Yeah turtle doves used to breed there every year, and were still there when I first used to go back in the mid eighties. I think they stopped coming about 10-15 years ago, though one did visit a couple of years back but didn't hang around. I still get down there every so often but no luck these days. Good for warblers in summer- garden and grasshopper are there, and lesser whitethroat nearby in Glazebrook.
could not find any scaup when I called in today but had a cracking ringtailed harrier over moat road coming from moss-side lane end going over the pits, blooming shame the county boundary is in the wrong place, nice little patch this, believe it used to be a good site for turtle dove a while back. keep birding
You go along the A57 from Irlam towards Warrington. Carry on (past a right turn to Glazebrook and after that the left turn that takes you toward Dunham Massey B5159) and shortly after the DM turn off you will see a garden centre on the right. Immediately before this is Moat Lane - turn right down there.
Approx quarter of a mile down you will see a gap in the bank on the left with some boulders placed in it. Park in the space opposite and then go back through the gap to view the large pool there. There are small clay pits all along the right of this lane but I haven't seen much on them.
