About 25th May, someone sent me a heavy letter addressed to Judith Smith with the correct address, but not enough postage. I got a note from my local PO saying there is £1.16 to pay and to collect it there - a fairly common occurrence especially with this silly new sizing system! When I went to the PO, they...
early a.m. From Horrocks Hide ; 2 drk Garganey 2 Little Ringed Plover 2 Ringed Plover Dunlin 3 Redshank 2 drk Wigeon Oystercatcher 33 Mute Swan Common Tern 17 Gadwall from Teal Hide heard Cuckoo from the direction left of yacht club @ 06.15 EDIT - LATE NEWS - B.Hulme has just txt me (his battery went befor...
20 pairs of Common Terns nesting, 1 bird had chicks but under her wings due to cold wind. About 75 Black-headed Gulls nesting, about a third have chicks.
I've been watching this for the last hour or so. Incredible footage. Parents bringing mainly what look like mice. Watching the chicks devour them is facinating, they seem to take turns as well, every chick gets a feed.
WOW!!
Still at least 2 Redstarts singing at Raghole Clough in the afternoon (twitched on my old local patch from Norfolk!) and better still, a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling behind Piethorne Plantation in the evening, only the second record for the valley and my first. Also 8+ singing Willow Warblers, 2...
all the usual with shelduck,redshank reed bunting and whitethroat included as 'usual';; 2 partridge flushed into viridor wood, skylarks and lapwing also easy to find,afternoon stroll with grandkids to horrocks so no optics, the residents quite happy and lots of swifts, few swallows, house mart...
2 Common Terns were at Gleabe Lodge, Astley Bridge about 3pm today. They spent time fishing, and caught several small fish. They flew around several times, calling with the fishless bird closely following or flying parallel to the one with the food, calling all the time. I wondered if it was some kind...
just got back from the flash fairly quiet,garden warbler ,reed warbler,2 dunlin,male gargany by the point(maybe the female is on eggs?)3 redshank,5 little ringed,4 common tern,1 gcgrebe with young (pengys).water level still high front of horrocks,but should be great for waders soon as it drops...
A pair of Eagle Owls have apparently bred at in Bowland. Does anyone have any details? Apparently further details and viewing arrangements can be made via the East Lancs Ornithologists Club. EDIT: It's okay - I've found out the details from the website. And, sorry for posting in the wrong section. --...
After a very quite afternoon at Martin Mere, couldn't find the Curlew Sandpipers that had been reported and just missed a Hobby. Decided to pop over to Marshide. Glad i did 2 Curlew Sanpipers(lifer) right in front of Nell's hide With 100s of Dunlin. Black tailed Godwits in summer plummage a few Ring...
Early morning visit to carry out Ringed & Little Ringed Plover Survey. 2 pairs Ringed Plovers but none of their "dubius" cousins.
This once bird-rich site is now devastated by bulldozers and warehouses but that dosn't seem to be putting off all the Lapwings and Skylarks which seem...
Bitterns booming but none seen
Male Marsh Harrier hunting over reed beds cracking views, later watched him fly out over the marshes near Eric Morcome hide.First time ive been and not viewed a Bearded TitThe weather was pretty grim looked foggy on arrival but brightened up later on.
Eric Morcomb...
2 Common Tern flying around and fishing on Bee Fold Lane, Atherton. Many Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff but there seems to be a shortage of Willow Warblers on my patch. Around 10 pairs of Swallow are breeding on Atherton Farm this year. 1 Common Tern on Daisy Hill Pond. 2 Tawny Owls, 1 Green &a...
On the 22nd I was surprised to see a female Northern Wheatear still in the ploughed fields next to Pear Tree Farm (cant find the map for the field numbers) on Chat Moss, a similar bird was there on the 12th. A pair of Stonechat are in the set-aside field as you go into Rindle road Astley possible breeding pa...
10 juvenile house sparrows in the garden this morning, being very noisy until parents fed them, also later this afternoon adults mating in the trees at the back.
cheers
Andrew
One pair great tits , one pair blue tits , nesting in my nestboxes overlooking Eagley Way. Tawny Owl - young to be heard very loud and vociferous at night
Late news for the 21st...
A Marsh Harrier (in very heavy wing moult) circled Peasons Flash ( Wigan Flashes) for afew minutes before flying north at 09.35 (info per Dave Broome).
Another Marsh Harrier (in good plumage) was quartering fields just off the A580 East Lancs Road by Astley and even...
singing less whitethroat on chaddock lane astley
today between holy family church and derelict barn coming from east lancs rd
also due to global warming 2 zebras seen in fields opp queens pub bickershaw
and no ive not been drinking jimmy
3 singing male Common Redstarts in the valley this morning - a most unusual, possibly unprecedented occurence here! - was a passage of this species taking place?
Also present - 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Garden Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff.
Robin, Greenfinch and Stonechat were all seen with young....
cracking start to day with
2 oyster catcher 1 redshank
1 little ringed plover 2 ringed plover
lots of b h gulls still on nests,common tern still on nests,water level up a little but not as bad as pennington,think we,ve lost some to the rain but not many.
from the screen at bryn marsh
sedge warb...
2 GREY PARTRIDGE,WHITETHROTES, SEDGE AND WILLOW WARBLER,GOLD CHAFF GREEN FINCHES,SWALLOW,SWIFT,BLUE AND GREAT TITS,REED BUNTINGS,SONG AND MISTLE THRUSH,WREN,ROBIN,BLACKBIRD. -- Edited by Gary at 21:40, 2007-05-20
Just had a great couple of hours at Doffcocker this evening. Grasshopper Warbler reeling behind small lodge took a bit of finding but my patience was rewarded when it appeared not 10 feet away low down in a bush and put on a fine performance. This has been one of my bogey birds over the years, heard a few...
Come on everyone time to give Ian McKerchar a nice pat on the back
I'm sure you'll all agree this is an excellent site. I've been using it regularly since about christmas.
The sightings reports are great from everone and i've seen some fantastic birds as a result.
The Bird forum in particular i...
At about 7pm tonight a Skua either Arctic or Long Tailed dropped in briefly onto the pools.The bird was an imm. prob 1st summer,it may well still be in the county.
JUST BEEN ON PENNY FOR MY USUAL FRIDAY AFTERNOON -4-6.30-THE WET WEATHER HAS MORE OR LESS RUINED THE POINT AREA FOR THE TIME BEING,ALL THE MUD AT THE FRONT OF HORROCKS HIDE UNDER ABOUT 10 FEET OF WATER,THE AREA WERE THE RINGED AND LITTLE RINGED WERE NESTING ALSO UNDER WATERSO THEY HAVE LOST THIER NESTS,...
The wind was keeping most the birds down but managed 2 common sandpipers,2 wimbrel,1 grey and 2 pied wags,1 jay,1 cuckoo,1 sedge,plenty willow warblers,1 bullfinch.Lots of crows in this area makes a change from seeing loads of woodpigeons.missed my target species redstart,dipper,flycatcher
