8/9/10 (17:00 - 19:45)

Red Rock Lodge to Sennicar Lane:

2 Wheatear (field near Barkers Cottage)
2 Raven (same)

1 Kestrel
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Sand Martin with about a dozen House Martins and c100 Swallows
2 Chiffchaff
1 Mistle Thrush
1 House Sparrow
5 Goldfinch
2 Mallard

Barkers Cottage is currently up for sale. If anyone can lend me (or ideally, give) £995,000 please PM me. Ta

6pm-8pm Whelley loop line to Sennicar bridge and back.

very quiet, only real thing of note was the Swallows under the bridge were still feeding young, these were flying short distances to meet the parents with food then returning back to the nest, Fox sat out in field at edge of woods and 2 Roe Deer near water treatment ponds

5/9/10 (07:00 - 10:00)

Pendlebury Lane/Sennicar Lane area with Mr Meadows:

1 Wheatear (nr Barkers Cottage). Site tick for Jimmy
2 Curlew (S over Pendlebury Bridge)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Cormorant
1 Goldcrest
3 Coal Tit
1 Chiffchaff
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Pied Wagtail
9 Canada Goose

Sennicar Lane 1.30pm - 3.30pm

3 Wheatears, Rothwells Farm, first field with sheep in, one still there when I left
1 Spotted Flycatcher, In trees near bridge then flew along wires keeping ahead of a dog walker going down lane, couldnt re locate
Swallows still feeding young under bridge
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Whitethroat
Buzzards heard

20/8/10 (17:00 - 19:20)

The `Northern Approaches` - Red Rock to Sennicar Lane:

1 Common Tern
1 Kestrel
2 Herring Gull
9 Pied Wagtail
8 Mistle Thrush
2 Whitethroat
7 Canada Goose
6 Mallard
2 Grey Heron
9 Greenfinch
20+ Blue Tits in a flock with Great Tits ang Long-tailers

(27 species)

19/8/10 (07:00 - 10:45)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Skylark
3 Linnet
3 Bullfinch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Reed Bunting
4 Whitethroat (inc juvs)
1 Stock Dove

(36 species)

PS - will the Turtle Dove twitchers please come back and find me something decent ? (cf Horwich thread). Thank you

-- Edited by Ian Woosey on Friday 20th of August 2010 09:26:00 AM

11/8/10 (05:45 - 09:00)

Whelley Loop Line to Sennicar Lane:

2 Raven (Rothwells Farm)
1 Mandarin, f (canal at Shedfield Bridge)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Reed Warbler (Aspull Sough)
7 Stock Dove
6 Whitethroat, inc juvs
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Herring Gull, over
1 Pied Wagtail
Mute Swan (SLI) & mate with 6 cygnets along canal.
1 Swift

According to a notice on-site, The Woodland Trust have applied to Wigan MBC for planning permission to sink four "holes" in Lady Mabels Wood. This is to "test the water retention", with a view to creating a new "pond". It does not specify the exact location of the pond, nor how big it will be...........but big enough to hold a couple of Teal will do me !

7th Aug, Hall Lane to Pendlebury lane

12 Mistle Thrushes on rugby union pitch
2 Willow Warblers
6 Greenfinches
2 Kestrels over Golf course
Buzzard
2 recently fledged broods of young Swallows
Family party of Goldfinches
Skylark
4 Whitethroats
Mallard on canal with single day old duckling

8th Aug Lower Plantations and Fields around Water treatment ponds

Dipper singing away on Dougy
Tree creeper
Nuthatch
G.S. Woodpecker
Recently fledged Song Thrush
4 Juv Sparrowhawks, 2 male and 2 female. Massive surprise finding these as I had given up on them, found all the signs of breeding from early spring onwards, birds calling, food passing, plucking posts, moulted feathers, etc, but could not locate an active nest. Great views of two of the young flying full speed through trees as a parent fetched in prey out of sight
Tawny Owl being mobbed by Jays, Magpies and Blackbirds
Wren with just fledged young
Goldfinch with 4 young
Whitethroat
Willow Warbler

8/8/10 (11:45 - 14:15)

Rothwells Farm area:

4 Buzzards above Thorn Hill
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
140+ Black-headed Gulls (inc juvs) loafing about in fields off Sennicar Lane
28 Goldfinch (inc juvs)
8 Greenfinch
2 Willow Warbler
1 Whitethroat
dozens of House Martins & Swallows, including many juvs.
large movement of Lesser Black-backed Gulls passing over, heading South as usual.

6/8/10 (15:20 - 18:10)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

1 Wheatear (f/imm) - on golf course opposite Lady Mabels Wood

1 Raven (Rothwells Farm)
1 Buzzard
2 Snipe, over
2 Kestrel
4 Stock Dove
1 Skylark
2 Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
3 Herring Gull, over
4 Moorhen (inc juvs) - Aspull Sough
1 Grey Heron

Hall lane to Pendlebury lane via lady mabels wood 2.30pm - 6pm

single Juvenile Buzzard
tree creeper
good numbers of Swallows and House Martins feeding over fields
young Jays, fledged, still being fed by parents
Whitethroats, 2 pairs, one pair with fledged young. one pair still feeding young in nest
2 Willow Warblers
Song Thrush, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Starling and House Sparrows all with fledged young.

-- Edited by Paul Risley on Saturday 31st of July 2010 06:48:14 PM

28th July 9-15pm till 10-15pm

late walk at dusk looking for Roe Deer turned up a couple of surprises
3 possibly 4 fledged juvenile Tawny Owls calling, this is the third brood of young Tawny's in the country park this year
150+ Swallows going to roost in the reed beds at Aspull sough Water treatment ponds
2 Roe Deer

Pendlebury Lane this morning

Raven over calling
3 Common Tern

Cheers Jimmy

12.30pm-3.30pm with David Wilson from Cheshire

Kingfisher feeding young
Kestrel feeding fledged young
Willow Tit
Cormorant dead in Water
Sparrowhawk over
6 Reed Buntings
single Reed Warbler

5pm till 6pm

Kingfishers still feeding young
Willow Tit
pair of Bullfinch
pair of Greenfinch
Kestrel
Cormorant
some scroats who had been night fishing dumped about 30 empty beer cans and plastic bags in the water

late posting for last night 19th July

went out looking for the kingfishers again, located one on opposite bank deep in cover and obviously sheltering from the heavy rain. a quick walk further along revealed nothing else. on returning the rain stopped and 2 adult birds flew out from the cover and started to hunt, within less than 10 mins they had been back with 3 fish, at least two fledged young poss more and mobile, at least 400 yards further along from last night

Kingfisher hunting made my afternoon, several times diving into water and twice carrying fish off to return approx 4 mins later to continue hunting.
pair of Greenfinch
Female Manderin
male Bullfinch

Late report for yesterday Sat 10th July 2 - 6 pm

Juv Buzzards have left the nest and are now calling from nearby trees
5 young Swallows leaving nest under Sennicar lane bridge, saw the 3rd one make its maiden flight and avoid going into the canal, followed its parent to the hawthorn bushes on the other side
male Reed Bunting with food on side of canal between Sennicar lane bridge and pendlebury lane bridge
2 Tree Sparrows
small flock of approx 20 House Martins feeding over canal

remains of another Hen near the foxes earth

3/7/10 (06:45 - 10:50)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane via Lady Mabels Wood:

1 Lesser Whitethroat (prob 2) - in Hawthorns along edge of Lower House Farm horse paddock.
2 Oystercatcher (over, heading N)
1 Buzzard
1 Green Woodpecker (Aspull Sough)
1 Sparrowhawk (f)
7 Common Tern (over, heading for the Wigan Flashes)
1 Sand Martin (with several House Martins and dozens of Swifts & Swallows)
6 Skylark
7 Reed Bunting (inc juvs)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
6 Goldfinch (inc juvs)
21 Jackdaws (inc juvs) at Rothwells Farm
1 Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff

1 Raven (heard only)
1 Grasshopper Warbler (heard only)
1 Willow Tit (heard only)

27/6/10 (06:45 - 10:25)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane via the canal:

1 Buzzard
1 Curlew
1 Grasshopper Warbler (Lady Mabels Wood)
2 Mandarin (1f & 1juv type)
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Reed Warbler (Aspull Sough)
1 Kestrel (m)
6 Skylark
3 Sedge Warbler
2 Treecreeper - both recently fledged chicks
1 Sand Martin
4 Great Spotted Woodpecker
4+ Reed Bunting
3 Herring Gull
5 Mistle Thrush
27+ Magpies in newly mown meadow at Lower House Farm

searched a very quiet area of the country park today and had some good luck

2 Juvenile Buzzards on nest
a quick forage around below the nest surprised me by the amount of Magpie feathers there, both adult and fledging, also adult male Sparrowhawk and fledging Wood pigeon. I had found the site of were the Sparrowhawk had been killed, it looks as if it had just caught a male Blackbird when it got caught itself, I was pondering what had killed it when I came across the Buzzard nest and found a few Sparrowhawk breast feathers beneath

also seen
3 Tree Creepers
2 Bullfinch
juvenile Jays

2pm - 6pm
Loop Line through Lower Plantations to Dominoes and back

numerous broods of Blue and Great tits, one brood attracting the attentions of a male Sparrowhawk who made an unsuccessfull pass at them.
Coal Tits, 3 seperate broods
Tree Creepers, 2 seperate pairs no young seen though
Mallard with 2 newly hatched young
Curlew, sounded agitated and landed in field about 100 feet away, quick scan didnt reveal any predators. as I lent on gate it started to run towards me no young were visable but I decided to back off and leave it , Its attention then turned towards a Buzzard that had appeared it took off and started to fly towards the Buzzard who sensibly made off
Male Kestrel landed on tall hedgerow with prey waiting for Female, 3 Crows decided to try and rob him off his prize, all hell breaks loose as the male heads towards his nest closely followed by 3 crows, now out of sight all I can hear is lots of calling from the kestrels, the crows then reappear first and then the male Kestrel appears and seems to be flying away before turning and putting a stoop in at the crows a peregrine would have been proud of, cracking few minutes action

Skylarks x 2
5 young Swallows on fence
Wren carrying food
Blackcap
G.S. Woodpecker

19/6/10 (08:20 - 10:50)

Lady Mabels Wood & Rothwells Farm area:

1 Peregrine high overhead, moving N
3 Buzzard
3 Kestrel
1 Curlew
1 Grey Wagtail
3 Lapwing
4 Reed Bunting
1 Stock Dove
2 Skylark
45+ Swift
4 House Martin
3 Mistle Thrush
2 Bullfinch

Family parties of Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrow..

14/6/10 (16:10 - 18:30)

School Lane, Sennicar Lane, Pendlebury Lane:

5 Curlews flying around together - which can only mean that all three chicks have survived

3 Common Tern
1 Kestrel (mobbing a fox !? near the Curlew site)
2 Reed Bunting
3 Skylark
1 Lapwing
1 Willow Warbler

Also seen were the following fledged youngsters:

Tree Sparrows, Linnets, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallows (5 lined up on a fence waiting to be fed), Whitethroats, Magpies, Greenfinches, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Dunnock, Great Tits, Blue Tits..

With local RSPB group today
Now i know why there is no Moorhens or Water Voles on the canal in the vicinity of Sennicar Lane Bridge when we saw a MINK swimming with a dead fish in its mouth on the other side of the canal
Did not know they was in the area but looking back did not have any Moorhens on my BBS at New Springs either and it looks as if this could be the answer.


Cheers Jimmy

1.30pm - 5.00pm Sennicar to Pendlebury loop "The Mid West"


pair of Blackcaps
1 Buzzard
Curlews, 1 seen both heard. gave alarm calls twice while I was walking around the fields, couldnt see any predators though, hopefully junior is still with us
4 Greenfinch
3 pairs of Canada Geese with 12 young
Garden Warbler at sennicar bridge
pair of Lapwings with 3 young visible, Adults vigourously mobbing a Carrion crow that was in hedge about 40 feet from young, Crow also has recently fledged young of its own in field on footpath side of canal.
2 Common Terns
3 Skylarks singing
good numbers of Whitethroats and Goldfinches

Also found a new Fox earth with vixen and a single cub seen

Dusk in the Lower Plantations

3 hungry young Tawny Owls calling

2/6/10 (17:20 - 20:00)

"The Northern Approaches":

1 Peregrine - initially over Winstanleys Farm, but it spent a while circling the rookery at School Covert, before drifting off North....One of the Chorley birds ? (My 100th site species )

2 Curlew
1 Lapwing with 4 chicks near Bawk House Farm
2 Common Tern
2 Tree Sparrow (Pendlebury Lane)
1 Kestrel
2 Whitethroat
2 Skylark
3 Collared Dove
2 House Martin
5 House Sparrows inc juvs at Pendlebury House
2 Mute Swans with 6 cygnets on canal at Pendlebury Bridge

I was away on holiday when the Turtle Dove news broke so, rationalising that it might have been around a couple of days before it was found, then it might be around a couple of days afterwards as well.

I went from 11.00 - 13.00 for a look and listen. Sedge Warbler and 4 Whitethroats on the walk down the canal. A Tawny Owl was being mobbed by Blackbirds near the viaduct and 3 Ravens circled overhead. Juv Tree Sparrow on the canal and an adult carrying nesting material near the cottages.

No sight/sound of the Turtle Dove. Oh well, it was worth a try.

Cheers, John

Still no sign of the turtle dove between 2.30 and 4 pm.

there was a steady southerly movement of gulls, in particular LBBG (100+) plus a few BHG and at least one HG.

NO sign of the Turtle Dove between 8.45 and 9.45 am, just a single collarded dove sat on a telegraph post by one of the houses.

Given that it was raining, maybe no surprise!

Two Ravens also.

-- Edited by Iain Johnson on Tuesday 1st of June 2010 10:35:46 AM

Jammy Sod

Cheers Jimmy

Another site mega today was a Spitfire going over at about 11:45. Heading East, more than likely going to/from an airshow...

7:30-7:35 Turtle Dove flew from power lines loked as if going to roost in woods west of the houses

Cheers Jimmy

just logged on at 8.30pm
nice walk through my local woods today produced nothing unexpected, another G.S. Woodpecker nest located taking total up to 4 active nests. walked through Lady Mabels Wood to Sennicar lane and decided to go an see if the young Curlew were allright, couldnt see them but could hear the adult calling, was half way between sennicar lane and pendlebury lane and thought it looked busier than usuall towards pendlebury lane so turned back hopefully it will be there tomorrow nice find Ian and Judith with the manderins

Turtle Dove still present 7:25pm.

Info thanks to Jimmy Meadows

Big thanks to Mr Woosey for finding the bird and the invite to a lovely part of the county I didn't know was there- really nice spot.
I was on my own when the bird flew further down the lane to sit on a telegraph pole a little nearer and side on views. It then flew and didn't see where it went so very relieved you found it Dave!
Also saw the 2 adult Curlew in the field and Tree Sparrows eventually in a bush along the canal close to the bridge. Also near the bridge similar to Judith were singing Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Reed Bunting
Steve

Having seen the Turtle Dove (not a GM tick for me but very nice nevertheless, I decided to do a circular walk, re-joining the canal at Sennicar Lane bridge. I found a brood of 6 Mandarin ducklings with female on the R. Douglas, about 5 days old, saw 4 Ravens (possibly 5) over the fields nearby, saw the Curlews with one of the chicks (thanks for directions, Ian W), singing Sedge Warbler at Pendlebury Lane bridge and various Reed Buntings, Whitethroats etc. An excellent area which I only knew partially before.

Turtle Dove still present 6:10pm on telephone wires

Turtle dove still present as we left at 5ish sat on telegraph pole behind the detached house (first house after farm from the bridge if you follow Ian's directions from earlier in this post.)
also several common tern up and down the canal, house and tree sparrow around, then as we stood on bridge 62 single curlew flew over us, several lapwing in the second field on the other side of the bridge 63 pub plenty of goldfinch near the canal boats.
Thanks to everyone we spoke to for a pleasant afternoons birding even if it wasn't self found it's still a tick.
Mr Taverner get that first picture you took emailed!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Monday 31st of May 2010 07:19:41 PM

Turtle Dove still present 4:30pm.

Info thanks to Steve Collins

Back on telegraph post between first and second house from bridge.

Re-located at 3.30pm on post by first house from the bridge buit then flew and is presently not in view.

Just a big thanks to Ian Woosey for finding the bird, a fantastic lifer for me this dinner time.
Cheers Ian

TURTLE DOVE still being seen intermittently along Pendlebury Lane - last seen around Samuel Folds Cottage. Info thanks to P.Heaton and J.Smith.

Also in the area this morning:

1 Garden Warbler (canal @ Lady Mabels Wood)
2 Buzzard
2 Curlew
1 Lapwing
3 Sedge Warbler
5 Whitethroat
4 Skylark
6 Reed Bunting
2 House Martin

I am chuffed, nay, proud to have added to the list of Haigh CP rarities - backing up the likes of Bluethroat, Bee-eater, Puffin, Wryneck & Spoonbill

Long live the local patch ! (but remind me of this on a cold dank day in November )


-- Edited by Ian Woosey on Monday 31st of May 2010 03:24:57 PM

Flew from post just before 2pm. Not seen since but could still be about. Homeowners working in the garden directly beneath the telegraph post so unlikely to go back there at present.

Turtle Dove still by Pendlebury Lane 1pm on telegraph pole next to the three isolated houses

Pendlebury Lane has no vehicular access so the best access details are probably:

Park at the Bridge 63 Pub along Red Rock Lane (best accessed off Chorley Road)

Walk south along the canal there until the first bridge which is Pendlebury Lane Bridge.

Once at the bridge, turn right down Pendlebury Lane and the bird is in the area.

As of 11:30 the Turtle Dove was still showing well, snoozing in a tree!

Info thanks to Ian Woosey

TURTLE DOVE this morning at 11am on wires by the old detached house along Pendlebury Lane. Access the lane from Leyland Mill Lane.

Info thanks to Ian Woosey

An altogether genuine county rarity these days with only a very small handful of records since the turn of the millenium.

2 Adult Curlews and 2 young yesterday afternoon As I was coming away the alarm calls went up again and I turned to see both birds fly up to intercept and chase away a passing Black Backed Gull (not sure if it was lesser or Great) anyway with a host of other predators in the local area aswell I'm going to try and keep away from the Curlews in future its not good for the nerves