Fantastic views of two Spoonbills this evening on the hide pool - 8pm onwards til they flew to the far right pool at about 8.30pm, one chap mentioned they've been there most evenings for a while. Also plenty of Teal, Black Tailed Godwit, at least ten egrets, Oystercatchers etc.

Latest from IMF:

2 spoonbills "playing" on the hide pool
1 hobby "hawking" for insects
1 cuckoo calling near to the hide.

What else do you want???

Your Hobby must be worthy of a mention in the county bird sightings forum Sid. Others might miss it here and with them altogether we may be able to build a better picture of their status in the county (of Greater Manchester)

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 19th of June 2009 08:07:06 PM

Thanks Mike, very enlightening - lets hope that comes up in the telegraph crossword in the next week or so - any longer and I shall forget

Well this thread needs a mention of a bird I think - nothing to do with IMF but it had to go somewhere - so as we were queuing to pay our Warburton bridge toll a Hobby gave us a quick display before darting off in the general direction of Warburton Church. We then had a couple glimpses of it over the Carr Green area from Dunham road. Tried to park up but a bit tricky at that time of day. By the time we got round to the road behind the Vine there was no sign.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 20th of June 2009 01:22:24 PM

sid ashton wrote:

---

Won't show my age by asking what anacronyms are

---

An anacronym is the illegitimate offspring of an illicit union between an anagram and an acronym ----- a meaningless group of letters which, when rearranged form something which isn't actually a word but is generally recognised as having a meaning eg BRUFA, PUIK, GANLO, FELAS

If I'm too old to understand all these text acronyms does it mean that I'm an anachronism?

Steve

Nightjars were historically on Lindow mosses Sid. The word on the street is that they are no longer present but who really knows?!
Henry.

Ian C

Touche- INNER MARSH FARM of course. Just like it says on the thread

Ian Campbell wrote:

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Sid, what does IMF mean?, anything to do with money?
Cheers Ian

---

Ian W - looked up FUBAR - no need to explain further

Think we should all try to find some birds - any one know if there are any Nightjars about for me to go find this evening not too far from Hale?

-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 18th of June 2009 06:56:44 PM

I think this thread is FUBAR..........

Sid, what does IMF mean?, anything to do with money?
Cheers Ian

Phew, nearly got my bike out and set forth to IMF thought we had a big twitch going

Won't show my age by asking what anacronyms are

Oops I was assuming that ppl (people) were up to speed with these modern anacronyms (sp?) and text speak.

BTW

1 spotted redshank
1 spotted flycatcher

I will try and take advantage of my priviledged position and keep you all informed as much as is humanly possibly

BY-THE-WAY............

As in - By-the-way, the Spotted Redshanks are still present...

Paul BTWs?

paul brady wrote:

---

BTW they are still present others include

2 common terns that we saw "strengthening their bond"

Blackwits galore

Reed Buntings provinding very good phot opps right in front of hide

---

Hi guys,

The Spot Reds went onto Dee Estuary website and birdguides because of me! Without this they wouldn't have made it on unless a visitor put them on but then its been quiet here for a few days.

BTW they are still present others include

2 common terns that we saw "strengthening their bond"

Blackwits galore

Reed Buntings provinding very good phot opps right in front of hide

Ian

I don't have a pager, made a decision not to otherwise I may be tempted to go dashing all over the show and that isn't the idea of birding for me. However when I am making a trip I like to have all available information and for IMF would always check out the Dee Estuary and the free Birdguides Birds News pages. For me and I suspect others any additional information with a little more detail, from the horse's mouth as it were, would be useful.

Paul that's a nice touch - this sort of information for the slightly unusual birds that don't always get onto the pagers or Dee Estuary (yea I know that both Dee Estuary and Birdguides both featured the Spot Shanks today) is really useful if thinking of a trip to IMF and surrounds. Don't know what others think but I will find this quite handy especially the detail. It would be really useful if it was kept up-to-date as well.

paul brady wrote:

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Here is just a quick note to let you all know that 2 spotted redshanks are back from their breeding grounds and can currently be seen in amognst the black-tailed godwits

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Here is just a quick note to let you all know that 2 spotted redshanks are back from their breeding grounds and can currently be seen in amognst the black-tailed godwits

21-03-09
6 ruff
8 avocet
4 buzzard
50 black tailed godwits
1 grey plover
not many wildfowl left a few teal widgeon shovelor and pintail
1 chiff chaff
1 goldcrest
small flock of goldfinch
2 common gull
1 lesser black backed gull
canadas and greylags
1 reed bunting
1 male stonechat
3 snipe

14-09-2008

Parkgate:
Sparrowhawk
Cuckoo
Raven
Little Egret
Goldfinch

Inner Marsh Farm:
Ruff
Greenshank
Snipe
Black Tailed Godwit
Grelag Geese
Canada Geese
Little Grebe
Teal
Mallard
Shellduck
Coot
Moorhen
Heron
Kestrel
Lapwing
House Martin
Swallow
Buzzard
Golden Plover
Willow Warbler
Blackcap
Pied Wag

Not bad for a Sunday morning.

your probably quite right Ian. me and john lyon id the bird as a definate bean goose bird very close to us 50yds but as you quite rightly say may have been feral.

Gary Gorner wrote:

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21.08.08
1 tundra bean goose lifer in amongst 100+greylags


-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 10:29, 2008-08-22

---

Whilst I'm most certainly not intending to spoil your enjoyment of this Bean Goose Gary, I'd be very cautious of it's origins at the very least! There seems to be but 1 August record of a potentially wild Bean Goose in the past 8 years in the UK (and that was just as far as I bothered going back!), of a bird in the Outer Hebrides in 2002 and the current Lincolnshire/Northumberland bird is considered to be of captive origins (quite rightly so too), more so, these feral breeding stock Greylag Geese it was with are hardly what you'd call 'carrier species'! Either way, I think it's really far too early for a truely wild bird, Pink-feet aren't even back yet, so you might be best waiting a little longer and add a better canditade to your list. Sorry

21.08.08
3 buzzard
6 little egret
1 green sandpiper
3 spotted redshank
1 kingfisher
1 tundra bean goose lifer in amongst 100+greylags
3 black tailed godwits
3 ruff
1 barn owl just off reserve
1 grey wag
1 yellow wag
2 stonechat
200+ lapwing
13 shovellor
30+teal
2 stonechat
1 warbler?
1 blackcap
1 sid ashton (nice to meet you sid)

-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 10:29, 2008-08-22

27.07.08 6pm-8pm
several ruff
20+little egret
1 water rail
numbers of black tailed godwits were well down on last year and no spotted redshanks
10 greylags and a few canada geese
20+ goldfinch
15+tit flock mixed blue,great and long tailed
2 female garganey was a nice surprise
usual teal,shoveller,mallards
2 willow warblers
1 reed warbler
no birds singing
1 green sandpiper
30+ lapwings
1 buzzard

10:30 today

Whitethroat and huge flock of Goldfinch 30+
Spoonbill (asleep as ever)
15 Little Egret
4 Ruff
2 LRP
No sign of Wood Sandpiper reported earlier :(

Quiet afternoon, but still worth the visit. Over 40 Little Egrets and One Spoonbill, together with 2 Spotted Redshanks and 5 LRP, 2 Common Terns playing a swapping game with their food and a Sedge Warbler just in front of the hide.

Whitethroat, Chiff Chaff and Goldfinch on the way down.

Nice way to spend an afternoon

Saturday 10.30-lunch....
Simon Warford and l visited Inner Marsh,it was very windy but dry.On our way down to the hide we saw two Green Woodpeckers and along the path and the bushes were,juvenile Robin,female Blackcap (L),Goldfinch,Whitethroat and heard but not seen Grasshopper Warbler.Once at the hide we were treated to over a 1,000 Black-tailed Godwits.A beautiful wader,l've never really had a chance to appreciate its plummage,so with SO many l really got an eye full!! They were all feeding and just enjoying their Saturday morning 'brunch',summat spooked them and they all took off,lovely to see them cruising around then settling down again in the water.Got some great views of a Sedge Warbler,other treats were two Spotted Redshank(L) one in summer plummage,Redshank,a Dunlin was 'mooching' around,Teal,Lapwing,Canada Geese and Shelduck with young.Also enjoying their day were Egrets,at first we noticed half a dozen then Simon saw them all nesting in the trees opposite......about thirty of 'em!!
Great relaxing morning .....luv birdin' l do

Don't forget the Water, Rock and Meadow Pipits in Winter off the 'old quay' by the Harp.
One for ID buffs.

Probably the best views I've ever had of a Whiskered Tern this afternoon, preening in front of the hide next to a Med Gull for about an hour, as well as hawking over No1 pool. Also drake Garganey, a Knot, Avocets, Blackwits and Little Egrets. To top it all a nice pint whilst watching Egrets from the Harp Inn.

OK. Just for you folks I'm going to give away the site of one of my favourite hidy holes in the NW. The Harp Inn at Little Neston, not to be missed after a visit to IMF, situated at the edge of the marshes just up Denhall Lane from IMF. Set up your scope from a picnic table outside the pub and scan for Egrets and raptors etc whilst enjoying a superb pint of Speckled Hen. Double up with a top scran at The Ship in Parkgate, a mega ice-cream from next door and scan the pools and marshes there. You won't be dissapointed.



-- Edited by Pete Hines at 23:44, 2007-06-12

Check out www.deeestuary.co.uk for latest sightings,maps etc....
A really good web site.

Agree Tony. Also don't forget to check out the walk along the estuary nearby where there has been Quail which I couldn't find on Saturday but did find a nice gropper singing in the open.

Also earlier in spring had 2 Whinchats, Lesser Whitethroat on the estuary and on the reserve Spotshank and a couple of years great views Long Billed Dowitcher. Med gulls , SEO in winter, Avocets etc.

The walk the way down is very good for butterflies.

Just struck me that we didn't have a thread for this little gem of an RSPB reserve.
On the Dee Estuary just off the end of the M56, I visit about once a month.

On Sunday I saw Little Egret, Spoonbill, Avocets with 3 chicks, Pintail, Med Gull, BH Gull in stinging nettles (see other thread), Buzzard, and Raven, as well as other more common birds such as Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Bunting etc.

There was a Curlew Sand here most of the winter and there's always odd waders passing through. A few years ago there was a Red-backed Shrike and of course the White-tailed Eagle that soared over this Spring.

Well worth a visit - if you can find it !

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 13th of March 2010 10:00:58 AM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 8th of October 2011 10:08:40 AM