The image on Google is way out of date. There was major habitat work done in 2003-4 and again this year, and the Google aerial pre-dates all that.
A total for Horrocks Flash for duck numbers would be great - if there is anything special you could say "front pool" - this is facing the canal - or Rainfords (that's the pool as you go over the level crossing N of the causeway which is not complete now), or Back Pool (round the back where that useless viewing screen is, much better to climb up the concrete blocks!). We call the side pools alongside the track by the Liverpool-Wigan railway line the Railway pools, and the pool south of the causeway North Pool.
Cheers
__________________
Judith Smith
__________________________________
Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
judith,will do, do you want numbers for what i see on each bit of the flash on just a total for horrocks flash area please let me know.Last time the smew was absent it was hiding on turners fash,but i also think there is an unviewable area in the centre of horrocks(google earth shows it as land but i don,t know how old those images are)the red crested pochard was gliding in that direction when spotted
Geoff - could you include numbers for all the ducks etc other than Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, so that I can enter them up in the database? Thanks. The Smew must have somewhere else to go - maybe the new habitat in the centre of Horrocks which is not viewable - not there on Friday!
__________________
Judith Smith
__________________________________
Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
hi all, missed last week but made up with this weeks viewing smew red crested pochard shovler pink footed goose mute swan coot black swan moorhen heron canada goose wigeon 1 oyster catcher pochard 30 tufted duck goosander 2 ruddy duck jay 2 b h gull (200+) cormorant senisis cormorant(i think) mallard greylag g c grebe lapwing 1
the smew was showing quite well,the red crested was spotted on the back water,s and couldn,t be refound later it must have hidie hole lots of small stuff to see but the rain got to me