Mink - first seen 10 days ago, then 2 days ago & again today near the east pool which probably explains why most wildfowl have disappeared from this pool!
Rob Smith said
Sun Aug 12 5:51 PM, 2018
As of yesterday
Great crested Grebe - 1 Mallard - 55 Tufted Duck - 34 Coot - 15 L B Black Gull - 4 not usual here Herring Gull - 4 ditto
Yellow Wagtail - 10 (2 adults / 8 immatures in horse paddocks/fields) Pied Wagtail - 15 as above White Wagtail - 2 as above
Swallows - 30 Sedge Warbler - singing
Linnets - 15
Rob Smith said
Sat Jul 28 5:17 PM, 2018
As of yesterday evening
Black neck Grebe - immature on west pool Great crested Grebe - ditto
Mallard - 70 across all 3 pools Coot - 25
Mediterranean Gull - on west pool & then headed out west with a few BH gulls
Kestrel - hunting at dusk
Sand Martins - 12 - 15 hawking over west pool
Rob Smith said
Sun Jul 8 7:41 PM, 2018
As expected water levels are dropping on all pools especially the Hidden pool which has dried out completely, never seen that at all in the past 15 years or so that I have been visiting them! But the low levels provide marginal access for some birds.
Pied Wagtail - 6 immature birds around middle pool edges Lapwing - 2 there as well
Where there is water: Mallard - 60+, numbers slowly increasing although moult is well underway for many.
Tufted Duck - 14 inc female & 6 ducklings, 2/3 days old
Little Grebe - 8 inc 3 recent young
Raven - 2 heading high to the east
Whitethroat, Reed & Sedge Warbler still calling
Little Owl - 1 calling from NW of west pool last night
Rob Smith said
Tue Apr 24 1:43 PM, 2018
Cuckoo - male south of mid pool, first of year
Greylag Geese - 4 came in low from east went out south, uncommon here.
Lapwing - 10 pairs around area, 4 on top of landfill
Grasshopper Warbler - 3 around area
Reed Warbler - 4
Sedge Warbler - 1
Skylark 12 - 15 pairs on landfill, a slight increase on last year.
Meadow Pipit - 8 pairs, same as last year
Rob Smith said
Fri Apr 20 8:07 PM, 2018
Grasshopper Warbler - south side of mound Wheatear - same area Swallows - 2 heading fast & low to north House Martins - same Oystercatcher - 2 also headed north Great crested Grebe - 2 on west pool
Dave Benson said
Wed Apr 18 10:29 PM, 2018
At least 4 Ring Ouzel this evening feeding on the grassy bank of the landfill, as viewed from Silver Lane Pools.
Rob Smith said
Mon Apr 16 8:08 PM, 2018
Golden Plover - 16 in same area again today Yellow Wagtail - female, east side fields Brambling - 1m/2f near New Hall farm, surprised to see them hanging around should be leaving any day now!
Rob Smith said
Sat Apr 14 9:02 AM, 2018
From yesterday
Golden Plover - 40 in summer plumage landed on horse paddock fields to the east. Image taken at distance as I didn't want to put them to flight. Goosander - 3 m took off & flew SE Great crested Grebe - 1 on west pool Bramblings - 7 in trees near farm Fieldfare - 50+ in trees around east pool Redwing 3 among fieldfare White Wagtail - east fields Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff & Blackcaps around area
Only thing of real note a Swallow over the landfill at 12.00
JOHN TYMON said
Thu Apr 5 9:20 PM, 2018
This afternoon
Goosander - 5
Great Crested Grebe-2
Merlin - A nice female fired through North
plus the usuals
Rob Smith said
Thu Apr 5 7:16 PM, 2018
Goosander - pair on west pool Willow Warbler - 2 seen & heard north of west pool Chiffchaff - territorial count of 9 around the pools & mound
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Apr 3 7:08 PM, 2018
Classic spring encounter on one of my patches today which was pretty quiet to start with until I heard a Ring Ouzel call to my right and has it shot past I managed a quick record shot, what a fabulous bird for a patch like Silver lane and it headed east over the landfill ,never to be seen again, also came across 3 Wheatear on the eastern arable 2 Males and a female ,3 Goosander,8 Little Grebe,8 Buzzard,1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Meadow Pipit and 20+ Skylarks made for a good mooch.
Five Goosander this morning 3m/2f. A Curlew on the flooded eastern arable.
Rob Smith said
Tue Mar 20 8:10 PM, 2018
Goosander - 2m/1f Mute Swan - 2 Tufted Duck - 22
Raven - 1 heading SW. Beginning to think they are nesting in the Warrington area as I tend to see/hear them nearly every day now
Chiffchaff - 2 feeding & chasing each other near east pool
Rob Smith said
Wed Mar 14 7:35 PM, 2018
Out looking for any early migrants this morning and anything else on the move.
Chiffchaff - 1 calling near farm Goosander - 1 pair, on middle pool before taking off & heading east Mute Swan - 1 pair. Have been absent for a while but good to see them back Heron - 1 on west pool Redshank - 2 on flooded fields just east of landfill Oystercatcher - 1 over low to south Raven - 2 flew low to the SW Sparrowhawk - male & female in plunging display over landfill Meadow Pipit - 20 light movement east
Rob Smith said
Mon Mar 12 8:47 AM, 2018
From yesterday pm.
Fieldfare - 350 along with Redwing - 100 Starling - 50 all above in typical gathering in trees with notable communal singing all round!
Greylag geese - 2 flew low to the south Raven - single also flew south Cormorant - 2 on west pool Goldcrest - 1 near east pool was here 2 days ago as well
plus the usuals
Eric Finch said
Sun Feb 25 3:06 PM, 2018
A flock of 30 whooper swans at Silver Lane Pools today
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Jan 7 5:21 PM, 2018
AM
Stonechat- 4 Pink footed Geese - 367 at various points flying west Wigeon - 39 Tufted Duck -12... Mute Swan -2 Teal-4 Pochard - 7 Kingfisher-1 Water Rail-2 Meadow Pipit -45 Long Tailed Tit -21 Skylark-10 Little Grebe -4 Kestrel-3 Buzzard-5 Linnet-6
Rob Smith said
Fri Jan 5 7:54 PM, 2018
A fair bit of activity around the area.
Wigeon - 36 on west pool. This is the 2nd highest count I personally have had here (66 in December 2005) Mallard - 35 Tufted Duck - 21 Pochard - 1 male Cormorant - 4 Heron - 1 Mute Swan - 2 on east pool Coot - 21 Pink footed Geese - 400 up over east side, probably same flock as seen previous off Holcroft lane
Great black backed gull - 1 on east pool by itself, bit unusual here!
Buzzard - 2 Kestrel - 1
In fields to the west of west pool Fieldfare - 70 Redwing - 40 Mistle Thrush - 7 Pied Wagtail - 6 nuthatch - 1 in adjacent trees
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Dec 31 5:27 PM, 2017
pm of note
Goosander - 1 Pair
Buzzard -6
Wigeon-14
Mallard - 45
Pochard - 1 Female on entrance pool
Little Grebe -4
Bullfinch -2
Goldfinch -60
Cormorant -6
Tufted Duck- 20
Rob Smith said
Thu Dec 28 7:37 PM, 2017
An interesting afternoon stroll in the sunshine, of note
West Pool Cormorant - 5, numbers slowly increasing Wigeon - 21 - not particularly common here Pochard - 2 males Kingfisher - several sightings on this pool recently Teal - 3
East Pool Goosander - male, took off circled & out west. Several sightings of this species recently Mute Swan - 2
Cool & damp this morning and not expecting much, but:
Pink footed geese - 450 put up from Lower Woolden Moss direction by a single engine plane which continued to buzz low over the local area for a good 15' pushing the geese in one direction & then another! Lapwing - 100 also as above Fieldfare - 100 as above Redwing - 50
Other records from around the area included Kestrel - 2 Buzzard - 2 Skylark - 60 Meadow Pipits - 10 Kingfisher - west pool Mallard - 37 Tufted Duck - 16 Pochard - a pair on west pool Shoveler - 2m/1f on west pool Cormorant - 4 Heron - 2
Rob Smith said
Sun Dec 10 2:00 PM, 2017
Fresh & cool but a pleasant walk round the pools.
Mute Swan - 2 Cormorant - 2 Heron - 1 Mallard - 65 Teal - 10 Tufted Duck - 22 Pochard - pair Kestrel - 1 Fieldfare - 50 around the area Redwing - 30 among them Long tailed Tit - 15 Goldcrest - 1 among mixed flock Reed Bunting - 6
Rob Smith said
Mon Nov 6 6:25 PM, 2017
Cormorant - 2 Heron - 1 Mallard - 72, a bit of an increase on recent counts Tufted Duck - 23 Pochard - 1, female Lapwing - 120 in horse paddocks along east side Common Buzzard - 4 around area Sparrowhawk - male, cutting through trees along east side Kestrel - 2, female & an immature Skylark - 60 moving west in a single flock Pheasant - 3, 2 males & a female roosting in tree
Rob Smith said
Sun Nov 5 3:19 PM, 2017
Pink footed geese - an impressive 700+ in several skeins flew east this morning around 8.55am
Rob Smith said
Wed Oct 25 7:53 PM, 2017
A break in the weather makes for a good excuse to wander.
Pink footed geese - 150 flying high to the east
On & around the pools: Cormorant - 3 Mute Swan - 2. with the demise of the original pair two new birds have taken over the pools Mallard - 50 Teal - 3 Gadwall - 3 Kestrel - 2. adult & an immature Black headed Gulls - 30 Lesser Black back Gulls - 10 Redwing - ca100 moving south & a few in local trees Fieldfare - 3 in trees Mistle Thrush - 4 Jays - 11 Stonechat - 2 pairs Goldfinch - 50
Rob Smith said
Sun Oct 15 7:28 PM, 2017
John re mute swans
We've been having problems with the pair for several days now. The pair have been landing on the footpath area between middle & west pool over the past 10 days & then seemingly couldn't take off again because of the rough twisting path. When I first found them last week I contacted Biffa to unlock the gate to the middle pool area which they did & we herded the pair through the gate & back onto the pool. But for some strange reason they kept going back to the same area between the fences and I've been up 3 times since to let them back onto the pool area and was there again yesterday morning to check on them & get the RSPCA involved this time, but could only see the male on the water. Because of their behaviour I began to wonder whether one or the other was ill ie lead poisoning? In between these sessions its likely that a dog or fox had a go at one of them - feathers etc as I had warned several dog owners that they might be back so be prepared to leash their dogs but then having seen some dog owners whose dog is so far out of sight that they would have no control over it anyway!
I agree with your comment re wildfowl numbers, I've never seen it so bleak & will be taking it up with certain folk!
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Oct 15 6:51 PM, 2017
Today at Silver Lane I found 4 Stonechat 3 female/Immatures and a crackin' Male ,also 8 Buzzard,2 Sparrowhawk,3 Kestrel ,11 Little Grebe ,60 Meadow Pipit and a Fox were of note and sadly a dead Mute Swan with its mate waiting by it on the north side of the middle pool ,were you can't get at without climbing over barbed wire,so I left it and later found evidence of it along the path by the west pool ,were a lot of swan feather were,so it seems at some point it had ended up along there,before getting back to its pool some way,whether it hit something flying in or was mauled by a dog or shot ,I don't know ,but Jonathan Platt is going to check it to see how it died tomorrow ,its sad as this pair have been on the middle pool for a couple of years on and off.The pools felt again as they had for the last few months like they are being disturbed or shot over at night as the water bird numbers are just not right ,hardly anything on all 3 waters :( So some good and some bad today ,but thats the way of things at the moment it seems .
Rob Smith said
Tue Oct 10 6:24 PM, 2017
Hi John it was on the edge of the grassed over track which runs east to west across the top of the mound, it took off & landed a bit further down the north slope.
John Watson said
Tue Oct 10 4:03 PM, 2017
Where was the Jack Snipe, Rob ?
* btw, there have been travellers at the Noggin end of Silver Lane, don't know where they are now - park safely (Medway Rd, Culcheth & walk South ?)
Rob Smith said
Tue Oct 10 2:23 PM, 2017
Pink footed Geese - 65 flew low to the west Common Snipe - 7 Jack Snipe - 1
Kestrel - 2 Buzzard - 2 Sparrowhawk - male, being accompanied by 50+ Meadow Pipits which it half heartily tried to take one
Grey Partridge - 5 Blackbird - 10+, in a single hawthorn tree despite being a whole hedge full of berry laden trees! Redwing - 3 among blackbirds
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Sep 30 5:03 PM, 2017
A couple of House Martin and a nice wheatear were the only things that highlighted a very wet walk . picture Wheatear Silver Lane pools
Buzzard- 15 could be seen at one point from the landfill in the air surrounding the pools and farmland. Kestrel - 6 on pools,landfill and surrounding fields Stock Dove - 250 (good number) on surrounding arable stubble fields Woodpigeon- 1500 on surrounding arable stubble fields Meadow Pipit- 120 + on Landfill Skylark-10 Tree Pipit- 1 > SE (quite late for here) Pochard- 2 Male (West pool) Great Crested Grebe- 1 (west pool) Swallow - 25> S Stonechat - 1 Female/immature picture below Chiffchaff-4 Bullfinch-3 Little Grebe 8 + nice to see the adults on the entrance pool still have the 2 young I photographed the other weekand are now a decent size. Gadwall-25 Tufted Duck-30 Pink Footed Geese- 78 > SE in 2 Skiens
Rob Smith said
Tue Sep 12 6:39 PM, 2017
An hours worth of vizmigging this morning from the mound, produced:
Meadow Pipit - 160/hour heading south west as were most of the following. Skylark - 35 Tree pipit - 2 Greenfinch - 4 Reed Bunting - 3 Swallow / House Martin - 10 each Sand martin - 4
Quite a few birds doing same to the east & west of me but too far over for identifying.
Peregrine Falcon - east to west Kestrel - 2 on over mound Sparrowhawk - male being harassed by crows along south side
Great crested grebe on west pool along with 3 Cormorants
Rob Smith said
Tue Sep 5 12:43 PM, 2017
From yesterday:
Hobby - high overhead hawking for dragonflies whilst ignoring the hirundines all around it! Kestrel - 2 around the area occasionally happily hunting near each other & then having a go at each other! Sparrowhawk - male being harassed by magpies Buzzard - 4 around the area
Greylag goose - came in with a group of 78 Canada Geese Mallard - hardly any about after previous highs!
Swift - 2 drifting south along with ca 60+/hour swallows & house martins Yellow Wagtail - 2 high to the south
Rob Smith said
Tue Aug 29 8:20 AM, 2017
From yesterdays early morning stroll:
Great crested grebe - adult, bit of a rarity for these pools
Canada Goose - 10 present today, but over 300 were on the corn fields last week
Mallard - 290, the largest count I've had here in over 10 years of recording the site! As per John, 180 were milling around n the east pool alone which for a small pool was interesting to observe
Tufted Duck - 32
Teal - 3
Pochard - 2 females
Gadwall - 10
Coot - 39
Jay - 12, 11 of these in a single flock were moving south out of the area on migration?
Whitethroat - 8, 5 were feeding & moving together along the shrub line
Warblers - ca 15 exploded out from their overnight roost in a group of shrubs as I walked by, willow warblers, chiffchaff, blackcap & what looked like a garden warbler were the brief views had!
Goldfinch - 50 in single flock
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Aug 20 6:10 PM, 2017
AM/PM OF NOTE
Hobby - 1 adult likely a Male with size
Mallard- 223 (Large increase this week - 172 on east pool alone)
Pochard- 1 Female
Shoveler- 1 Female
Kestrel-3
Buzzard-3
Skylark-12
Swift-10
Swallow -c50>S
House Martin -5
Little Grebe-13
Willow Warbler-4
Chiffchaff-10
Whitethroat-4
Blackcap-2
Reed Bunting-2
Gadwall-31
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Aug 13 6:49 PM, 2017
Adult Hobby present this afternoon
Rob Smith said
Sun Aug 6 8:14 PM, 2017
Wildfowl numbers increasing slowly including:
Mallard - 79 Tufted Duck - 33 Pochard - 2 Shoveler - 4 Wigeon - 4 (2 days ago) Canada Geese - 16 Heron - 3 Little Grebe - 16 inc a 2 day old chick
Kestrel - 2 Mistle Thrush - 15, on cut corn field. Nice to see the numbers. Swift - small parties of 20 - 30 drifting through occasionally during the day
Grasshopper Warbler - still reeling 4 days ago
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Jun 10 5:59 PM, 2017
Whitethroat -4 one with small fledged young
Skylark - at least 20 pairs feeding young
Meadow Pipit- at least 10 pairs feeding young
Pochard -1 the hermaphrodite Male/Female/Hybrid still on the west pool ,I still think its a female
Tufted Duck-10
Shoveler - 1 Male
Buzzard-3
Kestrel-1
House Martin 6 on the small pool on the west side of the landfill and as they were going low continually over the pool ,swift were swooping about 6 feet above them ,im sure taking advantage of the house martins dispersed insects . There were about 100 Swift today at the pools which is a goodly number for there.
Little Grebe-4+
Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler also present.
Rob Smith said
Sat Jun 10 10:05 AM, 2017
From yesterday evening
Cuckoo - briefly on fence & then flew off south, must have known we were in for some wet weather! Swift - ca100 hawking across all pools Kestrel - female Pochard, hybrid - has been around for weeks now
A drake Garganey was present on West Pool yesterday evening, no sign of it this morning. Five Grasshopper warblers reeling around the site yesterday and a Cuckoo by West Pool this morning.
Jonathan Platt said
Fri May 12 7:53 AM, 2017
Black-necked grebe present for second day on West Pool. Four Corn buntings on top of landfill yesterday.
There's a large lay-by on the A574 just S of M62/J11, used by trucks; don't park on the farm access road on the SE corner of the roundabout, though
The best parking at the moment is Medway Road, Culcheth and walk South to the pools
Or, park in Risley at the entrance to Silver Lane before the barrier, and walk 1 mile E to M62/J11
Or (during daytime only, though you probably shouldn't), park at Taylor Industrial Estate just S of Culcheth & walk down the track leading off by the 2nd security barrier
All these barriers are there to stop travellers, who are a big problem locally from time to time
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Apr 23 4:16 PM, 2017
John O'Neill wrote:
8:30am
The actual access to the site form the m-way roundabout seems unaffected by the work here, but you can't actually park a car on the road here any more. 5 minute walk to safe roadside laybye.
Any chance you can tell me where the pull in 5 mins away is as all the regular watchers are walking in from the other end which takes best part of half an hour .
cheers John
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 23rd of April 2017 04:36:12 PM
stuart lewis-gough said
Sun Apr 23 2:03 PM, 2017
Thanks for the information.
John O'Neill said
Sun Apr 23 10:17 AM, 2017
8:30am
1 Cuckoo heard and seen in tall trees at back of farm fields behind the pools.
pair Grey Partridge
1mYellow Wagtail
2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers.
The actual access to the site form the m-way roundabout seems unaffected by the work here, but you can't actually park a car on the road here any more. 5 minute walk to safe roadside laybye.
Merlin - male over adjacent field
Mallard - 80+, numbers building steadily
Mink - first seen 10 days ago, then 2 days ago & again today near the east pool which probably explains why most wildfowl have disappeared from this pool!
Great crested Grebe - 1
Mallard - 55
Tufted Duck - 34
Coot - 15
L B Black Gull - 4 not usual here
Herring Gull - 4 ditto
Yellow Wagtail - 10 (2 adults / 8 immatures in horse paddocks/fields)
Pied Wagtail - 15 as above
White Wagtail - 2 as above
Swallows - 30
Sedge Warbler - singing
Linnets - 15
As of yesterday evening
Black neck Grebe - immature on west pool
Great crested Grebe - ditto
Mallard - 70 across all 3 pools
Coot - 25
Mediterranean Gull - on west pool & then headed out west with a few BH gulls
Kestrel - hunting at dusk
Sand Martins - 12 - 15 hawking over west pool
But the low levels provide marginal access for some birds.
Pied Wagtail - 6 immature birds around middle pool edges
Lapwing - 2 there as well
Where there is water:
Mallard - 60+, numbers slowly increasing although moult is well underway for many.
Tufted Duck - 14 inc female & 6 ducklings, 2/3 days old
Little Grebe - 8 inc 3 recent young
Raven - 2 heading high to the east
Whitethroat, Reed & Sedge Warbler still calling
Little Owl - 1 calling from NW of west pool last night
Greylag Geese - 4 came in low from east went out south, uncommon here.
Lapwing - 10 pairs around area, 4 on top of landfill
Grasshopper Warbler - 3 around area
Reed Warbler - 4
Sedge Warbler - 1
Skylark 12 - 15 pairs on landfill, a slight increase on last year.
Meadow Pipit - 8 pairs, same as last year
Wheatear - same area
Swallows - 2 heading fast & low to north
House Martins - same
Oystercatcher - 2 also headed north
Great crested Grebe - 2 on west pool
Yellow Wagtail - female, east side fields
Brambling - 1m/2f near New Hall farm, surprised to see them hanging around should be leaving any day now!
Golden Plover - 40 in summer plumage landed on horse paddock fields to the east. Image taken at distance as I didn't want to put them to flight.
Goosander - 3 m took off & flew SE
Great crested Grebe - 1 on west pool
Bramblings - 7 in trees near farm
Fieldfare - 50+ in trees around east pool
Redwing 3 among fieldfare
White Wagtail - east fields
Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff & Blackcaps around area
3 Wheatear on the eastern Arable today
Only thing of real note a Swallow over the landfill at 12.00
This afternoon
Goosander - 5
Great Crested Grebe-2
Merlin - A nice female fired through North
plus the usuals
Willow Warbler - 2 seen & heard north of west pool
Chiffchaff - territorial count of 9 around the pools & mound
Classic spring encounter on one of my patches today which was pretty quiet to start with until I heard a Ring Ouzel call to my right and has it shot past I managed a quick record shot, what a fabulous bird for a patch like Silver lane and it headed east over the landfill ,never to be seen again, also came across 3 Wheatear on the eastern arable 2 Males and a female ,3 Goosander,8 Little Grebe,8 Buzzard,1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Meadow Pipit and 20+ Skylarks made for a good mooch.
Picture Ring Ouzel Male shooting through East
Mute Swan - 2
Tufted Duck - 22
Raven - 1 heading SW. Beginning to think they are nesting in the Warrington area as I tend to see/hear them nearly every day now
Chiffchaff - 2 feeding & chasing each other near east pool
Chiffchaff - 1 calling near farm
Goosander - 1 pair, on middle pool before taking off & heading east
Mute Swan - 1 pair. Have been absent for a while but good to see them back
Heron - 1 on west pool
Redshank - 2 on flooded fields just east of landfill
Oystercatcher - 1 over low to south
Raven - 2 flew low to the SW
Sparrowhawk - male & female in plunging display over landfill
Meadow Pipit - 20 light movement east
Fieldfare - 350 along with
Redwing - 100
Starling - 50 all above in typical gathering in trees with notable communal singing all round!
Greylag geese - 2 flew low to the south
Raven - single also flew south
Cormorant - 2 on west pool
Goldcrest - 1 near east pool was here 2 days ago as well
plus the usuals
A flock of 30 whooper swans at Silver Lane Pools today
AM
Stonechat- 4
Pink footed Geese - 367 at various points flying west
Wigeon - 39
Tufted Duck -12...
Mute Swan -2
Teal-4
Pochard - 7
Kingfisher-1
Water Rail-2
Meadow Pipit -45
Long Tailed Tit -21
Skylark-10
Little Grebe -4
Kestrel-3
Buzzard-5
Linnet-6
Wigeon - 36 on west pool. This is the 2nd highest count I personally have had here (66 in December 2005)
Mallard - 35
Tufted Duck - 21
Pochard - 1 male
Cormorant - 4
Heron - 1
Mute Swan - 2 on east pool
Coot - 21
Pink footed Geese - 400 up over east side, probably same flock as seen previous off Holcroft lane
Great black backed gull - 1 on east pool by itself, bit unusual here!
Buzzard - 2
Kestrel - 1
In fields to the west of west pool
Fieldfare - 70
Redwing - 40
Mistle Thrush - 7
Pied Wagtail - 6
nuthatch - 1 in adjacent trees
pm of note
Goosander - 1 Pair
Buzzard -6
Wigeon-14
Mallard - 45
Pochard - 1 Female on entrance pool
Little Grebe -4
Bullfinch -2
Goldfinch -60
Cormorant -6
Tufted Duck- 20
West Pool
Cormorant - 5, numbers slowly increasing
Wigeon - 21 - not particularly common here
Pochard - 2 males
Kingfisher - several sightings on this pool recently
Teal - 3
East Pool
Goosander - male, took off circled & out west. Several sightings of this species recently
Mute Swan - 2
Generally
Tufted Duck - 23
Mallard - 25
Coot - 21
Mistle thrush - 2
Fieldfare - 150
Redwing - 40
Kestrel - female
Sparrowhawk - female
Pink footed geese - 450 put up from Lower Woolden Moss direction by a single engine plane which continued to buzz low over the local area for a good 15' pushing the geese in one direction & then another!
Lapwing - 100 also as above
Fieldfare - 100 as above
Redwing - 50
Other records from around the area included
Kestrel - 2
Buzzard - 2
Skylark - 60
Meadow Pipits - 10
Kingfisher - west pool
Mallard - 37
Tufted Duck - 16
Pochard - a pair on west pool
Shoveler - 2m/1f on west pool
Cormorant - 4
Heron - 2
Mute Swan - 2
Cormorant - 2
Heron - 1
Mallard - 65
Teal - 10
Tufted Duck - 22
Pochard - pair
Kestrel - 1
Fieldfare - 50 around the area
Redwing - 30 among them
Long tailed Tit - 15
Goldcrest - 1 among mixed flock
Reed Bunting - 6
Heron - 1
Mallard - 72, a bit of an increase on recent counts
Tufted Duck - 23
Pochard - 1, female
Lapwing - 120 in horse paddocks along east side
Common Buzzard - 4 around area
Sparrowhawk - male, cutting through trees along east side
Kestrel - 2, female & an immature
Skylark - 60 moving west in a single flock
Pheasant - 3, 2 males & a female roosting in tree
Pink footed geese - 150 flying high to the east
On & around the pools:
Cormorant - 3
Mute Swan - 2. with the demise of the original pair two new birds have taken over the pools
Mallard - 50
Teal - 3
Gadwall - 3
Kestrel - 2. adult & an immature
Black headed Gulls - 30
Lesser Black back Gulls - 10
Redwing - ca100 moving south & a few in local trees
Fieldfare - 3 in trees
Mistle Thrush - 4
Jays - 11
Stonechat - 2 pairs
Goldfinch - 50
We've been having problems with the pair for several days now. The pair have been landing on the footpath area between middle & west pool over the past 10 days & then seemingly couldn't take off again because of the rough twisting path. When I first found them last week I contacted Biffa to unlock the gate to the middle pool area which they did & we herded the pair through the gate & back onto the pool. But for some strange reason they kept going back to the same area between the fences and I've been up 3 times since to let them back onto the pool area and was there again yesterday morning to check on them & get the RSPCA involved this time, but could only see the male on the water. Because of their behaviour I began to wonder whether one or the other was ill ie lead poisoning? In between these sessions its likely that a dog or fox had a go at one of them - feathers etc as I had warned several dog owners that they might be back so be prepared to leash their dogs but then having seen some dog owners whose dog is so far out of sight that they would have no control over it anyway!
I agree with your comment re wildfowl numbers, I've never seen it so bleak & will be taking it up with certain folk!
Today at Silver Lane I found 4 Stonechat 3 female/Immatures and a crackin' Male ,also 8 Buzzard,2 Sparrowhawk,3 Kestrel ,11 Little Grebe ,60 Meadow Pipit and a Fox were of note and sadly a dead Mute Swan with its mate waiting by it on the north side of the middle pool ,were you can't get at without climbing over barbed wire,so I left it and later found evidence of it along the path by the west pool ,were a lot of swan feather were,so it seems at some point it had ended up along there,before getting back to its pool some way,whether it hit something flying in or was mauled by a dog or shot ,I don't know ,but Jonathan Platt is going to check it to see how it died tomorrow ,its sad as this pair have been on the middle pool for a couple of years on and off.The pools felt again as they had for the last few months like they are being disturbed or shot over at night as the water bird numbers are just not right ,hardly anything on all 3 waters :( So some good and some bad today ,but thats the way of things at the moment it seems .
* btw, there have been travellers at the Noggin end of Silver Lane, don't know where they are now - park safely (Medway Rd, Culcheth & walk South ?)
Common Snipe - 7
Jack Snipe - 1
Kestrel - 2
Buzzard - 2
Sparrowhawk - male, being accompanied by 50+ Meadow Pipits which it half heartily tried to take one
Grey Partridge - 5
Blackbird - 10+, in a single hawthorn tree despite being a whole hedge full of berry laden trees!
Redwing - 3 among blackbirds
A couple of House Martin and a nice wheatear were the only things that highlighted a very wet walk .
picture Wheatear Silver Lane pools
PM
Buzzard- 15 could be seen at one point from the landfill in the air surrounding the pools and farmland.
Kestrel - 6 on pools,landfill and surrounding fields
Stock Dove - 250 (good number) on surrounding arable stubble fields
Woodpigeon- 1500 on surrounding arable stubble fields
Meadow Pipit- 120 + on Landfill
Skylark-10
Tree Pipit- 1 > SE (quite late for here)
Pochard- 2 Male (West pool)
Great Crested Grebe- 1 (west pool)
Swallow - 25> S
Stonechat - 1 Female/immature picture below
Chiffchaff-4
Bullfinch-3
Little Grebe 8 + nice to see the adults on the entrance pool still have the 2 young I photographed the other weekand are now a decent size.
Gadwall-25
Tufted Duck-30
Pink Footed Geese- 78 > SE in 2 Skiens
Meadow Pipit - 160/hour heading south west as were most of the following.
Skylark - 35
Tree pipit - 2
Greenfinch - 4
Reed Bunting - 3
Swallow / House Martin - 10 each
Sand martin - 4
Quite a few birds doing same to the east & west of me but too far over for identifying.
Peregrine Falcon - east to west
Kestrel - 2 on over mound
Sparrowhawk - male being harassed by crows along south side
Great crested grebe on west pool along with 3 Cormorants
Hobby - high overhead hawking for dragonflies whilst ignoring the hirundines all around it!
Kestrel - 2 around the area occasionally happily hunting near each other & then having a go at each other!
Sparrowhawk - male being harassed by magpies
Buzzard - 4 around the area
Greylag goose - came in with a group of 78 Canada Geese
Mallard - hardly any about after previous highs!
Swift - 2 drifting south along with ca 60+/hour swallows & house martins
Yellow Wagtail - 2 high to the south
Great crested grebe - adult, bit of a rarity for these pools
Canada Goose - 10 present today, but over 300 were on the corn fields last week
Mallard - 290, the largest count I've had here in over 10 years of recording the site! As per John, 180 were milling around n the east pool alone which for a small pool was interesting to observe
Tufted Duck - 32
Teal - 3
Pochard - 2 females
Gadwall - 10
Coot - 39
Jay - 12, 11 of these in a single flock were moving south out of the area on migration?
Whitethroat - 8, 5 were feeding & moving together along the shrub line
Warblers - ca 15 exploded out from their overnight roost in a group of shrubs as I walked by, willow warblers, chiffchaff, blackcap & what looked like a garden warbler were the brief views had!
Goldfinch - 50 in single flock
AM/PM OF NOTE
Hobby - 1 adult likely a Male with size
Mallard- 223 (Large increase this week - 172 on east pool alone)
Pochard- 1 Female
Shoveler- 1 Female
Kestrel-3
Buzzard-3
Skylark-12
Swift-10
Swallow -c50>S
House Martin -5
Little Grebe-13
Willow Warbler-4
Chiffchaff-10
Whitethroat-4
Blackcap-2
Reed Bunting-2
Gadwall-31
Adult Hobby present this afternoon
Mallard - 79
Tufted Duck - 33
Pochard - 2
Shoveler - 4
Wigeon - 4 (2 days ago)
Canada Geese - 16
Heron - 3
Little Grebe - 16 inc a 2 day old chick
Kestrel - 2
Mistle Thrush - 15, on cut corn field. Nice to see the numbers.
Swift - small parties of 20 - 30 drifting through occasionally during the day
Grasshopper Warbler - still reeling 4 days ago
Cuckoo - briefly on fence & then flew off south, must have known we were in for some wet weather!
Swift - ca100 hawking across all pools
Kestrel - female
Pochard, hybrid - has been around for weeks now
PM-of note
Wheatear - 2
Yellow Wagtail-6
Whinchat-1
Swift- 40
Cuckoo-1
Tree Pipit- 1 (picture below)
The best parking at the moment is Medway Road, Culcheth and walk South to the pools
Or, park in Risley at the entrance to Silver Lane before the barrier, and walk 1 mile E to M62/J11
Or (during daytime only, though you probably shouldn't), park at Taylor Industrial Estate just S of Culcheth & walk down the track leading off by the 2nd security barrier
All these barriers are there to stop travellers, who are a big problem locally from time to time
Any chance you can tell me where the pull in 5 mins away is as all the regular watchers are walking in from the other end which takes best part of half an hour .
cheers John
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 23rd of April 2017 04:36:12 PM
Thanks for the information.
1 Cuckoo heard and seen in tall trees at back of farm fields behind the pools.
pair Grey Partridge
1mYellow Wagtail
2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers.
The actual access to the site form the m-way roundabout seems unaffected by the work here, but you can't actually park a car on the road here any more. 5 minute walk to safe roadside laybye.