Pennington Flash was halfway down page 2 - what happened?!
3 hours in cold breezy conditions all rather grey this morning. Complete circuit of the Flash itself but taking in only Ramsdale's, Tom Ed. and Horrocks's hides. I tried a tally of all I could hear (and just SOME I could see)
Winners of the whole circuit were: Robin 24 Wren 22 Blackcap 20 Willow Warbler 18 Chiffchaff 9
Have to admit I missed out Blackbirds!
Other notable auditory records were: Cettis' at Plank Lane end (also seen), and a Garden Warbler singing its heart out in the same vicinity. (Seen 10 days or so ago but not this time).
The water itself fairly quiet except for large numbers of Swift, House Martin and seemingly a lesser number of Swallows. Just one Common Tern seen early on fishing the main Flash.
Total species in the 3 hours 47.
james hall said
Thu May 12 1:53 PM, 2016
Quick hour in-between college... Nice to meet Bill Harrison.
1 common tern,
1 buzzard,
2 cettis warbler,
Otherwise very quite
Gordon Newman said
Thu May 12 1:02 PM, 2016
Grasshopper Warbler reeling @ 08.10 on opposite side of canal from golf course as I cycled past to work
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 12 9:49 AM, 2016
Greenshank present on the spit at 8:30am at least.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Paul Richardson said
Wed May 11 10:46 PM, 2016
Tried my luck at the west and south sides 3.30pm to 4.30pm
Nice views of 3 Sedge Warbler and the Cetti's, at least 3 singing Whitethroat and 2 singing Blackcap. Nothing else unusual seen apart from a real commotion in the top of a Hawthorn tree which I think was a Carrion Crow raiding a Magpie nest! Noisy event anyway.
colin davies said
Wed May 11 1:40 PM, 2016
Two black terns present between about 8am and 9am, but then both flew high and were lost to sight and not seen again. Two Arctic terns flew through just before I got to the flash. The only wader I saw was a single common sandpiper.
-- Edited by colin davies on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 01:41:15 PM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 11 7:18 AM, 2016
A single Black Tern and 11 Common Terns present this morning.
Info thanks to Paul Brown and Barry Hulme
JOHN TYMON said
Wed May 11 7:02 AM, 2016
A Bar Tailed Godwit was photographed in the Ramsdale scrape area at 10am yesterday ,so maybe worth keeping an eye out for locally ,in case it gets mixed into a Black tailed Godwit Flock somewhere, if any are about today .
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 07:14:34 AM
steven burke said
Tue May 10 11:50 PM, 2016
afternoon visit, very quiet all around with not many big numbers of birds but still plenty of species seen.
3 common tern, 2 went straight through, 1 stuck around looking very lonely. 2 redshank 2 common sandpiper 14 tufted duck 2 little grebe several lapwings around including an adult with 4 chicks, 3 of them hiding under the adult. 1 grey wagtail 1 kingfisher 1 garden warbler, first heard then seen but flew to the new screen where lapwing hide was. 7 blackcap 2 whitethroat 6 chiffchaff 8 willow warbler 4 reed warbler, 3 showing well near tom edmundson hide 1 cettis warbler, heard & seen next to ramsdale hide 1 willow tit 2 nuthatch 2 bullfinch lots of swifts all around several swallows, house martins & sand martins.
Just got in from a long wet day... Started off with the members of the LOS which produced:
2 reed warbler showing very well,
1 common tern,
1 common sandpiper,
Had a walk round on my own after...
1 greenshank landed on ramsdales approx 12:15 but was quickly swarmed by 3 lapwings which forced it over the edge on to the horrocks hide.
Lots of swift, swallow, house/sand Martins,
6 blackcap
Double figures of whitethroat
John Watson said
Tue May 10 3:57 PM, 2016
Green Lane, after yacht club entrance, just after row of houses but before pond Starting to rain
1 Lesser Whitethroat, heard only but establishing territory; very mobile in suitable habitat sev Chiffchaff sev Blackcap ~10 Swift ~5 Swallow ~5 House Martin
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 10 12:54 PM, 2016
Single Greenahank present at 12:20
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 10 11:25 AM, 2016
c20 Redshank flew rapidly straight through east at 10:40
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 10 9:50 AM, 2016
10 Black-tailed Godwits dropped in mid-morning.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
S Rothery said
Tue May 10 8:19 AM, 2016
In addition to Colin's sightings below (and I didn't see the Garden Warbler) I saw - 4 Common Terns on the spit a 5th tern sp (probably Common) on a distant orange buoy at the Slag Lane end 5 Common Sandpipers 1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing and showed well for about a minute in between the bushes next to the yacht club pond Also good to see Cetti's (1), Reed (5) and Sedge Warblers (3) and Whitethroat (3)
colin davies said
Tue May 10 8:05 AM, 2016
Pretty much the usuals again this morning, 2 Cetti's warblers singing, garden warbler singing and showing well Slag lane end, 3 common sandpipers on the spit, 4 shelduck Slag lane end, sedge warbler, 1 common tern and about 40 swifts. Still no black terns
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 9 4:24 PM, 2016
Two singing (and one very showy) Garden warblers at the Slag lane end this afternoon, along with the very vocal Cetti's Warbler.
Encouraging numbers of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat too.
colin davies said
Mon May 9 7:11 AM, 2016
Lesser whitethroat singing in bushes behind the small pond at the back of the yacht club at 6.30am. No sign of any black terns though I didn't go all of the way round this morning.
colin davies said
Sun May 8 8:08 PM, 2016
This evening:
Given the conditions I was hoping to find a black tern or two on the flash, especially since there are up to 50 at several sites around the UK at the moment and even birds as far north as Scotland, but there was no sign of any while I was there. In fact generally very quiet, two Cetti's warblers singing and a garden warbler at the western end, but not a single hirundine or swift and just one common tern. There must be a black tern any day now though, it would be great if we could get a flock in double figures, but one would do!
Paul Richardson said
Sat May 7 7:51 PM, 2016
An early couple of hours at Pennington Flash today was not unproductive (0730-1030)
The highlight for me was fulfilling a 2-year quest to see a Garden Warbler. A brief but excellent view of a bird identified by its song.
Other news: 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Ter, numerous Swift especially on the south side near the Sailing Club, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Blackcap, numerous Willow Warbler, several singing Reed Warbler
.... and a Cuckoo heard at the western end, sound coming from the canal direction!
colin davies said
Fri May 6 8:41 PM, 2016
Just a flying visit on my bike this evening, but managed to see a hunting hobby over the western end and heard two Cetti's warblers singing, one Ramsdales the other at the western end.
JOHN TYMON said
Fri May 6 7:59 PM, 2016
Common Tern-6 including 2 passing fish on the spit,so maybe we can hope of breeding once more at the flash after many years without much signs.I think one layed last year on the end of the spit ,but got washed away after a particularly wet spring week.
Redshank-1
Oystercatcher-1
Common Sandpiper-2
Sedge Warbler- 2 (new in)
very little else of note :(
Ian McKerchar said
Fri May 6 3:26 PM, 2016
Garden Warbler singing at the western end this early afternoon.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 5 10:30 PM, 2016
Male Mandarin still present today, along with 2 Common Sandpiper, 5 Common Tern and singles of Redshank and Oystercatcher.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 4 9:28 AM, 2016
Two Whimbrel on the spit at 09:25 1 Dunlin 3 Common Sandpiper 3 Common Tern
Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Bill Harrison
Ian McKerchar said
Tue May 3 12:37 PM, 2016
Today's sightings so far:
1 Green Sandpiper 3 Dunlin 4 Common Sandpiper 1 Redshank 1 Oystercatcher 3 Goosander 1 Wheatear
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Daniel Owen said
Mon May 2 6:51 PM, 2016
Me and a friend were on site at the time the little tern appeared, but appears we missed it We managed to pick up: 1 hobby over the flash 3 skylark displaying on Ramsdale's Ruck 4 common sandpiper 2 common tern over the flash 00's of swifts, swallows, house martins and sand martins feeding over the flash 3 lapwings (1 on a nest, the other with at least 2 chicks) 5 goosander (2 males, 3 females) 2 displaying grey wagtail in front of the Horrocks Hide 1, possibly 2, singing cetti's warbler
JOHN TYMON said
Mon May 2 6:46 PM, 2016
Late AM/PM
Dunlin-2
Common Sandpiper-4
Redshank-2
Swift-200+
House Martin -200+
Sand Martin- 500+
Common Tern-6
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 2 3:17 PM, 2016
Little Tern departed shortly after it was found.
Hobby flew through west, skimming the water, at 12:20 Grasshopper Warbler reeling from the western end
Ian McKerchar said
Mon May 2 10:06 AM, 2016
Little Tern present at 10:05 this morning.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
JOHN TYMON said
Sun May 1 11:45 AM, 2016
Arctic tern - 2 flew through flash headed off NE 11.35
Common Tern- 2
Common Sandpiper- 4
Swift -200+
House Martin -250+
Sand Martin- 500+
Swallow -300+
Blackcap - 2m/1f
plus the usuals
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 1st of May 2016 05:25:57 PM
JOHN TYMON said
Fri Apr 29 7:37 PM, 2016
A Mooch after work at what felt like ice station zebra ,and really felt ridiculous for the time of year and no supprise that passage has slowed down a bit what did I see ...
Common Sandpiper-11
Oystercatcher- 1
Redshank-1
Lapwing - nice to see the first 4 young one of the year being brooded by the female while the male saw every other bird around off the island.
Blackcap-8
Garden Warbler - 1
Willow Warbler-10+
Swift-c20
Plenty Swallow,Sand Martin,House Martin
Reed Warbler-3
Goosander-9
Bullfinch-4
Kestrel-1
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 29th of April 2016 07:38:09 PM
Black Necked Grebe still present up to 4:30pm. 3 Common Sandpiper 1 Black Tailed Godwit 1 Little Ringed Plover 2 Common Tern 1 Cettis Warbler, blasting song from outside Tom Edmondson hide. 1 Snipe 2 Reed Warbler from Rammies Reedbed. 3 Whitethroat
Plus all usuals.
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 26 2:59 PM, 2016
Black-necked Grebe showing close in to Ramsdales Reedbed at 2:45 today.
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Apr 26 9:27 AM, 2016
This morning:
1 Black-necked Grebe 2 Black-tailed Godwit 1 Dunlin 2 Common Tern 4 Common Sandpiper 1 Redshank 1 Oystercatcher
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Tim Wilcox said
Mon Apr 25 8:13 PM, 2016
james hall wrote:
1 little gull last seen fly over sailing club 1 dunlin on end of spit pointed out to me by a birder in the horrocks hide, also a black necked grebe, also spotted by the two birders, nuthatch in the bunting hide, 5 Linnet on ramsdale rucks first I've seen for a while on there. Also nice to catch up with Martyn Jones around the hides. Once again cheers for the birder in the horrocks hide
That was myself and Chris Sutton. You're welcome
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Monday 25th of April 2016 08:14:26 PM
james hall said
Mon Apr 25 8:05 PM, 2016
1 little gull last seen fly over sailing club
1 dunlin on end of spit pointed out to me by a birder in the horrocks hide, also a black necked grebe, also spotted by the two birders, nuthatch in the bunting hide, 5 Linnet on ramsdale rucks first I've seen for a while on there. Also nice to catch up with Martyn Jones around the hides. Once again cheers for the birder in the horrocks hide
Paul Richardson said
Mon Apr 25 7:33 PM, 2016
Half a day and half a round of Pennington Flash this am. Awesome views of the Black Necked Grebe as it swam from the mini-spit westwards for a while before going back out. Other highlights were the juvenile Little Gull, and also 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, 6 Blackcap, 9 Linnet, 8 Skylark, 6 Chiffchaff singing, numerous Willow Warblers and year ticks on a Reed Warbler, a Common Whitethroat, and Common Tern. Not bad at all.
Oh also my first hearing of the "western end" Cetti's Warbler!
-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Monday 25th of April 2016 07:34:03 PM
Tim Wilcox said
Mon Apr 25 5:38 PM, 2016
The Little Gull was still on the spit at 3pm but flew over to the sailing club at 3.20pm during a gap in the showers and was then not seen again Dunlin 1 on end of spit
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Monday 25th of April 2016 05:38:56 PM
munsworth said
Mon Apr 25 5:37 PM, 2016
Today 12-2pm
The Highlights were:-
Black-necked Grebe from Horrocks hide but well out into the middle of the flash.
Little Ringed Plover from Ramsdale's hide.
Common Tern
I scanned the gulls but couldn't locate the Little Gull
Cheers Mike
Scott Reid said
Mon Apr 25 8:40 AM, 2016
Little gull currently on the spit Also a hobby through and a ringed plover briefly Plus black-necked grebe still from Horrock's Hide
JOHN TYMON said
Sun Apr 24 5:04 PM, 2016
Black Necked Grebe - 1 In full breeding plumage in Ramsdales Cuckoo- 1 (Calling from Golf coarse) Common Sandpiper- 6 ( 5 In ramsdales scrape, 1 on spit) Green Sandpiper- 1 (Teal scrape)... Mediterranean gull - 1 Pair in full summer dress off the boat launch near the car Park Swift - 6 Swallow -100+ Sand Martin - 300+ House Martin- c25 Little Ringed Plover-3 Redshank-2 Common Tern-2 Cetti's Warbler- 1 possibly 2 singing Males Blackcap-4 Little Grebe-1 Jay-1 plus the usuals :)
3 hours in cold breezy conditions all rather grey this morning. Complete circuit of the Flash itself but taking in only Ramsdale's, Tom Ed. and Horrocks's hides. I tried a tally of all I could hear (and just SOME I could see)
Winners of the whole circuit were:
Robin 24
Wren 22
Blackcap 20
Willow Warbler 18
Chiffchaff 9
Have to admit I missed out Blackbirds!
Other notable auditory records were: Cettis' at Plank Lane end (also seen), and a Garden Warbler singing its heart out in the same vicinity. (Seen 10 days or so ago but not this time).
The water itself fairly quiet except for large numbers of Swift, House Martin and seemingly a lesser number of Swallows. Just one Common Tern seen early on fishing the main Flash.
Total species in the 3 hours 47.
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Nice views of 3 Sedge Warbler and the Cetti's, at least 3 singing Whitethroat and 2 singing Blackcap. Nothing else unusual seen apart from a real commotion in the top of a Hawthorn tree which I think was a Carrion Crow raiding a Magpie nest! Noisy event anyway.
Two black terns present between about 8am and 9am, but then both flew high and were lost to sight and not seen again. Two Arctic terns flew through just before I got to the flash. The only wader I saw was a single common sandpiper.
-- Edited by colin davies on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 01:41:15 PM
Info thanks to Paul Brown and Barry Hulme
A Bar Tailed Godwit was photographed in the Ramsdale scrape area at 10am yesterday ,so maybe worth keeping an eye out for locally ,in case it gets mixed into a Black tailed Godwit Flock somewhere, if any are about today .
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Wednesday 11th of May 2016 07:14:34 AM
3 common tern, 2 went straight through, 1 stuck around looking very lonely.
2 redshank
2 common sandpiper
14 tufted duck
2 little grebe
several lapwings around including an adult with 4 chicks, 3 of them hiding under the adult.
1 grey wagtail
1 kingfisher
1 garden warbler, first heard then seen but flew to the new screen where lapwing hide was.
7 blackcap
2 whitethroat
6 chiffchaff
8 willow warbler
4 reed warbler, 3 showing well near tom edmundson hide
1 cettis warbler, heard & seen next to ramsdale hide
1 willow tit
2 nuthatch
2 bullfinch
lots of swifts all around
several swallows, house martins & sand martins.
Starting to rain
1 Lesser Whitethroat, heard only but establishing territory; very mobile in suitable habitat
sev Chiffchaff
sev Blackcap
~10 Swift
~5 Swallow
~5 House Martin
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
4 Common Terns on the spit
a 5th tern sp (probably Common) on a distant orange buoy at the Slag Lane end
5 Common Sandpipers
1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing and showed well for about a minute in between the bushes next to the yacht club pond
Also good to see Cetti's (1), Reed (5) and Sedge Warblers (3) and Whitethroat (3)
Pretty much the usuals again this morning, 2 Cetti's warblers singing, garden warbler singing and showing well Slag lane end, 3 common sandpipers on the spit, 4 shelduck Slag lane end, sedge warbler, 1 common tern and about 40 swifts. Still no black terns
Encouraging numbers of Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat too.
This evening:
Given the conditions I was hoping to find a black tern or two on the flash, especially since there are up to 50 at several sites around the UK at the moment and even birds as far north as Scotland, but there was no sign of any while I was there. In fact generally very quiet, two Cetti's warblers singing and a garden warbler at the western end, but not a single hirundine or swift and just one common tern. There must be a black tern any day now though, it would be great if we could get a flock in double figures, but one would do!
The highlight for me was fulfilling a 2-year quest to see a Garden Warbler. A brief but excellent view of a bird identified by its song.
Other news: 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Ter, numerous Swift especially on the south side near the Sailing Club, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Blackcap, numerous Willow Warbler, several singing Reed Warbler
.... and a Cuckoo heard at the western end, sound coming from the canal direction!
Just a flying visit on my bike this evening, but managed to see a hunting hobby over the western end and heard two Cetti's warblers singing, one Ramsdales the other at the western end.
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
1 Dunlin
3 Common Sandpiper
3 Common Tern
Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Bill Harrison
1 Green Sandpiper
3 Dunlin
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
3 Goosander
1 Wheatear
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
We managed to pick up:
1 hobby over the flash
3 skylark displaying on Ramsdale's Ruck
4 common sandpiper
2 common tern over the flash
00's of swifts, swallows, house martins and sand martins feeding over the flash
3 lapwings (1 on a nest, the other with at least 2 chicks)
5 goosander (2 males, 3 females)
2 displaying grey wagtail in front of the Horrocks Hide
1, possibly 2, singing cetti's warbler
Hobby flew through west, skimming the water, at 12:20
Grasshopper Warbler reeling from the western end
Info thanks to Bill Harrison
Arctic tern - 2 flew through flash headed off NE 11.35
Common Tern- 2
Common Sandpiper- 4
Swift -200+
House Martin -250+
Sand Martin- 500+
Swallow -300+
Blackcap - 2m/1f
plus the usuals
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 1st of May 2016 05:25:57 PM
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 29th of April 2016 07:38:09 PM
1 Dunlin
1 Ringed Plover
2 Shelduck
3 Oystercatcher
2 Common Tern
1 Redshank
6 Goosander
Info thanks to Barry Hulme and Bill Harrison
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
2 Common Tern
Black-necked Grebe
Sedge Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler at the western end
4 Common Sandpiper
2 Cetti's Warbler
Info thanks to Shaun Murphy
1 grasshopper warbler - western reedbed
1 lesser whitethroat - western end of the Ruck
Both records are the first of the year here as far as I'm aware.
Info thanks to Paul Brown
1 Whimbrel
1 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Black-necked Grebe
2 Cetti's Warbler
3 Goosander
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
Black Necked Grebe still present up to 4:30pm.
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Black Tailed Godwit
1 Little Ringed Plover
2 Common Tern
1 Cettis Warbler, blasting song from outside Tom Edmondson hide.
1 Snipe
2 Reed Warbler from Rammies Reedbed.
3 Whitethroat
Plus all usuals.
Info thanks to Phil Kelly
1 Black-necked Grebe
2 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Dunlin
2 Common Tern
4 Common Sandpiper
1 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
Info thanks to Barry Hulme
That was myself and Chris Sutton. You're welcome
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Monday 25th of April 2016 08:14:26 PM
Awesome views of the Black Necked Grebe as it swam from the mini-spit westwards for a while before going back out.
Other highlights were the juvenile Little Gull, and also 2 Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper, 6 Blackcap, 9 Linnet, 8 Skylark, 6 Chiffchaff singing, numerous Willow Warblers and year ticks on a Reed Warbler, a Common Whitethroat, and Common Tern.
Not bad at all.
Oh also my first hearing of the "western end" Cetti's Warbler!
-- Edited by Paul Richardson on Monday 25th of April 2016 07:34:03 PM
Dunlin 1 on end of spit
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Monday 25th of April 2016 05:38:56 PM
Today 12-2pm
The Highlights were:-
Black-necked Grebe from Horrocks hide but well out into the middle of the flash.
Little Ringed Plover from Ramsdale's hide.
Common Tern
I scanned the gulls but couldn't locate the Little Gull
Cheers Mike
Also a hobby through and a ringed plover briefly
Plus black-necked grebe still from Horrock's Hide
Black Necked Grebe - 1 In full breeding plumage in Ramsdales
Cuckoo- 1 (Calling from Golf coarse)
Common Sandpiper- 6 ( 5 In ramsdales scrape, 1 on spit)
Green Sandpiper- 1 (Teal scrape)...
Mediterranean gull - 1 Pair in full summer dress off the boat launch near the car Park
Swift - 6
Swallow -100+
Sand Martin - 300+
House Martin- c25
Little Ringed Plover-3
Redshank-2
Common Tern-2
Cetti's Warbler- 1 possibly 2 singing Males
Blackcap-4
Little Grebe-1
Jay-1
plus the usuals :)
6 Common Sandpiper
3 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
2 Cetti's Warbler
2 Commin Tern
1 female Goosander
Info thanks to Barry Hulme