Geoff I'm intrigued as to where the dog walker/Skylark alleged confrontation may be occurring? If this is on part of the new LWT area (Lightshaw Meadows) then please raise your concerns with me privately so I may convey them to LWT directly. This way if there is a problem or indeed likely to be one it can then be addressed. Rather surprisingly, the Skylarks do well on Ramsdales Ruck at Pennington despite considerable and unavoidable 'disturbance' from the public and their dogs

The gate/barrier at bamfurlong bridge has been trashed??no probs wandering around,the works are continuing apace.I can,t help but worry,hope i,m wrong but skylarks and dog walkers don,t mix
cheers geoff

Geoff Hargreaves wrote:

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Much as i,d like to keep the area to myself i parked at the pub this morning and had no trouble getting around,no doubt this will change on a daily basis as the works progress,

cheers geoff

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'i parked at the pub this morning and had no trouble getting around,'

Nice one Geoff. I enjoyed that little pun.

Everyone round to Judith's in May then. Hope she doesn't charge £5 each

Much as i,d like to keep the area to myself i parked at the pub this morning and had no trouble getting around,no doubt this will change on a daily basis as the works progress,

cheers geoff

Thanks Judith

I guess you'll have to watch it from my house (I am moving to a bungalow just over the canal from the pub, shortly)! Hoping to get it on my garden list. My builder, who is a birder, has already had Kingfisher through the garden.
Seriously, I don't think they will get as far as Dover Basin by Osprey passage time. Bamfurlong bridge on the A58, where the entrance has been closed, is about a mile and a half from Dover. I'm more worried about access for my Waterways Breeding Bird Survey, which is from PLant Lane swing bridge to the A58 bridge and involves the whole towpath that they are surfacing. Sundays seems the best option, but with the disturbance from that and from the Lancs WT who are currently working on the fields immediately below the canal between Dover and Lightshaw, I don't expect to get a lot of exceptional sightings this year.

Oh no ! what if the osprey wants to come back ?

Work has started on upgrading the towpath from Bamfurlong Bridge on the A58 to Plank Lane lift bridge. This means that sections of the towpath will be closed off whilst imprinted concrete is laid - currently access is closed at the A58 bridge. From the A58 bridge to Dover Bridge on the A573 it is possible to walk down on the other side of the canal. From Dover Bridge, it is possible to walk on the other side of the canal as far as Chadwicks Farm, then one has to join Crankwood Rd (good for Lesser Whitethroat) running parallel to the canal to the lift bridge. NB Ignore the No Trespassing notice put up by a farmer on the gate to the path, at Dover Bridge - I have checked with BW and the path on that side of the canal, and the gate, is their property and the foreman is to speak to the farmer involved. This work is likely to last some months, and may mean there will be limited access to oversee Dover Basin and Lightshaw Flash, as well as Coffin Brook Flash and Glover's Pool.