Cuckoo singing again just south of the canal at the back of Teal scrape this early morning. Also, 2 Common Terns, 2 drake Shovelers, Willow Tits with young, Little Egret and 93 Swifts.
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 20 8:17 PM, 2024
This morning, Cuckoo singing, 2 Common Terns, Little Egret and 21 Swifts.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Nick Isherwood said
Sun May 19 12:43 PM, 2024
Whilst out on my bike ride this morning I stopped on the old railway bridge over the brook and had a brief sighting of a Dipper. It flew upstream towards the bypass bridge but I wasnt able to relocate it.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 17 9:53 AM, 2024
This morning, single Dunlin on Ramsdales Scrape, adult Great Black-backed Gull, singing Garden Warbler at the western end, adult Little Egret.
This morning, singles of Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Common Tern, two adult Great Black-backed Gulls and 33 Swifts.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 14 9:54 PM, 2024
This evening, Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpiper, Redshank, 2 Common Terns and 39 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
munsworth said
Mon May 13 1:43 PM, 2024
No sign of Wood Warbler at southern end from 11am to 12.30
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 13 9:13 AM, 2024
Wood Warbler has relocated to the wood at the western end, at the very western end of the bridlepath over the rucks near the low metal gate with rollers on.
Sound recordings (only made with iPhone and no external microphone) now on the website. Rudimentary sonogram attached, note the lower frequency more 'messy' (and louder) Whitethroat also caught in the recording!
No further sign of the Wood Warbler since c08:40 after being spooked by a pair of Sparrowhawks.
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 13 8:03 AM, 2024
Wood Warbler singing from Ramsdales Ruck at 8am, near the main bridleway south of the locks monument.
Also, Lesser Whitethroat singing at the western end, a pair of Mediterranean Gulls (one of which was a first summer), four Great Black-backed Gulls, male Goosander and a single Common Sandpiper.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun May 12 9:56 AM, 2024
Cuckoo singing briefly at the western end early this morning, two Goosanders and a single Common Sandpiper the only things of real note.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 10 8:50 AM, 2024
Greenshank briefly on the sailing club shore first thing this morning.
Single Common Sandpiper and Common Tern (the latter flew off west with a fish), three Goosanders and pair of Greylags with two small young.
Mike Murphy said
Wed May 8 9:58 PM, 2024
Drake Mandarin in company of a pair of Mallards on canal just east of Lock Gates Monument at 2pm.
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 8 7:01 PM, 2024
Whimbrel over very early this morning, also two drake Goosanders present.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 6 8:51 AM, 2024
Early morning today:
Female Garganey still on Ramsdales Scrape
2 Dunlins
1 Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Egret
3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Linnet
3 Common Terns (two of which flew straight over east)
Andy Isherwood said
Sun May 5 9:37 AM, 2024
Ringed plover and Dunlin on the sailing club shoreline this morning, 2 further Dunlin on the spit. Whimbrel flew north calling just after 8am, Mediterranean Gull heard around Ramsdales whilst I was behind trees and the female Garganey still on Ramsdales. Singing Lesser Whitethroat in hedgerow near Lightshaw Croft
Colin Broadhurst said
Sat May 4 5:31 PM, 2024
This afternoon
1x female Garganey and 1x Redshank from Ramsdales
On the spit 1 x Common Sandpiper, 2x Dunlin, 1x Common Tern, 2 x Goosander and 1x Whimbrel @4.00pm
Ian McKerchar said
Sat May 4 8:34 AM, 2024
Early this morning, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, drake Shelduck, three drake Goosanders.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 3 8:32 AM, 2024
This morning:
Female Garganey still on Horrocks Scrape
Whimbrel over north at 06:40
Grasshopper Warbler reeling next to the bridleway over Ramsdales Ruck, further up from the leaning posts
Highlights from this morning around Ramsdales Ruck and the western end, still pretty quiet:
2 Shelduck
2 Common Sandpipers
3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
3 singing Sedge Warblers
5 Whitethroats (including a pair together)
Pair of Lesser Redpolls
Little Egret
Singing Willow Tit
3 Oystercatchers
29 Tufted Ducks (including the usual nasal saddled female)
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 1 10:45 AM, 2024
Two adult Mediterranean Gulls this morning, also 3 Goosanders and a male Whitethroat in the East Bay.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 30 5:55 PM, 2024
Pretty quiet again this morning, the main highlights being:
4 Goosanders
2 Common Terns
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatchers
4 Shoveler
1 Whitethroat
16 Swifts
Andy Isherwood said
Sun Apr 28 9:33 AM, 2024
Female Garganey still on Ramsdales scrape this morning also 3 Common Sandpiper on the shore at the sailing club and 2 Swift over the south side. 3 Goosander on the spit and Redshank at the west end.
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Apr 26 11:11 AM, 2024
This morning:
3 Whimbrels flew over NE fairly low and very vocal at 07:10
5 Common Terns
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Swifts
1 female Siskin by the leaning posts
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Apr 25 8:04 PM, 2024
Late afternoon today:
Sedge Warbler
5 Common Terns
16 Swallows
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Egret
1 Common Sandpiper
Oliver Morris said
Wed Apr 24 10:16 AM, 2024
Highlights from a visit yesterday afternoon (3.45 - 5pm):
3 common terns, great black-backed gull, oystercatcher and a goosander on the spit
Mistle thrush by the playground (no idea if they are common here, but first time I've seen one at Pennington)
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 24 9:28 AM, 2024
This early morning's highlights included:
Female Garganey on Ramsdales Scrape
Male Redstart briefly by Ramsdales Hide
Male Wheatear on Ramsdales Ruck which later flew off strongly north
7 Reed Warblers
22 Blackcaps (18 singing males) on less than a third of the whole site
This morning a Common Sandpiper, Little Egret and 17 Swifts were the highlights.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Steven Heywood said
Mon Apr 22 11:43 PM, 2024
1:35pm to 3:40pm
Drake common scoter still on the flash, also eight swallows hawking low overhead in the rain. Adult and, I think, a 4CY great black-back out near the sailing club. Two very vocal ravens flew overhead. Reed warblers singing either side of the path at Tom Edmondson Hide, plus the usual Cetti's.
Decent few hours this morning!
The 2 Avocets were present until 7.38 when they flew off heading North. Ian's Caspian gull from yesterday was again on the spit until 8.20 at least. Female Garganey from Ramsdales hide, associating with a pair of Teal. Brambling heard calling twice from near the sailing club, sounded to be heading east. Redshank on the flooded fields at the west end. Pair of Linnet on the rucks.Sedge warbler at the west end.
Carl Moorhouse said
Sun Apr 21 8:23 AM, 2024
Caspian Gull still present at 7am. 2 Avocet on the spit, 2 Common Terns and hundreds of Sand Martins still feeding.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 20 10:13 AM, 2024
4th calendar year Caspian Gull present on the spit early morning (poor long range record shots attached)
A pair of Great Black-backed Gulls
A pair of adult Mediterranean Gulls which seemed to fly off south
410 Sand Martins feeding over the water this early afternoon.
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 17 8:59 PM, 2024
This morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls were present along with two Common Sandpipers and Common Tern.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 17 8:57 PM, 2024
Late news for yesterday evening when 7 Common Tern, a Common Sandpiper and 200+ Sand Martins were present.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 16 9:36 AM, 2024
This morning:
4 Black-tailed Godwits flew on to Ramsdales Scrape and fed until 08:05 when they flew off west
370 Sand Martins
4 Reed Warblers
1 Common Sandpiper
Andy Isherwood said
Sun Apr 14 10:21 AM, 2024
Grasshopper Warbler singing this morning on the opposite side of the canal from the leaning posts, single Common Sandpiper on the spit and 2 Whitethroat singing. Curlew also heard heading North but I was under tree cover. Single Redpoll and Siskin over the west end.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 13 10:02 PM, 2024
Late this evening, up to 8pm:
3 Common Terns, 21 Goosanders, Common Sandpiper, 148 Sand Martins and a Little Egret flew west.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 13 9:22 AM, 2024
Highlights from early this morning included:
2 Common Terns
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
A flock of 14+ Lesser Redpolls feeding on Ramsdales Ruck
1 Linnet on Ramsdales Ruck which flew off south
3 Ravens with two west at 07:25 and a single east at 08:14
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Apr 12 4:08 PM, 2024
Four Common Sandpipers on the spit by mid-morning.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Apr 12 8:52 AM, 2024
This morning:
2 Common Sandpipers on the spit
Common Tern still present
1 Curlew over
11 Goldeneye
2 Lesser Redpolls
22 Willow Warblers, 11 Chiffchaffs and 6 Blackcaps on Ramsdales Ruck alone
2 Reed Warblers
Ian McKerchar said
Wed Apr 10 4:38 PM, 2024
Single Common Tern still present this afternoon.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 9 5:17 PM, 2024
This mid-afternoon, 22+ House Martins, half a dozen or so Swallows and a couple of dozen Sand Martins all at the western end.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 9 5:16 PM, 2024
Colin Broadhurst wrote:
Also female Tufted Duck with bright blue beak band with letters S,C,? Printed on from Ramsdales
CH1 which has been present on and off (more on in the past few years) since at least 2017.
Colin Broadhurst said
Tue Apr 9 8:04 AM, 2024
Also from yesterday
1 x Cormorant with fishing line around bill and a fish on the hook still. Bird in obvious distress with blood around base of bill
Also female Tufted Duck with bright blue beak band with letters S,C,? Printed on from Ramsdales
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Apr 8 8:29 PM, 2024
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Other highlights from early afternoon today:
21 Cormorants (all immatures, including a colour-ringed bird)
Ringed in June 2023 at Hale Duck Decoy, Cheshire.
Ian McKerchar said
Mon Apr 8 4:28 PM, 2024
Other highlights from early afternoon today:
Whitethroat singing briefly on the eastern edge of Ramsdales Ruck
15 singing Willow Warblers on Ramsdales Ruck alone
2 Linnets
21 Cormorants (all immatures, including a colour-ringed bird)
Cuckoo singing again just south of the canal at the back of Teal scrape this early morning. Also, 2 Common Terns, 2 drake Shovelers, Willow Tits with young, Little Egret and 93 Swifts.
This morning, Cuckoo singing, 2 Common Terns, Little Egret and 21 Swifts.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Whilst out on my bike ride this morning I stopped on the old railway bridge over the brook and had a brief sighting of a Dipper. It flew upstream towards the bypass bridge but I wasnt able to relocate it.
This morning, single Dunlin on Ramsdales Scrape, adult Great Black-backed Gull, singing Garden Warbler at the western end, adult Little Egret.
This morning, singles of Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Common Tern, two adult Great Black-backed Gulls and 33 Swifts.
This evening, Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpiper, Redshank, 2 Common Terns and 39 Swifts.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
No sign of Wood Warbler at southern end from 11am to 12.30
Wood Warbler has relocated to the wood at the western end, at the very western end of the bridlepath over the rucks near the low metal gate with rollers on.
Sound recordings (only made with iPhone and no external microphone) now on the website. Rudimentary sonogram attached, note the lower frequency more 'messy' (and louder) Whitethroat also caught in the recording!
No further sign of the Wood Warbler since c08:40 after being spooked by a pair of Sparrowhawks.
Wood Warbler singing from Ramsdales Ruck at 8am, near the main bridleway south of the locks monument.
Also, Lesser Whitethroat singing at the western end, a pair of Mediterranean Gulls (one of which was a first summer), four Great Black-backed Gulls, male Goosander and a single Common Sandpiper.
Cuckoo singing briefly at the western end early this morning, two Goosanders and a single Common Sandpiper the only things of real note.
Greenshank briefly on the sailing club shore first thing this morning.
Single Common Sandpiper and Common Tern (the latter flew off west with a fish), three Goosanders and pair of Greylags with two small young.
Drake Mandarin in company of a pair of Mallards on canal just east of Lock Gates Monument at 2pm.
Whimbrel over very early this morning, also two drake Goosanders present.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Early morning today:
Female Garganey still on Ramsdales Scrape
2 Dunlins
1 Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Egret
3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Linnet
3 Common Terns (two of which flew straight over east)
This afternoon
1x female Garganey and 1x Redshank from Ramsdales
On the spit 1 x Common Sandpiper, 2x Dunlin, 1x Common Tern, 2 x Goosander and 1x Whimbrel @4.00pm
Early this morning, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, drake Shelduck, three drake Goosanders.
This morning:
Female Garganey still on Horrocks Scrape
Whimbrel over north at 06:40
Grasshopper Warbler reeling next to the bridleway over Ramsdales Ruck, further up from the leaning posts
Redshank on Ramsdales Scrape
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
Highlights from this morning around Ramsdales Ruck and the western end, still pretty quiet:
2 Shelduck
2 Common Sandpipers
3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
3 singing Sedge Warblers
5 Whitethroats (including a pair together)
Pair of Lesser Redpolls
Little Egret
Singing Willow Tit
3 Oystercatchers
29 Tufted Ducks (including the usual nasal saddled female)
Two adult Mediterranean Gulls this morning, also 3 Goosanders and a male Whitethroat in the East Bay.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Pretty quiet again this morning, the main highlights being:
4 Goosanders
2 Common Terns
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatchers
4 Shoveler
1 Whitethroat
16 Swifts
This morning:
3 Whimbrels flew over NE fairly low and very vocal at 07:10
5 Common Terns
1 Common Sandpiper
5 Swifts
1 female Siskin by the leaning posts
2 adult Great Black-backed Gulls
Late afternoon today:
Sedge Warbler
5 Common Terns
16 Swallows
4 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Little Egret
1 Common Sandpiper
Highlights from a visit yesterday afternoon (3.45 - 5pm):
3 common terns, great black-backed gull, oystercatcher and a goosander on the spit
Mistle thrush by the playground (no idea if they are common here, but first time I've seen one at Pennington)
This early morning's highlights included:
Female Garganey on Ramsdales Scrape
Male Redstart briefly by Ramsdales Hide
Male Wheatear on Ramsdales Ruck which later flew off strongly north
7 Reed Warblers
22 Blackcaps (18 singing males) on less than a third of the whole site
8 Swifts
Little Egret
Pair of Great Black-backed Gulls
This morning a Common Sandpiper, Little Egret and 17 Swifts were the highlights.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Early afternoon today:
Drake Common Scoter
2 Ringed Plovers
2 Little Ringed Plovers
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Goosanders
2CY Great Black-backed Gull
This morning
1 x Common Sandpiper on spit
5 x Swift with c50 Sand Martin off sailing club
4th calendar year Caspian Gull present on the spit early morning (poor long range record shots attached)
A pair of Great Black-backed Gulls
A pair of adult Mediterranean Gulls which seemed to fly off south
380 Sand Martins
3 Common Terns
410 Sand Martins feeding over the water this early afternoon.
This morning, two adult Mediterranean Gulls were present along with two Common Sandpipers and Common Tern.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Late news for yesterday evening when 7 Common Tern, a Common Sandpiper and 200+ Sand Martins were present.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This morning:
4 Black-tailed Godwits flew on to Ramsdales Scrape and fed until 08:05 when they flew off west
370 Sand Martins
4 Reed Warblers
1 Common Sandpiper
Late this evening, up to 8pm:
3 Common Terns, 21 Goosanders, Common Sandpiper, 148 Sand Martins and a Little Egret flew west.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
Highlights from early this morning included:
2 Common Terns
1 Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
A flock of 14+ Lesser Redpolls feeding on Ramsdales Ruck
1 Linnet on Ramsdales Ruck which flew off south
3 Ravens with two west at 07:25 and a single east at 08:14
Four Common Sandpipers on the spit by mid-morning.
Info thanks to Phil Rhodes
This morning:
2 Common Sandpipers on the spit
Common Tern still present
1 Curlew over
11 Goldeneye
2 Lesser Redpolls
22 Willow Warblers, 11 Chiffchaffs and 6 Blackcaps on Ramsdales Ruck alone
2 Reed Warblers
Single Common Tern still present this afternoon.
This mid-afternoon, 22+ House Martins, half a dozen or so Swallows and a couple of dozen Sand Martins all at the western end.
CH1 which has been present on and off (more on in the past few years) since at least 2017.
Also from yesterday
1 x Cormorant with fishing line around bill and a fish on the hook still. Bird in obvious distress with blood around base of bill
Also female Tufted Duck with bright blue beak band with letters S,C,? Printed on from Ramsdales
Ringed in June 2023 at Hale Duck Decoy, Cheshire.
Other highlights from early afternoon today:
Whitethroat singing briefly on the eastern edge of Ramsdales Ruck
15 singing Willow Warblers on Ramsdales Ruck alone
2 Linnets
21 Cormorants (all immatures, including a colour-ringed bird)
74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
21 Herring Gulls
Mallard with at least eight ducklings
Kingfisher in Ramsdales
Black tailed godwit Ramsdales hide
Also Common Tern still present on main flash