I agree. The Pennington Flash bird was of course the same as Lightshaw / Longton Marsh.

In my opinion it's not the Lightshaw / Longton bird. I've seen other photos of this bird and the white patch on the face is larger and a different shape, especially on the left hand side, the bill looks a little larger and the neck a little longer. Also the white collar is brighter on this bird. Structurally it just doesn't look the same bird to me.

 

11am - 12pm 

lots of swallows on the middle lodge along with small flocks of linnets feeding on the grassy banks. 

Only bird of note was this tiny Canada goose that caught my eye, possible Richardson's Cackling Goose ? or some sort of hybrid. 

Had a very productive local patch walk this afternoon with my first wheatear of the year. And as I was lay in the grass photographing it, I caught a glimpse out of the corner my eye of what I thought was a large gull circling the top lodge which on closer inspection was an Osprey! Managed a few record shots before it flew of high North West at 2;35pm nice first ever GM tick for me 

of note:

x1 Osprey

x1 Male Wheatear 

x1 Raven 

X2 oyster catcher 

x1 female goosander 

x5 linnet 

x2 great black backed gulls 

short visit as part of my exercising for the day.

Highlights include:

Meadow pipit
Linnet
Little egret
Goosander
Rook
Common gull

Plenty of black headed gulls in the surrounding fields, but no sign of any Mediterranean gulls on this occasion.

Ta!

3pm:

Both Mediterranean gulls still present on the middle lodge.

Also 1 female wigeon.

On the field adjacent to the sub station, had a Leucistic starling in a flock of aprox 100. Got my heart racing until I had a closer inspection! Managed a few record shots of it until a sparrowhawk ploughed into them all and they dispersed in terror 

3,30pm : Pair of Mediterranean gulls with a flock of 47 black-headed gulls foraging in the field off Bentley Hall Rd ..I assume these are the same returning pair as one has the leg ring above the right knee.. Couldn't get close enough to get any details. Will keep trying 

Yesterday had a flock of 63 redwing in the same field too. 

Mediterranean gull still present. Only seems to have one leg and is showing distress when trying to walk. Or it could be an entanglement. It's on the private side of the middle lodge so I can't get close enough to check it properly. 

It can fly ok though and has survived a few weeks here now on its own so it must be feeding ok 

-- Edited by Martin Loftus on Saturday 19th of September 2020 02:48:34 PM

Had a walk around here as a change from Elton and was surprised how few birds are in the trees between the bottom and middle lodges. Around the top lodge i saw a few Coal tits,Long tail tits,Robins and Goldcrests. Lots of Canada geese leaving the water to forage in surrounding fields.
Can anyone tell me what the prickly bushes with fibrous seeds are on the farm side of the top lodge?

-- Edited by Phil Hilton on Saturday 15th of August 2020 10:28:26 AM

8am till 10,30am

Both Mediterranean Gulls present, spending most of the time on the field behind Meadowcroft farm.

Definitely the same returning pair . 

Good extensive walk round the area this morning from Walshaw. 

Of note: 

On the way I flushed a Woodcock from near Walshaw nursing home plus had 3 female bullfinch.

X1 Kestrel around the top lodge.

Middle lodge:

X9 Cormorants 

X12 Goosander (4m, 8f)

Family of 5 Jays making a hell of a racket.

And to my surprise had a female kingfisher sat sunning itself for over 25 mins..was just too far away to get a sharp photo  but it's not very often I see one on here. 

 

3- 4.30pm

Around the top lodge, of note:

X1 common tern 

X1 buzzard

X1 male sparrowhawk 

Middle lodge: 

X2 oystercatcher 

X2 lapwing 

Cheers for that Rob , 

Had a reply from the  Belgian ringing scheme  last week mentioning that .. Will just have to wait till next year ..

Cheers 

We (Me Steve Higginbottom & Gary Taylor) went back this morning to try to get the missing ring digit off the Mediterranean Gull ..and failed , as Rob Archer said the grass is too long now..I got some partial images ive studied, and  recon its either a 9, 7, or a 2 which doesn't really help much . At first they were both on the middle lodge, but soon flew onto the fields behind Meadowcroft farm with all the black-headed Gulls.. but were very distant until the cows came over to us giving us some cover from the eyeline of the gulls and they eventually came with in a photographable distance. 

That's a great effort getting those photos Martin .. I've tried a few times but not managed anything like that , even with some help from Mr Warburton ..

Not 100% we've got enough numbers / letters as yet but possibly reads E97920..

I've emailed the photos to Lee Barber at BTO for his opinion ..

It will be great to know exactly where it's from as it's now in its 4th year returning ..

-- Edited by rob archer on Monday 11th of March 2019 04:33:50 PM

2 Mediterranean Gulls on the middle reservoir today. A Curlew also dropped in and an Oystercatcher was present.

Info thanks to Brian Fogg

11,30 - 1pm 

Of note:

A single curlew was flying around the middle lodged calling loudly before flying off south 

×2 oystercatcher on middle lodge.

Had a sparrowhawk take an unfortunate starling in front of me  just off Bentley Hall lane.

X2 Mediterranean Gulls both on the fields along Slaidburn Drive. 

Pair of Mediterranean Gull by Meadow Croft Farm this morning .. one of the birds is metal ringed and are presumably the same returning birds from previous years .. 

 

12.30-2pm

X1 Mediterranean gull

X5 goosander (1m 4f)

X3 buzzards displaying high up in the thermals. 

X2 oystercatcher 

I also found a deceased tawny owl in one of the fields behind the sub station. I checked it over the best I could to eliminate any fowl play, yet It was lay on its back surrounded by plucked feathers with its breast plucked out when I found it. So I recon it was either predated or was just a cusualty of the winter and then it has been scavenged. 

Am visit this morning highlights up till 10:00am
1 Ring necked parakeet flew over being mobbed by 2 Carrion crows.
1 Green Sandpiper.
15 Lapwings.

Cheers Steven.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 16th of December 2018 03:41:45 PM

1,30pm - 4pm. Top lodge,  inlet gully. 

      Female sparrowhawk, male and female Stonechat, X2 kestrels, buzzard, heron and a green sandpiper. 

Short eard owl came out at aprox 3pm, giving excellent views until dark. Being very mobile. Watched it catch at least 2 rodents. 

Short-eared Owl still here , out and about in the light rain  which was a surprise. 

Green Sandpiper in the upper inlet gully.. Assuming it's the same bird, this is it's 5th consecutive winter on the same bit of mud .

-- Edited by rob archer on Thursday 6th of December 2018 10:31:11 AM

Excellent spot by Rob!  

 Me and Steve Higginbottom spent the last hour of darkness watching the Short-eared owl this afternoon. It was mainly quartering around the marsh next to the golf course yet sometimes coming very close. would have loved for some better light as it was still misty, yet it was still an excellent GM tick for us both.  

also of note: Green Sandpiper on top res and a semi leucistic crow.

-- Edited by Martin Loftus on Tuesday 4th of December 2018 06:12:34 PM

Short-eared Owl hunting around the upper reservoir this evening..