Approx 3,000 Swallow roosted at Pearsons Flash this evening, where wildfowl included 5 Wigeon and 7 Shoveler
Approx 2,500 Black-Headed Gull still roosting on Scotmans Flash, with 1 Common Gull among them, though very few large gulls.
Cettis Warblers singing at Pearsons Flash and south end of Scotmans Flash nr Moss Bridge. One was singing in Bryn Marsh on Friday 31st August

Birds on Scotmans Flash this morning included 2 Wigeon, 4 Pochard, 2 Greylag Geese, 17 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Common Tern

4 juvenile Greenshank currently on Horrocks Flash viewed from canal, thanks to Geoff Hargreaves for heads up as to presence of waders only seen with his naked eye, a man who obviously doesnt need an eye test!

-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 14th of August 2018 11:07:03 PM

Birds at Horrocks Flash this evening included 4 Snipe, 2 Shoveler, min 2 Redpoll and c50 Goldfinch

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. 

Yesterday late morning

Reed warbler clamouring away at canal end of scotsmans and another over the canal by the pool with newearth embankment

Friday 13 April 2018

A Green Sandpiper was calling as it flew north, somewhere in the murk over Horrocks Flash, at around 19:30 - while I was running along the towpath.

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.

87 Sand Martin feeding at Scotmans Flash this afternoon

Black-necked Grebe on Horrocks Flash front pool today.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Drake smew on Ochre Flash at 14.30.

 

 

Saturday, 3rd March 2018. 12:30 - 16:00 hrs.

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

Drake Smew on Scotsmans Flash at 15.35pm. Distant on far side near boat club.

Drak Smew still on Scotmans Flash this morning.

Info thanks to Jimmy Meadows and Pete Berry

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

Drake Smew still present on Scotmans but currently out of sight in the south bay and has gone into the reeds at 09:45.

 

Info thanks to Judith Smith

 

 

Craig Higson wrote:

---

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.

Scotmans Flash - Tufted Duck - 44, Goldeneye - 9 Goosander - 4

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.

 

Around lunchtime today a minimum of 8 Water Rail were vocal in Bryn Marsh, also a Cettis Warbler singing

400 Woodpigeon and 49 Fieldfare were feeding at Park House Farm

Birds on Pearsons Flash today included 9 Snipe, 25 Pochard and 3 Goosander, 1 Redpoll over and a Cettis Warbler there with another by Moss Bridge

-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 23rd of December 2017 09:33:54 AM

Drake Goosander and a Peregrine at Scotman's Flash today

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