#LOCAL BIG YEAR DIARY

March 27th

This morning I visited Frodsham Marshes but it was very quiet, migration wise.Cetti's warblers were vocal in the reedbeds and there were plenty of Raven's clonking overhead.

Raven's were in good numbers

N06 tank held 4 Ruff and good numbers of wildfowl and there were plenty of small tortoiseshell bufferflies on the embankments basking in the morning sun

N06 TANK

Small Tortoiseshell

Moving on from Frodsham I headed across the Mersey and called in at Carr lane pools at Hale and connected with my first Little ringed plover of the year.

Little Ringed Plover

I then received a phone call off Mark payne saying that a White stork had been seen flying over Queensferry heading towards Connah's quay.We decided to give it ago and try and relocate the bird.We stopped off at Oakenholt marshes first and looked across to Connah's quay where we had good views of the 1st winter Little gull.

On the way back to the car a Peacock butterfly was on the coastal path.

We spent the next few hours searching nearby fields but there was no sign,we did find a second summer Mediterranean gull in a field near Harwarden.

March 28th

I spent this morning around Leasowe lighthouse and surrounding area and connected with my first Wheatear of the year,two male birds were seen.

 

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:21ST-27TH MARCH 2022

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BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK:21st-27th MARCH 2022

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CHESHIRE BIRD NEWS AND MEGAS

SUMMARY OF BIRD NEWS

Mar 28th

Ring Tailed Duck-Female-Acre Nook sand Quarry

Ring Necked Duck

23 singing Chiffchaff along Wirral Way between Heswall and Parkgate with 6 more between Parkgate and Neston!

Great White Egret-Pumphouse Flash-Sandbach Flashes

2 Wheatear-Male-Groyne-Leasowe

Long Tailed Duck,5 Western Cattle Egret and 2 Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

12 Whooper Swan-Flew North-Hilbre Island

Garganey-Four (two drakes): two still on River Mersey at Woolston Weir and two in area with no public access-Woolston Eyes

Garganey

(C)Dave Bedford

Ring Ouzel-Two yesterday-Dane Bower Quarry

Ring Ouzel

(C)Jon Lowes

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

Mar 27th

Willow Warbler-Halebank Park

White Stork drifted over Queensferry around mid-day heading towards the estuary.

White Stork 

(C)Dave Winnard

2 Great Egret and 57 Little Egret roosted overnight,230 Shelduck,260 Oystercatcher,84 Grey Plover,270 Knot,1800 Dunlin,38 Black-tailed Godwit, 415 Curlew,2430 Redshank over high tide - Thurstaston Shore.

Bittern showing from bridge screen this afternoon,5 Garganey,3 Spotted Redshank and 3 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Eurasian Bittern

Red Kite at 1pm,presumably same bird then seen over Northop 30 mins later - Burton Point.

Red Kite

Garden Warbler in Dawpool NR - Thurstaston.

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

Mar 26th

Little Owl--Queens Park-Crewe

Little Owl

(C)Tracy Stubbs

4 Ruddy Shelduck - Burton Marsh.

Siberian Chiffchaff (briefly seen and heard before being chased off by Chiffchaff),4 Garganey (drake),Long-tailed duck,2 Spotted Redshank and 4 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2 Brambling - Royden Park.

9 Purple Sandpiper, 292 Brent Geese (2 dark-bellied) and 1 Eider - Hilbre.

4 Willow Warbler,25 Black Necked Grebe and 2 Garganey-1 Drake-Woolston Eyes

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

Mar 25th

Garganey (drake),Long-tailed duck,5 Spotted Redshank and 4 Cattle Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

25 Little Gull and an Eider (drake) - Hilbre.

Eider

(C)Phil Woollen

2 Mediterranean Gulls-Marbury Country Park

Garganey and Little Ringed Plover-Still on Phalarope Pool-Frodsham Marshes

Garganey

(C)Paul Ralston

Female Long Tailed Duck,7 Garganey,5 Spotted Redshank and 4 Western Cattle Egret-Burton RSPB

2 Garganey-1 Drake and a Willow Warbler-Woolston Eyes

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

Mar 24th

2 Avocet and Adult yellow Legged Gull-Sandbach Flashes

Garganey-Still on Phalarope Pool-Frodsham Marshes

Black Necked Grebe-Astbury Country Park

Black Necked Grebe

(C)Steve Seal

21 Black Necked Grebe-Woolston Eyes

18 Whooper Swan on flash,grey male Hen Harrier flew south - Denhall Quay.

Hen Harrier (ringtail), 4+ Marsh Harrier,2 Great Egret,4 Cetti's Warbler,Ruff,8 Stonechat and a Merlin - Burton Marsh.

Red Kite between 1pm and 2pm heading north over China Plate farm and Hoylake Langfields.

24 Little Gull,2 Goosander (by Little Eye),3 Red-breasted Merganser and 299 Brent Geese (2 dark-bellied) - Hilbre.

4 Ruddy Shelduck,7 Garganey, Long-tailed duck and 2 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

Mar 23rd

2 Avocet-Sandbach Flashes

Redhead Smew-Lapwing Hall Pool

6 Garganey (3 pairs),Long-tailed Duck,70 Shoveler,3 Marsh Harier and 5 singing Cetti's Warbler - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Garganey (drake - is this number 7?!) in ditch along Denhall Lane - Burton Marsh.

Lots of Meadow Pipits passing through with 350+ at Hilbre and 80+ at Leasowe.

Osprey and a Red Kite over late morning,also 4 White Wagtail - Leasowe Lighthouse.

House Martin *first of spring* over Pipers Lane - Heswall.

2 Brambling,40 Siskin and 8 Chiffchaff in Haddon/Burton Wood area.

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

Mar 22nd

Caspian Gull-2nd-winter again just west of old Runcorn Bridge on sandbanks-Widnes

Black Necked Grebe-Astbury Country Park

4 Western Cattle Egret-Marsh Lane-Ince

18 Black necked Grebe and Garganey-Reported-Woolston Eyes

At least 10 Wheatear between Leasowe Lighthouse and Meols, also large fall of Meadow Pipits.

74 Avocet,4 (2 pairs) Garganey (1 pair reception pool and 1 pair from Border hide), Long-tailed duck,4 Cattle Egret and 28 Heron stood in front of Marsh Covert Hide - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2 Short-eared Owl just before dusk off Old Baths - Parkgate.

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Frampton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

NESTON REEDBED-WRITTEN BY DAN TROTMAN

A passionate and amazing write up by Dan Trotman on last weeks devastating events on the Dee marshes,a must read!

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#LOCAL BIG YEAR DIARY

February 2022

Feb 6th

I visited Burton RSPB this afternoon and saw 2 Avocets on the main scrape.

Avocet

Feb 18th

After storm Dudley and storm Eunice, another storm was on its way, storm Franklin. Eunice had already claimed the lives of 3 people and left 1.4 million people without power, and this storm was meant to be even worse. I visited New Brighton and witnessed the storm for myself, even though it wasn't as bad as forecasted. A kittiwake was the only bird I managed throughout the storm.

Calm before the storm.

On the 21st, I connected with a Little gull in the mouth of the Mersey, and then the next day, the 22nd, I had four Ruddy Shelduck on Burton Marsh and a Western Cattle Egret at Puddington.

Western Cattle Egret

Ruddy Shelduck

On the 27th, I drove over to Crosby Marina and managed to scope through the fence at Seaforth and connected with a female Scaup that was with some Pochard.

March 2022

5th March

I visited Queens Dock this morning in Liverpool and connected with the Shags that have been hanging around on the quay sides, great birds and well found by Pete Brash.

European Shag

20th March

An early morning trip into North Wales with Mark Payne, and just on the edge of my radius, we arrived at Moel Famau and parked up in a layby overlooking the mountain and the surrounding area. It didn't take long before we were rewarded with cracking views of a male and a female Goshawk, a Chiffchaff put in a brief performance close to the car, and then Mark picked up a stonking male Hen Harrier over the fields in front of us.

The afternoon was spent at Burton RSPB watching my first spring Garganey, a male and a female; the female Long-tailed Duck also showed well on Border Pool.

Long-tailed duck

Garganey

21st March

After several attempts for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, I eventually scored this morning with another dawn raid and connected with a female bird. I picked the bird up on the call, and it showed briefly perched up before flying off. This bird has been seen a few times over the last few weeks, but there is still no sign of a male yet.

The afternoon was spent in my garden in Little Sutton when, to my surprise, a Ring-necked parakeet flew over, calling heading west.