SPEYSIDE BIRDING WEEKEND 25TH-28TH APRIL

Ive just returned from a cracking weekends birding in Speyside with Fred Fearne,Andy Carroll,Dan Pointon and Jonathon Willlams.The birding was intense with early starts from 4.30am till dusk but was well worth it.The following birds were seen:

Red Throated Diver-1 Burghead
Black Throated Diver-2 Lochindorb
White Billed Diver-3 Burghead

THE LADS ENJOYING GOOD VIEWS OF SUMMER 

PLUMAGED WHITE BILLED DIVER

Grey Lag Goose
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan-6 Loch Insh
Slavonian Grebe-2 Avielochan

Shelduck
Teal
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Eider
Long Tailed Duck-100+Nairn
Goldeneye
Goosander-1
Red Breasted Merganser
Black Grouse-2-B9007 between Ferness and Carrbridge.

BLACK GROUSE ON THE LIST

Red Grouse-Lochindorb

Ptarmigan-Heard only

Capercaillie-2 Males and a Female
Red Legged Partridge
Pheasant
Fulmar
Grey Heron
Gannet
Shag
Cormorant
Western Osprey-2 Loch Insh

DAN POINTON IN HIS NEW WELLIES

FROM HOME AND BARGAIN

Red Kite-1
Buzzard
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Woodcock-1
Bar Tailed Godwit-6
Curlew
Redshank
Common Sandpiper-5

Turnstone
Dunlin
Black Headed Gull
Common Gull

Lesser Black backed Gull

Great Black Backed Gull
Herring Gull
Sandwich Tern
Razorbill
Guillimot
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Jay
Cuckoo-2
Tawny Owl-1
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Kestrel
Magpie
Rook 
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Raven
Coal Tit
Crested Tit-4 
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Long Tailed Tit
Willow warbler
Chiffchaff
Wood warbler-2 Killiecrankie

Whitethroat

THE TEAM LOOKING FOR A MALE KING EIDER BUT NO LUCK!

Goldcrest
Wren
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Starling
Ring Ouzel-4 Cairngorm mountain

Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Robin
Redstart
Dipper

Stonechat
Wheatear
House sparrow
Dunnock
Pied wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Tree Pipit
Rock Pipit
Chaffinch 
Goldfinch
Bullfinch

Greenfinch
Linnet
Lesser Redpoll
Common Crossbill-Carrbridge

Reed Bunting Sisken
Yellowhammer

Saturday Evening was spent at Loch Eileen where we met up with our tour leader who led us to the hide where we had great views of my first Pine Martin and 3 Badgers.Other mammals of note on the trip were Red Squirrel and Bottle nose dolphins at Nairn.

THE LADS IN THE HIDE

 FEMALE PINE MARTIN

3 BADGERS SHOWED WELL

A great trip spent with good friends and we saw some great birds!

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 30TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Cattle Egrets x3 Field Left Bunker Entrance 
Yellow x1 Wagtail From Bunker 
Ruff x1 Main Scrape 
Mediterranean Gulls x4 Main Scrape
Avocets 70+ Main Scrape
Chiffchaff In Gorse Covert Wood
Blackcap (F) By Willow Pool
Sedge Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Buzzard x3 Over Marsh Covert Wood
Reed Warbler Reedbed By Marsh Covert Hide
Spotted Redshank x5 Marsh Covert Hide
Garganey (M) Marsh Covert Hide
Black Tern Bridge Pool
Great Crested Grebes x2 Bridge Pool
Grasshopper Warbler (Heard) From Boardwalk
Whitethroat Along Boardwalk
Linnets By Railway Bridge
Great Egrets x4 Burton Marsh 1With Black Bill
Sparrowhawk Over IMF
Swifts Over Burton Point
Hobby Over Burton Point
Lesser Whitethroat (Heard) Railway Bridge
Bar-Tailed Godwit Marsh Covert Hide
Common Sandpiper Marsh Covert Hide

Burton Marsh
4 Great White Egret

Leasowe Lighthouse
Yellow Wagtail flew off the sea and into Kerr's Field and a Redstart(female).

Hilbre Island
3 Kittiwake,Arctic Skua,2 Manx Shearwater,300+ Gannet,600 Sandwich Tern,60+ Common Tern,2 Arctic Tern,9 Tree Pipit and 6 Yellow Wagtail

Thurstaston Hill
5 Crossbill-In Scots Pines and then flew down towards playing fields.

Ellesmere Port
Osprey-Flying low along towpath of Shropshire and Onion canal-Stoak towards Ellesmere Port

Wallasey
2 Common Tern

CHESHIRE
Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Marbury Country Park
Whooper Swan and Marsh harrier-Neumann's Flash
Grasshopper Warbler-Haydn's 

Pickerings Pasture
Spoonbill-Adult flew west along River Mersey towards Frodsham Marsh 

Hale
Lesser Whitethroat,Female Redstart,2 Hobby and 2 Corn Bunting

Woolston Eyes
Garganey-N04 Bed

Knutsford
Grasshopper Warbler-Hillside Road-End of Tatton Park

Newchurch Common
Cuckoo-Abbots Moss

Moore Nature Reserve
Cuckoo

Sandbach Flashes
2 Little ringed plover and 2 Common sandpiper-Elton hall flash
Little Owl-Beach Tree farm-Wood lane

RARITY FINDERS:SPANISH WAGTAIL IN CHESHIRE

Description write up of Spanish wagtail at Leasowe Lighthouse by Stan Davidson CLICK ON LINK

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 29TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Great Egrets x2 Burton Marsh From Point 
Linnets By Railway Bridge 
Chiffchaff In Copse To IMF 
Whitethroat Along Boardwalk
Great Crested Grebes x2 Bridge Pool
Buzzard x2 Over Marsh Covert Wood
Spotted Redshank x3 Marsh Covert Hide
Garganey (M) Marsh Covert Hide
Reed Bunting x2 (M) Reedbed Screen
Reed Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Sedge Warbler Reedbed
Blackcap (F) By Willow Pool
Cetti's Warbler By Willow Pool
Little Ringed Plovers x2 Main Scrape
Ruff x1 (M) Main Scrape
Avocets Main Scrape
Mediterranean Gulls x4 Main Scrape
Mistle Thrush x3 Field Left Bunker Entrance
Cattle Egret x1 Field Left Bunker Entrance
Yellow Wagtail x1 From Bunker
Swift x4 High Over Reserve
Hobby Over Reserve

Red Rocks
Possible Iberian Chiffchaff(song heard and recorded but bird only seen in silhouette) and 4 Tree Pipit.

Heswall Shore
210 Shelduck,2 Eider,31 Little Egret,45 Oystercatcher,220 Grey Plover,32 Whimbrel,63 Curlew,800 Dunlin,2 Greenshank and 47 Redshank.

Leasowe Lighthouse
Cuckoo and 8 Whimbrel in horse paddocks.

Leasowe Golf Club(East of Leasowe Castle
Grasshopper Warbler near sea defence.

Burton Point
6 Wheatear around the sheep pens and 2 Whinchat.

Hilbre
Yellow Wagtail,Common Sandpiper,Manx Shearwater,8 Arctic Tern,40 Gannet and 3 Eider.

Wallasey Docks
2 Common Terns

Ness
Hobby and Swift

CHESHIRE
Hale
2 Tree Pipit,Whinchat and Short Eared Owl

Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Woolston Eyes
Garganey-N04 Bed

Marbury Country Park Area
Whimbrel,2CY Whooper Swan,Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover

Dunham Massey
Wood Warbler-Singing south end of parkland

Abbott Moss
Cuckoo

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 28TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Cattle Egret x1 Field Left Bunker Entrance 
Channel Wagtail x1 From Bunker 
Ruff x1 Main Scrape 
Avocets Main Scrape
Mediterranean Gulls x3 Main Scrape
Little Ringed Plovers x2 Main Scrape
Common Sandpiper Willow Pool
Cetti's Warbler By Willow Pool
Buzzard Over Marsh Covert Wood
Reed Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Sedge Warbler By Bridge Pool
Black Tern Bridge Pool
Whitethroat By Birdcrop Field
Great Egrets x2 Burton Marsh From Point
Spotted Redshank x4 IMF
Oystercatcher x2 IMF

Burton
Pied Flycatcher-(male) by Hampsons Well

Parkgate
Short-eared Owl and a Marsh Harrier.

Neston Marsh
Short-eared Owl

Leasowe Lighthouse
Spanish Wagtail' (Motacilla flava iberiae)-In Kerr's Field plus Whinchat,5 Whimbrel,5 Wheatear,Channel Wagtail,4 Yellow Wagtail and 8 Wheatear.

New Brighton
Great Skua,Arctic Skua,30+ Common Tern,2 Arctic Tern,2 Kittiwake,Red-breasted Merganser and 40 Grey Plover.

Hilbre 
20 Gannet,3 Fulmar,3 Sandwich Tern and 3 Eider. 

CHESHIRE
Lyme Park
Western Osprey-Bollinhurst Reservoir

Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Rosethern Mere
Arctic Tern

Hurleston Reservoir
Black Tern-Viewed from canal tow path 

Mow Cop
Ring Ouzel-Still on south side around the stone wall near Old Man of Mow 

Hale
Blue Headed Wagtail-Town Lane

Sandbach Flashes
Arctic tern

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 27TH APRIL 2019

CHESHIRE
Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Hurleston Reservoir
Black Tern-Viewed from canal tow path 

Astbury Country Park
2 Arctic Tern

Woolston Eyes
2 Arctic Tern-N03 Bed

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 26TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Great Egrets x2 Burton Marsh From Point 
Spotted Redshank x5 IMF 
House Martins Over IMF 
Cetti's Warbler By IMF Hide
Whitethroat Along Boardwalk
Great Crested Grebes x2 Bridge Pool
Sand Martins 30+ Bridge Pool
Buzzard Over Marsh Covert Wood
Chiffchaff In Marsh Covert Wood
Spoonbill By MC Hide
Bar-Tailed Godwit MCH Full Summer Plumage
Sedge Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Reed Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Blackcap By Willow Pool
Swallows Over Reception Pool
Little Ringed Plovers x2 Right Of Main Scrape
Mediterranean Gulls x5 Main Scrape
Avocets 120+ Main Scrape
Ruff x2 Main Scrape
Yellow Wagtail From Bunker Left Of Scrape
Cattle Egrets x2 Field Left Bunker Entrance
Swift High Over Reserve

Leasowe Lighthouse
Spanish Wagtail(Motacilla flava iberiae),2 Whinchat and 3 Wheatear

Spanish Wagtail

(C)ALLAN CONLIN

CHESHIRE
Woolston Eyes
Garganey and Lesser Whitethroat-N04 Bed
Hobby-No3 Bed

Hale
Great White Egret-Hale Head
2 Whinchat-On fence posts at Carr Lane Pools as viewed from Carr Lane 

Mow Cop
Ring Ouzel-Still on south side around the stone wall near Old Man of Mow 

Rudheath
Grasshopper Warbler-Reeling in reeds by canal 600 yards south of the bridge to get into Tata complex.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 25TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Leasowe Lighthouse
Channel Wagtail (Yellow Wagtail intergrade-M f flava x favissima),5 Yellow Wagtail,Whinchat,2 Redstart, Garden Warbler and a Whimbrel.

 CHANNEL WAGTAIL

YELLOW WAGTAIL

(C)EDDIE WILLIAMS

Burton RSPB
Channel Wagtail,4 Yellow wagtail,Possible Blue Headed Wagtail,Western Cattle Egret,Great White Egret,Garganey (Drake),Spoonbill and a Greenshank.


Hilbre Island
Arctic Skua,2 Arctic Tern,6 Common Tern,250+ Sandwhich Tern,7 Gannet,3 Yellow Wagtail, 21 White Wagtail,Brent Goose,2 Eider,3 Tree Pipits,2 Redstart,Blackcap and Whitethroat

REDSTART

(C)STEVE WILLIAMS

Burton Point
Whinchat

CHESHIRE
Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Woolston Eyes
5 Mediterranean Gull,Lesser Whitethroat,Drake Garganey-N04 Bed

Hale
3 Whimbrel,7 Yellow Warbler,Swift,Wheatear,2 Reed Warbler,8 Sedge warbler,8 Whitethroat and 7 Redpoll

WHIMBREL

(C)DAVE CRAVEN

Delamere-Fox Howl
Pied Flycatcher and Redstart

PIED FLYCATCHER

(C)MALC CURTIN

Marbury Country Park
Whooper Swan-Neumann's Flash

Moore Nature Reserve
2 Cuckoo

Sandbach Flashes
Whimbrel-Elton Hall Flash

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 24TH APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Great Egrets x2 Burton Marsh From Point 
Whitethroat By Railway Bridge 
Blackcap By Wooden Bridge To IMF 
Pintail x1 (F) IMF
Swallows x2 Over Birdcrop Field
Great Crested Grebes x2 Bridge Pool
Sand Martins Over Bridge Pool
Buzzards x2 Over Marsh Covert Wood
Spoonbill Flew Into Marsh Covert Wood
Chiffchaff In Marsh Covert Wood
Cetti's Warbler In Marsh Covert Wood
Spotted Redshank x6 Marsh Covert Hide
Greenshank x1 Marsh Covert Hide
Sedge Warbler Near Reedbed Screen
Reed Warbler By Reedbed Screen
Little Ringed Plovers x2 Main Scrape
Avocets 120+ Main Scrape
Mediterranean Gulls Main Scrape
Ruff x2 (M) Main Scrape
Great Egret x1 Wet Grassland
Mistle Thrush x6 Field Left Bunker Entrance
Cattle Egrets x2 Field Left Bunker Entrance
Bearded Tit (M) Reedbed Screen

Leasowe
Female Ring Ouzel and 3 Yellow Wagtail-In Kerr's field

Denhall Quay
3 Greenshank

Hilbre Island
Female Redstart,12 Willow Warbler,4 Tree Pipit,Dark Bellied Brent goose,Drake Eider and good numbers of White and Yellow Wagtail

CHESHIRE
Mow Cop
Ring Ouzel-Still on south side around the stone wall near Old Man of Mow 

RING OUZEL

(C)ANDY GOODWIN

Bickerton Hill
Ring Ouzel-Male still in grass field above main Poole Farm car park 

Marbury Country Park-Area
2 Avocet,Green Sandpiper,Common Sandpiper,2 Little Ringed Plover,Whooper Swan,Garden Warbler,Cuckoo and 2 Whimbrel

Frodsham Marshes
11 Avocet,Peregrine Falcon and Little Ringed Plover.

Woolston Eyes
2 Cuckoo,Yellow Wagtail and Little Ringed Plover.

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF RARE BIRDS THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN-17TH-23RD APRIL 2019

CLICK ON LINK

BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK-17TH-23RD APRIL 2019

CLICK ON LINK

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS 23RD APRIL 2019

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Cattle Egret x1 Field Left Bunker Entrance 
Common Sandpiper Main Scrape 
Mediterranean Gulls x17 Main Scrape 
Avocets 120+ Main Scrape
Little Ringed Plovers x2 Main Scrape
Blackcap ( M) By Willow Pool
Reed Warbler In Reedbed
Chiffchaff Marsh Covert Wood
Garganey 2M-1F MCH (Photo Female)
Spotted Redshank x8 Marsh Covert Hide
Great Crested Grebes x2 Bridge Pool
Whitethroat By Railway Bridge
Raven Over Birdcrop Field
Buzzard Burton Marsh From Point
Cetti's Warbler In Copse To IMF
Great Egret By Border Pool
Yellow Wagtail From Bunker
Grasshopper Warbler By Barn

Hilbre Island
16 Yellow wagtails,27 White Wagtail,8 Wheatear,2 Redpoll,Dark Bellied Grent Goose,Female Redstart and a Common Sandpiper

WHITE WAGTAIL

YELLOW WAGTAIL

(C)STEVE WILLIAMS

Ledsham-Two Mills
3 Swift *first of spring*-Over

Leasowe Lighthouse
2 Common Sandpiper on groyne,2 Raven,3 Whinchat,28 Wheatear,8 White Wagtail,2 Common Redstart, Whimbrel,2 Fieldfare and 10 Yellow Wagtail.

Heswall Golf Course
Grasshopper Warbler-Along Wirral Way.

Heswall-River Bank
Great White Egret,2 Marsh Harrier and a Merlin.

CHESHIRE
Marbury Country Park-Area
6 Avocets,Whooper Swan,Cuckoo,2 Whimbrel,Little Ringed plover and a Garden Warbler.

Woolston Eyes
4 Goosander,Cuckoo,Little Ringed Plover,Grasshopper Warbler,5 Whimbrel,Bar Tailed Godwit,2 Garganey and 10+ Black Necked Grebe

Frodsham Marshes
Ringtail Hen Harrier.

Northwich
Red Kite-Flew over Roberts bakery-Rudheath.