New L.O.S. Facebook Group

In an attempt to keep our members better informed as well as to help attract new members, I've setup a new L.O.S. Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/leighos/

A permanent link to this address can be found on the right side of this page. You'll need to login to Facebook to see the group - please invite anyone you know who may be interested in birding, wildlife, nature and the environment.

Please feel free to use this group to publish your bird sightings and photos, give details of events relating to our Society and ask questions or provide information that will be of interest to our members. I hope everyone will find it useful.

Martyn Jones

Bird Walk on the Salford Mosses - Saturday 1 February

There will be a guided bird walk on the Salford Mosses with Dave Steel this Saturday, 1 February 2014 from 9.00 am. You can find out where the birds live, the different species and the fascinating history of the Moss on Barton and Chat. We will visit the old Peat Extraction site and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve and the walk will last approximately 3 hours.

Park and meet in the layby next to the entrance to Barton Moss Road and wear sturdy boots and waterproof clothing.

James Walsh (reprinted from Manchester Birding Forum)

L.O.S. Formal Response to HS2 Consultation

The route of HS2 through this area terminates at Lightshaw with a through-line joining the West Coast Main Line (WCML) just south of Dover Lock. On the south side of the through line at Lightshaw there will be a rolling stock depot 2.5km long and at least 175m wide which will cut through the garden of Byrom Hall and leave Lightshaw Hall marooned in a car park within the depot.

The through-line will pass just 70m away from the main waterbody in the Lightshaw Meadows Nature Reserve. Lightshaw Lane and part of the reserve will be obliterated. The Society cannot stand by and let this happen. A covering letter signed by David Shallcross accompanied the response attached to this e-mail which went to HS2.

Click to enlarge or download from link below

Also attached herewith is a sketch map of the location of the depot, through-line and designated sites at Lightshaw so that you can see what is proposed. I have liaised extensively with local residents groups and they have also seen our response. Local residents with British Rail experience and with economics knowledge have individually set out very persuasive cases which propose that HS2 goes through Warrington instead and that the financial case for the Golborne spur from the Ship Canal is badly flawed and would make a loss.

The full L.O.S. response document can be downloaded from here: LOS Response to HS2 Consultation Document and the map from here: Sketch Map of Proposed HS2 Route at Lightshaw.

You can respond by e-mail to:

HS2PhaseTwoRoute@Ipsos.com

in an online response form:

Phase 2 Route Consultation

or by post to:

Freepost RTEL-YAZX-HAZT

Phase Two Route Consultation
PO Box 1152, Harrow, HA1 9LH

There is a consultation response document available, but it covers quite a lot of things outside our area and interests.

Closing date is 5pm on January 31, 2014

Roy Rhodes, L.O.S. Conservation Officer

Big Garden Birdwatch at Pennington Flash - Sunday 26 January

It's that time of year again, the last weekend in January when the RSPB asks us all to take part in an hour of recording the birds in our garden, parks and schools.

Bird populations are a great indicator of the health of the countryside. That's why it's so important to take part in surveys like the Big Garden Birdwatch to keep an eye on the ups and downs of the wildlife where we live.

To recognise this national initiative, the Leigh Ornithological Society is holding an event in partnership with Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust (WLCT) at Pennington Flash from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 26th January. We're particularly keen to get young people involved in birding, nature and the environment, but all the activities are equally suitable for adults and families.

This year there will be stalls manned by the RSPB, Greater Manchester Ecology Unit and the Friends of Lilford Park as well those from the L.O.S. and WLCT. 

The activities will include:

• Guided birdwatching walks to and from the main bird hides
• Free bird ID sheets and identification help from experienced LOS members
• Making bird feeders with the WLCT staff
• Nature and wildlife quizzes with the GM Ecology Unit
• and hopefully a birds of prey display (to be confirmed)

The RSPB will be giving out information about how you can join their organisation and so gain free access to their many bird and nature reserves around the whole country, as well as having books, bird food and other products available to buy.

We hope you can join us at Pennington Flash from 10am onwards and come for a walk round the hides to see which birds we can see during this exciting season.  We'll lend you some binoculars or a spotting scope and give you a free bird ID checklist to use as we walk round.

You can also take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch at home or in school by following the links shown below:

• Big Garden Birdwatch 2014
• Big Schools' Birdwatch 2014

Why not have a look at the report of last year's event here on our Young Birders' Club Website: Big Garden Birdwatch 2013 - hopefully it won't be as cold this year!

See you soon

Leigh Ornithological Society's Young Birders' Club Team

Coming Soon ...

Reports on our two very successful Young Birders' Club presentations to Astley Beavers and Bedford Hall Methodist Primary school this week.

Astley Beavers' Report now on LOSYBC