Wigan Flashes 30th May 2023
The last birding group outing of May was to Wigan Flashes. We had hoped to see Willow Tit there (a local speciality) but, with the feeders all empty and it being post-breeding time, we were disappointed. However, it was a very sunny day and a nice walk with the added appeal of a couple of year ticks.
While we were all collecting in the car park, we saw four Jays, all together, flying between two stands of trees; we felt they were probably two adults and their young.
We took the path to the right of the car park down to the next left turn that takes you to the canal and where we would normally have seen Willow Tit. We were out of luck on that front and the birds remained quite well hidden in general, as befits the time of year. However, there was quite a bit of song and we heard Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap as well as the usual Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds.
At the canal the Greylag and Canada Geese all had goslings in tow. On the flashes there were the usual suspects but there was a single Ringed Plover and in the reeds around there were Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Cetti’s Warblers. There were a couple of Oystercatchers and Starlings. A single House Martin dlew around over the flash before disappearing; amazingly this is the first House Martin I have seen all year!
There were a couple of Swifts swooping around and a single Common Tern flew over our heads as we walked back down the towpath. This, with the House Martin, were our two year ticks.
So, not a fantastic list of birds but a nice morning out. A collective effort on the part of the birding group rescued my cap, which had blown off into the canal despite there not being any noticeable wind, so that ended up well. We looked for a lunch spot and we ended up at “The Moorings at Boothstown” where it was too busy to eat but we had a nice drink outside in the sun. Worth going there again – even if the food isn’t that brilliant.
Bird Sightings : Wigan Flashes 30th May 2023
| Species | No |
|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | 6 |
| Blackbird | 2 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 30 |
| Cetti's Warbler | 2 |
| Chiffchaff | 1 |
| Common Tern | 1 |
| Cormorant | 1 |
| Dunnock | 1 |
| Gadwall | 5 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 1 |
| Great Tit | 1 |
| Greylag Goose | 20 |
| House Martin | 1 |
| House Sparrow | 6 |
| Jay | 4 |
| Lapwing | 3 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 8 |
| Mallard | 8 |
| Mute Swan | 12 |
| Oystercatcher | 2 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
| Reed Warbler | 2 |
| Ringed Plover | 1 |
| Robin | 2 |
| Song Thrush | 1 |
| Starling | 4 |
| Swift | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 2 |
| Wren | 3 |