11.00 to 12.30 Today
No sign of any Godwit at the Western end, probably due to a powered dinghy trawling up and down there.
Eventually located in front of Ramsdale's Hide......Black-tailed Godwit ...1...Nice and Red.

Common (drake) Scoter showing well, on zoom, in front of the Sailing Club.
Often doing fly abouts in that area.
Usuals included, 20 plus Snipe on the Little Spit and 2 Shelduck...Ramsdale's.


-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 31st of March 2012 01:26:46 PM

Late morning sightings with Riggers

Common Scoter still present
70+ Sand Martin
At least 2 Blackcap singing
Chiffchaff
Kingfisher
Redshank
Shelduck

plus the usuals

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 31st of March 2012 12:19:56 PM

I walk, as I live locally. So know nothing about fees, but I see your point. As for my directions from Manchester on A580 they are spot on. Maybe it's the Morrisons bit thats odd. Why do I get the feeling I have caused offence.

I always walk in via Pennington Hall and the back of the Park Inn and down the river. I find it more tranquil and fruitful.

Pre- 9am today:

100+ Sand Martin
2 Black-tailed Godwit

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Paul, photos cannot be posted on the forum I'm afraid, as per the sticky posts at the top of this forum.

Your directions to Pennington Flash are decidedly odd though and I'm not sure I know anyone else who actually visits this way? I'm not sure why anyone would begrudge the £1:20 car parking fee in the main car park, which indirectly at least assists greatly with getting most of the work done around the flash, work which we as birders and the birds themselves benefit greatly from. I'm also not sure why, when you'd walked under the by-pass, you'd then have to walk across the gold course; which is not recommended at the best of times

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 30th of March 2012 10:48:30 PM

turn right at first lights after The Greyhound Island and onto Leigh bypass. Go straight through next lights. On your right park on Morrisons car park. Walk behind Park Inn, follow river under bypass and across the golf course. Welcome to Pennington Flash. for Kaz

-- Edited by Paul Pennington on Friday 30th of March 2012 10:31:00 PM

4 Jay's near Common Lane footbridge 5pm.
Great spotted woodpecker 6pm - in big trees near Bunting hide.
Kingfisher on river exiting main flash. 7pm
ps have photographs of woodpecker. Can it be posted within this reply?

-- Edited by Paul Pennington on Friday 30th of March 2012 10:06:29 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 30th of March 2012 10:46:59 PM

Try this site (there's a button you can click for a link to googlemaps:

http://www.visitgreenheart.com/PenningtonFlash

Steve

Cheers for the link there Steve! Great info, makes it even more of a 'Must Visit Venue'... no map on it though :(

Kaz

I'll see you tomorrow morning Paddy, be good to meet up again and fingers crossed we'll find something decent!!

Patrick Baglee wrote:

---

John. I'll be down there between 7.30-9.30am tomorrow (Saturday) in long trousers... I'll keep my eyes peeled for you and Mr B. Haven't seen Paul since the Veery! Best, Patrick

---

too early for me i will be workin til 11 ,so on later,but met si thi around :)

You don't have far too look, Kaz - it's on this very website

http://www.manchesterbirding.com/penningtonflashsiteguide.htm

Would love to have a good nosey round Pennington - Where is the best place to park? I'd be driving in along the A580 from Manchester.

I don't seem to be able to local a decent site map either, I'd be particularly interested to visit 'my' (Horrocks) hide ;)

Again, any info you guys can point me in the direction of, I'd be grateful!

Kaz

John. I'll be down there between 7.30-9.30am tomorrow (Saturday) in long trousers... I'll keep my eyes peeled for you and Mr B. Haven't seen Paul since the Veery! Best, Patrick

pm
Black tailed Godwit-2
Chiffchaff-8
Sand Martin -150 +
shelduck-4
Dunlin-1 strange has it had black breast one side and white the other,it was like a winter and summer plumage all in one
redshank-8+
oystercatcher-6
common snipe-6
Goldeneye still-6+
Blackcap-3
Little ringed plover-2
Goosander-2 f
Plus the usuals



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 30th of March 2012 04:58:02 PM

Hey Paddy me old mate. One has been resident down on the western end sandbank for a week or so but the others seem more mobile and may well be birds moving between Lightshaw. If you haven't been to the latter site in a while it's well worth a look

Ian, whereabouts are the Godwit(s)? Still at western end? Thinking of nipping down later today or first thing Friday/Saturday morning. Thanks, and regards, Patrick

2 Little Ringed Plover present on the sandbank at the western end this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

9am-1.30pm

2 Black Necked Grebe - seen from Horrocks Hide at 9am but not relocated between 12.30-1.30pm
3 Goosander
4 Shelduck
2 Black tailed Godwit
5 Redshank
7 Snipe
1 Buzzard
1 Treecreeper
3 Blackcap
several Chiffchaff

plus the usuals

no sign of any Little Ringed Plover

Baggers wrote:

---

Ian, whereabouts are the Godwit(s)? Still at western end? Thinking of nipping down later today or first thing Friday/Saturday morning. Thanks, and regards, Patrick

---

turn up on sat and the old penny A team may be whole once more as Brownys back for good as they saybut don't turn up in wellies and shorts ot thal be on thi own

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 29th of March 2012 07:09:05 PM

More sightings from today, prior to 10:30am:

3 Black-tailed Godwit
29 Snipe
5 Redshank

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Up to 4:50pm today:

2 adult Mediterranean Gulls on the spit.
Single Black-tailed Godwit still on the sandbank at the western end.
Female Pintail (of captive origin ) on Teal scrape.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

The star raptor spotter Charlie Owen had an Osprey fly through around 1120

Willow Warbler at the western end this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

3 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ringed Plover, a male Peregrine and 3 Blackcap this morning

A full circuit early afternoon today:

18 singing Chiffchaff
2 singing Blackcap
Single Black-tailed Godwit still present on the sandbank at the western end

Further sightings from today, early morning though: -

31 Snipe
9 Redshank
6 Goosander

No Little Ringed Plovers.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Up to 4 pm today:

Single Dunlin on the spit
Single Black-tailed Godwit still on the sandbank at the western end

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

LATE AM/PM
2 Little ringed plover on the teal scrapes(first of spring)

Sightings from very early this morning:

Single Little Ringed Plover
Black-tailed Godwit on the sand bank at the western end (been here about a week now!).
8 Shelduck
21 Snipe

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Later in the afternoon:

8 Black-tailed Godwits
5 singing Chiffchaffs

Info thanks to Paul Brown

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 25th of March 2012 09:29:39 PM

Black-necked Grebe still present at 1130hrs on the main flash.

Black-necked Grebe just off the spit this morning at 08:15.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

This morning:

Peregrine flew SW
2 Curlew
8 Redshank
4 Goosander
1 Black-tailed Godwit

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Hi Martyn, nice to meet you too. But I still can't decide who was following who!

After I left you I saw a willow tit at the Bunting Hide - only 1 unfortunately - and then, back at Horrocks, I counted 6 redshanks. I didn't count the oystercatchers but I think there were a few more than earlier - possibly as many as 8 to 10.

Early morning today:

Single Yellowhammer over the western end of the flash.
Single Chiffchaff at the western end.

Maybe John.

I don't recall seeing a ring on her either but then again whenever I saw her out of water her legs were always hidden by vegetation. There was no sign of the usual female in her normal haunts yesterday at the same time as this individual was by the car park. Always seemed odd that a Pintail would stay at the flash since the 19th August last year though? Females moult some body, wing and tail feathers in spring so that may account for its appearance.

Non of that necessarily means its the same bird though of course

Both Mediterranean Gulls were in the water of the top end of the spit this afternoon and later in amongst the Black-headed Gulls and Cormorantsn on the spit. There were also lots of Lapwing, two Redshank and at least five Oystercatchers on the spit as well as the usuals at Horrocks Hide.

A Wren flew out of Pengy's Hide as I entered and a Dunnock was preening itself in the vegetation very close to the right hide window. Pairs of Great Crested Grebe, Teal and Mallard were on the water.

All the usual suspects were at Bunting Hide but nothing uncommon.

Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Teal and Lapwing were amongst the regulars at Teal Hide. I had a great view of a singing Chiffchaff high in tree outside Teal Hide and later I heard another in the trees opposite Ramsdale's hide. Two Cormorants flew low over Ramsdale's Hide as I entered, where the sun made it very difficult to see anything except for a pair of Great Crested Grebes.

Only one Grey Heron at Tom Edmonson's hide today plus lots of Magpies.

A lovely sunny afternoon - I'm so glad I went out. It was aslo nice to meet Jim from both Edinburgh and Bootle!

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Wednesday 21st of March 2012 07:05:37 PM

Oh no, captive leg ring ... luckily I have seen them at Marshside in their hundreds otherwise that would be another species to be erased from my scant UK list
Anyway, glad to see that she is now enjoying non-captive life, a large majority of it in the lagoons and waters of The Flash!

This morning both adult Mediterranean Gulls present in the spit.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Yesterday, 2 Sand Martins through late pm and the long-staying female Pintail was hanging around the back of the burger can sporting what appears to be a captive leg ring

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

This morning both adult Mediterranean Gulls present in the spit.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Yesterday, 2 Sand Martins through late pm and the long-staying female Pintail was hanging around the back of the burger can sporting what appears to be a captive leg ring

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

---

could it be a second Female as the one round the pools has been seen many times on land without mention of a ring,I can't remember seeing it,but I thought the one by the car park the other week was a lot tatier than our normal one-most likely im wrong ,but you never know as the one by the car park was definately with a male mallard,where the normal one is normally alone.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 21st of March 2012 10:33:58 AM

Late afternoon visit today.

1 Mediterranean Gull visible on the spit. The other may have been with it but my view was slightly obscured.
4 Curlew flew in at 4.25pm and landed briefly on the spit before flying off west.
5 Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
1 Chiffchaff - my first of spring.

4pm today( short visit):

At least 1 Mediterranean Gull at end of Spit
Also there:
Redshank...3
Oystercatcher ...2
Lesser Black-backed Gull...3
Shelduck...1

10.00 - 13.30

2 med gull on spit
3 willow tit bunting hide
1 sand martin
1 chiffchaff
13 snipe
redshank, several on spit, sorry didnt count but more than 4

10:30-4:00

2 med gulls spit
2 treecreeper
1 black-t-godwit
7 redshank
loads of goldeneye, tufted duck etc.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 18th of March 2012 09:09:02 PM

pm
2 mediterranean gulls - 1 again under car park taking bread,then returned to point
pintail-1f
chiffchaff-2
lesser redpoll-30
black tailed godwit-1
shelduck-4
goosander-12
goldeneye-49
great crested grebe-37
kingfisher-2
grey wagtail-1 pair
plus the usuals

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 18th of March 2012 06:17:41 PM

2 mediterranean gulls on spit 9.20

1 chiffchaff singing near Plank Lane car park 8.45

So far this morning:

Chiffchaff singing by Teal Hide
6 Redshank
23 Snipe
Single Black-tailed Godwit
12 Goosander
4 Shelduck

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Interestingly, one of the Mediterranean Gulls is metal ringed.

The 2 Med Gulls were coming to bread off the carpark. Also seen were 68 Tufted Duck, 43 Teal,49 Goldeneye, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 36 Lesser Redoll with atleast 1 Siskin with them and 9 Redshank.