Eyes Lane - Sollom

[Paul Hodson]

A walk along Eyes lane and the canal at Sollom.

Common Whitethroat 4. Chiffchaff. Yellowhammer 5. Reed Bunting 6. Swallow 12. Oystercatcher. Lapwing. Buzzard. Goldfinch 5-10.

The canal at Sollom had Reed Warbler 10+ including a couple of fledglings being fed by parents. Sedge Warbler 2. Moorhen 3 including a newly hatched chick.

family party of 6 Goosander on the Douglas.

Dragonflies.
Black tailed skimmer 20+. Emperor 5. Brown Hawker 3 on the canal.

Brown Hawker 2 on Eyes lane.

Damselflies.
Blue tailed 30+. Banded Demoiselle 1 on the canal.

Butterflies.
Meadow Brown 12. Speckled Wood 1. Red Admral 9. Small Tortoiseshell 25+. Peacock 7. Gatekeeper 1.

3 large Terrapins on the canal. (did a bit of googling and I think they're Yellow bellied Sliders)
I was chatting to a dog walker about them who told me she'd seen several very small ones there, a fisherman in the same spot a few weeks ago told me the same thing. I always thought they couldn't breed in our climate, but perhaps thats no longer the case.

[DavidM]

HI Paul, Is the Canal at Sollom in the Chorley boundary?

[Paul Hodson]

Yes, but only just. The section that I walked forms part of the Chorley boundary as far as I know

[Leonard Poxon]

The old course of the River Douglas forms the boundary, from Eyes Lane northwards it is very close to the line of the Rufford Canal, but south of Eyes Lane it starts to diverge. If you go onto the website and then onto the map and expand the map you will see what I mean.

[Paul Hodson]

The stretch of canal in question is number J8 on the websites map; it's quite a good spot for dragonflies and damselflies on a sunny day.

[DavidM]

Cheers, thanks for that