Out and about .

[gary lilley]

YV PARK, 7 new species , coot , kingfisher , mute swan , tufted duck , mandarin , g c grebe , goosander , the kingfisher flew across the big lodge ,21 tufted duck ( only 3 fem ) 5 goosander ( 3m , 2 f ) , 1 fem mandarin on big lodge , 4 adult mute swan and 2 juv on the yarrow , no sign of dipper .
Common bank lodge , 1 new species , little grebe , 1 juv mute swan , 9 moorhen , 1 buzzard , 1 dead woodpigeon in the water .
8 new species brings me up to 65 species .

[ianball]

Hi Gary
Was it definitely a Woodpigeon in the water? There was a Mallard last week dead. I have encountered the group of lads with air rifles again recently and wondering then if I need to report it again, after issues with them last year.
Cheers
Ian

[gary lilley]

Definite woodpigeon Ian , also spotted the dead drake mallard .

[Neville Root]

All a bit worrying about the shooting starting again we heard shots (although could have been fireworks) from our house last night. The dead woodpigeon is quite near the path, but cannot tell 100% if it had been shot. Also only spotted 1 little grebe when recently I've always previously seen 2, so have to wonder. Might be worth contacting the police\Council about it Ian, especially with the amount of walkers and dogs down there.
I took a walk up (mainly up the R Chor as there is no footpath) Big Wood to Edge Hill College and the edge of Astley Park. Similar sightings to Common Bank - buzzard, GSW, feral and woodpigeon (minus one!), gr wagtail, song thrush, nuthatch, treecreeper, gr - bl - LT tit, goldcrest. About 200 gulls in the sewage works (c.50 herring and the rest BH) and another goldcrest (about time we got a firecrest down there).

Feral pigeon and GSW takes Chorley species total for the year to 63.

[ianball]

Neville
There were some fireworks last night at about 7.30ish. Definitely 3 Little Grebes this afternoon - pair at far end and single bird by the dam. The silting of the pond is making it harder to spot them. I have a contact number for the police regards past issues so will let them know
Cheers all
Ian

[Leonard Poxon]

Gary,

What was your New Species?

I was there at 11:30 this morning and heard what I thought was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

I also saw 1 Mute Swan; 6 Moorhen; 2 Coot; 1 Mallard; 1 Little Grebe*; several Blue Tit, Great Tit & Coal Tit; heard 3 Nuthatch & a Willow Tit*; 2 Dunnock, 2 Robin, 2 Song Thrush & 3 Blackbird & 2 Goldfinch.

Excluding the possible LSW, 2 new species takes my total to 69.

[ianball]

Hi Len
Welcome to my frustration at Common Bank. Over the last 12 months I have heard possible LSW on about half a dozen occasions, sometimes it has been Nuthatch making very similar calls. There are 2 GSW down there and always sound normal. I have had one possible sighting high in the trees during this time, but nothing definite.
Ian

[Leonard Poxon]

Hi Ian,

I heard it when I was near the first 'bridge' from high in the canopy towards the houses, but it never repeated the call and I did not see it. I did not hear any GSW this morning.

Len

[Neville Root]

The GSW I saw was at about 11.30 flying high up and calling from Big Wood towards Common Bank Lodge - it looked smallish but defo a GSW. Following the LSW discussion at the Committee meeting on Thurs and few possibles from Ian in the area I too was searching for one. The wood on the other side of Collingwood Road from Common Bank seems little used (probably due to tricky access) and worth exploring more.

[gary lilley]

Little grebe was my new species Len .

[paul b]

The GSW I saw was at about 11.30 flying high up and calling from Big Wood towards Common Bank Lodge - it looked smallish but defo a GSW. Following the LSW discussion at the Committee meeting on Thurs and few possibles from Ian in the area I too was searching for one. The wood on the other side of Collingwood Road from Common Bank seems little used (probably due to tricky access) and worth exploring more.

For those not on the Committee we discussed a concerted "hunt" by members for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in our area in the leafless woods in the next few weeks
-should be more info in the next newsletter.