CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS

2nd July

Black-necked Grebe-Woolston Eyes NR (permit only)-18 still; reserve open from 08:00-20:00, permit and key obtainable at www.woolstoneyes.com

Eurasian Spoonbill-Parkgate Marsh/Gayton Sands RSPB-Two still at Boathouse Flash

Common Quail-Burton Marsh-Singing male still off Nets Cafe

1st July

Odonata-News

Norfolk Hawker-Cholmondeley 

(c) Andrew Goodwin

Lesser Emperor-Male at Poynton Pool this afternoon on west side just south of outflow

22 Mediterranean Gull (17 adults, 2 second summer, 3 first summer) before high tide - Thurstaston Shore.

3 Greenshank and a Water Rail - Donkey Stand Flash, Parkgate.

2 Green Sandpiper - Neston Reedbed.

Quail in field just east of the reserve, also 4 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Black-necked Grebe- Tatton Park- two: adult and juvenile at Tatton Mere

 

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS

 

30th June

Odonata-News

Lesser Emperor-Poynton-Two still over the north-eastern channel at Poynton Pool

Common Sandpiper on Donkey Stand Flash, 3 Spoonbill and a Greenshank on Boathouse Flashes - Parkgate.

2 Quail calling - Burton Marsh.

3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover and a male Ruff, 2 juv Marsh Harrier over marsh - Decca Pools.

Note: Late news - Jun 25th  : Roseate Tern - West Kirby Shore.

Green-winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes-Drake still at Elton Hall Flash

Common Quail-Winwick-Singing male in barley field just west of Old Alder Lane railway bridge

Black-necked Grebe-Woolston Eyes NR (permit only)-12 (seven juveniles) still; reserve open from 08:00-20:00, permit and key obtainable at www.woolstoneyes.com

29th June

'Channel' Yellow Wagtail, Willow Tit, 2 juv Little Ringed Plover, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Ruff, 400 Knot, Adult Spoonbill and 28 Bar-tailed Godwit - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Spotted Redshank and 2 Spoonbill, Barn Owl hunting over marsh early morning - Parkgate.

28th June

Common Quail-Hale-One flushed from track at north end of Burnt Mill Farm this evening

Spotted Redshank-Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB-Four at Centenary Pool; use reserve car park off Puddington Lane (CH64 5SF)

Spotted Redshank Bevyl Road Flash and a Quail calling off golf course - Parkgate.

3 Little Ringed Plover (ad with 2 juv) and a Green Sandpiper, 2 Yellow Wagtail in adjacent field - Decca Pools.

10 Mediterranean Gull with c15 Common Gull and 200 Black-headed Gull - Thurstaston Shore.

Hobby hunting hirundines over Fox and Hound - Barnston.

27th June

Odonata-News

Lesser Emperor-Poynton- Two still over the north end of Poynton Pool

Common Quail-Hale-Singing male c 200m west of Hale Head Lighthouse this morning

Red Kite over at noon, also a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank and 4 Spoonbill early morning - Parkgate.

4 Little Ringed Plover - Decca Pools.

6 Mediterranean Gull and 400 Black-headed Gull over high tide - Heswall Shore.

3 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Grasshopper Warbler by horse field next to marsh - Neston Marsh.

26th June

Odonata-News

Lesser Emperor-Poynton-At least one still over the north end of Poynton Pool

Lesser Emperor-Marbury Big Mere-At least two males

Whimbrel, 3 Mediterranean Gull (adult), Little Tern, 40 Sandwich Tern, c. 400 Black-headed Gull and 2,000 Oystercatcher over high tide - West Kirby Shore.

8 Avocet on Bevyl Road Flash - Parkgate.

25th June

Odonata-News

Norfolk Hawker-Cholmondeley

Lesser Emperor-Poynton-Male at Poynton Pool

Lesser Emperor-Cholmondeley-One still

Green-winged Teal-Sandbach Flashes-Still at Elton Hall Flash

30 Sandwich Tern, 6 Common Tern and c300 Black=headed Gull over high tide - West Kirby Shore.

Red Kite over Leahurst Vet Campus - Neston.

Common Quail-Neston Marsh-Singing male

5 Spoonbill,  11 Great White Egret on the Boathouse flash. Common Sandpiper and 40 Redshank on Bevyl Road flash and a Barn Owl hunting marsh - Parkgate.

30 Sandwich Tern, 6 Common Tern and c300 Black-headed Gull over high tide - West Kirby Shore.

24th June

Odonata-News

Norfolk Hawker-Cholmondeley-Two; also Lesser Emperor

Common Quail- Little Neston- singing male off Marshlands Road

8 - 10 Glossy Ibis flew north at 7pm - Parkgate.

Barn Owl, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover - Decca Pools.

4 Spoonbill - Boathouse Flash, Parkgate.

Grasshopper Warbler, bottom of Station Road - Burton Marsh.

5 Spotted Redshank-Burton Mere Wetlands.

23rd June

2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Spoonbill and a Water Rail - Decca Pools.

Greenshank - Leasowe Shore.

22nd June

Odonata-News

Lesser Emperor- Tatton Park- 2 males still on the south west end of Melchette Mere

Common Quail-Rixton-Singing male at Rixton Moss yesterday; note Holly Bush Lane is a private road, do not drive along it. Instead, park considerately either along Moat Lane (WA3 6EE) or Moss Side Lane (WA3 6HH) and walk to listen; do not block tractor access

2 Red-breasted Merganser, 65 Little Egret, 480 Oystercatcher, 23 Lapwing, 2 Whimbrel, 472 Curlew, 75 Redshank, 4 adult Mediterranean Gulls, 250 Black-headed Gull, a noticeable increase in birds on the ebbing tide early morning - Heswall Shore.

Ruddy Shelduck-Tatton Park-One on Melchette Mere

Ruddy Shelduck-Widnes-Drake still on the River Mersey mudflats off Spike Island

Common Quail-Singing male below North Parade late yesterday evening-Hoylake

21st June

4 Spoonbill, 12 Great White Egret and a Barn Owl - Parkgate.

Quail heard this evening on the marsh - Hoylake Shore.

Hobby over - Lower Heswall.

Spotted Redshank-Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB-Three on Centenary Pool; use reserve car park off Puddington Lane (CH64 5SF)

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TARGETING THE SCARCE HOOK-TIP: A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT IN SOUTH WALES

It's been a bit quiet on the birding front over the last few weeks, so I’ve been focusing on targeting rare and scarce moths across the UK. With plenty of sites lined up over the next few months before autumn migration thankfully kicks back in, there’s no shortage of night work ahead.

My good friend Alan Lewis has been feeding me some excellent moth sites, and this evening I headed to the Wye Valley near Chepstow.

The sun was starting to set as we went over the Severn road crossing between England and Wales

The target species was the Scarce Hook-tip (Sabra harpagula), a nationally rare moth in the UK, typically associated with mature deciduous woodland.

Jenna’s son Harley decided he wanted to join me on this little adventure, so we left sunny Cheshire at 5pm and headed south-west. We arrived on site and set up three LED light traps, not realising just how busy the night was going to be.

From the off, it was constant action. By midnight, my right-hand man had curled up in the van fast asleep, leaving me to work through the night solo.

It was an excellent night for moths throughout, and at around 1:45am two Scarce Hook-tips finally appeared on the white sheet, with one settling directly on the trap. I managed to get both, absolutely stunning moths and a real target species achieved.

Scarce Hooktip

By sunrise I had added six new macro moths to my life list, along with a superb micro moth, the Gold Base Tubic.

Gold Base Tubic

Photos of the new species are shown below:

August Thorn

Satin Beauty

Ruddy Carpet

Blomer's Rivulet

Buttoned Snout

A great night’s work overall. My assistant was back awake by morning, looking through the haul with me. We arrived back in Cheshire just after 9am, tired, a bit wired, but very satisfied with a successful trip.

EVENING AT LEASOWE BAY-NORTH WIRRAL COAST

With temperatures in the mid-twenties this evening, Jenna, her son Harley, and I headed to Leasowe Bay on the North Wirral coast to have some tea and watch the sunset.

Of course, I brought the moth trap and set it up for a few hours. I was rewarded with two coastal moths: the Shore Wainscot and the Lyme Grass moth.

Lyme Grass

Shore Wainscot

Two more additions for the Life list.

NANT-Y-GAMAR – SEARCHING FOR CISTUS FORESTER

Jenna and I spent the evening at Nant-y-Gamar in North Wales walking around the limestone hillside in search of the Cistus Forester moth. I have always wanted to visit the area, so tonight we planned to try to see them before heading to Morfa Conwy for a three-hour moth-trapping session in the hope of catching some coastal species.

        

   

Nant-y-Gamar

This small, localised population of a macro moth has been confirmed through examination of the genitalia.

We spent a good hour searching for the Cistus Forester moth. There was plenty of its food plant, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Common Rock-rose, but at first we had no luck. As we climbed higher, we eventually found four amongst the Common Rock-rose.

Cistus Forester

Delighted to have found them, we then moved on to the beach at Morfa Conwy where we trapped until 1am. 

Morfa Conwy

Our main targets were Archer’s Dart and Sand Dart, and we managed to trap both.

Archer’s Dart

Sand Dart

A great evening out, with all target species now on the list.

SUCCESS WITH SALLOW CLEARWING AT ANTON LAKES, HAMPSHIRE

After an unsuccessful visit last week, I returned to Anton Lakes in Hampshire this afternoon, just half an hour from where I'm currently working, with one target species in mind, the elusive Sallow Clearwing.

The weather could hardly have been better, with scorching sunshine throughout the afternoon, ideal conditions for a day flying clearwing. Armed with a pheromone lure and renewed optimism, I settled in to see what might appear.

For a while, it looked as though history might repeat itself, and I would leave empty-handed once again. Then, suddenly, a Sallow Clearwing made a brief visit to the lure before disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. Fortunately, persistence paid off and, a short while later, I managed to successfully trap one for a closer look.

Sallow Clearwing

The Sallow Clearwing is one of Britain's most fascinating and unusual clearwing moths. A highly localised species, it is found predominantly in Southern England, East Anglia and parts of the Midlands, favouring damp habitats, woodland edges and areas where sallows thrive.

What makes this species particularly remarkable is its two-year life cycle. Adults emerge and fly almost exclusively in even-numbered years, with records from odd years being exceptionally scarce. This unusual behaviour makes every encounter feel all the more special.

First discovered in Britain in 1926 near Southampton, its secretive nature means it is often overlooked.

The larvae develop inside the stems of sallows (Salix species), producing distinctive galls as they feed. Adults are on the wing during June and July and, like many clearwing moths, are most readily detected using synthetic pheromone lures. The increased use of these lures in recent years has revealed that the species is far more widespread than previously thought.

After last week's disappointment, today's success was particularly rewarding. It's always satisfying when perseverance pays off, especially with one of Britain's more elusive species.

Another clearwing has safely been added to the list, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon spent in Hampshire before the thunderstorms arrived.

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By late June, birding action often slips into the traditional summer doldrums. Not this week. Read more>

CHASING RARITIES IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Jenna and I had this trip to Northern Ireland booked for over a year, and it was finally time to go. My main targets were the Cryptic Wood White butterfly and the Irish damselfly, two key species needed to complete my British Isles butterfly, dragonfly, and damselfly list. In preparation, I had been in touch with Ian Rippey, the Northern Ireland County Butterfly Recorder, who kindly kept me updated with recent sightings.

We left Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Friday afternoon and soon landed at George Best Belfast City Airport. After picking up the hire car, we headed straight out for our first target of the trip.

That evening, we arrived at Craigavon Lakes in good weather and made our way along the railway embankment.

Almost immediately, I had my first sighting of a Cryptic Wood White. It felt remarkably easy after so much planning. We soon found another individual that perched well, allowing us to get some excellent photographs.

The Cryptic Wood White is a small, pale white butterfly that closely resembles the Wood White and is notoriously difficult to distinguish from related species. In the UK, it is restricted to Northern Ireland, although it is more widespread across parts of Europe. It inhabits open landscapes such as rough grassland, scrub, hedgerows, and dunes, and tends to avoid dense woodland. The larvae feed on legumes such as vetches and bird ’s-foot trefoil.

While exploring the site, we also recorded Meadow Brown and Common Blue butterflies, and Bee Orchids were flowering in the grassland, adding to an excellent first evening in the field.

Common Blue

Meadow Brown

Bee Orchid

With one target already achieved, we returned to Belfast to check into our hotel.

The following morning, we were up early and headed to Montiaghs Moss Nature Reserve for the Irish damselfly.

Ian Rippey met us on site, which was greatly appreciated, and spent the morning with us. The reserve is owned by the RSPB and consists of a restored bog habitat with open pools, reedbeds, and wet grassland near Lough Neagh in County Antrim.

In warm sunshine, dragonflies and damselflies were already active. We quickly recorded Variable, Azure, Common Blue, and Large Red Damselflies, along with good numbers of Hairy Dragonflies and Four-spotted Chasers.

Azure Damselfy

Variable Damselfy

Large Red Damselfy

Our main target, the Irish damselfly (Coenagrion lunulatum), was soon located around the larger bog pools towards the rear of the reserve. They were present in good numbers, skimming low over the water.

Males are small blue-and-black damselflies, identifiable by distinctive crescent-shaped markings on the second abdominal segment. The species is rare and highly localised in the UK and Ireland, with a stronghold in western Ireland and a reliance on intact bog habitats.

It was a very satisfying moment to see both of my main targets so early in the trip, completing a goal I had been working towards for two years.

After saying our goodbyes and thanking Ian for his time, we headed south towards Dublin with one more ambition in mind: the Least Tern at Portrane Point. 

Me and Ian 

Portrane Point

This extremely rare North American vagrant had been associating with a Little Tern colony and had attracted considerable attention. Unfortunately, after a six-hour wait in a cold westerly wind, there was no sign of the bird. While it would have been a fantastic bonus, I wasn’t too disheartened, as even birders I know have dipped it, and our main objectives had already been successful.

We returned north to Belfast that evening and celebrated with a curry and a few pints of Guinness, Jenna’s first experience of it, and possibly her last.

Our final morning was spent at the Giant’s Causeway, a site high on Jenna’s list. 

The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic coastal landscapes, formed from interlocking basalt columns created by ancient volcanic activity. The coastal scenery, sea cliffs, and rock formations made for a fitting final visit to the trip.

After a relaxed walk around the site, it was clear Jenna had really enjoyed the visit.

We then began the drive back to the airport for our afternoon flight.

It was a short but unforgettable weekend in Northern Ireland, with two key targets successfully seen and some brilliant wildlife and scenery along the way.