CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS

2nd March

Eurasian Bittern-Went to roost off Old baths-Parkgate

Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl-Three again off Old Baths car park-Parkgate

3 Red Kite over (seen from Burton Mere Wetlands) - Burton.

Willow Tit-Moore Nature Reserve-Warrington

Green-winged Teal-Drake still at the new flash to the right of the Old Baths Flash-Parkgate

Russian White-fronted Geese- 28 still; use reserve car park off Puddington Lane-Burton RSPB

2 Black-necked Grebe-Woolston Eyes

Ruddy Shelduck-Drake still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

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

1st March

Sand Martin-Neumann's Flash

Black-necked Grebe and Sand Martin-Woolston Eyes

Euasian Spoonbill-Boathouse Flash-Parkgate

Russian White-fronted Goose-33 from viewpoint by barn-Burton RSPB

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

Russian White-fronted Geese-75 in fields on the east side of Tetton Lane Flash with Pink-footed geese ; park in the dip on Tetton Lane, then walk north for c 400m to view

Ruddy Shelduck-Drake still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Hen Harrier (grey male) came in off the sea, then headed west - Hilbre.

Spoonbill on Boathouse Flash - Parkgate.

Feb 28th

Green-winged Teal (drake) on Boathouse Flash, also 12 Stonechat - Parkgate.

Scaup (drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake.

Goosander, 3000 Oystercatcher, 80 Grey Plover, 46 Golden Plover, 5000 Dunlin, 4500 Knot, 1300 Black-tailed Godwit, 90 Bar-tailed Godwit, 330 Curlew, 1700 Redshank, 2 Greenshank over high tide - Heswall Shore.

2 Short-eared Owl off Heswall Golf Course.

11 Russian White-fronted Geese, distant from Bunker hide- Burton Mere Wetlands.

Russian White-fronted Geese-75 in fields on the east side of Tetton Lane Flash with Pink-footed geese ; park in the dip on Tetton Lane, then walk north for c 400m to view

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

Ruddy Shelduck-Drake still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Caspian Gull-Two 1st-winters at WSR Recycling Centre-Widnes

2 Sand Martin-Marbury Country Park-Northwich

Black-necked Grebe-Woolston Eyes

Feb 27th

6 Russian White-fronted Geese, distant from Bunker hide- Burton Mere Wetlands.

Firecrest-One reported at Moat Lane-Rixton

Russian White-fronted Geese-52 in fields on the east side of Tetton Lane Flash with Pink-footed geese ; park in the dip on Tetton Lane, then walk north for c 400m to view

Short-eared Owl-At least one again late afternoon-Neston Marsh

Caspian Gull-Two (adult and 2nd-winter) on River Mersey-Widnes

Ruddy Shelduck-Drake still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Russian White-fronted Goose-15 still at the west end of No 3 Mitigation Area-Frodsham Marshes

Eurasian Spoonbill-Burton RSPB

Feb 26th

Eurasian Spoonbill - Burton RSPB

Red Kite-Flew west over Park Lane and headed towards Meols Station at 0950am.

Willow Tit and -Burton RSPB

Willow Tit

(c)Joe Downing

Scaup (drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake

Kumlien's Gull-Adult still on River Mersey near Old Runcorn Bridge and 1st Winter Caspian Gull-Widnes

Kumlien's Gull

(c)Steve Tomlinson

Russian White-fronted Geese-74 in fields on the east side of Tetton Lane Flash with 94 Pink-footed geese; park in the dip on Tetton Lane, then walk north for c 400m to view-Sandbach Flashes

Ruddy Shelduck-Still on the River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

12 Russian White-fronted Geese on wet grassland and 6 Barnacle Geese- Burton Mere Wetlands

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:23rd FEBRUARY-1st MARCH 2026

Spring seems to get earlier every year. During the last few days, spells of warm, sunny weather had people celebrating their first Brimstones and, in some cases, summer migrants. Read more>

ACROSS THE WATER: REDHEAD AND A WESTERN LONG SHOT!

On the afternoon of 23 February, Dan Pointon rang with a proposition: Ireland, immediately, for the long-staying female Redhead at Lough Yganavan. He’d just returned from a month in Australia and “needed” it for his British and Irish list.

I didn’t, I’d seen the Drake at Bleasby back in 1996. But late winter in Ireland has its own pull and perhaps most enticing, a long-staying Double-crested Cormorant unreported for weeks somewhere in the west, which I needed.

We landed in Dublin just after 08:00 and headed south. By 12:15, we were scanning Lough Yganavan, a quiet Kerry valley lake holding eight Ring-necked Duck, but no Redhead.

A full circuit produced nothing. Back at the south-west corner for one last scan. The Redhead had appeared. It had clearly been roosting in the reedbed. Relief was instant. It was on the list.

1st winter female Redhead

(Brian McCloskey)

If accepted, this will constitute only Ireland’s second record, the first an adult at Cape Clear in July 2003. There’s even some suggestion this bird may have been overlooked earlier in the winter, perhaps dismissed as a Common Pochard back in October. With prolonged views secured, the trip had momentum.

We pushed north towards Galway, pausing at Tralee Bay where an adult Ring-billed Gull loafed confidingly at close range.

Ring-billed Gull

As dusk approached, Blennerville Estuary provided a fitting close: Dunlin, Eurasian Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit were seen in good numbers.

Two targets on the first day. The evening ended with Manchester United grinding out a win and a couple of Guinnesses. Birding days rarely close better.

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Day Two – Corvids and a Long Shot

Dawn found us at Cregal Art on the outskirts of Galway, scanning for a long-staying Pied Crow present since early January.

At first, there were only Hooded Crows and Rooks and that familiar sense of doubt that comes when searching for a conspicuous rarity that simply refuses to appear.

Hooded Crow

Rook

A circuit of the city’s gull haunts Waterside and Nimmo’s Pier proved quiet, though a female Red-crested Pochard on the river provided modest consolation.

Red Crested Pochard

Back at Cregal, patience finally paid off.

The Pied Crow flew in, perching briefly on a lamppost before dropping onto the art shop roof. 

Pied Crow

Its provenance remains uncertain; ship assistance from its sub-Saharan range seems plausible, but it was a striking bird to study at leisure. One major target remained.

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The Last Look

The Double-crested Cormorant hadn’t been reported since 18 January, though it had frequented the region since November 2020. By late February, relocating it felt optimistic.

Blank stops at Lough Doon and Lough Colgagh didn’t help. Lough Gill, when we reached it, felt almost absurdly vast, five miles of water and scattered islands. The odds of picking out a single Cormorant among wintering flocks seemed remote.

Lough Gill

A tern raft held five roosting Great Cormorants. Each looked entirely typical. We repositioned via St Angela’s College for a better angle. Still nothing. Eventually, with the light fading, we turned back towards the car.

“Have another look at that raft,” I suggested, more habit than conviction. Dan lifted the scope; there were now six birds. Against the odds, the Double-crested Cormorant had flown in and settled exactly where we’d already been scanning.

Double-crested Cormorant

Only Ireland’s second record. Britain’s sole record dates from Billingham in early 1989, with Western Palearctic occurrences otherwise largely confined to the Azores. 

To find it ourselves after weeks without reports made it even better. We left it roosting as evening drew in and began the drive back to Dublin, with two days having passed, all our target birds had been secured. A gamble rewarded.

What a great few days!