A couple of hours from 5pm - lovely sunny weather.

Thanks to the two birders already there who got me onto the Wood Sandpiper, which almost immediately flew out of sight! Fortunately, it came back a short while later and gave great views on the right hand bank and around the three tufts of grass on the first scrape in front of the screen. A GM tick for me.

In addition to Tim's sightings I can add a few more Black-tailed Godwits - my count was 5 - and a single Oystercatcher to the collection of waders. No Common Sandpiper for me though.

Others - Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler and plenty of Swallows. A Cuckoo was calling repeatedly from the direction of the canal whilst I was at the flash also, but too distantly for a sighting.

On the walks down/back from Dover Lock to the flash there was warbler song everywhere with Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Cetti's Warbler heard (the last three around Dover Flash). Reed Bunting, Willow Warbler and Common Whitethroat seen as well.

Lightshaw this morning,

Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Cetti's Warbler
Little Egret


All birds present up to 07:15am

Wood Sandpiper still present in Lightshaw Hall Flash this afternoon.

Info thanks to John Doherty

Hi Simon
There are a couple of viewing screens although you are quite a distance away, i always take my scope, i generally park at the dover lock inn and walk down from there, just past dover flash ( or just before if coming from penny flash)there is a railing and path that leads off the canal towpath just through the gate the screen is visible, walk down this path until you reach a smaller path leading down to the screen, it can be a bit of a trek but i generally find it worth the effort,
good luck
Bernard

Wood sandpiper still showing when I left @2-30 although it was quite elusive for much of the time I was there, 2 black tailed godwit,5 redshank,2 oystercatcher,2 common snipe,3 shelduck, 4 grey lag geese 2 on water 2 in field,c20 teal, 2 grey heron, 4 shoveler, 2 sand martin and 7 swallow, 2 pied wagtail, 5 pheasant in surrounding fields, 30+ lapwing,cuckoo calling frequently from direction of crankwood, kestrel,willow warbler,chiffchaff,blackcap plus usual great tit etc,
Dover flash - 3 mute swan,2 grey heron,2 mallard,1 great crested grebe,1 shelduck,2 swallow over,

On Saturday afternoon with Steve Atkins: Little egret 2 Redshank on Dover basin 4 Swallows Black-tailed Godwit Shelduck on Lightshaw Hall Flash

Out running this morning down the canal produced my first swallows of the year over Lightshaw meadows.
20+ Lapwing, Lightshaw Meadows
Plenty Chiffchaff heard

missed from earlier post pair of buzzard seen mating, a guy walking down the canal told me heard a cettis warbler singing from above lightshaw,

pm visit
Canal + tow path
4 canada geese, 3 mallard, 1 pristine greenfinch, chiffchaff heard only, blue tit, great tit, robin, magpie,blackbird,
Dover flash
7 mute swan, 2 great crested grebe, 8 coot,2 teal, mallard, moorhen,
Lightshaw Flash + surrounds
1 black tailed godwit, 3 redshank, 4 shelduck, 2 oystercatcher, 13 common snipe, 2 grey lag geese, 20+ each of gadwall and teal, 25+ lapwing, mallard,2 grey heron, 2 pheasant with a moorhen in field, 50+ wood pigeon, carrion crow, kestrel, 2 willow tit,

Little Egret now on Dover Basin this morning and Cetti's Warbler present.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

Canal and towpath
1 mute swan,6 mallard,1 moorhen,2 blue tit,jay,blackbird,wood pigeon,magpie, with carrion crow in the fields.
Dover flash 6 mute swan 5 juveniles 1 adult, 2 tufted duck,2 shelduck, 8 mallard,1 grey heron,2 teal,3 coot,
Lightshaw flash- 2 shelduck, 7 coot,9 teal,1 lapwing,8 mallard, 1 skylark singing, 1 kestrel.

7 Wigeon on Dover Basin and 2 more on Lightshaw this am; also Willow Warbler Juvenile by canal and 100+ House Martins over; 6 Gadwall on Dover with 3 Tufted Ducks; Chiffchaff singing.

Dover flash 7 mute swan 2 adult 5 well developed cygnets, mallard,gadwall,great crested grebe,black headed and lesser black backed gulls,grey heron,coot,
Lightshaw flash teal,gadwall,mallard,moorhen,coot, restricted view from screen due to overgrown foliage,

Tom Morton wrote:

---

Craig,Beautiful Demioselle - One on path to viewing screen, perched for some time giving close observation - there were some Bandeds about too giving a useful comaprison. My first time for this species, cheers.

---

Looking at the Dragonfly atlas which came out recently, this appears to be a new record for this species in that particular square (although it is hard to pinpoint exactly where sites are without any names or physical features on the maps). Even so, it is not mentioned as being in Greater Manchester, only a recent colonist in Lancs. If anyone else sees one, please ensure that it is reported to the area recorder (probably Steve White who collates records for South Lancashire would be the most appropriate).

Cheers

Craig,Beautiful Demioselle - One on path to viewing screen, perched for some time giving close observation - there were some Bandeds about too giving a useful comaprison. My first time for this species, cheers.

Walk from Dover Lock this am. Canal - Common Sandpiper, 1 young Tufted Duck, at least 4 Common Terns; Dover - Kingfisher, Water Rail, several Swifts, 5 broods of Mallard, 1 of Gadwall, 1 Mute Swan, single pairs of Tufted and Great Crested Grebe; Lightshaw 20+ Lapwings, brood of Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron trying to catch a young Coot and had it in its beak once but after the youngster bravely resisted for several minutes it eventually gave up. General - 4 Buzzards including two young birds, 6 species of warbler still in song (3 Willow, 2 Sedge, 7/8 Reed, Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Whitethroat), 8+ Reed Buntings, Kestrel, Coal Tit, singing Skylark. Also Large and Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Large White Butterflies, and Beautiful and Banded Demoiselle Damselflies amongst others.

Osprey flew west over at 08:40 this morning; heading towards the Wigan Flashes.

Info thanks to Judith Smith

2 hours mid afternoon, generally quiet,

Shelduck with fledglings, 2 Buzzard, 4 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, Sedge Warbler, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 20+ Swift, 10+ Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap
Plus usual

Couple of hours early evening
Lightshaw flash 8 redshank,2 black tailed godwit, 4 grey heron, 5 snipe, 1 common sandpiper, 2 shelduck,2 ringed plover,2 Canada geese, numerous lapwing,mallard, gadwall, c12 swallow over,
Dover flash
1 mute swan,1 great crested grebe,coot, mallard,gadwall,1 shelduck, 1 greynheron,
1 common tern over canal.

hour before it got too dark
Lightshaw flash, 2 black tailed godwit, 3 redshank, 2 oystercatcher, 2 shelduck, 2 grey lag geese,several lapwing, 1 grey heron,1 common sandpiper, several mallard.pheasant, skylark singing over fields.
Dover flash 1 mute swan + 2 on canal nearby, numerous mallard and coot, 2 gadwall, 1 moorhen,
1 mistle thrush several blackbird and robin singing in the fading light.

Lightshaw flash
2 oystercatcher, 6 redshank,2 shelduck, 7 lapwing,teal,gadwall,coot, moorhen,mallard,tufted duck, c100 wood pigeon, 3 skylark, robin,wren,chaffinch,magpie,
Dover flash
1 pochard with 5 tufted duck,mallard,2 mute swan,coot,
4 goosander, 5 cormorant, 1 herring gull all flew over whilst walking up canal.

On Saturday 22nd February 2014 12:00 - 15:00 hrs. - walked from Plank Lane Bridge (Near Pennington Flash) to Platt Bridge along Leigh branch of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal.

Fieldfare at side of canal (near Plank bridge)

Dover Flash:
Pochard
Shelduck
Great Crested Grebe
Coot
Mute Swans
Mallard

Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Great tit, Blue tit - By side of canal near Dover Lock inn
Three sightings of Kestrel by side of canal.






-- Edited by Steve Judge on Monday 24th of February 2014 05:44:33 PM

both flashes Lightshaw and Dover with as expected very high water levels, Lightshaw flash was the quietest i have ever seen it with just a few teal and a grey heron, Dover flash 2 mute swan, 12 tufted duck, 2 gadwall, 4 mallard, 7 coot, 1 grey heron, the field just before Dover flash contained c200 winter thrushes, mainly fieldfare but redwing and mistle thrush also seen, chaffinch, great tit,blue tit, robin, magpie and wood pigeon all seen along canal towpath.

Green Sandpiper and Wigeon on Dover Basin early afternoon.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes