Wandering the West Lancs Mosses (1 Viewer)

Places such as Downholland Moss , Plex Moss and Altcar Moss don't seem to receive much recognition on the bird forums so I thought I'd give them a mention as being worthy of an occasional visit . At Plex Moss flocks of Whooper Swans and Pink Footed Geese included a number of Bean Geese in February of this year and Tree Sparrows , Fieldfares and Linnets are seen in good numbers (here's a photo of a Little Owl that I took by one of the farms).The fields on Downholland Moss receive visits from lots of Corn Buntings and a Mediterranean Gull was seen there earlier in the year. We visited Altcar Moss today and saw large numbers of House Sparrows , hundreds of Swallows stocking up for their departure , Lapwings and the inevitable birds of prey that frequent such areas ( here's a Kestrel that was near the roadside). So , if you're bored with your local patch and fancy a run out , it might be worth considering a visit.

Hi colg
by altarcar moss do you mean the Withens area, i drove down rye moss lane once nearly took my exhaust off, Is there a good spot to park up and walk the area? I have walked and drove around Plex moss a few times it,s good for whimbrel and game birds in spring.

Kirby Old Coach Road is another good area - and you can get there by bus. Which makes a change nowadays.
Chris

birdland11 said:

Hi colg
by altarcar moss do you mean the Withens area, i drove down rye moss lane once nearly took my exhaust off, Is there a good spot to park up and walk the area? I have walked and drove around Plex moss a few times it,s good for whimbrel and game birds in spring.

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Altcar Moss is the area around Great Altcar , which can be reached by turning off the Formby By-pass at Tesco's into Altcar Lane . If you continue along Altcar Lane it becomes Lord Sefton's Way and here you can turn left into Doctor's Lane ( more like a track ) and park by the Community Centre . The Withins and Altcar Meadows are a bit further along beyond Lord Sefton's Way on the right off Broad Lane Causeway . Paths crisscross these mosses in all directions so , if you enjoy walking and exploring new areas, you never know what you might encounter especially in Spring and around Winter .
I've never been down Kirkby Old Coach Road but I know that it passes near Siding Lane Nature Reserve ( which used to be Rainford Colliery if I'm not mistaken) and CAN be reached by public transport , which is a bonus these days . It's now on my " Pending " list !