Ian McKerchar wrote:

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The Great Northern Diver flew off west after circling the flash a few times at 8:25

Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Mike Baron

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b*****Dwork
another short stayer at penny!!seems now't decent stops behond the next day early morning these days

The Great Northern Diver flew off west after circling the flash a few times at 8:25

Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Mike Baron

Great Northern Diver still present this morning, viewable from Horrocks Hide

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Jonathan Platt wrote:

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Great northern diver at 4.20pm, seen from Green Lane. In the middle of the Flash originally but heading towards east (old tip) side when I left at 4.45pm.

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please keep it at the flash till saturday

Great northern diver at 4.20pm, seen from Green Lane. In the middle of the Flash originally but heading towards east (old tip) side when I left at 4.45pm.

Stonechat (still a good site bird) present on Ramsdales embankment this morning atleast (info thanks to Barry Hulme).

A quick nip in at 1pm also saw several Siskin in the feeding station plus the usual assortment (including 32 moorhens!) but although the female Brambling had been around it didn't show whilst I was there.

240 Great Black Backed Gulls (mainly all adults) present very early this morning, no doubt left over from the roost.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

female brambling at the feeding station today plus the usuals. very little from horrocks hide mainly due to the boats being out and sailing very close to the spit! a complaint was put into the rangers because of the disturbance so hopefully they will keep the boats away in future.

Male Merlin present today at 1:20pm.

Info thanks to John Lyons

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Surely it's being your apprentice in those very early 80's that has got me where I am today John ( though I'm not exactly sure of where that is )

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Do i have to take the blame

Surely it's being your apprentice in those very early 80's that has got me where I am today John ( though I'm not exactly sure of where that is )

BIT LATE BUT-SUNDAY PM
TEAL -280
SHOVELER-55
GOOSANDER-9
WIGEON-2M
SNIPE-7
GADWALL-23
REDWING-20
LOTS OF BIG GULLS INCLUDING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A ADULT YLG-LOOKED PALE IN THE FIELD ,YELLOW LEGS,LOOKED PALER THAN THE OTHER LBB PRESENT,BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PHOTO'S ,IT DIDN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT SO I SENT THE PICTURES ETC TO THE GULL GURU(IAN)WHO CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A LBB.SO ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED BEWARE EVEN AFTER 30 YEARS MISTAKES CAN BE MADE,AND THERE'S NO SHAME IN TRYING,AND ASKING FOR HELP.EVEN THOUGH A LONG TIME AGO IAN WAS MY APPRENTICE,WHERE I STAYED IN A TIMEZONE OF 1970'S ,80'S, IAN HAS SPENT MANY HOURS SINCE TO BECOME A WEALTH OF INFORMATION,WHY I SAT BEHIND A CAMERA TAKING SUNSETS
SO BEWARE GULLS AT PENNY MAY SEEM VERY PALE AND HAVE YELLOW LEGS,AND YOU CAN HAVE GOOD VIEWS,WHICH I HAD,AND STILL MAKE MISTAKES.BE CAREFULL WHEN LOOKING AT THE BIG GULL AS THERE IS SO MUCH VARIATION.
P.S IM AT WORK AND MY CAPS LOCKS STILL STUCK



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 10:17, 2009-01-12

Little Egret tonight at 3:45 in front of New Hide.

Seen to fly off at with a Grey Heron at 4:15 heading east

Info thanks to John Lyons and Rob Thorpe

Late news for yesterday the 5th

male Brambling in the feeding station
1 Dunlin present

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

female brambling still at the feeding station, not much else around except the usuals.

With the sky clearing by late afternoon the light was good for counting the Gull roost this evening: 1 adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, also 307 Herring, 137 Lesser Black-Backed, 88 Great Black-Backed and approx 3000 Black-Headed (I didn't count Common Gulls).

With the temperature finally above freezing and no breeze at all it felt (almost) like summer -why, I even left my coat unzipped and didn't have a hat on. Mind you, when I took off my gloves the cold tripod legs were a quick reality check .

-- Edited by dave broome at 21:37, 2009-01-03

brian fielding wrote:

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cheers, just thinking that if the feeders are back up then the lesser might stick around a bit.

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hope so as i only saw it for about 10 seconds to the right of the hide

cheers, just thinking that if the feeders are back up then the lesser might stick around a bit.

they were feeding again today-but there wasn't much leftplenty at the food though,female brambling,lots of finches and a few reed buntings etc.quite a lot of gulls late on tonight as well,but they seem to be dropping in later and later,too dark to pick anything out.

great find john, have they put the feeders back up in there yet?

Lesser spotted woodpecker(about 3rd site record)to the right side of bunting hide 2pm,couldn't get a picture though,too fast and too dark!!

1pm today other than usual Tufted, Teal, Gadwall, Shoves, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Goosander, GC Grebe, L Grebe, Snipe, etc the only unusual "bird" was Kerry Katona (with family) in the car park having her picture taken eating ice cream !!!!!! Prob the next Iceland Ad or OK Exclusive (info from the wife !!)

sorry - couldnt resist !!

Female Brambling again at Bunting Hide this morning. Also male Goldeneye on main flash.

Female Brambling at the feeding station this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Single Twite at the Slag Lane end of the flash at 08:45 this morning

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Late news for yesterday, the 26th:

a Short-eared Owl was around Ramsdales at 3:50pm

Info thanks to John Lyons

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It was seen by Charlie Owen.
Charlie and I checked the area again late afternoon today but no signs of the owl,Charlie recons it could be the same one seen to the NW of the flash on bickershaw rucks recently.

Late news for yesterday, the 26th:

a Short-eared Owl was around Ramsdales at 3:50pm

Info thanks to John Lyons

Dearly love to add Iceland gull to my list,but it,s dark and cold and i,m not sure which sirection to take.

cheers geofrfsf(merlin hunter)

Immature Iceland Gull in the roost tonight, probably a 2nd winter but it was distant (close to Rammies whilst the observer, Mike Baron was by the yacht club) and wasn't picked out until around 4:10pm-ish.

(Info thanks to Mike Baron)

As a side note my house lies in between Astley Tip and Pennington Flash right in the flightline for gulls flying to roost and due to the approximate flight time from the tip to flash of around 5 minutes, they obviously don't leave until late (especially when, as over Christmas they can feed undisturbed) and don't get onto the flash until dusk. I checked the roost on the 23rd and there were no large gulls in by 3:30 pm and had to leave arund 4pm when there were still very small numbers in. When Mike rang me with tonight's Iceland I was sat in my conservatory still watching them fly over towards Pennington at 4:15pm, if only I'd have bothered with my bins!

I spent my Christmas dinner yesterday at Astley Tip (no I didn't actually eat it there but what a great way to spend Christmas ), taking advantage of some 'extra-yuletime visiting arrangements' but there was no Iceland there then and the vast majority of the gulls got up and departed to Arpley Tip after a while, I could clearly watch them flying off into the distance in the sirection of the Fiddlers Ferry power station.

horrocks-
100+ lapwings,
6 snipe,
5 teal,
6 gadwall
1 gbbg
3 tufted duck
8 cormrants

new hide-
4 shovler
4 teal
4 goldcrest
1 wren

rammys-
3 goldeneye 1 stunning male
6 teal
6 tufted
5 shoveler
2 goosander
40+goldfinch down by the canal

teal hide-
8 goosander
2 little grebe
20+ teal
1 grey heron
1goldcrest

feeding station-
loads of rats and bigger rats
4 willow tit
6 bullfinch 4 magpies
greenfinch, chafinch

single pale bellied brent goose present on the spit this morning

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

juv iceland gull again at 8:05 this morning off the spit

Info thanks to barry hulme

According to Birdguides the Iceland Gull was in the roost tonight.

juv iceland gull on the spit at 7:55am this morning also 31 goosander

Info thanks to barry hulme

Short visit on the way to Liverpool this morning.
No Glossy Ibis or LEO! A bit icy underfoot too! And I sat in a wet patch in Horrocks...
Otherwise GBBG on the ice, goosander, but highlight for me was at least 3 Willow Tit on the feeders. Never managed more than one before.

Spent most of the day at the Flash but still managed to miss the Glossy Ibis! Alerted by John Lyons, while near the visitors centre, went rushing to Horrocks. Unfortunately, it decided to fly off as I was getting my camera out. Decided to go to the feeding tray at the free car park near the main road. This is a very good place for photographers - the sun is in a good position and between 11am and 1pm shines directly on the tray and surrounding trees and, as a bonus on a cold day, you can sit in your car. During the hour or so I was there, birds seen included Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Collared Dove and a Jay. I saw the Jay the last time I was there, so it is possible that it is a regular. By the time I went back to Horrocks, the Ibis had been and gone again! Saw another Goldcrest near the Teal Hide while looking for Treecreepers which have been seen, by others, in recent weeks. Also of interest was a female Goldeneye which John Tymon had noticed. It was amongst the Mallard and Canada Geese and because of the ice, was never more than 10 feet away from the shore.

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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The Marshside bird was reported this morning so presumably this is the Swillington bird on its travels?

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Hi Rob

I have a theory that the Swillington bird was the Marshside/Warton bird - I don't recall seeing any reports of the bird in the NW while it was being seen at Swillington Ings. I could be wrong though.

According to BirdGuides, an Ibis was last recorded at Swillington on 1st Nov and one reappeared at Warton on 2nd Nov. Likewise the ibis appears to have been absent from the NW after 26th July until 2nd Nov, the Swillington bird appeared in that area on 17th August.

Looks like there is at least 1 or 2 birds wandering around the country - sightings in the last month or so in:

Cork
Rainham Marshes (London)
Belvide Res (Staffs)
Wolverhampton

Cheers

Mike

-- Edited by Mike Baron at 19:28, 2008-12-07

-- Edited by Mike Baron at 19:33, 2008-12-07

Here's a few dodgy photo's i got of it: Click Me!

The Marshside bird was reported this morning so presumably this is the Swillington bird on its travels?

stayed untill dusk with steve collins but sadly the ibis didnt return, couldnt see the long-eared owl but did see the woodcock and pinkies.

Just been on a Marshside web site and they report Glossy Ibis present this a.m. does this mean there are 2 in the North West at the moment?
Cheers Ian

No 200th bird for me today but did have a pleasant day and nice to catch up with some local birders.

Did have a Woodcock flying behind the spit towards the yacht club house at around 15:00
also 150+ and 300+ groups of Pink footed geese flying over heading west.

Dave

-- Edited by David Winnard at 16:30, 2008-12-07

Long-eared owl in usual roost spot this morning but extremely difficult to pick up - the bird was in the far side of the usual tree.

Aside from Glossy Ibis:

13 Goosander
9 Pochard
128 Tufties
7 Goldeneye
31 Snipe

Plus a Wigan birder completely out of his usual habitat!

Nice to see you Ian!

The GLOSSY IBIS reappeared on the spit at about 11:40 but then flew off heading SW at 12:00

the ibis returned for a short period and was seen (and photographed) on the spit then flew off strongly west

Info thanks to ian woosey, what a cracking county blocker!

ibis flew north east shortly after its original sighting and has not been seen since, though it is currently being searched for at other likely sites around the county

glossy ibis at 10:20am atleast this morning on the spit, found at john lyons

Info thanks to peter alker

GLOSSY IBIS on the shingle spit 10:25.

Info via text from Phil Rhodes/Birdnet pager message.

Counted the pigeon coming in to roost from New Hide, 3.00-4.00pm

Woodpigeon - 90
Stock dove - 85

Woodies mainly came in before s. doves (I counted 21 already in the trees when I got there, but only 4 stock doves, of those birds I could ID with binocs), perhaps indicating s. doves were coming from further afield?

safest place locally,i carry a camera dangling round my neck these days and like ian i never feel threatened at penny,never have realy,like everywere youv'e got to keep your eyes out for idiots,but pennys better than most.

ian -your probably right,rose tinted specticles from me but the feel of the place is not the same the main flash,must be too deep for most things as theres very little on the flash itself,we used to get rafts of diving duck-up to 700 pochard,and tufted.i know these birds distribution changes,but realy the whole habitat at penny has changed,browny doasn't recodnise the pictures i send him looking over the reserve from the rucks.Also like you said the time we used to put in,but for some of us work/family put paid to that.i did 365 days one year on penny,and got everything that year,but i can no longer get more than about 12 visits a month,so in reality,its me thats changed more than the birds

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 13:03, 2008-12-04