Friday, 22 May 2026

Pennington Flash Evening Birding

DATE: 22nd May 2026

TIME: 5pm - 7pm

WEATHER: Breezy, Sunny Spells, 16C - a very nice evening

Another few hours watching for the Osprey, and once again it didn’t appear. Even so, there was no shortage of other birds to keep us busy.

  • Wren
  • Blue Tit
  • Great Tit 
  • Longtailed Tit
  • Swift
  • Great Black Backed Gull
  • Grey Heron
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Coot
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Canada Geese
  • Greylag Geese
  • Mute Swan
  • Wood Pigeon
  • Collard Dove
  • Greenfinch
  • Mallard and Ducklings
  • Mandarin Duck


Mallard Ducklings

Mallard Ducklings

Mallard Ducklings

Greylag Goose

Mandarin Duck (Drake)

Mandarin Duck (Drake)

Canada Goose / Mandarin Duck

Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Great Black Backed Gull

Great Crested Grebe

Great Black Backed Gull with Duckling - That's Nature

Sunday, 17 May 2026

Pennington Flash Nature Reserve

DATE: 17th May 2026

TIME: 2pm - 4.30pm

WEATHER: Overcast 15C, Sunny Spells, Breezy

A beautiful bird of prey — an Osprey — has been seen around the flash over the last few weeks. A few lucky people have even watched it fishing, though I haven’t managed to spot it myself just yet.

Ospreys are still considered rare breeding birds in the UK, with an estimated 300–400 breeding pairs nationwide.

There have also been reports of Cuckoos in the area. I’ve heard their call, though I’ve not caught sight of one so far.

Still, it’s hard to feel disappointed when simply being out in the fresh air, watching the new goslings and ducklings, is such a rewarding way to spend time.

Coot

Coot

Canada Geese

Canada Geese

Mallard

Great Black Backed Gull

Mum & Dad with Youngsters

Lapwing

Thursday, 14 May 2026

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Garden Birds

 Key features to look out for

  • About the size of a Blackbird, but more slender
  • Black, white and red plumage (on belly)
  • Males have a red patch on the back of the head
  • Juveniles have a red crown
  • Bouncy, undulating flight

Tuesday, 12 May 2026

Who is steeling our bird feeder???

Every morning recently we have found our bird feeder somewhere in our garden, we decided to put up a trail camera to catch the culprit and this is what we found. 

Monday, 11 May 2026

Bickershaw Country Park Bird Watching (Nevison Flash)

DATE: Sunday 10th May 2026

TIME: 14:30-16:30

WEATHER CONDITIONS: Sun/Clouds 16C

OBSERVATIONS:

Returning to see if we could hear or see the Cuckoo's. Unfortunately no sign of them however, a great afternoons walk around the flash.

Peacock Butterfly

Goldfinch

Reed Bunting

Best Willow Warbler I could get

Swift

Buzzard

  • Goldfinch
  • Magpie
  • Canada Geese
  • Coot
  • Linnet*
  • Willow Warbler*
  • Cetti's Warbler
  • Reed Warbler
  • Reed Bunting
  • Swift
  • Buzzard (x4)
  • Blackheaded Gull
  • Chiffchaff
  • Song Thrush
  • Wren
  • Blackcap
  • Robin
  • Blackbird

Sunday, 10 May 2026

Orrell Water Park Bat Walk - Sat 9th May 2026

DATE: Saturday 9th May 2026

TIME: 20:30 - 22:30

WEATHER CONDITIONS: 9C Cloudy dropping to 8C

OBSERVATIONS:

A great evening walk around Orrell Water Park organised by the Billinge Bat Rescue Team, thanks to an informative talk by H, Mike and Amber.
More info on the Bat Hospital etc can be found on Facebook > (20+) Billinge Bat Rescue | Facebook

Bats seen and heard:

Soprano Pipistrelle 55kHz

Common Pipistrelle 45kHz

Noctule 22kHz

Dabenton's 45kHz (flying close to the water surface)

Nathusius Pipistrelle 39kHz

Orrell Water Park

A video showing one of the bats the team had brought with them and then some of the bats over the lake along with bat detector sounds

Friday, 8 May 2026

Garden Bird List (Jan 2025 to Present)

Start Date             = 1st January 2025
Updated Date       = 12th May 2026

Grand Total = 25

  • Carrion Crow 12/5/2026
  • Sparrowhawk (Female) 25/2/26
  • Chaffinch (Male) past 3 days 24/2/26
  • Nutharch x2
  • Goldfinch
  • Song Thrush
  • Blackcap (heard)
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker x3 M/F/J
  • Swift (14th May) Overhead
  • Buzzard Overhead
  • House Sparrow (female)
  • Pied Wagtail
  • Wren
  • Grey Wagtail
  • Coal Tit
  • Blue Tit x7
  • Great Tit x8
  • Long Tailed Tit x17
  • Starlings x5
  • Dunnock
  • Robin x2
  • Magpie x5
  • Wood Pigeon
  • Collard Dove x2
  • Blackbird M/F/J

Pictures & Videos

Carrion Crow piching the fat balls

Sparrowhawk (Female, males have grey heads)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Male)

Baby Blackbird fledged May 2025

Goldfinch

Starling

Long Tailed Tit

Long Tailed Tits

Coal Tit


Robin