Scotsmans Flash : 4f Goldeneyes, 2 Cettis Warblers (1 showing well), 2 Great Crested Grebes and 2m+1f Pochards.
Pearsons Flash : 2 Cettis Warblers (1 seen & 1 heard calling), 2f Goldeneyes, 2 Gadwall, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Buzzard.
Horrocks Flash : 1m Pochard, 6 Lapwings, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Gadwall and 2 Teal.
A single Willow Warbler by Horrocks Flash was the only one seen or heard throughout.
A Mistle Thrush was seen near the new bridge over the canal.
Sad to see that extensive patches of reeds have destroyed by fire on Pearsons Flash.
The towpath below the newly installed bridge is closed on the Pearsons Flash side of the canal at the moment.
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 16th of April 2019 05:27:03 PM
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 16th of April 2019 05:30:59 PM
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 16th of April 2019 05:31:58 PM
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 16th of April 2019 05:32:41 PM
Walk along towpath of 'Leeds - Liverpool Canal' from Dover Basin (Abram) - Horrocks Flash - Scotmans Flash - then across Moss Bridge to Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash and Bryn Marsh - and return. N.B. Limited view on to Pearson's Flash as path is closed next to canal on that side.
Redpoll x 3 Willow Tit x 2 Reed Bunting x 5 Goosander x 14 (2 Males and 12 Females) - mainly on Horrocks Flash Goldeneye x 4 Shoveler x 4 Little Grebe x 2 Teal x 2 Oystercatcher x 9 Gadwall x 8 Great Crested Grebe x 7 Buzzard x 2 Kestrel x 1 Mute Swan x 6 Coal Tit x 1 Goldfinch x 7 House Sparrow x 10 Jay x 2 Cormorant x 3 Tufted Duck x 30 Coot x 40 Moorhen x 5 Black-Headed Gull x 100 plus Robin x 1 Chaffinch x 5 Blue Tit x 4 Great Tit x 7 Blackbird x 3 Dunnock x 1 Magpie x 8 Crow x 5 Mallard x 40 Canada Geese x 50 Greylag Geese x 4 Woodpigeon x 15
Walk along towpath of 'Leeds - Liverpool Canal' from Platt Bridge - past Horrocks Flash - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - then across Moss Bridge to Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash and Bryn Marsh - and return.
Redpoll x 1 Willow Tit x 2 Reed Bunting x 2 Goosander x 12 (4 Males and 8 Females) Goldeneye x 3 Shoveler x 7 Pochard x 1 (on Pearsons Flash - limited views as path is closed on that side) Great Crested Grebe x 3 Long-Tailed Tit x 2 Collared Dove x 2 Mute Swan x 2 Goldfinch x 2 House Sparrow x 10 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 1 Grey Heron x 1 Jay x 1 Cormorant x 3 Tufted Duck x 40 Coot x 55 Moorhen x 5 Black-Headed Gull x 70 Robin x 7 Chaffinch x 15 Blue Tit x 10 Great Tit x 8 Blackbird x 5 Magpie x 3 Crow x 10 Mallard x 40 Canada Geese x 4 Woodpigeon x 1
Also, Fox seen walking across frozen Horrocks Flash - presumably after feeding on dead duck on the ice on the other side of the flash.
2 Cettis Warbler singing at Bryn Marsh today and 1 singing at Ochre Flash Approx 100 Redpoll feeding at Bryn Marsh alongside the railway 45 Goldfinch feeding in Birch by Killington Close 42 Blue Tit formed the bulk of a tit flock which moved along the canal at Bryn Marsh
-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 1st of December 2018 02:43:10 PM
In 4 hours this morning birds included at least 2 Crossbill going high south over Bryn Marsh, very vocal but I couldnt pick them up against the sky, other birds moving south were 7 Skylark, 1 Redpoll and a few Meadow Pipit 5 singing Cettis Warbler 7 Water Rail calling in Bryn Marsh 35 Gadwall on Ochre Flash
Some highlights from today were a Cettis Warbler calling fairly frequently in front of the Bryn Marsh viewing screen and showing occasionally along base of reed stems on edge of channel, a Peregrine on a pylon there, 2 Siskin, 3 Goldeneye
Approx 3,000 Swallow roosted at Pearsons Flash this evening, where wildfowl included 5 Wigeon and 7 Shoveler Approx 2,500 Black-Headed Gull still roosting on Scotmans Flash, with 1 Common Gull among them, though very few large gulls. Cettis Warblers singing at Pearsons Flash and south end of Scotmans Flash nr Moss Bridge. One was singing in Bryn Marsh on Friday 31st August
2463 Black-Headed Gull counted roosting on Scotmans Flash tonight, along with 52 Lesser Black-Backed Gull and 1 Common Gull 4 Snipe flew from Scotmans Flash to Waddicars Flash
Thanks for the I.D. dave,to be fair I do need an eye test,I,ve only seen Greenshank a couple of times, and have never heard one before.The group on,t flash were very vocal which gave them away as strangers, the flight call on/ Birdguides is very good for confirmation.Also of interest 2 Cetti,s warbler 1 rear of Horrocks and 1 Bryn marsh both heard only but the same half hearted effort at a call presumed/wild guess they are this years juv.
geoff & trixie
-- Edited by Geoff Hargreaves on Tuesday 14th of August 2018 09:15:38 PM
4 juvenile Greenshank currently on Horrocks Flash viewed from canal, thanks to Geoff Hargreaves for heads up as to presence of waders only seen with his naked eye, a man who obviously doesnt need an eye test!
-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 14th of August 2018 11:07:03 PM
a Curlew flew SW this evening Approx 600 Hirundines roosted at Pearsons Flash, about three quarters of which were Sand Martins, the rest Swallows 415 Coot were on Scotmans-Pearsons Flashes 2 Pochard on Pearsons, where a Cettis Warbler briefly sang
More on the lookout for dragonflies (which were surprisingly low in number), but did see 11 oystercatchers which struck me as being a good number. Also a willow tit by the canal towpath, and a redpoll over a couple of times.
Spent a couple of hours round Horrocks Flash this morning.
The Black-headed Gull colony is in full swing, I didn't even attempt a count. There were at least 12 Common Terns, but this is a minimum figure as they were quite active and a few disappeared along the canal with possibly others returning. I only heard a couple of Reed Warblers which surprised me. Blackcaps and Willow Warblers were seemingly everywhere. A single Willow Tit was on the banks of the Canal. The back pools were very quiet with just a few Canada Geese, Tufted Duck and 2 Gadwall.
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At Scotmans Flash late afternoon an Oystercatcher on the dismantled railway embankment at the north end and 2 Common Tern, 1 bathing in middle of the water for a while. 2 House Martin among small numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin. Single Cettis Warblers singing at Pearsons and Scotmans Flashes
Swallow x 1 (over Scotmans Flash - 1st of year for me) Sand Martin x 50 (over Scotmans Flash and Pearsons Flash) Kingfisher x 1 Willow Warbler x 1 Bullfinch x 2 Buzzard x 1 Pochard x 4 Reed Bunting x 5 Great Crested Grebe x 6 Jay x 2 Grey Heron x 5 Canada Geese x 40 Greylag Geese x 4 Cormorant x 3 Wren x 1 Long-Tailed Tit x 5 Robin x 3 Blue Tit x 9 Great Tit x 4 Dunnock x 1 Chaffinch x 1 Blackbird x 4 House Sparrow x 5 Tufted Duck x 50 Mute Swan x 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 10 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Mallard x 30 Woodpigeon x 5 Carrion Crow x 4 Rook x 3 Magpie x 10 Coot x 30 Moorhen x 4 Oystercatcher x 2 Song Thrush x 1
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 7th of April 2018 06:03:49 PM
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 7th of April 2018 06:04:47 PM
A first-winter drake Scaup on Scotmans Flash this morning 1 Swallow among c200 Sand Martin 1 singing Willow Warbler 1 Cettis Warbler 22 Golden Plover flew NE a trickle of Meadow Pipit moving N, 12 counted
An Osprey was seen there again this morning by another observer at 09:20
-- Edited by dave broome on Thursday 5th of April 2018 06:31:22 PM
Sedge Warbler collecting nesting material near the little bridge leading down to Hawkley viewing screen . Also on top of the adjacent reeds was a Cettis Warbler.
Smew - drake looking settled to roost at Scotsman's Flash 17.00 -17.35 in front of the sailing club and distant from the towpath (see twitter for video). (No sign at the other site near the DW Stadium after 16.00). Rubbish pics attached, distant, low light, blah blah
Cetti's Warbler 1 in song by the towpath bridge at the Hawksley end
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along towpath of Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - and return.
No sign of Drake Smew or Whooper Swans for me - but still a nice selection of birds on view (41 in total).
Little Egret x 1 (in flight over Dover Lock heading towards Lightshaw Meadows / Pennington Flash at 15:50 hrs.) Willow Tit x 1 Sparrowhawk x 1 Buzzard x 1 Wigeon x 8 Pochard x 10 Teal x 2 Goldeneye x 6 Shoveler x 10 Goosander x 4 Reed Bunting x 4 Bullfinch x 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1 Greylag Geese x 4 Canada Geese x 70 Great Crested Grebe x 2 Little Grebe x 1 Long Tailed Tit x 8 Jay x 2 Mistle Thrush x 1 Mute Swan x 5 Tufted Duck x 50 Cormorant x 4 Carrion Crow x 10 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Great Black-Backed Gull x 3 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 7 Herring Gull x 10 Grey Heron x 2 Magpie x 15 Goldfinch x 4 Blackbird x 10 Dunnock x 2 Robin x 15 Chaffinch x 1 Blue Tit x 7 Great Tit x 6 Coot x 30 Moorhen x 25 Mallard x 50 House Sparrow x 10
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Saturday 3rd of March 2018 05:32:19 PM
Friday, 23rd February 2018. 11:00 - 16:00 hrs. Sunny but biting cold (needed five layers on today plus wooly hat, gloves and snood scarf!)
Walk from Dover Lock Inn (Abram) along towpath of Leigh branch of Leeds-Liverpool canal - Horrocks Flash - Hawkley Viewing Screen - Ochre Flash - Bryn Marsh - Scotmans Flash - Pearsons Flash - and return
Drake Smew x 1 (showed briefly at 13:45 hrs to east of Scotmans Flash 20 metres from canal towpath - with small group of tufted ducks) Willow Tit x 1 Wigeon x 3 Teal x 2 Goldeneye x 10 Shoveler x 4 Goosander x 6 Reed Bunting x 5 Bullfinch x 4 Greylag Geese x 2 Canada Geese x 50 Great Crested Grebe x 4 Little Grebe x 2 Greenfinch x 3 Long Tailed Tit x 5 Jay x 1 Mistle Thrush x 1 Buzzard x 2 Mute Swan x 10 Tufted Duck x 40 Cormorant x 6 Carrion Crow x 4 Black-Headed Gull x 100 Lesser Black-Backed Gull x 4 Magpie x 15 Blackbird x 3 Dunnock x 4 Robin x 7 Chaffinch x 5 Blue Tit x 8 Great Tit x 7 Coot x 60 Mallard x 50
Saw lapwing in field by side of east Lancs Road on way home.
-- Edited by Steve Judge on Friday 23rd of February 2018 05:10:55 PM