Highlights of a decent morning for the site:

1 juvenile Shelduck

7 Egyptian Geese (still)

3+ Little Egrets

1 Great White Egret; Andy Isherwood had just stopped by for a chat at my watchpoint on Ramsdales Ruck and a Little Egret was flying past east to which I added I wondered where the Great Egret was hiding in between its sporadic sightings and then there it was, flying above the trees in front of us (and above the passing Little Egret) seemingly dropping down onto the side side shore but it could not be relocated later on

Juvenile Ringed Plover still by the sailing club

2 Snipe flew west

1 (resident) Oystercatcher

3 Great Black-backed Gulls (2 adults and a juvenile)

1 adult Common Tern early morning, feeding over the water

1 adult Arctic Tern c07:45, seen fairly high over the flash circling (unsure if it had been over the water prior to me picking it up) and then powered off high west

8 Swifts

5+ Kingfishers

46 Swallows in a single flock 

9 House Martins

5 Tree Pipits, in one flock at 08:31. Shortly after the Great Egret, Andy and I were chatting about Cutacre and how it must surely be decent for visible migration and literally no sooner had I said it must be getting Tree Pipits passing over when we both heard the distinctive call of a Tree Pipit! Scanning above us it was clear there was more than one and we both locked on to the tight little flock of five as they called away, slipping over south above us. Needless to say we tried chatting about some rarer stuff too to see if our luck would extend that far but we were clearly pushing it there.

14 Chiffchaffs between Ramsdales Ruck and the western end reedbed area

4 Willow Warblers between Ramsdales Ruck and the western end reedbed area

3+ Whitethroats in the western end reedbed area

This morning 6.15 - 10.00,

Ringed plover 1 juvenile at the sailing club.

Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club.

Egyptian goose 7 at the sailing club

Little egret 3

This morning, 6.45am - 11am,

Common tern 1 my first at the flash for eight days

Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club

Egyptian geese 7 at the sailing club

Swift 1 

Shoveler 11 across the nature reserve

Of interest, perhaps only to me, on the exact date last year I saw my last common tern of the year at the flash. I only have eight other records ever from the flash later than this and five of them were probably the same birds in 2018. I only have two records at the flash beyond the end of August.

Also this morning,

Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club

Egyptian geese 7 at the sailing club

Tufted duck 50+ including a flock of 38 drakes and 1 female

Little egret 1

Teal 8 in Ramsdales

Great black-backed gull 3 (2 adults & juvenile)

Black-headed gull with white Norwegian ring J3260 again on car park. 

Great White Egret on the south side at 08:45 this morning, just east of Sorrow Cow Farm lorry Park

Info thanks to John Dixon

Early this morning:

The Great White Egret was on a small section of shore on the south side of Ramsdales Ruck and flew off towards the (in name only) 'nature reserve'

1 Pochard at the western end

1 Common Sandpiper on there sailing club shore

5 Great Black-backed Gulls (three adults and two juveniles)

3 Chiffchaffs on Ramsdales Ruck

19 Swifts

5 Shoveler, with three immatures in East Bay and a pair flew over high west

1 Willow Tt at the western end

1 Little Egret around Ramsdales Scrape

1 Oystercatcher on the spit

7 Egyptian Geese still around the sailing club shore

Peak of 114 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls but much turnover with some birds now arriving from the SW

4 Skylarks down on Ramsdales Ruck

Also this morning, great white egret at west end, common sandpiper and 7 Egyptian geese sailing club, 10 swift, 1 sand martin and 4 kingfishers including 3 chasing each other.

Yellow Wagtail on the sailing club shore this morning,

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

Highlights from this early morning, mostly with Bill Harrison and Andy Isherwood:

1 Common Sandpiper on the sailing club shore

2 Little Ringed Plovers on the sailing club shore

Flock of 11 Snipe NW over Ramsdales Ruck

1 Black-tailed Godwit high NW over Ramsdales Ruck

34 Swifts

Flock of 16 Shoveler flew west

1 Tree Pipit down on Ramsdales Ruck (Andy only)

1 Linnet low north over Ramsdales Ruck

1 Yellowhammer flew in from the east and dropped briefly onto Ramsdales Ruck before flying off west

3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls

7 Egyptian Geese

1 adult Little Egret

A better than average early morning for the site today:

Juvenile Black-necked Grebe off The Point (closely associating with a drake Common Scoter initially!), eventually made its way deep into Ramsdales 

Male Common Scoter out in the middle of the flash. At c08:30 three immature Common Scoters flew in high from the west, did a big loop of the flash and then departed back off high west!

Three Tree Pipits together inadvertently flushed off Ramsdales Ruck flew off calling high south across the flash

A Yellow Wagtail flew in calling loudly from the north and circled low over Ramsdales Ruck very close to me before also flying off south across the flash

1 Common Sandpiper

1 Little Egret

7 Egyptian Geese still by the sailing club

11 Willow Warblers and 5+ Chiffchaffs on and around Ramsdales Ruck

36 Swifts

387 Lapwings roosting around the spit and Ramsdales Scrape, the flock being flushed for some reason and many of the birds flew off west

2 Great Black-backed Gulls (adult and a juvenile)

64 Tufted Ducks

1 Common Tern

One, very probably two, Tree Pipits on Ramsdales ruck this early morning, both of which were down in the grass and flew towards the trees/grass close to the gorse clump but neither could be refound despite a search between myself and Colin Davies.

Other birds included:

1 Common Sandpiper on the sailing club shore

7 Egyptian Geese

28 Greylags flew in from distance in the east and continued west over the flash, the lone bird remains on the spit too

3 Willow Warblers and 4 Chiffchaffs around Ramsdales Ruck

4+ Reed Warblers in the reedbed by The Point

286 Lapwings around Ramsdales Scrape and the spit, a portion of which flew west later in the morning 

31 Swifts

46+ House Martins

Still up to 74 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls

This morning:

7 Egyptian Geese off the sailing club

1 Little Egret

1 Oystercatcher

14 Teal

1 adult Common Tern

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull in the spit and an adult straight through SW

3 Kingfishers

14 Swifts

11 Willow Warbler and 3 Chiffchaffs around Ramsdales Ruck

Maximum of 71 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls (the latter increased in percentage slightly)

Drake Common Scoter present this morning.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

This morning's highlights included:

Seven Egyptian Geese still present and correct

2 Oystercatchers

128 Lapwing

112 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls

Juvenile and adult Great Black-backed Gulls 

Additional sightings from yesterday:

Curlew over in the morning and juvenile and second winter Mediterranean Gulls up to 7:15pm

Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Phil Rhodes

This morning 7:30-10:30,

Common sandpiper 2, sailing club and point of ruck

Water rail Penghy's

Common tern 2

Egyptian geese 2

Shoveler with 7 chicks Ramsdales, also another four off the sailing club

Tufted duck with 4 chicks Ramsdales also nasal saddle bird still. About 30 birds in total

Swift 7

House Martin 10

Swallow 30

Great black-backed gull 3 (2 adults and juvenile)

Oystercatcher 2

Black-headed gulls - Norwegian and Finnish birds again on car park, also Dutch bird 3,738,977 which I have been seeing pretty regularly since November 2022. This bird was ringed as a nestling in May 2016 so is just over 8 years old now.

Annoyingly I was actually on the car park at 9.40 reading black-headed gull rings when Bill's Great white egret must have flown right over my head. I didn't see it.

Great White Egret flew east over the main car park at 09:40

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

Early this morning’s highlights for me:

Ringed Plover flew west over Ramsdales Ruck at 7am

7 Egyptian Geese at the sailing club

3 Oystercatchers

3 adult Common Terns

Peak count of 88 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and 21 juvenile Herring Gulls but the usual frequent comings (from the north/north-west) and goings (generally SW), so many more birds actually involved

2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls

22 Tufted Duck

31 Lapwings

13 Willow Warblers on and around Ramsdales Ruck

This morning, 8am-10.30am,

Yellow wagtail 1 juvenile on sailing club shore

Egyptian goose 2 at sailing club, 5 off car park

Common sandpiper 1 on shore near main car park

Shoveler with 7 chicks off the end of the spit

Common tern 2 adults

Swallow 2

Little egret 2

A few black-headed gulls including one with a white plastic ring J3260. This was ringed as a nestling in Norway east of Oslo on 11/06/2023 and was last recorded in Norway on 05/07/2024. A distance of 1083km (673 miles). Also today my third record of a Finnish bird with a metal ring ST170.852. This bird was ringed as a nestling at Sipoo, Finland on 23/06/2020, a distance of 1657km (1030 miles). I've seen this bird twice before, 03/11/2022 and 25/09/2023.

Additional birds this early afternoon included juvenile and adult Great Black-backed Gulls, 7 adult Common Terns, 75 Lapwings, 2 Oystercatchers and an adult Little Egret.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Some early morning sightings:

1 Common Sandpiper

32 Swifts

4 adult Common Terns

49 Lapwings

1 Oystercatcher

A peak of 119 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls (c10% of that total being Herrings)

This morning 11.15, 

Common scoter 1 drake

Common tern 3 adults

This morning,

Garden warbler 2 in bushes near the leaning posts on the ruck

Common scoter 2 drakes dropped in briefly but departed at 9:30

Egyptian goose 7 at the sailing club

Little egret 2

Greylag 6

Tufted duck 20+ including female with 4 tiny chicks in Ramsdales

Common tern 4 adults. Juveniles seem really thin on the ground this year. In July 2024 I saw a maximum of 9 juveniles from 14 visits. Compare that to 2023 when I saw a maximum of 42 juveniles from 26 visits. I do feel that 2023 was a better than average year but even so.... Also on 2nd July this year I had a flock of 18 adults drop in briefly before departing west, presumably all non-breeders.

Great White Egret still present this morning, also two Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Great White Egret on Ramsdales Scrape at 5:50 this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Two Little Egrets and a female Goosander early this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

This morning, still three-figure numbers of juvenile Lesser Black-backed (predominately) and Herring Gulls but some disturbance on the water sent many off, a single adult Great Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, 72 Swifts and the first broods of Great Created Grebes appearing.

Early this morning’s highlights:

Peak counts taken of 142 juvenile Lesser Black-backed and at least 18 juvenile Herring Gulls, though upwards of 200 juveniles must have passed through (coming from the north and departing west/south-west) through the early morning

2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls

2 Greylag Geese flew west

Amongst 9 Cormorants were 2 fresh juveniles

5 Common Terns

7 Egyptian Geese still present

Early this morning:

93 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls maximum peak though plenty of comings and goings

3 juvenile Herring Gulls

2 juvenile Common Sandpipers (almost certainly the same as Phil Rhodes had yesterday evening)

Female Shoveler on Ramsdales Scrape now has seven young (lost one!)

Flock of 8 Shoveler flew over high west

6 Common Terns, including one juvenile

Today, two Little Egrets, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Pochard flew SW, 8 Common Tern, 46 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Teal, 2 Kingfishers, 3 Oystercatchers, 28Lapwings.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Female Common Scoter still present this evening, also two Little Egrets, four Common Terns and three Oystercatchers.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Highlights this early morning included a Great White Egret flying east, female Common Scoter, 3 common Terns, 2 Common Sandpipers and 7 Egyptian Geese.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

This morning’s highlights included:

10 Black-tailed Godwits

1 Redshank

5 Common Terns

Drake Common Scoter

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Early this morning:

86 Sand Martins

34 Swallows

1 Little Egret in the spit

1 Redshank

1 Common Sandpiper

8 adult Common Terns

7 Egyptian Geese at the sailing club, six of which flew off to the main car park leaving one which decided to swim it alone!?

2 juvenile Leaser Black-backed Gulls

Lots of young warblers around in the rain.

Great White Egret present this morning, initially perched in a tree by Teal Scrape, perhaps having roosted and then flew off west over Ramsdales Ruck around 7am (record shot attached).

Also, a moulting pair of Common Scoters

Four Common Sandpipers

A peak of nine adult Common Terns (some movement between here and probably Bickershaw CP)

One Little Ringed Plover

Two Oystercatchers

Seven Egyptian Geese off the car park, the five juveniles of which did a flying circuit of the East Bay at one point

A Coot which flew along the full length of the flash at c200 feet height and headed off west!

413 Woodpigeons in small flocks (maximum of c160) NW over the eastern side of the flash up to 9am

Little Egret through SW

c170 Swifts

One adult Great Black-backed Gull

Single juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

This late evening a Hobby flew low north over the rucks, drake Common Scoter still present and also 2 Common Sandpipers

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

This morning so far,

Black-necked grebe 1 juv off eastern reed bed then drifted more towards Horrock's 

Common scoter 1 drake diving!

Common sandpiper 4 on the spit

Common tern 4 adults

Tufted duck female with 3 tiny chicks on canal 

Late morning,

Common scoter 1 drake

Common sandpiper at least 5 

Common tern 5 including 1 juvenile

Little ringed plover 1

Regarding the common scoter, I don't recall ever seeing a common scoter feeding at the flash. I know that they will feed on freshwater mussels which I've seen them doing at Eccleston Mere, St Helens and likewise velvet scoter will do the same, but I've never seen a single common scoter dive at the flash. So the question is, given that single drakes have been recorded for the past 3 days at the flash, is it likely to be the same bird or 3 different birds? It is a good time for common scoter to appear after all, it's only last week that there were 21 drakes on the flash.

Early afternoon today:

4 adult Common Terns

1 adult Little Egret

63 Swifts

2 Buzzards

2 Oystercatchers 

6 Stock Doves through south along with good numbers of Woodpigeons (uncounted)

Plenty of young Willow Warblers around

Single juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

This afternoon, 

Sandwich tern 1 fishing off sailing club

Common scoter 1 drake still

Little egret 1

Common tern 8 inc 2 juveniles 

Little ringed plover 1 on spit

This morning,

Pochard 1 (eclipse drake?) off the car park at 7am but not seen subsequently

Common scoter 1 drake

Common sandpiper 2 on the spit

Common tern 5 adults

Oystercatcher 2

This late afternoon to early evening, 3 adult Redshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Common Terns, 3 Little Egrets and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

This morning a maximum of 15 Common Terns present, four Common Sandpipers, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Oystercatchers, 180 Swifts and a fairly brief flock of 36 Sand Martins.

This morning single redshank and common sandpiper on the spit, 2 oystercatchers and 5 adult common terns.

This morning 7:30am - 10:15am,

Black-tailed godwit 1 adult breeding plumage on the grass at the sailing club

Common scoter 1 drake 

Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club

Common tern 10 including 2 juveniles at the sailing club

Redshank 1 on the spit

Little egret 2

This morning,

At least 9 common terns including 3 adults and a juvenile that dropped in from the north while I was on the canal towpath. These birds flew down towards the spit but then flew up again and headed away east.

Redshank 1 adult in breeding plumage

Common sandpiper 2 at the sailing club

Oystercatcher 2

Sand martin 80 mainly in the south east corner

Swift 60

Late news for yesterday evening:

2 Common Sandpipers at the western end

2 Little Egrets in Ramsdales Scrape

4 adult Common Terns

59 Swifts

26 Lapwings

2 Oystercatchers

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

This morning a passage of common terns adding up to a total of approximately 26 birds. 18 adults dropped in and flew around the end of the spit for two minutes before flying off high south. Earlier an adult with two juveniles (my first of the year here) flew straight through also heading south.

Other highlights, 80 sand martins, four common sandpipers at the sailing club, three oystercatchers and one little egret.