I thought the heavy showers might bring some waders down this afternoon. 4 Dunlin were feeding on the "mudflats" to the north of the middle roundabout. 3 still in winter plumage, one with a black belly patch. Also a few Lapwings, 5 Little Ringed Plovers and a flock of 17 Linnet.

2 Oystercatchers - can't remember seeing them here before rather surprisingly
at least 6 LRPs
2 Ringed Plovers

1st April.

1 White Wagtail this morning.

Almost all the gulls seem to have gone - just 2 LBB Gulls and 1 Black-headed Gull.

Bill.

Tues March 24 9.30-11.00am

By drying out pools

2 Redshank
2 Lapwing
1 grey wagtail
6 approx reed bunting
usual mallards 2 pair
1 coot

Mudflats area very sparsly popoulated by lapwings

22nd March - am.

2 Redshank still present,
at least 3 Snipe,
c20 Meadow Pipits,
4 Teal,
A flock of 37 Carrion Crows together in the middle of the mud flats was an unusual sight.

Bill.

15th March - am.

2 Redshanks - for the last two days a single bird has been on the drying out pond in tetrad SD91F (Newhey) of the business park - today the two birds were in separate wet areas in a different tetrad - SD91B (Newbold).

Also - 1 Linnet flew over calling,
there were at least 25 Pied Wagtails on the mud flats - had a scan through looking for White Wagtails but couldn't see any,
pairs of Song Thrush and Kestrel,
a flock of c40 Jackdaws flew in for a very brief visit,
there were several Carrion Crows -1 with unusually greyish-white primaries,
4 Skylarks and small numbers of Lapwings were present.

Cheers,

Bill.

13th March.

1 Redshank on the drying out pond on the business park mid-afternoon - also 4 Teal. Also, 15 minutes later, 1 Redshank at Higher Boarshaw as well - presumably a different bird? - unless it followed me!


Bill.

Steve,

Yorkshire and toilet? - surely must realise that this was a completely innocent and unexpected accidental slip of the fingers on the keyboard!! I actually spend so much time over in in Yorkshire that I would like to consider myself an honorary Yorkshireman - except that they have made it quite clear that they don't want me!

Think, I managed to pull the wool over his eyes with that load of unbelievable waffle?

Bill.

8th March.

When I called in for a brief visit at 7.45 am today on my way over to Yorks - , all of the gulls and Lapwings were in the air and in an agitated state. A quick scan revealed a Peregrine tucking into Lapwing on toast for its breakfast at the Kingsway BP Little Chef. OK, maybe exaggerating ever so slightly about the toast and the Little Chef bits but this site, with good numbers of large loafing birds present, has definitely become a favoured foraging area for Peregrine - also see post 18/12/08. Birds also hunted 2/11/08 & 17/7/08.

Shame about the Lapwing though - wouldn't it be a good idea to have some vegetarian Peregrines that could get by on a cup of coffee and a piece of cake or a doughnut maybe? Or if they must eat meat, why not stick to eating spam.

Have got a personal bet going (not with my Grandma though) that I won't be able to use all of the available emoticons in my posts in 2009. Just hope I don't suffer the indignity of getting banned from posting by Ian McK for being too frivolous! Pleased to be able to have used up some of the more difficult ones in that last sentence.

Cheers,

Bill.

6th March - am.

A single Pink-footed Goose "playing gooseberry" to a pair of Canada Geese on the mudflats. Also 10+ Pied Wagtails here. 7 Teal on the drying out pond.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough at 19:01, 2009-03-06

28th Feb.

Pair of Stonechats again.

1st March.

Mute Swan, 4 Teal, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Curlew.

Very distant sighting this morning (2/3) of what might have been a pair of Redshanks - but far too far away to be certain.

Bill.

nice to meet you bill thanks for the 2 waders, went to see the owl where you said waited until 5.30pm but unfortunatly didnt see it

20th February.

Whilst not on my wader wish list from yesterday, a Woodcock flushed from a damp ditch was a nice surprise!

The Lapwing flock had increased to c330. c240 Black-headed Gulls and c40 Common Gulls also on the mudflats. Skylarks are back in small numbers, including some birds in song and obviously looking for territories as two birds were watched in aerial combat!!
A Reed Bunting sang.

Cheers,

Bill.

18th February - late afternoon.

Fantastically close and prolonged views of the Short-eared Owl hunting.
At one time I thought there might actually have been two birds, although two were never seen at the same time. Speaking separately to two of the site workmen during the hour and a quarter I spent here - it would seem that the bird or (birds?) have been present here since Steves last sighting - even hunting in the middle of the day during the harsh snowy weather. Small numbers of Skylarks and c60 Lapwings.

Also seen - a male and female pair of Stonechats, male and female pair of Reed Buntings, a Pheasant, a Grey Heron perched on a tree stump - which moved off right sharpish when a fox approached!

Both workmen indicated that all developments (other than roads) seem to be currently on hold.
What a fantastic nature reserve this site could have made with the right amount of money and effort! - with myself installed as Head Warden of course!!

Cheers,

Bill.

Both birds flown north 11.30 Paul and dave

SEO showed well but briefly at 1555hrs in the usual place.

Also

2 Grey Heron
Kestrel
65 Woodpigeon
15 Jackdaw

Pete,welcome to the forum and nice to meet you,as you say the SEO gave distant views this evening my 159th county bird(lifer ect) all thanks to the forum.
Anyone looking on the maps won,t find the roads mentioned in earlier posts but it is well signposted off junc 21 a to z page 52 d1.

cheers geoff

Thanks Bill
Had distant views this evening of the SEO.
4 other birders present, thanks to them for keeping up spirits when it looked like a no show.
Pete

The Short-eared Owl was there again tonight (friday) sat on a fence post when I arrived at 3.30pm, giving great views. It then hunted the whole area until 3.45pm. Lovely to watch close at hand. No Camera as on way home from work. It reappeared again & still present at 4.00pm when I left. Surprised only 2 other birders were there at an easy accessible spot just 1-2 minutes off the motorway!
Steve

-- Edited by Steve Collins at 00:30, 2009-01-03

A Short-eared Owl was seen briefly at 14:30 hrs, intially standing on a fence post. It then took flight and circled over an area of Juncus before disappearing into a gully. The bird was seen again several times by Dave Ousey between 15:40 and 16:00 hrs. It was viewed from the roundabout at the top end of John Milne Avenue where the new industrial units have been built. If coming off the M62 at jct 21, turn onto Sir Isaac Newton Way heading west towards Kingsway and take the first exit off the first mini-roundabout. Coming from Kingsway it is the last exit off the 3rd mini-rdbt.

21st November.

Shelduck still present this morning!

Called in here on my way to Hollingworth Lake. On the pond near the boarded up house - just 3 Teal. On the huge expanse of mud with partial floods at the 2nd roundabout, lots of gulls - and a Shelduck.

9th November.

1 Dunlin - presumably the same bird that Steve Atkins and Alan Nuttall saw here last Saturday (1/11).

Also - 4 Linnet, 8 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing & 1 Cormorant flying over.

Have visited several times since 29th hoping for a re-sighting of the Mandarin but with no luck . However, Simon Hitchen has informed me that a Mandarin has been reported at Hollingworth Lake on 28th October - I would guess that it must still be about somewhere - but where?

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough at 11:55, 2008-11-09

1st November.

3 Mute Swans - 2 ads & 1 juv on pond all day today. 51 Mallards early morning. 1 Skylark over.

PM - 1 Sparrowhawk hunting along a hedge containing 13 Blackbird, 2 Redwing, 5 Greenfinch , 2 Bullfinch, 5 Chaffinch.

Also 1 Kestrel, 1 Pheasant, c15 Pied Wagtails, 4 Meadow Pipits.

Bill.