Tuesday 26 May 2009
evening
Horrock's Flash

1 Cuckoo
around 1000+ Swifts
a few House Martins & Swallows and 1 Sand Martin.

Second brood of Pochard today, and first brood of GC Grebes.

Horrocks flash,7.00pm till 8.45pm all as expected,a bit quite really only the cuckoo calling from the central 'jungle' of note,at least 500 starlings in groups of 20s heading to roost somewhere.

cheers geoff

Dunlin on Horrock's Flash had increased to 5 by early afternoon yesterday (22 May 09)

Horrocks Flash this morning:
4 Dunlin
1 Oystercatcher
1 Cuckoo
27 Common Tern
4 adult Greylag Geese with 6 juvs

Still 4 Common Scoter on Scotman's this morning

Tuesday 19 May 2009

The Cuckoo was singing from a dead tree at Horrock's Flash (North Pool) this morning.

Monday 18 May 2009

4 Common Scoter (1m 3f) still(!) present on Scotman's Flash.

4 Scoters still present 1400hrs, no black terns seen

Sunday 17 May 2009
07:00-11:30

4 Common Scoter (1m 3f) still present on Scotman's Flash.
A 1st summer Common Tern had me baffled for a while on Scotman's Flash, kept hovering and landing on the water.
A Lesser Whitethroat was new in on Rainford's Tip.

Scotmans,4 common scoters still present at 14.00 but harrased by boats,1 black tern
1 cuckoo still calling from horrocks 'jungle' rain stopped play 14.15.
cheers geoff

Saturday 16 May 2009

Kittiwake at Horrocks flash at 07:40 this morning. Flew around being chased by a couple of Black-headed Gulls, then landed on the water for a second before being chased off by 2 Common Terns. It then flew NW.

also...
2 Cuckoos one at Hawkley, the other at Horrock's Flash.
1 Lesser Whitethroat quite mobile around the Hawkley Reedbed area.
4 Oystercatchers one at Horrock's Flash and 3 over Hawkley.
1 Redshank at Horrock's Flash.
And the already mentioned 2 Black Terns and 4 Common Scoters (1m 3f) (Thanks for the call Jimmy!) on Scotman's Flash.

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Saturday 16th of May 2009 03:06:06 PM

These little blighters must have been hiding when I was there or they flew in after I left

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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4 Common Scoter present on Scotmans Flash at 09:20 this morning

4 Common Scoter present on Scotmans Flash at 09:20 this morning

Info thanks to Jimmy Meadows

Scotmans 06.00 - 08.30 this morning just 2 Black Tern seen at any one time. Loads of Swift, Swallows and House Martin and 2 Common Tern plus Cuckoo calling. It was freezing on that towpath and quite a smell of phenol(?) - what is that pong?

Still 4 Black Terns at 5pm, plus the Black-necked Grebe on Pearson's Flash still.

Friday 15 May 2009
11:30 >

5 Black Terns @ Scotman's Flash
1 Bittern in flight
2 Oystercatchers over Horrock's Flash
1 Kingfisher
2 Garden Warbler

Thursday 14 May 2009
Scotman's Flash 20:30

Still 9 Black Terns
7 Common Terns
loads of hirundines and Swifts

also possibly a second Cuckoo (on Rainfords Tip, but may have been the Horrock's Flash individual), a Garden Warbler along the canal just N of Bryn Marsh, near the remains of the old bridge, and a Redshank at Horrock's Flash.

Horrocks flash 7.00pm 8.30

4 dunlin
15 lesser blackbacked gulls
1 cuckoo calling
3 great crested grebe all others as usual,

cheers me and rob thorpe and no black terns

-- Edited by Geoff Hargreaves on Thursday 14th of May 2009 09:47:30 PM

7.30pm 14th May
Counted 6 Black Terns at Scotsman's Flash this evening.
Mike Unsworth

Thursday 14 May 2009
Scotman's Flash to 14:15

9 Black Terns
2 Common Terns
and I could hear a distant Cuckoo.

1st brood of Pochard today.

1 Black-necked Grebe seen this afternoon from screen on Pearson's Flash

Horrocks Flash this evening:
5 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, Cuckoo

9 Dunlins and a Cuckoo on Horrocks Flash today.

Thursday 7th May
13:30

Bryn Marsh
Bittern flew from Reeds over woodland towards Ocre / Hawksley

Tuesday 05 May 2009
18:30 - 20:00
Horrock's Flash

Front Pool (aka Canal Pool)
5 Dunlin
1 Ringed Plover
3 Oystercatcher

North Pool
1 Cuckoo (showing well in trees)
1 Redshank
Loadsa Swifts (all common ) and no sign of Garganey

one of the Garganeys was visible briefly this afternoon in one of the channels viewed from the railway embankment along the western side of the flash.
Also this afternoon, on the front (canal) pool:
1 Dunlin
1 Ringed Plover
1 Oystercatcher

Now 2 Garganey on Horrock's Flash (both drakes). But currently out of view (11:50).
Info thanks to Judith Smith.

Monday 04 April 2009

Horrock's Flash am

1 drake Garganey flew in across the front (canal) pool, then later relocated on the north pool (the one to the right when looking from near the level crossing).
1 Curlew
1 Redshank
2 Common Sandpiper

Sunday 03 May 2009

Wigan Flashes "Mayhem" with Geoff & Jimmy. Very windy! The best of the bunch being:

2 Garden Warbler, 1 at Westwood and 1 on Rainford's Tip.
1 Lesser Whitethroat at Park House Farm
1 Wheatear at Park House Farm
1 Peregrine over heading N/NW
2 Common Sandpiper on Horrock's Flash
2 Shelduck on Horrock's Flash


-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Sunday 3rd of May 2009 09:20:01 PM

Saturday 02 May 2009

1 WHINCHAT on spare ground opposite canal from the houses at Platt Bridge, between the A58 and the railway. Just outside the Wigan Flashes recording area .

also...
1 Wheatear
2 Garden Warbler
2 Buzzard
(all at Rainford's Tip)


-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Sunday 3rd of May 2009 09:29:01 PM

dave broome wrote:

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Little Gull still present early afternoon at least, but disappearing for short periods. No sign this evening though during a brief look.

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I think I must have been there during one of those "short periods" on my lunch break... No sign this evening either.
That's now 2 Iceland Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 1 Little Gull I've "dipped" on this year at Scotman's Flash

Little Gull still present early afternoon at least, but disappearing for short periods. No sign this evening though during a brief look.

adult Little Gull present on Scotmans Flash 09:45 this morning

Info thanks to Dave Broome

At least me and rob have read your breeding birds post and have taken note.
Horrocks Flash int rain
This evening the rain had us both scanning spoonbill flats for 'drop ins' result one dunlinobviously found by rob

cheers geoff

All you Pie-eaters, please read the new 'Breeding birds on this forum' post at the top of this forum.

Cheers

Wednesday 29 April 2009
evening

Horrock's Flash:
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
8+ Common Tern
all amazing stuff...

Tuesday 28 April 2009
evening

Horrock's Flash:
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Redshank
3 Oystercatcher
9 Common Tern

Yesterday (27th) evening at Horrock's Flash:
2 Little Ringed Plover
1 Redshank (briefly)
1 Swift over

Sunday 26 April 2009

3 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Ringed Plover on Horrock's Flash, along with 2 Oystercatcher and 6 Common Tern.

3 or 4 Buzzards soaring about.

6+ Swift over Scotman's Flash, and the odd Swift zooming around elsewhere.

At least 6 Whitethroat.

Also, on Saturday, 2 male Yellowhammer singing between Bryn Marsh and Park House Farm

11 Swifts over Scotman's this morning

Horrocks Flash 19.00 21.00

front pool,all the regulars,no migrants
1 ringed plover
4 common tern

rear pool,same as but add 2 common tern prospecting for a nest site?

cheers geoff

Friday 24 April 2009
08:30 - 12:30

Horrock's Flash:
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Ringed Plover
4 Common Tern

1 Wheatear on Ince Moss Landfill
4 Whitethroats (Rainford's Tip, Pearson's Flash, Westwood, Moss Bridge)
1 Sedge Warbler at Pearson's Flash
1 Grasshopper Warbler at Pearson's Flash

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Friday 24th of April 2009 04:08:34 PM

Thursday 23 April 2009
18:00 - 21:00

Horrock's Flash:
2 Ruff (100 )
3 Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Oystercatcher
4 Common Tern
1 Geoff
3 Gunmen
1 Dead Canada Goose

Also there was a Whitethroat on Rainford's Tip and another near Pearson's Flash.
A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling at Moss Bridge, as was the one at Platt Wazz.



-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 11:25:08 PM

Horrocks flash 20.00 hrs myself and mr thorpe, 2 Ruff 2 shelduck both site ticks for meI,ll let rob post his list,I,ve got some photos of the ruff but there only 'record shot ' quality.We were disturbed by some shooting close to the canal,which i,ll put in the discussions section for clarity, and future reference.

cheers geoff

Both Ruff still present at 12:49

Info thanks to Rob Thorpe

2 Ruff on Horrocks Flash at midday today

Info thanks to Dave Broome

Fox in the field opposite canal from Platt Bridge (don't worry Dave, i'll put it on the wildlife forum too )

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Then my work here is done

Dave

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Brandon Mulhern wrote:

me too! better than when two told me "theres a red heron over there"!!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Wednesday 22nd of April 2009 09:30:41 PM

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Ssssshhh... That's a secret! Don't want the egg collectors finding out about our colony of Red Herons (latin Ardea ruber)!

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Wednesday 22nd of April 2009 09:36:33 PM

Paul Risley wrote:

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just got home after a few beers then read this, cried laughing, very funny. cheers guys



-- Edited by Paul Risley on Wednesday 22nd of April 2009 06:55:18 AM

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me too! better than when two told me "theres a red heron over there"!!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Wednesday 22nd of April 2009 09:30:41 PM