Thanks Jason. It will be interesting to see the improvements in progress.

David

David Spencer wrote:

---

The immature Marsh Harrier was quite active this morning quartering in front of the John Morgan hide perching occasionally in the bushes.

6 snipe in front of Frank Linlay hide. There were 7 there the other day but unfortunately (for the snipe) a Sparrowhawk took one. It was quite gruesome to watch; the snipe was struggling for a couple of minutes with the Sparrowhawk sat on it in the shallow water. Eventually the hawk flew with its prey into the bushes just to the left of the hide.

Does anybody know when the management work is going to start on no. 3 bed.

Regards

David

---

It was suppose to be last week but due to other work commitments running over they should be starting any day now. David will surely have the latest up to date info.

Cheers
Jason

The immature Marsh Harrier was quite active this morning quartering in front of the John Morgan hide perching occasionally in the bushes.

6 snipe in front of Frank Linlay hide. There were 7 there the other day but unfortunately (for the snipe) a Sparrowhawk took one. It was quite gruesome to watch; the snipe was struggling for a couple of minutes with the Sparrowhawk sat on it in the shallow water. Eventually the hawk flew with its prey into the bushes just to the left of the hide.

Does anybody know when the management work is going to start on no. 3 bed.

Regards

David

15.30-16.45

No 3 Bed

Brief visit so I did'nt attempt to count the ducks, there were however large numbers of Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall present.

Also 2 Wigeon, 3 Pochard, 2 Little Grebes and 3 Snipe. A Jay was well and truly feasting on the Niger seed at the feeding station, patiently watched by 12 Greenfinches, they waited until

the corvid had left before they all crammed on the feeders. 6 Pheasant around the bed, including one very pale female feeding below the feeders.

There were only around 20 Tufted Duck on the bed, all packed in the North West corner. I caught a brief glimpse of a large raptor with a lemon/cream head dashing across the reeds,

either a female or immature Marsh Harrier.

Woolston Weir Pool

114 Tufted Duck and 1 Pochard (There was also a group of 32 Tufted Duck on the Manchester Ship Canal)

Old River

3 Cormorants, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Hi David. The one I saw today had a creamy head but no shoulder patches (or none that I could see across the bed with bins). Its not unusual for Woolston to have a couple of Marsh Harriers at the same time, though not usually this late in the year. We'll have to keep our eyes open

Cheers

David

David

I see a juvenile Marsh Harrier has been recorded a couple of times in the past week. I recorded what I thought was an adult female with cream head and strong forewing markings although I didn't see any breast patch. I am wondering now whether the markings were yellower than I thought and I got the age wrong. Did your bird have similar plumage?

Cheers

David

A really nice sunny afternoon, with stacks of birds on No.3 bed. Just as I arrived a juvenile Marsh Harrier flushed all the wildfowl out of the reeds onto the water in front of the Morgan Hide. 420 Teal, 160 gadwall, 143 Tufted Duck, 19 Shoveler, 23 Mallard and 48 Coot made a lovely sight in wonderful light. One Snipe was also present.

Cheers David

True, John. Let's hope that this winter brings an influx. At least they had a a decent breeding season at Woolston - hope the same has been true elsewhere.

Cheers David

Sad sign of the times, as there is no Pochard recorded on David's post, I only found a handful around the day before.

Either they're lingering in their breeding areas, or suffering a population crash.

There was a recent article on Birdguides saying Pochard numbers are well down.

On a clear, sunny morning Les Jones and I covered all four beds, completing both a Winter Thrush Survey and a Wildfowl Count. Highlights were a Raven, flying west over No.4 bed, 2 Coal Tits (a Reserve scarcity) also on No.4 bed, 4 Water Rails on No.3 bed and counts of 5 Redwings, 16 Song Thrushes and 86 Blackbirds across the whole Reserve. Other significant counts included: Tufted Duck 117, Gadwall 205, Wigeon 1, Mute Swan 13, Teal 245, Shoveler 31, Moorhen 26, Black-headed Gull 70, Lapwing 73, Sparrowhawk 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 6, Goldfinch 11, Willow Tit 2, Stock Dove 15, Wood Pigeon 1,350, Coot 34, Mallard 40, Canada Goose 44 and Bullfinch 17.

Cheers David

10.30-12.30

No 3

75 Shoveler, 7 Little Grebes, 4 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 4 Jays, 150+ Teal, 3 Cormorants, 8 Pochard and 5 Wigeon.

There was a large raft of Tufted Ducks in the North West corner, which I regret I did'nt count, but which contained a female hybrid Tufted/Scaup.

100+ Gadwall, a raft of 40 Black Headed Gulls, 11 Canada Geese, a pair of Mute Swans, 1 Willow Tit on the feeders and a male Pheasant beneath them.

A constant stream of Greenfinches on the feeders, at one point there being 10 on one container, with just 4 Chaffinches showing and the odd tit.

3 Southern Hawker dragonflies, a couple of wasps, 2 bumblebees still around, as were quite a few Honeybees, mainly feeding on balsam flowers.

Woolston Weir Pool

32 Tufted Duck and 1 male Pochard

15.00-17.00

No 3

110 Gadwall, 42 Tufted Duck, 29 Shoveler, 6 Pochard, 9 Wigeon, 5 Little Grebes, single flock of 6 Goldfinches, 2 female Pheasants beneath feeders and just 1 Jay.

The feeders were attracting a steady trickle of Greenfinches. There were lots of juvenile Moorhens about, some only half grown.

I counted 30+ Teal, but as there were obviously many more hidden away in the reeds, there seemed little point in attempting a count.

Woolston Weir Pool

76 Tufted Duck, 12 Canada Geese and just 1 Pochard (male).

3 Swallows flying East, plus 1 Redwing perched on top of a riverside poplar.

Female Marsh Harrier flew over no. 3 at c. 9:00 hrs. 15 Wigeon and still 3 Pintail. Teal numbers are growing; c300 on the open water in front of John Morgan hide. I was in the middle of counting them when the harrier flew in and flushed them.

Late post for 7/10-few hours after work bed 4 loop

3 chiffchaff
4 swallow
3 goldcrest
3 willow tit
Redpoll
8 siskin
Green woodpecker
3 stock dove
3 bullfinch
2 teal
2 shoveler
2 little grebe
2 mute swan with 4 young
12 gadwall
1 male peregrine on pylon being mobbed by b.h.gulls then goaded by two magpies which were joined by another two then surrounded the peregrine who had finally had enough and flew off calling.
Jays absolutely everywhere.in the three hours I was there I don't think a minute went by when I couldn't see one!

This morning 3 Pintail and 10 Wigeon were on no.3 bed. 2 Skylarks, 1 Siskin and c35 Jackdaws flew over no.2 bed. 2 Redwing were feeding on berries by the weir footbridge.

Regards

David

On Saturday Kieran Foster reported some good movements over No.3 bed, including an unprecedented 11 Ravens and 20 Greylag Geese.

Cheers David

2 Siskin and a Meadow Pipit over the NW corner also.

Cheers
Jason

A Marsh Harrier was reported on 23rd. Today Les Jones and I covered No.3 bed and Bollin Point A Green Sandpiper was on the muddy river edge at the Point, where 8 Buzzards and a few Goldfinches, Linnets and Redpolls were noted, while just 4 Swallows moved southwards. On No.3 bed 200 Pink-footed Geese flew east early on. A Water Rail, 108 Teal and 44 Shoveler were in front of the Morgan Hide, while scores of Greenfinches and Chaffinches were moving round. Warblers included a few Reed Warblers and plenty of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps.

Butterflies included Commas, Red Admirals and Speckled Woods.

Cheers David

-- Edited by DavidBowman on Saturday 29th of September 2012 05:55:29 PM

Star bird today was a big immature female Goshawk which Les Jones and I watched chasing two Wood Pigeons over the west bank of No.3 bed early on. Two Nuthatches was a good record for the bed, too. Kieran Foster and Jason Atkinson had a small southward movement of about 30 Skylarks during the morning and ringed a late Sedge Warbler, along with a Meadow Pipit among more than 100 birds caught. Plenty of butterflies and dragonflies were in evidence, with five Commas being a good count.

Cheers David

Waterbird numbers were low today, as Les Jones and I covered Nos. 1, 2 and 3 beds, as well as Bollin Point. One Water Rail, 30 Teal, 22 Moorhens, 10 Shovelers, 1 Greylag Goose, 4 Little Grebes, 38 Gadwall, and 40 Mallard were among the counts made. Finches and warblers, though, were present in good numbers. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were everywhere, with odd Reed Warblers still present around the water margins. Nearly 200 Goldfinches and 100 each of Greenfinch and Chaffinch were good totals across the three beds. Mike Miles reported a Hobby among c. 500 House Martins on Friday, though only small numbers of these and Swallows passed through today. Raptors included 1 Peregrine, 2 Kestrels, 2 Sparrowhawks and 7 Buzzards.

It was a good day for late butterflies and dragonflies, with the following counts made: 12 Small Tortoiseshells, 7 Speckled Woods, 3 Red Admirals, 2 Commas, 3 Meadow Browns, 1 Common Blue, 1 Green-veined White, 60 Common Darters, 1 Southern Hawker and 3 Brown Hawkers.

Cheers David

No.3 bed's low water levels continue to deliver on the wader front, with two Green Sandpipers and one Greenshank during a warm, calm morning. Six pecies of warbler were still present, with good numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, 6 Reed Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and one Sedge Warbler present. A Hobby passed through early on, with only a handful of House Martins and 4 Swallows to detain it. Other evidence of passage came when 6 Siskins flew south, along with a single Lesser Redpoll. Two families of Water Rail were active early on, with an adult and 2 young in front of the Rotary Hide and an adult with 3 young in front of the Morgan Hide. As usual the Morgan Hide feeders were very busy, with c.60 Greenfinches, 10 Chaffinches and 4 Willow Tits notable. Two Mistle Thrushes, uncommon at Woolston, were on the North Meadow, where a few Reed Buntings were among the small finch flocks. In total, 46 species were noted.

Cheers David

On a pleasant morning Dave Steel, Les Jones and I met at 6.30 am for a spell of visible migration watching on Butchersfield Tip (at the eastern end of the Reserve). Swallows were trickling through all morning, while House Martins tended to feed up over the mosses to the north, en masse, before moving south. A Grey Wagtail, followed by two Yellow Wagtails were decent birds for Woolston but the highlight came just after 10.00 am when two Hawfinches flew in from the east, passed a few feet over our heads and landed in some nearby trees. Some of the totals for the morning were: 2 Hawfinches, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Siskins, 102 Swallows, 494 House Martins, 165 Goldfinches, 171 Lapwings, 80 Stock Doves, 21 Common Buzzards, 4 Kestrels and 5 Sparrowhawks.

Reports from No.3 bed, from Kieran Foster, MIke Miles and Jason Atkinson included a Hobby at the Swallow roost on Friday night and 52 Blackcaps ringed on Saturday morning.

Cheers David

On a warm, calm morning, Dave Steel and I concentrated on No.3 bed. We are in the process of lowering the water levels on the bed, in preparation for the imminent work on reed-bed restoration, which should be good for wader passage. So, it was pleasing when a Greenshank stopped and fed briefly and a Curlew flew over calling. In addition, maybe also attracted by the shallower water, four Black-necked Grebes (2 adults and 2 juveniles) were present when we would normally have expected them to have moved on by now. Fifty-four species were seen, in all.

Other counts included: 2 Water Rails, 5 Willow Tits, 1 Siskin, 4 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Swifts, 2 Common Gulls, 27 Moorhens, 13 Cormorants, 8 House Sparrows (near the Old Pumphouse), 14 Chiffchaffs, c.100 Greenfinch, 10 Pheasants, 11 Tufted Duck, 12 Little Grebes, 5 Grey Herons, 49 Lapwings, 3 Sparrowhawks, 6 Common Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, 11 Long-tailed Tits, 14 Chaffinches, 165 Gadwall, 4 Mute Swans, 7 Pochard, 13 Canada Geese, 23 House Martins, 9 Swallows, 3 Sand Martins, 11 Great Tits, 9 Blue Tits, 5 Reed Buntings, 65 Wood Pigeons, 13 Magpies, 21 Jays, 6 Reed Warblers, 6 Starlings, 5 Dunnocks, 82 Coot, 11 Teal, 13 Mallards, 7 Blackbirds (inc. 1 carrying food), 12 Blackcaps, 4 Willow Warblers, 3 Wrens, 18 Robins, 10 Bullfinches, 6 Carrion Crows, 8 Whitethroats, 25 Goldfinches, 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5 Black-headed Gulls (inc. a pair feeding large young).
Cheers David

Ringing session on No1 bed this morning, including 4 Tree Pipits and 1 Siskin, a further 10 Siskins overflying along with 4 Lesser Redpolls.

cheers


Dave

A good day for migration, with a Pied Flycatcher and 5 Garden Warblers ringed by Kieran Foster, Jason Atkinson et al on No.3 bed and a Spotted Flycatcher feeding contentedly on Butchersfield Tip during a Migration Watch by Dave Steel, Les Jones and myself. Other good counts during our five hour vigil from the Tip included: 5 Siskins, 1 Redpoll, 60 Swifts, 86 Swallows, 242 House Martins, 112 Goldfinches, 40 Linnets plus all the other regular species.

Cheers David

Another lovely, sunny morning on No.3 bed, with plenty of birds (59 species), butterflies (8 species) and dragonflies (3 species) to keep us (Brian Baird, Douglas Buchanan and I)occupied. Highlights were: 3 Black-tailed Godwits, which stopped briefly before continuing west, 6 Pintail which came in and stayed, a Hobby, 3 Kingfishers, 1 Snipe, 3 Willow Tits, 2 juvenile Water Rails, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroats feeding by the Morgan Hide and 2 juvenile Black-necked Grebes which came out of cover as the morning wore on. 2 Commas and 2 Broad-bodied Chasers seen along with many of our commoner butterflies and dragonflies.

Other counts included: 8 House Sparrows (on the Canal track), 1 Common Gull, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 18 Black-headed Gulls, 11 Moorhens, 8 Little Grebes, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Ruddy Ducks, 8 Carrion Crows, 9 Jays, 5 Pochard, 45 Greenfinches, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Teal, 20 Chiffchaffs, 25 Blue Tits, 16 Great Tits, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 8 Magpies, 3 Pheasants, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Blackcap, 5 Bullfinches, 4 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 130 Gadwall,76 Coot, 23 Mallard, 6 Cormorants, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, 5 Shoveler, 2 Swifts, 6 Swallows, 8 House Martins, 10 Chaffinches, 5 Reed Buntings, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Collared Dove, 40 Wood Pigeons, 14 Lapwing, 3 Song Thrushes,4 Robins, 2 Dunnocks, 3 Mute Swans and 21 Feral Pigeons.

Cheers David

16.45-18.00

No 3 Bed

2 adult + 1 full grown juvenile Black Necked Grebes, 2 Little Grebes and 1 Buzzard perched on a ringers pole.

Feeding station

In addition to the usual tits and finches, 1 Willow Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (m) and 1 Linnet (m).

It's the first time I've seen a Linnet feeding finch/tit style on a seed container.

2 female Pheasants below feeders.

Quite a few eclipse/female Shovelers seem to have reappeared.

Two Green Sandpipers, one Hobby and three Black-necked Grebes (an adult and two young) were this morning's highlights. Despite the weather forecast, it was warm and sunny, with plenty of birds moving. Les Jones and I joined up with Kieran Foster on No.3 Bed and other good sightings included: 1 Water Rail,1 Common Snipe, 23 Mistle Thrushes flying east, 45 House Martins, 64 Swifts, 2 Swallows, 2 Willow Tits, 7 Common Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Kestrel, 1 Shelduck, 140 Gadwall, 82 Coot, 28 Lapwing, 4 Song Thrushes, 8 Shoveler and 6 Teal.

Cheers David

Saturday morning provided some decent, sunny weather, as Dave Steel and I covered the eastern end of the Reserve, as well as No.3 bed. Two Redshanks, 3 Kingfishers, 2 Grasshopper Warblers (reported by Jason Atkinson) 1 Coal Tit (a Woolston scarcity!) and 4 Black-necked Grebes were the highlights on No.3 bed, while the Peregrines on No.1 bed still had at least one surviving fledged young.

Other counts of interest included: 2 Willow Tits, 9 Common Buzzards, 8 Teal, 16 Chiffchaffs, 6 Swifts, 9 Shoveler, c.80 Coot and 100 + Gadwall.

Cheers David

15.00-16.45

Weir Lane/Weir Pool

1 Kingfisher, pair of Mute Swans with 3 cygnets, 11 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard.

Old River

1 juv Great Crested Grebe.

No 3 Bed

2 Black Tailed Godwits, 1 adult + 2 juv. Black Necked Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 2 adult Great Crested Grebes, 6 Little Grebes.

2 Reed Buntings ( m+f) feeding on the mud in front of the J. Thorley hide, wader style.

1 Comma, 2 Red Admirals, 3 S.Tortoiseshell and 10 Gatekeeper butterflies.

A lovely morning, with the sun beginning to burn off the mist on No.3 bed by 5.30 am. With a total of 62 species recorded, the highlights were: a Hobby which put in four appearances over the morning, 3 Curlews heading west, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warblers, 204 Gadwall in front of the Morgan Hide, a juvenile Water Rail in front of the same hide, 8 Black-necked Grebes (4 adults and 4 young), 3 new broods of Tufted Duck (6,8 and 7), a new Pochard brood (of 2) and 10 Linnets around the north meadow. In addition, a Nuthatch (always a good bird at Woolston) was reported though I didn't catch up with it myself.

Other sightings included a few butterflies and dragonflies, including: 4 Small Whites, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 1 Meadow Brown and 2 Brown Hawkers.

Cheers David

15.00-17.00

No3

2ad. 7juv. B.N Grebes, 3 G.C Grebes one with a single youngster.

3ad. 1juv. G.S Woodpeckers, 5 Cormorant, 1m 3f/juv Blackcaps in family

group, a family group of 4 Whitethroats and a single juv Reed Bunting

being fed by adult male. 1m + 1f Kestrel, 1 LBB Gull and 1 Heron.

Lots of young Moorhen and Coot about.

Old River

1 pr G.C Grebes with 2 half grown young.

Weir Pool

11 Tufted Duck & 2 Pochard.

Greenshank from the John Morgan hide today

Came back from a week's birding in Iceland, with Dave Steel and six friends, (Gyr Falcons on the nest, Harlequin Ducks, Barrow's Goldeneyes, Brunnich's Guillemots, Orcas, Artcic Fox etc!) to see how the Reserve was doing. Dave and I spent the early part of the morning on No.3 bed, where the ringing team (Kieran Foster, Jason Atkinson et al) had caught Grasshopper Warbler and Garden Warbler. Both adult and juvenile Black-necked Grebes were still showing well (three of each, without much searching), despite the dispersal of 10 to Houghton Green Flash.

Main point of interest was the number of species still in song, desperately trying to complete a breeding attempt - double figures of Reed Warblers and a few Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Reed Buntings Wrens, Greenfinches etc. At Woolston Weir 2 Grey Wagtails were present.

On No.1 bed, the same situation, with Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and Linnets all singing away. Lets hope for a change in the weather to give them a fighting chance of getting some young off!

Cheers David

06.10-07.30

No 3

1 Cuckoo (perched on a dead tree by the meadow then flew off eastwards).

3 adult & 6 juvenile B.N.Grebes, 2 ad.G.C Grebes (1 with 1 small young on

it's back). 2 broods of Tufted Duck 3+4 half grown young, 3 Cormorants.

2 G.S Woodpeckers ( 1m on a feeder). lots of Greenfinches around feeders.

Male Blackcap carrying food near S.Hogg hide, also Dunnock still singing.

2 flocks of Lapwing flying low over bed 50+60, 1 adult LBB Gull, still 1 near

fledged BH Gull with parents.

Woolston Weir Pool

29 Tufted Duck, 2 adult 1 half grown Pochard, 11 Canada Geese.

2 f/juv. Blackcaps near the "footbridge", Common Whitethroats in almost

every bush.

18.00-20-15

No 3

1 Water Rail in front F. Linley hide, 8 adult +10 juv B.N Grebes, 7 G.C

Grebes and 2 L.Grebes.

1 G.C Grebe had at least 2 young on it's back, also 2 adults were seen

flying onto the bed carrying small fish from the river and MSC. 1 Buzzard

and 1 Kestrel over the meadow. 1 adult L.B.B Gull patrolled the bed for

over 15 minutes clearly intent on grabbing a little downy supper, the B.H

Gulls are barely bothering to mob now though, their young are full grown.

There were 3 broods of small Tufted ducklings on the water though, every

time the LBB passed over they dived for their lives. Thankfully, the smaller

of the grebe chicks stayed on their parents backs. 1 Black Tailed Godwit

in front of J.Morgan hide.

I have just spent a pleasant eveing on No 3 bed with a friend, we arrived at 7pm and imediatley picked up a Grasshopper Warbler on top of a reed near the toilet. It was reeling away and was soon joined by a second bird and then they both dropped out of sight. It was still reeling away when we left.

I counted 135 Gadwall from the John Morgan Hide along with 8 Great Crested and 6 Black Necked Grebes as well as a number of juveniles. At one point 5 Black Tailed Godwits circled the centre pool but I was unable to see if they landed on the bed.

We were treated to a great ariel display by the Starlings that started to arrive about 8.300 and by 9pm they had increased to over 500. They kept landing in the reeds right in front of us but then would take off again, quite a sight them being so close.

John

Hopefully good news. Both juveniles Great Crested Grebes and both adults were on the basin this morning around the nest site. The juveniles are getting quite mobile now. I have seen them upstream of the weir guard. Lets hope nothing happened between our visits. Shame the second clutch was lost during the recent bad weather.

David

09.30-11-45

Weir Pool

17 Tufted Duck, 11 Canada Geese, 6 Pochard & 2 Mute Swans.

The pair of GC.Grebes that had 2 young now only appear to have 1.

No 3 Bed

Only found 2 adult B.N Grebes but 8 youngsters at various stages of

development. 1 brood of Pochard with 4 tiny young.

A pair of G.C Grebes had 3 young hopping on & off their backs, 2 chicks

were noticeably bigger than the third one and were pecking mercilessly at

it, they appeared to be trying to drown it. Family party of 3 Sedge Warblers

appeared to be quite tame and came to within about a metre away in the

tall grass by the path. 1 Willow Tit by the feeders, also 2 G.S Woodpeckers.

Also 13 juv B.H Gulls, 1 Lapwing and 4 Cormorants. 1 Large Skipper

butterfly and 1 Barred Straw moth by the copse.

A couple of guys walking a dog opposite the weir pool asked if I'd seen

anything special about. When I said that I thought a G.C Grebe chick may

have been lost, they replied "Good we don't want too many of them do

we". It just goes to show not everyone appreciate grebes.

On a pleasant morning Les Jones and I watched 9 Black-necked Grebe chicks busily feeding, along with 6 adults. Other sightings included: One Grasshopper Warbler, 121 Gadwall, 43 Coot, 3 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 15 Pochard, 3 Moorhens, 31 Canada Geese, 2 Lapwings, 4 Little Grebes, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Mallard, c.300 Black-headed Gulls, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Sedge Warblers, 8 Reed Warblers, 5 Song Thrushes, 3 Collared Doves, 4 Bullfinches, 2 Kestrels, 4 Common Buzzards, 1 Treecreeper (caught by the ringers), 80 Swifts, 7 Swallows, 1 House Martin, plus plenty of Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats.

Cheers David

An excellent morning with Dave Steel, Les Jones and Dave Riley, completing a breeding bird survey of Nos.1 and 2 beds before ending up on No.3 bed, just as the rain came down. Highlights were to see that Little Ringed Plover, Peregrine and Kestrel were still catering to their young, despite the weather, while a Lesser Whitethroat in song on No.2 bed was good to hear. Two Mediterranean Gulls flew over No.3 bed, as reported by Kieran Foster, though we didn't relocate them. The odd butterfly put in an appearence, with 2 Common Blues, and singles of Meadow Brown and Small Tortoiseshell.

Cheers David

A really nice morning,covering all beds, with the rain keeping off and plenty of bird activity. Despite the poor weather to date some key species have bred successfully - probably ten pairs of Black-necked Grebes have raised young, while Peregrine Falcon, Little Ringed Plover, Kingfisher and Kestrel were all showing with young this morning. Total list as follows:

Mute Swan 2
Greylag Goose 2
Canada Goose 40 + 5 young
Mallard 23
Gadwall 72
Shoveler 8
Teal 2
Pochard 4 + 6 young
Tufted Duck 25 + 8 young
Pheasant 5
Black-necked Grebe - loads, maybe as many as 17 young!
Little Grebe 4
Great Crested Grebe 6 inc. 2 sitting birds
Cormorant 20
Grey Heron 1
Common Buzzard 10
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 6 + 2 young
Peregrine Falcon 2 + at least 1 young
Water Rail 1 + 2 young
Moorhen 2
Coot 14 + several broods
Lapwing 2
Little Ringed Plover 2 + 2 young
Black-headed Gull at least 15 large young
Herring Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8
Feral Pigeon 30
Stock Dove 4
Wood Pigeon many
Collared Dove 2
Swift 120
Kingfisher 3 adults + at least 2 young
Green Woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 juveniles
Sand Martin 8
Swallow 3
House Martin 15
Pied Wagtail 2
Dunnock 7
Robin 8
Song Thrush 6
Blackbird 12
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcap 11
Whitethroat 10
Sedge Warbler 3
Reed Warbler 10
Willow Warbler 3
Chiffchaff 9
Wren 20
Great Tit a few
Blue Tit a few
Willow Tit 3
Long-tailed Tit 2
Magpie 14
Jay 6
Jackdaw 10
Rook 6
Carrion Crow 8
Starling 5
Chaffinch 18
Linnet 6
Goldfinch 2
Greenfinch 30
Bullfinch 5
Reed Bunting 6

Cheers David



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 16th of June 2012 03:04:15 PM

9.30-11.30

Weir Pool

Pair of G.C Grebe with 2 well grown young, family of Mute Swans (5 young),

10 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 8 Canada Geese and a Mallard with 4 tiny

young.

No 3

2 Cormorant, 10 B.N Grebes, 6 G.C Grebes, 2 Lapwings, 2 juv Shelduck,

12 Canada Geese, 11 Pochard (8m 3f) + 2 broods (5+3). A family of

4 Reed Warblers showing well in front of the Tower Hide, where a

Moorhen was rooting through the leaf litter 'Blackbird' style and passing

every morsel it found to it's single chick. 1 Water Rail near Tower Hide too.

It looks like the geese have held a "Poo Fest" on some of the paths, I

can't recall seeing it that bad, even at Penny. You have to be careful where

you step, but surely it must be good for the grass?.

A few Silver Ground Carpet moths near the meadow, and the Striped

Mosquitos came out to bite when the rain stopped. Thankfully though

no sign of Clegs yet.

Two Yellow Wagtails in front of the Morgan Hide at 7.00pm today were a surprise as they are very scarce at Woolston, despite breeding not too far away. 16 Black-necked Grebes were feeding 12 young at various stages of development, making for excellent views. Several Pochard broods were evident, along with broods of Water Rail, Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Coot, Canada Goose and Moorhen. A dozen or so large Black-headed Gull chicks were survivors of the few nests which weren't washed out during the rainy spell but plenty of adults have relaid and are now sitting. 90 Starlings dropped in at 8.00 pm, presumably the start of a summer roost.

Cheers David

Latest sightings included 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Hobby, 13 Black-necked Grebes (with 6 broods totalling 9 young), Kingfishers with young, an adult Water Rail with 2 young and 2 Willow Tits.

Cheers David

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 9th of June 2012 05:29:55 PM

A Little Egret was feeding on the new pool on No.1 bed at 0900 today.

Cheers David

Monday 4th June 5.30am

A pair of Black-necked Grebes at the south end. I didn't manage to see any others, but I am sure they are there.
1 Water Rail which came out of the reeds to have a nice wash in front of the Morgan hide.
Plenty of Gadwall, Coots and Mallards. A few Pochards and Shelduck too.
A family party of Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the feeders. Good numbers of Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warblers.
A Willow Tit gave a nice close view from the side of the Morgan hide.
All in all a very nice morning.

Highlight of today was a Hobby which twice passed through a flock of c.600 Swifts on No.3 bed. Otherwise, plenty of Black-necked Grebes, hirundines.

Cheers David

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 19th of May 2012 07:27:18 PM

A really rewarding morning from 6.30 am, as Dave Steel and I gave the whole of the eastern end of the Reserve a good going over, counting singing birds but also picking up lots of other stuff. We finished with a quick jaunt into No.4 bed before the nice, sunny weather got the better of us.
Highlights included: 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Oystercatchers, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Garden Warblers and 2 Kingfishers, along with scores of Whitethroats, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Reed Warblers. Sedge Warblers, however, were thin on the ground.

Cheers David

A really nice morning, with Les Jones and Brian Martin, covering mainly No.3 bed and the eastern end of the Reserve. A Cuckoo was calling from near the Morgan Hide at 8.00 am and three Grasshopper Warblers were singing around the centre of the bed. Whitethroats and Reed Warblers were much more in evidence, today, along with the odd Sedge Warbler. The eastern end of the Reserve held its treats, too, with three Little Ringed Plovers, another Grasshopper Warbler, four pairs of Lapwing and both Peregrine and Kestrel brooding small young under Thelwall Viaduct.

(A nice end to the morning was a quick dash to Great Sankey to see the female Ring Ouzel, showing well alongside male Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear).

Cheers David