A Green Woodpecker overwintered in Leverhulme park about 10+ years ago, ( without digging out old records), apart from that they are rare in Bolton area, as previously mentioned the best areas are Lead Mine Clough and areas towards Anglezarke, but that is going towards Lancs recording area, so be careful.
Psilo wrote: Now you mention it Ian I thought I heard one in that area last April when I went after the black necked grebe. Never saw it though. Thanks.
-- Edited by Psilo at 19:53, 2007-01-22
-- Edited by Psilo at 19:54, 2007-01-22
there are nuthatches and goldcrests in borsdane woods ,hindley.Take some seed or digestive buiscuits and put them in the jam jar lids on the fence 200yards past the tunnel.where the path splitsto the right is a good spot to stand and wait .
Hi Psilo and Steven, The Green Woodpecker sightings at Pennington nearly always come from the `ruck` area, i.e from the path at Rammy`s outwards towards Plank Lane and back along the canal - in a big `triangle` if you like. I have yet to see one there but I always have a go !
Today I went to Moss bank park hoping to photograph nuthatches (they are reasonably tame in the animal section as they come for the food put down for the ornemental birds there) Sadly the animal centre was closed due to storm damage and I could hear two nuthatches calling loudly from round the back and laughing at me all the way back to the car!!
Jim I certainly think that the nuthatches are heading in your direction.
Re green woodpecker I too have seen them recorded on the board at pennington flash many times but have never seen or heard them. I have been spending alot more time at crompton lodges so will keep my ears open for them. Lead mins clough. I dont know that place. Maybe it is worht a visit, thanks.
I think sightings can be hard as they are uncommon and very shy. After a few years of virtually no sightings I had a good year this year. Locally I saw them at
29 March a female at Crompton Lodges
1 April Longworth Moor
And the best place where I believe they bred thsi year was at Lead Mines Clough nr Anglezarke. I have also seen them at Rivington in previous years.
Also what frustrated me was going to Pennington and seeing Green Wooodpecker on the board, knowing full well I wasn't going to see it. I have since found out the person used to see them first thing in the morning on route to Pennington by the canal.
Pennington is a great place but one thing I am glad about not going anymore is reading the birds seen knowing full well I am not going to see them or the numbers stated.
re: Green Woodpecker I once saw one along Eagley Brook behimd Birtenshaw it must have been nesting it was about 20 yrs ago . Also one I saw flying near Dunscar Golf Club in the wood some years ago.
Nice to hear about the Nuthatches. I live on Belmont Road at Horrocksfold, so I hope they expand up here.
Re Green Woodpecker - I've had odd birds on several occasion in the past few years in the area behind the Top Shop on Belmont Road. Indeed, I heard one calling from that direction only a week or two ago.
I dont know how long they have been in this area but they have certainly been in the woods here in the 10 years I have been watching for birds. Of interest though I have only seen them regularly in the trees (which are huge oaks and sycamores) on my street in the last 2 years. I have also found nest sites int he woods here so it certainly seems that they are thriving.
One thing that does baffle me about this area though is the lack of green woodpecker. Here we have very mature deciduous woodland and lots of fields and moors and yet I in 16 years I have never seen or heard one around here. In fact I think someone recorded having seen one up near crompton lodges is I think the closest I have heard of them around here.
In contrast at my local patch, Crompton Lodges I have yet to see one although there have been the odd sightings. They prefer trees like old oak than willow and alder
Last year I was lucky enough to stumble on nest hole in Rivington fanatastic watching them.
Anybody know how long they have been around North Bolton. When I was younger, 20 years ago, going through my first birdwatching spell I never saw one and always associated them with down south.
Yes Boltonlad they are very prolific here. I have an allotment next to the woods and I see them flying over and calling daily. I have even seen them in the trees on my street.
The woods at smithalls also has kingfisher and dipper.
Thats very interesting about the one in Astley Bridge. When I was young there were no nuthatches in the Bolton area - they have colonised this region havent they. 1 man in the Sweetloves area of Bolton had nuthatch nesting in his garden nestbox last year.
There are alot of nuthatches in that area. I live opposite Smithalls country park and the woods there are full of them. I have even seen them on the pavement by the A666 in Astley bridge itself.
