6 September 2025 - Hollingworth Lake

Had a good walk round today, and was beginning to feel a bit despondent about the lack of anything interesting when a message came through on WhatsApp from Simon that he'd seen a Wheatear at Bib Knowl. I was close by so I spoke to him and got a rough position and headed to the top of Bib Knowl, where nothing was to be seen; I decided to walk to the small gate in the field and scan the stone walls around there, and lo and behold - I found it on a wall between Bib Knowl and Turnough Farm.  It was hard to see in the dull light but I was able to get a couple of partially obscured photos before it flew off across the fields and onto Turnough Hill.

Continuing my walk down to Shaw Moss, there was little else of note, so I headed back up to Peanock Farm. A few Linnets were on the wires, but flew off as I approached, so I carried on down the ginnel and around the lake perimeter for the last bit.  As I was walking towards the Beach Hotel I noticed a large bird heading towards me over the trees.  Immediately I sensed it was something good, and it was - an Osprey!  It flew slowly over my head, allowing me to get some decent photos, and then I got the news out in case it decided to hang around. Momentarily I lost it as I looked up from my phone but then picked it up again over the houses heading roughly in the direction of Clegg Hall, and then l lost sight of it behind the trees.