CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS

Fri 6th

Cattle Egret-2 flew into the roost this evening-Burton RSPB

5th Feb

20 Whooper Swan-Puddington Lane-Puddington

Avocet-Burton RSPB

Scaup (Drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake

Shore Lark-In field by the wall along the Gritstone Trail between the telephone mast and the Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

4th Feb

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker-Marbury Country Park-Northwich

Caspian Gull and Ruddy Shelduck-Off Spike Island-Widnes

3 Short-eared Owl-Denhall Quay

Scaup (Drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed-Marbury Park-Northwich

European White-fronted Goose with Pinkfeet, Short-eared Owl and 1,500 Skylark - Old Baths-Parkgate

72 Brent Geese on shore at high tide - Hoylake

Siberian Chiffchaff - Leasowe Lighthouse

Shore Lark-In field by the wall along the Gritstone Trail between the telephone mast and the Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

3rd Feb

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker-Marbury Country Park-Northwich

Scaup (Drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed-Marbury Park-Northwich

4 European White-fronted Geese - Burton RSPB

(c)Jake Goswell

Short-eared Owl and 12+ Little Grebe - Parkgate

2 Short-eared Owl - Denhall Quay

2nd Feb

Velvet Scoter-Drake flew east past RNLI Hoylake Lifeboat Station-Hoylake

Siberian Chiffchaff - Leasowe Lighthouse

Scaup (Drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake

Shore Lark-In field by the wall along the Gritstone Trail between the telephone mast and the Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

Willow Tit-Budworth mere-Marbury Country Park

1st Feb

Green-winged Teal-drake on the River Mersey off Stanlow Point this morning (no public access); also Spotted Redshank-Ince Marshes

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed-Marbury Park-Northwich

Russian White-fronted geese-Two from Tetton Lane park opposite Tetton Cottages-Middlewich

Scaup (drake), Goldeneye and 7 Goosander - West Kirby Marine Lake

Red Kite- over East - Dawpool Nateure Reserve-Thurstaston

Firecrest - Saughall

Siberian Chiffchaff - Leasowe Lighthouse

3 Red-throated Diver, 200+ Common Scoter and 50+ Great Crested Grebe at high tide - Hoylake

Willow Tit- Burton Mere RSPB

Shore Lark-In field by the wall along the Gritstone Trail between the telephone mast and the Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

A RARE AMERICAN VISITOR LIGHTS UP MORAY & NAIRN

I was just finishing work in Inverness this afternoon when news broke that the Blue-winged Teal had been seen again. Originally discovered on 12th January, the bird had lingered at Loch Loy in the Culbin Forest for a few days before disappearing. With the loch only about 40 minutes away, and this being a species I still needed for my Scottish list, I set off immediately. On arrival, I got temporarily lost due to a lack of phone signal, but eventually found the loch. There, I bumped into Pete Stronach, whom I hadn’t seen since the 2019 Paddyfield Pipit twitch in Cornwall, when he had joined Dan Pointon and me to see that bird.

We spent the next two hours scanning the loch for the elusive teal. I then decided to walk further along the shoreline when a dog and its owner flushed a flock of Common Teal from a reed bed. One bird flew back toward where Pete was standing, and by now three other birders had arrived. There it was: the Blue-winged Teal, in full view before settling back into the vegetation.

It was a fantastic sighting, adding yet another American duck to my Scottish list, alongside Black Scoter and Long-billed Dowitcher, all in the space of just two weeks. On top of that, the Blue-winged Teal marked a first record for the county of Moray & Nairn, making it an unforgettable twitch and a pleasure to share the moment with Pete before we said our goodbyes.

AN AFTERNOON OF BOU LUMPS AT TAIN-HIGHLANDS-SCOTLAND

Finishing work this afternoon, I stopped at Tain just as the tide was ebbing from the estuary. Good numbers of Wigeon, Pintail, Shelduck and Teal were scattered across the mud, and I walked the coastal path checking through the flocks.

Wigeon

Three Pintail were feeding with the Wigeon

The highlight was the long-staying Green-winged Teal, eventually found asleep beneath a tree at the water’s edge.

For comparison of the two species, Green-winged Teal (North America): vertical white bar on the side of the breast, Common Teal (Eurasia/UK): horizontal white bar along the wing.

Once split from Eurasian Teal and treated as a full species by the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) in 2001, it has since been re-lumped following genetic studies showing significant gene flow between North American and Eurasian populations. It is now considered a subspecies of Common Teal, making this a neat example of taxonomy coming full circle.

The theme continued with a Hooded Crow feeding on the beach alongside several Carrion Crows. 

Under the current BOU treatment, Hooded Crow is lumped with Carrion Crow due to extensive interbreeding where their ranges meet. Birds in this hybrid zone regularly produce fertile offspring, and earlier genetic work failed to show consistent differences beyond plumage, leading to their treatment as a single species.

As the estuary emptied and the wildfowl shifted with the tide, it was a reminder that birding isn’t always about adding species; sometimes it’s about watching the names change while the birds stay the same

MOTH TRAPPING IN THE ARCTIC AIR:WINTER NIGHTS IN CAITHNESS

Working up in Caithness for the next few weeks, I’ve been putting out the moth trap whenever the weather looks even vaguely cooperative. That hasn’t been often.

The recent run of poor weather here, particularly over the first few weeks, has been driven by a stubbornly “stuck” winter pattern. Deep depressions over Scandinavia combined with high pressure near Greenland have created a relentless northerly airflow, dragging freezing Arctic air straight down over northern Scotland. And by god, when you’re not used to Arctic air, it’s cold.

This persistent, direct flow from the North Pole has brought repeated snow showers to the far north, with temperatures low enough to generate windchill values of minus 6°C to minus 7°C. Put it this way: working in ecology up here at this time of year is challenging, and absolutely bloody freezing.

Despite that, I’ve managed to get the moth trap out twice this week. Both nights followed a slight lull in the wind, with temperatures hovering around 3°C. Hardly ideal conditions, but sometimes you take what you’re given.

To my surprise, those brief windows of calm paid off. I recorded five Pale Brindled Beauty moths and a single Chestnut moth. The Pale Brindled Beauties were observed coming to the light initially, but were later found settled on nearby trees rather than in the trap itself. This was a new species for me, one I’d never trapped before, so it was a genuinely exciting find, especially given the conditions.

The Pale Brindled Beauty is a particularly interesting species. The females are completely wingless, apterous, a trait often seen in moths that emerge in the winter months. Unlike the males, females are not attracted to light at all. Instead, they climb tree trunks and wait, making them elusive and rarely encountered despite the species itself being fairly common. Males fly from January through to March, searching for these flightless females by scent rather than sight. This explains why, although the Pale Brindled Beauty is not uncommon, the females are very rarely seen and easily overlooked.

Chestnut Moth

It’s hard to see much moth trapping happening for the foreseeable future, though. The forecast is already hinting at more snow by the weekend, and Caithness doesn’t exactly forgive optimism when it comes to winter weather.

Standing in the cold, checking traps with numb fingers while Arctic air cuts straight through you, it’s easy to question your life choices. But moments like this, new species, unexpected records, and small signs of life pushing through winter make it worthwhile. Even in conditions that feel more polar than Scottish, nature is still quietly getting on with things.

And sometimes, that’s enough to keep you setting the trap out one more time.

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:26TH JANUARY-2ND FEBRUARY 2026

It was a frustratingly unsettled week again on the weather front for those who enjoy getting out into the field as much as possible, though there were a few stand out highlights to keep us entertained until the sun shines again. Read More>