Can you still get access to the site off j11 roundabout, if not ,how do you access. Thanks.

A morning for migrants

Cuckoo - first of year here & for me
Wheatear
Grasshopper warbler - first of year here
Reed Warbler - 2
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler

Residents around the area included
Lapwing - 7 pairs
Skylark - 12 pairs
Meadow Pipit - 6 pairs
Tufted Duck - 7 pairs
Pochard - single female still around
Sparrowhawk, male
Buzzard - 1 pair
Kestrel

Drizzling it may have been but some activity & movement around the area including

Little Ringed Plover - 2
Common Snipe - 1
Wheatear - 2
White Wagtail - 2
Sand Martin - 20+ moving west in rain (30 feeding over the pools 2 evenings ago)
Swallows - 6 doing same
Blackcap - 5
Chiffchaff - 6
Willow Warbler - 6

+ usual wildfowl & regular passerines

Goldeneye - female on west pool
Shoveler - male there to
Tufted Duck - 24
Pochard - female
Mute Swan - 1 pair

Sand Martin - 2 flew west

Chiffchaff - 12 around area
Blackcap - 3 (first heard locally on 28th)

Linnet - 3 pairs

A classic early Spring morning down at Silver Lane Pools today - as usual only saw a few other people and had the place to myself most of the time.
The tally apart from the usual tits, Robins, Song Thrushes, Dunnocks and Blackbirds runs like this:

260 Starling,
30+ Fieldfare,
21 Lapwing on the eastern arable,
8 Common Buzzard,
28 Skylark,
7 Reed Bunting,
1 female Stonechat,
1 male Merlin,
1 Oystercatcher,
16 Tufted Duck,
15 Mallard,
13 Coot,
10 Teal,
5 Little Grebe,
4 Cormorant,
1 Pochard
2 Mute Swan.

A luminous morning around this delightfully empty quarter - even fewer people about now that you have to walk further to get there! Good variety of birds, though overall it felt fairly quiet.
Sparrowhawk 2
Common Buzzard 3
Kestrel 1m
Merlin? I disturbed a small raptor as I walked out just past where the stonechats normally perch - it didn't look much bigger than a song thrush, but it was away very fast and I didn't see barring on the tail.
On the water:
3 Cormorant
8 Pochard
35 Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe
2 Teal
14 Mallard
26 Coot
1 Shelduck male
2 Gadwall (1pair)

Also
30 Lapwing over
30 Redwing over
A flock of 85 Fieldfare in trees on the N arable fringe, mixed with a few Starlings - not seen that combo before!
! Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Skylarks in song but not seen (over the landfill)
2 Goldcrest
2 Reed Bunting
plus the usual tits, chaffinches, goldfinches.

A dull and cold start to the day kept the place devoid of human life but around the area:

P F Geese - 70 flew low to the west
Canada Geese - 100 came in later
Mute Swan - the pair seems to be around most days
Cormorant - 2
Pochard - 19
Mallard - 38
Tufted Duck - 25
Coot - 34
Gadwall - 2 pair

Fieldfare - 100- along the east side
Stonechat - 1 pair

As of yesterday.

Common snipe - 44 - impressive numbers along the east side (37) and 7 on the grounds itself
Jack Snipe - 2 - 1 along east side & 1 on the grounds.

Mallard - 40
Pochard - 10
Tufted Duck - 6 -numbers way down on usual counts!
Coot - 34 - mostly favoring middle and east pool

Kestrel - 2 m&f

Skylark - 18 overhead
Fieldfare - 170+ on east fields
Goldfinch 70+ feeding on seed heads along east side

Unfortunately the area is opening up to the hunting fraternity which is going to limit the wildlife potential if it continues. Chap with hawk & dog along south side of mound followed later by 2 blokes & 3 hunting dogs going through the rough vegetated areas along the top of the landfill at dusk!

Damp & cool but a pleasant walk round.

Little Egret - came off the Hidden pool & flew south. A nice surprise, the last time I recorded one here was in 2011?
Mute Swan - 2 on east pool
Tufted Duck - 41
Pochard - 22
Teal - 6
Gadwall - 6
Mallard - 14, really low numbers so far this winter
Little Grebe - 3
Cormorant - 2
Coot - 38

Woodcock - Another surprise in disturbing one from shortish open grass area on east side of landfill & a
Common Snipe nearby as well
Lapwing - 150 over fields

Linnets - 50
Goldfinch - 40

A morning stroll in bright warming sunshine with notable activity among the Thrush family including

Fieldfare - 250 along the east side mostly with frequent forays onto the adjacent fields.
Redwing - 50 as above
Blackbird - 25+ quite a few with the above flocks
Song thrush - 10 - again several with the above flocks, others around the area
Mistle Thrush - 4 around the area

Kestrel - female
Yellowhammers - 4
Reed Bunting - 12
Starlings - 300 with the thrushes
Stonechat - 1 pair, south side of middle pool

West pool
Pochard - 15
Tufted Duck - 42
Cormorant - 2

East pool
Mute Swan - 2
Gadwall - 6

First visit for me today at dinner time, decent site and only 20 mins on bus from Leigh. Might even pedal it next time.

Similar sightings to Robs, but i can add a few more birds.

5 Yellowhammer
236 Redwing, mostly South
3 Reed Bunting
c20 Meadow Pipit
1 Kestrel
2 Little Grebe
1 Goldcrest
Small flocks of Redpoll and Linnet over.

Fairly quiet this morning 8 -10am apart from

Fieldfare - 200 in 2 groups flying high to SW
Woodpigeon - 200 flying high south
Skylark - 16 flew south & later 50+ up in air over landfill mound circled a few times before dropping back down again
Lapwing - 200 circling & then on to east side fields

Grey Partridge - 6 on east side of mound which in turn spooked a Hare nearby

Wildfowl seem to be preferring middle & east recently included
Mallard - 42
Gadwall - 2
Shoveler - 5
Coot - 42

West pool
Pochard - 9
Tufted Duck - 27
Mute Swan - 2

AM/PM
Fieldfare - c200 mainly on the east side

Redwing - c300 mainly on the east side

Pink Footed Geese - 37 flying SE

Stonechat-1 female

Buzzard- 4

Yellowhammer- 7

Meadow Pipit-20

Reed Bunting-20

Great spotted woodpecker-2

Siskin-2

Redpoll - 1 heard only

Goldcrest -1

Pochard- 11 (8m/3f)

Shoveler-8

Gadwall-3

Little Grebe-3

Song Thrush - c40 (migrants)

Grey Wagtail-1

Sparrowhawk-2

A Merlin came off the landfill at 2.15pm today and flew across the eastern arable fields, a Peregrine made much the same journey at 3.00pm, only appreciably higher. c200 Pinkfeet on the south side of the M62 were flushed by an aircraft. Dave Beetham flushed a Jack snipe from the area this morning. Four Shoveler, two Wigeon and ten Pochard were notable amongst the wildfowl on the pools.

Today am/ pm
Stonechat- 2

Kestrel-2

Buzzard-3

Linnet-55

Skylark-12

Meadow Pipit -20

Pochard-11

Tufted Duck- 18

Cormorant-3

Grey Heron-1

Shoveler-5 female

Teal -9

Sparrowhawk-2

Siskin-4

Song Thrush -6

Pied Wagtail-1

Redwing-60 (eastern Arable fields)

Lapwing-140 (Eastern Arable Fields)

Stonechat - 4 (3 f/imm ,1 Male)

Pink footed Geese - 11 on East arable field + 140 over NW

Meadow Pipit - 100+ around the site

Yellowhammer-1

Linnet- 40

Lapwing- c100 on eastern arable

Shoveler-5 female (East pool)

Redwing - c20

Fieldfare-10

Reed Bunting-

Juvenile Cuckoo still present late afternoon, on the landfill above East Pool. 35 Pink-footed geese on the eastern arable fields (stubble with bales).

Juvenile Cuckoo on old landfill behind HM Risley Prison, close to the old western footpath, at 2.30pm.

I've had two records of Goosander too Rob - a single fly-over and two juveniles on Middle Pool. Had a Peregrine there on Sunday evening, and a Chiffchaff by West Pool.

Sadly no bearded tit but ...

East pool
Goosander, female. Only 2nd record here in over 10 years that I'm aware of?
Great crested grebe, immature still present

West pool
Pochard 10
Cormorant 4
Canada geese 80

Goldcrest with long tailed tits
Stonechat 1

An unseen raptor - I guess, put up masses of birds at one point, the sky was full of milling lapwing 300+, starlings 300+, redwings 200, black headed gulls, wildfowl, crows & numerous finches, unfortunately couldn't see the cause!

Two local patches today and a real surprise at one of them .Today was what all my Patchwork is about ,getting the reward for doing this week in week out ,and seeing little ,but again today it proved its worth when at the first Site Silver lane I was sheltering from a heavy shower when I heard what I thought was Bearded Tit just coming into the Hidden pool,I thought it can't be ,ive never heard one fly in anywhere before, then it started calling ,I put the Binoculars up and there it was flirting along the top of Phragmites Reedbed calling incessantly has though it had got separated from others,which I assume must have carried on over the area and this one was driven down by the rain .I got a very distant record shot has it was about 80 yards away,it appeared to be a 1st winter bird . Where the eck could this have come from? I thought was it a Uk bred bird or one that had migrated from Northern Europe ,blown off course by the recent easterly winds.I know they are normally pretty sedentary ,so to get one on Migration is amazing,but more so has locally expecially in the LOS recording area ,I cannot remember the last proven record of this species,so its a real rarity and for me better than any of the East Yorkshire celebrity birds,and a self found which is the real bonus.
I tried to get closer,but suddenly has I walked around to the other side of the pool,I heard it go up in the air again,I managed to get it in my binoculars again has it rose to about 100 feet circling ,then it headed off over the west pool and kept going until I lost it,what a great encounter and such a special bird. :) so what else did I see today ....
16.10.2016
Silver Lane pools
Bearded Tit- 1 first winter(record shot below)
Buzzard-4
Fieldfare-65
Redwing-20
Pochard-12
Tufted Duck- 16
Cormorant-4
Stonechat-1
Meadow Pipit-60+
Skylark-50+
Linnet- 45
Kestrel-2
Bullfinch-2
Grey Partridge -12
plus the usuals click on the view image to see picture ,for some reason no thumbnail is showing :)

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 16th of October 2016 06:31:01 PM

A Bearded Tit flew high towards the west pool at 12:40 today after the rain had cleared but has not been relocated since.

Info thanks to John Tymon

09/10/2015
Wigeon- 4 (East pool)
Great crested Grebe- 1 (East Pool)
Tufted Duck- 16
Pochard-8
Sparrowhawk- 1
Chiffchaff-7
Siskin-10
Goldfinch-20
Linnet- 47
Meadow Pipit - 23
Kestrel-1 with a mouse.
Jack Snipe- 1 which jumped out of a ditch at the front of me dropped back in 10 feet away in the same ditch,when I walked up to it I couldn't see it,they are beggars to see Jack snipe.
Pink Footed Geese - 170 > NW

From yesterday.

Great crested grebe - on east pool, a rarity here
Wigeon 2 - have been hanging around the east for several days now
Pochard 9 - 7 males & 2 females on west pool
Stonechat 2 - female & an immature south of mid pool

Pink footed geese - ca 250 moving around the local fields most days
Common Snipe 4 - on east fields.
Merlin - along with 50+ Linnets in same area
Fieldfare 14 - came in high from the east before dropping into trees nearby
Long tailed tits - 2 flocks of 12 & 15 around the area with 2 Chiffchaff among them
Light southerly movement of chaffinch, meadow pipit, skylark & pied wagtail noted

This Afternoon In between Penny flash visits
Ring Ouzel - 1 adult Male
Pink Footed Geese - 600 coming in from North turning west and heading off towards Martin Mere -3 flocks

stuart lewis-gough wrote:

---

Hi Jonathan, could you tell me which is east and west pools please. Is west nearest to M62 ?

---

Hi Stuart,

There are three main pools at Silver Lane - East, Middle and West - which, unsurprisingly, spread across the site from east to west :) They're all pretty much the same distance from the motorway but if you're parked at J11 and walk along the Eastern Footpath you'll hit East Pool first, then Middle, then West. The arrow on this map should mark East Pool:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366475&Y=393867&A=Y&Z=115&ax=366715&ay=394175

Cheers
Jonathan

Seven Pochard on West Pool and a Kingfisher on East Pool were of interest this afternoon. The Kingfisher has been present for several weeks but is elusive and seemingly utilizes all the pools, from the Entrance Pool to West Pool, unless there's more than one of course? Also my first Siskins of the autumn, on Silver Lane itself - at least two in the alders in Motorway Wood.

Vis mig between 10 - 12 today.

House Martins & Swallows ca 300/hour mostly using the disused railway line & fields to the east as a feeding flyway with HMs outnumbering SWs 10:1
Sand Martin - 2 among them
Pied Wagtails - 6/hr
Meadow Pipits - 20/hr
Skylark - 10/hr

Other sighting around the area included
Cormorant - 4 flying high to the west
Pink footed geese - 25 flew east
Merlin being harassed by crow & magpie over east side before heading out fast to the east
Kestrel - 2
Buzzards - 3
Great spotted woodpecker
Linnet flock of ca100 with 20+ goldfinch among them around the fields
Mixed tit flock with long tailed tit x 20; Chiffchaff 3; Goldcrest 2 & several great & blue tits
Teal - 9 on east pool
Yellowhammer - pair in tree in middle of field

11-1

Pink footed Geese- 13 flying nw
Meadow Pipit-45
Tufted Duck-52
Common Buzzard-2
Wigeon-1 Female
Little Grebe-6
Black Headed Gull- 220
Lesser Black Backed Gull- 22
Teal - 36 on east pool and hidden pool
Goldfinch-40
Linnet - 22
Swallow-10
House Martin - 20

Vismigging between 8.30- 11am. Despite a cool F1-2 south westerly there was a steady movement of birds south/hour inc:

House martins - an impressive 750
Swallows - 250
Pied Wagtail - 15
Grey Wagtail - 2
Meadow Pipits - 22
and a few of the usual's skylark, chaffinch, greenfinch & goldfinch

Of note though were
Woodlark - 1 - overhead & clear views but there could have been 2 as the 2nd bird some 10' later was some way over to the west & unclear
Crossbill - 4

The following are some vis mig results of interest from the 15th September which I was unable to put up then due to last minute packing/panic for a few days away but included:
Crossbill - 18 (14 + 4 later)
Tree Pipit - 2
Common Snipe - 6 flying high & direct to the south
Blue Tit - 3 also high heading south
Pied Wagtail - 8

Silver Lane Pools -18.09.2016. two visits 06.45- 0900 & 11.00- 15.00
Two visits to silver lane today one first thing in the fog to see if the Red Backed Shrike that was found yesterday by Paul Richardson was still present,which has I expected after such a clear night ,it wasn't ,and second visit to do my normal patching to see what was about. I did a full cover of the site on the second visit and a 2 hour vis mig watch under a small bush in the shade from the top looking towards rivington Pike across a great vista of industy,urban,Mossland and Famland what did I see...
Kingfisher-1 on small pool at entrance to site
Tufted Duck-c60
Pochard-2
Wigeon-1
Sparrowhawk-1
Linnet-140 (50 on Landfill,the rest on the arable fields to the east)
Kestrel-3
Meadow Pipit -45
Skylark-25
Teal -8
Stock Dove- 25
Goldfinch-30
Little Grebe-8

During the 2 Hour vis mig- Most birds flying SSW 12.00-14.00
Swallow -c 800 all all in the main flying SSW
House Martin - c 200
Sand Martin- c20
Common Buzzard - 8 all up in the thirmals at one time between the Landfill and Leigh.
Meadow Pipit - 170
Tree Pipit- 1
Skylark- 120
Yellow Wagtail-1

no pictures taken today ,couldn't be bothered smile emoticon:) in the morning there were probably 40 people present looking for the shrike ,when I left there was just me,sound about reet smile emoticon

No sign of shrike 7-9 but foggy at sl

John Watson wrote:

---

Red-Backed Shrike still at 18:10

Park at M62/J11, take footpath from W of jct into former tip, view bird 100 yards on R

Do not use public footpath from E of jct as it may flush bird

---

Just be aware that the landfill isn't officially open yet. If you enter and someone from BIFFA sees you, you'll be asked to leave.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 17th of September 2016 08:49:24 PM

A splendid session late afternoon watching the Red-backed Shrike hunting (attempted to take a Southern Hawker) and eating from its larder (an impaled frog). Poor video grab of the larder.

Cheers John

Red-Backed Shrike still at 18:10

Park at M62/J11, take footpath from W of jct into former tip, view bird 100 yards on R

Do not use public footpath from E of jct as it may flush bird

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike still present but elusive, now near the M62 parking area.

Info thanks to Brian Fielding

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike present this afternoon, found by by Paul Richardson.

The bird was about 200m up the approach track to Silver Lane Pools from the M62 roundabout parking location. Bird was on the far side of the line of bushes to the left of the track, hunting on the scrubby vegetation of the landfill side.

Photos below by (and copyright to) finder Paul Richardson

AM/PM
Whinchat-2
Yellow Wagtail-2
Meadow Pipit-c40
Tree Pipit-1
Sparrowhawk-2
Linnet-30
Goldfinch-40
Skylark-25
plus the usuals