Latest Cheshire & Wirral Bird News

September 30th

Neumann's Flash-Northwich

Adult Yellow-legged Gull

Moston

Ruddy Shelduck-One at fisheries

Hoylake

Curlew Sandpiper-Two juveniles west of RNLI Hoylake Lifeboat Station (CH47 3AL)

Hilbre Island

Black Guillemot- One off the east side.

Hoylake

Firecrest-Still in private garden, North Parade.

Meols

Curlew Sandpiper-Two juveniles on beach off Roman Road.

Curlew Sandpiper

(c) Sean O'Hara

September 29th

Storeton

Yellow-browed Warbler-One recorded at Storeton Woods yesterday

Widnes 

Caspian Gull-One on River Mersey

Widnes

Caspian Gull-Adult on River Mersey sandbank west of old Runcorn Bridge

Hilbre Island

Short-eared Owl-One but mobile.

Short-eared Owl

(c) Steve Williams

September 28th

Heswall Marsh

2 Barn Owls (1 off Riverbank Road and 1 off Cottage Lane).

Burton RSPB

Glossy Ibis-One flew over Border Hide towards saltmarsh; use reserve car park off Puddington Lane (CH64 5SF).

Bebbington

Yellow-browed Warbler-Unconfirmed report of one at Storeton Woods.

Hilbre Island

Black Guillemot- One-off on the east side.

1st Winter Black Guillemot

(c)Steve Williams

Parkgate Marsh/Gayton Sands RSPB

Correction-Caspian Gull-Yesterday's reported 1st-winter at Donkey Stand Flash has been reidentified as a Lesser Black-backed Gull from photographs.

September 27th

West Kirby Marine Lake

5 Red-breasted Mergansers and 6 Goosanders - West Kirby Marine Lake.

Hoylake

Curlew Sandpiper and a Wheatear. 

Hilbre Island

Black Guillemot off the east side, also 2 Stonechats, 13 Wigeon, Great White Egret and a Swallow. 

Caldy Wildfowl Collection

6,050 Black-tailed Godwits.

Parkgate

Caspian Gull (1st w) showing well on Donkey Stand Flash.

Pickerings Pasture

Little Stint.

Parkgate Marsh/Gayton Sands RSPB

Spotted Redshank-Four still at Boathouse Flash; also 5 Eurasian Spoonbills flew south.

26th September 2026

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this afternoon.

Parkgate Marsh/Gayton Sands RSPB

Spotted Redshank-Six still at Boathouse Flash

 

Waverton

Harrier sp-Ringtail flew south-east over A41.

Hoylake

Firecrest caught and ringed in seafront garden.

Firecrest

(c)Jane Turner

Neston Old Quay

Bearded Tit calling and showing well in hedge.

25th September

Pickerings Pasture

9 Little Stint-Three juveniles on River Mersey below car park (WA8 8LP); also a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper.

Meols

European Turtle Dove-One flew south-west towards Dove Point/Park Lane.

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this morning.

Parkgate Marsh/Gayton Sands RSPB

Spotted Redshank-Four still at Bevyl Road Flash; also 11 Eurasian Spoonbills

 

24th September 2026

Leasowe

8 Wheatears between the groyne and Lighthouse.

Burton RSPB

2 Cattle Egrets, 4 Greenshanks, 2 Ruff, Green Sandpiper and an Avocet - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Parkgate Marsh

5 Spotted Redshanks (3 adults & 2 juvs) and 16 Greenshanks- at Bevyl Road Flash.

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this morning.

23rd September 2026

Parkgate

11 Greenshank and 53 Shoveler - Boathouse Flash

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this morning.

Baird's Sandpiper

(c)Mark Jarrett

22nd September 2026

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this evening.

Neston

Bearded Tit-Little Neston-At least two at c 53.2802, -3.0701.

21st September 2026

Marbury Country Park

Black Tern-Juvenile at Budworth Mere; No sign by 8.00am.

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this evening-Still present at 18.16.

20th September 2026

Hilbre Island

131 Leach's Petrel, Grey Phalarope, 5 Arctic Skua, Great Skua and 36 Manx Shearwater.

Great Skua

Manx Shearwater

Leach's Petrel

(c)Alan Hitchmough

New Brighton

20+ Leach's Petrels, Little Gull and 2 Manx Shearwaters past Mersey mouth.

Wallasey Shore

48 Leach's Petrels and a Manx Shearwater passed by 14.15hrs.

Leach's Petrel

(c)Pete Sutton

Leasowe Gunsite

32+ Leach's Petrels and a Manx Shearwater by 11.30am.

Hoylake Shore

Storm Petrel and 27+ Leach's Petrels.

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper- One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still present this evening.

Bebington

Grey-backed Thrush- Presumed escape; still in private garden this morning [the species is a short-/medium-distance migrant in East Asia but appears to be common in captivity.

19th September 2026

Coxbank

Baird's Sandpiper-One at Burleydam Pool; Park carefully along Lodmore Lane (SY13 4BJ); do not block access for farm vehicles-Still showing at 5.00pm.

Northwich

Manx Shearwater-One found exhausted.

Widnes

Caspian Gull-Adult on River Mersey sandbank west of old Runcorn Bridge.

Pickerings Pasture

Curlew Sandpiper-One still.

Hilbre Island

19 Leach's Petrels, Storm Petrel, 9 Red-throated Divers,  2 Arctic Terns, Little Tern, 6 Sandwich Terns, 4 Guillemots and a Razorbill. 

Leasowe Gunsite

Leach's Storm Petrel-11 flew west between 16:00 and 17:00.

Wallasey Shore

Leach's Storm Petrel-Another three flew west past Harrison Drive.

18th September 2026

New Brighton

Storm Petrel and 2 - 3 Leach's Petrels.

West Kirby Marine Lake

Curlew Sandpiper-One at the south end.

17th September 2026

Leasowe Gunsite

Barolo Shearwater at 1510hrs, also 31 Leach's Petrels from about 1140hrs to 1725hrs, flying west.

Wallasey Shore

5 Arctic Skuas and 26 Leach's Petrels.

North Wirral-Between Mersey Mouth and Hoylake Shore

At least 2 Grey Phalaropes and Leach's Petrels as above, also several Manx Shearwaters. 

Hilbre Island

9 Leach's Petrels,7 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Razorbills and 6 Arctic Terns.

16th September 2026

New Brighton

Arctic Skua flew west from Mersey mouth this morning.

Leasowe Lighthouse

5 Wheatears along the embankment by the lighthouse.

Leasowe Gunsite

2 Leach's Petrels and a Manx Shearwater flew west.

Wallasey Shore

2 Leach's Petrels and a Grey Phalarope.

Leach's Petrel

(c)Pete Sutton

Hoylake Shore

3 Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers this afternoon.

Burton RSPB

Ruddy Shelduck and 2 Little Stints.

Acre Nook Sand Quarry

Slavonian Grebe-Adult still this evening.

15 September 2026

Acre Nook Sand Quarry

Slavonian Grebe-Adult still this evening.

Hoylake Shore

Sabine's Gull- Juvenile on beach, then flew inland; also 3 Black Tern, 7 Arctic Tern and 10 Little Tern.

Sabine's Gull

(c)Pete Sutton

Hilbre Island

2 Black Tern and Black Guillemot flying west, Garganey flew north,  possible Long-tailed Skua, also hundreds of terns(mainly Sandwich).

Black Guillemot

(c)Steve Williams

Parkgate

Garganey, Hen Harrier (ringtail) and 20 Spoonbills.

A Dorset Double of Blair's Wainscot and Banded Pine Carpet

Thanks to a tip-off from my good friend Alan Lewis, I headed down to Dorset after work with two moths in mind, Blair’s Wainscot and Banded Pine Carpet.

My first stop was a site for Blair’s Wainscot, where I was able to find a large stand of its foodplant, Lesser Pond-sedge. Shortly after dark the moths started appearing, and I was able to see a number of these very local moths. It was a great start to the evening.

Blair’s Wainscot (Sedina buettneri) is an exceptionally rare and localised moth in Britain. It was first discovered in the UK on the Isle of Wight in 1945 and is now mainly found at a small number of wetland sites in southern England. The moth is closely associated with Lesser Pond-sedge, with the larvae feeding inside the stems of the plant. Adults are mainly seen during September and October.

After the early success with the Wainscot, I moved east to a pine plantation where I set the trap overnight for Banded Pine Carpet.

The overnight trapping session produced one Banded Pine Carpet, giving me exactly what I had hoped for.

The Banded Pine Carpet is a recent colonist to Britain, having expanded its range west from mainland Europe. It was first recorded in Britain in 2014, with early records from Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight, and it is now established in parts of southern England. The larvae feed on conifers, including Norway Spruce and Silver Fir.

A great night in Dorset and two more great moths added to the list! 

Challenger 1 expedition: to The Canyons

Challenger 1 Expedition from Falmouth to The Canyons Marine Conservation Zone, 17th–25th September 2026. Read more>

BirdGuides Review of the Week: 21st-27th September 2026

We're well and truly into the heart of autumn now, a time of year when it doesn't take much for things to truly kick off. Read more>

BirdGuides Review of the Week: 14th–20th September 2026

Back-to-back transatlantic lows brought further exciting arrivals from the New World, including a Nearctic passerine or two, though it was the shorebirds that stole the headlines, with several delivering thrills to patch birders in central and eastern England. Cornwall enjoyed a monopoly on mega-rare seabirds, though more exciting still was some of the best Leach's Storm Petrel passage in the Irish Sea for several years. Read more>

Latest Moths Trapped in Buckland, Oxfordshire

I'm still working down in Oxfordshire this week and staying in an Airbnb in Buckland. The owners have kindly let me use the garden for moth trapping each night, and some of the autumn moths have really been on show in the morning catch. Here are the moths I've trapped during my stay this week.

The Sallow

Black Rustic

Large Ranunculus

Frosted Orange

Treble-bar

Vestal

Oak Hook-tip

Bearded Chestnut

Deep-brown Dart

Satellite