22nd of july- 1st summer common scoter by the yacht club this evening until 9:25pm atleast (info thanks to phil rhodes)

11.07.07-same as yesterday but add 1 hobby-flew over new hide 4pm,1 black tailed godwit-by point,1 tufted with 4 young,1 gadwall with 5 young.

also on the 10.07.07-common tern-10,oystercatcher-2,willow tit-1 (photographed),kingfisher-1,kestrel-1,reed warbler-10,sedge warbler-1,canada geese-410,mute swan-58,great crested grebe-38,whitethroat,blackcap-2,teal-2,cormorant-3,reed bunting,bullfinch,grey heron-3,plenty of dragonflies(although due to being the 1st warmer day they were all on the wing so hard to photograph),plenty of comma,gatekeeper,butterflies.

10/7/07

HOBBY - flew over New Hide towards main flash @ 08.00. (info per B.Hulme)

16/4/07 4 Little Gull 8 Commom Tern 2 Common Sand. Dunlin (per B.Hulme)

The Wigan council are going to decide on 28th February at the main council meeting whether to allow the Ruddy Ducks to be shot (as landowners they could refuse to let DEFRA shooters onto the land). The Community Action Party are opposing it, quite rightly, for the reasons elsewhere on this website. But I suspect the vote will go along party lines, as usual.
The RSPB needs to be persuaded to change their mind- let's face it, they have never taken the membership along on this one, and now the figures (just 7 reaching Spain in 2005, and 2500-5000 White-headed Duck there now they've stopped shooting them) are self evident. Our Ruddies prefer it here in the winters these days - why fly hundreds of miles to Spain? If any do go, the Spanish have £2m to spend to wipe them out.

Gary wrote:

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went to penny today green sandpiper and two redshank ,5 snipe on the split.Plenty teal ,shoveller,gadwal,lapwings and gooseanders.also went to turners flash to see if the smew was about but no sign of it but had pleasure watching the ruddy ducks drumming.

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  Ooo Gary don't mention ***** *****

Wed 21st. Feb a.m 3 Curlew, circled round a bit but eventually flew off West. Ringed Plover 2 Peregrine through 2 Redshank (per B.Hulme)

went to penny today green sandpiper and two redshank ,5 snipe on the split.Plenty teal ,shoveller,gadwal,lapwings and gooseanders.also went to turners flash to see if the smew was about but no sign of it but had pleasure watching the ruddy ducks drumming.

This morning, Water Rails squealing from Ramsdale Flash reedbed. Also 3 Skylarks singing up by canal. 20+ Goosander, 5 Oystercatcher, 1 Shelduck, 1 Wigeon, no Willow Tits (again) - I'm not having much luck with them this year.

Given that these Barnacles appear to be definitely ex-Martin Mere (though I've not received any reply to my email from there, surprise ,surprise), I looked in the Lancashire Breeding Atlas (2001) to ascertain their status. They are considered feral, emanating from 3 sites: Blackpool Zoo (roosting Marton Mere, nr Blackpool), Knowsley Park (visit Eccleston Mere and Prescot Resrs) and Martin Mere (winters there). Each population contains around 50 birds and nubers are fairly statis. At the 3 sites, birds breed in artificial "zoo" environments. Elsewhere (eg Belmont, where 1-2 pairs breed/bred) numbers of breeding birds are constrained by Canada Goose competition. The Lancashire population is around 200 birds of which c.15 pairs breed and this breeding population relies on input from wildfowl collections for its maintenance.
So, IMHO, they can't be counted.

Hi Tom,

there is no hard and fast rule to county listing and as I said to Rob last year, much of what you count will be down to your own concience. On the face of it the Barnacles should indeed be countable on Cat C but all I can tell you is that for county year listing purposes non of the current listers (myself, Rob, Sonia and Brian) have counted them, unless they were considered wild (so none of us have Barnacle Goose on the list!). That we count Gyppo Goose, Mandarin Duck, R N Parakeet for me, is down to the fact that they don't occur 'naturally' anywhere in the UK, whereas Barnacle Goose does and could or indeed has occurred in a wild state in the county. That of course brings us to Greylag, Feral Pigeon etc etc........... For the sake of continuity it's easier not to count Barnacle Goose, atleast on your official list (for the website for instance) otherwise we'll all have to add it on and that'll bring me frustratingly close to the mythical 180, but if you could find another one I could add..............

Just out of interest, can us ticking scum have these Barnacles as a category C tick?

Geese still there at 15.00 but flying about.

Also 5 Oystercatchers on spit.

Thur. 15th Barnacles and Red-breast still present when I left site at 08.00.

Wed 14 Feb. a.m ( indirect report through B.Hulme from J.Lyon ) Present all morning, a Red-breasted Goose and c40 Barnacle Geese, on the field next to the Sailing Club and then in Rammy`s inlet. This is almost certainly the feral flock that frequents Martin Mere and Marshside, which carries the ( presumed feral ) Red-breast with it. More news to follow I would expect !

9th Feb Woodcock flushed nr. `dipping pond` @ 08.30 Peregrine through, over main flash. Redshank 13 Shelduck (per B.Hulme)

6th Feb 08.20 single Dunlin on `spit` 13 Shelduck 3 Oystercatcher 23 Goosander ( per B.Hulme )

2nd Feb 12.05 Chiffchaff ( race not specified ) Buzzard 13 Shelduck 4 Oystercatcher ( per B. Hulme )