Will the Sand Martin be the Elton bird, or will it be another individual?

-- Edited by Kristian Wade on Sunday 8th of March 2015 07:03:33 PM

1 Sand Martin, 68 Goldeneye and a singing Cetti's Warbler at Scotman's Flash this evening

An adult Mediterranean Gull dropped in to Scotman's for a short while just after 1:00pm, seen by myself and Jimmy Meadows

-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 3rd of March 2015 07:13:18 PM

70 Goldeneye and 2 Goosander roosted on Scotman's tonight

1 female marsh harrier over horrocks flash, showed for a good 5-10 mins then was mobbed by 2 crows, managed get a good shot
1 kingfisher
great spotted woodpecker in feeding station
2 goosander
plenty tufted duck, goldeneye, gadwall
cettis warbler on pearsons
plenty pochard

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 22nd of February 2015 08:40:26 PM

Scotman's early p.m.
31 Goldeneye, 5 Pochard, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 28 Common Gull

This Morning
Highlights
Scotmans
19 Goldeneye
5 Pochard
30+ Redpoll species flew from landfill over to Hawkley.
4 Bullfinch nr Moss Bridge.
Feeding Station
2 Willow Tits
4 Water Rail calling from reeds
6 Bullfinch in surrounding trees
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Pearsons
16 Goldeneye
4 Pochard
6 Shoveler
16 Gadwall
Cettis Warbler singing in usual place
Westwood
10 Gadwall

Jimmy

Horrocks Flash,

18 Whooper swan flew in at 10am onto the north west pool of the and flash,access via towpath and railway embankment at west of main pool.

cheers geoff,

AM

The highlight was the sheer number of Goldeneye on Pearsons & Scotsmans Flashes.

Pearsons Flash

72 Tufted Ducks, 15 Pochard, 7 Shovelers, 24f+9m Goldeneye, 8 Gadwall, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Snipe and 3 Cormorants.
Just 3 Common Gulls amongst the mass of Black Headed. As per normal there were lots of Coots.
In the nearby birch woodland a flock of mixed titmice contained 2 Willow Tits, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker was also there.

Horrocks Flash

10 Goosanders, 17 Tufted Ducks, 22 Greylag Geese, 8 Teal, 4 Shovelers plus Canada Geese etc.

Scotsmans Flash

11 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Little Grebes, 55 Tufted Ducks, 9f+7m Goldeneye, 1 Buzzard, 1 Grey Heron plus lots of Coot etc.
A couple of Moorhens seemed out of place right in the centre of the flash, I'm used to seeing them closer to the bank.

11 a.m Wigan Flash
Water rail showing well for a good 10 minutes at the feeding station today at ~11 a.m. It spent most of the time under the bird feeders but dodged for cover every so often.

20 Pochard and 5 Goosander on Scotman's today

10.30-13.30

Pearsons Flash

Amongst the usual waterfowl were 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1m+3f Goldeneyes, 13 Pochard, 11 Gadwall and 8 Shovelers.

Horrocks Flash

9 Goosanders, 16 Mute Swans, 8 Teal plus Tufted Duck etc.

The field on the opposite side of the canal here held 172 Canada and 14 Greylag Geese.

Scotsmans Flash

2 Little Grebes, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 5m+10f Goldeneyes plus the usual waterfowl.

One female Tufted Duck here not only shows a prominent white base to her beak, but a very smooth round head too.
Her saddle appeared to dark for anything other than a female Tufted though, but she is an intriguing bird and worth a second look.

This morning Scotmans 4 Goosanders 10 Goldeneye 2 singing Cettis Warbler 2 Water Rails calling Most of railway embankment now cleared of scrub n trees sigh. Lots of residue from the tree clearance collecting on the bank on the canal side which if it stays could attract a wader or Water Rail hopefully. Pearsons Lots of wildfowl on here including, 18 Shoveler 10 Pochard 20 Gadwall 10 Teal 15 Goldeneye Cettis Warbler singing in usual spot which I thought might have moved due to scrub n trees having been removed but he is staying faithful to this place GOOD LAD. Jimmy

Horrocks Flash,

Usual waterfowl as expected, Of note 1 Pink-Footed Goose grazing in the field adjacent to towpath along with the Canada and Greylag at 9.30,

cheers Geoff

Yesterday 31st December. Only looked on Pearsons and Scotsmans. Scottties had its usual mix of wildfowl and gulls. Nothing unusual or unexpected. Pearsons had more ice than I expected and all the wildfowl were crammed in a small pocket of open water at the back. Plenty Teal and Shoveler, andGadwall were in their usual numbers. 20 + Common Snipe were in the reed fringes. A good mix of gulls on the ice including a few Common Gulls but nothing special and numbers were not great.

Away from the water very few passerines around, just a couple of fly over thrushes and small tit flocks near to Moss Bridge. 1 Buzzard and a Kestrel were the only raptors.

A walk round in the late autumn sunshine encountered 47 species including 9 species of duck but no Red Crested Pochard or Wigeon. Of note however were 3 Goosander, 2 on Horrocks and 1 on canal near Moss Bridge, all Females; 5 Goldeneye , all on Pearsons; a Female Pintail on Pearsons; a vociferous Buzzard over Horrocks; 2 Coal Tits, 2 Willow Tits and a Jay at the feeding station with other species; Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Great Spottted Woodpecker and Goldcrest, all around Horrocks; Redwings feeding in Hawthorns by Moss Bridge; Cettis Warber singing by Pearsons; Water Rails calling from Scotsmans (south end), Hawkley reed bed and Horrocks; several Bullfinches around generally; a solitary Common Gull on the east (Rainfords) side of Horrocks; and 600+ Coot and c.100 Tufted Ducks spread around the various waters too.

Hi Kristian,

This map:
http://www.abcissa-websites.co.uk/wf.jpg
Shows the car park at the end of Carr Lane off Poolstock Lane.

It also shows the viewing screen overlooking Hawkley Reedbed (a good place for Cettis Warblers) which sometimes people find hard to find.

Walk up the path shown on the map below Scotsmans Flash and youll get to the bridge over the canal.

If you turn left at the bridge and walk along the canal youll get a good view of Scotsmans flash to your left and Pearsons Flash to your right.

If, at the bridge, you cross over and turn right, again walking along the canal, youll get to Horrocks Flash.

Good luck

Phil

Kristian Wade wrote:

---

I am hoping to visit Wigan Flashes at the weekend and am wondering where to park in order to complete a tour of Scotmans, Pearsons and possibly Horrocks flash. Any suggestions as to where to park would be greatly apprecitated and also the best places to view the flashes.

Thanks, Kristian

---

I am hoping to visit Wigan Flashes at the weekend and am wondering where to park in order to complete a tour of Scotmans, Pearsons and possibly Horrocks flash. Any suggestions as to where to park would be greatly apprecitated and also the best places to view the flashes.

Thanks, Kristian

Quick visit to Pearson's Flash this afternoon, I'd never seen a Red-crested Pochard before. I saw it from the canal then got better views from the screen up on the bank as per John's post. What a great spot in the autumn sunshine too. 9 species of duck, really nice variety in lovely warm light as the sun was coming down: Mallard, Gadwall, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck.

The Pintail and Wigeon were GM ticks on top of the RC Pochard, so a nice trio.

11.00-14.00

Pearsons Flash

Drake Red Crested Pochard showing well from the screen on the North bank.

Also 19 Wigeon, 37 Shoveler, 12 Pochard, 1f Goldeneye, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Little Grebes, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

I could only see 8 Teal, and very few Mallard, but lots of Tufted Duck and Gadwall.

Along the canal from Pearsons to Horrocks Flashes

1 Redwing, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Kingfishers.

Horrocks Flash

1 Kingfisher and 35 Tufted Ducks.

Scotsmans Flash

2 Great Crested Grebes, and as on Pearsons there were lots of Tufted Duck and masses of Coot.

Drake Red-crested Pochard Pearsons Flash

Pintail and red crested pochard both showing well from canal towpath @13-40,

Drake Red-Crested Pochard on Pearson's today, also 2 Goldeneye, 115 Gadwall, 22 Wigeon, 1 Pintail and a singing Cetti's Warbler

-- Edited by dave broome on Monday 27th of October 2014 08:06:52 PM

Mooch mainly of Scotman's and Pearson's area with Mr Meadows, drake Red-crested Pochard and 2 Pintail on Pearson's, 20+ Wigeon, Cetti's Warbler there at N end by canal in part song, others heard elsewhere by Jimmy before I turned up
2 Redpoll in flight by Moss Bridge, 1 Yellowhammer over, Pinkfeet over but unseen behind trees

6 adult Whooper Swan on Scotman's this afternoon

Full adult male Red-crested Pochard on Pearsons today.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Cetti's Warbler singing at south end of Scotman's Flash this morning
11 Grey Partridge Park House Farm in field next to Bryn Marsh

Cetti's Warbler singing at Ochre Flash this morning
11 Song Thrush feeding in the big hedge between Ochre and Park House Farm, at least two (though presumably more) being continental race
7 Common Snipe dropped on to Park House Farm

-- Edited by dave broome on Friday 17th of October 2014 08:22:19 PM

Alan Warford wrote:

---

Jimmy Meadows wrote:


Scotmans
39 Wigeon

Pearsons
27 Wigeon
13 Pochard
Singing Cettis Warbler.

Jimmy

Hi Jimmy, 17 Wigeon at Woolston Eyes on Saturday. Normally there would be at the most odd ones.

Alan

---

Hi John n Alan
your probably with what you say as its unusual for me anyway to have so many Wigeon on here at this time of the year


Jimmy

Jimmy Meadows wrote:


Scotmans
39 Wigeon

Pearsons
27 Wigeon
13 Pochard
Singing Cettis Warbler.

Jimmy

Hi Jimmy, 17 Wigeon at Woolston Eyes on Saturday. Normally there would be at the most odd ones.

Alan

Jimmy Meadows wrote:

---

Scotmans
39 Wigeon

Pearsons
27 Wigeon
13 Pochard
Singing Cettis Warbler.

Jimmy

---

All these wigeon about are in my opinion birds that would normally winter at Houghton Green pool, which is little more than a puddle now, there were none at the pool at the weekend, when in the recent past there would be around 100 at this time of year, if you add the flock at Pennington to these sightings, its more or less what used to be on Houghton Green pool Warrington. Nice to see they are finding new homes in the Wigan and Leigh area



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Tuesday 23rd of September 2014 08:15:13 PM

Scotmans
39 Wigeon

Pearsons
27 Wigeon
13 Pochard
Singing Cettis Warbler.

Jimmy

Minimum counts of 36 Wigeon, 65 Gadwall, 24 Pochard, 72 Tufted Duck and 6+ Teal on Pearsons along with 1 Grey Heron and 3 Great Crested Grebes.
One Buzzard over Westwood
2 Kingfishers on the Canal near Bryn Marsh
1 Cettis Warbler singing at the corner of Bryn Marsh
Plus rest of the usual expected stuff.

An adult Hobby was hunting between Ochre Flash and the canal at around 1640hrs today; 4 Wigeon on Ochre Flash and singles of Treecreeper and Goldcrest in the vicinity

-- Edited by dave broome on Thursday 18th of September 2014 05:15:49 PM

1 Wigeon on Scotman's this evening

pm stroll around Horrocks flash
1 pochard, 2 gadwall, mallard, 100+ coot, 3 cormorant, at least 7 grey heron, tufted duck, moorhen, black headed gull, lapwing,6 grey lag geese, 14 canada geese,mute swan,jay,magpie,carrion crow, wood pigeon, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, robin, wren, blackbird, goldfinch,1 willow warbler.

Lunchtime today, over Scotman's/Pearson's 11 Swift and min 130 House Martin, 50 Swallow and 25 Sand Martin

In addition to Tree Pipit, plenty of activity late morning/early afternoon at Park House Farm after the rain. 'Big Hedge' , which divides the fields between Park House Farm and the housing estate was full of activity from a minimum of 6 Whitethroat, 5 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Reed Bunting, juv Yellowhammer, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Song Thrush and 6 very vocal juv Blackbirds trying to assert themselves on the berry-laden Hawthorns

Tree Pipit currently showing well at Park House Farm, perched in 'big hedge' which runs down towards Ochre Flash

Little Egret Horrocks' Flash this morning, in flight over main water by canal at 09:47, headed over railway and dropped towards Turner's or Scotman's area
Other birds at Horrocks inc 2 Teal, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Kingfisher, singing Willow Warbler

A puzzling racket from long grass on the embankment at the north end of Scotman's today turned out to be a juv or female Pheasant chasing a ginger cat

4 adult Arctic Tern feeding at Scotman's and Pearson's this morning for 30 min then departed south at 0955

Kingfisher this morning at Bryn Marsh, other birds included approx 45 House Martin feeding between Park House Farm and housing estate, 5 Swift and 6 Willow Tit

This Morning

Highlights
Scotmans
6 Swift
Sand Martin through south
1 Cettis Warbler
57 Mute Swans
1 juv Common Tern
Horrocks
Little Ringed Plover
Kingfisher
7 Common Tern
1 Snipe
4 Redpolls
Willow Warbler singing
1 Buzzard
Pearsons
Great Crested Grebe trying to nest again.

Jimmy


-- Edited by Jimmy Meadows on Sunday 3rd of August 2014 01:04:01 PM

Horrocks Flash today: 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Mandarin, 1 Kingfisher, 183 Lapwing, Lesser Redpoll

Scotman's today: 2 adult Common Gull, 4 Common Tern, 12 Common Swift, 1 Shoveler
Pearson's: 2 Teal, 11 Pochard

A Redshank was perched on a partly submerged log at the SW corner of Scotman's today

This AM
Scotmans
62 Mute Swans + 5 Cygnets
16 Great Crested Grebe
3 Common Terns.

Jimmy

Horrocks Flash update

The usual residents have had a very good season with young birds abundant and second clutches common.
The Black-Headed gulls c40 pair have young of all stages
The Common Terns c15 pair,the last of the chicks (2) hatched 16th July,the best count of 25 chicks on the 6th July,there hasn,t been any of the usual disturbance and it,s been a delight to watch most of the birds fledge and make their way to other sites.

cheers geoff

This AM
Hawkley Reed Bed
1 Cettis Warbler singing
Horrocks
1 Common Sandpiper
Scotmans
5 juv Common Tern learning to catch food.
1 Unusual Tufted Duck with a white rump ??

Jimmy


-- Edited by Jimmy Meadows on Tuesday 8th of July 2014 02:34:03 PM