A brilliant day out, from 1100-1700 on Hilbre Island. got what i'd like to think are good shots of some waders, highlights were:

4 Great Skua
1 Arctic Skua
2 Guillemot
3 Common Scoter
5 Sandwich Tern
1 Common Tern
2 Purple Sandpiper- very early!
c.2000 Knot
c.50 Dunlin- some stunning summer plumage birds
c.100 Ringed Plover
c.150 Turnstone
1 Whimbrel
at least 1 Bar Tailed Godwit
An absolutely stunning day out in glorious sunshine!

Joe Wynn wrote:

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Hi Sid,
Where actually is leasowe lighthouse, I know its on the north coast, where's the best place to access it? Also, is it any good for common waders, and at what state of the tide?
Cheers,
Joe

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Joe I have sent you a PM


-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 16th of September 2011 12:44:00 PM

http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/nwirral.htm
all the sites are on this link
or just put Dee Estuary birding in your search engine

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 16th of September 2011 11:21:32 AM

Hi Sid,
Where actually is leasowe lighthouse, I know its on the north coast, where's the best place to access it? Also, is it any good for common waders, and at what state of the tide?
Cheers,
Joe

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Friday 16th of September 2011 07:32:08 AM

Third visit to the Wirral in the last 6 days - this time not only for birding but to see the Queen Mary 2 going into the Mersey - fantastic ship. Watched her sailing up past Fort Perch Rock where they managed 3 shots out of a 21 gun salute She then passed the good ship "Snowdrop" - the Mersey ferrry with the RSPB crew on board. In the afternoon went to Leasowe gunsite for a look around - what a difference to yesterday, glorious sunshine and warm today. No major bird activity but did see 10 or so Wheatear and watched Common Gulls picking up cockles from the beach and dropping them from 15 - 20 m onto the concrete breakwater to smash the shells - didn't realise it but apparently lots of Gull species do this.

... and finally after an evening meal in Parkgate and an unsuccessful attempt to see the Barn Owls at Denhall Lane we found two Badgers on the road just past the entrance to IMF - amazing







-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 16th of September 2011 10:10:22 PM

I should have known there would be some other Manchester Birders there this morning given how popular Leasowe was :) I was at the country park end of Leasowe for an hour either side of high tide but with bins rather than scope only picked up five Leach's and one dark phase artic - I think seeing a Leach's battling along the surf line is just about my top birding experience! I then drove North to dip the Sabines at Heysham [again...]

Had two more Leach's after you left Nick and added the Guillemot to the list as well as a Mr Patterson at the gunsite and Messers Raynor and Reid at the lighthouse and then at Innermarsh Farm - good to see all again



-- Edited by sid ashton on Wednesday 14th of September 2011 10:50:27 PM

Sea watch this morning from 10.30 to 1.30 at Leasowe Gunsite. The wind was strong but not really bad if you know what I mean. As it was blowing from the south west it wasn't in the right direction to really bring the birds in but there was still plenty to see albeit quite distant.

9 Leaches Petrel
9 Arctic Skua - mostly distant
7 Kittiwake - All juveniles
12 Gannet
1 Great Skua - distant
1 Manx Shearwater
Also a big passage of Terns southwards - mostly Sandwich and Common with a few Arctic as well.

07.15 - 13.15 Sunny and Warm for a seawatch

Arrived New Brighton to check for anything leaving the river - although not really windy enough yesterday - so apart from the Turnstone, Sanderling and Redshanks around the rocks there was little of real interest for me so off to Leasowe Lighthouse.

Arriving at Leasowe in the hour before high water the sea appeared almost devoid of birds and it was only when the tide began to recede did the action start - between the turbines and the beach big numbers of Gulls, a Pomarine Skua and 2 possibly 3 Arctic Skuas harrassing the Sandwich Terns and on the emerging sand bank Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Sanderling, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Oyster Catcher and Common Tern and around the breakwater a number of Wheatears and Swallows.

The highlight of the morning however, was an Osprey that flew very low and slowly down the beach towards Hoylake giving excellent views .

Paid another visit to the rocky outcrop at Eastham country park this afternoon at low tide. 3 Turnstone 30 Redshank 2 Curlew 1 Oystercatcher Flock of about 50 Black tailed godwit heading upstream House martin + swallow overhead

Joe Wynn wrote:

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Mike Baron wrote:

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After staring at the sea from Leasowe Gunsite for an hour and not a sniff I managed to see 2 Petrels battling their way out of the Mersey from Fort Perch Rock late this evening- one Leach's and one Stormy.

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 08:05:25 PM

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does that mean passage has begun for the Leach's?

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There are obviously one or two about but I suspect we need a strong sustained blow for another day or two to see them in numbers. Wind direction can also quickly change and throw everything into a cocked hat!

sid ashton wrote:

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Mike Baron wrote:

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After staring at the sea from Leasowe Gunsite for an hour and not a sniff I managed to see 2 Petrels battling their way out of the Mersey from Fort Perch Rock late this evening- one Leach's and one Stormy.

2 distant Arctic Skuas and 3 Manxies the best from the gunsite plus a juv Gannet, 8 Guillemots and an Arctic Tern

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Mike, high tide this evening was at 20.15 - were you at the gunsite leading up to that time?

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Hi Sid

I was at the gunsite from 6pm to just after 7. I then moved to FPR - only stayed there 20 mins or so. I suspect it will be too dark to see before high tide occurs.

Cheers

Mike

Mike Baron wrote:

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After staring at the sea from Leasowe Gunsite for an hour and not a sniff I managed to see 2 Petrels battling their way out of the Mersey from Fort Perch Rock late this evening- one Leach's and one Stormy.

2 distant Arctic Skuas and 3 Manxies the best from the gunsite plus a juv Gannet, 8 Guillemots and an Arctic Tern

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Mike, high tide this evening was at 20.15 - were you at the gunsite leading up to that time?

Mike Baron wrote:

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After staring at the sea from Leasowe Gunsite for an hour and not a sniff I managed to see 2 Petrels battling their way out of the Mersey from Fort Perch Rock late this evening- one Leach's and one Stormy.

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 08:05:25 PM

---

does that mean passage has begun for the Leach's?

After staring at the sea from Leasowe Gunsite for an hour and not a sniff I managed to see 2 Petrels battling their way out of the Mersey from Fort Perch Rock late this evening- one Leach's and one Stormy.

2 distant Arctic Skuas and 3 Manxies the best from the gunsite plus a juv Gannet, 8 Guillemots and an Arctic Tern

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Wednesday 7th of September 2011 08:05:25 PM

Enjoyed an hour at Leasowe this evening but sadly most birds were well out of bins range around the windfarm. Closer in were quite a few gulls and Sandwich and Common Tern with one godwit battling along the shore too. I've sent Ian a very suspect shot of one of the skuas in case he can discern a probable species but I think amongst the gulls there were at least two singles and a group of three skuas past this evening. If only I could get the hang of scopes!

After an abortive 10 minute visit to IMF hide: 25 odd people stuffed into a noisy hide stinking of sweat I went for a walk up the estuary and saw v little. Then to the amusingly entitled Donkey Stand Flash. The last Donkey might have stood here 50 years ago. 7 LRPs, a juv Dunlin but not Little Stint. Whilst talking to a birder from Somerset a Yellow Wag dropped in. Decided to join the ice cream hordes and I can report that they are excellent!

After a decision earlier in the week to give Spurn a miss, John Barber, Sid Ashton and myself felt a day up the Wirral was in order.

First stop on the way was Frodsham marshes but this failed to produce anything of note really so we quickly got on our way to the new Donkey Stand Flash that had been created over at Parkgate. For those of you that haven't seen this yet basically an old pool has been dredged out to create a new water that is literally about 150 yards from the road outside the Ice cream shop on Parkgate front. Views are brilliant and you can see all around the pool which currently has some pretty good mud flats.

Whilst we were there various birds came and went but here's a synopsis of the birds seen:

2 Little Stint
2 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Ruff
1 Yellow Wagtail
8 Dunlin
8 Redshank
3 Black tailed Godwit
Also large numbers of Black Headed gull and Teal

After this it was then decided that we should shoot up to Hoylake in preparation for the high tide and also to see if yesterdays White Rumped Sandpiper would re-appear.

The sea front at Hoylake was quite busy when we got there. Upto twenty birders were present and were spread out along the front carefully scanning the already sizeable flocks of Dunlin and Sanderling that were present. Unfortunately, there had been no sign of yesterdays White Rumped Sandpiper but that didn't stop us from taking in the spectacle that was unfolding before our eyes. Increasing numbers of Dunlin and Sanderling were constantly being pushed closer and closer to the sea wall with the rising tide. Also present were good numbers of Knot and also a few Curlew Sandpiper, Bar tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover for good measure. The flocks were very skittish and were constantly being moved around by dog walkers and the like. They put on quite a spectacle as they swirled around literally 50 yards out. Picking anything rarer out amongst these birds would be an impossible task so after a few photo's we decided to head over to Inner Marsh Farm (see other thread) to end our day.

Leasowe lighthouse this morning. Very windy with waves crashing onto the shore. Walked towards the fishing pond saw a few swallows skimming our heads, a chiffchaff calling then a male sparrowhawk sending the collared doves in all directions. Onto the seafront and 3 separate flocks of about 30 oystercatches and the odd ringed plover giving close views on the slope,sheltering from the wind.

David Wilson wrote:

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The eastham walk is ideal as it is mostly concrete path ,perfect for my 3 yr old dawta to walk with us. I will check out the boat museum as i only live 5 mins away. big flock of starlings roosted last winter there too. any news on when the revamped inner marsh farm will open.? any info on parking,hides,paths + facilities yet.?

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Yeah not much of a walk at Boat Museum but a decent walk at New Ferry towards the tip/Shorefields - had decent numbers of thrushes feeding on berries there the ogher year.

Burton Mere Wetlands will open later on in September. Most of the big work is done just finishing up one or two loose ends. Some photos and info are on the blog at www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary

The eastham walk is ideal as it is mostly concrete path ,perfect for my 3 yr old dawta to walk with us. I will check out the boat museum as i only live 5 mins away. big flock of starlings roosted last winter there too. any news on when the revamped inner marsh farm will open.? any info on parking,hides,paths + facilities yet.?

David Wilson wrote:

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A walk round Eastham country park this morning at low tide on the mersey.
On the exposed rocks with cockles and mussels on not far out i noticed 3 curlews giving good views in the sunshine. Also 4 redshanks sunbathing and a single common sandpiper bobbing along the edge. All within a couple of meters of each other. I will have to keep an eye on this in the future especially at low tide.

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Yeah its one of the few areas on the Wirral where you can get a good look at the Mersey and see some of the wildlife that makes it Internationally important. I've had turnstone on the rocks there at Eastham and common tern fishing in the river. SOmebody the other day had porpoise too!

Other areas to consider are New Ferry - great for waders esp black-tailed godwits, turnstone and ringed plover.

The viewing platform near the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port can be good too, last year I saw the massive flock of knot/dunlin that spend the winter there!

A walk round Eastham country park this morning at low tide on the mersey.
On the exposed rocks with cockles and mussels on not far out i noticed 3 curlews giving good views in the sunshine. Also 4 redshanks sunbathing and a single common sandpiper bobbing along the edge. All within a couple of meters of each other. I will have to keep an eye on this in the future especially at low tide.

sid ashton wrote:

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Liverbird Discovery CruiseThe final touch was the sighting of a Barn Owl on a chap's arm in the garden of a house opposite the ferry terminal as we were leaving to head home-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 18th of August 2011 04:47:01 PM

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Yeah saw that, made me smirk, so random!

Liverbird Discovery Cruise

Went on the Mersey ferry/RSPB birding cruise with Nick Isherwood and John Barber today. While not seeing anything out of the ordinary we had a good selection including Turnstone and Redshank at the ferry terminal, Kittiwake, Common Gull and a really nice Mediterranean Gull over the boat at the end as well as Great and Lesser Black- backed and Black Headed Gulls following our chummy trail of smelly fish bits !!!.

We also had Kestrel, Common and Sandwich Terns, Common Scoter, Cormorant, a distant Arctic Skua, Golden Plover, Great Crested Grebe and a big flock of Knot.

As we were leaving Woodside ferry terminal on the outward journey there was a female Peregrine sitting on the town hall tower - she was still there when we got back but now joined by a male presumably her mate or an offspring.

In Liverpool bay we had views of a Grey Seal and the RSPB commentator spotted a Salmon/Sea Trout.

All-in-all a nice day out well done to the RSPB guys for the organisation on what was for me a nostalgic journey - I had not been on a Mersey ferry for more than 50 years and to my surprise the ferry we went on was in service all of those years ago.

The final touch was the sighting of a Barn Owl on a chap's arm in the garden of a house opposite the ferry terminal as we were leaving to head home



-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 18th of August 2011 04:47:01 PM

Jonathan Platt wrote:

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Sunday 14th August

Burton Marsh
Six kestrels from Denhall Lane, similar number at Burton Point, where a juv peregrine was being mobbed by a kestrel and a sparrowhawk. A merlin was perched out on the marsh in the morning. Three overflying yellow wagtails, two wheatears and a stonechat from Denhall Lane.

Parkgate
Four peregrines in all - two perched up on driftwood, one eating a redshank-sized bird, at the same time two more were playing tag across the skies to the west.

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Nice records Jonathan - I'll pass them on to the wardens here.

Its really interesting to see hen harrier and merlin on the marsh in August heh!?! Its making me feel cold

Sunday 14th August

Burton Marsh
Six kestrels from Denhall Lane, similar number at Burton Point, where a juv peregrine was being mobbed by a kestrel and a sparrowhawk. A merlin was perched out on the marsh in the morning. Three overflying yellow wagtails, two wheatears and a stonechat from Denhall Lane.

Parkgate
Four peregrines in all - two perched up on driftwood, one eating a redshank-sized bird, at the same time two more were playing tag across the skies to the west.

Heswall Shore
Two hours before high tide. Amongst the hundreds of redshank were many knot, fewer dunlin, a greenshank, at least one spotted redshank, six whimbrel, a black-tailed godwit, a turnstone and a common sandpiper, whilst passing waders included hundreds of curlew and a few ringed plover. Twenty or so little egrets, a peregrine perched on a post out on the marsh, and two passing ravens.

Ten kestrels and a merlin on Burton Marsh (from Denhall Lane) this afternoon, plus three wheatear and an overflying yellow wagtail. Later an adult hobby was down towards Burton Point. Bit of a late report, but last Sunday there was a female hen harrier on the marsh, plus a juvenile peregrine harrassing corvids and a hobby chasing swallows.

Two Arctic skuas past The Gunsight at Leasowe at teatime, one dark phase, the other light. Little else though - a few Arctic terns and kittiwakes.

Liverbird Watching & Nature Discovery Cruises

Hi People,

Just wanted to make sure you had all seen the dates for this years Ferry Trips into the Mersey.

Thursday 18 August
Saturday 3 September
Thursday 15 September

All the details are at

http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-273014

Tell all your friends!

Rivacre country park a quick tour this afternoon.
good view of buzzard overhead.
single jay
2 great spotted woodpeckers
Long tailed tit family
20 swifts with odd house martin over.
fledgling wren, robin, great tit + blue tit.
grey wagtail with juvenile on brook.

Out watching the sailing at West Kirby last night and very pleased to see a flock of several hundred Sandwich Terns [adult and juvenile] on the sand just beyond the marine lake.

For all you bird lovers, the RSPB is hosting a Barn Owl Watching Event at Old Baths Car Park, Parkgate on Thursday 14th July and Thursday 28th July.

Both events are free and begin at 7.30pm.

Bring your scope, bins and/or camera as we keep our fingers crossed that the local "Silent Hunters" come out to play.

Visit www.rspb.org.uk/parkgate for more details.

New Brighton today
Housemartins
Oyster Catchers
Red Shanks
Dunlin
Common Terns
Little Terns

The Dunlin where sat on the pier in the lake till the tide went out then they all took off great sight

No problem Stephen, but I must learn to read my tide tables more carefully - high tide at Hoylake is just after 14.00 on Sunday not 13.00 as I said

Hi. sid, thanks for the info on the locations i know the wirral quite well as my late father came from hoylake and some family in west kirby. i only asked for the location as i was'nt sure if there was a specific place. i will be going on sunday as i want to call at inner marsh farm aswell. am initially going to lay flowers as it's fathers day. many thanks.

Stephen you can find many species of sea birds/waders on Hoylake beach anywhere from Kings Gap at the Western End of the promenade to Meols towards the East. If you are looking specifically for Dunlin I doubt very much that you will find the big numbers that were there a month or so ago but nevertheless you will find a good variety of other birds.

Hoylake high tide on Sunday is just after 13.00 - if you get there a couple of hours before that the birds will come nearer to you as the water approaches.

Species seen this week on the beach/at sea include Dunlin (20 reported 13th), Gulls (Great and Lesser Black backs and Herring), Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Common & Sandwich Terns and Great Crested Grebe and probably a great many more.

Good luck if you go - the Wirral is a great place for bird watching.




-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 16th of June 2011 03:11:08 PM

Hi am going to the wirral on sunday, well hoylake and was wondering where is the best place to spot dunlin etc. i was reading the posts but they do not give any specifics any advice please, thanks.

Single Red Kite over M53 this morning around junction 4.

9 Sandwich Terns feeding in the Mersey at New Brighton today

Rivacre country park.
Lots of fledglings about this afternoon:
Blackcap with adult male.
Chiffchaff 2 juvenile with adult.
young treecreeper,great tit, chaffinch and juvenile grey wagtail on wooden bridge.
Also seen : Adult jay, nuthatch + family of long tailed tits.

Thanks fellas, indeed a difficult bird to locate - hopefully I won't be counting Dunlin in my sleep tonight

sid ashton wrote:

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Finally caught up with the Broad-billed Sandpiper in the sunshine at Hoylake around 12.00, just before high tide. There were 8 birders present when a chap from Wrexham picked out the back of its head as it sat among hundreds and hundreds of Dunlin. Well done that man because between us we then managed to keep tabs on it as it flitted about the roost site. Had really good views in excellent light of the bird and its main diagnostic features

Nice to meet Paul Brewster again. Don't forget that little job for me Paul

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Glad you got it Sid after the near miss on Tuesday. Persistence pays!

Mike

sid ashton wrote:

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Nice to meet Paul Brewster again. Don't forget that little job for me Paul

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Nice to see you again too Sid, I have relayed the message already, but first thoughts are as I told you already. I'll try to see if I can get any ideas of cost asap :)

Cheers Paul

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Thursday 19th of May 2011 07:18:21 PM

Glad to hear you finally caught up with this bird Sid. A difficult bird to nail down in amongst all those Dunlin.

Finally caught up with the Broad-billed Sandpiper in the sunshine at Hoylake around 12.00, just before high tide. There were 8 birders present when a chap from Wrexham picked out the back of its head as it sat among hundreds and hundreds of Dunlin. Well done that man because between us we then managed to keep tabs on it as it flitted about the roost site. Had really good views in excellent light of the bird and its main diagnostic features

Nice to meet Paul Brewster again. Don't forget that little job for me Paul

After our flying visit to Conwy we reached Hoylake about 40 minutes or so after high tide for the Broad-billed Sandpiper. As expected, there were thousands of Dunlin on the shore about 200 yards out and about 10 birders present.

The already present birders though were having some trouble latching onto the bird as almost every bird was resting. That said, one helpful chap pointed us in the right direction and probably more by luck than design my travelling companion John Barber latched onto the bird. Unfortunately, no sooner had we got a look at it than the bird moved again. Back to the drawing board!!

After another 15 minutes of scanning through the flock in a blustery wind I managed to re-locate the bird as it preened and fed in the sand; and this time we got fairly good views of it. It was very difficult to see the bill shape as it was constantly dipping into the sand to feed but its plumage was good to note in that it had a clean white belly and underparts with a grey to dark grey upper parts but most noticable of all was the dark stripe down the centre of its head and the faint supercilium as it turned towards us on the odd occasion.

I also picked out a Little Stint amongst the large amount of Dunlin too and apparently there was a Curlew Sandpiper seen too but not by us.

A good bird in difficult circumstances and a lifer for John and myself!!

-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Monday 16th of May 2011 07:15:51 PM

The Broad-billed Sandpiper showed to myself, Phil Owen, Jason Atkinson and others at 7.30pm. Given the awful weather, large area and huge numbers of birds present the views were very good and close in. Tide is important I would think in securing close views for those thinking of visiting tomorrow.
Thanks. Henry.

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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Broad-billed Sandpiper at Meols.

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Apparently amongst 15000 Dunlin.

A nice easy task there!!

Broad-billed Sandpiper at Meols.