Woolston Eyes (2 Viewers)

[Gandalf_22h]

In this month's "Bird Watching" there is an article on Woolston Eyes. Before committing my wife and myself into purchasing a permit + key to enter the private domain, can anyone here tell me if I can negotiate the paths etc to the hide on my small portable mobility scooter.

I have no problems navigating Moore NR but was able to carry out a recce there beforehand as to suitability see: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=198367

Answers or enlightenment most appreciated. :t:

 

[David Smith]

You can access the actual site via the bridge and park the car close to this bridge. To get to the bridge you have to stop, remove the lock and swing open 2 'gates'.
Once over the bridge there is a short but fairly steep hill.......can you're scooter get up steep inclines?
There is a reasonably good path which takes you all around most of the site and at this time of year (being dry) access should be good. However-all the hides are high level and accessed via steep steps.


Dave

 

[Gandalf_22h]

You can access the actual site via the bridge and park the car close to this bridge. To get to the bridge you have to stop, remove the lock and swing open 2 'gates'.
Once over the bridge there is a short but fairly steep hill.......can you're scooter get up steep inclines?
There is a reasonably good path which takes you all around most of the site and at this time of year (being dry) access should be good. However-all the hides are high level and accessed via steep steps.


Dave

Thanks Dave for the reply. Did you read my feedback on Moore NR access that you asked for by the way.

Hal

 

[David Smith]

Thanks Dave for the reply. Did you read my feedback on Moore NR access that you asked for by the way.

Hal

Yes I did and found it very helpful-unfortunately my Bro-in-Law (on his scooter) has been to poorly to do it though.

 

[Gandalf_22h]

post

Yes I did and found it very helpful-unfortunately my Bro-in-Law (on his scooter) has been to poorly to do it though.

Sorry to hear that Dave. Hope he gets well real soon. Have been to Moore several times now and it's on my regular sites to visit list.

Cheers,

 

[upstarts1979]

In this month's "Bird Watching" there is an article on Woolston Eyes. Before committing my wife and myself into purchasing a permit + key to enter the private domain, can anyone here tell me if I can negotiate the paths etc to the hide on my small portable mobility scooter.

I have no problems navigating Moore NR but was able to carry out a recce there beforehand as to suitability see: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=198367

Answers or enlightenment most appreciated. :t:

Here is a link to the reserves own web site
B John
http://www.woolstoneyes.co.uk/

 

[alanp]

Bittern on No 3 bed

Just had a phone call from one of the founders of the group to say that a Bitterrn was seen by 2 permit holders yesterday morning on No 3 bed. The Bittern was seen from the "Tower Hide" and was seen about 10.50 in front of the hide. It then flew about 75 yds towards the small pool straight out from the hide and it then dropped into the reeds out of sight.

No 3 bed is permit only and a key is needed to access the bed.

With luck it may stay for a while.

 

[Jeanie]

We have just received our key today.
So Bittern here we come!!

 

[alanp]

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

We have just received our key today.
So Bittern here we come!!

Just heard that the ringers caught a first year Lesser Spotted Woodpecker today on the North meadow so it may still be around as well.

 

[Jeanie]

That would be really exciting. We spent many mornings at Moore earlier this year but did not see the LSW there.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

LSW are notoriously difficult to find but I recommend learning the call.

CB

 

[Jeanie]

Needless to say we did not see either the Bittern or the LSW. However, we met Alan and Brian and had a great walk around with good views of a Bullfinch.
So a very pleasant morning indeed.
What a lovely site.

 

[alanp]

Needless to say we did not see either the Bittern or the LSW. However, we met Alan and Brian and had a great walk around with good views of a Bullfinch.
So a very pleasant morning indeed.
What a lovely site.

Nice to meet you both and glad you enjoyed your visit its a shame it was rather quiet with very few duck on the water. Best I could manage was 7 Snipe, 3 Sparrow Hawks and a Willow Tit.

The ringers had a re trap Cettis Warbler caught near the Tower Hide, same place as last week.

 

[alanp]

WECG update

One lucky birder on his first visit to the Eyes last Sunday had great views of a Bittern only a few yards from the Linley hide. He was able to see the Bittern being mobbed by gulls and saw it in flight twice before it settled down in the reed bed. Only half an hour earlier he had asked one of the wardens if they got Bitterns on the reserve only to be told Bittern sightings on No 3 were pretty rare events! The unlucky warden chose to go home and watch the football match so missed the Bittern!

Yesterday I had the worst job I have ever had to do on the Eyes when we decided to clean up the 4 floating platforms on No 3 bed. We had to row out to the platforms with bags of gravel. One of the platforms had 2 Canada Geese resting on it and there must have been 3 inches of droppings covering the raft. I had to clamber on the raft and remove the mess and then I was able to add the fresh gravel. The smell was unbelievable and I had to change my clothes in the garage before my wife would let me in the house when I got home, but at least I was not as wet as the other warden who fell in as we tried to launch the boat! The view form the rafts however was amazing!

Black Necked Grebes should be back a round about the 20th of March and hopefully our continuing Mink monotoring will mean there will be little predation of the juveniles. There has been a recent record in the log book of the sighting of an Otter on the reserve, hopefully this was not infact a Mink!

The reserve is looking particularly good this year and views from the Tower Hide should be especially good as reed clearance work has produced channels which will hopefully give possible closer views of Water Rails.

The reserve web site is rather outdated and and not very inviting and so we are in the process of having a new one done and it is hoped to be completed towards the end of the month and will be well worth a visit for information on the Reserve in general.

 

[alanp]

I spent a couple of hours on No.3 bed on Friday afternoon, I thought that I might have seen a Sand Martin, Chiffchaff or the first Black Necked Grebe's of the year. The reserve was looking very good but I did not see any of my target birds.

However on Saturday morning 3 of the wardens did find 2 Black Necked Grebe's on No 3 bed, along with 800+ Black headed Gulls. This morning one of the founders of the W.E.C.G went on to No 3 bed but was only able to see 1 of the Black Necked Grebe's. However he also had some great views of a female Marsh Harrier as well as several Chiffchaffs.

( No3. bed is permit only and a key is also needed to access the bed )

 

[sid ashton]

A pleasant couple of hours at Woolston yesterday afternoon with Mr Barber, mainly in the tower hide.

Of interest we had singing Chiffchaff, one of the two reported Black-necked Grebe as well as Little and Great Crested Grebe, Common Snipe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard, 100's of Black-headed Gulls and a cracking female Marsh Harrier - at one stage having a bit of a set-to with a common Buzzard.

 

[alanp]

Just back from No 3 bed and like Sid I only saw the one Black Necked Grebe. However had my best ever views of a female Marsh Harrier , it was being chased by the gulls and at times was very close to us. We saw it 4 times and at one point a second Harrier flew up from the reeds and then dropped down again.

I also heard 3 Chiffchaff calling

 

[RayE]

After seeing the reports of Black Necked Grebes in the book we were hopefull, hmmm nope, none today. Highlight a Lapwing. You may scoff. Right in front of the hide. Having a wash, preening then going for a feed. What a beautifull bird.

 

[alanp]

After seeing the reports of Black Necked Grebes in the book we were hopefull, hmmm nope, none today. Highlight a Lapwing. You may scoff. Right in front of the hide. Having a wash, preening then going for a feed. What a beautifull bird.

Hi Ray, Now is a very good time for the Black Necked Grebes, I saw 16 a few days ago and up to 20 have been reported. The John Morgan ( centre hide ) or the Rotary hide on the NW pool are probably the best spots to see them, you might need to spend a bit of time in each hide to get to see decent numbers of them.

A Siberian Chiffchaff was ringed on No 3 bed at the weekend though sadly a Little Gull that had been around for a few days was found dead, but I have no more details about it. A count of over 95 Chiffchaff were recorded on the reserve as a whole, though not all areas are open to permit holders.

For those who may not be aware of Woolston Eyes, its a site near to Warrington and access is by permit only and a key is required to get onto No 3 bed the main place of interest. Woolston is known for the BNGrebes but also has large numbers of Warblers and overwintering duck. The reserve is run by a group of volountary wardens , I am one of them and we manage the reserve independantly with the permission of Manchest Ship Canal who own the site.

We have been developing a new web site were permit holders will now be able to input any sightings or photos of birds seen on the reserve. For now the new website "woolston eyes.com" will run along side our old site woolstoneys.co.uk which we felt was very outdated and never very up to date. The web site will have details on how on how people can get a permit or how to arrange a group visit to the reserve. However group bookings are very popular and need to be done well in advance.

I have been a member of birdforum for a few years now and will continue to reply to any request for information about the reserve and the aim of our new web site is to keep birdwatchers more up to date on what is happening at Woolston and in no way trying to compete with Birdforum.

Cheers Alan

 

[Jeanie]

We saw several yesterday, Saturday. The closest views were from the Rotary Hide. Arrived shortly after the Harrier had killed a Gull.