Monday 23 July 2007

Brockholes Quarry - Introduction...

I may as well introduce my Local patch as i will probably write quite a few posts for the site over the time I am on Blog spot.Brockholes Quarry is a former Sand Quarry that has now, in early 2007, been taken over By Lancashire Wildlife Trust. This is their largest site due to the fact that they also own the two surrounding woodlands, Boilton and Red Scar.
The Quarry is located in the North West of England, and is 2 miles east of Preston, Lancashire. Also the Quarry can be seen on the East of the M6 Motorway at j32.
There are two main pits at Brockholes - main pool, and No1. There is also No2, No3 and several other small pits.
Main pool
The main pool can be seen on the Picture above and is the pool to the south of the access road through the quarry. This has many islands and is the usual roosting site for the Spring Whimbrel Roosts, that now makes the site a national importance as the current site record is 401 birds.
Due to high water levels in Spring 2007 the Whimbrel appeared to prefer the island and bank of No1. There is a reed bed bordering the Main pool that holds Reed and Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Little Grebe, Coot and Moorhen.
No1
No1 is the Largest pit on site and can attract interesting birds, including: Black, Arctic and Common Tern, (these are virtually annual, and in September 2007 a unprecedented flock of 43 Black Tern hawked over the Pit) Most records of Med Gull ,ittle Gull and Kittiwakes come from No1 too. No1 used to be split into 2 but the was made into the larger pit it is now. This probably is the reason for the increase in Common Scoter records, and the large migratory flock of 22! Plus the annual records of Osprey, with at least 6 in early 2007
Brockholes Quarry is an important site for Breeding Little Ringed Plover.

The Site has also had quite a few rarities and county Scarcities.
Glossy ibis
Semipalmated Sandpiper
3 Pectoral Sandpiper
Temmink's Stint
Spoonbill
Honey buzzard
Ferruginous Duck
Black Necked Grebe
Manx Shearwater (very rare inland)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker(breeds in Boilton, possibly past tense nowadays)
Laughing Gull
Ring Billed gull
The Famous Great White Pelican
and many more county Scarcities

So that's the Quarry that I frequent regularly!

Thanks for reading

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