BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK:7TH-13TH FEBRUARY 2022

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BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:7TH-13TH FEBRUARY 2022

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HALEWOOD AND HOUGH GREEN WALK #LOCALBIGYEAR

I spent this morning walking around the fields between Halewood and Hough Green. A good number of farmland birds were seen, including 2 Corn Bunting,12 Grey Partridge and 10+ Yellowhammer.

A good morning's birding and great to see 2 Corn buntings, which showed briefly on the wires and then in a hedgerow. Moving on from here and back over the Mersey, I managed to find the gulls feeding around Mollington near Chester, a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was soon picked up out of the Black-headed gulls.

Two more birds that I needed for my 15-mile radius on the list, Corn bunting and Mediterranean gull!#LOCALBIGYEAR

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:31ST JANUARY-6TH FEBRUARY 2022

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BIRDGUIDES PHOTO OF THE WEEK:31ST JANUARY-6TH FEBRUARY 2022

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CHESHIRE BIRD NEWS AND MEGAS

SUMMARY OF BIRD NEWS

7th Feb

Black Necked grebe and Great White Egret-Acre Nook-Lower Withington

2 Redhead Smew-Lapwing Hall pool-Lower Withington

Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

2 Short Eared Weaver bend-Frodsham Marshes

MEGA NEWS

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Mussleburgh-Lothian

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

6th Feb

Little Stint-Pickerings Pasture

3 Woodcock which flew towards Parkgate - Neston Marsh.

Hen Harrier-Ringtail,2 Avocet on main scrape and 2 Ruddy Shelduck - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2 Glossy Ibis-Morgan Hide scape-Woolston Eyes

Glossy Ibis

(C)Darren Lloyd

3 Western Cattle Egret-Still by marsh lane and 30 Whooper swan-Outer marsh-Ince marshes

Western Cattle Egret

(C)Paul Ralston

Whooper Swan

(C)Paul Ralston

Ringtail Hen Harrier-Parkgate

Male Hen Harrier-Denhall quay-Little Neston

2 Redhead Smew-Lapwing Hall pool-Lower Withington

Black Necked Grebe,Great White egret and 2 Russian White Fronted Goose-Acre Nook Sand Quarry-Lower Withington

Mega News

WHITE WINGED SCOTER-Mussleburgh-Lothian

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

5th Feb

Little Stint and Yellow legged gull-Pickerings pasture

Yellow Legged Gull

(C)Dave Craven

4 Goosander (1 male, 3 redhead) on duck pond - Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby.

Purple sandpiper-On rocks-Leasowe

Adult Mediteranean Gull-Derby pool-New Brighton

Hen harrier-Parkgate

Western cattle egret-Two still in pig field by Kinsey's Lane-Ince marshes

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

4th Feb

4 Snow Bunting in sand dunes by Derby Pool but mobile in strong wind - Wallasey Shore.

Snow Bunting-Hoylake Lifeboat station

2 Smew-Redhead-Lapwing Hall Pool-Lower Withington

2 Hen Harrier-Male and Ringtail and ruddy shelduck-Burton RSPB

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

3rd Feb

Snow Goose-Adult white morph flew south over Weaver Bend-Frodsham Marshes

Black Necked Grebe,2 Russian White Fronted Geese-Acre Nook-Lower Withington

Hen Harrier and Short eared owl-Burton RSPB

2 Avocet,Bittern and Brambling-Marbury Country Park and surrounding area

2 male Hen Harriers and a Ringtail-Parkgate roost

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

2nd Feb

Snow Goose with Pink-footed Geese on grassland,later flew to Burton Marsh, Marsh Harrier,Whooper Swan and a Mediterranean Gull - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Hen Harrier (sub-adult grey male),6 Marsh Harrier,4 Great Egret,Peregrine, Short-eared Owl and a flyover Snow Bunting,2 Barn Owl at dusk-Old Baths, Parkgate.

3 Short-eared Owl - Denhall Quay.

Snow Bunting by Lifeboat Station - Hoylake.

5 Woodcock at dusk - Burton Village.

47 Mandarin Duck,Black Necked Grebe,2 Russian White Fronted Geese and a Great White Egret-Acre Nook-Lower Withington

Adult Yellow Legged Gull-WSR recycling-Widnes

Little Stint-Pickerings Pasture

Smew-Redhead-Lapwing Hall Pool-Lower Withington

Mediteranean Gull-Budworth Mere-Northwich

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BAIKAL TEAL-Swine Moor-East Yorkshire

1st Feb

150 Brambling-Woolston Eyes

Water Rail,2 Jack Snipe,2 Greenshank,950 Reshank and 3 Rock Pipit seen from a windy Target Road at high tide - Heswall Shore.

Snow Goose,Barnacle Goose and 4 Ruddy Shelduck-Main scrape-Burton RSPB

2 Little Stint-Hightide roost-Pickerings Pasture

Snow Bunting-Still on rocks Hoylake Lifeguard station-Hoylake

3 Western Cattle Egret-Still by marsh lane-Ince marshes

MEGA NEWS

BELTED KINGFISHER-Samlesbury-Lancashire

BAIKAL TEAL-Greylake RSPB-Somerset

WHITE TAILED LAPWING-Halton Marshes-Lincolnshire

BIRDING AROUND HALE AND PICKERINGS PASTURE

I met up with Malc Curtin this morning, and we headed down to Pickerings Pasture to catch the high tide.

It wasn’t long before Malc picked up a Little Stint feeding with the Dunlin flock. As the tide flooded the field, we managed to get on the bird a few times, giving us some decent views. Other birds of note here included Grey Heron, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, and Canada Goose. On the walk back to the car, an injured Pink-footed Goose flew low past us, an unexpected and slightly sobering sight.

From here, we moved on to Carr Lane, Hale, where a single Grey Partridge was located in a field, along with a male and female Stonechat. A female Merlin made a brief appearance, flying low behind the pool, and a Snipe was flushed from the roadside verge.

Carr Lane Pools held good numbers of Teal and 12 Black-tailed Godwits. A walk down towards Hale Lighthouse proved unproductive, although the surrounding fields were holding good numbers of Curlew.

On the return journey, we called in at Hale Park to try and relocate the overwintering Firecrest, but despite a solid hour of searching, it failed to show.

Our final stop was WSR Recycling in Widnes, where we picked out an adult Yellow-legged Gull amongst the hundreds of gulls present.

   

A great day’s birding overall, with two more quality birds added to the list.

#LOCALBIGYEAR

THIS WEEKS BIRDING!15 MILE RADIUS #LOCALBIGYEAR

Saturday 29th January

I spent this morning walking along the River Dee at Eccleston, but had no joy looking for the Lesser Spotted woodpeckers. It looks like a cracking site that I will visit in the spring and hopefully get to see them.

Sunday 30th January

This morning's birding was spent at Broughton in Chester, looking for a female Black Redstart, which was found last week, but after a good couple of hours searching, there was no sign.

News then broke that a Snow goose had been found at Burton RSPB. The bird was still present on arrival but was distant, so I made my way up to the top road, where the Snow goose flew right in front of the car with a skein of Pink-footed geese.

After this, I visited Stanney Woods in Ellesmere Port and spent the last hours of light looking for the Lesser Spotted woodpecker, but no joy! #LOCALBIGYEAR

Monday 1st February

This morning I walked over to Hilbre Island.

A good number of birds were seen on the way over:

Dunlin

Cormorant

Common Gull 

Black Headed Gull

Lesser Backed Gull

Great Black backed Gull

Ringed Plover

Knot

Dunlin

Bar-tailed Godwit

Turnstone 

Brent Goose

Oystercatcher

Redshank

On arrival on the island, 12 Purple Sandpipers were sheltering from the wind by the sea hide.

We continued to do a seawatch where 2 Red Throated Diver,10 Razorbill and 500+ Common Scoter were seen. Walking back towards the bird observatory, 2 Redwings were recorded.

After the walk back, I stopped at Thurstaston to see what waders were about.

I recorded many Pintail, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin and 2 Greenshank on the estuary. 

The late evening was spent in Rivacre Valley in Ellesmere Port, where a Tawny owl was heard around the golf course. #LOCALBIGYEAR