None today and only 11 Tufties.

Two were present yesterday morning (drake and a duck) plus 48 Tufties.

Usual five still around this morning

4 immature drakes and immature female with 168 Tufties this morning

02.02.08-4 male and 1 female possibly2 at 1300,plus kingfisher,222 tufted,22 pochard,2 great crested grebe

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 16:55, 2008-02-02

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 23:18, 2008-02-02

4 first winter drakes this morning with 205 Tufties and a Kingfisher.

Yeah turtle doves used to breed there every year, and were still there when I first used to go back in the mid eighties. I think they stopped coming about 10-15 years ago, though one did visit a couple of years back but didn't hang around. I still get down there every so often but no luck these days. Good for warblers in summer- garden and grasshopper are there, and lesser whitethroat nearby in Glazebrook.

could not find any scaup when I called in today but had a cracking ringtailed harrier over moat road coming from moss-side lane end going over the pits, blooming shame the county boundary is in the wrong place, nice little patch this, believe it used to be a good site for turtle dove a while back.
keep birding

Hi Ian

You go along the A57 from Irlam towards Warrington. Carry on (past a right turn to Glazebrook and after that the left turn that takes you toward Dunham Massey B5159) and shortly after the DM turn off you will see a garden centre on the right. Immediately before this is Moat Lane - turn right down there.

Approx quarter of a mile down you will see a gap in the bank on the left with some boulders placed in it. Park in the space opposite and then go back through the gap to view the large pool there. There are small clay pits all along the right of this lane but I haven't seen much on them.

Mike

Help me please, where are Rixden Clay Pits?.
Cheers Ian
Just checked and realised I cant spell!!!
I meant Rixton Clay Pits.
Cheers again!.

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 15:19, 2008-01-29

This morning:

4 Scaup present (3 drakes & 1 duck)
178 Tufty

5 Scaup present.

4 first winter drakes, first winter female and 191 Tufties this morning - still present at lunch.

Two Buzzards soaring over pool at lunch and 87 Pink-footed Geese over, heading NW

-- Edited by Mike Baron at 13:18, 2008-01-28

No Scaup today

One first winter drake at lunch with 42 Tufties.

No sign of Scaup at HGF this morning.

And 5 by late afternoon, an additional imm male.

Now 4 Scaup (3 1st winter drakes and an adult female) and 230 Tufted Ducks today, as of 10:20am.

All info thanks to Mike Baron.

Large pool to west of Moat Lane at lunch today:

2 Scaup (both first winter drakes)
216 Tufted Duck
5 Pochard
24 Coot
2 Cormorant
1 Great Crested Grebe

Mike

-- Edited by Mike Baron at 13:26, 2008-01-18