CHESHIRE BIRD NEWS AND MEGAS

SUMMARY OF BIRD NEWS

Oct 31st

2nd Winter Caspian Gull and 4 Yellow Legged Gulls-3 adults and 1st winter-Halebank

Great White Egret-Bosley Reservoir

Jack Snipe-5 along gale brook-Appleton Thorn

3 Eurasian Spoonbill-Boathouise Flash-Parkgate

MEGA NEWS

VARIED THRUSH-Papa Westray-Orkney

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Mussleburgh-Lothian

OCT 30th

Long-tailed Duck,Ruddy Shelduck on border pool and 2 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Short-eared Owl and 1 Barn Owl - Decca Pools.

2 Barn Owl,2 Hen Harrier (ringtail and grey male),Merlin,Spoonbill and 5+ Marsh Harrier - Parkgate.

2 Brambling flew west - Lingham Lane, Leasowe Lighthouse.

3 Greenshank on ebbing tide - Heswall Shore.

30+ Great Egret flying to roost and 3 Short-eared Owl - Neston Marsh/Old Quay.

Hawfinch-One flew over church road-Hale

Western Cattle Egret-Four still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince Marshes

Western cattle Egret

MEGA NEWS

VARIED THRUSH-Papa Westray-Orkney

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Mussleburgh-Lothian

UPLAND SANDPIPIER-Haroldswick-Unst-Shetland

OCT 29th

Some vis mig this morning with 60 Chaffinch,9 Brambling,61 Siskin,40 Meadow Pipit and a Rock Pipit at Leasowe Lighthouse.

Grey male Hen Harrier,Marsh Harrier and 3 Great Egret - Parkgate.

Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

Eurasian Spoonbill-Boathouse flash-Parkgate

MEGA NEWS

VARIED THRUSH-Papa Westray-Orkney

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

OCT 28th

Eurasian Bittern-N03 Bed-Woolston Eyes

Barn Owl,2 Marsh Harrier,Hen Harrier and 4 Kestrel - Parkgate.

Ruddy Shelduck,Spotted Redshank.11 Whooper Swan - Burton Mere Wetlands.

17 Raven - Burton Point.

Yellow-browed Warbler in private garden - Burton.

MEGA NEWS

VARIED THRUSH-Papa Westray-Orkney

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

EYEBROWED TRUSH-Kincraig-Highlands-Scotland

OCT 27th

Western Cattle Egret-2 still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince marshes

1st Winter Drake Ruddy Shelduck,Great White Egret,7 Western Cattle Egret,Cattle Egret and 2 Greenshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

VARIED THRUSH-Papa Westray-Orkney

Oct 26th

3 Whooper Swan - Burton Marsh.

6+ Marsh Harrier,Hen Harrier (ringtail),Merlin,Spoonbill and 2 Stonechat - Parkgate.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Mussleburgh-Lothian

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

Oct 25th

Ruddy Shelduck,5 Spotted Redshank,Western Cattle Egret and Scaup reported-Burton RSPB

Western Cattle Egret-Three still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince

Short eared Owl-Hilbre Island

Spoonbill,4 Marsh Harrier,Hen Harrier (ringtail),2 Stonechat and a Spotted Redshank - Parkgate.

6 Brambling,56 Siskin and 25 Skylark overhead,Kingfisher on groyne - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Hen Harrier (ringtail),Marsh Harrier,2 Short-eared Owl,Barn Owl,2 Merlin,Peregrine, Rock Pipit (Scandinavian) and 12,500 Pink-footed Geese flying into roost this evening - Neston Reedbed/Parkgate.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

Oct 24th

Glossy Ibis-Acre Nook Sand Quarry

Ruddy Shelduck-One on River Mersey opposite car park-Pickerings Pasture

Firecrest-Hale Park

Ruddy Shelduck and 2 Female Scaup reported-Burton RSPB 

Large movement of Redwings this morning.

Wheatear, 30 Siskin and 60+ Redwing - Leasowe Lighthouse.

c750 Redwing heading SE along coast by Heswall Marsh.

2 Brambling and c400 Redwing heading S - Lower Heswall.

'Hundreds' of Redwing and c20 Fieldfare - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Spoonbill - Parkgate.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

BLYTH'S PIPIT-ST MARYS-ISLES OF SCILLY

Oct 23rd
2 Ring Ouzel-Holt farm-Dand Bower Quarry

Little Stint-Pickering's Pasture

Water Pipit and 4 Great White Egrets-Hale

Caspian Gull-2nd-winter on sandbanks with 3 Yellow-legged Gulls (2 adults and a 2nd-winter)-Widnes

Whooper Swan-Two flew east-Teggs Nose Country Park

Caspian Gull-Two 2nd-winters on sandbank on River Mersey just west of Old Runcorn Bridge-Widnes 

Whooper Swan-Two at Bollinhurst Reservoir-Disley 

470 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Greylag, 26 feral Barnacle Geese, 3200 Shelduck, 230 Pintail, 160 Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Knot, 1 Greenshank this morning - Thurstaston Shore.

7 Marsh Harrier, Spoonbill and 25 feral Barnacle Geese - Parkgate.

Peregrine,Merlin, several Marsh Harriers and 3+ Great Egret at high tide - Riverbank Road, Heswall.

6 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2 Peregrine and 6 Rock Pipit - Hilbre.

Eurasian Bittern-One in the eastern reedbed-Moore Nature Reserve

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

Oct 22nd

38 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetland

Grey Phalarope-One flew out of the River Mersey

Blue Winged Teal-Neumann's Flash-Northwich

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

Oct 21st

Ruddy Shelduck-Three still east of A533 Bridge viewed from Wigg Island-Widnes

Little Stint-Pickerings Pasture

Wood Pigeon-14,718 flew over by 10:20am-Woolston Eyes

Blue Winged Teal-Neumann's Flash-Northwich

5 Whooper Swan over Caldy Hill flying west.

6 Marsh Harrier and 3 GreatWhite Egret at high tide - Riverbank Road, Heswall.

Guillemot close to the prom at high tide - Meols.

Little Auk flew north - Hilbre.

8 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Hen Harrier (grey male) and 1 Spoonbill - Parkgate.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

Oct 20th

Barn Owl off Heswall Golf Course this evening.

340 Pink-footed Geese, 26 feral Barnacle Geese, 290 Pintail, 173 Black-tailed Godwit and 35 Knot this morning - Thurstaston Shore.

Cattle Egret in the beach vegetation at 10am, 340 Grey Plover and 410 Sanderling at high tide - Hoylake Shore.

9 Rock Pipit. 9 Common Snipe and 4 Jack Snipe - West Kirby/Red Rocks Marsh.

20 Siskin in garden near Grammar School Lane - West Kirby.

MEGA NEWS

GREATER YELLOWLEGS-Loch Of Strathbeg RSPB-Scotland

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER-Spurn-East Yorkshire

Oct 19th

Western cattle Egret-One still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince Marshes

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in garden near Grammar School Lane then flew towards Grange Hill - West Kirby.

Grey male Hen Harrier and 1 Barn Owl - Parkgate.

13 Marsh Harrier over Neston Reedbed.

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER-Spurn-East Yorkshire

Oct 18th

Western cattle Egret-One still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince Marshes

1st Winter Drake-Ruddy Shelduck-Burton RSPB

Male Hen Harrier-Parkgate-Marshes

Blue Winged Teal-Neumann's Flash-Northwich

MEGA NEWS

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Blacktoft Sands-East Yorkshire

TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER-Spurn-East Yorkshire

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:25TH-31ST OCTOBER 2021

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A Pacific Jewel Touches Down: Varied Thrush on Papa Westray From North America to the Orkneys-a once-in-a-lifetime twitch

Whilst working on Tuesday evening, I switched on my phone just after 18:30 and was greeted with the news: a Varied Thrush had been found on Papa Westray, Orkney.

WOW. I couldn’t wait to finish work. That night, I met up with Malc Curtin, Fred Fearn, and Mark Sutton just after 22:30, and the epic journey north began. We arrived at Scabster just after 6:00 a.m., boarded the Northlink ferry, and drove on to Kirkwall to meet our charter boat.

 

All aboard! We're off!

An hour later, we arrived on Papa Westray and were picked up at the quay by David Roche, the finder of this extraordinary bird. A sprint down the track, and there it was—right in the middle of the lawn.

We all stood in awe, a small group mesmerised by the vivid slate-blue and deep orange plumage of this transatlantic visitor. It was impossible to believe that such a bird had travelled thousands of miles from the Pacific Northwest coast of North America to grace a remote Scottish island.

The Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) breeds across the dense coniferous forests of western North America, from Alaska down through the Pacific Northwest to California. It winters mainly in the southern parts of its range, feeding on insects, berries, and small invertebrates. In Britain, this species is an extreme vagrant: the Papa Westray bird was only the second record ever, following a single individual at Nanquidno, St Just, Cornwall, from 14–23 November 1982. Its rarity and striking appearance make it an instant magnet for birders, with each sighting creating a buzz of excitement.

After incredible views, we headed back to the charter boat, then raced to meet the ferry for the journey south. By the early hours of Friday morning, I was finally home—exhausted, exhilarated, and already reliving the epic twitch in my mind. A birding adventure like this doesn’t come along often; it’s a memory to treasure forever.

Shetland Adventures: Spring and Autumn Highlights Two trips, dozens of species, and a few unforgettable moments

I spent the last week of May on Shetland this year, followed by the first week of October, and both trips delivered some incredible birds. The spring trip was fantastic overall, though the biggest frustration was missing a flight to Fair Isle for a Calandra Lark due to poor weather. Still, staying with my good friends Allan Conlin and Paula at Bordanoost Lodge on Unst was an absolute highlight—Unst remains one of my favourite islands in Shetland.

Bordanoost Lodge

Over the week, we recorded more than 70 species. Some of the standout birds included:

          Rustic Bunting

                                              Sardinian Warbler

Great Skua

Red-backed Shrike

Arctic Skua

Puffin

Gannet colony at Hermaness

Other birds of note were 

Icterine Warbler

Golden Oriole

Garganey

White-billed Billed Diver 

Ring-necked duck

Hobby

Little Tern

Wildlife highlights weren’t limited to birds—five Orcas from Pod number 21 put on an incredible show, and we also had a charismatic otter performance, adding a wonderful touch to the week. A truly memorable holiday—roll on autumn!

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Pod 21

With autumn fast approaching, I returned to Shetland for my annual trip, this time staying at Sumburgh Lighthouse. I was joined by Dan Pointon, John Pegden, Neil Bostock, and Dave Mack. Birding over 10 days was challenging, with very few migrants moving through: just four Yellow-browed Warblers, and not a single Lesser Whitethroat.

Despite the slow passage, we recorded over 120 species. Dan found a Western Bonelli’s Warbler, though I didn’t add any new birds to my year list. Some highlights included:

Shorelark

Hoopoe

Jack Snipe

Twite

Whinchat

Woodchat Shrike

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

White-billed Billed Diver

Common Rosefinch

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Little Bunting

2 different Red-eyed Vireos were recorded

King Eider

Red-breasted flycatcher

Yellow-browed Warbler

Other highlights included numerous Otters and a Monarch butterfly in the Sumburgh hotel garden, proving that Shetland is never short of surprises.

                            

Friday evening in Lerwick brought unexpected news: a Calidris initially identified as Temminck’s Stint had been reidentified—first as a Least Stint, and finally as a Long-toed Stint. Panic set in as usual, and with our Sunday evening flight still pending, the suspense grew.

After a night on the boat, we arrived in Aberdeen at 7:30 a.m., drove south to St. Aidan’s RSPB, West Yorkshire, and, fortunately, the bird was still showing. I arrived at 13:30 and finally connected with this rare, old-school “blocker” species—the third record for Britain, following:

• 1970 – Marazion, Cornwall (7–8 June)

• 1982 – Saltholme, Cleveland (28 August–1 September, juvenile)

The Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta) is a small wader that breeds in the boreal forests and tundra of Siberia, from eastern Russia across to the Kamchatka Peninsula. It migrates long distances to winter in South and Southeast Asia, including India, Southeast China, and Indonesia. In Europe, it is an extreme vagrant, with only three accepted records in Britain, making it a truly rare and highly prized twitch among British birders. Sightings typically occur in autumn during the migration period, often following storm-driven dispersal from its usual East Asian flyways.

Autumn was saved! Shattered after the long drive, but it was absolutely worth it.

Dan and I celebrating another Lifer!