Hi pleased to say that both ends are open this morning - not quite sure how many B N Grebes are on the flash this morning but ceratinly 3 juveniles and 5 adult birds
Cheers Dave
Tony Coatsworth said
Sun Jul 15 4:55 PM, 2012
Probably a shorter walk from the northern end
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Jul 15 4:12 PM, 2012
Dave Bancroft wrote:
Hi, a first time visitor to HG flash tomorrow therefore can anyone help with alternative access directions due to Delph Lane being closed
Cheers Dave
Both ends of the road were closed yesterday no other way in ,had to walk it in from the warrington end about a mile :)
Dave Bancroft said
Sun Jul 15 2:30 AM, 2012
Hi, a first time visitor to HG flash tomorrow therefore can anyone help with alternative access directions due to Delph Lane being closed
Cheers Dave
Tony Coatsworth said
Sat Jul 14 11:42 PM, 2012
Note - Delph Lane was shut today at the north end near M6 Junction 22, I got totally lost trying to find the southern end !
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Jul 14 5:34 PM, 2012
Mike Baron wrote:
Still 10 Black-necked Grebes this morning. Very hard to pin down though.
your not wrong,they were like wirling dirvishes this afternoon-.There were 11 (5 Juv 6 adult)and they were showing peculiar behavior most of the time The Juvs, spent the afternoon charging to the east end,then flyingto the west end and back again and so and so in a constant loop,obviously learning to fly properly ,I recon they will be off tonight and there will be less tomorrow. Also any photographers thinking of photographing the grebes ,I wouldn't bother trying with the black necks at this time of year. Apart from them being tatty at this time of year ,in my experience in the spring when they are pairing up they are easy to get at the pool,but at this time of year they always seem to stick to the middle of the pool and are either asleep or charging around like mad,they never let me get within 50 yards today in three hours watching them and the same since they arrived a few weeks ago :)
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 14th of July 2012 05:37:34 PM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 14th of July 2012 05:52:08 PM
Mike Baron said
Sat Jul 14 2:38 PM, 2012
Still 10 Black-necked Grebes this morning. Very hard to pin down though.
Mike Baron said
Sat Jul 14 4:14 AM, 2012
John, there were 10 Black-necked Grebes this evening. 6 were adults.
Cheers
Mike
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Jul 14 12:25 AM, 2012
at least 9 black necked grebes this aft - 4 Juv and 5 adults possibly 6 all in the middle of the pool in torrential rain,its a definate different way that they are feeding at the pool now,when it was much bigger and deeper a few years ago ,The grebes were always along the edges,but now its more or less the same depth all the way across,and this year I have hardly seen them leave the centre of the pool,as it must now be shallow enough for them to feed in the middle. The pool is about 1/2 the size in water volume than it used to be 10 years ago,but still gets the birds to a point.
JOHN TYMON said
Fri Jul 13 9:52 PM, 2012
Mike Baron wrote:
John, there were 10 Black-necked Grebes this evening. 6 were adults.
Cheers
Mike
Had a feeling there was ,but it was lashing down for the hour i was there,so wasn't 100% sure there was 10 turning into a bumper year for the grebes after a few lean years at the pool,seems to have been one of the few birds that have had a good breeding season,with the youg birds and adults dispersing from woolston shame they stick to the middle of the pool more these days.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 13th of July 2012 09:53:15 PM
Mike Baron said
Fri Jul 13 3:36 AM, 2012
8 Black-necked Grebes this evening, 5 adults and 3 juveniles plus a Dunlin
Mike Baron said
Wed Jul 11 1:12 AM, 2012
7 Black-necked Grebes today, 4 adults and 3 juveniles
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Jul 8 11:18 PM, 2012
Mike Baron wrote:
5 adult Black-necked Grebes this morning
still in the middle at 3pm
Mike Baron said
Sun Jul 8 5:23 PM, 2012
5 adult Black-necked Grebes this morning
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Jul 7 11:37 PM, 2012
AM/PM-2 visits 4 Black necked grebe-sticking well to the middle of the pool,its a shame as the water level now is probably at the right depth in the middle for them ,where in the past it was so deep they kept to the edge ,so there was a chance of decent pictures,but that seems to have gone now. 2 common sandpiper 2 common tern-flew through at 10am 1 oystercatcher
Mike Baron said
Sat Jul 7 4:24 AM, 2012
4 Black-necked Grebes still and 3 Common Sandpipers today
Mike Baron said
Thu Jul 5 4:07 AM, 2012
4 Black-necked Grebes still today
Mike Baron said
Tue Jul 3 1:21 PM, 2012
4 adult Black-necked Grebes this morning plus adult Little Grebe and Common Sandpiper
Mike Baron said
Mon Jul 2 4:53 PM, 2012
Common Sandpiper present this morning - obviously now had enough of the British summer!
Mike Baron said
Mon Jun 25 3:01 AM, 2012
Common Tern still present this afternoon and unfortunately the only nesting great crested grebe pair ,has a male that has found a different female and constantly this afternoon the sitting female was being dragged off the nest by the other pair and at one point would have been killed by the male if I hadn't gone down to the bank and clapped ,but as I was leaving the sitting female had been dragged off the nest again and looked like there was no hope for either the female or the nest,unless the other female decides to sit on the eggs,more likely they will tip the eggs out of the nest and try themselves :( Nature seems to be very crual at times and expecially this year :(
Same thing yesterday John. A second nest has already been destroyed and last year the same thing happended for a couple of months with birds building nests and then losing them to other grebes on a regular basis. Too little suitable habitat for the number of birds around.
Mike
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Jun 24 10:48 PM, 2012
Mike Baron wrote:
Common Tern this morning
Common Tern still present this afternoon and unfortunately the only nesting great crested grebe pair ,has a male that has found a different female and constantly this afternoon the sitting female was being dragged off the nest by the other pair and at one point would have been killed by the male if I hadn't gone down to the bank and clapped ,but as I was leaving the sitting female had been dragged off the nest again and looked like there was no hope for either the female or the nest,unless the other female decides to sit on the eggs,more likely they will tip the eggs out of the nest and try themselves :( Nature seems to be very crual at times and expecially this year :(
The pool and adjacent land is now up for sale. It will be interesting to see how it will be sold as a lake when UU will have shortly reduced it to a muddy puddle at this rate!
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Jun 5 4:53 PM, 2012
This Afternoon 2 Black necked Grebe present,but very wary I wasn't going to report the grebes as normally I don't like them being disturbed at the pool,but seeing as there was 3 canoes on, 10 kids swimming,and 4 illegal fishermen,along with the 30 or so dog walkers, a police helicopter ,along with 4 police cars ,so something was going on around the pool ,I can't see the point these days of keeping the grebes sightings quiet,as I don't think they will stay longer than today anyway. Anyone going with camera equipment etc please be vary wary as there are some very dodgy characters frequenting the pool at the moment
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 05:54:41 PM
Mike Baron said
Sat Jun 2 2:59 AM, 2012
A Ruff was present at dusk yesterday but not present at 05:30 today
JOHN TYMON said
Fri Jun 1 9:55 PM, 2012
Mike Baron wrote:
A Ruff was present at dusk yesterday but not present at 05:30 today
There was a lot of ruff teenagers making a fire at 4pm when i gave up and went to penny instead :(
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 1st of June 2012 09:56:26 PM
JOHN TYMON said
Fri May 25 8:03 PM, 2012
4 yellow wagtail this afternoon ,were the only things of note,but very nice to see all the same :) oh and a sign is up in th sw corner that the pool is for sale,so we can only wait and hope
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 26th of May 2012 07:47:43 AM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 26th of May 2012 12:06:37 PM
JOHN TYMON said
Tue May 22 2:48 AM, 2012
1 common tern this morning was the only thing of note
JOHN TYMON said
Mon May 21 12:01 AM, 2012
2 buzzard and a common sandpiper only things of note this aft.
Mike Baron said
Sun May 20 9:02 PM, 2012
Yesterday morning
Corn Bunting Yellow Wagtail 3 Whitethroats 2 Buzzards Ringed Plover (third day) 200+ Swifts inc one with no tail 220+ Swallows 30+ Sand Martins 10+ House Martins
5 of us carried out a litter pick during the morning - organised by Warrington Nature Conservation Forum
We collected 23 bin bags of litter plus parts of a car, a camp seat, traffic cones and other assorted rubbish
Highlight of this lunchtime was a single White Wagtail, along with the usual stuff.
Cheers David
JOHN TYMON said
Sat May 19 12:17 AM, 2012
late pm Ringed plover-1 lots of swift/house martin.sand martin and on a good note the plenty of lapwing with young in the surrounding farmlands.
Mike Baron said
Tue May 15 4:25 AM, 2012
DavidBowman wrote:
No luck with the Dunlin at teatime today. Six fishermen, though, plus a couple of Grey Partridge, 80 Swifts, 35 Sand Martins and 16 House Martins.
Cheers David
Hi David
The Dunlin was still present early am as was a Common Sandpiper
DavidBowman said
Tue May 15 1:05 AM, 2012
No luck with the Dunlin at teatime today. Six fishermen, though, plus a couple of Grey Partridge, 80 Swifts, 35 Sand Martins and 16 House Martins.
Cheers David
Mike Baron said
Mon May 14 12:38 AM, 2012
Dunlin this afternoon
JOHN TYMON said
Mon May 7 11:42 PM, 2012
1 male yellow wagtail this afternoon and a stack of people fishing over 3 banks,even though there is no fishing on the pool
DavidBowman said
Thu May 3 9:52 PM, 2012
Two Common Sandpipers, 2 Grey Partridges,150 Swifts, 60 Swallows, 30 Sand Martins and 8 House Martins today at 10.30 am.
Cheers David
Mike Baron said
Thu May 3 4:26 AM, 2012
DavidBowman wrote:
Mike, two Shelduck briefly present today at 5.00 pm. They flew off the water as soon as I appeared and seemed to be dropping onto the fields to the west (definitely a patch tick for me!). 50 Swifts, 35 Swallows, 12 Sand Martins, 2 Pochard, 8 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Sparrowhawk also present.
Cheers David
Glad I wasn't hallucinating David!
Common Sandpiper present early am, 180+ Swifts this evening
DavidBowman said
Thu May 3 1:03 AM, 2012
Mike, two Shelduck briefly present today at 5.00 pm. They flew off the water as soon as I appeared and seemed to be dropping onto the fields to the west (definitely a patch tick for me!). 50 Swifts, 35 Swallows, 12 Sand Martins, 2 Pochard, 8 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Sparrowhawk also present.
Cheers David
Mike Baron said
Wed May 2 4:30 AM, 2012
It was a case of "now you see it, now you don't" today.
Early am I stood at the top of the bank and as usual quickly scanned the water. I immediately spotted a Shelduck - rare here and might even be a patch tick. Walking down the bank I briefly switched my attention to the aythya flock to check for some Pochard which have been hanging around recently - when I switched back seconds later the Shelduck had gone.
This evening I arrived for a repeat visit to largely empty skies. Suddenly a loose ball of Swifts (220+) dropped down and wihin seconds had passed through west. A few stragglers (25+) followed.
Mike Baron said
Mon Apr 30 11:23 PM, 2012
2 Wheatears this morning - zilch on the waders front
Mike Baron said
Mon Apr 30 3:11 AM, 2012
Yellow Wagtail this evening. Not much else today
Brian Baird said
Sat Apr 28 9:29 PM, 2012
Brief visit this morning 9 am. 3 Common Sandpipers present but no sign of Dunlin or Little Ringed Plover. Numerous Swifts, Swallows and Sandmartins feeding up over the water with Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Coot, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull and Pied Wagtail noted.
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Apr 28 2:28 PM, 2012
Joe Wynn wrote:
Nick Isherwood wrote:
Joe Wynn wrote:
Had something similar at Leasowe late last year, A fella later told me that it was because they thought you're a seal!
John, you weren't balancing a ball on your nose at the time was you?
no just eating fish and shouting 'arp arp'.
I looked more like a beached whale than a seal-but thats the best way to get shots :)
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Apr 28 9:30 AM, 2012
frid 28th pm Dunlin-4 Common Sandpiper-2 Swift-200+ swallow-500+ house martin- 50+ Sand Martin-200+ Blackcap-2 still no whitethroat they seem to have had a bad winter
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 28th of April 2012 05:07:02 PM
Joe Wynn said
Sat Apr 28 4:55 AM, 2012
Nick Isherwood wrote:
Joe Wynn wrote:
Had something similar at Leasowe late last year, A fella later told me that it was because they thought you're a seal!
John, you weren't balancing a ball on your nose at the time was you?
no just eating fish and shouting 'arp arp'.
Nick Isherwood said
Sat Apr 28 4:40 AM, 2012
Joe Wynn wrote:
Had something similar at Leasowe late last year, A fella later told me that it was because they thought you're a seal!
John, you weren't balancing a ball on your nose at the time was you?
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Apr 28 3:07 AM, 2012
Joe Wynn wrote:
Had something similar at Leasowe late last year, A fella later told me that it was because they thought you're a seal! As with Nick looking forward to the shots, Dunlin this time of year are hard to beat!
Don't expect much the light was really bad and it was raining,but ill bang a few on flikr at the weekend.I like Dunlin
Joe Wynn said
Sat Apr 28 2:09 AM, 2012
Had something similar at Leasowe late last year, A fella later told me that it was because they thought you're a seal! As with Nick looking forward to the shots, Dunlin this time of year are hard to beat!
Nick Isherwood said
Sat Apr 28 1:59 AM, 2012
A cracking story there John and some good advice too. Well done.
Cheers
Dave
Both ends of the road were closed yesterday no other way in ,had to walk it in from the warrington end about a mile :)
Cheers
Dave
your not wrong,they were like wirling dirvishes this afternoon-.There were 11 (5 Juv 6 adult)and they were showing peculiar behavior most of the time The Juvs, spent the afternoon charging to the east end,then flyingto the west end and back again and so and so in a constant loop,obviously learning to fly properly ,I recon they will be off tonight and there will be less tomorrow.
Also any photographers thinking of photographing the grebes ,I wouldn't bother trying with the black necks at this time of year. Apart from them being tatty at this time of year ,in my experience in the spring when they are pairing up they are easy to get at the pool,but at this time of year they always seem to stick to the middle of the pool and are either asleep or charging around like mad,they never let me get within 50 yards today in three hours watching them and the same since they arrived a few weeks ago :)
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 14th of July 2012 05:37:34 PM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 14th of July 2012 05:52:08 PM
The pool is about 1/2 the size in water volume than it used to be 10 years ago,but still gets the birds to a point.
Had a feeling there was ,but it was lashing down for the hour i was there,so wasn't 100% sure there was 10 turning into a bumper year for the grebes after a few lean years at the pool,seems to have been one of the few birds that have had a good breeding season,with the youg birds and adults dispersing from woolston shame they stick to the middle of the pool more these days.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 13th of July 2012 09:53:15 PM
still in the middle at 3pm
4 Black necked grebe-sticking well to the middle of the pool,its a shame as the water level now is probably at the right depth in the middle for them ,where in the past it was so deep they kept to the edge ,so there was a chance of decent pictures,but that seems to have gone now.
2 common sandpiper
2 common tern-flew through at 10am
1 oystercatcher
Common Tern still present this afternoon and unfortunately the only nesting great crested grebe pair ,has a male that has found a different female and constantly this afternoon the sitting female was being dragged off the nest by the other pair and at one point would have been killed by the male if I hadn't gone down to the bank and clapped ,but as I was leaving the sitting female had been dragged off the nest again and looked like there was no hope for either the female or the nest,unless the other female decides to sit on the eggs,more likely they will tip the eggs out of the nest and try themselves :(
Nature seems to be very crual at times and expecially this year :(
Same thing yesterday John. A second nest has already been destroyed and last year the same thing happended for a couple of months with birds building nests and then losing them to other grebes on a regular basis. Too little suitable habitat for the number of birds around.
Mike
Common Tern still present this afternoon and unfortunately the only nesting great crested grebe pair ,has a male that has found a different female and constantly this afternoon the sitting female was being dragged off the nest by the other pair and at one point would have been killed by the male if I hadn't gone down to the bank and clapped ,but as I was leaving the sitting female had been dragged off the nest again and looked like there was no hope for either the female or the nest,unless the other female decides to sit on the eggs,more likely they will tip the eggs out of the nest and try themselves :(
Nature seems to be very crual at times and expecially this year :(
100+ Swifts
17 Sand Martins
12 House Martins
4 Swallows
9 Tufted Ducks
17 Coot
18 Great Crested Grebes
20 Canada Geese
5 Skylarks
2 Reed Buntings
Kestrel
Buzzard
Corn Bunting and Yellow Wagtail yesterday.
The pool and adjacent land is now up for sale. It will be interesting to see how it will be sold as a lake when UU will have shortly reduced it to a muddy puddle at this rate!
2 Black necked Grebe present,but very wary
I wasn't going to report the grebes as normally I don't like them being disturbed at the pool,but seeing as there was 3 canoes on, 10 kids swimming,and 4 illegal fishermen,along with the 30 or so dog walkers, a police helicopter ,along with 4 police cars ,so something was going on around the pool ,I can't see the point these days of keeping the grebes sightings quiet,as I don't think they will stay longer than today anyway.
Anyone going with camera equipment etc please be vary wary as there are some very dodgy characters frequenting the pool at the moment
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 05:54:41 PM
There was a lot of ruff teenagers making a fire at 4pm when i gave up and went to penny instead :(
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 1st of June 2012 09:56:26 PM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 26th of May 2012 07:47:43 AM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 26th of May 2012 12:06:37 PM
Corn Bunting
Yellow Wagtail
3 Whitethroats
2 Buzzards
Ringed Plover (third day)
200+ Swifts inc one with no tail
220+ Swallows
30+ Sand Martins
10+ House Martins
5 of us carried out a litter pick during the morning - organised by Warrington Nature Conservation Forum
We collected 23 bin bags of litter plus parts of a car, a camp seat, traffic cones and other assorted rubbish
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warrington-Nature-Conservation-Forum/110886079024465
Cheers David
Ringed plover-1
lots of swift/house martin.sand martin
and on a good note the plenty of lapwing with young in the surrounding farmlands.
Hi David
The Dunlin was still present early am as was a Common Sandpiper
Cheers David
and a stack of people fishing over 3 banks,even though there is no fishing on the pool
Cheers David
Glad I wasn't hallucinating David!
Common Sandpiper present early am, 180+ Swifts this evening
Cheers David
Early am I stood at the top of the bank and as usual quickly scanned the water. I immediately spotted a Shelduck - rare here and might even be a patch tick. Walking down the bank I briefly switched my attention to the aythya flock to check for some Pochard which have been hanging around recently - when I switched back seconds later the Shelduck had gone.
This evening I arrived for a repeat visit to largely empty skies. Suddenly a loose ball of Swifts (220+) dropped down and wihin seconds had passed through west. A few stragglers (25+) followed.
3 Common Sandpipers present but no sign of Dunlin or Little Ringed Plover.
Numerous Swifts, Swallows and Sandmartins feeding up over the water with Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Coot, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull and Pied Wagtail noted.
I looked more like a beached whale than a seal-but thats the best way to get shots :)
Dunlin-4
Common Sandpiper-2
Swift-200+
swallow-500+
house martin- 50+
Sand Martin-200+
Blackcap-2
still no whitethroat they seem to have had a bad winter
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 28th of April 2012 05:07:02 PM
no just eating fish and shouting 'arp arp'.
John, you weren't balancing a ball on your nose at the time was you?
Don't expect much the light was really bad and it was raining,but ill bang a few on flikr at the weekend.I like Dunlin
Look forward to seeing your shots.