wontolla
Misery Guts Monica
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Brocholes Nature Reserve - opened Easter Sunday. Anyone been yet?
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wontolla
Misery Guts Monica
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Yeh! Sounds good does it not! Just dont eat there if it's windy!
Will go when it calms down a bit after Easter!
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I'll be going, but not for 6 months or so. Easter Sunday there is a meet organised by www.jumpingonthebandwagon.co.uk
Heh, new nature reserve - so what happens? Loads of humans decide to go.
Personally I avoid nature reserves (especially near town) at weekends and holidays. If there's one thing guaranteed to keep the "nature" away it's screaming kids and parents in bright red coats, half drowned in eau du idiot.
Personally I avoid nature reserves (especially near town) at weekends and holidays. If there's one thing guaranteed to keep the "nature" away it's screaming kids and parents in bright red coats, half drowned in eau du idiot.
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it's definatly worth a trip over if your relativly local, it's a cracking place and can turn up some great birds.
I love the place and just prayer it doesn't get to busy...
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Yes I have been, as said above it's going to take YEARS before it'll be really worth a visit.
There is still a huge amount of work to be done on footpaths and the such. The new reed bed are going to take time to establish themselves too.
As the the visitor and conference facility, they had not got the toilets working nor the payment machines for the car park on opening weekend, but should have by now.
If your local then have a trip, but I would not travel far at all. Now in time I think it could be very good if and it's a big if it does not become too busy or commercial.
As you can see lots of work yet to be done.
And yes the whole complex is a floating pontoon.
There is still a huge amount of work to be done on footpaths and the such. The new reed bed are going to take time to establish themselves too.
As the the visitor and conference facility, they had not got the toilets working nor the payment machines for the car park on opening weekend, but should have by now.
If your local then have a trip, but I would not travel far at all. Now in time I think it could be very good if and it's a big if it does not become too busy or commercial.
As you can see lots of work yet to be done.
And yes the whole complex is a floating pontoon.
W
whiteflyer
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Sorry I didn't, but my dad looked at the prices and walked away, but it was very full and dad and I are cheap
Check the car park prices too, we went when it was only £1 a day.
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wontolla
Misery Guts Monica
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Sorry I didn't, but my dad looked at the prices and walked away, but it was very full and dad and I are cheap
Check the car park prices too, we went when it was only £1 a day.
Ruddy ell!
Don't think I will be paying those prices either! (I'm cheap too!)
Will have to look at alternative parking, don't mind a reasonable fee, in fact expect it, but a tenner is a bit over the top AFAIC. Will look for somewhere to walk in from, do that mostly anyway.
Once again, thanks for the info!
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We love it here already and have been numerous times. Yes they do still have work underway in some areas but mostly everything is looking really good. There is plenty to keep you going all day.
The sand martins have taken well to the wall and have been using it fully. Lots of birds in the reeds (the white throat loves making me crazy trying to get a picture of it)
The hides are good - though they have suffered some vandalism recently. The woodland walk path is good as are around the pools. Even got a picture of some fish in one of them and tadpoles.
Kestrels and Lapwings and Ringed Plovers, the latter one I still have to get a good picture of, as with being in any hide that is a bit of a distance away you need a longer lens than what we have right now.
Through every path of the reserve you see and hear lots of birds.
We walk right the way around then onto the river Ribble way and right up there, last time there saw a Great Crested Grebe and lots of babies.
We are into taking bug/spider/damsel/dragonfly pictures and there are so many of all these everywhere. Though we always get odd looks, and people coming over to us "Oooo what have you found" with a really excited look on their face, then you say "a beetle" or whatever it is and they look at you like your crazy. All nature is good nature not only birds, so if you see us sticking out of a bush no we're not
The visitors center is ok, could do with a bigger shop - might get that over time. They have some nice foods that you can buy in the shop next to the gift shop. The cafe area itself is big enough and there are nice seats outside for a sunny day right next to the water. My partner loved the cakes but the coffee isn't the best. They had a range of sandwiches and hot foods.
As for the car park, yes we do think it's a little expensive, as we sometimes go on a Saturday and Sunday for over 5 hours so we get the £10 charge.
They have brought out I believe six-month passes for the car park. You have to fill out an application form and I suppose if you go enough it could be worth it.
Recent sightings have included:
Wigeon - Dunlin - Gadwall - Little Grebe - Grasshopper Warbler - Elephant Hawk Moth (want to get a picture of and see) Cuckoo - Redshank - Osprey - Hobbys - Oystercatchers - Reed Warbler - Sedge Warbler - Blackcap - Whitethroat - Coots - Snipe - Red Kite - Swans - Cormorants - Buzzard and lots more. Not including all the butterflies, moths, bugs and such like.
This facebook group is a good one for all recordings of sightings at Brockholes:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brockholes-Nature-Reserve-Lancs-Bird-Wildlife-News/179765618733795
The sand martins have taken well to the wall and have been using it fully. Lots of birds in the reeds (the white throat loves making me crazy trying to get a picture of it)
The hides are good - though they have suffered some vandalism recently. The woodland walk path is good as are around the pools. Even got a picture of some fish in one of them and tadpoles.
Kestrels and Lapwings and Ringed Plovers, the latter one I still have to get a good picture of, as with being in any hide that is a bit of a distance away you need a longer lens than what we have right now.
Through every path of the reserve you see and hear lots of birds.
We walk right the way around then onto the river Ribble way and right up there, last time there saw a Great Crested Grebe and lots of babies.
We are into taking bug/spider/damsel/dragonfly pictures and there are so many of all these everywhere. Though we always get odd looks, and people coming over to us "Oooo what have you found" with a really excited look on their face, then you say "a beetle" or whatever it is and they look at you like your crazy. All nature is good nature not only birds, so if you see us sticking out of a bush no we're not
The visitors center is ok, could do with a bigger shop - might get that over time. They have some nice foods that you can buy in the shop next to the gift shop. The cafe area itself is big enough and there are nice seats outside for a sunny day right next to the water. My partner loved the cakes but the coffee isn't the best. They had a range of sandwiches and hot foods.
As for the car park, yes we do think it's a little expensive, as we sometimes go on a Saturday and Sunday for over 5 hours so we get the £10 charge.
They have brought out I believe six-month passes for the car park. You have to fill out an application form and I suppose if you go enough it could be worth it.
Recent sightings have included:
Wigeon - Dunlin - Gadwall - Little Grebe - Grasshopper Warbler - Elephant Hawk Moth (want to get a picture of and see) Cuckoo - Redshank - Osprey - Hobbys - Oystercatchers - Reed Warbler - Sedge Warbler - Blackcap - Whitethroat - Coots - Snipe - Red Kite - Swans - Cormorants - Buzzard and lots more. Not including all the butterflies, moths, bugs and such like.
This facebook group is a good one for all recordings of sightings at Brockholes:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brockholes-Nature-Reserve-Lancs-Bird-Wildlife-News/179765618733795
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wontolla
Misery Guts Monica
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Thanks Lisa! Thats a very comprehensive post on the reserve, really apreciatte it.
Sounds like we will have to visit soon, but still not happy with the car park charges! Will try to get a car full, then it wont feel as much!
Thanks once again, will keep a look out for you!
Sounds like we will have to visit soon, but still not happy with the car park charges! Will try to get a car full, then it wont feel as much!
Thanks once again, will keep a look out for you!
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Hopefully it will get Marshies on it, Leighton Moss is not that far away afterall.
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Your welcome
We were there again Sunday just gone. Lots of birds about and bugs. Saw Emperor dragonflies and other kinds down by Ribbleton Pool. It was so hot on Sunday but it was great, got a really great shot of a few sedge warblers near the sandmartin wall. The sandmartins were really active again and when we our longer lens gets here (100-400) we will be standing near that fence to get some great shots I hope.
The crickets were out and about huge ones as well. Lots of different Caterpillars. Damselflies in the hundreds. A reed bunting that sat happily in the reeds down near the waters edge of Ribbleton Pool for me to take pictures and a little video of it. Cormorants flying overhead landing on Number One Pit with all the swans and Canada Geese. A little robin, must have been a young one came hopping right up to our feet and past us was really nice. There was a great deal of 5 spot burnet moths out and about Sunday as well. Plus lots of other wildlife and birds.
We always look on the group on facebook the morning I'm going to see what has been seen and where, so I can go looking for it myself. One of our spider pictures, hidden well on tree, is on the facebook groups wall.
They just had a a few mothing nights which were really good. They caught quite a few and had them on display in the visitors center.
A lot of birds of prey have been seen at the reserve and I'm dying to get the new lens to get down there and catch some good pictures I hope.
It would be a good idea to take a car full then split the £10 car park charge yes. We are always there over 5 hours as there's so much to do. And that's not even mentioning the lovely walk right down by the river.
I'm not sure where people park who go before the car park opens or after it closes at six. They possible might park up in nearby town Ribbleton and walk across the bridge over the motorway and into the woods part of the reserve. We see a few people coming from those paths in the woods when we are there. Excuse my crude line, but you get the idea of where the area is.
Hope everyone has a great visit when you come
We went yesterday I don't have the gear for birds but we just wanted some fresh air and it was a glorious day. We don't do car parks either but there are places to park and walk in , we did have some lunch there, not the cheapest but good fresh food and nice surroundings.
I think it is good to have places to introduce families to wildlife much better to see children running round there than whining round the Trafford Centre on a Sunday.
I think it is good to have places to introduce families to wildlife much better to see children running round there than whining round the Trafford Centre on a Sunday.