4 Little Egrets flew through SW at 9:35 this morning, also present, 5 Common Sandpipers, 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Terns, 93 Swifts, a female Teal, 3 Shovelers and a Water Rail in Pengys.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
colin davies said
Fri Jun 28 6:28 PM, 2024
Adult Mediterranean gull late afternoon, also 3 common terns.
Just a note to anybody thinking of visiting this weekend, Sunday is the annual Iron Man competition and roads all around the flash will be closed 6am-10am. Plus there'll be loads of people etc.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Jun 27 8:30 AM, 2024
This morning, two Green Sandpipers (adult and juvenile) and Little Egret on Ramsdales Scrape, 5 Common Sandpipers on the sailing club shore, 2 Common Terns and 59 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jun 26 7:43 AM, 2024
Late evening yesterday saw three Little Egrets and three Common Terns.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
colin davies said
Tue Jun 25 4:10 PM, 2024
This morning then early afternoon, 6 common terns and 4 little egrets.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jun 25 9:48 AM, 2024
So far this morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, one Little Egret and one Curlew over south.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
colin davies said
Mon Jun 24 5:53 PM, 2024
This morning common sandpiper at the boat club, 3 common terns and a little egret.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Jun 22 2:11 PM, 2024
This morning, Common Sandpiper on the spit, Little Egret and two Common Terns.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Jun 21 11:53 AM, 2024
A third Common Tern this morning headed over towards Bickershaw.
colin davies said
Fri Jun 21 11:28 AM, 2024
Common sandpiper on the spit this morning, two common terns flying around the flash and a single little egret in Ramsdales.
colin davies said
Thu Jun 20 11:29 AM, 2024
This morning,
Little tern 1 flew straight through heading west
Mediterranean gull 2 adults flew in calling and landed briefly on the spit
Cuckoo 1 rufous (hepatic) female flew low over the ruck
Little egret 2
Common tern 3
-- Edited by colin davies on Thursday 20th of June 2024 11:29:15 AM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jun 19 11:05 PM, 2024
This evening, single Mediterranean Gull and Common Sandpiper plus three Common Terns.
Scoter present at 13 45, why is horrocks hide locked up?
colin davies said
Tue Jun 18 10:57 AM, 2024
This morning, 8:15 to 10:45,
Common scoter 2 drakes. The second bird may have arrived later because first thing I could only see one bird.
Redshank 2 on the spit
Common tern 3
Little egret 1
colin davies said
Mon Jun 17 7:23 PM, 2024
Common scoter still present at 2.30pm, also little egret still and one common tern.
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Jun 17 8:45 AM, 2024
Drake Common Scoter present this morning, also a single Little Egret.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
colin davies said
Sun Jun 16 7:45 PM, 2024
Two common sandpipers on the spit at 8.30am.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jun 16 11:52 AM, 2024
1080 Swifts early morning, also two Common Terns, four Shovelers and an adult Great Black-backed Gull.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Jun 14 9:26 AM, 2024
Pair of Mediterranean Gulls present around the spit again this morning, two Common Terns and 660+ Swifts.
colin davies said
Thu Jun 13 1:06 PM, 2024
This morning a full circuit produced just two common terns. However, I did see a small wader with a wing bar just as it disappeared behind vegetation on the end of the spit. Could possibly have been a common sandpiper but it didn't seem to have that kind of flight. Unfortunately I couldn't relocate it. I'll try again later.
colin davies said
Tue Jun 11 11:32 AM, 2024
Juvenile ringed plover at the sailing club this morning during a brief visit.
First bird of the autumn return migration? I hope you all enjoyed summer
-- Edited by colin davies on Tuesday 11th of June 2024 11:34:00 AM
First summer Ringed Plover on the sailing club shore
Pair of Mediterranean Gulls around the spit briefly before flying off south
Male Cuckoo still singing on the south side
610 Swifts
205 Canada Geese
Oliver Morris said
Mon Jun 10 8:10 AM, 2024
Hopefully this is the correct thread, it's certainly close; yesterday around 11:50am driving up the Atherleigh Way (A579) near the Flash (between St Helens Road and the Sports Village), hundreds of swifts overhead.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jun 9 2:26 PM, 2024
First summer Ringed Plover on the spit late morning but no sign of the first summer Arctic Tern after mid-morning.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jun 9 10:27 AM, 2024
This morning's highlights:
First summer Arctic Tern, appeared over the flash early morning (not present first thing) and still present at 10am
Four adult Common Terns (only one present first thing in the morning)
Three Ringed Plovers flew in from the W/NW early morning and flew low across the flash, alighting only very briefly on the sailing club shore
Three Redshanks on Ramsdales Scrape
Four drake Shovelers on Ramsdales Scrape
Male Cuckoo singing from the south side again throughout the morning
Swift numbers remain high, with just over 800 over the eastern side pre 7am, birds then spreading across a wider area before the onset of rain around 8:30 when two large feeding flocks over the eastern side numbered 1150
c70 House Martins
Two adult Great Black-backed Gulls
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Jun 8 1:10 PM, 2024
Seven Sanderlings flew west at 08:56 this morning and the Cuckoo was still singing on the south side.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Jun 7 9:53 AM, 2024
This early morning’s highlights:
Male Cuckoo still singing in the East Bay area
830 Swifts feeding over trees at the eastern end of the site in an impressive flock, dispersing slightly later on over the south side and some over the water too
34 Swallows at the western end
3 Common Terns
Plenty of warblers now feeding fledged young
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Jun 5 5:08 PM, 2024
This morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, three Common Terns and four Black-tailed Godwits flew SW.
Info thank to Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jun 4 10:43 PM, 2024
This evening saw highlights of, six drake Pochard, a Redshank, Little Egret flew SW, two Oystercatchers and 144 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
colin davies said
Tue Jun 4 9:27 AM, 2024
Drake common scoter this morning, at times apparently displaying to coots! Also 2 common terns.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Jun 2 6:01 PM, 2024
Male Cuckoo on the south side this morning, also two Common Terns and at least 80 Swifts.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Mike Murphy said
Fri May 31 9:39 PM, 2024
There was a singing Sedge Warbler showing well about noon at the western end of the flash: on the path to Mossley Hall. I often get Sedge here.
Michael Hood said
Fri May 31 7:22 PM, 2024
Full circuit mid-afternoon for me today, partly in a vain attempt to see Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat (or at least hear to know more precisely where to look) - no joy
Warblers - a reasonable selection:
Willow Warbler - loads singing away
Chiffchaff - quite a few singing - managed to spot one but only because it was sitting at the top of a semi-dead tree, not worth trying with full leaf cover
Blackcap - loads singing all over the place, managed to (separately) spot both a male and a female
Whitethroat - only a few singing - got a brief view of one, they seemed to be skulking (a la Blackcap) rather than singing from prominences
Reed Warbler - actually got a good view of one singing away (from the "bench viewpoint" on the other side from the carpark - East Bay "hide"?), first time I've had a good view at Pennington rather than the usual song but no sight or fleeting sightings, I think it was also feeding a juvenile
Cetti's Warbler - heard several but just as I got close to the Tom Edmonson hide one "exploded" and I managed to see it fly through the trees before it "exploded" again
Most places I'm familiar with seem to have Sedge Warbler environment between the Reed Warblers and the woodland warblers - Pennington Flash seems to be missing that kind of terrain.
Waterfowl, etc:
Obviously Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, GC Grebe, Mute Swans, Cormorants and Canada geese - some Mallards and Canada Geese with young
Gadwall - lots some with ducklings
Tufted Duck - only a few
Shovelor - a few, saw one pair displaying - not seen that before
Little Grebe - in more than one place but what looked like a pair from the Tom Edmonson hide with one feeding a juvenile
Mandarin Duck - the male's still on the canal in the little Ackers Fold inlet - no sign of a female
Tits - at Bunting hide:
Willow Tit - kept on coming back
Coal Tit - at least 2
Great Tit - eventually
No Blue, no Long-tailed - funny to have the least common first and some of the others not even there
Some of the Black-headed Gulls have got big, dumpy, fluffy chicks
Several other species, but nothing of particular interest
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 30 6:57 PM, 2024
Full circuit mid-afternoon today, mainly for surveying breeding birds but highlights of five singing Cetti's Warblers, five family parties of Willow Tits, single Common Tern and 120 House Martins tight to the Western end reeds.
Andy Isherwood said
Thu May 30 3:07 PM, 2024
Fairly quiet look about this morning, highlights being singing Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat at the western end, 3 Little egret in trees at the west end and 3 Shoveler around Ramsdales
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 29 9:11 AM, 2024
This morning, 420 Swifts, 40 House Martins, 3 Common Terns, 1 Oystercatcher, 3 Shovelers.
Andy Isherwood said
Sun May 26 9:22 AM, 2024
Cuckoo calling this morning c.6.30 on the South side of the flash and then heard just after 8 on the north side of canal from the rucks Only other bits of note were 2 freshly fledged Grey Wagtail on the sailing club shore, a pair of Greylag geese with at least one Gosling also here. Singing Lesser Whitethroat again along Slag Lane in bushes around the Borehole.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat May 25 9:55 AM, 2024
Early this morning a singing male Cuckoo flew NW over Ramsdales Ruck towards Bickershaw, having probably flown over from the south side of the flash. Also present, three Common Terns and 130 Swifts.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 24 3:55 PM, 2024
Cuckoo singing from around the nature reserve area this morning.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
colin davies said
Fri May 24 3:29 PM, 2024
Mid-afternoon,
No sign of any sanderling or dunlin at the sailing club. Unfortunately this appears to be the only shoreline available at the moment due to high water levels.
1 common sandpiper at the sailing club
3 common terns
colin davies said
Fri May 24 9:46 AM, 2024
This morning,
2 sanderling on the sailing club shore with a single dunlin.
4 Turnstones still on this spit, with a single Dunlin (possibly arctica)
Two Sanderlings flew straight through with a single Dunlin at 3:35pm, quite quickly followed by another three waders (one larger than the other two, the larger bird most probably a Ringed Plover) which flashing through at speed across the southern side of the flash in the ‘murk’ defied definitive identification
2 Common Terns
860 Swifts, numbers swelled enormously at one point by a huge column of birds over the eastern side of the flash, total numbers could well have exceeded four figures
240 House Martins, mainly low over the southern side of the flash near the East Bay (not a Sand Martin in sight?)
138 Swallows, pretty much all at the very western end
1 Redshank
Female Goosander on the sailing club shore
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
colin davies said
Thu May 23 11:40 AM, 2024
This morning,
14 dunlin on the sailing club shore, flushed by dog walker and may have left. All summer plumage birds.
A Whimbrel flew north at 4:40pm today, also present 85 Swifts, 37 House Martins, 2 Common Terns and 5 Dunlin on the spit up to 7pm.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 21 10:09 PM, 2024
This evening, a rufous (hepatic) female Cuckoo perched briefly by Ramsdales scrape (photo on the website) and a female Pochard was resting on the spit.
This morning 21 common scoter, all drakes, until about 9.15am when they were flushed by a boat.
Thanks to Barry and Bill for the tip off.
A fruitful visit this morning 10:30 - 12:00 following IronMan,
Common scoter 4 (2 drakes, 2 females)
Common sandpiper 6
Common tern 3
Little egret 1
Egyptian goose 6 (adult with 5 juveniles) off the car park.
-- Edited by colin davies on Sunday 30th of June 2024 09:36:56 PM
4 Little Egrets flew through SW at 9:35 this morning, also present, 5 Common Sandpipers, 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Terns, 93 Swifts, a female Teal, 3 Shovelers and a Water Rail in Pengys.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Adult Mediterranean gull late afternoon, also 3 common terns.
Just a note to anybody thinking of visiting this weekend, Sunday is the annual Iron Man competition and roads all around the flash will be closed 6am-10am. Plus there'll be loads of people etc.
This morning, two Green Sandpipers (adult and juvenile) and Little Egret on Ramsdales Scrape, 5 Common Sandpipers on the sailing club shore, 2 Common Terns and 59 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Late evening yesterday saw three Little Egrets and three Common Terns.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This morning then early afternoon, 6 common terns and 4 little egrets.
So far this morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, one Little Egret and one Curlew over south.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
This morning common sandpiper at the boat club, 3 common terns and a little egret.
This morning, Common Sandpiper on the spit, Little Egret and two Common Terns.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
A third Common Tern this morning headed over towards Bickershaw.
Common sandpiper on the spit this morning, two common terns flying around the flash and a single little egret in Ramsdales.
This morning,
Little tern 1 flew straight through heading west
Mediterranean gull 2 adults flew in calling and landed briefly on the spit
Cuckoo 1 rufous (hepatic) female flew low over the ruck
Little egret 2
Common tern 3
-- Edited by colin davies on Thursday 20th of June 2024 11:29:15 AM
This evening, single Mediterranean Gull and Common Sandpiper plus three Common Terns.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This morning,
Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club
Common tern 6
Four Common Terns and 160 Swifts this morning.
I'm not sure, it was open up to 10.30ish
Scoter present at 13 45, why is horrocks hide locked up?
This morning, 8:15 to 10:45,
Common scoter 2 drakes. The second bird may have arrived later because first thing I could only see one bird.
Redshank 2 on the spit
Common tern 3
Little egret 1
Common scoter still present at 2.30pm, also little egret still and one common tern.
Drake Common Scoter present this morning, also a single Little Egret.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Two common sandpipers on the spit at 8.30am.
1080 Swifts early morning, also two Common Terns, four Shovelers and an adult Great Black-backed Gull.
Pair of Mediterranean Gulls present around the spit again this morning, two Common Terns and 660+ Swifts.
This morning a full circuit produced just two common terns. However, I did see a small wader with a wing bar just as it disappeared behind vegetation on the end of the spit. Could possibly have been a common sandpiper but it didn't seem to have that kind of flight. Unfortunately I couldn't relocate it. I'll try again later.
Juvenile ringed plover at the sailing club this morning during a brief visit.
First bird of the autumn return migration? I hope you all enjoyed summer
-- Edited by colin davies on Tuesday 11th of June 2024 11:34:00 AM
This morning:
First summer Ringed Plover on the sailing club shore
Pair of Mediterranean Gulls around the spit briefly before flying off south
Male Cuckoo still singing on the south side
610 Swifts
205 Canada Geese
Hopefully this is the correct thread, it's certainly close; yesterday around 11:50am driving up the Atherleigh Way (A579) near the Flash (between St Helens Road and the Sports Village), hundreds of swifts overhead.
First summer Ringed Plover on the spit late morning but no sign of the first summer Arctic Tern after mid-morning.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This morning's highlights:
First summer Arctic Tern, appeared over the flash early morning (not present first thing) and still present at 10am
Four adult Common Terns (only one present first thing in the morning)
Three Ringed Plovers flew in from the W/NW early morning and flew low across the flash, alighting only very briefly on the sailing club shore
Three Redshanks on Ramsdales Scrape
Four drake Shovelers on Ramsdales Scrape
Male Cuckoo singing from the south side again throughout the morning
Swift numbers remain high, with just over 800 over the eastern side pre 7am, birds then spreading across a wider area before the onset of rain around 8:30 when two large feeding flocks over the eastern side numbered 1150
c70 House Martins
Two adult Great Black-backed Gulls
Seven Sanderlings flew west at 08:56 this morning and the Cuckoo was still singing on the south side.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This early morning’s highlights:
Male Cuckoo still singing in the East Bay area
830 Swifts feeding over trees at the eastern end of the site in an impressive flock, dispersing slightly later on over the south side and some over the water too
34 Swallows at the western end
3 Common Terns
Plenty of warblers now feeding fledged young
This morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, three Common Terns and four Black-tailed Godwits flew SW.
Info thank to Bill Harrison
This evening saw highlights of, six drake Pochard, a Redshank, Little Egret flew SW, two Oystercatchers and 144 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Male Cuckoo on the south side this morning, also two Common Terns and at least 80 Swifts.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
There was a singing Sedge Warbler showing well about noon at the western end of the flash: on the path to Mossley Hall. I often get Sedge here.
Full circuit mid-afternoon for me today, partly in a vain attempt to see Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat (or at least hear to know more precisely where to look) - no joy
Warblers - a reasonable selection:
Most places I'm familiar with seem to have Sedge Warbler environment between the Reed Warblers and the woodland warblers - Pennington Flash seems to be missing that kind of terrain.
Waterfowl, etc:
Tits - at Bunting hide:
Some of the Black-headed Gulls have got big, dumpy, fluffy chicks
Several other species, but nothing of particular interest
Full circuit mid-afternoon today, mainly for surveying breeding birds but highlights of five singing Cetti's Warblers, five family parties of Willow Tits, single Common Tern and 120 House Martins tight to the Western end reeds.
This morning, 420 Swifts, 40 House Martins, 3 Common Terns, 1 Oystercatcher, 3 Shovelers.
Early this morning a singing male Cuckoo flew NW over Ramsdales Ruck towards Bickershaw, having probably flown over from the south side of the flash. Also present, three Common Terns and 130 Swifts.
Cuckoo singing from around the nature reserve area this morning.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Mid-afternoon,
No sign of any sanderling or dunlin at the sailing club. Unfortunately this appears to be the only shoreline available at the moment due to high water levels.
1 common sandpiper at the sailing club
3 common terns
This morning,
2 sanderling on the sailing club shore with a single dunlin.
1 common tern
1 goosander, female on the spit
2 adult great black-backed gulls
Late afternoon today:
4 Turnstones still on this spit, with a single Dunlin (possibly arctica)
Two Sanderlings flew straight through with a single Dunlin at 3:35pm, quite quickly followed by another three waders (one larger than the other two, the larger bird most probably a Ringed Plover) which flashing through at speed across the southern side of the flash in the ‘murk’ defied definitive identification
2 Common Terns
860 Swifts, numbers swelled enormously at one point by a huge column of birds over the eastern side of the flash, total numbers could well have exceeded four figures
240 House Martins, mainly low over the southern side of the flash near the East Bay (not a Sand Martin in sight?)
138 Swallows, pretty much all at the very western end
1 Redshank
Female Goosander on the sailing club shore
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
This morning,
14 dunlin on the sailing club shore, flushed by dog walker and may have left. All summer plumage birds.
4 turnstones on the spit
1 cuckoo calling on the ruck
1 common tern
150 swifts
100 house martins
A Whimbrel flew north at 4:40pm today, also present 85 Swifts, 37 House Martins, 2 Common Terns and 5 Dunlin on the spit up to 7pm.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This evening, a rufous (hepatic) female Cuckoo perched briefly by Ramsdales scrape (photo on the website) and a female Pochard was resting on the spit.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes