Fist time here in over a year for me walked down the canal from Pennington:
Green woodpecker just of canal near the bench that looks over the meadow
6 buzzard 4 circling 2 in trees
2 wigeon male and female
2 shelduck
3 oystercatcher
1 female goosander
15 lapwing
20+ teal
10 shoveler
Post for yesterday.Walked down the lane to Lightshaw from the main road. In the large field on the right there was a flock of Carrion Crows numbering around 100.Along the lane itself were. Collared Dove x2 Starling x4 Blackbird x6 Blue Tit x6 Magpie x6 Black Headed Gull x12 Chaffinch x3 Fieldfare x1 Blackcap x4 Tree Sparrow x2 Pheasant x3 Wood Pigeon x10 Common Buzzard x5 Long Tailed Tit x8 The flash itself was 95% frozen .Therefore nothing on it at all. On the surrounding fields were Canada Goose x4 Mute swan x3 Grey Heron x2 moorhen x1 Mallard x8 Coot x10 Cormorant x1
Very very quiet this afternoon viewing from the south eastern screen. A single Wigeon was perhaps the most interesting thing. Singles of Swallow and Sand Martin hinting at what the hirundine flock at the opposite end - 10 or so birds - might have been composed of. Still a large number of Canada Geese, but I've lost patience counting them!
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
Water levels very high this evening, but clearly not as high as they have been as many of the adjacent fields had plenty wildfowl in them, mostly out of sight unfortunately. There were well over 200 Canada Geese present. Teal and Gadwall were obviously around as I could hear them but couldn't see them as they fed in the flooded fields. There were also three wigeon present.
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
Late afternoon stroll calling at the eastern screen only. Most numbers are minimum as I only had bins and there were quite possibly/probably more of each species.
Late morning / early afternoon visit to Lightshaw Flash with Simon Gough.
- no sign of Cattle Egret while we were there - Grey Heron at least 3 - Sedge Warbler 1 along canal - Whitethroat 3 - Reed Bunting at least 5 - Linnet 1 male - Skylark 2 - lots of Lapwing - Stock Dove 4
Nice to meet and chat with Craig Higson.
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 25th of June 2017 05:30:05 PM
If adding sightings for this bird could users please ensure they state that the bird is at Lightshaw Flash or not as the case may be. This thread is for the whole of the Abram Flashes which also includes others areas this bird could well relocate to, so it's best not to just let readers assume where the bird is
Cattle egret showed well when I arrived at 12pm in front of the screen, it took a short flight & returned to the same area. Later on it took flight again with everything else ( didn't see what sent them up) & dissapeared further away & out of view but soon returned & stayed on the spit of the flash until I left at 1.15pm. No signs of any idiots whilst I was there, let's hope he gets named & shamed. 2 shelduck with 9 juveniles 1 redshank 3 grey herons 30+ lapwings Several house Martins & swifts around.
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 24th of June 2017 03:51:51 PM
Unfortunately there's always one idiot who spoils it for the rest.
This morning an idiot (I refuse to use the term birder or photographer because he was clearly neither) decided he'd climb over the metal gate and clearly and knowingly trespass on private farmland at Lightshaw in order to get close and undoubtably disturb the Cattle Egret in the field by the canal side. He didn't appear to have binoculars but certainly had a camera and a very long range photo was taken of the idiot.
If anyone can identify said idiot or knows him then please do have a 'word' with him about his selfish and thoughtless actions or feel free to get in touch with me.
Lightshaw Hall Flash Good views in my scope for over 30 minutes of the Cattle Egret. Both County and Life tick for me. Arrived at Western viewing screen just after 1pm. No sign of it for 30 minutes. Then it was seen flying onto the top of a tall hawthorn by the left shore, and well down the flash. After preening for 2 minutes it dropped down onto the shoreline where the reeds stick well out ( two thirds down?) More preening until it was approached by a Grey Heron. Cattle Egret then flew up and down to the left of the viewing screen before landing in open ground about 90 yards to the front left of the screen. After 15 minutes it was approached, on foot, by another Grey Heron and the Cattle Egret turned and edged away, into clumps of Juncus etc. where it could only just be seen. Still present at 2.15pm.
-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 23rd of June 2017 05:28:19 PM
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Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
Cattle Egret still present around the western end of Lightshaw Hall Flash at 2:30 pm and showing well.
Info thanks to Keith Mills
p.s. If adding sightings for this bird could users please ensure they state that the bird is at Lightshaw Flash or not as the case may be. This thread is for the whole of the Abram Flashes which also includes others areas this bird could well relocate to, so it's best not to just let readers assume where the birds is
Cattle Egret showing well until I left at around 11.15. It was on the far side of the flash as I arrived but followed the cattle to be in front of the screen giving some excellent views. A GM lifer for me. Now on 199... The magic 200 is next!
Thanks Rick and Dave for your help. Much appreciated.
Where the A573 crosses the Leigh Branch Canal there is a canalside car park on the opposite side of the road to the Dover Lock Inn. Enter that and turn right along the towpath, passing Dover Basin after a few hundred metres, then you'll see a gated footpath on the right down on to a footpath along a dismantled railway line. Follow this path and Lightshaw Hall Flash is on your left. The Cattle Egret may be visible from a gate for a cattle pen, but carry further on along the path and there's a footpath to the left up to the western viewing screen. Good luck