Posted earlier this evening by Adrian Dancy:

Big thanks to Simon and Alan for this magnificent find.

Big thanks to Judith for getting me there.

Big thanks to the bird...but next time will you come a little closer for me :)

Big thanks to Cliff for attaching my cable release to the camera.

What a superb twitch...it was good to meet everybody.

Please note that all subsequent sightings of the Shorelark (please keep it to just sightings though) and any other species from this site should be placed on the 'Cutacre, Middle Hulton' thread.

What a great bird in Manchester and it was only just on my life list from Southport only a couple of months back. Brilliant birding from the Warford team to find it and thanks for being so generous in sharing it and to all for such good camaraderie up there in the snow. Seems a very promising site.

just had a quick look at the pics in the gallery - gotta say you all did very well considering how far away the bird was - well done!

Hi Rob - It was me! - small consolation for missing the Shorelark though! - especially when only by a few minutes! Nice to meet you too. Hopefully next time we meet will be in more successful circumstances !!!

Desperate Dan dipped between 2:45 and 4:00 to, so suspect I met a few of you without knowing who was who - thanks to whoever put me on to the Little Owl.

i just received an email back from the reporter, Gaynor Clarke, she just told me the story will be in tommorows Bolton News paper, Formerly the Bolton evening news but now called simply Bolton news

I submitted the Shore Lark to the Atlas yesterday, Steve. I shall shortly be submitting Kestrel.

My honour went after dipping the Wryneck on day 6 of it's 5 day stay Ian!
Spoonbill, Avocet, Glossy Ibis added to the "just missed it" list but I met so many people who had seen it on my way there, that I thought i'd get it!
Sadly not to be but a big well done to Team Warford and great so many got to see it.
Serves me right for being out of County
Steve

Simon Warford wrote:

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Thanks guys, like Steve said it just goes to show you what is out there to be found in areas rarely visited, im sure I will be watching this site abit more from now on Steve, you can also add Kestrel, Pheasant, Raven, Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Moorhen, Little Owl & Woodcock to the list of birds seen today by various people.

I dont know who told the press but ive had the Bolton News on the phone, but thanks to the person who gave them my number You know who you are, its ok when they asked me for my name i said it was Ian McKerchar

I was told somebody from the Bolton News was trying to take a photo of me this morning, luckily i slipped away unoticed

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Thanks Simon,

All it needs, is for the people who saw these additional species, to spend a few minutes on-line submitting the records to the BTO website. Then when I update the Greater Manchester winter maps with the records from the 2009-10 winter they will appear. Ian has kindly agreed to display the maps on the website.

Steve

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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No sign of the Shorelark 3-4pm this afternoon after it took a flight over the ridge and into the quarry.

Little Owl present though.

Info thanks to dippers name's withheld to protect their honour, but my Dad was one of them

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We were there as it had just flown off. So no sign for us either between 3 and 3.45 ish.

I would like to add my thanks to Simon for finding this bird and letting others enjoy its presence. Had a really nice day, not just taking photographs, but talking to so many different people and putting faces to names. What really struck me was how friendly everybody was.

Did you realise Simon that it was your 1000th post on here that you had found the Shorelark,

being your 1000th post then it is good it was a really good one,

you will now have to find something good for your 2000th post,

Thanks guys, like Steve said it just goes to show you what is out there to be found in areas rarely visited, im sure I will be watching this site abit more from now on Steve, you can also add Kestrel, Pheasant, Raven, Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Moorhen, Little Owl & Woodcock to the list of birds seen today by various people.

I dont know who told the press but ive had the Bolton News on the phone, but thanks to the person who gave them my number You know who you are, its ok when they asked me for my name i said it was Ian McKerchar

I was told somebody from the Bolton News was trying to take a photo of me this morning, luckily i slipped away unoticed

No sign of the Shorelark 3-4pm this afternoon after it took a flight over the ridge and into the quarry.

Little Owl present though.

Info thanks to dippers name's withheld to protect their honour, but my Dad was one of them

Great find from the Warfords, it was cracking to be in the first light group relocating it this morning. Shorelarks are such beautiful birds, with their mini horns and yellow chins and black facial markings almost mask-like, not many other larks can boast feather variation and colour like them. It was nice to hear it call a few notes too and show off its wings in a little morning stretch on the rocks.

Nice to put faces to names as ever and a lovely morning before I left for footy after an hour or so. Footy was cancelled , should have watched it a bit longer really, but I suppose one will be back in twenty years from now!?!?

-- Edited by Sean Sweeney on Sunday 31st of January 2010 04:30:50 PM

Congratulations Simon & Alan on a cracking find. What it demonstrates more than anything, is how underwatched (if watched at all!) areas can hold some really excellent birds, probably most of which go unseen. This is one of the reasons why Ian launched the tournament. to get people out birding in areas which are rarely visited.
Simon said to me this morning that it was the first time he'd visited the site. The 10km winter atlas summary for this tetrad (SD60X Over Hulton) shows a staggering total of 5 species of birds recorded in winters 2007-08 and 2008-09 combined. Hopefully some of the birders who visited today will submit a few Roving Records to the BTO Atlas website Bird Atlas

As well as the Shorelark Alan Nuttall, Simon Hitchen & I saw Dunnock, Robin, Greenfinch, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Wren, Magpie, Linnet, Carrion Crow, Buzzard and Skylark. Out of these Buzzard was the only species submitted to the atlas before today. So the tetrad total now stands at 16 species for the winter! Stand by Steve S for a stampede of people wanting to take on the Timed Tetrad Visits this coming breeding season.
Out of interest the Shore Lark map from the last winter atlas 1981-84 shows not a single inland record for the whole of England, apart from one in Norfolk which is probably on Breydon Water.
So when the new national Atlas is published have a look at the Shore Lark map. Thanks to Simon and Alan that dot in the north west of England will be Bolton!





-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 31st of January 2010 04:20:20 PM

well done Jr!

ditto what everyone else said - cracking bird! cracking find! and brilliant birding behaviour from the birders.

i hope that ringers aren't tempted to get up there and try and ring it...

Excellent, Well done simon, you now have to find one on elton too

being seen nicely this morning, Very nice to meet John tavener, alan warford and adrian dancy, today


Great find, well done again

a lady from bolton evening news turned up today too so will also be in the local paper

The shore lark was showing very well at 13.30,lifer for me,megga find ,well done the warford team.

cheers geoff

well done simon great bird a first for me. Nice to meet you this morning before manchester woke up hope you dad gets over his fall cheers steve

A stunning bird!!

An unbelievable find.....WOW

Good to meet some new faces to put to names

Glad l dumped my domestic duties and went to see it.


MEGA well done Warfy X



-- Edited by Melanie Beckford on Sunday 31st of January 2010 03:11:17 PM

Still present midday atleast and looking settled.

Thanks to all who have visited for their consideration when parking and when viewing the bird, all have remained a good distance from it and other than the 'rock hound' who flushed it this morning the bird has fed in peace. Long may that continue, the birds welfare and happiness is more important than our views or getting a better photo.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 31st of January 2010 12:52:33 PM

Shorelark still present this morning at the same location.

Info thanks to Brain Fielding

you beauty! - optimistic birding at it's best - you just never know!

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 30th of January 2010 10:19:06 PM

And so a Legend was born

On 1st Jan 2010, a target was set for the year, that was to find a biggy for Gm and get your mates on it, Well today the legend that is WARFY pulled it out of the bag.

What a bird ( page 256 in the new bible.) hats off to the Warford duo of Alan and Simon, the best father and son team in Gm, not only do they have a bench named after them on the Wigan Flashes, but now a Bolton first, a GM Mega, and top of the tournament for the Legend.

Who visited over 9 sights in Gm today, you put the time in and you will be rewarded.

Thanks for the texts, a fantastic bird, well deserved find.

Keep birding

I have to thank Ian for getting me to keep a Bolton Borough year list, and my Dad as thats why he suggested this area as one of the few areas in Bolton we may get some farmland birds. Arriving mid afternoon and after about an hour we wondered why we were here at all as we saw only a single Meadow Pipit & Buzzard. We have never been here before so were not sure where we could wonder but at about 4pm we walked onto the top of the spoil heap, then along the edge of the mining area, we were suddenly alerted by a bird that flew past us and landed in some patchy grass about 40 feet away, it took a few seconds to get on it as it was crouched back on, then it turned around and I can not repeat what i said next, but we were soon both enjoying brilliant views of a Shorelark! After frantic phone calls and direction giving and the bird going missing for 20 mins im glad a few others managed to see it, what a bird for Bolton,

I will be there in the morning but like Judith said please do not park in the entrance road to the farm, lets hope it stays it did seem faithfull to the one area while feeding. With abit of organisation there should be no need to flush it


-- Edited by Simon Warford on Saturday 30th of January 2010 08:31:49 PM

Parking: there will be a tractor passing up and down Rosemary Lane tomorrow so do not block the lane. The farmer's wife says that it should be OK to park on Back Lane which is immediately off the A6 as you come off at J4, as UK Coal do not work on Sundays (this is their access road). She says there are also a couple of car spaces on the other side of the A6 by the UU facility, opposite Rosemary Lane.

-- Edited by Judith Smith on Saturday 30th of January 2010 10:04:05 PM

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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The Shorelark was seen until dusk by atleast 6 birders (maybe 7 John?)

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It was indeed 7 birders that connected Ian (8 if you count young Kieran)

I did leave it rather late though. Think I hold the record for the Hazel Grove to Bolton Rally.


-- Edited by John Rayner on Saturday 30th of January 2010 11:03:23 PM

Please note that parking here has already become an issue with only a handful of cars and the farmer of Adises Farm has already found the need to complain. Consider very carefully where you park bearing in mind the need for other vehicles to pass. In all fairness, it is adviseable to park along the verge of the A6.

The Shorelark was seen until dusk by atleast 6 birders (maybe 7 John?) but should it be present tomorrow please do not approach or repeatedly flush the bird but view from a distance. It can be elusive amongst the grass but patience should reward those on site eventually.

great find, will be there at first light, c u all in the morning, cheers brian.

A brilliant inland find!

A Shore Lark was found around 4pm today (30th Jan) just east of Over Hulton, Bolton.

At the junction of Rosemary Lane and the A6 (just west of junction 4 of the M61) follow the footpath south and through Adises Farm, continue along and the Shorelark was on the top of the obvious large spoil heap to the east.

Info thanks to Simon and Alan Warford.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 30th of January 2010 04:55:06 PM