Pennington Flash

Pennington Flash, the pool by the path to the Tom Edmondson Hide

A nice, crisp November day so I toddled off for an afternoon stroll round Pennington Flash. It started raining heavily as I got off the bus near the entrance.

A lone buzzard was perched on the far fence by Bradshaw Leach Meadow and a mixed tit flock worked its way along the base of the hedgerow, the birds taking what cover they may.

Goldeneye

Ducks on the flash included half a dozen goldeneye and a couple of rafts of ducks. The Winter gull roost was starting to build up: mostly black-headed gulls close to, herring and lesser back-backs further out, with scattered common gulls and four great black-backs.

The spit at Horrocks Hide was still largely underwater. None of the usual lapwings but there were half a dozen snipe on the submerged grass under the trees. Plenty of teal with them, too.

Cormorant

Walking over to the Tom Edmondson Hide a mixed tit flock working its way through the willows included a willow tit and a redwing. A weasel skittered along the path and disappeared into the brambles.

The pool at the hide was full of gadwall, with a handful of mallards and teals. The most eye-catching bird was the cormorant perched on one of the poles that are popular with juvenile kingfishers in Summer.

Despite the sun deciding to poke out from under the clouds it was still pouring down so I decided to call it a day. I don't know what was going on with the traffic in Leigh town centre but it added an hour to the journey back home.

Pennington Flash