At least two Little Ringed Plover and a Ringed Plover flitting round.
1 Juv Yellow Wagtail with Pieds.
Handful of House Martens and a couple of Swifts.
Terry Long said
Sun May 5 11:26 PM, 2024
2 Cattle Egret and several Little Egret here today 2 Oystercatcher with Canada Geese and Whitethroat singing from hedgerows
Rob Smith said
Fri May 3 6:57 PM, 2024
Of note
Cattle Egret - 2
Little Egret - 3
Ringed Plover - 1
Mallard - adult & 7 young
Nearby:
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
John O'Neill said
Sun Oct 29 8:04 PM, 2023
pm 1 Grey Partridge fields
only waders on pools 2 Lapwing
Rob Smith said
Wed Sep 20 7:15 PM, 2023
Despite the weather, called in whilst in the area, 10.30 - 11.00am
Swallows - despite strong winds & driving rain, there was a continuous & surprising movement of birds (c1 per minute) heading low & erratically south!
Little Egret - 3
Great Egret - 1
Lapwing - 100
Black tailed Godwit - 10
Teal & Mallard
Rob Smith said
Mon Jul 17 2:37 PM, 2023
Green Sandpiper, on edge of shallow scrape - Yellow Wagtail, 2 juveniles flitting around & very little else
Terry Long said
Tue May 23 10:29 PM, 2023
Their was either 2 Temminck"s Stint or 1 and a same sized wader, with the same feeding behaviour, too distant to be sure. From Town Lane between 3-4pm today. The pools on the Carr Lane side have completely dried up. Couldn't pick out anything else of note through the bins
Mark Jarrett said
Wed May 17 9:56 PM, 2023
Nice little twitch this evening, just 35 mins from home. After missing out on the Lunt Meadows Temmincks Stint a week or so ago, caught up with this one, viewed from the pavement on Town Lane. Pectoral Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper also present and all three birds within a couple of feet of one another.
malcolm roach said
Mon May 15 2:05 PM, 2023
Pectoral sandpiper still present 1.15 pm view from town lane
Terry Long said
Fri Apr 21 11:18 PM, 2023
No sign of the hoped for whinchat either here or at the horse paddocks but I'll try again. 2 Grey Partridge was the highlights with Cetti's and Reed Warbler vocal. A handful of Teal still present with Shoveler, Shelduck, Redshank and Lapwing.
John O'Neill said
Mon Apr 17 7:08 PM, 2023
pm
1 m Redstart
at least 2 Wheatear
John O'Neill said
Thu Apr 13 6:58 PM, 2023
1 m Wheatear
Terry Long said
Mon Feb 13 6:36 PM, 2023
Teal
Gadwall
Redshank
Lapwng
Black-tailed Godwit
Pink-footed Goose
Buzzard
Kestrel
And seen from off Carr lane
Green Sandpiper
Kingfisher
Terry Long said
Sat Feb 11 3:08 AM, 2023
100+ Teal, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, around 50 Lapwing, Shoveler, Buzzard and a small active wader on the far side of the pools, out of my binocular range though to get an ID, possibly Dunlin. On the other side of Hale road Stonechat, Meadow pipit, Little Egret, Grey Herin, another group of around 40-50 Teal on the brook, Canada Geese, Shelduck, Curlew and Oystercatcher further out. A group of 50 or so Black- headed Gulls were on the farm heading further along Hale road with Wood Pigeon and a few Stock Doves.
John O'Neill said
Fri Sep 16 8:43 PM, 2022
PM
Lots of hirundines , most high over, but 3 Swallows perched on roadsude wires.
m Peregrine mobbed by every Rook in the area
f Grey Wagtail
Single Pink Footed Goose vocal over
PM
1 f Wheatear
1 m Yellow Wagtail Burnt Mill Farm Carr Lane where Swallows nested
John O'Neill said
Fri Apr 22 11:24 AM, 2022
yesterday pm
2 f and 1 m Wheatear
Rob Smith said
Sun Jun 27 8:12 PM, 2021
Adult male Marsh Harrier hunting over Hale Marsh before heading out south this morning.
John O'Neill said
Tue May 4 8:47 PM, 2021
Spoonbill was still present this morning, but around 10AM it took off and flew off high towards River.
John O'Neill said
Mon May 3 9:34 PM, 2021
AM
Spoonbill still present
John O'Neill said
Sun May 2 10:52 AM, 2021
AM
Single Spoonbill showing well. Initially snoozing then stirred itself to feed relatively energetically in shallow pools.
Avocets. Black Tailed Godwits. 2 Ruff coming into Summer plumage.
John O'Neill said
Thu Apr 29 4:22 PM, 2021
PM
1 Common Sandpiper
7 Avocets
John O'Neill said
Mon Apr 26 10:30 PM, 2021
PM
8 Avocets
2 Ruff
20 plus Black tailed Godwits
1 Wheatear
John O'Neill said
Wed Apr 21 12:10 AM, 2021
PM
3 Avocets
John O'Neill said
Wed Apr 14 8:59 PM, 2021
PM
1 m Redstart on fence/ hawthorns on Carr Lane side .
John O'Neill said
Sun Apr 11 1:17 PM, 2021
AM
A F Merlin showing really well perched up on a post preening. Stayed put for at least 15 minutes.
A Buzzard was on another post.
3 Little Egrets.
Black Tailed Godwits, Snipe, Redshank all present.
2 Grey Partridge.
John O'Neill said
Thu Apr 8 9:24 PM, 2021
PM 1 m Wheatear
Doc Brewster said
Mon Aug 3 9:07 PM, 2020
Wood Sandpiper seen again today, reported on our Cheshire Wildlife Group
John Watson said
Sun Aug 2 8:48 AM, 2020
Couldn't find the Wood Sandpiper with certainty myself after long search (pm). However, 2 Green Sandpiper (others had 3) in partially obscured channel. Also Little Egrets, Black-Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Buzzards, Kestrels & quite a few Herons & many Cormorants flying over from the Decoy
Town Lane is indeed closed to cars, but the footpath is open to pedestrians & numerous bikes, so you can see the area from all angles while still getting run over
Doc Brewster said
Sat Aug 1 5:02 PM, 2020
A Wood Sandpiper was present on Carr Lane Pools today as well as a Ruddy Shrlduck. I watched both from the Carr Lane side at 11.35am. The access up Town Lane from Hale village (the other side that the pools can be viewed from) is blocked due to resurfacing work & it looks like it will be closed for some time.
John O'Neill said
Mon May 25 5:14 PM, 2020
AM Pools shrinking markedly in warm sunny weather, meaning a lot of mud at edges of remaining water.
This attracted clouds of House Martins, collecting nesting material down on the ground. Not many waders though, literally one Redshank the only one present. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker in nearlby garden.
One of the delights of UK May wildlife sightings. a big Cockchafer beetle, was flying low over brambles close to road.
-- Edited by John O'Neill on Monday 25th of May 2020 06:55:27 PM
John O'Neill said
Sat May 2 1:04 PM, 2020
1 May
m Whinchat still present and showing well 430pm
John O'Neill said
Mon Apr 27 10:43 PM, 2020
pm
1m Whichat and 1m Wheatear
John O'Neill said
Thu Apr 23 8:41 PM, 2020
PM
Quick stop at Pools on way back from work
1m Whinchat active on and off posts and barbed wire, often flycatching.
1m Wheatear much less lively
6 Little Egrets
1 Whitethroat singing on wires
1 Cettis Warbler heard singing in reeds
1 Swallow
Doc Brewster said
Thu Mar 12 11:11 AM, 2020
Yesterday (11th) I made my first trip to Carr Lane Pools since the tolls were introduced on the Runcorn Bridge(s). I really like this site and so I wanted to try my new route of up the M6, along the M62 and down the A5300 to get there. This proved to be really easy and possibly less fiddly than before, so result!
The huge tide meant that on arrival mid afternoon Town Lane was closed due to the water coming completely across it near the bridge. On advice I tracked back to Carr Lane and scanned the fields either side of the bridge over there. Other than the usual Teal, Wigeon and commoner wildfowl and gulls I drew a blank for scarcer species. The water receded as quickly as it had come up so I returned to Town Lane and started to scan Decoy Marsh. Here there were huge numbers of Redshank, feeding in 'packs' and lots of Black-tailed Godwits too. A few Little Egrets were on there as well. Eventually I picked up a couple of Pied Watgails and that turned into five or six. Then amongst them I finally found my quarry in the shape of 2 Water Pipits feeding in close proximity to each other. One of these was in partial summer plumage, looking really nice in the sunshine, but a blustery wind and the distance away still made viewing hard, a scope job for certain. Also over along the field edge were a couple of Linnets. But with my target species seen and with rush hour approaching I headed home, the reverse route being as easy as the route there. Carr Lane Pools is back on my list of favourite sites!!
John O'Neill said
Sun Oct 6 9:17 PM, 2019
PM
Wet
4 Little Egrets
John O'Neill said
Mon Sep 9 1:27 AM, 2019
No sandpipers showing for me this pm
2 Ruff
1 Snipe
Numerous House Martins and Swallows
Rob Smith said
Sat Sep 7 8:18 PM, 2019
Wood Sandpiper - 2 mostly together Lapwing - 200+ Little Egret - 1 Mute Swan - 6
Common Buzzard - 1 Sparrowhawk - female
House Martins & Swallows - 30 Alba Wagtails - 20
Rob Smith said
Tue May 28 8:02 PM, 2019
A quick trip out to the site whilst my better half wandered Widnes shopping, any excuse?
Wood Sandpiper - showing well
Grey Wagtail - immature
White Wagtail - 1
Pied Wagtail - 3
plus regulars inc shelduck, teal, mallard, heron, & plenty of swifts, swallows & house martins hawking the area
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 28th of May 2019 08:37:54 PM
John O'Neill said
Wed Apr 10 11:35 PM, 2019
Carr Lane Pools
1 Swallow
3 Wheatear
several Ruff
Doc Brewster said
Thu Apr 4 6:42 PM, 2019
Cheers for the heads up Rob. Having a morning to pop over I dropped in with the target being Wheatear and they duly obliged. I had just the 3 Wheatears, comprising two males and a female, on the cropped turf viewed east from the stone bridge on Town Lane. I did do a quick check through the numerous Teal in case a Garganey had dropped in, as I know this is a good site for them, but no luck.
Rob Smith said
Wed Apr 3 6:47 PM, 2019
Black tailed Godwits - 50
Common Snipe - 10
Cormorant - 30 in trees
Wheatear - 15+
Greylag - 1 among dozens of Canada geese
John O'Neill said
Thu Mar 28 2:48 AM, 2019
Carr Lane Pools
PM 27/03
6 Ruff
2 Curlew
1 Redshank
30plus Black Tailed Godwit
John O'Neill said
Thu Mar 21 7:17 PM, 2019
Carr Lane
2 Grey Partridge flying low over road
pete berry said
Mon Feb 11 1:11 PM, 2019
A quick visit this morning was quite productive, birds seen inc--- great views of a Water Pipit that obligingly perched up on a fence post for 5 mins, also Little egret, Grey Heron,several Redshank,Shoveler,lot's of Teal and 2 Snipe out in the open and showing well
Rob Smith said
Wed Feb 6 6:42 PM, 2019
These records are more about Hale Marsh on the opposite side of the road to the pools, but I can't find the location on here?
Neither bird you show comes close to the Hale bird which was far paler in the head & body generally with much whiter secondary's as shown in the enclosed picture?
1 Juv Yellow Wagtail with Pieds.
Handful of House Martens and a couple of Swifts.
Cattle Egret - 2
Little Egret - 3
Ringed Plover - 1
Mallard - adult & 7 young
Nearby:
Grasshopper Warbler - 1
Sedge Warbler - 1
only waders on pools 2 Lapwing
Despite the weather, called in whilst in the area, 10.30 - 11.00am
Swallows - despite strong winds & driving rain, there was a continuous & surprising movement of birds (c1 per minute) heading low & erratically south!
Little Egret - 3
Great Egret - 1
Lapwing - 100
Black tailed Godwit - 10
Teal & Mallard
Pectoral sandpiper still present 1.15 pm view from town lane
1 m Redstart
at least 2 Wheatear
Lots of hirundines , most high over, but 3 Swallows perched on roadsude wires.
m Peregrine mobbed by every Rook in the area
f Grey Wagtail
Single Pink Footed Goose vocal over
2 Stock Doves Pools
1 m Yellow Wagtail Burnt Mill Farm
1 f Wheatear
1 m Yellow Wagtail Burnt Mill Farm Carr Lane where Swallows nested
2 f and 1 m Wheatear
Adult male Marsh Harrier hunting over Hale Marsh before heading out south this morning.
Spoonbill still present
Single Spoonbill showing well. Initially snoozing then stirred itself to feed relatively energetically in shallow pools.
Avocets. Black Tailed Godwits. 2 Ruff coming into Summer plumage.
1 Common Sandpiper
7 Avocets
8 Avocets
2 Ruff
20 plus Black tailed Godwits
1 Wheatear
3 Avocets
1 m Redstart on fence/ hawthorns on Carr Lane side .
A F Merlin showing really well perched up on a post preening. Stayed put for at least 15 minutes.
A Buzzard was on another post.
3 Little Egrets.
Black Tailed Godwits, Snipe, Redshank all present.
2 Grey Partridge.
Wood Sandpiper seen again today, reported on our Cheshire Wildlife Group
Town Lane is indeed closed to cars, but the footpath is open to pedestrians & numerous bikes, so you can see the area from all angles while still getting run over
A Wood Sandpiper was present on Carr Lane Pools today as well as a Ruddy Shrlduck. I watched both from the Carr Lane side at 11.35am. The access up Town Lane from Hale village (the other side that the pools can be viewed from) is blocked due to resurfacing work & it looks like it will be closed for some time.
AM
Pools shrinking markedly in warm sunny weather, meaning a lot of mud at edges of remaining water.
This attracted clouds of House Martins, collecting nesting material down on the ground. Not many waders though, literally one Redshank the only one present.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker in nearlby garden.
One of the delights of UK May wildlife sightings. a big Cockchafer beetle, was flying low over brambles close to road.
-- Edited by John O'Neill on Monday 25th of May 2020 06:55:27 PM
m Whinchat still present and showing well 430pm
1m Whichat and 1m Wheatear
Quick stop at Pools on way back from work
1m Whinchat active on and off posts and barbed wire, often flycatching.
1m Wheatear much less lively
6 Little Egrets
1 Whitethroat singing on wires
1 Cettis Warbler heard singing in reeds
1 Swallow
Yesterday (11th) I made my first trip to Carr Lane Pools since the tolls were introduced on the Runcorn Bridge(s). I really like this site and so I wanted to try my new route of up the M6, along the M62 and down the A5300 to get there. This proved to be really easy and possibly less fiddly than before, so result!
The huge tide meant that on arrival mid afternoon Town Lane was closed due to the water coming completely across it near the bridge. On advice I tracked back to Carr Lane and scanned the fields either side of the bridge over there. Other than the usual Teal, Wigeon and commoner wildfowl and gulls I drew a blank for scarcer species. The water receded as quickly as it had come up so I returned to Town Lane and started to scan Decoy Marsh. Here there were huge numbers of Redshank, feeding in 'packs' and lots of Black-tailed Godwits too. A few Little Egrets were on there as well. Eventually I picked up a couple of Pied Watgails and that turned into five or six. Then amongst them I finally found my quarry in the shape of 2 Water Pipits feeding in close proximity to each other. One of these was in partial summer plumage, looking really nice in the sunshine, but a blustery wind and the distance away still made viewing hard, a scope job for certain. Also over along the field edge were a couple of Linnets. But with my target species seen and with rush hour approaching I headed home, the reverse route being as easy as the route there. Carr Lane Pools is back on my list of favourite sites!!
Wet
4 Little Egrets
2 Ruff
1 Snipe
Numerous House Martins and Swallows
Wood Sandpiper - 2 mostly together
Lapwing - 200+
Little Egret - 1
Mute Swan - 6
Common Buzzard - 1
Sparrowhawk - female
House Martins & Swallows - 30
Alba Wagtails - 20
A quick trip out to the site whilst my better half wandered Widnes shopping, any excuse?
Wood Sandpiper - showing well
Grey Wagtail - immature
White Wagtail - 1
Pied Wagtail - 3
plus regulars inc shelduck, teal, mallard, heron, & plenty of swifts, swallows & house martins hawking the area
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 28th of May 2019 08:37:54 PM
1 Swallow
3 Wheatear
several Ruff
Cheers for the heads up Rob. Having a morning to pop over I dropped in with the target being Wheatear and they duly obliged. I had just the 3 Wheatears, comprising two males and a female, on the cropped turf viewed east from the stone bridge on Town Lane. I did do a quick check through the numerous Teal in case a Garganey had dropped in, as I know this is a good site for them, but no luck.
Black tailed Godwits - 50
Common Snipe - 10
Cormorant - 30 in trees
Wheatear - 15+
Greylag - 1 among dozens of Canada geese
PM 27/03
6 Ruff
2 Curlew
1 Redshank
30plus Black Tailed Godwit
2 Grey Partridge flying low over road
These records are more about Hale Marsh on the opposite side of the road to the pools, but I can't find the location on here?
Shelduck - 300
Dunlin - 3500+
Cormorant - 36
Lapwing - 300+
Little Egret - 1
Peregrine Falcon - male & female adults
Common Snipe - 8 on Carr Lane pools
Hi Ian/Rob
Neither bird you show comes close to the Hale bird which was far paler in the head & body generally with much whiter secondary's as shown in the enclosed picture?
Who knows where the leucistic gene comes from?
I took this photo close to Little Woolden Moss about 6 weeks ago. Could this be the same bird too?