Sunday am walk, 43 species. Highlights Tree Sparrow x 3, Bullfinch x 2, Goldcrest x 2, Kingfisher x 1, Song Thrush x 8, Cettis Warbler x 1, Pied Wagtail x 181, Grey Wagtail x 3, Meadow Pipit x 8, Goosander x 3, Shoveler x 7, Teal x 13, Gadwall x 13, Tufted Duck x 29, Little Grebe x 3, Siskin x 1 and Willow Tit x 1.
Morning walk, 45 species:
Green Sandpiper x 1, Tree Sparrow x 7, Willow Tit x 1, Pied Wagtail x 132, Grey Wagtail x 3, Meadow Pipit x 8, Goosander x 7, Tufted Duck x 24, Gadwall x 10, Teal x 16, Redwing x 44, Fieldfare x 1 and Siskin x 7.
Early morning walk, 41 species.
Goosander x 6, Teal x 74, Shoveler x 8, Gadwall x 8, Pied Wagtail x 193, Grey Wagtail x 4, Meadow Pipit x 14, Tree Sparrow x 7 plus singles of Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Reed Bunting & Bullfinch.
Two Little Egrets still in the grass field (horse paddocks?) off the East Lancs Road (A580) just to the south of Hope Carr and west of the Greyhound roundabout mid-afternoon today.
Shoveler 12 Gadwall 7 Teal 11 Goosander 6 Little Grebe 1 Little Egret 1 flew south Willow Tit 3 One at 53.483450, -2.508049 and two at 53.484623, -2.516814 Chiffchaff 1 heard calling frequently Tree Sparrow 9+ Pennington Brook Siskin 21 UU car park
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Just south of the reserve, around midday today, 3 Little Egret were feeding in a field between Hope Carr and the A580 East Lancashire Road, just west of the Greyhound Roundabout nr the small garden centre
Late afternoon walk to dusk, wasnt expecting much, 36 species, highlights:- 2 x Mistle Thrush, 2 x Bullfinch, 4 x Grey Wagtail, 125 x Pied Wagtail, 25 x Linnet, 1 x Cettis Warbler, 9 x Shoveler, 6 x Teal, 5 x Goosander, 6 x Gadwall and 1 x Willow Tit.
Morning walk 44 species from first light. Highlights Bullfinch x 6, Willow Tit, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail x 142, Meadow Pipit x 13, Shoveler x 15, Teal x 74, Goosander x 2, Gadwall x 6, Tree Sparrow x 2, Siskin x 7 and Raven over.
Morning walk produced 50 species, highlights 1 x Woodcock, 2 x Green Sandpiper, 7 x Fieldfare, 9 x Redwing, 2 x Lapwing, 72 x Teal, 6 x Gadwall, 4 x Goosander, 5 x Shoveler, 75 x Meadow Pipit, 195 x Pied Wagtail, 1 x Snipe, 1 x Siskin, 1 x Kingfisher.
Quiet morning only 36 species. Male Goosander, 16 x Shoveler, 21 x Teal, 2 x Gadwall, 2 x Goldcrest, 1 x Bullfinch, 167 x Pied Wagtail, 81 x Meadow Pipit, 3 x Grey Wagtail, 1 x Mistle Thrush, 1 x Song Thrush, 1 x Sparrowhawk and 1 x Buzzard.
Late post from yesterdays morning walk - 1 x Goosander, 45 x Meadow Pipit, 16 x Bullfinch, 4 x Shoveler, 4 x Little Grebe, 4 x Grey Wagtail, 65 x Pied Wagtail, 2 x Sparrowhawk, 5 x Tufted Duck, 22 x Teal, 10 x Gadwall, 1 x Willow Tit, 1 x Reed Bunting, 1 x Cettis Warbler and 2 x Tree Sparrow
Early morning walk 49 species - 2 x Green Sandpiper, 3 x Tree Sparrow, 3 x Goldcrest, 28 x Long-tailed Tit, 5 x Goosander (4f, 1m), 2 x Willow Tit, 40 x Meadow Pipit, 11 x Bullfinch, 64 x Teal, 4 x Shoveler, 20 x Tufted Duck and 2, I presume blokes with shotguns shooting on the river at the back of the Main Lake.
Just wondered on what basis you identified this bird as Willow Warbler (vocals etc) as it looks like a Chiffchaff to me. My thoughts on plumage would be indistinct supercilium, what appears to be short primary projection although not easy to see and clearly very dark legs.
Thanks
Dave
Hi Dave, it was the single call that led me to believe it was a Willow Warbler & I didn't really pay too much attention to plumage, however it does appear to be a Chiffchaff & its single call is very similar. Thanks for the correction Lez.
Early morning walk, of note: Green Sandpiper x1, Meadow Pipit x 2, Chiffchaff x 2, Blackcap (f) x 1, Bullfinch x 9, Goosander (f) x 1, Tufted Duck x 20, Gadwall x 12, Teal x 8, Shoveler x 10, Little Grebe x 5, Cettis Warbler x 2, Fieldfare x 4, Willow Tit x 2
Just wondered on what basis you identified this bird as Willow Warbler (vocals etc) as it looks like a Chiffchaff to me. My thoughts on plumage would be indistinct supercilium, what appears to be short primary projection although not easy to see and clearly very dark legs.
Mid afternoon visit curtailed by the rain, so only managed just over an hour.
Of note :- Tree Sparrow, Goldcrest, Long-Tailed Tits, Goldfinch, M Pheasant, F Bullfinch, Jackdaws & small flock of mainly juvenile Linnet.
& on the main lake - 2 Grey Heron, singles of Cormorant, F Goosander, Little Grebe & good numbers of Gadwall & Tufted Duck with 2 male Shoveler having a right to-do in front of a female.
The rain wasn't surprising but seeing a Willow Warbler at this time of year definitely was - in trees near to the main lake - overwintering individual maybe?
This afternoon, at least 11 Tree Sparrows along the Pennington Brook though probably more as most were deep within thick vegetation, 16 Little Grebe on the Main Lake and a single singing Cetti's Warbler.
Late post for Saturday am, 48 species inc. 1x Green Sandpiper, 11 x Bullfinch, 2 x Cettis Warblers, 1 x Kingfisher, 18 x Gadwall, 13 x Teal, 4 x Shoveler
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 23rd of October 2022 07:26:49 PM
Morning walk, of note, 2 x Green Sandpiper, 3 x Tree Sparrow, 1 x Willow Tit, 4 x Bullfinch, 5 x Meadow Pipit, 2 x Cettis Warbler, 24 x Gadwall and 100+ Teal
Of note :- 2 Cetti's Warbler 1 seen 1 heard, Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 12 Long - Tailed Tit, 3 Mute Swan one of which was on Pennington Brook alongside 12 Mallard, 3 Jay, 75 Starling's over filtration beds, 25 Jackdaw over, 2 Linnet & a Greenfinch over, 4 Little Grebe & still very good numbers of Willow Warbler all around the reserve.
A.m. 43 species Shoveler x 2 Teal x 7 Tufted Duck x 3 Gadwall x 1 Little Egret x 1 Little Grebe x 9 (3 different beds - 4 juv) Bullfinch x 5 (4 juv) Willow Tit x 2 Cettis Warbler x 1 calling Swallow x 1 House Martin x 1
Morning walk, of note -
2 x Little Egret
1 x Green Sandpiper
5 x Tree Sparrow juveniles, 1 adult
6 x Grey Wagtails inc. juveniles
2 x Oystercatcher
1 x Lapwing
1 x Teal
1 x Kingfisher
42 species morning walk 12 singing Chiffchaff, 5 x Brambling, 5 x Tree Sparrow, 1 x Kingfisher, 5 singing Cettis Warbler, 4 x Little Grebe, 32 x Gadwall, 30 x Tufted Duck, 2 x Shoveler.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 26th of March 2022 11:53:25 AM
52 species on a 3 hour amble this morning
Kingfisher x 1
Willow Tit x 1
Brambling x 4
Tree Sparrow x 8
Chiffchaff x 13
Redwing x 19
Meadow Pipit x 2
Cettis x 4 singing
Little Grebe x 8
Goosander x 2
Bullfinch x 2
Two Raven over Hope Carr at 5:15pm today, one flew very low alongside Warrington Road towards the Greyhound Motel and its mate flew to sit atop of one of the large cranes by Hope Carr.
Late post got yesterday 2 x Shelduck 30 x Gadwall 3 x Goosander 22 x Shoveler 37 x Teal 34 x Tufted 20+ Siskin 20+ Tree Sparrow 1 x Brambling 1 x Meadow Pipit 6 x Little Grebe 1 x Cettis Warbler