14.00 to 14.15

1 Cormorant
13 Canada Geese
32 Mallards
59 Black-headed Gulls
2 Ravens flying over

12.50 to 13.15

3 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
6 Canada Geese
21 Mallards
42 Black-headed Gulls

10am to 10.20am

4 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
11 Mallards
39 Black-headed Gulls

12.35 to 12.55. Large waves & flooded footpaths. Not worth walking all the way round.

3 Cormorants
23 Mallards
28 Black-headed Gulls

10.15am to 10.40am. Walk down from Turton Heights to Greens Arms Road.
3 Meadow Pipits
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Robin
1 Magpie
1 Carrion Crow
2 Jays
1 Chaffinch
1 Linnet flying over
2 Reed Buntings

10.45am to 11.15am. Entwistle Reservoir :-
1 Great Crested Grebe
4 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
24 Mallards
42 Black-headed Gulls

12.45 to 13.55. As I said a couple of days ago this is normally a "boring reservoir" hence the lack of birders as always. To me everywhere is worth checking, the last few days being a great example.

1 Great Crested Grebe
3 Cormorants
5 WHOOPER SWANS. All the birds were adults.
35 Mallards
13 Black-headed Gulls

Checking back on the Pintails a couple of days ago they appear to maybe be a first for here. My Lancashire Bird Reports go back about 20 years, and I have site list printouts from Bolton Museum.

10.35am to 12.20pm. Normally pretty boring on the reservoir, but this morning will take some beating.

1 Great Crested Grebe
7 Cormorants
2 Grey Herons
25 Mallards
6 COMMON SCOTERS. 3m + 3f on the reservoir throughout.
17 PINTAILS. Soon after arriving a flock of ducks flew over heading for Wayoh. They turned around and spent about 10 minutes circling around the reservoir, twice swooping down towards the Scoters. They never landed and continued their journey. I did a quick check of Wayoh & Jumbles as I worked my way home but there was no sign of them again.
2 Lapwings flying over
5 Pied Wagtails
13 Black-headed Gulls
1 Kestrel
5 Woodpigeons
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Jays
4 Magpies
5 Carrion Crows
1 Rook
2 Chaffinches
2 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
6 Bullfinches
2 Crossbills
+ other common woodland species

9.50am to 10.40am

3 Cormorants
29 Mallards
1 Sparrowhawk
17 Black-headed Gulls
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Nuthatch
Other regular species including Chaffinches, Siskins, & Bullfinches

Lots of Amethyst Deceiver

10.40am to 11.15am

1 Cormorant
1 Canada Goose
33 Mallards
10 Black-headed Gulls

10.50 to 12.30. Reservoir + Edge Lane

5 Cormorants
33 Mallards
2 Kestrels
13 Black-headed Gulls
5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over
32 Woodpigeons feeding together on fields
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 House Martin
9 Swallows
4 Skylarks
7 Meadow Pipits
1 Pied Wagtail
Numerous Wrens & Robins
1 Blackbird
3 Chiffchaffs
Numerous Goldcrests
Mixed tit flocks
1 Nuthatch
1 Treecreeper
8 Magpies
22 Carrion Crows
3 Rooks
1 Raven
Numerous Chaffinches
2 Goldfinches
2 Greenfinches
1 Siskin
2 Bullfinches

10.20am

7 Cormorants
39 Mallards
16 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Swallows

11.00am to 12.50pm

Reservoir area :-
2 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron seen swallowing a dead trout which it found floating at the reservoir edge
25 Mallards
1 Kestrel
14 Black-headed Gulls
2 Woodpigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
4 Swallows
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Blackbird
1 Nuthatch
1 Siskin
Numerous Wrens, Robins, Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Magpies, Carrion Crows, Chaffinches.
Common Hawker
Green-veined Whites, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacocks, Speckled Woods.

Edge Lane (Cadshaw to Edge Fold) :-
1 Buzzard
House Martins & Swallows at Cadshaw Farm, distant views looking down from the lane.
9 Woodpigeons
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Wren
6 Magpies
3 Rooks
30+ Carrion Crows
2 Ravens
5 Goldfinches

10.10am to 1.00pm

Reservoir area :-
4 Cormorants
27 Mallards
2 Pheasants
8 Black-headed Gulls
10 Woodpigeons
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Swallows
Numerous Wrens and Robins
1 Dunnock
Numerous Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits
1 Nuthatch
1 Dipper
2 Magpies
5 Carrion Crows
A few Chaffinches
3 Greenfinches
1 Goldfinch
1 Siskin
10 Lesser Redpolls
At least 2 Crossbills. The dense conifers could hold any numbers.
Comparing our morning sightings with a mate from Darwen who I bumped into we saw a Crossbill fly over, maybe one of the two, or a seperate one. Gary showed me a picture of a Spotted Flycatcher which he took a couple of days earlier at Fairy Battery, where I was heading next. He said two had been there for a few days, but I suspect due to strong winds on a very exposed tree they had moved on or found a more sheltered spot. I checked some ideal sheltered spots with dead trees but without success.
Common Hawker
Meadow Browns, Speckled Woods, Green-veined Whites.

Edge Lane (Cadshaw to Edge Fold)
1 Curlew
6 Woodpigeons
40 Feral Pigeons
5 Swallows
6 Meadow Pipits
2 Wheatears
1 Chiffchaff
5 Magpies
17 Carrion Crows
1 Reed Bunting

11.30am to 11.55am

4 Cormorants
35 Canada Geese
39 Mallards
6 Black-headed Gulls
2 House Martins
6 Swallows

A Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were outside the Strawbury Duck. A pint of Lancaster Blonde was waiting for me inside.

A quick scan across the reservoir at 11am showed little about.

4 Cormorants
20+ Mallards
5 Black-headed Gulls

Willow Warblers and a Nuthatch were at the bottom car park.

2 female Common Scoter present today.

Info thanks to David Lumb

2 oystercatcher, one lapwing, curlew, blackcap, willow warblers chiffchaff one blackcap lots of goldcrest well 3 and loads of herons

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 20th of July 2012 07:56:07 PM

17 Crossbills at this 11:50 morning in Larches on the eastern side of the dam. Info thanks to Phil Rhodes