CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 20TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Meols
8 Great Crested Grebe and 2,500+ Common Scoter-After high tide and a Greenshank by the groyne.

Red Rocks
6 Brambling,9 Siskin,41 Fieldfare,5 Mistle Thrushes,2 Rock Pipit,Grey Wagtail and 42 Skylark.

Leasowe Lighthouse
5 Brambling,7 Siskin and 3 Redpoll flew over site.

Lower Heswall
c40 Fieldfare flew over site.

Decca Pools
Marsh Harrier,Great Egret and a Green Sandpiper.

Burton RSPB
Pink Footed Geese Wet Grassland 1000+
Cattle Egret x1 Main Scrape 
Little Stint main scrape 
Ruff x9 Main Scrape
Snipe Main Scrape
Stonechat By Reception Pool
Curlew Sandpiper Marsh Covert Hide
Water Rail By Bench Along Boardwalk
Linnets 30+ Blrdcrop Field
Great Egret Burton Marsh From Point
Cetti's Warbler x3
Sparrowhawk In Trees To IMF
Dunlin x20 IMF
Kingfisher x2 Flew Over Reception Pool

Bidston Moss Nature Reserve
Yellow-browed Warbler-Calling in willows under bridge.

Neston Marsh-Harp Inn
Hen Harrier-Female,2 Merlin,3 Green Sandpiper,Lesser Redpoll,2 Western Marsh Harrier and a 2 Great White Egret.

CHESHIRE
Pickerings Pasture
2 Common Sandpiper,Adult Mediterranean Gull,Peregrine falcon,Yellow Browed Warbler.

Frodsham Marshes
4 Great White Egrets.

Woolston Eyes
2 Great White Egret and a Marsh Harrier-From John Morgan Hide.

Hale
Ring Ouzel-One flew south over Hale Head this morning.

Newchurch Common
Smew of unknown origin-Adult female on the large pool north of the track.

Rostherne Mere
Adult-Yellow Legged Gull and Barn Owl flew past the observatory.

Sandbach Flashes
2 Cetti's warbler-Railway Flash and 2 Long Eared Owl's back at Groby flash.(PLEASE AVOID DISTURBING THE OWL'S SO EVERYONE CAN ENJOY)

Marbury Country Park-Budworth Mere
Female Goosander and 4 Whooper Swan's.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 19TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Great Egret x2 Burton Marsh From Point 
Marsh Harrier Burton Marsh From Point 
Linnets 20+ By Railway Bridge 
Merlin Over Railway Bridge
Curlew Sandpiper IMF
Whooper Swan Border Pool
Pink Footed Geese 500+ Border Pool
Pintail x2 Bridge Pool
Dunlin x10 Main Scrape
Ruff x3 Main Scrape
Cattle Egret x2 Wet Grassland
Peregrine Over Wet Grassland
Hen Harrier (RT) Over Wet Grassland
Brambling By Railway Bridge
Little Stint IMF
Green Sandpiper Marsh Covert Hide
Water Pipit Marsh Covert Hide

Hilbre Island
Peregrine,83 Wigeon and 4 Pintail.

Leasowe Lighthouse
Barn Owl-Roosting in hawthorn bush 

Decca Pools and Neston Old Quay
2 Hen Harrier,Marsh Harrier and a Green Sandpiper.

Parkgate
2 Hen Harrier (ringtails) came into roost and Raven over.

CHESHIRE
Hale

Yellow Browed Warbler in  bushes by car park at top of Lighthouse road.4 Great White Egret's roosted in the duck decoy.Also 15 Little egret,Merlin,Peregrine Falcon,Little Owl,Barn Owl and Tawny Owl around same area.

Marbury Country Park

4 Whooper Swan-Budworth Mere and Brambling over east.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 18TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Cattle Egret x2 Main Scrape (Pos 3)
Ruff x3 Marsh Covert Hide 
Sparrowhawk Over Bridge Pool 
Cetti's Warbler Near Bridge Screen
Water Rail Near Bridge Screen
Pintail x4 Bridge Pool
Hen Harrier Over Bridge Pool
Linnets By Railway Bridge
Curlew Sandpiper IMF
Great Egret Burton Marsh From Point
Whooper Swan x1 Burton Marsh From Point
Little Stint IMF
Chiffchaff By Wooden Bridge IMF

Red Rocks
Ring Ouzel,80 Chaffinch,7 Brambling,9 Siskin,60 Meadow Pipit,52 Skylark,40+ Fieldfare and 2 Tree Sparrow.

Leasowe Lighthouse
2 Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier together over Lingham Lane.

CHESHIRE
Little Budworth
Great White Egret-Oulton Mill Pool.

WELL CHUFFED!

After a good lie in after yesterday's Grey Catbird in Cornwall I received a phone call off Allan Conlin that the Chough was still showing well at Dee estuary sailing club which was found yesterday.I made my way there and soon connected with the bird as it sat on some rocks at the bottom of the slipway.

A great bird and a first for me in Cheshire and Wirral apparently this is 12th record for our county.

24 HOURS OF TWITCHING MADNESS!

Well, where do I start? The mega alert went off Sunday afternoon after a Pacific swift was found at Hornsea mere in Yorkshire. I just sat at home, and thankfully I didn't need it, but then it was reidentified as a white-rumped swift! A FIRST FOR BRITAIN!.Arrangements were made, and I headed across with Phil Woollen at 4.00am, making good time and arriving on site just after 7.00am. The weather was wet and cold as we waited around for the bird.

BIRDERS WAIT IN ANTICIPATION FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE SWIFT

We waited and waited, but there was no sign of the bird. 10 house martins were flying around over near trees; a Cetti's warbler was heard, and a Great White egret put in a flyover appearance, and that was it. We hung around until 10.30am, freezing cold, and headed back to the car. This was my fifth dip on the run, and I was hurting. Belted Kingfisher, Moltoni's Warbler, Royal Tern, and Green Warbler last week. Why do I do this to myself? I'll tell you why I love it. It's adrenalin, and I just tell myself, "They'll be another! I made it home for 1.00pm.The bird made the national news that evening. Click on the link. The afternoon was spent catching up with things, and then at 4.30pm the mega alert went off again: Grey Catbird, Treemoor, Corona!. Panic mode set in as I was knackered, but thankfully, after a phone call to Dan Pointon, he offered to drive. Relax! The evening was spent in Blackpool with Dianne visiting the lights, and I dropped her off at 11.00pm and headed south to meet Dan, Sam Viles, and Andrew Kinghorn. The journey down was full of apprehension, as I so wanted to see this mega bird.We arrived on site just after 6 a.m. and got our heads down for an hour. We then got up and entered the field and waited with the crowd that had gathered for first light.

BIRDERS WAITING AT FIRST LIGHT FOR THE GREY CATBIRD

THE SMALL WILLOWS WERE WHERE THE BIRD WAS LAST SEEN 

We waited, but there was no sign of the bird; it didn't look good, and I felt like shit—surely not another dip! It was just after 9.00am when the bird popped up out in the open and then continually showed throughout my stay.What a bird!I was ecstatic!There has only been one previous record of Grey Catbird, which was found on South Stack, Holy Island, 4th to 5th October, and again on the 6th October 2001-Anglesey.

WHAT A BEAUTY!

We continued to watch the bird till 11am and headed back to the parking lot for some lunch.

We then moved on to Kenidjack Valley to do some birding, but it was very quiet, but we did see a female Adder sunning itself on a wall.

Kenidjack valley

After a good walk, we made the long journey north, eventually getting home just before 10:00 p.m., absolutely shattered!

YELLOW BROWED WARBLER-LEASOWE LIGHTHOUSE

I visited Leasowe on sunday and finally caught up with the Yellow browed warbler that has been around for the last couple of days.The bird was really elusive but was eventually found around the duckpond In some willows.

 YELLOW BROWED WARBLER

We have done really well in Cheshire and Wirral this year for this species with up to 10 different individual birds been seen on passage.A quick look around the duck pond produced good views of a Water Rail.

WATER RAIL

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 17TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Caldy Steps and Dee Sailing Club

Chough-Walk down slipway from top carpark and bird is showing well on the boulders at the bottom. 

Red Rocks
Swift-Flew over and Yellow Browed warbler-Moved through gardens,before flying south.

Little Neston
Great White Egret-From the Harp Inn

Burton RSPB
Great Egret x2 Burton Marsh From Point 
Ruff x4 lMF 
Dunlin x15 IMF 
Curlew Sandpiper x2 IMF
Little Stint x1 IMF
Cetti's Warbler Along Boardwalk
Pintail x4 Bridge Pool
Spoonbill x1 (Juv) Main Scrape
Cattle Egret x2 Wet Grassland
Pink Footed Geese 2500+ Wet Grassland
Hen Harrier Over Wet Grassland
Peregrine High Over Main Scrape
Stonechat (M) Reception Pool
Water Pipit Marsh Covert hide

CHESHIRE
Hale
Yellow Browed Warbler-One moved through gardens and towards lighthouse.

Holmes Chapel
Ring Necked Parakeet-Flew low towards medical centre.

Poynton Pool
Ring Necked Parakeet-5 Still being seen around the area.

Sandbach Flashes
Short Eared Owl-Maw Green Tip.

Little Budworth
Great White Egret-Oulton Mill Pool.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 16TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Cattle Egret x2 Main Scrape 
Ruff x5 Marsh Covert Hide 
Cetti's Warbler Marsh Covert Hide 
Jay Far End boardwalk
Linnets x30+ Over Birdcrop Field
Great Egret Burton Marsh From Point
Cetti's Warbler By Wooden Bridge IMF
Dunlin x21 IMF
Ruff x3 IMF
Water Rail IMF
Pink Footed Geese 600+ Flew Over Reserve
Marsh Harrier Over Wet Grassland
Hen Harrier Over Wet Grassland
Kingfisher Burton Mere

Caldy Steps and Dee Sailing Club

Chough photographed on boulders on shore around 10am then from noon onwards either in flight,on the golf course or on the boulders at the bottom of the cliff. 

CHOUGH

(C)STEVE WILLIAMS

Leasowe Lighthouse
Short-eared Owl.


Parkgate
Hen Harrier,2 Marsh Harrier and a Spoonbill over late afternoon.

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF RARE BIRDS THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN-10TH-16TH OCTOBER 2018

CLICK ON LINK

BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK 10TH-16TH OCTOBER 2018

CLICK ON LINK

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 15TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Hilbre Island
Yellow Browed Warbler-Trapped and ringed

YELLOW BROWED WARBLER
(c)STEVE WILLIAMS

Moreton
c4,410 Pink-footed Geese-Over,towards the Dee Estuary.

Red Rocks
2 Yellow-browed Warbler-In Alders together and moving south.

West Kirby-Cubbins Green
Yellow-browed Warbler.

Burton RSPB
Great Egret x2 Burton Marsh From Point.
Wheatear Burton Point.
Linnets 50+ Railway Bridge.
Pink Footed Geese 1600+ Wet Grassland & Border Pool.
Meadow Pipit Marsh Covert Hide.
Cetti's Warbler Marsh Covert Hide.
Kingfisher Burton Mere.
Ruff x4 Main Scrape.
Cattle Egret x2 Main Scrape.
Whooper Swan x1 Main Scrape.
Curlew Sandpiper x1 Main Scrape.
Hen Harrier Over Wet Grassland.
Marsh Harrier Over Wet Grassland.
Sparrowhawk Over Main Scrape.
Water Pipit Marsh Covert Hide.

CHESHIRE
Frodsham Marshes
3 Great White Egret-Frodsham Score.

Parkgate Marsh
Eurasian Spoonbill and Great White Egret.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 14TH OCTOBER 2018

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Pink Footed Geese 2000+ Wet Grassland 
Marsh Harrier Over Wet Grassland 
Cattle Egret x2 Wet Grassland Left Main Scrape 
Whooper Swans x2 Main Scrape
Green Sandpiper x2 Marsh Covert Hide
Cetti's Warbler Boardwalk By 2 Metal Gates
Linnets x30 Railway Bridge
Reed Bunting Railway Bridge
Great Egret Burton Marsh From Point
Merlin Over IMF
Hen Harrier (RT) Over IMF
Curlew Sandpiper x2 IMF
Water Rail IMF
Swift Flew Over Reserve
Stonechat x2 Bridge Pool
Siskin x5 In Copse To IMF
Ruff x6 Marsh Covert Hide

Denhall Quay
4 Stonechat (2 pairs) south of the quay,Hen Harrier (ringtail) and a Merlin.

Leasowe Lightouse
Yellow-browed Warbler-Near duckpond.

Hilbre
Long-tailed Duck off north end,56 Brent Geese,406 Curlew,5 Greenshank,Snipe and 150 Sanderling.

Ashton Park-West Kirby
Cetti's Warbler-At outfall of lake.

CHESHIRE
Hale
4 Great White Egrets-Near shore.7 Little Egret,Merlin,Peregrine Falcon,450 Golden Plover,Mediterranean Gull,Chiffchaff and a Little Owl

Pickerings Pasture
Great White Egret-Opposite Car park.

Houghton Green Pond
Yellow Browed Warbler-One on northwest side of Houghton Green village, trapped and ringed in garden on Radley Lane.