Places to see birds

Pennington Country Park, Leigh, Lancashire

Pennington is a country park with a large lake with dinghy sailing, a golf course, picnic areas, children's play equipment and several areas reserved for wildlife, making it a good place to take the family.

This is a rewarding site for bird-watching with several well-placed hides overlooking water areas/reeds and woodland. Ducks, geese, waders and passage migrants including gulls and terns (some rarities) are to be seen at the appropriate seasons. The woods are alive with warblers during the spring migration. The woodland hide, with its feeding station, is especially good for finches, water rail and willow tits. Wintering long-eared owls are sometimes visible from one of the hides.

The park is administered by Wigan Council and there is warden service and an up-to-date birds "what's about list" is maintained in a lobby near the toilets. Admission is free but there is a parking charge. The Country Park is signposted off the Leigh by-pass (A579).