2-6.15pm 08/09/11-with Charlie Owen
Black Tern -1 arrived in storm at 4.45 pm, still middle of flash when I left best viewed from by the yacht clubs
Arctic tern-1 juv arrived again in company of the black tern and stayed with it all the timeapart from once landing on the spit in heavy rain
coot-1100(700 at the west end of flash-300 east end and 100 in various pools,and rammies).
chiff chaff-1
green sandpiper-2
swift-2
plenty swallow ,sand martin.house martin
plus the usuals



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 8th of September 2011 09:06:28 PM

Black Tern at 4:50pm, in front of the yacht club.

Info thanks to John Tymon

This morning Black-necked Grebe at the western end.

Also:

Pintail still present
9 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler around Ramsdales Hide
3 Green Sandpipers

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

3.45pm - 5.45pm
Just to add to Johns list for today

4 Willow tits at the Bunting hide with one just being missed by a male Sparrowhawk.
1 Common tern struggling in the wind
I waited for 25 minutes standing between the wooden bridge and the road bridge before the Dipper shot through, briefly stopping on the weed covered rocks just past the road bridge before flying off.
2 Grey wagtails in the same area as the Dipper

am/pm
common snipe-1
Dipper-1(now even taken to using the fishing pegs at the exit of the flash of the river to rest up,and on the concrete path under the bypass bridge today in the puddles of water)
green sandpiper-4
pintail-1f
Goldeneye-2f
pochard-12
kestrel-3
sparrowhawk-1
common buzzard-1
hobby-1 over wendy house(east bay hide)pm
stacks of sand martin,swallow,house martin
Swift-2
grey wagtail-2
chiff chaff-2
willow warbler-1
blackcap-2
common tern-3 (pm through south during storm)
good numbers of shoveler,gadwall
wigeon-4 (in south east bay)
teal -50+
kingfisher-1
Jay-2
plus the usuals





-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 03:51:16 PM

This morning:

Pintail
Peregrine
2 Goldeneye
4 Green Sandpiper
1 Common Tern
Dipper still present

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

A closer look of the flock Paul revealed rough totals of 500 House Martin, 80 Sand Martin and 60 Swallows. Never easy to count though

Coots were easier to count though and a very accurate count produced a splendid 1024 in total!

---

early am between 8-11 expecially in the heavy storm at 8.30 there were 2000+ swallows firing through,and 1000+ house martin,and 500+ sand martin

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 06:24:47 AM

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 06:26:10 AM

Two Hobby fighting over Ramsdales Ruck at 4:20, first seen by Tim Mitchell.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

A closer look of the flock Paul revealed rough totals of 500 House Martin, 80 Sand Martin and 60 Swallows. Never easy to count though

Coots were easier to count though and a very accurate count produced a splendid 1024 in total!

Huge flock of House Martins over flash today, a very rough estimate would be 600 plus, I think the biggest flock I have seen in GM,.

Joe Wynn wrote:

---

1100-1500 Walk about. Mainly concentrating on looking for Dipper, found it eventually, near to the bridge. A really good looking bird. Much the same as John, but with 3 Stock Dove and 3 Willow Tit at the Bunting hide and a Shoveler in front of Horrocks.

Was it you John I was talking to briefly outside Horrocks hide?

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Tuesday 6th of September 2011 05:27:37 PM

---

yep that wes me

An afternoon mooch from 3.00 to 4.30. Birds of note were:

6 Pochard - all drakes.
2 Wigeon
1 Pintail - female still in Rammies.
4 Green Sandpiper - teal scrape
2 Common Tern passing through.

Water level seems to have risen quite a bit in the last 24 hours.

1100-1500 Walk about. Mainly concentrating on looking for Dipper, found it eventually, near to the bridge. A really good looking bird. Much the same as John, but with 3 Stock Dove and 3 Willow Tit at the Bunting hide and a Shoveler in front of Horrocks.

Was it you John I was talking to briefly outside Horrocks hide?

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Tuesday 6th of September 2011 05:27:37 PM

AM
Merlin- 1 f >s over spit
Dipper-1
Masses of sand martin/house martin/swallow
green sandpiper-2
nuthatch-1
Goldeneye-2f
wigeon-4
kestrel-2
coot-900+(but just had a message Ian has had over 1000)
plus the usuals


-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 6th of September 2011 03:29:29 PM

Joe Wynn wrote:

---

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Dipper-1 juv usual spot

---

Just checking, is that the stream before the main car park as you go in?

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Monday 5th of September 2011 06:41:05 PM

---

yep

2 Swifts through about 1215 today

Sunday evening:

480 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls roosted, approx 10 Herring Gull and 2 Common Gull
Kingfisher crossing the Flash, the speed they reach and maintain over distance is always impressive

9 Meadow Pipit and 5 Skylark on Ramsdale's Ruck

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Dipper-1 juv usual spot

---

Just checking, is that the stream before the main car park as you go in?

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Monday 5th of September 2011 06:41:05 PM

am/pm
Dipper-1 juv usual spot
common tern-8 through south 12 pm
green sandpiper-4
coot-800+(mainly in the se corner)
Goldeneye-2f
Wigeon-4
lots of sand martin .house martin and swallow
kestrel-3 flying together at teal scrape
sparrowhawk-1 being chased by a kestrel
pochard-8
willow tit-3
shoveler-46
gadwall-60+
plus the usuals

pm
green sandpiper-5
pintail-1f
wigeon-3
kestrel-2
little grebe-5
kingfisher-1
skylark-8
meadow pipit-2
common snipe-1
water rail-1
plus the usuals

Dipper very active this morning in usual place. Not, though, been seen this afternoon.

This morning so far:

Whinchat on Ramsdales Ruck (in the patch of really tall brown weeds)
Female Pintail still in front of Ramsdales Hide
2 Green Sandpipers

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

11-3.30
mooch wi foggy(Jon Taverner) and Clegg(Charlie Owen)
Nuthatch -1 showing well at bunting hide
kingfisher-1 sat on post for 20+ mins at the edmonson hide
Green Sandpiper-6
Pintail-1 f now on the scrapes at the front of Rammies Hide
Dabchicks-7
Wigeon-5
Goldeneye-2f
plus the usuals

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 3rd of September 2011 06:06:57 PM

8am-9.30am

2 Ruff on the spit. ACounty first for me.
3 Green Sandpipers from the Teal Hide. 1 was tucked in on the right hand side, in a pool under a willow tree.
A Nuthatch amongst others from the Bunting Hide.

2 Ruff on the spit at 10:10 this morning.

Observer Bill Harrison, info thanks to Barry Hulme

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 3rd of September 2011 09:12:42 AM

Not much of note this morning in light of the birds from earlier in the week. Kingfisher on the spit, female Pintail in Rammies and 2 Green Sandpiper on the teal scrape plus all the usuals.

Mid-am today:

Single Garden Warbler around the pond by the Slag Lane car park
120 House Martin

pm
HOBBY- 1 chasing lesser black backed gulls very high above horrock and across the rucks 1pm-1.10
Dipper-showing well in usual place -3.30-4pm
swift- 1 over the rucks
plus the usuals

Much appreciated.
I would be fine but my 7 year old will soon lose interest if she has to hang around.
Thanks very much

Adam Jones wrote:

---

Does anyone know at roughly what time the hides are opened at the weekends?

Many thanks

---

It can be as early as 6am but it depends when the warden/key holder gets there. If you get there for 7am then you should be ok.

Adam Jones wrote:

---

Does anyone know at roughly what time the hides are opened at the weekends?

Many thanks

---

It all depends which birders are there who have keys as to how early, so it can be variable. Often it will be 6am but certainly by 7 most days.

Does anyone know at roughly what time the hides are opened at the weekends?

Many thanks

This morning's sightings so far:

Single Ruff on the spit
2 Green Sandpiper
Female Pintail still present
Single Greenshank

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Plus a Nuthatch at the Bunting hide this afternoon.

Apart from the clearout of all the unusual species, more regular stuff seen included:

1 Kingfisher - showed brilliantly from both teal hide and later tom edmonson hide
c40 Swifts - over the rucks
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Reed Warbler
2 Blackcaps
1 Willow Warbler
4+ Chiffchaffs
1 Stock Dove
2 Bullfinches
1 Muscovy Duck

3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Shoveler, teal, gadwall and mallard. at Teal Scrape 1-00pm
good view of a fox from Edmundson hide, restricted for time so didn't go searching for Dipper. 12-15p.m.
Nuthatch kept bobbing in at feeding station early afternoon along with a couple of willow tit plus usual greenfinch, chaffinch, bullfinch, great tit, blue tit and robin.
nice views of 2 Buzzard just to left of main Atherleigh rd junction when leaving.

-- Edited by Bernard McGurrin on Thursday 1st of September 2011 02:52:34 PM

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Negative news from Pennington Flash this morning with no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper, Red-crested Pochard, Pintail or Dipper! The latter at least is of course elusive at the best of times though!

Info thanks to Barry Hulme and James Walsh

---

reet everybody back to horwich moors now and leave the flash to me fert weekend

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Thursday 1st of September 2011 12:32:44 PM

1 Green Sandpiper Teal Scrape early morning, also 10 Pochard main lake

Negative news from Pennington Flash this morning with no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper, Red-crested Pochard, Pintail or Dipper! The latter at least is of course elusive at the best of times though!

Info thanks to Barry Hulme and James Walsh

Called in at 1.00pm this afternoon to try and get a few shots of the star birds.

Curlew Sandpiper was distant though; feeding on its favorite island and the Red Crested Pochard was fast asleep. I did manage one shot though when it momentarily lifted its head.

Female Red Crested Pochard still there at 2.30, from Teal Hide.
Juv Curlew Sandpiper still too, 3 Green Sandpipers.
Female Pintail from Tom Edmondson hide
Plenty of Gadwall and Great Crested Grebes.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 03:54:43 PM

red crested pochard just flown off from teal apparently -info J.Taverner
must have returned -see post above

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 31st of August 2011 02:57:49 PM

curlew sandpiper -a lot closer in during the last hour-right under the hide for any photographers who are not stuck in work like me-info Charlie Owen

Female Red-crested Pochard (yesterdays bird from Dover Basin) now present in Teal Scrape.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Pintail still present this morning too.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper still present on Teal Scrape this morning.

Also, a single Raven flew over south at 7:15.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Curlew Sandpiper still present at 7pm this evening from the Teal Hide.
Pintail also still present from the Edmonson Hide.

Glad I managed to catch up with them both.

Curlew Sandpiper still present on Teal Scrape 4.15pm
Dipper present 5.10pm under Atherleigh Way bridge - showed very well for at least 10 minutes

curlew sandpiper teal scrape 15.00 hours 8 green sandpipers
female pintail tom edmonson hide
dipper under tne bridge
nice to meet Karen again

The juvenile (not adult) Curlew Sandpiper still present at 12:56. Preferring the small island in front of the raft on Teal Scrape.