A walk to Dover lock pub down both sides of the canal this morning
1 buzzard 2 kestrel,tits etc,not much around ,very dissapointing but thats abram for you.
Mr Broomes reference to Platt waz elsewere on the site ?? smoke and mirrors,he,s been refused entry by the women,s guild twice,nuff said
cheers geoff
Geoff Hargreaves said
Wed Dec 29 3:06 PM, 2010
An extensive full site mooch this morning.
No surprises,dover and lightshaw still frozen but now flooded with the melt-water steaming through Aye brook,lots of redwing and fieldfare,skylark seemingly all over but a flock of 10 was my best count,only teal and mallard on the brook, a species count of 32 doesn,t convey the huge number of birds present.
cheers geoff
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 03:20:10 PM
Geoff Hargreaves said
Sun Dec 19 2:45 PM, 2010
Sunday am19/12/10
Snow cover about 12 inch,only open water left are very small patches on the Aye brook and 1 10ft hole on Dover Basin.
sadly not a duck to be seen or heard,still lovely sunshine Cheers geoff
eron
Craig Higson said
Tue Dec 7 9:04 PM, 2010
Late posting with birds from yesterday:
Several Water Rails between Dover Basin and Lightshaw Flash 1 Woodcock 1 Sparrowhawk 25+ Fieldfare 1 Teal 1 Grey Heron
Judith Smith said
Fri Nov 26 10:15 PM, 2010
Dover Basin and Lightshaw Hall Flash (where a large notice which once said something about the National Lottery and Heritage Lottery Fund in the field between the two flashes has now totally disintegrated, perhaps due to frost) both completely frozen, but several Water Rails squealing loudly at Dover, and a Buzzard with prey at Lightshaw.
Geoff Hargreaves said
Fri Oct 15 2:49 PM, 2010
Dank,dark and wet,not abram at it,s finest,shooting cleared dover basin just before i got there,and farmer,s working the fields with spaniel man walking in front of me still some nice birds,of note
150+ redwing 200 woodpigeon 1 raven 1 sparrowawk 1 kestrel 2 300+ skeins of geese distant headed SE 10.22 1 200 + skien of geese headed west at 11.00
cheers geoff
Rob Thorpe said
Sun Oct 3 1:18 AM, 2010
Saturday 02 October 2010 late morning to early afternoon
fairly quiet, only things of note were: 6 Buzzard over Lightshaw 2 Sparrowhawk over Lightshaw 1 Kingfisher along Canal 1 Chiffchaff at Smith's Bridge 3 Swallow over, heading SE 2 Willow Tit along Lightshaw Lane 2 Yellowhammer along Lightshaw Lane
Bill Myerscough said
Sun Sep 19 4:55 PM, 2010
Hi Geoff,
Nice to see that Bolton Borough year list coming along nicely ....almost as good as mine!
Cheers,
Bill.
Geoff Hargreaves said
Sun Sep 19 4:06 PM, 2010
Not much to cheer about,grey drizzle and very sticky mud which clings to your bootsbest I could manage was a flighty female goosander first on lightshaw then on Dover.Usual waterfowl present ,no waders cos the brook has flooded the area.
Dover Lock to Platt Bridge and back, along canal: 19 Cormorant (over) (including one flock of 14) 1 Buzzard 1 Kingfisher large flock of Goldfinch c50 Swallow with fewer House Martin
Rob Thorpe said
Tue Aug 17 9:15 PM, 2010
Tuesday 17 August 2010 evening
7 Cormorant (over) 4 Teal (LHF) 15 Shoveler (DB) 2 Buzzard 1 Kingfisher (canal) 1 Spotted Flycatcher (in trees between canal and LHF)
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 17th of August 2010 09:38:48 PM
Ian Woosey said
Sat Aug 14 10:20 AM, 2010
14/8/10 (07:20 - 09:30)
2 Wheatear (sheep field in front of Lightshaw Barn)
Dover basin and lightshaw on a dull day 9.00 10.30
Lightshaw 1 gadwall 2 lapwing
Dover basin
5 then 8 then 16 godwits,all a bit tame after the last few weeks,highlight of the visit was watching a pair of kestrels mob a grey heron.
cheers geoff
Rob Thorpe said
Fri Jun 4 4:14 PM, 2010
Thursday 03 June 2010
20 Black-tailed Godwit on Dover Basin in the morning. Info from Terry Thorpe.
Raymond Ashcroft said
Thu Jun 3 7:58 PM, 2010
Thurs 3rd June - early evening
Black Tailed Godwits (at least 11 all on LHF) Redshank (DB) Ringed Plover (DB) Common Tern (at least two O/H) Oystercatcher (1 DB - 1 plus young LHF) Bullfinch (with young near Smiths Bridge)
-- Edited by Raymond Ashcroft on Friday 4th of June 2010 05:48:11 AM
Rob Thorpe said
Wed Jun 2 11:09 PM, 2010
Wednesday 02 June 2010 evening clear sky very slight W breeze 20'C - 16'C
1 Pintail (female) (DB) 1 Ringed Plover (DB) 15 Black-tailed Godwit (DB, then 3 flew to LHF) 6 Common Tern (canal) 1 Cuckoo (female) (flew over canal near DB)
JOHN TYMON said
Tue Jun 1 1:08 PM, 2010
james hall wrote:
how do youy get to abram flashes me and my dad want to go
on your bikes ,follow the canal from the bridge you come over to penny,head towards wigan for about a mile and they are on your left ,view from the canal
Pete Astles said
Tue Jun 1 10:56 AM, 2010
Hi James
The site guides on this website tell you where places are and where to park etc.
However for Abram Flashes I have send you PM
james hall said
Tue Jun 1 10:39 AM, 2010
how do youy get to abram flashes me and my dad want to go
Geoff Hargreaves said
Mon May 31 10:24 PM, 2010
Nothing else turned up after you left rob,i walked back through the fields on the opposite side of the canal and had a grasshopper warblers reeling all along the fields. Then 5 bt godwits over the bamfurlong triangle(site tick)
cheers geoff (quite glad may,s over i,m having a few days off relaxing at work)
Rob Thorpe said
Mon May 31 8:22 PM, 2010
Monday 31 May 2010 evening with Thorpe senior:
1 Pintail (female) (DB) 1 Ringed Plover (LHF) 81+ Black-tailed Godwit (DB & LHF) 24 of which flew off NW. 1 Snipe (DB) 1 Grasshopper Warbler 1 Mr Hargreaves
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Monday 31st of May 2010 09:08:42 PM
Ian Woosey said
Mon May 31 8:59 AM, 2010
31/5/10 (05:40 - 08:15)
Dover Basin:
44 Black-tailed Godwit 1 Pintail (f) 1 Barn Owl 4 Redshank 1 Shelduck (LHF) 3 Oystercatcher 1 Snipe (DM) 3 Greylag Goose (over) 2 Common Tern 2 Great Crested Grebe 6 Gadwall 1 Shoveler 9 Tufted Duck 4 Grey Heron 1 Reed Warbler 3 Reed Bunting 3 Skylark 3 Swift 2 House Martin 3 Bullfinch
1 Cuckoo (heard) - Crankwood/Bickershaw area 1 Cormorant (over)
cheers geoffspace hopper parked up for another year
Rob Thorpe said
Sun May 30 8:59 PM, 2010
Sunday 30 May 2010
28 Black-tailed Godwit on Dover Basin this afternoon.
Rob Thorpe said
Sat May 29 9:41 PM, 2010
Saturday 29 May 2010 afternoon
Mute Swan with 3 cygnets 3 Canada Goose (over) 2 Kestrel Just 9 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF) 1 Ringed Plover (LHF) 1 Snipe 5 Common Tern (canal) 1 Barn Owl
Ian McKerchar said
Sat May 29 1:47 PM, 2010
Originally posted by Mike Passant on 28th May 2010:
First visit ever here. At 12 noon 3 Black-tailed Godwits, increasing when we strolled back at 12.30 to 15 birds, having peered with some difficulty over to Lightshaw Hall Flash from the towpath in the meantime and seen perhaps 6 Black-tailed Godwits fly across a gap; so in all about 15/21 birds present, and likely more.
Looks a great area.
Rob Thorpe said
Thu May 27 10:35 PM, 2010
Thursday 27 May 2010 17:45 - 20:15
Black-tailed Godwit numbers much reduced this evening. The highest counts I could get were 37 on Lightshaw Hall Flash and 21 on Dover Basin. Also a Kingfisher and 3 Common Tern along the canal. Nice to meet Martyn Jones.
dave broome said
Thu May 27 7:43 AM, 2010
I think Brockholes had an unprecented event, similar to this in 2001, if anybody's got that years Lancashire Bird Report handy. If my memory isn't failing me (it usually does) I think as well as flocks on the site that they also had flocks flying west along the River Ribble, so that the overall numbers involved were far greater than the max seen down on the site. I think they had at least one Icelandic-ringed bird. Breeding birds in the UK are the European race, as opposed to Icelandic.
Geoff Hargreaves said
Wed May 26 11:06 PM, 2010
Dover Basin and Lightshaw till dusk
approx 100 bt godwits still present but still swapping and changing between site,s
also 1 sparrowhawk 1 cuckoo (crankwood, heard only)
cheers geoff
JOHN TYMON said
Wed May 26 7:03 PM, 2010
Neil Ferguson wrote:
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Roughly just over 200 Black-tailed Godwits today but the birds were flying to and from Lightshaw and Dover resulting in counts from 137 upwards and much running backwards and forwards between the two sites for the observers! Also present greenshank on Lightshaw, female Pintail on Dover and Lesser Whitethtoat.
Info thanks to Judith Smith/Andy Makin/Phil Rhodes
How come there is such a large flock at this time of year?? I thought that would be a winter thing.
Where do they normally nest??
I daupt anyone would know why this massive flock has appeared this year,it is a a far greater number than ever seen before anywhere in the county, Some black tailed godwits breed in britain but not locally,these birds at Dover Lock i would guess would be younger birds or none breeding adults,that have found,a suitable habitat to feed,and roost locally,most of the british wintering population summer in iceland,or some in northern russia. One picture i took last night shows a colour ringed bird,which it seems that birds ringed this way have normally been ringed on the breeding grounds in iceland,so that probably points to the place where these Godwits originated.
Neil Ferguson said
Wed May 26 6:44 PM, 2010
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Roughly just over 200 Black-tailed Godwits today but the birds were flying to and from Lightshaw and Dover resulting in counts from 137 upwards and much running backwards and forwards between the two sites for the observers! Also present greenshank on Lightshaw, female Pintail on Dover and Lesser Whitethtoat.
Info thanks to Judith Smith/Andy Makin/Phil Rhodes
How come there is such a large flock at this time of year?? I thought that would be a winter thing.
Where do they normally nest??
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 26 4:16 PM, 2010
Roughly just over 200 Black-tailed Godwits today but the birds were flying to and from Lightshaw and Dover resulting in counts from 137 upwards and much running backwards and forwards between the two sites for the observers! Also present greenshank on Lightshaw, female Pintail on Dover and Lesser Whitethtoat.
Info thanks to Judith Smith/Andy Makin/Phil Rhodes
Steve Collins said
Tue May 25 10:39 PM, 2010
The Greenshank arrived at Dover Basin just before 9.00pm (Wigan borough tick for me) Only 3 Godwits still there- the rest were over at Lightshaw I presume! Amazing sight seeing so many godwits inland. A lot of them were flying off as I arrived but there were still over 100 and I was only there looking for Barn Owl! ( dipped!) Steve
Rob Thorpe said
Tue May 25 10:06 PM, 2010
Tuesday 25 May 2010 evening 18'C - 12'C
1 Greenshank (LHF) 241 Black-tailed Godwit (first on DB, then made their way in 'dribs and drabs' to LHF) 2 Ringed Plover (LHF then DB)
Dover Basin:
1 Curlew
1 Oystercatcher
1 Buzzard
16 Goosander
1 Snipe
1 Kingfisher
2 Yellowhammer
10 Pochard
4 Gadwall
5 Tufted Duck
4 Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
28 Lapwing
1 buzzard 2 kestrel,tits etc,not much around ,very dissapointing but thats abram for you.
Mr Broomes reference to Platt waz elsewere on the site ?? smoke and mirrors,he,s been refused entry by the women,s guild twice,nuff said
cheers geoff
No surprises,dover and lightshaw still frozen but now flooded with the melt-water steaming through Aye brook,lots of redwing and fieldfare,skylark seemingly all over but a flock of 10 was my best count,only teal and mallard on the brook, a species count of 32 doesn,t convey the huge number of birds present.
cheers geoff
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 03:20:10 PM
Snow cover about 12 inch,only open water left are very small patches on the Aye brook and 1 10ft hole on Dover Basin.
1 grey wagtail
100 blackbirds
3 skylark
wren,robin,great,blue,longtailed in small flocks
4 magpie
2 pied wagtail
1 kestrel(fem)
2 grey heron
1 buzzard
100s wood pigeon
6 crows
250 redwing
100 fieldfare
1 mistle thrush
1 sparrowawk(fem)
1 jackdaw
2 reed bunting
2 coal titAlways a surprise
14 pink feet over se 10.15
sadly not a duck to be seen or heard,still lovely sunshine
Cheers geoff
eron
Several Water Rails between Dover Basin and Lightshaw Flash
1 Woodcock
1 Sparrowhawk
25+ Fieldfare
1 Teal
1 Grey Heron
still some nice birds,of note
150+ redwing
200 woodpigeon
1 raven
1 sparrowawk
1 kestrel
2 300+ skeins of geese distant headed SE 10.22
1 200 + skien of geese headed west at 11.00
cheers geoff
late morning to early afternoon
fairly quiet, only things of note were:
6 Buzzard over Lightshaw
2 Sparrowhawk over Lightshaw
1 Kingfisher along Canal
1 Chiffchaff at Smith's Bridge
3 Swallow over, heading SE
2 Willow Tit along Lightshaw Lane
2 Yellowhammer along Lightshaw Lane
Nice to see that Bolton Borough year list coming along nicely ....almost as good as mine!
Cheers,
Bill.
cheers geoff
evening
2 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF)
4 Snipe (LHF)
2 Kingfisher
1 Nuthatch (site tick )
3 Coal Tit (only my 2nd site record)
2 Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
1 Reed Warbler
1 Willow Warbler
9+ Chiffchaff
evening
Dover Lock to Platt Bridge and back, along canal:
19 Cormorant (over) (including one flock of 14)
1 Buzzard
1 Kingfisher
large flock of Goldfinch
c50 Swallow with fewer House Martin
evening
7 Cormorant (over)
4 Teal (LHF)
15 Shoveler (DB)
2 Buzzard
1 Kingfisher (canal)
1 Spotted Flycatcher (in trees between canal and LHF)
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Tuesday 17th of August 2010 09:38:48 PM
2 Wheatear (sheep field in front of Lightshaw Barn)
Dover Basin:
1 Snipe (over)
1 Kingfisher
1 Yellowhammer
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
15 Shoveler
1 Gadwall
5 Teal
5 Cormorant (over)
3 Reed Warbler
40+ Goldfinch
1 Stock Dove
(32 species)
Dover Basin:
1 Black-tailed Godwit (high over, heading W)
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Kingfisher
1 Yellowhammer
13 Shoveler
5 Teal
8 Stock Dove
1 Willow Tit (more heard)
3 Reed Bunting
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
45+ Sand Martin
2 Swift
5 House Martin
2 Cormorant (over)
(35 species)
dusk
a flock of 5 Cormorant over
3 Greylag Goose on LHF
53+ Sand Martin going to roost at LHF
early afternoon
2 Cormorant (over)
3 Shoveler (DB)
1 Kestrel (DM)
1 Snipe (over)
1 Common Gull (over)
afternoon
4 Teal (LHF)
3 Black-tailed Godwit (2 DB, 1 LHF)
2 Redshank (LHF)
1 Oystercatcher (LHF)
1 Stonechat (juv) (LHF)
evening
Very quiet and water-levels up
1 Kestrel
3 Oystercatcher (DB)
1 Common Tern (over)
c200 Sand Martin (going to roost @ LHF)
1 Grasshopper Warbler (DM)
early morning with Thorpe senior:
7 Black-tailed Godwit (6 DB, 1 LHF)
7 juv Pied Wagtail
countless Horseflies
8 Teal on Dover Basin at dusk.
Grasshopper Warbler reeling from the eastern side of the canal just south of Dover Bridge.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 17th of June 2010 03:53:22 PM
Dover Basin:
2 Black-tailed Godwit
2 Redshank
1 Shelduck
1 Barn Owl (with prey item)
1 Lapwing with one chick
1 Oystercatcher (LHF)
1 Snipe (DM)
1 Kestrel
5+ Common Tern
6+ Grey Heron
1 Gadwall
1 Tufted Duck
3 Sedge Warbler
22 Canada Geese over
1 Grasshopper Warbler (heard)
1 Cuckoo (heard)
Family parties of Magpies, Mallards, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Willow Warblers. Mute Swan pair with 3 cygnets on canal.
Lightshaw Hall Flash, morning:
1 Wigeon
31 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Lesser Whitethroat
info thanks to Terry Thorpe.
evening
12 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF)
1 Kingfisher
1 Grasshopper Warbler
late morning - early afternoon
4 Shelduck (2 DB, 2 LHF)
1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Oystercatcher (could only see one chick) (LHF)
2 Ringed Plover (LHF)
21 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF)
6 Redshank (2 DB, 4 LHF)
3 Common Tern
1 Kingfisher
1 Lesser Whitethroat (Lightshaw Lane)
Lightshaw
1 gadwall
2 lapwing
Dover basin
5 then 8 then 16 godwits,all a bit tame after the last few weeks,highlight of the visit was watching a pair of kestrels mob a grey heron.
cheers geoff
20 Black-tailed Godwit on Dover Basin in the morning. Info from Terry Thorpe.
Black Tailed Godwits (at least 11 all on LHF)
Redshank (DB)
Ringed Plover (DB)
Common Tern (at least two O/H)
Oystercatcher (1 DB - 1 plus young LHF)
Bullfinch (with young near Smiths Bridge)
-- Edited by Raymond Ashcroft on Friday 4th of June 2010 05:48:11 AM
evening
clear sky
very slight W breeze
20'C - 16'C
2 Mute Swan with 3 cygnets (canal)
5 Shelduck (2 DB, 3 LHF)
21 Gadwall (3 DB, 18 LHF)
15 Mallard (7 DB, 8 LHF)
1 Pintail (f) (LHF)
1 Shoveler (m) (DB)
9 Tufted Duck (DB)
5 Grey Heron
61+ Lapwing (LHF)
2 Ringed Plover (DB)
2 Oystercatcher with 2 young (LHF)
19 Black-tailed Godwit (10 DB, 9 LHF)
4 Redshank (1 DB, 3 LHF)
2 Common Tern (over)
2 Bullfinch
evening
1 Pintail (female) (DB)
1 Ringed Plover (DB)
15 Black-tailed Godwit (DB, then 3 flew to LHF)
6 Common Tern (canal)
1 Cuckoo (female) (flew over canal near DB)
on your bikes ,follow the canal from the bridge you come over to penny,head towards wigan for about a mile and they are on your left ,view from the canal
The site guides on this website tell you where places are and where to park etc.
However for Abram Flashes I have send you PM
Then 5 bt godwits over the bamfurlong triangle(site tick)
cheers geoff (quite glad may,s over i,m having a few days off relaxing at work)
evening with Thorpe senior:
1 Pintail (female) (DB)
1 Ringed Plover (LHF)
81+ Black-tailed Godwit (DB & LHF) 24 of which flew off NW.
1 Snipe (DB)
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Mr Hargreaves
-- Edited by Rob Thorpe on Monday 31st of May 2010 09:08:42 PM
Dover Basin:
44 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Pintail (f)
1 Barn Owl
4 Redshank
1 Shelduck (LHF)
3 Oystercatcher
1 Snipe (DM)
3 Greylag Goose (over)
2 Common Tern
2 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
1 Shoveler
9 Tufted Duck
4 Grey Heron
1 Reed Warbler
3 Reed Bunting
3 Skylark
3 Swift
2 House Martin
3 Bullfinch
1 Cuckoo (heard) - Crankwood/Bickershaw area
1 Cormorant (over)
31 blacktailed godwits
6 grey herons (5 juv) 1 expertly catching sticks
32 gadwall
1 shoveller
1 pintail (fem)
cheers geoffspace hopper parked up for another year
28 Black-tailed Godwit on Dover Basin this afternoon.
afternoon
Mute Swan with 3 cygnets
3 Canada Goose (over)
2 Kestrel
Just 9 Black-tailed Godwit (LHF)
1 Ringed Plover (LHF)
1 Snipe
5 Common Tern (canal)
1 Barn Owl
First visit ever here. At 12 noon 3 Black-tailed Godwits, increasing when we strolled back at 12.30 to 15 birds, having peered with some difficulty over to Lightshaw Hall Flash from the towpath in the meantime and seen perhaps 6 Black-tailed Godwits fly across a gap; so in all about 15/21 birds present, and likely more.
Looks a great area.
17:45 - 20:15
Black-tailed Godwit numbers much reduced this evening. The highest counts I could get were 37 on Lightshaw Hall Flash and 21 on Dover Basin.
Also a Kingfisher and 3 Common Tern along the canal.
Nice to meet Martyn Jones.
approx 100 bt godwits still present but still swapping and changing between site,s
also
1 sparrowhawk
1 cuckoo (crankwood, heard only)
cheers geoff
I daupt anyone would know why this massive flock has appeared this year,it is a a far greater number than ever seen before anywhere in the county,
Some black tailed godwits breed in britain but not locally,these birds at Dover Lock i would guess would be younger birds or none breeding adults,that have found,a suitable habitat to feed,and roost locally,most of the british wintering population summer in iceland,or some in northern russia.
One picture i took last night shows a colour ringed bird,which it seems that birds ringed this way have normally been ringed on the breeding grounds in iceland,so that probably points to the place where these Godwits originated.
How come there is such a large flock at this time of year?? I thought that would be a winter thing.
Where do they normally nest??
Info thanks to Judith Smith/Andy Makin/Phil Rhodes
Only 3 Godwits still there- the rest were over at Lightshaw I presume!
Amazing sight seeing so many godwits inland. A lot of them were flying off as I arrived but there were still over 100 and I was only there looking for Barn Owl! ( dipped!)
Steve
evening
18'C - 12'C
1 Greenshank (LHF)
241 Black-tailed Godwit (first on DB, then made their way in 'dribs and drabs' to LHF)
2 Ringed Plover (LHF then DB)