More on the lookout for dragonflies (which were surprisingly low in number), but did see 11 oystercatchers which struck me as being a good number. Also a willow tit by the canal towpath, and a redpoll over a couple of times.
Spent a couple of hours round Horrocks Flash this morning.
The Black-headed Gull colony is in full swing, I didn't even attempt a count. There were at least 12 Common Terns, but this is a minimum figure as they were quite active and a few disappeared along the canal with possibly others returning. I only heard a couple of Reed Warblers which surprised me. Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were seemingly everywhere. A single Willow Tit was on the banks of the Canal. The back pools were very quiet with just a few Canada Geese, Tufted Duck and 2 Gadwall.
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At Scotmans Flash late afternoon an Oystercatcher on the dismantled railway embankment at the north end and 2 Common Tern, 1 bathing in middle of the water for a while. 2 House Martin among small numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin. Single Cettis Warblers singing at Pearsons and Scotmans Flashes
Swallow x 1 (over Scotmans Flash - 1st of year for me) Sand Martin x 50 (over Scotmans Flash and Pearsons Flash) Kingfisher x 1 Willow Warbler x 1 Bullfinch x 2 Buzzard x 1 Pochard x 4 Reed Bunting x 5 Great Crested Grebe x 6 Jay x 2 Grey Heron x 5 Canada Geese x 40 Greylag Geese x 4 Cormorant x 3 Wren x 1 Long-Tailed Tit x 5 Robin x 3 Blue Tit x 9 Great Tit x 4 Dunnock x 1 Chaffinch x 1 Blackbird x 4 House Sparrow x 5 Tufted Duck x 50 Mute Swan x 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 10 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Mallard x 30 Woodpigeon x 5 Carrion Crow x 4 Rook x 3 Magpie x 10 Coot x 30 Moorhen x 4 Oystercatcher x 2 Song Thrush x 1
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 7th of April 2018 06:03:49 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 7th of April 2018 06:04:47 PM
A first-winter drake Scaup on Scotmans Flash this morning 1 Swallow among c200 Sand Martin 1 singing Willow Warbler 1 Cettis Warbler 22 Golden Plover flew NE a trickle of Meadow Pipit moving N, 12 counted
An Osprey was seen there again this morning by another observer at 09:20
-- Edited by dave broome on Thursday 5th of April 2018 06:31:22 PM
Sedge Warbler collecting nesting material near the little bridge leading down to Hawkley viewing screen . Also on top of the adjacent reeds was a Cettis Warbler.
Smew - drake looking settled to roost at Scotsman's Flash 17.00 -17.35 in front of the sailing club and distant from the towpath (see twitter for video). (No sign at the other site near the DW Stadium after 16.00). Rubbish pics attached, distant, low light, blah blah
Cetti's Warbler 1 in song by the towpath bridge at the Hawksley end
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along towpath of Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - and return.
No sign of Drake Smew or Whooper Swans for me - but still a nice selection of birds on view (41 in total).
Little Egret x 1 (in flight over Dover Lock heading towards Lightshaw Meadows / Pennington Flash at 15:50 hrs.) Willow Tit x 1 Sparrowhawk x 1 Buzzard x 1 Wigeon x 8 Pochard x 10 Teal x 2 Goldeneye x 6 Shoveler x 10 Goosander x 4 Reed Bunting x 4 Bullfinch x 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1 Greylag Geese x 4 Canada Geese x 70 Great Crested Grebe x 2 Little Grebe x 1 Long Tailed Tit x 8 Jay x 2 Mistle Thrush x 1 Mute Swan x 5 Tufted Duck x 50 Cormorant x 4 Carrion Crow x 10 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Great Black-Backed Gull x 3 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 7 Herring Gull x 10 Grey Heron x 2 Magpie x 15 Goldfinch x 4 Blackbird x 10 Dunnock x 2 Robin x 15 Chaffinch x 1 Blue Tit x 7 Great Tit x 6 Coot x 30 Moorhen x 25 Mallard x 50 House Sparrow x 10
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 3rd of March 2018 05:32:19 PM
Friday, 23rd February 2018. 11:00 - 16:00 hrs. Sunny but biting cold (needed five layers on today plus wooly hat, gloves and snood scarf!)
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along towpath of Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - and return
Drake Smew x 1 (showed briefly at 13:45 hrs to east of Scotmans Flash 20 metres from canal towpath - with small group of tufted ducks) Willow Tit x 1 Wigeon x 3 Teal x 2 Goldeneye x 10 Shoveler x 4 Goosander x 6 Reed Bunting x 5 Bullfinch x 4 Greylag Geese x 2 Canada Geese x 50 Great Crested Grebe x 4 Little Grebe x 2 Greenfinch x 3 Long Tailed Tit x 5 Jay x 1 Mistle Thrush x 1 Buzzard x 2 Mute Swan x 10 Tufted Duck x 40 Cormorant x 6 Carrion Crow x 4 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 4 Magpie x 15 Blackbird x 3 Dunnock x 4 Robin x 7 Chaffinch x 5 Blue Tit x 8 Great Tit x 7 Coot x 60 Mallard x 50
Saw lapwing in field by side of east Lancs Road on way home.
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Friday 23rd of February 2018 05:10:55 PM
I took advantage of the fact my son wasn't playing football this morning to have a bit of a lie in, so it was 10.30 before I got to the flashes. As I got out of the car I could hear Pink feet and sure enough a skein of around 50 birds was heading west overhead, shortly followed by three more skeins - see the Pink-footed Goose thread. The flashes over all were pretty quiet, highlights were:
Pearsons Flash - Pochard- 31, Goldeneye - 15, Snipe - 12, Cettis Warbler - at least two, possibly three, Woodcock - a single bird flew over the flash from Westwood.
At the feeding station a colour ringed Willow Tit Green over Red on right leg, metal ring left leg.
All the Geese came off the fields just to the East of Silver Lane pools Risley when someone started shooting towards that area,I watched them from the landfill top as they flew over penny and off towards Wigan -about 270 in total today ,but theres been up to 400 feeding on the stubble fields near there.
I took advantage of the fact my son wasn't playing football this morning to have a bit of a lie in, so it was 10.30 before I got to the flashes. As I got out of the car I could hear Pink feet and sure enough a skein of around 50 birds was heading west overhead, shortly followed by three more skeins - see the Pink-footed Goose thread. The flashes over all were pretty quiet, highlights were:
Pearsons Flash - Pochard- 31, Goldeneye - 15, Snipe - 12, Cettis Warbler - at least two, possibly three, Woodcock - a single bird flew over the flash from Westwood.
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Platt Bridge - Horrocks Flash - Hawksley Viewing Screen - Scotmans Flash - Westwood Flash - Pearsons Flash - and return
Willow Tit x 2 Pochard x 12 Goosander x 10 Coal Tit x 1 Reed Bunting x 4 Shoveler x 3 Gadwall x 4 Bullfinch x 4 (1F and 3M) Dunnock x 3 Little Grebe x 1 Great Crested Grebe x 2 House Sparrow x 15 Goldfinch x 8 Coot x 70 Tufted Duck x 100 Moorhen x 8 Mute Swan x 4 Canada Geese x 7 Mallard x 40 Blackbird x 8 Mistle Thrush x 1 Great Tit x 4 Blue Tit x 7 Robin x 5 Chaffinch x 8 Wren x 1 Long-Tailed Tit x 1 Great Black-Backed Gull x 1 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 2 Black-Headed Gull x 50 Jay x 3 Magpie x 15 Cormorant x 35 Carrion Crow x 3 Jackdaw x 10 Woodpigeon x 200 Collared Dove x 1 Feral Pigeon x 1 Goldeneye x 3
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 23rd of December 2017 03:57:26 PM
2 Cettis Warbler by Moss Bridge today, one either side and another about 40m inside the Welham Road entrance to the Flashes. Birds on Pearsons Flash included 4 Goosander and 20 Pochard
Report for yesterday the last day of November.Walked from Hawkley viewing screen Had a mooch around the woodlands and finished up on the canal bank near the railway line. Then along the canal to the bridge and along the other bank to Poolstock.Birds seen as follows. Woodlands. Blackbird x 9 Goldfinch x 6 robin x 11 House SparrowX17 Blue Tit x20 Willow Tit x 7 Bullfinch x 3 Collared Dove x 3 Wood Pigeon x 4 Magpie x 11 Jay x 1Long Tailed Tit x 15 Moorhen x 4 Chaffinch x 4 Mallard x 21 Coot x 18 Black Headed Gull x 31 Carrion Crow x 1 Great Tit x 4 Coal Tit x 3
Scotsmans Mallard x lots Coot x lots Blackbird x 2 Black Headed Gull x lots Goosander x 1 Tufted Duck x lots Mute Swan x 2 Wigeon x 4 Shoveler x 2 Pochard x 2 LittleGrebe x 1 Grey Heron x 1 Cormorant x 1 Herring Gull x 2
I didn't count the large amounts because it was freezing
An adult Kittiwake is currently on the jetty at Scotman's Flash, sat down not looking too lively, though it stood up and stretched its wings briefly. Also present 3 Whooper Swan (1 adult, 2 juv)
-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 28th of November 2017 01:48:28 PM
2 Cetti's Warbler at Pearson's Flash today and 1 at the SE corner of Scotman's Flash Other birds on Pearson's Flash included 34 Gadwall and 13 Goldeneye
Couldn't find the Smew this morning, but of course it's possible that it was still on Horrocks Flash out of sight. 4 Little Grebe, 14 Pochard and at least 9 Goldeneye were on Pearson's Flash Cetti's Warbler singing at SE corner of Scotman's by Moss Bridge 14 Lesser Redpoll feeding nr Pearson's
red-head smew was still present on the back pool of horrocks flash between 3.40-3.55pm then went out of view, not easy to see with lots of vegetation & islands. record shot attached but distant & low light. a cettis warbler was heard on bryn marsh as I was walking back along the canal. 39 pink-footed geese over at 3.18pm heading east 1 goldeneye teal shoveler tufted duck gadwall 4 little grebe 2 great crested grebe lots of coot 40+ cormorant 2 bullfinch 1 great spotted woodpecker 4 goldcrest 1 jay 6 grey heron plenty of water rails heard.
In just under 2 hrs this morning 222 Chaffinch north, 18 south and 24 feeding at Park House Farm 3 Brambling (2 south and 1 at Park House Farm) 3 Siskin north 5 Whooper Swan south at 08:20 (4 ad 1 juv) 236 Woodpigeon south 6 Bullfinch high south 1000+ Pink-Footed Geese, in several skeins, detail on PF Goose thread 2 Peregrine 22 Stock Dove feeding at Park House Fm 2 Song Thrush north 8 Fieldfare north 15 Redwing north or north west 2 Yellowhammer 21 Blackbird feeding at Park House Fm 4 Rook south west
Report for yesterday first day of November Walked along the Leeds - Liverpool canal from Platt Bridge to Poolstock Birds seen as follows. Starling 6 Goldfinch 4 House Sparrow 30 Wood Pigeon 4 Feral Pigeon 8 Black Headed Gull 50 + Carrion Crow 6 Mallard 30 + Kestrel 1 Tree Sparrow 2 Great Tit 8 Long Tailed Tit 10 Coot 50 + Tufted Duck 28 Moorhen 3 Lesser Blacked Gull 2 Mute Swan 5 Goosander 1 (f) blackbird 4 Cettis Warbler 1 Cormorant 1 Great Crested Grebe 3 Pochard 6 Gadwall 3 Little grebe 2 Teal 4 Goldeneye 1 Grey Heron 1 Jay 2 Great Black Backed Gull 1
Late post for yesterday, singing Cetti's Warbler, 2 Pintail and 6 Wigeon on Horrocks Flash. Singing Cetti's Warbler, 7 Wigeon and 21 Little Grebe on Pearson's Flash.