Great White Egret at Lightshaw Hall Flash once again at 10:35 this morning.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Wednesday 18 April 2012
18:15-20:45 | light rain clearing, NNE breeze, 7'C

northward bound Osprey and first returning Grasshopper & Reed Warblers
25 Teal
1 Osprey (over > north 19:00)
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Reed Warbler [heard only]
c40 Meadow Pipit (flock going to roost)

Sunday 15 April 2012
07:00-12:00 | cold N/E wind, sunny, 3'C to 9'C

early Swift and vismig Tree Pipit
34 Teal
1 Swift (over > east)
4 Blackcap
16 Willow Warbler
16 Chiffchaff
1 Tree Pipit (over > north) (accompanied by another pipit, which didn't call)

first time that i have ever been there and it is amazing walk with my dad and wayne produced;

2 avocets(photoproof)
1 greylag
5 shelduck
3 redshank
2 oystercatcher

1 lesser whitethroat on my way home (crankwood)

plenty willow warbler, chiffchaff and buzzard.

Ian Campbell wrote:

---

Also one McKerchar senior, nice to have met you sir.

---

The old man found the place then...

With Ian Peters, looking for Great White Egret which we did not see. However did spot; Tree Pipit the bird was next to the screen with all the newly planted trees nearby and gave excellent close views. Also present were, Yellowhammer, Little Owl, Gadwall, Teal, Shelduck, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Greylag, Lapwing, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Also one McKerchar senior, nice to have met you sir.
In car park of Doverlock Pub a singing Whitethroat.
Cheers Ian
Edit is to change incorrect spelling of Shellduck to the correct Shelduck, sorry

-- Edited by Ian Campbell on Friday 13th of April 2012 05:14:16 PM

5-7.10pm.

dover basin...

2 shelducks
9 teals
2 redshanks
1 swallow
1 willow warbler
1 willow tit
2 great crested grebes

lightshaw flash...

3 buzzards
1 skylark
8 lapwings
3 wheatears
4 redshanks
7 teals
4 shelducks
2 oystercatchers
4 greylag goose
2 tufted ducks
7 gadwalls
1 reed bunting
1 pied wagtail
lots off swallows

no signs off great white egret.

info thanks to phil kelly.

Barbara and I visited Lightshaw twice today; the first visit we recorded 42 species (8 a.m. to 9.20a.m. when we got a soaking), the second time, arriving just after 16.00 we still failed to find the Great White Egret but managed another few species, Buzzard, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Wheatears;- we did have a few GM birder lifers namely: Bernard McGurrin, Jimmy Meadows, Tom Morton, Tim Wilcox, Plus two good year ticks : Phil Kelly, and of course the redoubtable Mr. Woosey! -Nice to meet you all! (I hope I spelt all names correctly).

Regards,
Mike and Barbara

Adult Kittiwake seen at Dover Basin at 6:05pm, heading SW. Almost certainly the bird just earlier seen at Pennington Fladh.

Info thanks to Ian Woosey

Today 10.15 - 6.35

No sign Great White Egret

Amongst others:
Shelduck 4
Greylag 3
Mute Swan 2
Lapwing 19
Wheatear 2 m
Curlew over
Linnets 2 over and 4 at Lightshaw Hall
Grey Partridge off Lightshaw Hall Lane
Kestrel f
Black-tailed Godwit 3 including one in bright orange breeding plumage
Redshank 3
Swallow
Skylarks galore (can still hear them in my head!)
Fieldfare 60 over canal heading SE at 6.20

Fantastic to meet Martyn Jones with whom I pursued the Egret quest, Mike Passant, my listing rival, dropping in with wife Barbara on his way back from Spain (how does this man county list from Durham?), Bernard McGurrin and a couple of guys who's names I didn't get.

And also great as usual to see Phil Kelly and Ian Woosey (not so great when he said 'Did you see the Kittiwake?' A. 'No!' Obviously one GM lifer flew over my head whilst still searching for another - two dipped)


-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Thursday 12th of April 2012 09:54:02 PM

Eventually located the site after a bit of a navigational cock up. Found the western screen about 5pm and within 5 minutes, bingo, another lifer for me
A pleasure to meet Rob and Terry Thorpe as well, hope to see you both soon
other birds seen
Shelduck 4
Cormorant 2
Redshank 2
Oystercatcher 1
Common Sandpiper 1 (a big thankyou to Rob for the use of his scope)
Will have to visit more often, looks like a great site

Important

Could anyone parking at the Dover Lock pub when going birding please use the larger car park to the rear of the pub, and avoid parking in the limited spaces at the front, near the road.
This is what the landlord has kindly asked local birders to do in the past.
Trade seems to be picking up lately with the car park seeming busier by the week, so by following his wishes we should hopefully avoid any conflict or bad feeling towards us birders.

Thanks

Rob

Wednesday 11 April 2012
17:30-20:15 | sunny spells with hail shower (from storm passing to the north), gusty W wind but dropping, around 10'C

House Martin & Common Sandpiper added to the yearlist, plus the Egret remains
10 Teal
4 Tufted Duck
1 Great White Egret
2 Oystercatcher
5 Redshank
1 Common Sandpiper
c15 Swallow
c30 Sand Martin
2 House Martin
84 Fieldfare (over > south)
1 Wheatear
2 Pied Wagtail
3 alba Wagtail (over > north-west)
1 Lesser Redpoll (over > south)

1 Paul Burke

Written by Nick Isherwood

"My first time down to Lightshaw flash and it's a cracking spot. Good viewing screens and they're also set far enough back to give the birds plenty space without disturbance. It looks really good for a few good birds as it's nice and secluded.

Nice to have met Simon Ghilks down there too."


Likewise Nick and totally agree, super place, my first visit here after an aborted attempt on Monday evening. Pity there isn't somewhere like this in the east of the county.

Great White Egret showed really well this afternoon from the screen at the western end until 4.20 when it flew and landed out of sight in the small pool nearer the canal.

A good selection of other birds present too.

1 Curlew - flew in at 3.45 and landed on the small island. Departed west at 4.30.
1 Little Ringed Plover
3 Redshank
4 Oystercatcher
2 Shelduck
1 Buzzard

My first time down to Lightshaw flash and it's a cracking spot. Good viewing screens and they're also set far enough back to give the birds plenty space without disturbance. It looks really good for a few good birds as it's nice and secluded.

Nice to have met Simon Ghilks down there too.

Great White Egret still present at 1:50pm today and showing fantastically well from the western viewing screen.

Its not the ditch dweller of Astley Moss coming back to GM for another visit is it?

Nice to meet you Dave. So it was there hiding in a ditch after all and is proving typically elusive for such a big white bird.

No sign of the Great White Egret viewing from Lightshaw Lane either 4:30-5:00pm.

70 Linnet present here though.

Info thanks to Dave Broome

No sign of the Egret currently (viewing from Canal), info thanks to Judith Smith.

Sand Martin 2
Oystercatcher 2
Skylark

Carl Zeiss 80mm lens cap found on path to western sight screen. PM me if it's yours!

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Great White Egret seen briefly at 2pm on the small pool immediately to the north of Lightshaw Hall Flash.

Info thanks to John Tymon

This pool is not visible from either viewing screen and can only be viewed from along the canal towpath (where viewing is mostly very obscured) or from along Lightshaw Lane (which is accessed by continuing to walk along the mineral line, past the path to the western viewing screen and then turning sharp left when you meed the main road along Lightshaw Lane which is the smaller track leading east.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 03:12:19 PM

---

Myself, Paul Browne and Charlie Owen saw the egret briefly looking from the top of the track leading to the east screen it walked a short way on the grass edge to the south of the small pool,then was not re-located again,our best guess was it was in one of the ditches or on the small pool.The view of the pool from the east screen is very poor due to the large trees at the front of it,so if I was visiting the pool to look for the egret,i would try the west end or from the canal first.


-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 04:32:29 PM

9.20am Despite the heavy showers the Great White Egret is no longer here unless it's hiding in the stream. Sometimes my casual approach to twitching does not pay off

Don't forget, there are 2 new viewing screens at Lightshaw nowadays just to confuse matters The one you viewed from today is at the western end Keith but there's also one at the other (eastern) end too.

Great White Egret seen briefly at 2pm on the small pool immediately to the north of Lightshaw Hall Flash.

Info thanks to John Tymon

This pool is not visible from either viewing screen and can only be viewed from along the canal towpath (where viewing is mostly very obscured) or from along Lightshaw Lane (which is accessed by continuing to walk along the mineral line, past the path to the western viewing screen and then turning sharp left when you meed the main road along Lightshaw Lane which is the smaller track leading east.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 03:12:19 PM

Great White Egret still present this morning.

No sign of the Avocets though.

Info thanks to Keith Mills

6.15 this morning.
Great White Egret standing 40 yards in front of the new viewing screen on Lightshaw Flash.....( Dover approach side)

GM life tick for me ....thanks Rob...


-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 10th of April 2012 08:53:35 AM

Great White Egret and both Avocets were still present at 1940 and all looking settled.

Updates will always be posted on here as usual Mike so no worries there.

No need to view from the canal bank either! LWT has done some superb work at this site (remember the 'no paths at Lightshaw thread of a year or so ago'?) and there are now excellent viewing screens at both ends of the flash. Park in the Dover Lock pub car park or along the road by the houses beyond it and walk down the canal eastwards, towards Dover Basin. Once past the basin there are some new steps down the canal bank to what was the old mineral line. Follow this until you see the obvious path leading off into the fields on your left. This takes you to the viewing screen.

A site guide is on preperation

We are back in England on Wednesday evening and plan to go birding round Wigan Flashes/Pennington/Abram Flashes on Thursday.
If the Great White Egret stays, that would be our main target, so any updates on where best to view, (for instance if it can be seen from canal side) would be really helpful please.
As usual, time is limited and seemingly passes at twice normal rate when we are in Gr Manchester.....

Regards,
Mike and Barbara Passant

Great White Egret present at 5:30 today on Lightshaw, with 2 Avocet (1 French colour- ringed and are the same birds as were at Pennington Flash a week or do ago).

Info thanks to Rob Thorpe

Great White Egret present at 5:30 today on Lightshaw, with 2 Avocet (1 French colour- ringed and are the same birds as we're at Pennington Flash a week or do ago).

Info thanks to Rob Thorpe

Monday 09 April 2012
17:00-19:00 | overcast after rain all-day, SW breeze, 9'C

MEGA evening!
16 Teal
1 Great White Egret (LHF)
2 Avocet (LHF)
3 Oystercatcher
1 Black-tailed Godwit (3 reported later)
4 Redshank
8 Sand Martin
5 Swallow
2 Wheatear

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Monday 9th of April 2012 08:31:33 PM

Easter Sunday 08 April 2012
06:20-11:45 | overcast with showers/drizzle, wind: W, 8'C-10'C

patch tick while eating easter egg (62 sp.)
2 Greylag Goose (over > west)
30 Teal
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Oystercatcher
6 Ringed Plover (over > west)
11 Redshank
4 Black-tailed Godwit
7 Snipe
1 Common Gull (over > west)
1 Kittiwake (over > west)
7 Swallow (including 5 through, see below)
5 Redwing (with Fieldfare flock)
98 Fieldfare
4 Willow Warbler
16 Chiffchaff
1 Treecreeper

VisMig
all N/NW
5 Swallow
55 Meadow Pipit

Friday 06 April 2012
06:00-12:00 | cloudy with occasional light showers, W breeze strengthening, 5'C-9'C

warbler numbers building and mipits on the move (67 sp.)
1 Greylag Goose (over > south-east)
8 Shelduck (2 CBF, 2 DB, 4 LHF)
36 Teal (10 CBF, 19 DB, 7 LHF)
1 Pochard (over > west)
1 Little Grebe (New Scrape)
4 Sparrowhawk
1 Peregrine (over > east)
2 Oystercatcher
6 Redshank
4 Black-tailed Godwit
4 Snipe
5 Sand Martin
2 Swallow
3 Blackcap
8 Willow Warbler
19 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
3 Treecreeper

VisMig
all N/NW
227 Meadow Pipit [including 144 in 1 hour 08:00-09:00]
28 Fieldfare
4 Siskin

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Friday 6th of April 2012 02:46:46 PM

Tuesday 03 April 2012
17:15-19:30 | clouding, wind swinging from W to N and strengthening, temp dropping to 4.5'C

back to wintery conditions
6 Shelduck
34 Teal
5 Buzzard
2 Avocet (LHF)
4 Curlew (1 LHF then flew east, 3 together over > east)
2 Redshank (LHF)
1 Common Gull (over > west)
46 Sand Martin
2 Pied Wagtail (LHF)

loads of Black-headed Gulls streaming over towards Pennington Flash

also, some possible movement with mixed flocks of mainly Linnet with some Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit starting to fly through low, heading north, as the wind swung to the north(?)
and, also as the wind changed (as I was watching some circling gulls), I noticed a Magpie really really high up to the south, struggling northwards into the wind. The Magpie lost a little hight as the wind strengthened, but carried on north until lost to view... seemed unusual(?)


-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 3rd of April 2012 11:38:28 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 9th of April 2012 09:00:50 PM

Sunday 01 April 2012
17:00-19:15 | sunny, gusty NW wind, around 10'C

first Swallow of the year zips through
6 Shelduck
5 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Black-tailed Godwit
2 Redshank
2 Snipe
1 Swallow (> west)
6 Sand Martin
1 Blackcap (new)
3 Pied Wagtail

Saturday 31 March 2012
06:45-12:15 | cloudy, slight breeze W then NE, 7-11'C

a grey day brightened up by the first Willow Warbler
2 Goosander (over > east)
51 Teal
3 Black-tailed Godwit (DB)
4 Redshank (LHF)
2 Oystercatcher (LHF)
1 Snipe (LHF)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Sand Martin (over > east)
1 Grey Wagtail (over) [heard only]
2 Pied Wagtail (LHF)
65 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap
1 Willow Warbler [heard only]
16 Chiffchaff
1 Treecreeper (appeared to be nest-building)

VisMig:
16 Meadow Pipit > north

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Saturday 31st of March 2012 04:05:30 PM

3 Black-tailed Godwit and 12 Sand Martins at 5:30pm today.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Tuesday 27 March 2012
17:30-20:30 | sunny, slight E breeze, 22'C

Sand Martin numbers increase and 1st returning Blackcap reported
3 Black-tailed Godwit (DB & LHF)
2 Redshank (LHF)
20+ Snipe
55+ Sand Martin
4+ Chiffchaff
4 Pied Wagtail (LHF)

and a report of a Blackcap back on territory for last 4 days at least.

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 27th of March 2012 10:22:22 PM

Today:

3 Black-tailed Godwits
2 Sand Martins

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Saturday 24 March 2012
05:40-12:00 | misty start, clearing to sunny, slight SE breeze, 7'C-19'C

Unseasonably hot! More Chiffchaff arrive, Buzzards everywhere and Red-legged Partridge added to the yearlist
4 Shelduck (LHF)
c12 Buzzard
6 Kestrel
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Red-legged Partridge (LL)
2 Grey Partridge (LL)
1 Curlew (over > east)
1 Black-tailed Godwit (DB)
6 Redshank (LHF)
2 Oystercatcher (LHF)
10 Snipe (LHF)
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (LL)
4 Fieldfare
4 Redwing
8 Chiffchaff
4 Tree Sparrow (LL)
38 Linnet
1 Siskin (over > north)

Bamfurlong bridge to dover pub and back again,20.00 21.30
coot,mallard,little else heard the noise from the trains,roads and planes was masking everything else,or more likely there was just coot and mallard around

cheers geoff

Morning today:

Dover Basin:- Single adult Black-tailed Godwit and a single Sand Martin over east.

Lightshaw Hall Flash- 11 Redshank, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Shelduck.

Tuesday 20 March 2012
17:15-19:15 | cloudy, moderate westerly breeze, 12'C

Sand Martins return, but still only one Chiffchaff
5 Shelduck (1 DB, 4 LHF)
1 Goosander (over > east)
66 Teal (42 DB, 24 LHF)
1 Pochard (DB)
1 Little Grebe (DB)
1 Great Crested Grebe (DB)
2 Redshank (LHF)
6 Snipe
1 Fieldfare
1 Redwing
9 Sand Martin
1 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Tit (ML)
7 Linnet


-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Wednesday 21st of March 2012 09:01:24 AM

Sunday 18 March 2012
07:30-10:15 | Sunny following overnight rain, light W breeze, 5'C-10'C

First Wheatear of the year and hardly any duck
7 Goosander (over, 5>W & 2>E)
4 Shelduck
1 Buzzard
3 Kestrel
1 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF)
11 Redshank (LHF)
2 Oystercatcher (LHF)
1 Snipe (LHF)
1 Wheatear (m) (LHF)
1 Chiffchaff (ML)
3 Treecreeper (ML)
1 Willow Tit (DB)

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 21st of March 2012 02:49:00 PM

Saturday 17 March 2012
06:15-10:00 | light rain clearing - sunny, light SW breeze, 7'C-9'C

Chiffchaff arrives and unexpected Woodcock
4 Shelduck (LHF)
3 Goosander (over > west)
1 Little Grebe (DB)
1 Great Crested Grebe (DB)
1 Buzzard (DB)
2 Kestrel (LL)
2 Water Rail (DB)
2 Grey Partridge (LL)
1 Black-tailed Godwit (DB)
3 Redshank (2 DB, 1 LHF)
2 Oystercatcher (LHF)
2 Snipe (LHF)
1 Woodcock (LL)
2 Kingfisher (1 DB, 1 LHF)
1 Chiffchaff (DB)
4 Tree Sparrow (LL)
9 Linnet (LL)
1 Siskin

-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Saturday 17th of March 2012 04:24:39 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 21st of March 2012 02:48:26 PM