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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston (2 Viewers)

Swifty49 said:
It's just where it is! No hides get burnt down at Moore or Burton or Mere Sands or Pennington or anywhere else in the North West that I am aware of. Nature reserves shouldn't need to be like maximum security installations. If they do they are in the wrong place!
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Wasn't one burnt down at Woolston Eyes. Think the last sentence is a bit strange, where is the right place, there are these type of people everywhere. I think the answer is to educate people, yes it will take a long time. Lets all do it, talk to people about the beauty of wildlife. I do it, talk about birds, butterflys, wild flowers, wildlife to anybody. Do it. In one year if you get one person to change there attitude then they get one person to change theirs. Jobs a good un.
 
Swifty49 said:
It's just where it is! No hides get burnt down at Moore or Burton or Mere Sands or Pennington or anywhere else in the North West that I am aware of. Nature reserves shouldn't need to be like maximum security installations. If they do they are in the wrong place!
Click to expand...

Hides do get burnt down at Moore. What is now basically a wrap-around screen at the Eastern Reedbed not that long ago was a very comfortable hide complete with roof - cracking place to sit for hours waiting for the Bitterns to put in an appearance - until the local village idiots reduced it to ashes :C
 
sid ashton said:
Hides do get burnt down at Moore. What is now basically a wrap-around screen at the Eastern Reedbed not that long ago was a very comfortable hide complete with roof - cracking place to sit for hours waiting for the Bitterns to put in an appearance - until the local village idiots reduced it to ashes :C
Click to expand...

I was there when one ARSEonist tried to burn down the whole reserve. He torched large areas of the gorse scrub.
 
I visited Brockholes recently, and I think I will leave it for a couple more years to mature before I go back.
Birdlife was in short supply, but that may be down to screaming children ( not mine !)
 
Stephen Dunstan said:
I haven't been since it became a reserve, I really must go and have a look at some point. What are the parking charges?

Stephen
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Hi Stephen

I've just updated the Opus article and added a link to the Official Website. They have a list of parking charges on the "Visit" page.

Anyone taken a picture of the place?
 
Reserecting this old thread to see if anyone has been to Brockholes recently?

I am taking a short break later in October and was wondering if it was worth a visit?

Thanks

Dave.
 
There is a Garganey there today, there was a Night Heron a few weeks back. The Facebook sightings page is probably the best way to keep in touch with what's about.

Stephen
 
I went to Brockholes in August, I was not impressed on first sight as the carpark was £7 (for more than 3 hours, less if you didn't stay as long) and there is some kind of crappy "leisure village" (around 5 shops and a café) floating on the lake, loads of screaming children everywhere (it was a sunny day in august summer holiday) did nothing to restore my mood.

However once we got away from that area (best place was straight across the car park without going into the leisure village and head for childrens play area, path on the left towards a farmer-style metal gate).. it got considerably better and we had a lovely walk.

For around 3-4 hours there (including the first ill-advised foray into the leisure café+shops) we saw a good number of birds.. treecreepers, mixed flock of tits, sparrowhawk, cormorants, great crested grebes, quite a few close views of grey heron. I think it was worth the £7 parking and will be going again soon but plan on avoiding the "tourist area" part of it next time.

I wrote a bit more about it on my blog with a few pics if you're interested. I'm still learning (birding and blogging) so bear with it though!!

http://n00bbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/brockholes-lancashire-80-species-on.html
 
Does anyone know if the Night Heron is still at Brockholes? I was thinking of going tomorrow and just wondered if it was still there?

Cheers

Tim.
 
Thanks for the replies - we are on a short break from 23rd to 26th October.

For a moment I had an awful feeling that we had booked during half-term but luckily it appears that is the week after. So hopefully the noisy kids will be at a minimum on the Thu / Fri :)

Will give it a try and report back when I get home.

Dave.
 
In case you need any others on your list of "Birdy" places, some of my favourites around the Brockholes area are Burton Mere RSPB (with a visit to The Boathouse pub in Parkgate on the way to/from for lunch as it has an outstanding view of another protected RSPB marsh), Leighton Moss near Carnforth, possibly with a stop off at Morecambe Bay is also great and of course the brilliant Martin Mere which is very close to Brockholes. Another good free place is Risley Moss near Warrington but that is closed on Friday. Anyway I hope you have fun and I look forward to your trip report :)

(my photos and trip reports of each again here http://n00bbirder.blogspot.co.uk/2014_10_01_archive.html if interested)
 
Thanks to all for the advice - only got a couple of trips out and a couple of the photos can be seen here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/98886443@N08/sets/72157648579842389/

Martin Mere was fantastic. Brockholes not as good - the main hide is closed and it was very confusing where to go. Only spent a couple of hours there.

Going again at the end of November - so will try some of the other suggestions :)

Dave.
 
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