WEEKLY ROUND UP OF BIRDS RECORDED AT ACRE NOOK AND LAPWING HALL POOL

W/K 16th April - Lapwing Pool

The Goldeneye that arrived on the 14th departed after a three-day stay and departed by the 17th. The 17 Wigeon have started to dwindle, with three birds still remaining. Sand Martins have now arrived in good numbers, with 4 House Martins being recorded and two Swallows.3 Little Grebes,47 Tufted ducks, and 24 Coot remain resident throughout visits. Blackcaps, Willow warblers and Chiffchaffs have now arrived in good numbers around the pool. A Reed bunting was seen on the 18th along with 7 Linnets. On the 19th, the two Sparrowhawks were over the pool. On the 21st, the Sandwich tern was seen again sitting on the sucken fence at the west end of the pool, but flew before I got round to get any good photos.2 Gadwall were also on the pool along with a Wigeon.

The Sandwich Tern has stayed for four days in the area

A female Mallard was on the pool with her brood on the 21st, happily swimming around the margins. A good number of Swallows, House martins and Sand martins are now over the pool.

Spring Is Here!

Acre Nook Sand Quarry

2 Green woodpeckers are now heard and seen daily around the area.6 Shelduck,2 Mallard,15 Teal,4 Buzzard,7 Great Crested Grebe,2 Oystercatchers,43 Lapwing,5 Little Ringed Plover,1 Green Sandpiper,2 Coot,4 Treecreeper,17 Long Tailed Tits were seen on the 16th.On the 19th, I found a Sandwich Tern, which showed well for about ten minutes before flying north. This was a first for me on my new patch and a great inland record.

Sandwich Tern 

On the 21st, 2 GreyLag geese were recorded along with a female and male Gadwall.2 Oystercatchers were on the embankment between the two pools, along with 17 Shelduck. Teal are still present with 9 birds today, along with a Little ringed plover, Goosander and 29 Lapwing.

Greylag Geese were first for the year

 Goosander

Gadwall

On the 22nd, the Sandwich tern was still present and had been for the last four days. A single Shoveler made an appearance today, along with four Herring gulls and a Great Black backed gull. 6 Greylag geese and 9 Canada Geese were on the quarry. A flock of 19 Goldfinches were in the alders along with 2 Jays.

AFTERNOON BIRDING AT LEASOWE

I spent the early afternoon today with local patch watchers Allan Conlin and Eddy Williams. Walking down Lingham Lane, we soon connected with several Chiffchaff and Willow warblers, and Blackcaps were all in full song.

There were a good number of Willow Warblers around Leasowe today

Blackcap

The horse paddocks were very quiet but held Blackbird and Song Thrush. At the end of Lingham Lane, we entered the farmer's field where we saw a Reed warbler and Allan found a Grasshopper Warbler in the corner of the field, reeling away.

Walking back towards Park Lane, we entered the horse paddocks and I found a female Yellow wagtail, but the bird flew high as we watched it for a few seconds. There were also a good number of Wheatear in the fields around Park Lane.

14 Wheatear Were Seen In Fields Off Park Lane

DANE BOWER AND THREE SHIRES HEAD

I called in at Dane Bower quarry today and was rewarded with 2 Ring ouzels as soon as I got out of the car.

Ring Ouzel

This area in the eastern hills of Cheshire is a regular site for this species, and thankfully, they return every year to breed at this site.

Dane Bower Quarry

I decided to carry on walking towards Three Shires Head, 4 Red grouse were seen along with 2 Ravens, 6 Curlew, Mistle thrush and good numbers of Meadow Pipits.

Red Grouse

Reaching Three Shires Head on the Axe edge moor, where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, I sat and ate my lunch.

The Packhorse Bridge and the River Dane

As I was having my lunch, a Grey wagtail was seen on the river before landing on a nearby fence.

Grey Wagtail

After lunch, I headed back towards the quarry where I saw 3 Wheatear.

 Leaving Three Shires Head and walking back towards the quarry

Dane Bower Quarry Chimney

Reaching the car, I was shattered after a good hike and just made it back in time before a hailstorm.

MORNINGS BIRDING ON MY OLD PATCH

I picked up Malc Curtin this morning for a morning's birding on my old patch, Marbury Country Park. I parked my car up at Witton Mill car park and headed towards Ashton's flash. We soon got onto a Sedge warbler and 4 Redpoll flying over towards Carey Park, but couldn't find the Whitethroat that had been reported around the car park.

Ashton's Flash

Moving on to Witton Brook, my first Reed warbler of the year was seen along with 2 flyover Great spotted woodpeckers.

Reaching Haydn's pool, there was no sign of the Garganey that were reported last night, but a Green Woodpecker was seen at the back of the pool. With no sign of the Garganey, we moved back onto the brook and had brief views of the elusive Cetti's warbler, but we couldn't relocate it.

A text of one of the patch regulars had us walking back to Haydn's pool, where we connected with the male and female Garganey.

Garganey

Haydn's Pool

After good views of the birds, we moved onto Budworth Mere, where I found the first Common sandpiper of the year for the patch regulars and a Yellow wagtail was commuting in the back fields behind the mere with 6 Pied wagtails and a White wagtail.

A great morning birding, and I was glad to be back on my old patch. I just wish it wasn't so far away from where I live.

BACK ON THE NEW PATCH

I nipped over to Acre Nook Sand Quarry and Lapwing pool on my lunch break this afternoon, hoping that a few spring migrants mightn't have dropped in. On arrival at Lapwing pool, 12 Goldeneye and 17 Wigeon were on the pool, along with 2 Little Grebes and 7 Tufted Duck.

12 Goldeneye had dropped in on the pool before heading north

It was very quiet around Lapwing Pool, so I headed towards Acre Nook. The usual suspects were still around 14 Shelduck,19 Shoveler,8 Teal,34 Lapwing and a Little Ringed Plover.

Little Ringed Plover

As I was birding, a Green woodpecker called and flew into a tree next to me.

Green Woodpecker

What a bird, I never get fed up with seeing these, but it only landed briefly and then headed across the quarry. Another good hour of birding, but still hoping for a few more migrants.

NORTH WIRRAL COAST

I arrived at Leasowe around 12.30 today for an afternoon's birding. I parked up at the lighthouse and soon connected with a Willow warbler in the lighthouse garden. The horse paddocks down Lingham Lane held several Blackbirds and a Pied Wagtail. There were good numbers of Goldfinch, Linnet and Greenfinch down the lane. Other birds of note were House Sparrow, Dunnock, Great and Blue Tit, Collared Dove and 4 Canada Geese over.

Dunnock

Collared Dove

Goldfinch

Reaching the bridge halfway down the lane, I had 2 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap skulking around in the alderberry bushes.

 Blackcap

Chiffchaff

A seawatch followed off Leasowe, where I connected with Common scoter, Great Crested grebe, Dunlin, Redshank and a single Lapwing flew past the wind farm.

Moving back towards the farm at the end of Park Lane, the paddocks were again very quiet. A Swallow was around the farm, and 3 House martins flew east. The fields behind the paddocks held 3 Little egrets and 6 Wheatear, and a Reed bunting.

Reed Bunting

3 Little Egrets feeding in the fields

Moving on from Leasowe, I called in at Gilroy Nature Park, where a Common sandpiper had been reported. The flooded field next to the path held 2 Black tailed godwits,17 Shelduck,2 Oystercatchers and 4 Snipe

Black Tailed Godwit

Snipe

Shelduck

Walking down the path, I walked around the fishing pool and flushed the Common sandpiper, which showed well. A Great crested grebe was also seen.

Common Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

BACK FOR SECONDS-LAPWING HALL POOL

On arrival this afternoon to Lapwing Hall pool, the two Black necked grebes were still present that I found last night.

Black Necked grebes

After getting some better photos, I moved on towards Acre Nook Quarry, where I had a Buzzard fly over Lapwing Lane and managed to find the Green woodpecker, which was calling, sitting in a tree over the other side of the quarry.

 Common Buzzard

 Green Woodpecker

The quarry was very quiet this afternoon, but I did find another Little Ringed Plover.

Little Ringed Plover