PALLA'S WARBLER-SECOND HELPINGS

Visited New Brighton this morning and it was blowing a hooley I was rewarded with two Little Gulls in the mouth of the Mersey though and 3 Purple sandpipers at coastguards.

I then continued to Heswall to try and get some photos of the Pallas's warbler.The bird was really elusive and the weather didn't help but it did show briefly,but it was always distant which didn't help with my camera.Anyway I got a few personal record shots that won't win any prizes.

There were 7 Chiffchaffs on site

11 Goldcrests were seen but no sign of the reported Firecrest

Pallas's Warbler

Anyway a great bird for Cheshire and Wirral lets hope this is the beginning of a good year for are county!

PALLAS WARBLER-HESWALL SEWAGE WORKS

After yesterday's phone call from Allan Conlin regarding a Pallas's warbler, I made my way to Heswall and joined the small crowd that had gathered near the sewage works on target road. It didn't take long before the Pallas's warbler was on show but was always distant, and you had to look through a chain fence to view, and with the awful weather, the conditions weren't great. Hopefully the bird will hang around so I can go back for seconds and try and get some photos. Allan Conlin has kindly let me use one of his photos for my blog below. 

Pallas's Warbler

This was the seventh record of Pallas's warbler for Cheshire and Wirral, the last one being in a Bidston garden in November 2010, which was trapped and ringed.

PLAYING CATCHUP

Started the day on my old patch at Marbury country park where a Cetti's Warbler had been found by Vernon one of the patch regulars on New years eve,this was a first for the patch and was well over due.After a good two hour wait the Cetti's started to call and eventually I got two good views of the bird.Hopefully the bird will stick around and when the weather improves i'll go back and hopefully get a few pictures.

Next I headed towards Chelford sand quarries where a Black necked grebe had been found on Lapwing hall pool.

Lapwing Hall Pool

On arrival I soon picked up the Black necked grebe.Other birds of note were Wigeon,Shoveller,Goldeneye and Goosander

Black Necked Grebe

Spent the next couple of hours walking around the area and added some good birds to the yearlist.

 Goldcrest

Fieldfares and Redwings 

Next stop on the way home was Newchurch common where i soon connected with the resident Smew.

Smew

A good days birding which got even better when I arrived home a phonecall from Allan Conlin to say a Pallas's warbler had been found at Heswall sewage works.Happy days i'll be there in the morning!