I have been visiting family in Bolton and was able to get three hours on Friday morning at Pennington Flash, a Country Park near Leigh. It is formed from subsistence and is a large area of open water with woodland, golf course, nature reserve, boating etc. There are a number of hides and it has a good selection of species and a reputation for turning up unusual visitors. There is also a well stocked feeding station which attracts a good variety of species which are not found in Northern Ireland or are hard to see here. The target bird was
willow tit which I missed in February and it was duly ticked. I also got a good view of
stock doves, jay, reed warbler, ringed plover and a green sandpiper. Total for the visit was 39 species and a
fox which scattered everything on a spit of land I was watching from one of the hides. It made a dash out to try and seize a meal but failed to nab anything. Just before Mr Fox appeared I had good views of a
kingfisher which perched and fished in front of the hide. Later on I watched 7
herons roosting at another hide, and there were also a couple of
common terns sitting on buoys. All in all a very pleasant three hours.
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| The view from the hide |
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| Feeding station |
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| Mr Fox heading off hungry |
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