2 Woodcock and 2 Treecreeper at Crawford's Wood today

1pm - 4pm Copull lane to twenty bridges along the banks of the river Douglas.

1 pair of Dippers, usual place ( I had 2 pairs on territories in Arley Woods on Friday)
1 Woodcock
Pair of Buzzards
Male Brambling on Hall Lane
Great Spotted Woodpeckers, after seeing none for what seems like ages suddenly they were everywhere, two males drumming in neighbouring trees with a female in attendance and drumming heard in another four locations.
3 Nuthatches
12 Mandarins, same as last week, a group of 9 and a group of 3

Also of possible interest to users of lady mabels wood, went on the tour the other week which was pretty disappointing, the planned lake has been shelved due to the cost of applying for planning permission, apparently it would cost over £2,000 just to get through the planning stage, not much else worth mentioning.

couple of hours this afternoon, lower plantations, Douglas valley.

pair of Dippers on usual territory
6 Mandarins
single Buzzard
30 Redwings

feeding station hall lane
no sign of the Bramblings today, Moorhen showing well walking in road good numbers of Great and Blue Tits, a Song Thrush also showed well. Juvenile Male Sparrowhawk shot through with no luck as I was packing up.

Tom Wrote " Any one seen Green Woodpecker in this area in last 12 months? They used to be fairly regular. "

two pairs successfully raised young in 2009, but since then instead of going from strenght to strenght they have mysteriously disapeared.
I've had no luck with them for some time now

After getting drenched at Worthington Lakes with little reward decided for a little easy birding at Hall Lane feeding station,
4 Bramblings, 3 Females 1 Male. one of the females wearing a bto ring. Finally caught up with them at last.
Usual other stuff about and a notice on the gates.
The woodland trust is seeking funding to improve your visitor experience at lady Mabels wood.
Visit Haigh Hall CP courtyard anytime between 10am and 3.30pm on Thursday 14th Feb or join a guided walk at the wood on the same day at 2pm meeting at the field gate entrance on hall lane.
If you cant make the day you can complete a short online survey at htpp://6347957.polldaddy.com/s/lady-mabels-wood-survey


http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

A quick couple of hours this dinner time in the rain produced very little the highlight being a single Woodcock flushed up near the upper feeding station, A female Reed Bunting was unexpected on higher lane and there was good numbers of the common species at the lower feeding station but nothing unusual, a male Brambling had been reported earlier in the week.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

2pm - 4pm Lower plantations and Douglas Valley

single Kingfisher on River was the highlight
7 Mandarins
singles of Grey Wagtail and Grey Heron
Raven calling from over golf course
plenty of regulars, at the feeding station on hall lane a Magpie was flying up to the tin can feeders and trying to knock some food out with its beak and returning to the ground to pick up what bits it had got.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

12.15pm-4.15pm

lower plantations
singles of Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the River Douglas
5 Bullfinches
2 Coal Tits
upper plantations
2 Ravens on the Golf course
single juv Male Kestrel here to
Kingfisher on one of the ponds,
checked the Owl roosts but no luck, single Tawny Owl was at one on thursday
single male Bullfinch
nice views of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

At the north end of the recording area, near School Covert, a Brambling south this morning with Chaffinches, also moving south were 3 Siskin, 44 Skylark and 1 Yellowhammer

A quick couple of hours this evening walking the canal from the Crown to the Boating lake in the upper Plantations.

2 Kingfishers, one on the boating Lake the other on the canal showing well hunting for his supper
Female Sparrowhawk over
Single Great Spotted Woodpecker
36 Mallards on the boating lake and 5 Moorhens, took some food for them but they had already been fed.
Pair of Mute Swans on canal, ring numbers SLI and FF6, the latter taking food out of my hand
Several flocks of corvids, mainly Jackdaws and in groups of approx 50+ heading to the roost on Wutchy Rook

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

12.30 - 2.30pm
Sennicar lane / Pendlebury lane areas

single Dipper on River, first I've seen there since the floods
single Grey Heron
2 Buzzards
a few Jays, no more than usuall
30+ Meadow Pipits
3 Greenfinches
plus the usuall suspects

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulrisley/

another few hours this afternoon, no sign of the cow today so decided it was safe to check out Sennicar Lane
Swallows still feeding over the fields, 2 Kestrels hunting and a small charm of Goldfinches were the only other things of note here
single Kingfisher on the large boating lake in the upper plantations
Douglas Valley near Pennington lane, pair of Mandarins, pair of Buzzards and a Grey Heron

dave broome wrote:

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Paul Risley wrote:

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helped the local farmer struggling to get a cow out of the drainage ditches and into his trailer, it gave us the runaround for over an hour around the field, ended up caked in mud and still didnt catch it

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You deserve a pat on the head Paul

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Cheers Dave, I think

A couple of hours mouching around the grounds this afternoon
Copull lane dam area, the new multi million pound flood prevention dam was nearly over flowing and had to be opened, roads flooded down town again a new lake, lake wigan, had formed and already a family of Mallards were busy feeding
Pendlebury lane area, single Goldcrest, good numbers of Tree and House Sparrows at the usual place
Sennicar lane 40+ Swallows over fields, 25 Meadow pipits feeding in fields
helped the local farmer struggling to get a cow out of the drainage ditches and into his trailer, it gave us the runaround for over an hour around the field, ended up caked in mud and still didnt catch it

12 - 4.00pm whelley loop line to pendlebury lane and back along canal

3 Buzzards. 2 Adults, one Juvenile ( very vocal) all on soar at one point with juv making mock attacks on adults
Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 showing well in Doulas valley 2 others seen at other locations
2 Grey Herons
2 Dippers possible 3rd all on Douglas
good numbers of Swallows over fields
single Kingfisher on usual woodland pond

Spotted Flycatcher present this morning.

Info thanks to Peter Alker

13 Mistle Thrush with 40 Starlings off Pendlebury Lane this evening
75 House Martin feeding over the wooded former railway north of Samuel Fold with a few Swallows
juv Sparrowhawk calling
4 Tree Sparrow

A couple of hours this afternoon, Aspull sough to Shedfield Bridge

Reed Warblers carrying food
Reed Buntings carrying food
Juvenile Lapwings in fields , 2nd year running they've got to this stage of the breeding cycle, hopefully they'll steer clear of the predators, also a flock of 30 other Lapwings in same field
Sedge Warblers
Blackcap
Robin with young
Swallows feeding young on wing
Grey Heron
Raven over
Buzzard heard
family party of Long Tailed Tits

Kestrel with fledged young off Pendlebury Lane, fledged Swallows also in same area. Sedge Warblers at Aspull Sough collecting nest material as well as feeding fledged young.

A quick visit to the pond I saw the kingfisher on last week and it was there again, it disappears into the trees when you approach then returns to its favourite hunting perch when you leave. got a couple of record shots on camera and pleased to report it is a Juvenile. white tip to beak and little brown feet looks like its found a nice quiet pond to learn its hunting on

9.00pm - 10.00pm

late mooch basically for foxes and Deer drew a blank but as I was ready for coming home heard a familiar sound, soon located 3 fledged Tawny Owls, managed to see one bobbing up and down looking back at me

11.00am - 1.00pm

Willow Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker young calling from inside nest hole
Mistle Thrush with Fledged young
Nuthatch feeding young in nest
Female Sparrowhawk on nest
Starlings carrying food from the fields.
Camera Battery packed in half way round, only a couple of mins later a stunning Tawny Owl perched about 20 feet away carrying prey, totally clear view
little male Blackcap giving nice views and going through his full repertoire of songs and calls

12.00pm - 3.00pm

Willow Tits still at nest site
Stock Doves nesting with another pair seen using an Owl box in a private garden
Another Great Spotted Woodpecker nest located
no Swallows under Sennicar Lane bridge its only recently been uncovered after being renovated
Male Sparrowhawk posing for photo's, unbelieveable views. carrying prey item at one point and calling for female who was displaying above the area
singles of Treecreeper and Nuthatch


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of May 2012 09:32:39 PM

Hall Lane nr Lodge house

Grasshopper Warbler reeling this morning

Info thanks to Allan n Jean Rimmer

12pm-4pm

same area as yesterday.
Dipper near usual nest site carrying nesting material, they should be feeding young by now
3 seperate pairs of Mandarins, 2 pairs on River Douglas, 1 pair on small pond in Lady Mabels wood
Curlew in fields Sennicar Lane
Buzzard, Male Kestrel and Raven over
Great Spotted Woodpecker chipping out nest hole
Swallows near nesting site on Sennicar Lane bridge which is still covered over being renovated