshopper Warbler
Lots of common warblers singing
Leucistic Black Headed Gull still around, didn't see any evidence of its normal mate, although it was being mobbed by some normal Black Headed Gulls
Pair of Shoveler
Little Grebe
Gadwall (two lots of small ducklings)
Lapwing with 3 small chicks
10 Magpies in horse paddock all appeared to be non breeding adults
c8 House Martin nesting near stables
-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 11th of June 2011 10:39:15 PM
Fascinating read - but I think I'm starting to get obsessed (quiet at the back there! )
Steve
limosa or islandica?
Just asking...
Steve
Info thanks to Phil Kelly.
With regards the 'non-breeding/partial breeding plumaged' Black-tailed Godwits, are these not more likely to be first summer individuals? Just asking
3 Black-tailed Godwits; 1 in winter type plumage and 2 in partial summer plumage
1 Ringed Plover
2 Oystercatchers - flew over
3 Lapwings
2 Black-tailed Godwit
1 male Yellow Wagtail
1 Garden Warbler in song
Male Yellow Wagtail on second pool (scrape).
Swifts, Swallows and House Martins overhead.
1 Yellow Wagtail called in flight
-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 26th of May 2011 05:13:42 PM
Also 1 Yellow Wagtail.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 25th of May 2011 09:01:52 PM
At 12.30 I'd walked round to the back of the second pool lifted my binoculars and said to to myself **** me I've got a Wood Sand , the following seconds were 'do I stay and take notes ?' (it was 40 -50 metres away) or leg it back to the car and grab my scope and camera, knowing full wel that this is a GM rarity requiring a description. I took the second option. Thankfully I managed to relocate it after a few minutes and rang Ian at 12.50. I watched it until 15.30, hopefully got some record shots and took a description just in case. Brian Hilton arrived at 13.50 and Henry Cook at 15.00. The bird can disappear at times behind vegetation and viewing through the fence is a bind. Hope it sticks.
Just checked and it isn't a County rarity after all . Decent enough bird though
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Wednesday 25th of May 2011 08:03:26 PM
Info thanks to Pete Hines
Info thanks to Pete Hines
With reference to my late moulting White Wagtail a few days ago, there was further evidence of late moulting, concerning a Grey Wagtail with blotchy black throat markings, not a fully developed black throat of a male. Possibly the same bird I had mistakenly identified as a female a few days ago, which did have an odd mark on its throat at the time but which I'd discounted.
Also a female Yellow Wagtail near the filter beds.
5 House Martins plus numbers of Swallows, Swifts and Sand Martins.
Lapwing 4
Gadwall 6
Little Grebe 1
2 Coot families of 3 and 4 young.
Canada Geese 2 adult and 5 young.
etc.etc.
In the field North of the horse paddocks were:
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Yellow Wagtails
3 Pied Wagtails
A Dunlin was a nice suprise for the site, on the flooded field to the side of the main pond.
The Blue-headed Wagtail was present at 2.40pm in the first Horse Paddock just north of Woodcote Stables with a single Yellow Wagtail. Thanks for putting the news out Mike, not got near an internet source for a bit.
The interesting White Wagtail was still present on the marshy field Phil. Agree it looks like it's still in winter plumage, strange. Perhaps if it's not moulted into full sum.plum. this explains why it has not headed upto the expected breeding grounds yet.
The Cuckoo was heard calling from within the united utilities compound.
Anyway - Blue Headed Wag at ASW lol!!
Mike, with reference to the current 'abbreviated and misspelled bird names' thread on this forum, an awful lot of visitors simply won't know what a BHW is I'm afraid
Cheers.
Grey Heron 1
Cormorant 1 over
Shelduck 1m 1f
Mallard 15+
Gadwall 6
Mute Swan 1 ad
Little Grebe 1
Tufted Duck 2m 1f
Canada Geese 9 ad and 5 young
Coot 12+ including young
Moorhen 4
Sand Martin 20+
Swift 2
Lapwing 4
BH Gull 5
Reed Bunting 1 singing
Sedge Warbler 3 singing
Grey Wagtail 1f
White Wagtail? 1 with light grey crown, nape, mantle and rump, strong black bib but no black throat and no hint of yellow/brown of a juvenile Pied Wagtail. Could it be an adult female still in winter plumage?
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 28th of May 2011 08:05:30 PM
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Yellow Wagtail
4 House Martins and 1 Swift amongst the many Sand Martins
Only Green-veined Whites and Orange Tip seen.
-- Edited by Phil Owen on Tuesday 3rd of May 2011 12:18:07 AM
Oystercatcher 2
Lapwing 3
Hs. Martin 2
Sand Martin 20+
Yellow Wagtail 2
Shoveler 1m
Reed Bunting 1 singing.
Little Grebe 1
BH Gull 10+
Gadwall 12+
Mallard 10+
Canada Geese 6
Coot 2ads plus 3 young and other adults.
Moorhens.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of May 2011 06:44:54 PM
2 Swifts
2 House Martins
30+ Sand Martins
6 Swallows
2 Reed Warblers
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Garden Warbler - east of soil works compound near Sinderland Brook
2 Shovelers
1 Teal
14 Gadwalls
4 Little Grebes
1 Mute Swan
2 Lapwings
1 Cormorant - flyover
no Yellow Wags, Greylag Goose or Oycs unusually
Cheers, John