A greenshank on Pool 1 (large pool) off Moat Lane this evening, plus lr plover, redshank and a green sandpiper on Pool 2. Pools look ideal for waders since they've been pumped out.

Quail reported from Rixton today, no details

Moat Lane pools are private property and owned by the brickworks. Until now I guess they have turned a blind eye to birders, people walking dogs and kids swimming in the pools. Apparently as part of the Enviornmental Permit to operate they have to keep the water levels down and they are currently too high. Also the insurers seem to have become concerned about liability etc

Consequently a pump has been installed and will operate for the next two weeks to lower the water in the main pool. The equipment will be guarded 24/7. New fencing is about to be installed to prevent unauthorised access.

The nearby landfill site on Prospect Lane has also been accumulating gulls - I counted 620+ LBBG's yesterday evening. This has now triggered a separate permit requirement and scarers have been introduced today to disperse the gulls.

On the birding front, a pair of Common Terns have successfully fledged two youngsters on the smaller pool. I first spotted them here on 5th May - not entirely sure when they turned up. The eggs hatched on or around 7th June and the juveniles fledged yesterday or possibly Monday. Cracking success for these pools.

Two male Yellow Wags on the mosses yesterday plus at least 17 Reed Buntings and 2 Corn Buntings. Green Woodpeckers have also bred in the area this year.

Rixton Clay Pits
10.30am-1.30pm

Garden Warbler singing in scrub on opposite side of Moat Lane to the fisherman's gate.
1 Reed Warbler
Lots of Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats etc.
2 Willow Tits together (pair?)
4 Jays
GS Woodpecker hole with noisy chicks in + adults nearby
1 each of Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel all overhead
30+ Lapwing
1 Little Grebe
1 GC Grebe
1 Mute Swan
20+ Tufted Duck

Also a fox with a rabbit in its mouth trotting down the path towards me before it realised and turned back round !

Butterflies: 1 Small Copper, 1 Orange Tip, a few Common Blues

22 Wheatears around the mosses today - 13 together in first ploughed field on left on Prospect Lane and rest in various fields off Woodend and Holly Bush Lanes

2 Yellow Wags (both males) - one off Prospect Lane and other at top end of Holly Bush Lane
6 White Wagtails
4 Buzzards
8 Grey Partridges (4 prs)
60+ Carrion Crows
9 Teal (pool at base of tip)
18 Linnets
16 Skylarks

4 Wheatears still off Prospect Lane today

Also 2 Buzzards and 2 Grey Partridge plus a piece of yellow foam doing a sterling impersonation of a Yellow Wag!

This afternoon -

Moat Lane Pool:

215 Tufted Duck
42 Gadwall
2 Shoveler
4 Teal
10 Mallard
56 Coot
3 Moorhen
2 Little Grebe
1 Cormorant
1 Kestrel
Fox strolling along the path

Hollybush & Woodend Lanes:

36 Corn Bunting
50+ Linnet
18 Fieldfare
2 Mistle Thrush
2 Buzzard
2 Kestrel

Loads of corvids!

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Thursday 3rd of December 2009 05:36:17 PM

Rixton NR - southern end:
Garden Warbler singing and showing well near new wardens hut next to where path slopes down to reserve.
Also a good flock of 25+ Lesser Redpoll feeding in tree tops east of hut.
G S Woodpecker on ground and acting like a Green Woodpecker!
Nuthatch on woodland path
plus usual other warblers: Willow, Chiffs and Whitethroat - lots + Blackcap just 1

and the usual large Terrapin sunning itself in its favourite place viewable from the bridge.

Pools west of Moat Lane:
Possible reeling Grasshopper Warbler- but only distant and short so couldn't quite get my ear in !
2 Buzzard
1 Kestrel
1 GC Grebe on pool
plus more of the usual warblers

Grasshopper warbler reeling left of Moat Lane pool (other side of Moat Lane from reserve) 6.45am. Still singing when I left at 7.45am.

Eight Wheatears at lunch. Pair in field by landfill site off Propect Lane and six in field between Prospect and Woodend Lanes.

Moat Lane - 4.30-5.30pm

Three chiffchaffs in the wood.
A lone swallow on the telegraph wire over the horse field at the front of the compressor station.

Moat Lane pool at lunch:

3 Pintails (2 drakes and a duck) - flew off west
138 Tufty
59 Gadwall
58 Coot
1 Little Grebe
7 Cormorants
2 GBBG's with 1 Herring Gul and 40+ BHG

Tip was very quiet except for 2 Kestrels and a Grey Wagtail

500+ Wood Pigeons and 30+ Lapwing at end of Holly Bush Lane with a Buzzard flying over.

Next field over - 140+ Fieldfare and 4 Mistle Thrush

Mid afternoon

225 Tufty
2 Pochard
3 Shoveler
7 Gadwall
3 Little Grebe
61 Coot
2 Moorhen
10 Fieldfare
1 Buzzard

Can you elucidate on this further Mr McKerchar, or is it from one of the County`s "secret" sites ?

Re Turtle Doves - the latest (ie from published County Reports) for Lancs and Cheshire are as follows ;

Lancs - Leighton Moss, 27th May 2006.

Cheshire - Leasowe, 22nd Sep to 30th 2006.

The last GM record was one over Plank Lane, near Pennington Flash on 8th Sep 2002.

I went to Rixton this morning to look for the Cuckoo. No sign - but a Greenshank on the small spit on the pool west of Moat Lane briefly before flying back over the hilly bank to the area currently being used for clay extraction from where it seemed to originally come from. First Greenshank I've ever had here after 25+ years of coming to Rixton !

Also:
1 Kingfisher
89 Canada Geese
5 Tufted Duck
1 GS Woodpecker
20+ Goldfinch
1 Buzzard

During a wander around the nature reserve a Green Woodpecker called from woods but I didn't see it.

Has anybody had a Turtle Dove at Rixton this year (or recent years) ? Used to be reliable site. Not had one for about 5 years here.

Juvenile Cuckoo still present. It flitted around in the tops of bushes and gradually came closer until it was no more than 20 feet away.

Looking at the bird it doesn't seem to be in really good condition, it looks a bit thin (though I am no expert). I am not optimistic about its chances of surviving migration. I also wonder how much of its current boldness is driven by hunger. Am half tempted to go and buy it a tub of meal worms!

Other than the Cuckoo the place was extremely quiet - even the Canada's have gone.

Mike

Juvenile Cuckoo still showing off at lunch. Watched it foraging on the path - doesn't seem overly bothered by people.

2 Buzzards overhead, 4 Herons also present and Canada Geese up to 114.