BURTON MARSH AND DECCA POOLS

I took a walk along Burton Marsh up to the Harp Inn this afternoon in search of the Short-eared Owl, which has been showing down there daily. Thankfully, the owl didn’t disappoint, giving excellent views as it circled and then flew around before being harried by a group of Carrion Crows.

Short-eared Owl

Other highlights of the walk included up to 14 Little Egrets and good numbers of Wigeon on the Decca Pools, making for a very satisfying afternoon in the field.

                                                                     Little Egret

Wigeon

A lovely stroll across the marsh and a reminder that the new year—and a fresh year list—is just around the corner!

Looking down onto Burton Marsh

MARBURY COUNTRY PARK AND NEWCHURCH COMMON

I spent a few hours this morning birding with Malc Curtin on my old patch, Marbury County Park. Our main target was the Bittern, but it seems to have moved on, having not been seen for over a week. Despite a thorough search, we were only rewarded with the distinctive call of a Water Rail. The rest of the morning was spent wandering the patch and taking a few photographs. Highlights included a Grey Heron, Nuthatch, Robin, Reed Bunting, and a pair of elegant Great Crested Grebes—proof that even on quiet mornings, there’s plenty to enjoy on the patch.

Beautiful day on the patch

Great Crested Grebe

 Reed Bunting

 Nuthatch

 Robin

Grey Heron

After our walk, I headed to Newchurch Common, where I located the red-headed Smew. Unfortunately, the bird remained asleep throughout my visit, and worsening weather meant I had to leave before getting any decent photographs.

Smew

Just as I was leaving, I received a text from Malc with some exciting news: the Northern Harrier had finally been accepted onto the British list—a long-awaited armchair tick that had taken five years to come through. Happy days indeed!

Press On Link Below

Christmas comes early for British birders as the Northern Harrier is split

LONG EARED OWL-BURTON RSPB

I nipped over to Burton RSPB this morning to try and photograph the Long-eared Owl, which has been resident on site for some time. It was blowing a hooley on arrival, so I wasn’t expecting much—but, to my delight, I soon picked it up in the same area where last year’s bird had been seen.

Long-eared Owl

I never tire of watching these stunning owls, and hopefully, if left undisturbed, it will remain into the New Year. Otherwise, the site was very quiet, though a Cetti’s Warbler provided a welcome bonus.

GREEN WINGED TEAL-FRODSHAM MARSHES

I spent Saturday morning birding at Frodsham Marshes with Frank Duff. Frank had located a Green-winged Teal on No. 6 Tank last week, so I thought I’d give it a try, little realising the bird was commuting with over a thousand Common Teal.

It's in there somewhere!

After an hour of scoping through the mass of Teal and enjoying cracking views of an immature Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine patrolling West Point, Frank finally relocated the Green-winged Teal. It emerged from the Michaelmas daisy bed, displaying briefly to other female Teal

Green-Winged Teal

A tricky bird to see, it only remained in view for around ten minutes before retreating back into cover. Other highlights of the morning included Common Pochard, Gadwall, Common Shelduck, Wigeon, and Shoveler.

All in all, a fantastic morning’s birding and another welcome addition to the Cheshire year list.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER-WEST KIRBY MARINE LAKE

With work dominating recent weeks, I was pleased to steal a few hours for birding at West Kirby. A juvenile Great Northern Diver had been frequenting the marina for the past week and, on arrival, it was showing exceptionally well, swimming close to the roadside and offering prolonged views.

Juvenile Great Northern Diver

Additional highlights included a single Goldeneye and three Red-breasted Mergansers, all adding interest to an already rewarding visit.

Red-breasted Merganser

A brief but thoroughly enjoyable afternoon’s birding, and a timely reminder of the value of stepping away from the daily grind, even if only for a short while.