Pennington Flash to Haigh Hall

Today we had a bike ride from Lowton to Haigh Hall at Wigan along canal tow paths. We joined the tow path at Pennington Flash, and then cycled past Plank Lane, Lightshaw Flash, Horrocks Flash, Scotsmans Flash and on to Haigh Hall.

Most of the birding was at Pennington Flash, where I saw a juvenile Arctic Tern which has been around for a day or two, as well as a great view of a Kingfisher. There were plenty of butterflies on the wing today, mainly Small Tortoiseshells, but also a few Red Admirals. Also plenty of dragonflies, with again two species dominating, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter.

Away from Pennington, there were plenty of ducks on Pearsons Flash (near Scotsmans) and near Horrocks Flash we heard singing Chiffchaff and a Willow Tit calling.


Red Admiral in a Lowton garden and Small Tortoiseshell on Michaelmas Daisy, Pennington Flash.


A couple of photos of Pennington Flash showing Horrocks Hide and the spit. The spit is all that remains of a former railway line. I first visited the flash in 1981, when it was a very different place, and from then until about 1990 it was almost my local patch until I moved to St Helens from Newton-le-Willows. I've recently started visiting again on a more regular basis, though still quite infrequently.