Birding Group Visit to Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
The first birding group morning out of the month was on 7th May to Wigan Flashes. I’m not too sure if we were all that keen, as it is often better in winter, but it was a lovely sunny day and our expectations were exceded – especially on our way back from the flashes.
While we were in the car park a Raven circled overhead and in the trees, a Jay flew by us, the latter a year tick. There were several Cetti’s Warblers and most of us managed to get at least a brief glance of one on them. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs were singing and a coule of Song Thrushes (also a year tick)joined in the chorus. There wasn’t much special on the water but there was some entertainment watching some Goslings pracring getting out of the water and onto the canal path.
As we walked along the path a Common Tern flew overhead but wasn’t to be seen afterwards. On our way back we got a year tick in the form of a singing Whitethroat but as we crossed the bridge we stopped to look at a pair of Bullfinches and a glance above gave us by fer the best bird of the day – a pair of Hobby’s quartering the skies above. Our quite firm conviction that they were Hobby was confirmed the following day when they were reported by someone else on the Manchester Birding web site.
Bird Sightings : Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
| Species | No |
|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | 30 |
| Blackbird | 2 |
| Bullfinch | 2 |
| Canada Goose | 8 |
| Cetti's Warbler | 1 |
| Chiffchaff | 2 |
| Common Tern | 1 |
| Coot | 2 |
| Cormorant | 1 |
| Dunnock | 1 |
| Gadwall | 2 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 6 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 1 |
| Greylag Goose | 4 |
| Hobby | 2 |
| Jay | 1 |
| Lapwing | 2 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 8 |
| Mallard | 8 |
| Moorhen | 1 |
| Mute Swan | 10 |
| Raven | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 2 |
| Robin | 3 |
| Song Thrush | 1 |
| Whitethroat | 1 |
| Willow Warbler | 2 |
| Woodpigeon | 4 |
| Wren | 4 |