A MORNINGS BIRDING AT MARBURY COUNTRY PARK

I spent this morning on my old patch at Marbury Country Park, and it didn't take long after my arrival before I saw a familiar face walking towards me, patch regular Dave Bedford. I haven't seen Dave for a long time, and it was nice to catch up. And he showed me the best area to see the Hawfinches that have taken up residence in the park after the autumn influx across Britain. Dave had seen twelve Hawfinches just before I had arrived at the arboretum. It wasn't long before a bird appeared, elusive as always, looking down on me. 

Four more Hawfinches showed well before one popped up in full view, calling.

I spent the next hour looking for the Bittern on Budworth Mere, but there was no sign. Moving on to Neumann's flash, a pair of Bullfinches were around Pod's hide and a skulking Cetti's warbler.

A Kingfisher showed well behind the mound on the brook down towards the scrapyard before I left.

A good morning's birding and nice to be back on my old patch.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 4TH MARCH 2018

WIRRAL
West Kirby Marine Lake
5 Scaup, 9 Red-breasted Merganser and 175 Brent Geese along shore to Red Rocks.

Hilbre
2 Scaup and a Snipe.

Burton RSPB
Jack Snipe In Ditch By Barn
Redwing Field Left Bunker Entrance
Pintail Reception Pool
Reed Bunting By Reception
Common Snipe Reception Pool
Oystercatcher Over Main Scrape
Avocet x Main Scrape
Peregrine On Wet Grassland
Hen Harrier (RT) Over Wet Grassland
Water Rail In Copse To IMF
Woodcock X2 In Copse To IMF
Brambling Feeder By Barn

Parkgate
4 Marsh Harriers,Short Eared owl,Merlin,Bittern and Ringtail Hen Harrier.

Hoylake
50 Bar Tailed Godwits,200 Grey Plover,3000 Dunlin,1000 Knot,100 Sanderling.

Thurstaston Shore
Redhead Goosander in channel.

Neston-Between Harp Inn and Decca Pools.
Barn Owl,Short eared owl,Green Sandpiper and 1300 Pink Footed geese.

Caldy Wildfowl Ponds
65 Black Tailed godwits,120 Oystercatcher,3 Curlew,10 Mandarin Duck.

CHESHIRE
Pickerings Pasture
1st Winter Glaucous gull,2 Iceland Gull-Adult and 2nd Winter-Yellow legged gull.

Hale
3 Brambling,Merlin-Male and Little Owl-Within Way

(C)DAVE CRAVEN

Warrington
Iceland Gull-Adult still at Alban Retail Park next to Pizza Hut and Nandos, feasting on bread.

Marbury Country Park
Hawfinch-17 in arboretum,2 Ruff and 6 Dunlin-Kid brook spit.Cetti's warbler-Near Pods hide-Neumann's Flash.

Newchurch Common

Female Smew of unknown origin-In eastern bay of large pool north of track.300+ Brambling and 100+ Linnet set aside field.

Sandbach Flashes
Juvenile Iceland Gull,Juvenile Glaucous Gull and 7 Dunlin-Elton Hall Flash.Great White egret-Railway flash.

Cuddington1 Hawfinch-Still at Delamere Park at corner of Westrees.

Astbury Mere
2 Hawfinch,Redhead Smew until 9.15am when flew off high south east.Also Dunlin present here,the first one for this site in 25 years.

Brereton

Short-eared Owl- Brereton Heath late afternoon.

Use LNR car park. Walk left out of car park gates along lane.At junction of lanes bear right (SW) on Bagmere Lane then look South after 200m from SJ794648.View only from lane.

MEGAS IN BRITAIN

NORTH AMERICAN HORNED LARK-Female alpestris,praticola or hoyti on the south basin; view from causeway between A3044 and Town Lane (TQ051731, TW19 7PU)-Staines reservoir-Surrey.

THAYER'S GULL-Juvenile-Isbley water-Blashford lakes-Hampshire.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 3RD MARCH 2018

WIRRAL
West Kirby Marine Lake
5 Scaup,14 Brent Geese and 13 Whooper Swan over heading north.


New Brighton Marine Lake
8 Purple Sandpiper. 

Neston Old Quay
2 Marsh Harrier and male and female Hen Harrier also 50 Common Snipe and 2 Reed Bunting Bunting.


Heswall Shore
13 Whooper Swan (flew N at 08:25),520 Pink-footed Geese,Marsh Harrier,Merlin, 273 Black-tailed Godwit,Stonechat,6 Rock Pipit and a Water Pipit.

Burton RSPB
Water Rail Stream To IMF
Woodcock Feeding In Copse To IMF
Great Egret Near Bridge Screen
Raven Over Marsh Covert Wood
Water Pipit x2 Wet Grassland Right Of Scrape
Peregrine On Wet Grassland
Pintail Reception Pool
Reed Bunting By Reception
Golden Plover x1 Field Left Of Bunker Entrance
Fieldfare x? As Above
Redwing x15 As Above
Brambling Feeder By Barn
Marsh Harrier Over Wet Grassland

CHESHIRE
Frodsham Marshes
Glaucous Gull-Juvenile on canal wall.

Astbury Mere
2 Hawfinches in silver birches left of visitors car park,Short eared owl and a Redhead Smew.

Poynton
Waxwing-Between Vernon road/Dickens land junction.

Marbury Country Park
Bittern,Red Knot,6 Dunlin and 10 Hawfinches.

Poynton
Waxwing-Between Vernon road/Dickens land junction.

Warrington
Adult Iceland Gull-Flew over Decathlon and landed on roof adjacent to college.

Winsford
Greater Scaup

Cuddington
Hawfinch-2 still at Delamere Park at corner of Westrees.

Widnes
Glaucous Gull-On roof of WRC recycling centre at Ditton Road, next to road works. Park near 'It's a kind of magic' cafe 

MEGAS IN BRITAIN
NORTH AMERICAN HORNED LARK-Female alpestris,praticola or hoyti on the south basin; view from causeway between A3044 and Town Lane (TQ051731, TW19 7PU)-Staines reservoir-Surrey.

THAYER'S GULL-Juvenile-Isbley water-Blashford lakes-Hampshire.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 2ND MARCH 2018

WIRRAL
West Kirby Marine Lake
8 Red-breasted Merganser and 11 Brent Geese.

Neston Sewage Works
The influx of Jack Snipe continues with 6 in fields.


West KIrby Marsh
Jack Snipe.

Heswall Shore
410 Pink-footed Geese,Marsh Harrier,2 Peregrine,2 Water Rail,114 Black-tailed Godwit and 580 Curlew.

Hilbre
Woodcock.

Thurstaston Visitors Centre
Kingfisher.

Burton RSPB
Cattle Egret Main Scrape
Peregrine On Wet Grassland
Marsh Harrier Over Wet Grassland
Grey Wagtail Reception Pool
Pintail Reception Pool
Golden Plover Field Left Bunker Entrance
Mistle Thrush Marsh Covert Wood
Whooper Swan x8 Marsh Covert Hide
Water Rail x3 Copse & Ditch To IMF
Woodcock Boardwalk After Marsh Covert Hide
Brambling Feeder By Barn
Water Pipit x2 Fence Line Right Main Scrape

CHESHIRE
Astbury Mere
2 Hawfinches in silver birches left of visitors car park and a Redhead Smew.

Newchurch Common
Female Smew of unknown origin-In eastern bay of large pool north of track.

Sandbach Flashes
Glaucous Gull-2nd-winter at Maw Green Landfill,viewable from verge on Maw Green Road.

Poynton
Waxwing-Between Vernon road/Dickens land junction.
MEGAS IN BRITAIN
NORTH AMERICAN HORNED LARK-Female alpestris,praticola or hoyti on the south basin; view from causeway between A3044 and Town Lane (TQ051731, TW19 7PU)-Staines reservoir-Surrey.

CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS AND UK MEGAS 1ST MARCH 2018

WIRRAL
Burton RSPB
Great Egret Back Of Wet Grassland
Merlin Fence Right Wet Grassland
Grey Wagtail Reception Pool
Pintail Reception Pool
Reed Bunting By Reception
Huthatch Trees By Reception Pool
Treecreeper Trees By Willow Pool
Pintail  Bridge Screen Pool
Water Rail x1 Along Boardwalk
Water Rail x3 Ditch To IMF
Woodcock On Path From IMF
Cattle Egret x1

Hilbre
11 Shoveler (9 drakes)

Heswall-Riverbank Road
Jack Snipe flushed by the tide.


West Kirby Marine Lake
8 Red-breasted Merganser and 11 Brent Geese.

Leasowe Bay

Jack Snipe flew inland.

New Brighton
Jack Snipe flew inland over Morrisons car park.

CHESHIRE
Marbury Country Park-Hawfinch11 in arboretum.

MEGAS IN BRITAIN
NORTH AMERICAN HORNED LARK-Female alpestris,praticola or hoyti on causeway; view from causeway between A3044 and Town Lane (TQ051731, TW19 7PU)-Staines reservoir-Surrey.