Next Wednesday is our last before our Christmas Break. Should you like to become involved, even if it is just for one day then please attend the main car park for 09:30am on 17/12/2025. Part of Leigh Ornithological Society.
Pennington Flash Volunteers Update
L.O.S. Fieldtrip to RSPB Old Moor - Saturday 6th December 2025
Is that a Seahorse?
The fourth field trip of the season took us again across the Pennines into Yorkshire, this time south of the M62 to RSPB Old Moor near Barnsley. Another old mining site with the Visitor Hub, once part of Old Moor Farm, dating back to 1755. Old Moor became the flagship site in the Dearne Valley post mining restoration project and was originally used by birdwatching ex-miners over 30 years ago.
Ten hardy souls made the trip, even with the threat of a wet day, arriving in the car park at 9:15am, giving plenty of time for a brew and to be ready for the site opening at 9:30am. A Cormorant was our first flyby of the day, later followed by a Herring Gull, the trees flanking the car park were adorned with many passerines including a trembling of Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch.
Our first destination was by the Visitor Hub as an early pitstop was taken, here we added Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits to the tally. As the forecast had changed from the previous day with rain now forecast for the afternoon we decided to head along the western side of the reserve as there are fewer hides in which to shelter from the rain. We set off along the Discovery Trail and quickly encountered a distant flock of small birds; an inspection of the Alder trees they adorned revealed them to be Goldfinch with a single Siskin left sat atop an Alder as the Goldfinches alighted. Next a deceit of forty or so Lapwings passed by, the noun originating from the Lapwings tendency to feign injury when threatened. Surprisingly, this our only wader of the day.
We soon arrived at the first hide, the Bittern Hide, where we were greeted by an early downpour so we camped down until the shower passed. The hide giving great views over the northern half of the reserve added twenty species to the trip list, including three Marsh Harriers, forty plus Great Black-backed Gulls with a sprinkling of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Wildfowl included Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard, Wigeon and a flyby pair of Greylag Geese.
Next, we headed past the Bittern Bus Stop onto the Reedbed Path towards the Reedbed hide in search of Bearded Tit, it was not to be our day though they had been seen in previous days. The Reedbed hide whilst giving close views of wildfowl and a great view of a perched female Marsh Harrier that was joined by a male only added Little Grebe to the days total. The return journey along the same path however proved far more fruitful, first we had a male Stonechat at the clearing in the reedbed where on our previous visit a screen was in place. Whilst watching this active passerine we were entertained by a pair of Kingfishers and a showy though distant Cetti’s Warbler.
Lunch was calling so we headed back towards the Visitor Hub as a dark cloud moved in, calling in at the Bird Garden Hide, an octagonal open hide giving great views of garden birds especially for photographing, with some of the group consuming lunch in the presence of our feathered friends. Here we added Song Thrush, Reed Bunting, Dunnock and Wren to boost the numbers, these joined by Pheasant, Greenfinch, Redwing, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit to name a few.
Lunch soon passed and the rain abated so it was time to explore the eastern side of the reserve, our first port of call was the Lookout, this proved a disappointment as the large windows were full of condensation and so opaque. We quickly moved to our next stop, the hide overlooking Field Pools West, here we added Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail and surprisingly Moorhen.
A valuable skill of birdwatching in a group is the ability to describe where a bird you have seen is, “it’s over there in that tree” with a forest opposite is not that helpful, so when it was proclaimed that there were several Lapwings on the opposite side of the Mere, a better description was needed as a quick scan with the binoculars produced no Lapwing. When the words “they’re below the seahorse in the trees” were uttered, everyone new exactly where to look, “genius description” was proclaimed, if only the ornithology was as good as the description, they were Teal!
A move back to the windows overlooking Wath Ings with its small island in front contained four gull species, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Black-headed and a new one for the list, a single Common Gull, that was not there five minutes before. An excellent time to admire the sheer size differential of the world’s largest Gull. At this point, even with all the water and reeds on the reserve we had not yet seen a Grey Heron, a scan of the far bank of Wath Ings produced six in a row stood in the reed bed.
It was now time to make a retreat to the car park as the light was fading and the car park closed at 4pm, so we headed along the southern path of the Green Lane Loop passing the Field Pools East and the Field Pools West. Field Pools West are flooded fields managed with waders in mind; a wide patch of landscaped mud separates the path from the pools and contained several hawking Pied Wagtail. Bullfinch, Coal Tit and passing Jackdaw were the final additions to the list that totalled 54 species.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about our day out and if you fancy a walk with like-minded folk of differing birding experience, why not join us on a future outing, for more information get in touch at the email address below or ask any of the Committee members.
Keith Williams
Fieldtrips Organiser
Pennington Flash Volunteers Update
Pennington Flash Volunteer Group meet each Wednesday on the main car park at 09:30 am.
Tasks include general maintenance of the site, this includes fence building, dead hedging, pond clearance and route clearance that all go to create areas for the conservation of wildlife. It's good for the mind and spirit. We would like to extend a welcome to Hannah Pennington who joined us for the first time.
Pennington Flash Volunteers Update
New scenary next week as we move on to an area close to Charlie Owen's Hide. Nice to recieve compliments as visitors recognise the work we are carring out, which is good for both mind and soul.
Should you wish to get involved, we meet each Wednesday at 09:30 am on the Car Park of Pennington Flash.
Pennington Flash Volunteers Update
On Wednesday 26th Nov 2025, Pennington Flash Volunteer Group brought onboard our latest recruit. Seen here in the photo enjoying a short tea break is Nom.
Nom is orgionally from Vietnam where she worked as a Tourist Guide in the Jungle close to her home. Elephants and bears were mentioned in our conversation, something we saw at Pennington Flash during The Hides earlier this year, only difference is, the animals Nom saw were real.
L.O.S. Forthcoming Events - December 2025
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Please see our poster for details regarding our presentation for December 2025.
Information can also be found about a planned Fieldtrip.
L.O.S. Calendar Wallpaper for December 2025
Our computer wallpaper for the month of December 2025 is of a magnificent red deer taken by our Programme Secretary, Peter Hodson.
L.O.S. Fieldtrips Update 2025/2026
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL L.O.S. FIELDTRIPS HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED TO SATURDAYS
All L.O.S. fieldtrips start from the Doctors Nook Car Park opposite Leigh Library. Unless otherwise stated, all local fieldtrips leave at 8:00am, whereas those of a longer have earlier start times as shown below. Fieldtrips shown in red are on a Saturday, all others are on a Sunday.
For all details on trips, venues and travel arrangements contact Keith Williams via email using leighos.trips@gmail.com
L.O.S. 2025-26 FIELDTRIP PROGRAMME
| Date | Destination | Start Time |
| 6 Sep 2025 | YWT Spurn | 6.30am |
| 19 Oct 2025 | RSPB Leighton Moss | 7.00am |
| 9 Nov 2025 | RSPB Fairburn Ings | 8.00am |
| 6 Dec 2025 | RSPB Old Moor | 8.00am |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Decide on the Day | 8.00am |
| 28 Feb 2026 | RSPB Marshside and Hesketh Out Marsh | 8.00am |
| 21 Mar 2026 | YWT Potteric Carr | 7.30am |
| 18 Apr 2026 | RSPB St. Aidan's | 7.30am |
| 16 May 2026 | RSPB Bempton Cliffs | 6.30am |
Please note: membership or an entrance / parking fee may be required at some locations
Liability Disclaimer
Members should ensure that they wear suitable footwear and clothing for fieldtrips. They should also note that whilst all reasonable care will be taken, the officers, committee and field trips leaders accept no responsibility for loss, damage, injury or fatality, howsoever suffered during the course of field trips, holidays, indoor and outdoor activities. All involvement in Society activities are taken at your own risk.
Where possible we share cars for fieldtrips and if you haven’t got a car, you can arrange to go with someone else. Directions to local birding areas can be found on the birding sites page if you would rather make your own way there.
If anyone has a special site or bird that they would like including in future programmes then please make it known to the organiser - if we don’t go there, it’s probably because you haven’t asked!