Neumann's Flash

John Williams · Status: Offline

RE: Neumann's Flash

Ruth Mott · Status: Offline

This site has been very good for Starling murmuration in past years so I went to have a look just before dusk Saturday 26th October. No big murmuration yet but certainly a couple of thousand went past and in the hour before dusk smaller groups of around 100-150 a time were a frequent sight going in the direction of the bigger gang. It looked like they were collecting/roosting in the reeds at the far end of Neumann's Flash from the main road/Marbury Road or at Marbury Park.

Aside from that.. Water Rail x2 skulking in the reeds, approx. 30 Curlew flew over, 16 Greylag Geese on the flash. Sparrowhawk patrolling overhead.

-- Edited by Ruth Mott on Sunday 27th of October 2024 08:49:28 AM

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

Went to see and photograph the Common Scoter at Neumanns late afternoon yesterday. The bird has been present since Wednesday and was still there this morning. Frequents the area in front of Pods Hide. An immature (1CY) male.

A walk round on 24 September yielded 38 species, of note :-

Shoveler (31)
Gadwall (16)
Wigeon (17)
Teal (17)
Tufted Duck (8)
Little Grebe (5)
Water Rail (1)
Lapwing (2)
Buzzard (2)
Kestrel (1)
Jay (9)
Chiffchaff (14)
Cettis (3)
Robin (26)
Long-tailed Tit (6)

An obvious influx of both Jay and Robin.

-- Edited by Mark Jarrett on Saturday 28th of September 2024 04:41:16 PM

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash (Midday visit)

1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Little Grebes, 7 Lapwings, 14 Tufted Ducks, 1 Kestrel,

2 adult Mute Swans with 2 almost full grown cygnets (They had 3 on my last visit)

and 200+ feral geese (Mostly Greylags). Also 2 Swallows, both were seen to have

a quick in flight drink of water from Neumanns, before continuing their race Southwards.

Ashtons Flash

25 Curlews

Sincere thanks to the person who has trimmed the reeds to allow the Eastern shoreline,

the island area along the Northern bank, plus view much of Stilt Islands shoreline from Pods

hide.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Mid-afternoon visit

Neumanns Flash:-

3 Little Egrets, 2 Egyptian Geese and a pair of Great Crested Grebes with a 1 full grown youngster.

Ashtons Flash:-

18 Curlews, 2 Chiffchaffs and a charm of around 20 Goldfinches.

A small mixed flock of Swallows and House Martins were fly catching just above the reeds on Ashtons Flash.

2 of the Curlew seemed reluctant to join the rest and were seen pecking the hardened ground away

from the centre pool, were they very hungry?.

Pods Hide is still surrounded by tall reeds, making it currently useless as an hide. However the Northern

part of the flash, and the small island can be viewed reasonably well from the short path leading to old

hide, which is now rarely used. Much of the Eastern shoreline can be viewed from viewpoint just below the

large conifer, on the car park side of the bench over looking Ashtons Flash.

However the "beach" area where Curlews, and ther waders often rest on the Eastern shoreline is still only partially visible.

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

Immature female Marsh Harrier seen yesterday at Ashtons Flash around midday. Flew a few circuits before thermalling to a great height and moving off to the east. Fields adjacent to the relatively near canal, known locally as Gibbons Land held 2m and 1f Wheatear.

steven burke · Status: Offline

Walk past here on my way to Marbury & back.

A good amount of ducks mostly wigeon though...
25 tufted ducks
3 Teal
5 shelducks
2 goosander
30+ shoveler
1 great crested grebe
1 sparrowhawk
1 great spotted woodpecker
3 jays
3 bullfinch
Cettis warbler heard
Black headed, common, Herring, lesser black backed & 1 great black backed gull.
Nice full view of a tawny owl perched low in tree on my way back past late on.

Andy Slee · Status: Offline

Hi to Chris and Lizzi, I think we were in Pods Hide together tonight, just put 2 and 2 together from various Whattsapps and realised who you were!

Starling Murmuration was very interesting tonight.

Possibly due to the high winds from the West birds were coming in in groups and then dropping to 2-3ft above water level and flying from Pods Hide to the North of the Flash at water level.

Never seen Starlings do that before it was almost like a flock of hirundines brought down to water by a storm front.

Murmurating clouds did form a few times and two Sparrowhawks at least came through (one again at water level).

Dot counting (my attempt at automatic intelligence post processing / dot counting on iPhone photos) suggests a cloud of 19,000 max and a few more groups of 300 - 500 came through as I was walking back to the car.

11 Goosander, 28 Shoveler, 58 Wigeon being the other highlights, plus over by the new build houses near Ashtons Flash a Redwing with a white throat patch the size of a 50p had me going for a moment.

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

Just over two and a half hours this morning from 9.20. Sunny spells, light winds, 6-14*c. Of note :-

Greylag Goose (132)
Canada Goose (31)
Pink-footed Goose (237)
Mute Swan (2)
Shoveler (5)
Wigeon (1)
Tufted Duck (11)
Little Grebe (1)
Great Crested Grebe (26)
Stock Dove (1)
Water Rail (1)
Curlew (55)
Buzzard (4)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Cettis Warbler (1)
Long-tailed Tit (8)
Goldcrest (4)
Nuthatch (5)
Redwing (7)
Fieldfare (12)

The Pink-footed Geese all passed overhead as follows :- 65 & 17nw, 35w and 120se. Ive mistakenly posted this in the Neumanns Flash thread. As everyone will have no doubt noticed, it should have been in the Marbury Country Park one.

-- Edited by Mark Jarrett on Monday 23rd of October 2023 08:50:02 PM

Steve Judge · Status: Offline

31st August 2023. Late morning / early afternoon. Nice to chat with Mark Jarrett earlier at Marbury Country Park and pointing out the Hobby hawking over Coward Reedbed.

Sightings at Neumann Flash included:

Great White Egret (1)
Grey Heron (1)
Blackcap - Male (1)
Buzzard (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Jay (2 heard!)
Goldfinch (50)
Lapwing (4)
Tufted Duck (40)
Long-Tailed Tits (5)
Mute Swans - two adults and six cygnets in one family
Mute Swans - two adults and one cygnet in another family

On way home I picked up my new Cellular Trail Camera from Focalpoint

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Yesterday on Neumann's 11 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Great Egret, 2 Little Egret and 1 Green Sandpiper.

Curlew, Little ringed Plover and Peregrine on Ashtons (female Marsh Harrier there briefly on Monday)

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Garganey on Neumanns this morning, Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper on Ashtons

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Great White Egret on Neumann's yesterday and a juvenile Garganey.

Today 2 juvenile Garganey on Ashton's Flash

John Williams · Status: Offline

Midday visit

Neumanns Flash :

8 Avocets, 2 Buzzards (Soaring on thermals), 14 Gadwall, 3 Mute Swans, 4 Shelducks, 6 Lapwings, 5 Tufted Ducks

and 2 Oystercatchers. A brood of 4 "Robin" sized Moorhen youngsters were with their parents by Pods Hide, the adults

very aggressively chased off a Coot that ventured to close to their family. I witnessed a very elaborate flight display by a

small bird, which surprisingly turned out to be a male Reed Bunting.

Ashtons Flash :

4 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher and a singing male Reed Bunting.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash: (Morning visit)

9 Avocets, 2 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Mute Swans,

11 Gadwall and 4 Tufted Ducks. A pair of Reed Warblers gave close views by Pods Hide.

A pair of Moorhens showed off their 7 tiny youngsters alongside the path to Pods Hide.

Ashtons Flash:

2 Avocets, 4 Lapwings, 1 Oystercatcher, 12 Gadwall and 2 male Reed Buntings.

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

Haydns Pool Warbler Survey. Fine, cloud cover, breezy, 11*c. 7-8.30am.

Reed Warbler (4)
Sedge Warbler (1)
Whitethroat (6)
Blackcap (3)
Garden Warbler (2)
Willow Warbler (1)
Chiffchaff (4)

Other birds of note :-

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Raven (1)
Bullfinch (3)
Stock Dove (4)

John Williams · Status: Offline

Morning visit

Neumanns Flash: 1 Dunlin, 2 Avocets, 1 Water Rail, 4 Shelducks, 4 Tufted Ducks, 1 Buzzard,

1 Little Grebe, 2 Reed Warblers (Calling and showing briefly by Pods Hide), 4 Lapwings, 2m Reed Buntings,

8 Greylag Geese (1 pair with 4 pigeon sized goslings), 2 Gadwall and a female Mallard with a brood of 12

tiny ducklings.

Ashtons Flash: 6 Lapwings, 4 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Ducks, 1 Buzzard and 1 Shelduck.

Vaughan Evans · Status: Offline

Saturday - Whinchat on Ashton's - Sorry slow to post

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

A single greenshank on the flash early morning.

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

female Marsh Harrier mid pm initially over Neumanns and then spent 10 minutes or so quartering over Ashtons

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Two Avocet on the flash mid morning, also drake Pintail and Redshank on Ashtons

John Williams · Status: Offline

Mid-morning visit

Neumanns Flash:

3f Goosanders, 1m Pintail, 8 adult Common Gulls, 9 Tufted Ducks, 4 Shelducks and 1 Grey Heron.

Ashtons Flash:

2 Oystercatchers (Earlier recorded on Neumanns), 5 Lapwings and 1 Buzzard.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Morning visit (Highlights)

Neumanns Flash :

1 pair of displaying Great Crested Grebes. 1f Goosander, 1 Buzzard, 16 Teal, 13 Tufted Ducks and 1 Shelduck.

Ashtons Flash:

1 Little Grebe.

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.00-11.15

Neumanns Flash:

111 Wigeon, 1m Reed Bunting, 1 Water Rail (Seen and heard squealing loudly), 2f Goosanders, 5 Shelducks,

10 Tufted Ducks, 8 Teal and 2 Great Crested Grebes.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Afternoon visit 13.00-15.00

Neumanns Flash:

2 adult Mediterranean together with 8 Common Gulls seen amongst a raft of gulls on the flash.

A very impressive gathering of 238 Wigeon, 8 Curlews, 18 Tufted Ducks, 16 Shovelers, 5 Shelducks

and a single drake Pintail. No sign of the Goldeneye pair seen last Thursday.

Ashtons Flash:

My highest ever count of Curlews here, 109 birds in total. As I was leaving a large number of Curlews

left Ashtons Flash and circled over the fields in Wincham.

10 Shovelers were noted on the pool at the Western end of the flash.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Mid-Morning visit

Neumanns Flash :

1m+1f Goldeneyes (Male seen displaying to female), 4 Shelducks, 13 Tufted Ducks, 2m Shovelers,

8 Common Gulls and a couple of flocks of Lapwings (Around 130 birds in total) seen flying towards Marbury CP.

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.30-12.00

Neumanns Flash: 1m Pintail, 10 Tufted Ducks, 4 Shelducks, 4 Shovelers,1 Gadwall,

15 Wigeon, 4 adult Common Gulls and 3f Bullfinches.

Ashtons Flash: 12 Shovelers.

Also 4 Goldcrests were on the tall ivy covered trees in the NW corner of Neumanns,

and 8 Redwings were on bushes alongside the Haydn Pool.

John Williams · Status: Offline

11.00-12.00

Neumanns Flash:

13 Shovelers, 8 Tufted Ducks, 3 Shelducks, 1m+1f Goosanders and 6 adult Common Gulls.

-- Edited by John Williams on Monday 30th of January 2023 05:44:23 PM

John Williams · Status: Offline

Morning visit

Neumanns Flash :4 Shelducks and 4 Shovelers.

Surprisingly, apart from a few Mallard, the above were the only ducks on the flash, and there no geese, swans

or grebes at all.

There were plenty of gulls though, mainly Black-Headed, but also a few Common, Herring and Lesser-Black Backs too.

A flock of round 12 Redwings together with a few Blackbirds were feeding on Ivy berries in the copse at the NE corner of the flash.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Lunchtime visit

Neumanns Flash: 14 Shoveler, 1m Wigeon, 2 Shelducks, 8 Tufted Ducks and a single Mute Swan.

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

A bit quiet at the Flashes, around midday, after walking over from Budworth Mere. Species seen 31, of note :-

Shoveler (4)
Wigeon (6)
Teal (21)
Tufted Duck (11)
Curlew (1)
Peregrine (1)
Cettis Warbler (1)
Nuthatch (1)
Linnet (2)
Reed Bunting (1)

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash (Lunchtime visit)

The flash was still frozen over, with just a few gulls resting on the ice, including a single adult Common Gull.

A Water Rail was seen to wander gingerly out onto the ice, but was easily spooked,

so it shot back into the reeds instead.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumans Flash Lunchtime visit

The flash was 100% frozen over, the only avian life seen was a single Magpie eating the remains of a dead goose.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash (Lunchtime)

160 Teal, 75 Wigeon, 8 Shovelers, 1 Grey Heron and 4 Common Gulls.

John Williams · Status: Offline

11.30-13.00

Neumanns Flash viewed from Pods Hide during heavy rain.

27 Teal, 1 Dunlin, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Water Rail, 1 Snipe, 2 Common Gulls, 4m Shovelers, 2 Tufted Ducks,

10 Wigeon, 1 Gadwall, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Cormorant.

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.30-12.00

Neumanns Flash: 210 Teal, 4 Shovelers, 150+ Black headed Gulls, 1m+1f Goosanders, 3 Tufted Ducks,

1 Water Rail, 4 Common Gulls and 1 Shelduck.

Also singles of Canada Goose and Mute Swan, both of whom looked uneasy at being on their own. Having the sad

corpses of 4 Canada and 2 Greylag Geese, plus 2 deceased Black headed Gulls around margins of the pool obviously

added to their anxiety.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumann's Flash Midday visit

1m+1f Ruff, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 200 Lapwings, 250+ Teal, 42 Shovelers, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Kestrel, 5 Common Gulls,

2 adult Herring Gulls, 1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull and 1 Cormorant.

Also amongst few feral geese was what appeared to be a Barnacle/Greylag hybrid, with a noticeably smaller size

compared to the Canadas and a light patch that covered the whole sides of the birds face.

Oddly only 6 Mallards were seen on the flash, plus a dead one close to the path leading to Pods Hide.

No Wigeon, Gadwall or Tufted Ducks were seen on the flash.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash 15.00-16.30

4 Ruff, 5 Snipe, 46 Wigeon, 26 Shoveler, 490 Lapwings, 2 Water Rails, 1 Raven, 1 Cormorant,

77 Teal, 1 Little Grebe and 1 Grey Heron.

Possible signs that Bird Flu has not gone away with a dead Canada Goose in the NE corner, whilst

nearby another bird of the same species showing real signs of distress/illness. It appeared also that

other Canada Geese on the flash were staying well clear of their sick and deceased fellows.

Oddly, crows seemed to be showing little interest in the dead goose too.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash Afternoon visit

4 Ruff, 474 Lapwings, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Cormorants, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard,

45 Wigeon, 16 Shovelers and 1 Common Gull. 70+ Teal flew in around 4pm together with the Wigeon.

Around 2pm 196 Greylag Geese, in 4 skeins, flew over heading North.

-- Edited by John Williams on Wednesday 5th of October 2022 06:53:02 PM

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.30-13.00

Neumanns Flash:

5 Dunlin, 4 Black tailed Godwits, 5 Curlews, 2 Snipe, 700+ Lapwings, 1 Water Rail, 35 Wigeon, 6 Grey Herons, 1 Little Grebe,

1 Cormorant, 6 Buzzards (5 seen climbing together on thermals) and 14 Swallows (In small groups heading West).

Ashtons Flash :

2 Chiffchaffs calling and showing really well in bushes by the bench on the bund overlooking Ashtons Flash.

John Williams · Status: Offline

12.00-14.30

Neumanns Flash :

1 Curlew, 4 juvenile + 1 adult Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Water Rails, 1 Common Gull, 2 Little Grebes and 710 Lapwings.

A Kestrel was on top of a pylon to the South of Ashtons Flash, whilst 250+ Starlings rested nearby.

80 Starlings were on wires near the Marsden entrance.

A very sickly looking Canada Goose was seen wobbling around the dried up area in the SW corner of Neumanns, the bird fell over a couple of

times and also staggered sideways at times. The goose was clearly determined to make it back to the main pool, but eventually just collapsed

onto an area of mud newly dampened by the rain.

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.00-13.30

Neumanns Flash :

1 Great Black Backed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Lapwings (The others were flushed by a Buzzard plus a crow, and fled),

1 Little Grebe, 2 Water Rails and 1 Buzzard. The eclipse Garganey had been seen before I arrived.

Ashtons Flash : 1 juvenile Peregrine.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Neumanns Flash 10.30-13.30

2 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Snipe, 220 Lapwings, 8 Common Gulls,

1 Great Black Backed Gull, 1 Cormorant, 1 Raven, 3 Grey Herons and 2 juvenile Water Rails.

A Reed Warbler showed well amongst the cut reed area in front of Pods hide.

20+ House Martins flew low over the flash during a heavy shower. Curlew heard only.

The Great Black Back (A sub-adult, had it not been August I'd have logged it as a 3rd winter) was tucking in to what

looked like a freshly dead duck, watched closely by a pair of crows. Only when the big gull gave up on the meal and left did

the crows begin to dine. When the corvids had eaten their fill a couple of Moorhens arrived to finish off the leftovers, clearly

showing the pecking order here. The huge gull chose to rest amongst a group of Canada Geese rather than the smaller gulls,

and appeared comparable in size to some of the geese.

No sign of the eclipse Garganey, although large numbers of moulting ducks had gathered in a tightly packed group in the NE

corner of the flash, so the Garganey may have been amongst them.

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Early am today 2 Great Egrets circled above the bund but didn't land and headed roughly SW, good views of eclipse Garganey in Mound Bay also 6 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper and Common Snipe.

John Williams · Status: Offline

12.30-14.30

Neumanns Flash :

1 juv. Goosander, 3 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Common Gulls, 1 juv. +1 adult Shelducks and 1 Grey Heron.

220 Lapwings rested along the Northern shoreline, until flushed by a crow.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Lunchtime visit

Neumanns Flash:

120 Lapwings, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 juvenile Water Rail, 1 adult Great Black Backed Gull and 1 adult Common Gull.

A mixed flock of Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits were seen working their way through the birch woodland.

Ashtons Flash : Arid and seemingly devoid of birds except for a passing Buzzard and a few Swifts.

John Williams · Status: Offline

Midday visit

Neumanns Flash: 1 Avocet, 1 Little Egret and 4 Oystercatchers.

During the rain all 3 common species of hirundines flew low across the flash.

John Williams · Status: Offline

10.15-12.00

Neumanns Flash : 88 Curlews, 600+ Lapwings, 1 juvenile Water Rail, 1f Sparrowhawk and 1 Chiffchaff.

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

12 Summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit on the flash earlier today + redshank, Little ringed Plover and a Common Tern.

Also Green Sandpiper yesterday and 7 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin on 5/7

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 7th of July 2022 05:56:38 PM

John Williams · Status: Offline

Midday visit

Neumanns Flash : 1 Little Egret, 1m Kestrel, 4 adult and 2 juvenile Oystercatchers, 1 Water Rail and 90+ Lapwings.

Ashtons Flash : Now completely dry and looking like semi-desert, a small flock of House Martins seemed content to fly catch

over the desolute looking flash though.