CHESHIRE AND WIRRAL BIRD NEWS

 

April 15th

Iceland Gull-Juvenile flew west past Hale Head Lighthouse and landed on sandbanks-Hale

Channel wagtail-One in the horse paddock along Mudhouse Lane-New Mills

Little Gull-Acre Nook Sand Quarry-Chelford

Cuckoo heard early morning - Caldy Hill.

3 Grasshopper Warbler (2 in the dunes and 1 near Kerrs Field), 2 Common Redstart and 10 Swallow - Leasowe Lighthouse.

3,460 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.

30+ Siskin in Stapledon Wood, Caldy.

4+ Whimbrel and 265 Grey Plover - Heswall Shore.

2 Eider (pair), 45+ Gannet, 12 Brent Geese and 8 Common Scoter - Red Rocks.

26 White Wagtail and 16 Wheatear on tide wrack between Parkgate end of golf course and Cottage Lane - Heswall.

'Channel' Wagtail and 2 Yellow Wagtail in paddock by Mudhouse Lane - Burton.

Common Redstart (male), 3 Eiders, 18 Manx Shearwaters, 48 Razorbills, and 20 Brent Geese (2 dark-bellied) - Hilbre.

April 14th

15 Crossbill-Higher Burdwardsley

Tree Pipit and Grasshopper Warbler-Risley Moss

9 Cattle Egrets-Ince

2 Spoonbill-Burton Point

49 Black-necked Grebes-Woolston Eyes-Permit ONLY

Greater Scaup-West Kirby Marine Lake

15+ Wheatear and 4+ Wheatear on tide wrack - Riverbank Road, Heswall.

2 Spoonbill over - Burton Point.

Long-tailed Duck off the east side, and a Common Redstart (male) - Hilbre.

Long-tailed Duck

Common Redstart

(c) Steve Williams

Ring Ouzel (male, Kerr's Field), 5 Wheatear on groyne, 3 Common Redstart (2 males) and a Grasshopper Warbler - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Ring Ouzel

Grasshopper Warbler
(c)Sean O'Hara

105 Gannets (all adults, feeding quite close, with some in the estuary), 3 Red-throated Divers, 100+ Common Scoter, and 50+ Sandwich Terns at high tide, along with a Grasshopper Warbler and 6 Wheatears at Red Rocks.

Slavonian Grebe-One on North Pool at Mere Farm Quarry-Chelford

Black-necked Grebe-Budworth Mere-Northwich

April 13th 

A good number of Common Scoters were heard flying over last night - West Kirby.

Yellow Wagtail, 25+ White Wagtail and 10+ Wheatear on tide wrack between Heswall golf course and Riverbank Road this morning - Heswall.

Garganey (drake) - Burton Point.

Grasshopper Warbler, Common Sandpiper and 6 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2520 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Wildfowl Collection.

50 Sandwich Tern and 4 Sand Martin - Red Rocks.

2 Whimbrel at high tide - Heswall Shore.

Little Gull-Acre Nook Sand Quarry-Chelford

Common Redstart-Two: male in field south of Birkett behind Kerr's Field, and female in treeline south of coastal paddocks-Leasowe

Slavonian Grebe-One on North Pool at Mere Farm Quarry-Chelford

Common Redstart-Bickerton Hill

Common Redstart-Male in a hedge south of Arrowe Brook Farm-Greasby

Black-necked Grebe-Budworth Mere-Northwich

April 12th

Common Redstart (male), Grasshopper Warbler, 9 Wheatears, 2 Whimbrels over Kerr's Field - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Whimbrel

(c)Sean O'Hara

37 Wheatear and 40 White Wagtail on tide wrack between Old Baths and Cottage Lane - Parkgate.

Common Redstart (fem) - Heswall Fields NT.

Yellow Wagtail, 30+ White Wagtail, 5 Wheatear and 3 Rock Pipit on tide wrack - Riverbank Road, Heswall.

Yellow Wagtail

(c) Frank Burns

6 Whimbrel over Grange Hill heading to the estuary - West Kirby.

Green-winged Teal from Marsh Covert Hide - Burton Mere Wetlands.

5 Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

Ring Ouzel-One at Woodchurch end of Landican Lane-Thingwall

Kittiwake-One on Melchette Mere-Tatton Park

30 White Wagtail-Carr Lane pools-Hale

Spotted Redshank-Heswall Shore

Common Swift-Budworth Mere-Northwich

Common Redstart-Sweeney Wetlands

Sandwich Tern-Woolston Eyes-Permit Only

April 11th

2 Common Redstart (male and female) and 5 Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.

11 Mediterranean Gull on islands on the main scrape, also a Russian White-fronted Goose and a Common Redstart - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Scaup (drake) still on West Kirby Marine Lake.

3 Common Redstart (2 fem and 1 male) and 8 Willow Warbler (singing) - Heswall Fields NT/Wirral Way.

c300 Black-tailed Godwit on West Hoyle Bank!!

2 Common Tern (first of the spring), 240 Sandwich Tern, 11 Razorbill, 125 Gannet, 2 Kittiwake, 3 Red-throated Diver, 3 Eider and 150 Brent Geese (1 dark-bellied) - Hilbre.

125 Shelduck, 1100 Oystercatcher, 700 Dunlin, 600 Knot, 270 Black-tailed Godwit, 485 Curlew, 1750 Redshank.- Thurstaston Shore.

10+ Wheatear and 50+ White Wagtail on tide wrack between Old Baths and Golf Course - Parkgate.

45 Black-necked Grebes-Woolston Eyes-Permit ONLY

Kittiwake-1st-winter still at Moor Pool-Knutsford

Little Gull-Acre Nook Sand Quarry-Chelford

April 10th

Common Redstart-Female in horse paddocks behind Storeton Woods-Storeton

White Stork-One circled over a field near Shrewbury Arms-Little Budworth

4 Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

White Stork-One soaring low near junction 7 of M56-Rosetherne Mere

Osprey-One flew over towards Cat and Fiddle-Dane Bower Quarry

April 9th

35 Black-necked grebes still yesterday-Woolston Eyes-PERMIT ONLY 

Grasshopper Warbler-Male singing from a shrub on the summit-Silver Lane Pools

100 Sandwich Tern -Hilbre Island

Redstart (male) in garden briefly, also 5 Redpoll and 6 Siskin over-Lower Heswall

April 8th

Ring Ouzel-Disley

Grasshopper Warbler-Two singing males at Bold Moss Common-Burtonwood

Greater Scaup-drake-West Kirby marine lake

3 Spoonbill and 2 Garganey-Drake and Female-Burton RSPB

Common Cuckoo-One flew west over Telegraph Lane-North Wirral Country Park

2 Grasshopper warblers and an Osprey-Woolston Eyes-34 Black-necked grebes still yesterday-PERMIT ONLY

Green-Winged Teal-Boathouse Flash-Parkgate

Sardinian Warbler, caught, ringed, and released at 7am, but no further sign; also Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, and a Yellow Wagtail - Hilbre.

 Sardinian Warbler

(c) Alan  Hitchmough

2 Whimbrel-Hale

Yellow Wagtails-Frodsham Marshes and Hale

10+ Wheatear, Redstart (fem), 2 Reed Warbler,  Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler and a Sedge Warbler - Leasowe Lighthouse.

3 Wheatear on sand off Kings Gap this morning - Hoylake.

April 7th

100+ Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff and a Lesser Whitethroat early morning in sea-front gardens, also 32 White Wagtail plus several Pied Wagtails, 2 Wheatear and 20+ Meadow Pipit on beach between Curzon Road and Beach Road, Short-eared Owl over high flying north at 12.25hrs - Hoylake.

Common Whitethroat, also a Green Sandpiper - Burton Mere Wetlands.

2 Redstart (males), 5+ Wheatear, 2 Swallow, House Martin and a Sedge Warbler - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Redstart

(c) Allan Conlin

2 White Stork in the field by the railway - Greenfield.

Osprey circling high and drifting east - Meols.

8 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers, and 15 Chiffchaffs on a short stretch of the Wirral Way this morning. between the Dungeons path and Heswall Fields NT.

Black-necked Grebe-Adult on the River Mersey east of the lighthouse, also 2 little ringed Plover and a Yellow wagtail -Hale

3 Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

Little Gull- Acre Nook sand Quarry-Chelford

White Stork-Flew over-Great Sankey

Common Redstart-Hilbre Island

Common Redstart-Rainow

April 6th

Common Redstart-Male in fenced-off field above Goldford Lane car park-Bickerton Hill

28 Black-necked Grebes-Woolston Eyes-Permit ONLY

Drake Green-winged Teal in the channel off Heswall Fields NT

White Stork over marsh at 1645hrs, also 2 Garganey (pair) on scrape - Burton Point

At least 8,000 Pink-footed Geese flew out of the estuary this morning from first light, seen from Hilbre and North Wirral.

White Wagtail-Two at Carr Lane Pools viewed from Town Lane-Hale

Tree Pipit-One flew over-Hilbre Island

Ring Ouzel-Male in fenced-off field above Goldford Lane car park-Bickerton Hill

Greater Scaup-Drake-West Kirby marine lake

April 5th

Osprey-One Over-Willington Corner-Cuddington-Alsager-Winsford and Parkgate

Green-Winged Teal-Parkgate

Russian White-fronted Goose-Flew north-Hale

Little Gull-Acre Nook Sand quarry-Chelford and Budworth Mere-Northwich

2 Spotted Redshank-Burton RSPB

April 4th

Shorelark-Still in muddy field near metal gate along Gritstone Trail between telephone mast and Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

42 Black-necked Grebes-Woolston Eyes-Permit ONLY

Adult Little Gull-Budworth Mere-Northwich

April 3rd

Shorelark-Still in muddy field near metal gate along Gritstone Trail between telephone mast and Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

Common Scoter-Female still at the south end of Poynton Pool-Poynton

40 Black-necked Grebes-Woolston Eyes-Permit ONLY

Water Pipit-Four, still at the north-west corner of No 6 Tank-Frodsham Marshes

Russian White-fronted goose-Two reportedly flew south over Hale Bank-Hale

Cuckoo-Singing male reported at Dutton Locks-Dutton

Adult Little Gull-Budworth Mere-Northwich

800 Pink-footed Geese flew north out of the estuary early morning - Thurstaston.

Swallow, Fieldfare and Green Woodpecker - Lower Heswall.

Scaup (drake) - West Kirby Marine Lake.

Apr 2nd

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

Adult Little Gull and Female Common Scoter-Budworth Mere-Northwich

Common Scoter-Female-Lapwing Hall Pool

Shorelark-Still in muddy field near metal gate along Gritstone Trail between telephone mast and Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

Osprey over high, heading NE, also 2 Wheatear - Burton Marsh.

41 Little Gull - Leasowe Gunsite.

Red kite, Little Gull, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 350+ Knot,  Peregrine, Kingfisher, Willow Warbler and 3 Mediterranean Gull - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Apr 1st

Greenshank, 8 Goosander and 2 Common Scoter in the channel, Swallow flew west and 3 Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Little Gull, and 8 Whooper Swan, which flew off this afternoon - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Green-winged Teal (drake) in the channel this morning - Heswall Shore.

11 Whooper Swan flew north over Carr Farm - Meols.

Osprey-One flew towards Speke-Hale

Water Pipit-Four, still at the north-west corner of No 6 Tank-Frodsham Marshes

Ruddy Shelduck-One in the field by the junction of Poolside and Townsend Lane-Rode Heath

Slavonian Grebe-One reported at Mere Farm Quarry-Chelford

Shorelark-Still in muddy field near metal gate along Gritstone Trail between telephone mast and Old Man O'Mow-Mow Cop

4 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Green-winged Teal-Heswall

A 20 YEAR GAP: HUME'S LEAF WARBLER AT LEA MARSTON-WARWICKSHIRE

Travelling down to Oxfordshire for work today, I stopped at Lea Marston in Warwickshire to see the long-staying Hume’s Leaf Warbler, which has been present for several weeks.

The last time I saw one was on 9th March 2006 at Marden in Northumberland, twenty years ago now, which really makes you realise how time flies! I couldn’t drive past without calling in.

On arrival, a few birders confirmed the bird was still around and gave me directions to the bird.

River Tame

After a short five-minute walk along the River Tame, I soon located the bird and enjoyed some decent views, although it was constantly on the move.

No photos for me due to poor light and the bird’s constant movement; thanks to Steve Nuthall for the images below.

(c) Steve Nuthall

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:30TH MARCH-6TH APRIL 2026

Storm Dave meant it was a windy Easter weekend for many, but it left in its wake warmer temperatures and strong southerly winds from Sunday on, switching to gentle south-easterlies on Monday. Read More>

SPRING MOTH TRAPPING AT LOCKINGE ESTATE-OXFORDSHIRE

With work now taking me back to Oxfordshire, I took advantage of the mild overnight temperatures to get the trap out on the Lockinge Estate, not far from where I’m currently staying. After what has felt like a long wait through the colder months, it was great to finally spend a few hours back out in the field doing some proper mothing again.

Conditions looked promising from the outset. The temperature held up well into the night, and with relatively calm conditions, it felt like one of those evenings where something interesting might turn up. Even so early in the season, there’s always that sense of anticipation when you switch the trap on and let the night do its work.

The highlight of the session was trapping my first Frosted Green; five were eventually recorded by the end of the session.

The following moths were also recorded during the night:

4 Brindled beauty

3 Early Grey

2 Common Quaker

1 Small Quaker

2 Clouded Drab

3 Hebrew Character

It was encouraging to see a good range of early-season species on the wing, especially given that we are still relatively early in the year. The supporting cast made for a productive and enjoyable session overall. There’s something particularly satisfying about these early outings; each species feels like a sign that the season is beginning to gather momentum, as temperatures continue to improve.

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK:22ND-29TH MARCH 2026

The weather turned more unsettled this week for many of us, with brisk westerlies funnelling in off the Atlantic and putting the brakes on spring's advance. Read More>