Willow Tit on Saturday singing down near the marshy area of the golf course, large mixed flock of Thrushes in the wood just upstream.

Thought I'd give the Lostock Arms area a try having heard so many reports of Dipper sightings and wasn't disappointed getting great views as soon as I'd walked down from Rumworth lodge this morning.
Great views for a minute or so directionally opposite the closed pub before the bird flew upstream

1 Dipper showing well at closed Lostock Arms at 2.40pm.

11.45am to 12.45pm from Gilnow to Beaumont Road.

1 Grey Heron
Numerous Teal calling from behind the railway line below Atkinson's Farm
1 Dipper
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
2 Feral Pigeons
13 Woodpigeons
4 Wrens
3 Dunnocks
6 Robins
3 Blackbirds
Blue Tits & Great Tits
3 Nuthatches around Ladybridge Lane
15 Magpies
8 Carrion Crows
2 Jackdaws
1 Raven flying over Heaton Cemetery
9 Goldfinches

A Dipper showing well, either side of Rumworth Mill Bridge. 2.15pm today
A Wren and a Robin also present.

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 11th of January 2013 03:36:23 PM

This morning:
Dipper in same place as previous post. Taking turns, with a Grey Wagtail, to perch on a
mid-stream breeze block.




-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 25th of October 2012 11:27:23 AM

This morning's dog walk, covering the Lostock Junction to Ladybridge Lane stretch of the Trail.

A spendid Dipper and a pair of Wrens,
All showing well with close views around the mini-weir 30 yards down from Rumworth Mill Bridge.

Also 4 Mallard, A Moorhen and a juvenile Moorhen on the Brook.
2 Jays
15 Jackdaw and a Woodpigeon over

6.30 to 7.30 this evening.

This standing water is trapped as the valley side meets the railway. In the past I have had waders but none tonight.
Scoping from a suitable vantage point :

Grey Heron...1
Bh Gull...1
Teal....4
Mallard...2
Moorhen...3 including 1 Juv.
Plenty Wood Pigeon and Magpie.

12.45 to 13.45 Gilnow to Lostock

1 Grey Heron
3 Moorhens
6 Black-headed Gulls
Lots of Feral Pigeons on flats at Pocket
14 Woodpigeons
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Dipper seen from bridge leaving the river at Lostock
5 Wrens
1 Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits & Great Tits
2 Jays
13 Magpies
1 Carrion Crow
3 Goldfinches
1 Bullfinch

There was so much balsam about I was unable to see some stretches of the river or the flooded section of the field acroos the railway, so I probably missed a few other birds.

Yesterday evening's dog walk, Ladybridge Lane to Lostock Junction:
Juv. Mallard...10
Juv. Moorhen...4
Otherwise very little else .The brook is full of aquatic Plant/ weed.
No sign of Dipper or Kingfisher on recent visits.

This Afternoon:
Male Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and showing well in Lostock Hall Wood.
Only a Coot and 2 Moorhen on the Ponds.

Lostock:
Dipper downstream at full throttle 10.30 this morning.
Song Thrush and Great Tit singing by the Rumworth Mill Bridge.
Pair Mallards.
Wren.
P.S Great new access path (Tarmac) onto the trail down the side of Heaton Bridge.

-- Edited by keith mills on Sunday 25th of March 2012 12:09:53 PM

Chiffchaff noisily proclaiming ownership of some willows and alders Lostock end.

Simon Warford wrote:

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Julian, if Dippers are nesting perhaps the best thing is just to keep it quiet ?

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Hi Simon, see what you mean.....will try to be more circumspect in future

Julian, if Dippers are nesting perhaps the best thing is just to keep it quiet ?

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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julian shimmin wrote:

---

yesterday a Dipper at the (Bolton end) very start of the cycleway between the railway bridge over the brook and the cyclepath bridge near the Blackshaw House Flats. Watched going underwater for food a number of times...... does the map below help? let me know....
[url=http://

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 10th of March 2012 08:54:07 PM

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Hi Julian, please see the 'welcome to the forum' sticky which asks that no photos etc are attached to posts. I also got a load of spam sites after I'd clicked off the link too!

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Hi Ian, sorry 'bout that.....you should not get spam from Servimg though, i use this on other forums and it is generally seen as a quality image hosting site. What would be the best way to explain to others where we have seen birds?

Martyn Jones wrote:

---

The Dipper was again present today underneath the railway bridge near Blackshaw flats (as seen by others previously). It dived (dove?) many times in the fast flowing water which was a great sight and then flew up under the bridge. I'm not entirely sure, but there might have been a second bird which flew low and fast over the stream and past me upstream. Lovely birds.

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Hi Martyn, Hopefully there will be soon be young Dippers about.... :) btw "dived" is much better

The Dipper was again present today underneath the railway bridge near Blackshaw flats (as seen by others previously). It dived (dove?) many times in the fast flowing water which was a great sight and then flew up under the bridge. I'm not entirely sure, but there might have been a second bird which flew low and fast over the stream and past me upstream. Lovely birds.

julian shimmin wrote:

---

yesterday a Dipper at the (Bolton end) very start of the cycleway between the railway bridge over the brook and the cyclepath bridge near the Blackshaw House Flats. Watched going underwater for food a number of times...... does the map below help? let me know....
[url=http://

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 10th of March 2012 08:54:07 PM

---

Hi Julian, please see the 'welcome to the forum' sticky which asks that no photos etc are attached to posts. I also got a load of spam sites after I'd clicked off the link too!

Hi Keith, we have suspicions of the Dippers perhaps nesting under the railway bridge? we have seen a pair here for a few years now.....and thanks, i will try to include more maps in future

Hi Julian,
That's exactly where I saw the Dipper last year ...see my post April 2011
It finished up under the Railway Bridge.
Like the MAP!

yesterday a Dipper at the (Bolton end) very start of the cycleway between the railway bridge over the brook and the cyclepath bridge near the Blackshaw House Flats. Watched going underwater for food a number of times...... does the map below help? let me know....
[url=http://

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 10th of March 2012 08:54:07 PM

Yesterday on our morning constitutional, we saw, on the Bolton side of Ladybridge Lane bridge, a Dipper and my partner commented "it is just the right day for a Kingfisher too" and lo and behold on the Lostock side of the same bridge was.........a Kingfisher!! Good views and called twice before flying over the railway to the ditch on the opposite side. Also a Common Buzzard being mobbed near Deane Clough and a Reed Bunting singing away in the Golf Course "marsh". A very pleasant early Spring day!

A Dipper active on the Brook, either side of the rebuilt Rumworth Mill Bridge. Around 1pm. today

Today, 1730 hours: Tawny Owl heard calling from the woods near Heaton Bridge. (Bolton side)
This is often heard,across the valley, from the walkway on Ladybridge.

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 30th of December 2011 05:51:17 PM

A short walk down the Trail this morning to introduce our new pup to it's delights.
Pair Mallards with chicks.
Moorhen with chicks.
Teal (drake)with damaged wing
Bh gulls 2
Whitethroat (Immature) 1
Trains 3

9am.
STANDING WATER POOL (between Ladybridge Lane and Heaton Bridges.):

Redshank 1
Moorhen 1
Bh Gulls 2
Mallards 3.... plus family.
Jackdaws 2
Lapwings 4
Woodpigeons 2 (drinking)
Whitethroat 1

Cycling on the Trail to Bolton this am :
Near Deane Clough bridge :
Teal,one drake at the brook side. ( a regular I believe)

Nearer Bolton:
Dipper flew down stream past me and perched under THE railway bridge.

Dipper and two grey wags this morning.

I can hear the dipper singing from my driveway, and strangely it doesn't get any louder when I get closer, remarkable ventriloqual quality.
Preferred singing spots seem to be the blue upturned sandpit (!) upstream of the bridge, or the lump in the water about 20 yds downstream.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 5th of April 2011 09:17:27 AM

After three unsuccessful attempts I've now seen my first ever dipper near the (boarded-up) Lostock Arms pub during a ten minute stop-off after work. I also saw 1 wren, 1 mallard, 2 goldfinches, 2 blackbirds and 6 house sparrows.

DAVID CRAVEN WROTE: ....''If we take this further towards Horwich......up to Lostock Hall''.......


On the Middlebrook Valley Trail,Opposite the Wanderers Academy entrance, is the entrance to a Restricted Byway that runs down in front of Lostock Hall. After the Hall there is a very nice deciduous wood 150 yards long and then a large pool surrounded by bull rushes and trees.The area is, I think, maintained as a conservation area.It is very tidy and Newt barriers abound.
1.0pm today.
Wood:
Jay ..5
Mistle thrush...2
GS Woodpecker... 1 male
Lapwing 2 over
Blue Tit 1
Goldfinch 1
ON the Pool:
Canada Geese ..2
Coot 2
Mute Swans 2
BH Gulls 2
The byway continues as a footpath and a 'broad walk' down to a 'stand alone' Green Footbridge that crosses Middle Brook and the Railway.
There are several other ponds around . Two of which may be connected to the adjacent Golf Course under construction.


-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 2nd of April 2011 02:07:36 PM

-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 2nd of April 2011 02:30:52 PM

Definite pair of Dippers there now, I've seen them with nesting material. Suspect I know where they are nesting, but I'll keep that quiet. Will try keep an eye on the site though (won't be up there as often from next week, so won't be so easy).

The Dipper is basically resident near the Lostock Arms, along the river there, and up that little tributary (if that manky stream merits such a description). It's pretty relaxed around people, I can stand on the bridge feet away and it will carry on regardless.

Siskin, Willow Tit, and Chiff-Chaff all been in the area too.

If we take this furthe rup towards Horwich, following the track across the golf course and to Lostock Hall, there are plenty of Reed Buntings to be seen (counted 12 the other day). The kestrel pair are quite accomodating too, when they are on telegraph poles near United Utilities you can get pretty close.

Plenty of buzzard activity too.

There was a Grasshopper Warbler last year, hoping that shows.

Saw Spotted Flycatcher when we first started exploring the area, but never seen again.

Dipper seen along brook at 9am today, between Heaton Bridge and Lostock Arms. also( but 2 weeks ago) 4 roe deer crossing Ladybridge Lane Bridge.

INFO THANKS TO NEIGHBOUR ''HUGH'', out with his dog.

Dipper was up at Lostock Arms and the little tributary there, Sunday around 2pm.

Down the path towards Bolton, looking across the railway tracks to the standing water, Grey Heron and three Teal recently.

Yep, I saw the Dipper too! What a cracking bird shooting along just above the stream. You can hear it coming from quite a way off - too fast for a decent photo , even though it flew past me twice. There was also a single male Teal and a Grey Heron on this stretch of water, but I didn't see the Kingfisher. I'll definitely be back now I know where the Dippers are and what they do.

Was it you I met Steve? If so, nice talking to you.

A Dipper this morning between Deane Clough and Ladybridge Lane

A kingfisher in Deane Clough this afternoon

yesterday on the brook just off ladybridge lane bridge, i saw a pair of dippers-hopefuly they will breed here.


i often run/walk/cycle beside the brook and it really is a super place in spring for warblers, especially whitethroat.
i often see kingfisher here too.
makes exercising good fun!

-- Edited by julian shimmin on Sunday 30th of January 2011 05:24:48 PM

I walk this way quite a bit, spend a lot of time up the Lostock end, and it's great for seeing Dippers.

There's usually Grey Wagtail around too, kingfisher often seen.
Bullfinch has been seen plenty of times.
Most common tits and other finches. Jays.

Bolton's best cycle trail. Runs from near Town centre to Middlebrook Retail Park.
Follows Middlebrook for most of its length.
Walked 1.5 mile stretch trying for a Kingfisher that I saw when cycling in late 2010, (near the A58 bridge) but no sign here today.
Three year ticks however:
Dipper flew past 4 times along Middlebrook,
Low flying Cormorants, adult and juvenile.
Wren..pecking at a mossy trunk.
Others: 3 Great Tits, Jay, 3 Moorhens, Pair Mallards,Chaffinch,2 Coal tits
Usual Lt tit flock: Hawthorn hedge Beaumont Road.

-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 7th of January 2011 04:12:39 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 2nd of April 2011 02:55:01 PM