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.
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - Hawksley Viewing Screen and return
Kingfisher x 1 Whitethroat x 1 Willow Warbler x 2 Willow Tit x 1 Common Tern x 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1 Coal Tit x 1 Lapwing x 150 Grey Heron x 1 Swallow x 10 Swift x 1 Dunnock x 2 Great Crested Grebe x 5 Buzzard x 1 Kestrel x 1 Coot x 75 Tufted Duck x 100 Moorhen x 10 Mute Swan x 4 Canada Geese x 30 Mallard x 80 Blackbird x 1 Great Tit x 10 Blue Tit x 5 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 2 Black-Headed Gull x 50 Magpie x 4 Cormorant x 3 Carrion Crow x 1 Woodpigeon x 7
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 12th of August 2017 06:57:15 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 12th of August 2017 06:58:16 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 12th of August 2017 07:01:49 PM
Very enjoyable walk round the Flashes late morning / early pm in overcast conditions just before the rain set in. Highlights were the fantastic array of wild flowers across the site however on the feathered side of things :-
Kingfisher good views along the canal
Broods of tufted duck, coot, mute swan, great crested grebe on the flashes, particularly Horrocks
Chiffchaff, blackcap, whitethroat and reed warbler, reed bunting and treecreeper all seen and / or heard
Single Little Egret flew over Horrocks Flash front pool towards Bryn early this evening. Plenty Swifts and Hirundines. Only a couple Reed Warblers chattering away, expected more. A Garden Warbler was my first of the year. I noticed that the very back pool seems to have Crassula in it. That could be very bad news if it starts to spread. I'm presuming LWT know, not that theres any easy solution.
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Scotmans Flash along the canal and around Horrocks Flash late morning / early pm.
2x common tern flitting across the various flashes throughout my time there. Coot, mallard and Canada goose all with broods of young, including what appeared multiple families of Canada goose on the canal with a dozen youngsters present. Reed warbler, whitethroat, chiffchaff, willow warbler and Cetti's warbler all singing. Handful of swifts primarily over Scotmans and the canal, grey wagtails also along the canal.
1 Common Sandpiper at Horrocks Flash this morning, 2 Goldeneye and c500 Sand Martin Scotman's-Pearson's Flashes, 4 singing Cetti's Warblers, Reed Warblers in to double figures now
first-winter drake Long-Tailed Duck on Scotman's Flash this morning, feeding at N end by Poolstock Brook outflow. I could only see 1 Swallow among approx 450 Sand Martin
This am - highlights 1 Long tailed Duck with 3 Goldeneye Scotmans; 1 drake Wigeon Pearsons; singing Reed Warbler Pearsons NW end; 3 singing Cetti's Warblers (1 Moss Bridge, 1 Pearsons NW end and 1 Scotmans NE end); 1 Sandwich Tern flying and calling over Scotmans 11.05 for about 5 minutes
A Pink-Footed Goose was on Scotman's Flash late afternoon, where other birds included a Swallow among c300 Sand Martin, 204 Lesser Black-Backed Gull and 72 Herring Gull
Saturday, 1st April 2017 11:30 - 17:00 hrs. Rain until 13:30 - then dry with sunny spells.
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - Hawksley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - and return
Blackcap x 2 (1M and 1F) Willow Warbler x 1 Chiffchaff x 5 Bullfinch x 1 (M) Coal Tit x 1 Goldeneye x 4 Oystercatcher x 2 Great Crested Grebe x 8 Buzzard x 3 Kestrel x 1 Lapwing x 1 Goldfinch x 5 Reed Bunting x 7 Gadwall x 10 Greylag Geese x 4 Canada Geese x 40 Tufted Duck x 25 Jay x 1 Magpie x 10 House Sparrow x 2 Collared Dove x 4 Coot x 30 Mallard x 15 Cormorant x 3 Long Tailed Tit x 5 Wren x 3 Robin x 9 Blackbird x 5 Moorhen x 2 Great Tit x 5 Blue Tit x 9 Chaffinch x 3 Dunnock x 1 Woodpigeon x 40 Carrion Crow x 5 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 2 Mute Swan x 8 Grey Heron x 2
Walked from Platt Bridge along the canal via Horrocks flash up to bridge and down to Haukley viewing screen birds seen as follows. robin magpie mallard black headed gull wood pigeon blackbird tree sparrow dunnock house sparrow moorhen coot shoveler mute swan chiffchaff Canada goose goosander cormorant tufted duck wigeon lesser black backed gull herring gull blue tit reed bunting great tit coal tit willow tit long tailed tit bullfinch ( 2m 1f) chaffinch starling pied wagtail common buzzard feral pigeon carrion crow first pussy willow of the year .spring is on the way.
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Scotmans Flash - Hawksley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - and return
Little Egret x 1 Kingfisher x 1 Redwing x 3 Goosander x 2 Pochard x 2 Great Crested Grebe x 1 Bullfinch (Female) x 1 Coal Tit x 1 Goldfinch x 2 Shoveler x 10 Reed Bunting x 7 Gadwall x 2 Greylag Geese x 10 Canada Geese x 30 Tufted Duck x 50 Jay x 2 Magpie x 20 House Sparrow x 5 Collared Dove x 1 Teal x 5 Tufted Duck x 30 Coot x 100 Mallard x 35 Cormorant x 3 Long Tailed Tit x 5 Wren x 1 Robin x 9 Blackbird x 5 Moorhen x 8 Great Tit x 7 Blue Tit x 5 Chaffinch x 4 Woodpigeon x 50 Carrion Crow x 60 Great Black-Backed Gull x 1 Black-Headed Gull x 40 Mute Swan x 10 Buzzard x 1 Kestrel x 2 Grey Heron x 1