Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

American Coot-Loch Of Spiggie-Shetland

Canvasback-Abberton Reservoir-Essex

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Long-tailed Duck off East Hoyle Bank - Hoylake.

2 White-fronted Geese (Russian) with large number of Pink-footed Geese - Burton Marsh.

2 Cattle Egret in field off Lees Lane - Little Neston.

3 Hen Harrier (grey male and ringtail) flew into roost at dusk,Merlin and a Barn Owl - Parkgate.

Hawfinch-4 still behind play area-Marbury Country Park

Eurasian Penduline Tit-1st-winter still on No 4 Bed but mobile; keep to paths at all times, wellingtons essential-Woolston Eyes

Twite-One near Hale Lighthouse with Linnet flock-Hale

Kumlien's Gull-Adult-On roof of WSR Recycling Centre on Ditton Road-Widnes

SATURDAY BIRDING

I visited a private site in Cheshire this morning with Owen Parsons, where we got cracking views of marsh tit; four individual birds were found as we walked around the area, with one male bird in full song.

Marsh tits are scarce residents in Cheshire and Wirral, and they are now on the Red List of species of conservation concern, following a sustained fall in their national population.

A brilliant morning was spent watching this scarce species, and it is a site I will definitely be visiting again in the spring.

After dropping Owen off back at home, I picked Jenna up, and we headed north to try and see two Bewick's swans that had been seen with a herd of Whooper swans at Cockersand Abbey in Lancashire.

On arrival we found the herd of Whooper swan's.

After scanning through the herd, I eventually found a Bewick's swan feeding.

I couldn't find the second bird that had been reported, so we started to walk back to the car. News then broke that a juvenile great northern diver was showing well a few miles up the road, so we headed there.

On arrival at Pine Lake, the juvenile great northern diver was found straight away and showed really well.

A great day's birding! Roll on next weekend.

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere and a Hawfinch-Marbury Country Park

Ruddy Shelduck-Still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Caspian Gull-Adult-Kumlien's Gull-Adult-On roof of WSR Recycling Centre on Ditton Road-Widnes

Short-eared Owl - Irby.

Green winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

Hawfinch-Carriage drive-Marbury Country Park

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

American Coot-Loch Of Spiggie-Shetland

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere and a Hawfinch-Marbury Country Park

Ruddy Shelduck-Still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Kumlien's Gull-3rd-winter-On roof of WSR Recycling Centre on Ditton Road-Widnes

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

American Coot-Loch Of Spiggie-Shetland

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Hen Harrier-Ringtail over No 6 Tank-Frodsham Marshes

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere and 2 Hawfinch-Still in trees near lake hide-Marbury Country Park

Ruddy Shelduck-Still on River Mersey off Spike Island-Widnes

Kumlien's Gull-3rd-winter-On roof of WSR Recycling Centre on Ditton Road

Black Redstart (male) at Fort Perch - New Brighton.

MORNINGS BIRDING IN LIVERPOOL

I spent a few hours birding over in Liverpool today and managed to get great views of Jack snipe around the dock area, just south of Seaforth. It didn't take long to find a Jack snipe in the thermal, and the one below showed really well. A total of three Jack snipe were found along with 4 Common snipe.

Moving on from the docks, I called in at Sefton Park, where it didn't take long to hear and see the ring-necked parakeets.

A total of 14 birds were seen, with the above bird being found on the feeders. A nice morning's birding; it's good to get out!

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

American Coot-Loch Of Spiggie-Shetland

Canvasback-Abberton Reservoir-Essex

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Little Stint at high tide - Hoylake.

Black Redstart (male) at Fort Perch - New Brighton.

Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

Kumlien's Gull-3rd-winter-Iceland Gull-Adult  and 1st Winter Caspian Gull-On roof of WSR Recycling Centre on Ditton Road

Water Pipit-Frodsham Marshes

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere-Marbury Country Park

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

American Coot-Loch Of Spiggie-Shetland

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

6 Marsh Harrier (in air together), 550+ Black-tailed Godwit, 1,600 Lapwing and 2,000+ Pink-footed Geese - Neston/Burton Marsh.

3 Marsh Harrier and 2,300 Lapwing - Parkgate.

385 Brent Geese - Hilbre.

Kumlien's Gull-3rd-winter and Juvenile Glaucous Gull-At WSR Recycling-Widnes

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere and Hawfinch-Marbury Country Park

Little Stint-Still south of lifeboat station-Hoylake

Green Winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes

NORTHUMBRIA SCOTER AND PIPIT

I and Jenna got up at 4.00am this morning and headed north to Goswick Bay in Northumberland, where a black scoter had been found. I needed this for my England list, as I had only seen one of this species before, many moons ago in February 2003 at Llanfairfechan in Gwynedd, Wales.

Llanfairfechan bird 

We arrived on site just after 8.30am and made our way across the golf course and sand dunes, arriving at the beach.

Goswick Sands

It took a good hour to find the bird (see below) amongst the common scoter, but eventually it was found even though it was distant. Other birds of note while I was looking for the Black scoter were Black-throated diver, 2 Red-necked grebes, Red-throated diver, and 8 Long-tailed ducks.

Shocking photo, but it's on the England list

Moving on from here, we called in at Ross Bank Sands, where an American pipit had been present for the last month. The bird was good 2.5 km from where we parked the car, so we took our time enjoying the sea views on our way.

Skeins of Brent geese flew past us as we walking down the beach and a Great northern diver was out in the bay.

On arrival, the bird was showing straight away, feeding on the seaweed bed.

We had great views of the bird, and we just sat down on the beach as it approached us down to a few meters. A great day birding, and we were back in Cheshire for 7.00pm.

Todays Bird News

National Megas News

Booted Eagle-Marazion-Cornwall

Booted Eagle

(C) Dan Pointon

Canvasback-Abberton Reservoir-Essex

Cheshire and Wirral Bird News

Little Stint (also off Meols before high tide),20,000 Knot and 3,000+ Dunlin at high tide -  Hoylake.

2 Merlin, 5 Marsh Harrier and 8 Great White Egret - Neston Marsh.

Hen Harrier (grey male) - Parkgate.

Little Stint-One in high tide roost-Pickerings Pasture

Eurasian Bittern-Still in Coward Reedbed at west end of Budworth Mere-Marbury Country Park

Hawfinch-Marbury Country Park

Greater Scaup-Female still on No 6 Tank-Frodsham Marshes