7.30 ish am , lightshaw 8 mallard

dover basin and area around pub
1 greenfinch
30 goldfinch
29 mistle thrushes over
1 heron
2 tufted
1 moorhen
20 wood pigeon
12 mallard
8 oystercatchers over
1 pheasant
2 coot
1 kestrel
6 swallows
10 house martins
1 hobby perched up two feet from a nervous looking wood pigeon

cheers geoff

dover basin am
1 king fisher 1 gropper (heard only but probably 2 or more)
4 tufted 2 coot
3 moorhen 1 goldcrest
1 little grebe 1 water rail (heard)
8 mallard 1 female teal
1 common tern 1 shoveler with two young chicks

cheers geoff

early am
lightshaw, 35+ goldfinch 40 mallard 2 lapwing 1 hobby (perched up for a few minutes deep profound joy)

dover basin, 6 lapwing 15 mallard,1 tufted with chicks,1 snipe,2 grey heron

cheers geoff

early am

lightshaw nothing and i do mean nothing apart from some cows
dover basin 6 mallard 1 tufted still with 4 well grown young uns lots of sedge warblers singing but not much else

dover pub ,4 swallows and 6+house martins in car park gathering mud,kestrel and heron over

cheers geoff

a walk from the terminus to crankwood and back down past lightshaw and dover basin
(cue banjo)
all the hedgerow birds with lots of singing whitethroat and at least three song thrushes
,swallows feeding young on the canal

lightshaw 1 tufted ,the water level is up and/or someone,s been shooting
1 little owl on the barn
1 buzzard on his post
dover basin
only mallard and tufted with young
2 buzzard over giving cracking views and lots of calling
1 kestrel

good to back birding in gm cheers geoff

2 broods of Tufted Ducks here today - a brood of 10 at Lightshaw and a brood of 6 at Dover.

17/6/08 midday

ad & juv Little Ringed Plover on Dover Basin,
6 Redshank,
2 Buzzards,
Mute Swan w/5 cygnets on the canal.

dover basin still same as last post minus the swifts(just one or two)dover car park pied wagtail and grey wagtail, swallows and house martins along the canal,couple of whitethroat singing and some tasty views of willow warblers in the morning sunshine,why holiday anywhere else

cheers geoff

dover lock car park and dover basin evening 12/06/08

dover basin 'brimming'
6 lapwing 6 redshank
4 oystercatchers
2 male wotsits displaying
1 grey heron
50+ swift

dover lock car park
20 house martins
2 goldfinch
2 adult swallows(4 just fledged juv in and out the nest for flight training)
2 common tern
6 bh gull
1 kestrel
1 mute swan ad 5 cygnets
not another birder to be seen(you know who you are)
cheers geoff

Dover Basin 08/06

Shoveler- pair with 10 ducklings
Redshank- 6
Grasshopper Warbler- 1
Lesser Whitethroat- 1
Barn Owl- 1

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

A half-grown Redshank chick at Lightshaw Hall Flash today.

29/5/08 (05:15 - 08:30)

2 Shelduck,
3 Redshank,
Oystercatcher,
Buzzard `hunting` on the ground,
2 Grasshopper Warblers,
Garden Warbler,
Grey Partridge,
4 Greylags w/8 goslings along the canal,
2 Common Terns,
drk Pochard,
6 Gadwall,
4 Linnets.

dover pub car park and canal,swifts ,swallows,house martins, goldfinch,kestrel ,buzzard
sedge warbler and a family party of pied wagtails

cheers geoff

Did my Mayhem thing here yesterday (24 May)

other than the usuals i also got:

1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Cuckoo
2 Lesser Whitethroat
1Grasshopper Warbler
and a fly-over drake Pochard

also of interest was a Willow Warbler which, in-between it's bursts of willow warbler song, had a strange high-pitched quiet Chiffchaff song.

20/5/08 early a.m.

Dover & Lightshaw :

Buzzard,
2 Shelduck,
4 Redshank,
Little Owl,
2 Yellowhammer,
Common Tern,
Stock Dove,
4 Shoveler (all drakes),
3 Gadwall,
drk Teal,
small numbers of Swifts, House Martins and a single Sand Martin.

Cuckoo calling from Crankwood.

mon19/05/08 evening till dark, all much as reported, dover basin 2 shelduck commuting to lightshaw 2 redshank fighting over who sits on that particular post 2 grey heron and 1 juv(first for me) had to get the collins out for that one.star of the show a g s woodpecker
on the dead tree in front of the new viewing area for 15 mins or so 'magic '

i,ll find a tree pipet there soon

cheers geoff

From the directions you give Brian, that sounds like Coffin Brook Flash, (if you mean the first pool that you come to after the pub). There`s a map of the Abram Flashes in the 2005 County Bird Report.

cuckoo calling near the dover lock pub. approx 9.30pm

I dont know the local place names. Is that the dover basin? the small lake/flash a bit further up from the pub heading towards wigan flashes on the left.

it was calling from there anyway, whatever its called :o/

is there a map online with all the flashes/place names labelled?

14/5/08 (05:30-09:30)

(1st summer) LITTLE GULL on Lightshaw Flash from 06:00 till 06:25 mooching about with two Black-headed Gulls. It flew off towards Pennington.

Buzzard,
3 Redshank,
3 Oycs,
Common Tern along the canal,
2 Greylags over Dover heading back towards Wigan.
2 Grey Partridge.
Heard a Cuckoo from Crankwood area

12 May - early morning (first ever visit)

Lightshaw Flash:

Dunlin 2
Redshank 3
Oystercatcher 1
Little Ringed Plover 1
Snipe 1 flew over
Lapwing 12+ incl 2 chicks
Shoveler 2
Gadwall 5
Teal 2
LBB Gull 2

reeling Grasshopper Warbler, plus singing Chiffchaff, Lesser Whiterthroats (2), Garden Warbler (2) and Sedge Warbler (2) and commoner species.


Dover Basin:

Water Rail -1 on edge of reeds, plus same or another squealing
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 2
Lapwing 6 + 1 chick
Shelduck 2
Tufted Duck 2
Shoveler 2
Gadwall 4
Mallard female with 16 ducklings
Kestrel 1

singing Reed Warblers (3), Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler,

Mute Swan pair with 5 cygnets on canal
2 Canada broods of 8 and 5

Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Reed Buntings everywhere

-- Edited by declan savage at 19:31, 2008-05-12

9/5/08 late am

Lightshaw-

Grasshopper Warbler singing and showing well from canal.
Little Owl
2 Dunlin
1 Common Sand
2 Redshank
2 Shelduck
Teal, Gadwall and shoveler.

Dover-

1 Shelduck
2 Oystercatcher
1 Redshank
2 Common Tern

6.30ish
dover basin 1 shellduck 1 shoveler 1 buzzard 1 cuckoo(crankwood),coot moorhen gadwall,
cow fields,house martin ,swallow,reed bunting,sedge warbler,heron,grey partridge,skylark,blue great long tailed,goldfinch,greenfinch,grey wagtail,both whitethroats,kestrel,blackbird,robin, wren,starling,just practiising for my eco day

cheers geoff

Geoff, I was there around 8-ish, before I got whisked away............

2 Black-tailed Godwits on Dover,
5 Shelduck, very mobile,
2 Redshank,
Oyc,
Little Owl on the barn.

dinner time from dover
2 buzzard quartering the cow fields
10 house martins
2 swallows nice to see them back home

cheers geoff

Two Black-tailed Godwits feeding on the meadow behind the larger flash at Lightshaw today, but generally quiet with just Oystercatcher and Redshanks, Shelduck, Shoveler, Gadwall drakes, no sign of the Ring Ouzel now.

As well as the Ring Ouzel (a first for me here in over 25 years), other notable sightings amongst the 61 species I had on my Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (Slag Lane swing bridge to the A58 at Bamfurlong, along the canal) were: 4 Black-tailed Godwits, a Cuckoo, 2 different Little Owls on territories, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 of which were fighting, a calling Snipe, a pair of Willow Tits lining a nest, and 6 Buzzards in the air together at Dover Basin. Missing were Grasshopper Warbler (seen on the TTV last week) and Long-tailed Tits!

Male Ring Ouzel at Lightshaw this am.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

53 species on my other Abram Flashes TTV today. Two singing Lesser Whitethroats - excellent views of one - both outside the TTV but one is on my other TTV so it will get in as an RR! Highlights were chipping Snipe, Gropper, Sedge Warbler and a single Blackwit.

First TTV today for the area from Dover Basin to the A58 bridge at Bamfurlong. Nine Black-tailed Godwits at Dover Basin, and a couple of Sedge Warblers nearby were the highlights. 48 species in total.

16/4/08 am

Curlew over N,
2 Buzzards,
Little Owl,
pr Shelduck,
3 Oycs,
4 Redshank,
drk Pochard,
Stock Dove,
3 Swallows.

6/4/08 (06.00-08.00)

Dover & Lightshaw, pretty standard fare ;

single Black-tailed Godwit.
4 Oycs.
7 Redshank.
3 Shelduck.
5 Snipe.
2 singing Willow Warblers.
m Bullfinch.

Just to add 9.45 - 12.30 in search of the Water Rail that eludes me in Mcr - fat chance with the floods:

Goosander pair on the canal
Lapwings 11
Gadwall 10
Chiffchaff
Reed Bunting
Teal 4
Herons 3
Shoveler 11
Oystercatcher 3 seen
Woodies 199 in fields and trees S of Lightshaw
Lapwings 14
Kestrel 1 still

Most of the stuff Ian saw had moved on.

Then had to dash to the Velodrome for last day of the track championships

Here ends my Manchester and nearby birding holiday. Nice to meet people along the way. 2 lifers (one on a detour to Stoke) and 8 new County ticks - not bad!

30/3/08 (06.30-09.00)

Dover & Lightshaw (nearly merged into one with the flooding of the Hey Brook.) ;

3 Wigeon.
Shelduck.
3 Redshank.
4 Oystercatchers.
3 Snipe.
Greylag.
2 Buzzards.
2 Little Owls.
2 Kestrels.
Sparrowhawk.
Sand Martin.
3 Pochard.

overslept so missed the waders and rob but but had a chin wag with mr broome,29/03/08

add to dover basin 4 teal tucked away and 2 kingfisher on the small pool just after the main water,both lightshaw and dover have started to flood so waders will be hard to find till the level drops.
cheers geoff

11 Tufted Duck (6m 5f), 6 Pochard (3 pairs), R**** Duck, Little Grebe, Water Rail and a Chiffchaff @ Dover Basin 6am

Redshank and Lapwings displaying at Lightshaw

Saw a flock of 23+ waders distantly on Thursday flying between Lightshaw and Dover which I thought were Golden Plovers, so glad to have them confirmed! The pair of Pintail were still at Dover Bain with one Blackwit then.

Little Owl this morning (cheers geoff)
1 Curlew in field above Lightshaw Flash
115-120 Golden Plover in flight between canal and Abram-Golborne road, went down on fields in vicinity of Lightshaw Hall
several Chiffchaff

Blackwits 4 present today at 1.17pm
Teal 20+ some flew off
Shoveler pair
Gadwall 5
Coot 7
Mute Swan 2
Pintail pair flew around the lake then departed at 1.21 - just in time to add them to my county list!
Mallard 3
Heron 2 - 3rd on Lightshaw
Lapwing 2
later Sand Martins 2

Lightshaw

Teal 17 (some flew in from Dover)
Coot 1
Lapwing 12
Oystercatcher 2
Gadwall 2
Redshank 2
Heron 1 then 3

in field south of water

Woodies 117
F Pirgeon1
Redshank 1

ok i,ve had to duck checking dover basin for the godwits during the working week and if you scroungers get any 'countables' i,ll deduct them from couldn,t go so don,t count list, as you wander around keep half an ear out for ? roding woodcock or snipe druming on the crankwood side
i heard some thing but just didn,t nail it down

cheers geoff

Monday 24 March 2008

about 11am

in addition to Ian's sightings, on Dover Basin were:

5 Shoveler (4m 1f)
3 Tufted Duck (1m 2f)

and over lightshaw were 2 distant Sparrowhawks and a Common Gull

24/3/08 (07.30-09.30)

Dover & Lightshaw :

3 Black-tailed Godwit.
2 Pintail (pr).
8 Redshank.
Snipe.
Shelduck.
2 Goosander.
2 Little Owl.
Buzzard.
2 Kestrel.

-- Edited by Ian Woosey at 11:09, 2008-03-24

sunday 23/03/08 early morning
dover basin
all the usual,but minus any godwits, 4 shellduck making quite a din until a jogger spooked them
off presumabley to pennington

lightshaw
4 redshank 1 lapwing 6 mallard,very sparsely populated this a.m but the views have been improved by the local beaver population

cheers geoff

Wednesday 19th March 2008 - pm

Dover & Lightshaw

3 Black-tailed Godwit
6+ Redshank
2 Oystercatcher
70+ Lapwing
Snipe
10 Goosander
2 Pintail (pair)
6 Gadwall
Teal (lots)
3 Shelduck
4 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
Buzzard
Kestrel
Little Owl
60+ Woodpigeon
4 Stock Dove
2 Collared Dove
30+ Fieldfare
2 BH Gull

18/3/08 am

Dover & Lightshaw ;

3 Black-tailed Godwits.
2 Pintail.
3 Redshank.
4 Oystercatcher.
4 Snipe.
Buzzard.
Little Owl.
Yellowhammer

(R.Thorpe, J.Smith, I.Woosey)

Monday 17 March 2007 - am

Dover Basin:

2 Blackwits
1 Redshank
3 Pintail (1m 2f)
3 Goosander (1m 2f)
2 Snipe
3 Water Rail
Cormorant
Teal
Gadwall
3 Heron
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard


Lightshaw:

Merlin (heading N-NW, put all the lapwings and redshank up)
Redshank 6+
Lapwing 20+
Oystercatcher
Little Owl
Mute Swan 3

also, yesterday (Sunday 16th) early am:

60+ Golden Plover past, heading towards Pennington




-- Edited by Rob Thorpe at 19:50, 2008-03-17

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe at 21:07, 2008-03-17

All the way from Kirkby Lonsdale for a Manky tick ? ? ?.........................now THAT is worth a round of applause !

Thanks for the gen Ian.

You will be the first person I ring when I find a county first. Hope the speed cameras on the M6 dont work. Kirby Lonsdale to Dover Basin in 56 minutes.

Not seen a post for the Rumworth Avocets yetDont tell Warfy.

Cheer Riggers

16/3/08 (08.15-10.15)

Dover & Lightshaw :-

Black-tailed Godwit.
2 Pintail (pr.)
2 Oystercatcher.
5 Redshank.
5 Goosander.
31 Teal.
8 Gadwall.
4 Stock Dove.

(You owe me one Mr Rigby ! )

Must have been a bit of movement by midday, Geoff, as I had a pair of Pintail (thought at one point I saw 2 males and the female) 12 Gadwall, 30 Teal, one Redshank, 4 Goosanders and a Shoveler but only one Blackwit and no Snipe or Shelducks (but 4 at Lightshaw)

dover basin first light 15/03/08

2 shelduck 2 goosander
4 gadwall 2 grey heron
2 snipe 20 teal
1 pintail 2 mute swan
1 redshank 2 black tailed godwits(at last a countable)

cheers geoff