CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 30TH SEPTEMBER 2017

WIRRAL
Red Rocks-Probable Greenish Warbler.

Neston Marsh-Pallid Harrier,3 Short eared owls and a Ringtail Hen harrier.

Burton RSPB-Curlew Sandpiper x3 IMF,Wood Sandpiper IMF,Little Stint x5 IMF,Cattle Egret Main Scrape,Wigeon x21 Main Scrape,Ruff x6 Main Scrape,Peregrine Over Main Scrape,Kingfisher Ditch Near Reedbed

Screen,Marsh Harrier Burton Marsh,Pallid Harrier (Juvenile) Burton Marsh,Short-Eared Owl Burton Marsh,Yellow Wagtail x2 Wet Grassland and a Treecreeper Near Reception

Leasowe-Cetti's Warbler,6+ Goldcrest,2+Blackcap and 4 Chiffchaff.

CHESHIRE
Frodsham Marsh-Garganey and 110 Ruff-N06 Tank.

Mollington-Firecrest-Private garden.

Sandbach Flashes-Whinchat,Ruff and 2 Mandarin duck.
MEGAS IN BRITAIN
ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK-Near post office-St Agnes-Isles Of Scilly.

SCOPS OWL-Ryhope-Durham.

UPLAND SANDPIPER-Opposite Leegarth-Fetlar-Shetland.

EASTERN BLACK REDSTART-male behind westernmost cottage north of stream early evening-Dale of the walls-Shetland.

SHETLAND DAY 10-RED THROATED PIPIT-UNST@UPLAND SANDPIPER-FETLAR

We woke up this morning to beautiful sunshine at last a change in the weather.We headed straight for the airport after breakfast to pick up the lads we were birding with for the week and started birding straight away.We headed straight to Levenwick and started to grill the area.

LIST OF BIRDS SEEN:

4 Chaffinch 4

23 Meadow Pipit

27 Song Thrush

14 Robin

6 Redstart

19 Chiffchaff

3 Yellow Browed warbler

 1 Reed Warbler

 1 Whinchat

 9 Blackcap

LOOKING DOWN OVER LEVENWICK

We had just finished birding at Levenwick when a Wryneck was found down the road at Scholland so we headed down there and great views of the bird.

THIS WAS MY FIRST WRYNECK FOR SHETLAND

As we were watching the bird a Red throated pipit was found on Unst which Dan needed as a lifer.It has been a joke for years that he still needed this bird so we had to try and see it as he'd dipped 7!.We soon made tracks heading north and had good views of an Otter swimming on around the ferry terminal on Yell.

News then broke that a Upland sandpiper had been found on Fetlar which two of the lads needed.This was going to be a manic next few hours trying to see the two birds.We arrived at Skaw on Unst and I soon picked up the Red throated pipit in the grass before it landed on a fence.The bird showed well for the next hour and Dan was made up that he had actually connected with this bird.

 

DAN ENJOYING THE MOMENT WATCHING HIS FIRST RED THROATED PIPIT

Other birds of note were,2 Wheatear,Little bunting,2 Blackcap,Lesser Whitethroat,Whinchat and a Yellow browed warbler.

UNBELIEVABLE HE GETS A TICK WHERE'S MINE!

Leaving Unst behind we boarded the ferry again to Fetlar where we soon connected with the Upland sandpiper up on a hill very close to where I had my first Swainson's thrush back in 2007.

 THIS WAS MY THIRD UPLAND SANDPIPER I HAVE SEEN IN BRITAIN

SPOT THE UPLAND SANDPIPER

Moving on from here we did some birding around Tresta where I saw my first Tiaga Flycatcher back in 2009.Birds were thin on the ground as the light started to fade but we did all enjoy a lovely sunset to round off a great days birding.

THE GARDEN AT TRESTA WHERE I SAW MY FIRST TIAGA FLYCATCHER IN BRITAIN

SHETLAND DAY 9

At last a break in the weather this morning,still very windy with light rain. We birded again on the mainland today south of Lerwick and then the weather turned bad again,torrential rain!We did stay out all day but got absolutely drenched.

LIST OF BIRDS SEEN:
16 Blackcaps
10 Goldcrest
20 Robins
52 Song Thrush
12 Redwing
46 Blackbirds
11 Willow Warbler
4 Swallow
32 Chiffchaff

1 Great Grey Shrike

1 Kestrel

17 Yellow Browed Warbler

2 Dunnock

1 Grasshopper Warbler

1 Reed Warbler

7 Redstart

4 Brambling

1 Quail

2 Wheatear

2 Lesser Whitethroat

2 Linnet

2 Fieldfare

4 Reed Bunting

50+Skylark

150+Meadow Pipit

DAN AND PIERRE PLOUGHING THE SOUTH MAINLAND

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 29TH SEPTEMBER 2017

WIRRAL
Neston and Burton Marsh-Probable Pallid Harrier (fem/juv)-Been around the estuary for the last four days.

Burton RSPB-Egyptian Goose x3 Main Scrape,Cattle Egret Main Scrape,Greenshank x2 Main Scrape,Marsh Harrier Over Reedbed,Curlew Sandpiper x3 IMF,Little Stint x10 IMF (Photo),Spotted Redshank IMF,Great Egret Burton Marsh,Hen Harrier Back Of Reedbed,Kingfisher Burton Mere

and a Water Rail IMF. 

Leasowe Gunsite-Yellow-browed Warbler in willows by car park.


Decca Pools-Marsh Harrier.

Parkgate-2 Marsh Harrier.

Denhall Quay-3 Great white egrets.

CHESHIRE
Winsford-Yellow browed warbler-Winsford Flash from Rilshaw Lane car park and 3 Mediterranean Gulls.

Pickerings Pasture-5 Little stint and a Curlew sandpiper. 

MEGAS IN BRITAIN
ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK-Near post office-St Agnes-Isles Of Scilly

TENNESSEE WARBLER-Possible reported yesterday but no further sign by late morning today-BRYHER-ISLES OF SCILLY

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR-Unconfirmed report of single on airfield by turning circle-St Mary's-Isles of Scilly.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK 20TH AUGUST-26TH SEPTEMBER 2017

CLICK ON LINK

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF RARE BIRDS THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN-20TH-26TH SEPTEMBER 2017

REVIEW OF THE WEEK CLICK ON LINK

BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE(BOURC):47th REPORT(OCTOBER 2017)

This report covers the period September 2016 to August 2017. The 46th Report appeared in Ibis 2017; 159: 238–242.CLICK ON LINK

SHETLAND DAY 8

We headed out this morning in gale force winds and driving rain and birded around the south end of the mainland until we had to come home due to the weather.

LIST OF BIRDS SEEN:

3 Blackcap

7 Yellow Browed Warbler

1 Little Bunting

1 Chiffchaff

1 Brambling

9 Chaffinch

4 Robin

1 Song Thrush

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 27TH SEPTEMBER 2017

SHETLAND DAY 7

Got up this morning and made the 8.30am ferry over to Whalsay.This was a new Island for me so I was looking forward to birding on it.
LIST OF BIRDS SEEN:
1 Great Grey shrike
4 Willow Warbler
17 Blackcap

 4 Whitethroats

 18 Yellow Browed warblers

 1 Whinchat

 12 Spotted Flycatcher

 9 Garden Warbler

 17 Song Thrush

 16 Chiffchaff

 1 Little Bunting

2 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Reed Warbler

6 Redstart

13 Robin

2 Brambling

4 Wheatear

2 Redwing

We also found a leucistic House sparrow on the Island that is a bit of a celebratory on the Island when talking to the locals,they have called the bird "SNOWY"

A good days birding but hard going with the high winds but a really nice Island with some cracking areas for birding.

ME,DAN AND PIERRE

 LEAVING WHALSAY BEHIND AS WE HEAD BACK 

TO THE MAINLAND

As we were going out for tea we called in at Sumburgh quarry on the mainland where we got stunning views of two Red breasted flycatchers.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 26TH SEPTEMBER 2017

SHETLAND DAY 6

Got up early again this morning and we headed back over to Bressay with Pierre andre-crochet and Pete Aley.Birding was a bit better today with alot of migrant birds around but it continues to be very windy.

LIST OF BIRDS SEEN:

       

39 Yellow Browed warbler

12 Song Thrush

 1 Wood Warbler

5 Lesser Whitethroat

4 Spotted Flycatcher

1 Pied Flycatcher

5 Garden Warbler

1 Barred Warbler-Back in fruit cage

12 Twite 

8 Willow Warbler

8 Chiffchaff

10 Goldcrest

9 Blackcap

6 Robin

2 Mealy Redpoll

4 Chaffinch

2 Redwing

1 Reed Warbler

1 Reed Bunting

1 Little Bunting

2 Red Breasted Flycatcher
4 Red Breasted Merganser
7 Wren

We finished birding around 5.30pm and got a reasonable day list.We have decided to bird on Whalsay tomorrow which I am looking forward to as it is a new island tick for me.

 YOU CAN'T TICK THESE DAN

PIERRE PLOUGHING A CROP