Black-necked grebe still present this morning, also 3 common sandpipers.

Where about is houghton green flash, and where should I park for it? Thanks.

A really rewarding morning doing the monthly Peel Hall Bird Survey. As usual, the area covered included Houghton Green Pool. Highlights were all from the Pool, with 1 summer plumage Dunlin, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 220 Goldfinches and masses of hirundines and Swifts feeding low over the water. Totals, then, were: Dunlin 1, Common Sandpiper 3, Little Ringed Plover 1, Lapwing 23, Coot 7, Great Crested Grebe 1, Goldfinch 244, Swift 32, Swallow 135, House Martin 26, Sand Martin 10, Pied Wagtail 7, Common Gull 3, Linnet 14, Song Thrush 2, Chiffchaff 1, Whitethroat 1, Reed Bunting 1, Cormorant 1, Kestrel 5, Buzzard 3, Greenfinch 8, Mallard 56, Tufted Duck 9, Lesser Black-backed Gull 8, Black-headed Gull 11, Carrion Crow 28, Collared Dove 24, Wood Pigeon 110, Magpie 25, Robin 6, Blackbird 16, Wren 5, House Sparrow 50, Starling 41, Great Tit 12, Blue Tit 10, Bullfinch 2, Meadow Pipit 9, Rook 50, Jackdaw 11, Feral Pigeon 20, Dunnock 3.

Cheers David (with Ste Dodd and George Dunbar)

On Whats left of the pool, which was once in the top 10 inland sites in the county, and now has been emptied almost by the water authorities extracting water from it.

Anyway pm
Black Necked Grebe-1 Moulting adult
Little Grebe-1
Great crested Grebe-1 Juv
Mallard-40
Tufted Duck-2
Linnet-20
Sand Martin-20

Anyone passing its worth a quick look as those massive muddy edges could easily hold some waders on passage. and you never know it wasn't that long ago the pool had a lesser yellowlegs.

Nick Isherwood wrote:

---

Drove past here at lunchtime and couldn't believe how low the water level is now. Looks more like a big puddle.

---

Yep a wonderful wildlife site totally ruined by water extraction, I cannot go myself any more ,it saddens me so much at what once was a site that would hold a dozen black necked grebes at this time of year, and was my local patch for almost a decade. you wouldn't think in the modern supposedly enlightened age what has happened to the pool would be allowed to happen. :(

Afternoon trip here with my daughter and we were greeted by two Common Tern circling over the pool on arrival. First for me at this site!

Cheers Matt

Early morning circuit around the flash. Seemed a little quiet on arrival though there was a single Ringed Plover amongst the Lapwing and mixed Corvids on the ploughed field leading up to the flash. I had a wander around the margins which produced amongst the usuals

2 Jays,
1 Blackcap (M),
1 Chiffchaff,
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker,

Back on the flash its self a pair of Greylag geese had arrived which was something different then later a trio of Shelduck came in looking very handsome in early morning sunshine. Very nice surprise for me here!

Cheers Matt

The highlights from this mornings visit 1 yellow wagtail and 2 common sandpipers

I was working in Manchester today and had my first look around Houghton's Green Flash on the way home...

Little Ringed Plover 4-6
Common Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 2
Yellow wagtail 1
White Wagtail 1
Swallows and sandmartins about 15 of each
Widgeon 1
Tufted Ducks 5
Lots of linnets and and few meadow pipits

The Little Ringed Plovers were hard to count as there were a few kids walking around in front of me flushing them off, there were definitely 4 but probably 6. I'll post some photos on the St Helens Bird Blog (Out of Area tab) later.

I'll be back again now I know where to park!



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 13th of April 2014 09:07:49 PM

-- Edited by Damian Pendlebury on Sunday 13th of April 2014 10:51:42 PM

Did an early morning Common Bird Survey at Peel Hall, near Winwick, on behalf of the Peel Hall Conservation Group (PHCG) which Ste Dodd and I have been involved in setting up. Also included Houghton Green Pool in the survey. Full results will be on the PCHG Facebook site but highlights were: 1 Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, 3 White Wagtails, 1 Wheatear (at Houghton Green), 3 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Grey Partridges and 2 Willow Tits (at Peel Hall)

Cheers David

A quick stop on my way back from Woolston: 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Redshanks, 6 Sand Martins and 15 Wigeon.

Cheers

David

2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Redshank and 3 Oystercatchers this afternoon.

Cheers David

Little Ringed Plover today plus White Wagtail and four Redshanks

15.30
WIGEON -41
GOLDENEYE-1 MALE
REDSHANK-2
OYSTERCATCHER-2
POCHARD-4
TUFTED DUCK-10

Pete Astles wrote:

---

Nice to see so many wigeon on

---

Only about a third of what would have been the norm 10 years ago, before the water started to be extracted, I have had 200+ at this time of year, and this winter is the least number of widgeon at the pool in winter that I can ever remember :(

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 24th of February 2014 06:48:43 PM

22nd late pm
Wigeon-63
Redshank-1
Cormorant-4
:)

AM
Wigeon- 65
Littte Grebe-1
Pochard-8
Lapwing -50
Linnet-70
Meadow Pipit-6
Teal-2
:)

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Saturday 25th of January 2014 04:17:15 PM

PM
Of note
Wigeon-52
Lapwing -200 on the north bank
Black headed Gull 200
:)

Quick call in on the way home, and the place just saddens me now, as for almost 10 years this was my local patch , Anyone who wants to see how a site can be made into as Mike says a shadow of its former self should look at the pool, now a quarter of the size it was 5 years ago ,and how the water authority can allow the continued extraction is beyond me, this site was formerly one of the best inland sites for wintering wigeon, up to 200 present in most years, and coots used to be in excess of 200,as were diving duck, and normally there were 30+ great crested grebe, and 20 little grebe now today there were. This site once held some sort of special status, but its seems that's meaningless these days, to me its the equivalent of Pennington flash being drained its such a sorry site now. I daupt I will visit much any more. :(
Wigeon-25
cormorant -5
pochard-3
hardly any coots, and a couple of great crested Grebe.

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

very little on the pool this afternoon apart from a dozen Great crested grebe and a few coot and mallard :(

---

Same today
Plus if anyone parks by the sharp bend ,which a lot of the regulars, used to and still do please be aware the owner of the house where the entrance where people park near the arrows doesn't like people parking there any more and recently I have seen police moving people on ,so its assumed that he may be calling the police when people park there, and last week the opening at that point was taped off by the policed with crime scene yellow tape, so its probably better to be wary if parking near the pool

pm
Common Sandpiper-1
Black Necked Grebe- 1 juv
Little Grebe-1
Common Buzzard-2
Great crested grebe-10
Coot -12

AM
Cormorant-2
Pochard-18 (unusual number for time of year
Ringed plover-1
great crested grebe-12
Tufted duck-4

only things of note -late posting for Saturday
A few Great Crested Grebe
1 Tufted Duck
1 Pochard

And more floating beer bottles than Birds. The yobs have taken over again at the pool and the same ones breaking bottles and throwing them in Friday were cleverly swimming in the same area they had been throwing them in the day before. The pool is so low now due to water extraction, it has lost the majority of its bird attraction and even the black necked grebes have hardly paid a visit this year, were previously there would be a dozen at this time of year. Its so sad to see what was a very important site being drained and the life draining away with it. The pool will never recover unfortunately as the water board seems to just want to drain it -real shame :(.

Late PM
Dunlin-9
Ringed Plover-4
Common Sandpiper-2
Yellow Wagtail-1 pair
:)