6pm-8pm Whelley loop line to Sennicar bridge and back.

very quiet, only real thing of note was the Swallows under the bridge were still feeding young, these were flying short distances to meet the parents with food then returning back to the nest, Fox sat out in field at edge of woods and 2 Roe Deer near water treatment ponds

Sennicar Lane 1.30pm - 3.30pm

3 Wheatears, Rothwells Farm, first field with sheep in, one still there when I left
1 Spotted Flycatcher, In trees near bridge then flew along wires keeping ahead of a dog walker going down lane, couldnt re locate
Swallows still feeding young under bridge
2 Chiffchaffs
1 Whitethroat
Buzzards heard

19/8/10 (07:00 - 10:45)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

1 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
2 Skylark
3 Linnet
3 Bullfinch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Reed Bunting
4 Whitethroat (inc juvs)
1 Stock Dove

(36 species)

PS - will the Turtle Dove twitchers please come back and find me something decent ? (cf Horwich thread). Thank you

-- Edited by Ian Woosey on Friday 20th of August 2010 09:26:00 AM

7th Aug, Hall Lane to Pendlebury lane

12 Mistle Thrushes on rugby union pitch
2 Willow Warblers
6 Greenfinches
2 Kestrels over Golf course
Buzzard
2 recently fledged broods of young Swallows
Family party of Goldfinches
Skylark
4 Whitethroats
Mallard on canal with single day old duckling

8th Aug Lower Plantations and Fields around Water treatment ponds

Dipper singing away on Dougy
Tree creeper
Nuthatch
G.S. Woodpecker
Recently fledged Song Thrush
4 Juv Sparrowhawks, 2 male and 2 female. Massive surprise finding these as I had given up on them, found all the signs of breeding from early spring onwards, birds calling, food passing, plucking posts, moulted feathers, etc, but could not locate an active nest. Great views of two of the young flying full speed through trees as a parent fetched in prey out of sight
Tawny Owl being mobbed by Jays, Magpies and Blackbirds
Wren with just fledged young
Goldfinch with 4 young
Whitethroat
Willow Warbler

6/8/10 (15:20 - 18:10)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane:

1 Wheatear (f/imm) - on golf course opposite Lady Mabels Wood

1 Raven (Rothwells Farm)
1 Buzzard
2 Snipe, over
2 Kestrel
4 Stock Dove
1 Skylark
2 Blackcap
1 Whitethroat
1 Chiffchaff
3 Herring Gull, over
4 Moorhen (inc juvs) - Aspull Sough
1 Grey Heron

28th July 9-15pm till 10-15pm

late walk at dusk looking for Roe Deer turned up a couple of surprises
3 possibly 4 fledged juvenile Tawny Owls calling, this is the third brood of young Tawny's in the country park this year
150+ Swallows going to roost in the reed beds at Aspull sough Water treatment ponds
2 Roe Deer

12.30pm-3.30pm with David Wilson from Cheshire

Kingfisher feeding young
Kestrel feeding fledged young
Willow Tit
Cormorant dead in Water
Sparrowhawk over
6 Reed Buntings
single Reed Warbler

late posting for last night 19th July

went out looking for the kingfishers again, located one on opposite bank deep in cover and obviously sheltering from the heavy rain. a quick walk further along revealed nothing else. on returning the rain stopped and 2 adult birds flew out from the cover and started to hunt, within less than 10 mins they had been back with 3 fish, at least two fledged young poss more and mobile, at least 400 yards further along from last night

Late report for yesterday Sat 10th July 2 - 6 pm

Juv Buzzards have left the nest and are now calling from nearby trees
5 young Swallows leaving nest under Sennicar lane bridge, saw the 3rd one make its maiden flight and avoid going into the canal, followed its parent to the hawthorn bushes on the other side
male Reed Bunting with food on side of canal between Sennicar lane bridge and pendlebury lane bridge
2 Tree Sparrows
small flock of approx 20 House Martins feeding over canal

remains of another Hen near the foxes earth

27/6/10 (06:45 - 10:25)

Whelley Loop to Sennicar Lane via the canal:

1 Buzzard
1 Curlew
1 Grasshopper Warbler (Lady Mabels Wood)
2 Mandarin (1f & 1juv type)
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Reed Warbler (Aspull Sough)
1 Kestrel (m)
6 Skylark
3 Sedge Warbler
2 Treecreeper - both recently fledged chicks
1 Sand Martin
4 Great Spotted Woodpecker
4+ Reed Bunting
3 Herring Gull
5 Mistle Thrush
27+ Magpies in newly mown meadow at Lower House Farm

2pm - 6pm
Loop Line through Lower Plantations to Dominoes and back

numerous broods of Blue and Great tits, one brood attracting the attentions of a male Sparrowhawk who made an unsuccessfull pass at them.
Coal Tits, 3 seperate broods
Tree Creepers, 2 seperate pairs no young seen though
Mallard with 2 newly hatched young
Curlew, sounded agitated and landed in field about 100 feet away, quick scan didnt reveal any predators. as I lent on gate it started to run towards me no young were visable but I decided to back off and leave it , Its attention then turned towards a Buzzard that had appeared it took off and started to fly towards the Buzzard who sensibly made off
Male Kestrel landed on tall hedgerow with prey waiting for Female, 3 Crows decided to try and rob him off his prize, all hell breaks loose as the male heads towards his nest closely followed by 3 crows, now out of sight all I can hear is lots of calling from the kestrels, the crows then reappear first and then the male Kestrel appears and seems to be flying away before turning and putting a stoop in at the crows a peregrine would have been proud of, cracking few minutes action

Skylarks x 2
5 young Swallows on fence
Wren carrying food
Blackcap
G.S. Woodpecker

14/6/10 (16:10 - 18:30)

School Lane, Sennicar Lane, Pendlebury Lane:

5 Curlews flying around together - which can only mean that all three chicks have survived

3 Common Tern
1 Kestrel (mobbing a fox !? near the Curlew site)
2 Reed Bunting
3 Skylark
1 Lapwing
1 Willow Warbler

Also seen were the following fledged youngsters:

Tree Sparrows, Linnets, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallows (5 lined up on a fence waiting to be fed), Whitethroats, Magpies, Greenfinches, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Dunnock, Great Tits, Blue Tits..

1.30pm - 5.00pm Sennicar to Pendlebury loop "The Mid West"


pair of Blackcaps
1 Buzzard
Curlews, 1 seen both heard. gave alarm calls twice while I was walking around the fields, couldnt see any predators though, hopefully junior is still with us
4 Greenfinch
3 pairs of Canada Geese with 12 young
Garden Warbler at sennicar bridge
pair of Lapwings with 3 young visible, Adults vigourously mobbing a Carrion crow that was in hedge about 40 feet from young, Crow also has recently fledged young of its own in field on footpath side of canal.
2 Common Terns
3 Skylarks singing
good numbers of Whitethroats and Goldfinches

Also found a new Fox earth with vixen and a single cub seen

2/6/10 (17:20 - 20:00)

"The Northern Approaches":

1 Peregrine - initially over Winstanleys Farm, but it spent a while circling the rookery at School Covert, before drifting off North....One of the Chorley birds ? (My 100th site species )

2 Curlew
1 Lapwing with 4 chicks near Bawk House Farm
2 Common Tern
2 Tree Sparrow (Pendlebury Lane)
1 Kestrel
2 Whitethroat
2 Skylark
3 Collared Dove
2 House Martin
5 House Sparrows inc juvs at Pendlebury House
2 Mute Swans with 6 cygnets on canal at Pendlebury Bridge

Still no sign of the turtle dove between 2.30 and 4 pm.

there was a steady southerly movement of gulls, in particular LBBG (100+) plus a few BHG and at least one HG.

Jammy Sod

Cheers Jimmy

7:30-7:35 Turtle Dove flew from power lines loked as if going to roost in woods west of the houses

Cheers Jimmy

Turtle Dove still present 7:25pm.

Info thanks to Jimmy Meadows

Having seen the Turtle Dove (not a GM tick for me but very nice nevertheless, I decided to do a circular walk, re-joining the canal at Sennicar Lane bridge. I found a brood of 6 Mandarin ducklings with female on the R. Douglas, about 5 days old, saw 4 Ravens (possibly 5) over the fields nearby, saw the Curlews with one of the chicks (thanks for directions, Ian W), singing Sedge Warbler at Pendlebury Lane bridge and various Reed Buntings, Whitethroats etc. An excellent area which I only knew partially before.

Turtle dove still present as we left at 5ish sat on telegraph pole behind the detached house (first house after farm from the bridge if you follow Ian's directions from earlier in this post.)
also several common tern up and down the canal, house and tree sparrow around, then as we stood on bridge 62 single curlew flew over us, several lapwing in the second field on the other side of the bridge 63 pub plenty of goldfinch near the canal boats.
Thanks to everyone we spoke to for a pleasant afternoons birding even if it wasn't self found it's still a tick.
Mr Taverner get that first picture you took emailed!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Monday 31st of May 2010 07:19:41 PM

Back on telegraph post between first and second house from bridge.

Just a big thanks to Ian Woosey for finding the bird, a fantastic lifer for me this dinner time.
Cheers Ian

Flew from post just before 2pm. Not seen since but could still be about. Homeowners working in the garden directly beneath the telegraph post so unlikely to go back there at present.

Pendlebury Lane has no vehicular access so the best access details are probably:

Park at the Bridge 63 Pub along Red Rock Lane (best accessed off Chorley Road)

Walk south along the canal there until the first bridge which is Pendlebury Lane Bridge.

Once at the bridge, turn right down Pendlebury Lane and the bird is in the area.

As of 11:30 the Turtle Dove was still showing well, snoozing in a tree!

Info thanks to Ian Woosey