DANE BOWER AND THREE SHIRES HEAD

I called in at Dane Bower quarry today and was rewarded with 2 Ring ouzels as soon as I got out of the car.

Ring Ouzel

This area in the eastern hills of Cheshire is a regular site for this species, and thankfully, they return every year to breed at this site.

Dane Bower Quarry

I decided to carry on walking towards Three Shires Head, 4 Red grouse were seen along with 2 Ravens, 6 Curlew, Mistle thrush and good numbers of Meadow Pipits.

Red Grouse

Reaching Three Shires Head on the Axe edge moor, where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, I sat and ate my lunch.

The Packhorse Bridge and the River Dane

As I was having my lunch, a Grey wagtail was seen on the river before landing on a nearby fence.

Grey Wagtail

After lunch, I headed back towards the quarry where I saw 3 Wheatear.

 Leaving Three Shires Head and walking back towards the quarry

Dane Bower Quarry Chimney

Reaching the car, I was shattered after a good hike and just made it back in time before a hailstorm.

MORNINGS BIRDING ON MY OLD PATCH

I picked up Malc Curtin this morning for a morning's birding on my old patch, Marbury Country Park. I parked my car up at Witton Mill car park and headed towards Ashton's flash. We soon got onto a Sedge warbler and 4 Redpoll flying over towards Carey Park, but couldn't find the Whitethroat that had been reported around the car park.

Ashton's Flash

Moving on to Witton Brook, my first Reed warbler of the year was seen along with 2 flyover Great spotted woodpeckers.

Reaching Haydn's pool, there was no sign of the Garganey that were reported last night, but a Green Woodpecker was seen at the back of the pool. With no sign of the Garganey, we moved back onto the brook and had brief views of the elusive Cetti's warbler, but we couldn't relocate it.

A text of one of the patch regulars had us walking back to Haydn's pool, where we connected with the male and female Garganey.

Garganey

Haydn's Pool

After good views of the birds, we moved onto Budworth Mere, where I found the first Common sandpiper of the year for the patch regulars and a Yellow wagtail was commuting in the back fields behind the mere with 6 Pied wagtails and a White wagtail.

A great morning birding, and I was glad to be back on my old patch. I just wish it weren't so far away from where I live.

BACK ON THE NEW PATCH

I nipped over to Acre Nook Sand Quarry and Lapwing pool on my lunch break this afternoon, hoping that a few spring migrants mightn't have dropped in. On arrival at Lapwing pool, 12 Goldeneye and 17 Wigeon were on the pool, along with 2 Little Grebes and 7 Tufted Duck.

12 Goldeneye had dropped in on the pool before heading north

It was very quiet around Lapwing Pool, so I headed towards Acre Nook. The usual suspects were still around 14 Shelduck,19 Shoveler,8 Teal,34 Lapwing and a Little Ringed Plover.

Little Ringed Plover

As I was birding, a Green woodpecker called and flew into a tree next to me.

Green Woodpecker

What a bird, I never get fed up with seeing these, but it only landed briefly and then headed across the quarry. Another good hour of birding, but still hoping for a few more migrants.

NORTH WIRRAL COAST

I arrived at Leasowe around 12.30 today for an afternoon's birding. I parked up at the lighthouse and soon connected with a Willow warbler in the lighthouse garden. The horse paddocks down Lingham Lane held several Blackbirds and a Pied Wagtail. There were good numbers of Goldfinch, Linnet and Greenfinch down the lane. Other birds of note were House Sparrow, Dunnock, Great and Blue Tit, Collared Dove and 4 Canada Geese over.

Dunnock

Collared Dove

Goldfinch

Reaching the bridge halfway down the lane, I had 2 Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap skulking around in the alderberry bushes.

 Blackcap

Chiffchaff

A seawatch followed off Leasowe, where I connected with Common scoter, Great Crested grebe, Dunlin, Redshank and a single Lapwing flew past the wind farm.

Moving back towards the farm at the end of Park Lane, the paddocks were again very quiet. A Swallow was around the farm, and 3 House martins flew east. The fields behind the paddocks held 3 Little egrets and 6 Wheatear, and a Reed bunting.

Reed Bunting

3 Little Egrets feeding in the fields

Moving on from Leasowe, I called in at Gilroy Nature Park, where a Common sandpiper had been reported. The flooded field next to the path held 2 Black tailed godwits,17 Shelduck,2 Oystercatchers and 4 Snipe

Black Tailed Godwit

Snipe

Shelduck

Walking down the path, I walked around the fishing pool and flushed the Common sandpiper, which showed well. A Great crested grebe was also seen.

Common Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

BACK FOR SECONDS-LAPWING HALL POOL

On arrival this afternoon to Lapwing Hall pool, the two Black necked grebes were still present that I found last night.

Black Necked grebes

After getting some better photos, I moved on towards Acre Nook Quarry, where I had a Buzzard fly over Lapwing Lane and managed to find the Green woodpecker, which was calling, sitting in a tree over the other side of the quarry.

 Common Buzzard

 Green Woodpecker

The quarry was very quiet this afternoon, but I did find another Little Ringed Plover.

Little Ringed Plover

MORE BLACK NECKED GREBES!

I left work at 7pm tonight and called in to see if anything had dropped in on the quarrys. There was no sign of the Little ringed plovers at Acre Nook, but the usual wildfowl were still present.

I then walked towards Lapwing Hall pool, where I had 3 Swallows flying across the fields. As soon as I got to the pool, I picked up 2 summer-plumaged Black-necked grebes. The light was fading fast, but I managed to get a few crappy record shots, as you can see below.

After the long winter, finding another two on my new patch on passage was a good find. Hopefully, they will still be around tomorrow, so I can get some better photos.

LITTLE RINGS ARRIVE

Visited Acre Nook Sand quarry this afternoon on my dinner hour, hoping that some spring migrants on passage would be seen, as it has been very quiet of late. As soon as I got out of the car, a Green woodpecker could be heard calling, and 2 Buzzards were over the Mosses.

Getting the scope out, I soon connected with my first Little ringed plover of the year which followed by another two. 

Three  Little Ringed Plovers were on the sandbank

A Green sandpiper was flushed by the side of the quarry as I was walking around, and a Sparrowhawk flew low into Colt hovel wood. The quarry still holds 18 Shelduck,24 Cormorant,14 Shoveler,9 Teal and 2 Wigeon.

AFTERNOON ON THE NORTH WIRRAL COAST

I spent the late afternoon at Leasowe on the north Wirral coast looking for spring migrants. I started off by checking out the horse paddocks down Lingham Lane and was rewarded with 7 Wheatear.

Wheatear

There was no sign of the Ring Ouzel that had been seen this morning. I continued through to the duck pond area, where I counted at least 10 Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warblers. The horse paddocks were very quiet with not one Wagtail around, which was quite surprising, but held 5 Shelduck and 2 Swallows over.

Shelduck

Moving on down Park Lane, I met up with Steve Williams, who had found another Ring ouzel, a male which was distant and very elusive.

Ring Ouzel

Walking back to the lighthouse along the sea embankment, there were good numbers of Linnets and Goldfinches. Another 14 Wheatear were seen on the sea wall along with a Skylark over the paddocks. 

Views from the sea embankment looking over Leasowe

A great afternoon's birding, which was topped off with a Willow warbler in song next to the lighthouse. Spring is here!