Back to the birds time for me,

late afternoon visit to pearsons and a distant look at scotmans,

usual crowd on pearsons nice male goldeneyes,little grebe amongst the throng

2 goosander,on scotmans,grey heron amongst others,small gathering of crows on the pylons,

comical to watch the commotion amongst the coots as someone(unseen)was feeding them with whole slices of toast(warbies medium if I know my toast),had a nice chat with a couple who look but don,t post on the forum.

cheers geoff

Judith Smith wrote:

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The RSPB Bittern expert says it's physiologically impossible for a Bittern to boom in the winter. This is because changes occur in the throat connected to light intensity and therefore hormones, enabling the bird to boom. I would have thought it was far too early in the year yet. Perhaps very late February or early March?

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Interesting that and yet something else I didn't know (though that list is soooo long)!

I do know though that the London Wetland Centre has apparently already recorded a Bittern booming this January and that Minsmere RSPB's earliest record of booming Bittern is 31st January (1997), closely followed by their second on the 8th February (year unknown).

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 3rd of January 2011 09:04:11 PM

The RSPB Bittern expert says it's physiologically impossible for a Bittern to boom in the winter. This is because changes occur in the throat connected to light intensity and therefore hormones, enabling the bird to boom. I would have thought it was far too early in the year yet. Perhaps very late February or early March?

Had a walk round Westwood and Pearsons flash this afternoon. Just realised my daughter lives 500 yards from it!
I have never seen so many Coot together. There is a clear patch in the ice on Pearsons flash about 80 yards in diameter (may be more). All arround the perimiter there were Coot, 2 or 3 deep. there must have been hundreds. I did consider counting them then thought better of it! There were a good number of Mute swan too. Only a few Moorhen, mainly on the ice itself. A Kestrel gave a generous showing at the top of a silver birch tree. Apart from that not much else.

Rob Thorpe wrote:

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Stuart Evans wrote:

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Heard a Bittern boom on Scotsmans flash, amazing sound.


-- Edited by Stuart Evans on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 11:09:21 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 11:39:18 PM

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I didn't realise Bitterns "boomed" in mid-winter...?
It's quite amazing the number of hours, both dawn and dusk (after dark sometimes), i've spent at the flashes yet never heard one "boom", even in the spring... I must be real unlucky!

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At Rumwoth Lodge yesterday, there was some very strange noises.
I put this down to movement in the Ice.

I would not call it booming ,more like groaning and a touch of fatulence

Stuart Evans wrote:

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Heard a Bittern boom on Scotsmans flash, amazing sound.


-- Edited by Stuart Evans on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 11:09:21 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 11:39:18 PM

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I didn't realise Bitterns "boomed" in mid-winter...?
It's quite amazing the number of hours, both dawn and dusk (after dark sometimes), i've spent at the flashes yet never heard one "boom", even in the spring... I must be real unlucky!

Saw a Bittern fly from Pearson's flash to Scotsman's Flash.

1 Goosander flying a long Scotsmans
Woodpecker flying a long the canal next to Scotsmans.
Small flock 5+ Redwing
5-10 Lesser Redpolls
Female Bullfinch
Kingfisher Pearson's Flash
Water Rail bird feeder near Hawkley school
Female Kestrel.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 11:39:18 PM


-- Edited by Stuart Evans on Monday 3rd of January 2011 12:16:13 AM

Nice to meet you too Rob. And I'll be back as the Bittern remains off the list! Nothing else seen after you and Terry (?) left

earlier Goosander 7 on Scotman's males displaying



-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Monday 3rd of January 2011 08:37:14 AM

Sunday 02 January 2011

4 Shoveler (3m, 1f) on Horrocks Flash (also an adult Mute Swan dead on the ice here)
1 Buzzard over Turners Flash
2 Raven north over Turners Flash
nice to meet Tim W, a new tick for my Manky Birders list!

Bittern this am, flying low from Pearsons across the canal then landing in the reeds at Moss bridge end of Scotmans. 4 Goosanders also on Scotmans.

56 swans at Pearson's Flash today including our veteran bird who enters his 26th year (at least) today and still in control of the flock, looking in fine nick despite the harsh weather recently. Thanks to all those members of the public, particularly Mary, Sylvia and Jake, who have assiduously fed the birds whilst they were stranded in the small area free of ice - not much better now, but at least they can get to the edge now where there is vegetation.
Also I picked up 2 defunct Chinese lanterns (100s floating over our house at midnight last night) and could see 3 more lying on the ice at Scotmans Flash. These contain wire as well as a wooden frame and what appears to be a paper/polythene canopy - luckily it was wet last night so no damage done (though some unfortunate bird or animal could pick them up and ingest them) but I could imagine that in the summer these devices could cause fires. Why are they not illegal? Ian, does the fire service have a view on these?

-- Edited by Judith Smith on Saturday 1st of January 2011 05:52:04 PM

Monday 27 December 2010

2 Bitterns this afternoon. One flew south over Scotmans Flash at 13:05, landing somewhere near Moss Bridge. The other was flushed (accidentally) from the stream at the north end of Westwood Flash at 13:30.

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Monday 27th of December 2010 08:49:35 PM

I saw a Bittern fly over a Scotsmans, Pearsons and Westwood a few times in the morning. I got an OK picture of the Bittern.

Also saw, Kestrel, Sparrow Hawk, Grey Wagtail and a Judith.

All waters still frozen as yesterday

Bryn marsh, a water rail was feeding in the outlet stream,
Pearsons,I,d love to say i found this,but a bloke i,d been talking to beckoned me over
to look at a bittern very close up, views were superb as it firstly 'bitterned' for a while then it went walkabout just as a breathless Mr Linkman arrived, fortunatley it retuned to show off much to ken,s delight.Snaps to Ian Mc

Glory daysgeoff

A Bittern was showing well on the Reed Brook between the metal bridge on the path to Moss Bridge from Welham Rd today. hoping for its Christmas dinner of sprats, which the LWT rangers have been providing.
(Information from Jake Moot)

Quick dash around the flashes

Horrocks flash,just a 30ft hole in the ice
25 swans,30 coot,20 mallard

Pearsons fair sized hole in the ice

Just crammed with swans,coot,tufted,shoveller etc

Scotmans 100ft hole in the ice

3 goldeneye
3 goosander
plus usual
no smew spotted ,but I wasn,t hanging around

merry xmas geoff

104+ Teal on Turner's Flash today but alas, no green-winger.

Redhead Smew on Scotmans Flash today.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Well the bloke who told me had seen the drake smew was pretty confident about it.

No drake Smew present today I'm afraid

Originally posted by Joseph Stephen Heaton today:

18th December 1 water rail on Pearsons flash & a man I was chatting with told me he had seen a bittern & male smew on the flash as well.
I also saw in the water a dead mute swan (not sure how the bird had died)
& further along on the frozen canal there was a part of a bird carcass just a part of a wing
& bone the feathers to me looked as though it could have been a young swan.

Mike, 'redhead' does indeed relate to female/immature Smews due to them being very difficult to seperate.

HI, COULD SOMEONE ENLIGHTEN ME REGARDING THE REFERENCE TO THE RED HEADED SMEW. DOES THIS REFER TO A FEMALE 1ST WINTER OR IS IT A SPECIES ON ITS OWN, BEST WISHES TO ALL MIKE

We thought we had a couple of glimpses, Judith, but they were fleeeting and inconclusive binoculars scans, so we discounted them. Ironically, it was continuous 'scoping that failed to produce the bird!

The smew was present when I did the WeBS count at about 1400hrs,on Pearson's Flash but telescope needed, as the free water area is now well back from the towpath.

No sign of the Smew today 11.20 - 12.00 & 3.40 - 400pm

45 species in total inc:

Little Grebe 4 minimum
Grey Heron Canada Goose 12 (Scotmans)
Wigeon 2m (Pearsons)
Goosander 6m 2 f/imm (Scotmans)
Greater Black-backed Gull 1 (Scotmans)
Herring Gull 2 (Horrock's)
Bullfinch 2m
Reed Bunting 1m

Redhead Smew still present at 11:40 on Pearsons Flash.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Smew still present on Pearsons up to 2.00pm today and catching a good few fish too.

Also, several lesser Redpoll on trees at the end of Welman Road.

I didn't see it either late this afternoon, but had very little time. It does go over to Scotman's Flash and the light was all wrong at that time there!

My first visit in winter was bound to give me a few new "Wigan Flashes" species, foremost being the redhead Smew, which I watched from about 8.20 to almost 9 .00.
I recorded 45 species in total,- nothing unusual, but just nice to amble round and to enjoy a pie at lunchtime, (seeing it's in Wigan).
I returned from Pennington for the last hour of daylight and hung around Pearson's Flash hoping for perhaps a glimpse of Bittern, but no joy. Interestingly, I didn't see the Smew at this second visit; has it being going elsewhere at all, possibly onto one of the other flashes?

Regards,
Mike P.

Redhead Smew still present on Pearsons Flash this morning.

Info thanks to John Rayner, per Mike Passant

A fine day at the Flashes with Jon Taverner, John Tymon and Judith at Pearson's enjoying the Smew and a big walk round with Ray Ashworth - thanks for your company Ray.

Hawkley Hall feeding station:

Water Rail 2
Willow Tit 1 (+2 more S end of Scotman's)
Reed Bunting 1
Siskin 1 w Goldfinch 5

Canal near Bryn Marsh - lots of white feathers everywhere and a bit of carcass on the ice - I guess this was perhaps your dead swan, Judith.

Redwing 1
Reed Bunting 2

A finch flock near Pearson's contained:
Goldfinch 12
Redpll 9
Siskin1

smew still showing well ,if a little distant up to 3pm

Redhead Smew still on Pearsons Flash this morning.

Info thanks to Geoff Hargreaves

As well as teh Smew, a Bittern flew from the wet area immediately adjacent to Moss Bridge (I always considered this to be part of Turners but happy to be corrected) and flew to Pearsons. Also 4 Goosander.

There were at least 3 black headed gull with almost complete black heads on penny this morning,but they were definately just black headed gulls,and some of the bills do look almost black in poor light.

Joe, there is so much involved with attempting to identify 'mystery bird's from such written descriptions that it is often nigh on impossible. That said, there are Black-headed Gulls out there that still have/ave already attained their fully dark hoods. As for an all black bill, judging colours is often difficult depending on lighting and views obtained but it's easy to mistake the darkish red of Black-headed Gull for blackish.

Hi Joe,

A "full hood" on any gull at this time would be eye catchingly odd, as appears to be the case.
Was the head pattern possibly more like a cap, or a diffuse smudge (or wedge) behind the eye, or "half hood," or indeed a greyish/dark suggestion of a hood?

I've sent you a PM with a suggestion of things to check through, in terms of comparisons and plumages/ages of candidate species in order of :common to unlikely to outright rare.

I hope you are able to see it again, and hope you don't mind me sending you a PM.

Regards,
Mike P

Smew still on pearson's flash at about 3:00. Also with it was a goldeneye. When I was walking back from the flashes to the train station, saw a gull with black beak and a black head like the head of a black headed gull. Doesn't seem to fit any descriptions for birds around this time of year. Can anyone help with identifying it?

11/12/10

Additional sightings from this morning (with Mr Meadows):

drk Goosander & 3 Goldeneye on Scotmans.

1 Buzzard over Moss Bridge.

Pearsons:
2 Goldeneye, 34 Gadwall, 21 Tufted Duck, 36 Mute Swan

3+ Siskin & 5+ Lesser Redpoll along path to Horrocks.

Hawkley feeders:
3 Willow Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Reed Bunting, 14 Moorhen

(40 species)

Pearsons,12.00ish,smew still pesent,watched as it caught at least 3 fish
1 buzzard
1 grey heron,lots of waterfowl

Hawkley Feeding Station
1 g s peckers
1 water railusual tits etc
20 fieldfare over


Bryn Marsh
1 peregrine on the pylon

cheers geoff

Redhead Smew still present on Pearsons Flash this morning.

Info thanks to Ian Woosey

Smew Pearsons; Waxwing Hawkley; Siskin male feeding station; Bittern Turners; 77 Teal Horrocks; Willow Tit 4 Pearsons, 2 Turners; 1 Moss Bridge and 3 feeding station

Friday 10 December 2010

Peregrine sat on pylon along new road, off Westwood Way, until 11:35 when it flew towards the town centre.

Friday 10 December 2010

Smew still on Pearson's @ 11:10. Also 2 Waxwings on the left just through the Welham Road entrance.

Smew still present today but much more mobile, flying back and forth between Pearson's and Scotman's Flashes.

Also a couple of Woodcock near Turner's Flash.
I deserve a reward (the Smew) for lugging all that bread up there every day! So far we've lost one adult and one cygnet to the ice, and a Canada goose.

Redhead Smew on Pearsons Flash this afternoon. Showing very well coming close in with Mute Swans.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Bitter,cold,foggy,not nicep.m.

Horrocks Flash,swans,mallard,teal,coot.visibilty down to 50 yrds so mostly guess work

Bryn Marsh nothing

Hawkley Feeding Station

all the tits moorhen(abundant)pheasant,reed bunting,and best of all a water rail showing very well but difficult to digiscope,

Hawkley Entrance area,mistle thrush franticly defending a berry tree,30+ house sparrows,song thrush,blackbird,bullfinch,no waxwings though

cheers geoff

Horrocks Flash am

front pool 90% ice, usual water fowl,nice but nothing of note
rainfords 90% ice same but a male wigeon and little grebe giving great views

Bryn Marsh
99% ice almost birdless magpie,crow,tits etc,some very large heron/? prints in the snow in front of the screen,nice but jolly nippy.

cheers geoff