The chance of a trip to Parkgate came along today. Whilst the tide didn't cover the marsh I was pleased to get good views of the Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier (fem), 2 Hen Harriers (ringtails), 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 4 Kestrels, 3 Reed Buntings, 50+ Skylarks, 13 Stock Doves and 2 Black-tailed Godwits.
Down at Shotwick Fields on the border with Wales, the winter swan flock was immedately visible in the nearest field to one of the roundabouts near the Flint bridge. c30 Bewick's and c20 Whoopers were present including the presumed leucistic Whooper and a single Mute Swan hiding in their midst.
It was a day of both fantastic birds and weather, a rarity in itself! Only downside was the sight of a moronic photographer, hundreds of meters out into the marsh, flushing allsorts out of the way in the name of just another mundane shot. Needless to say his camouflage jacket didn't have the intented effect thanks to awful fieldcraft and many birds fled needlessly...

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 30th of January 2010 05:08:29 PM

Thanks for the info Sid, just what I wanted.
Cheers
Mike

Hi Sid,
I have sent you a PM for some advice you may be able to give me.
Cheers
Mike

paul brady wrote:

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Yeah very early seeing as though we (the RSPB) will be there and a group is coming from Chester Zoo!

PS Save room for the RSPB vehicle and a safe pedestrian area please

---

You are correct Paul, I am now aware that the Chester Zoo "Count me in Project" people will be there on Monday so Tuesday may be a better option and as IMF is closed on Tuesday you guys should be able to get there early as well and save your own space

sid ashton wrote:

---

For those who may be interested there are those two 10m high tides next week on Monday at about 12.15 and Tuesday around 13.00.

As per Rigger's and my posts on this thread 5th December last, Parkgate may be the place to be . Especially if there is low pressure and a wind with a bit of westerly in it.

PS remember to get there well before the actual high tide mainly because that's when all of the action takes place but also the Old Baths car park tends to get very busy on "high tide" days.



-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 28th of January 2010 08:18:26 AM

---

Yeah very early seeing as though we (the RSPB) will be there and a group is coming from Chester Zoo!

PS Save room for the RSPB vehicle and a safe pedestrian area please

i'm heading up there on sunday, so hopefully the tide will be big enough - fingers crossed!

For those who may be interested there are those two 10m high tides next week on Monday at about 12.15 and Tuesday around 13.00.

As per Rigger's and my posts on this thread 5th December last, Parkgate may be the place to be . Especially if there is low pressure and a wind with a bit of westerly in it.

PS remember to get there well before the actual high tide mainly because that's when all of the action takes place but also the Old Baths car park tends to get very busy on "high tide" days.



-- Edited by sid ashton on Thursday 28th of January 2010 08:18:26 AM

As I had never seen a Richard's Pipit decided to venture over to the Wirral late morning. Not only was it a successful twitch for the Richard's at Denhall Quay but also came upon one Mr Platt - nice to meet you Johnathan

Later on Burton Marsh - 2 Short Eared Owls.

Just got in from a cold Denhall Old Quay where we had splendid veiws of the Richard's Pipit feeding around the frozen pools with a lone redshank!

New bird for me

It was there all the time I was from 2.30 till about 3.30

Just to add to what Karen reported from the Old Baths yesterday...
I too was greeted by the friendly Stonechat
Only other bird to add of note would be a Water Rail.

I started the morning around the 8.30am high tide at West Kirby Marine Lake...
Plenty of Dunlin, Redshank, Knot, Turnstone and 3 Shag were showing very well close to the edge.

Anthony

After Frodsham in the morning, we arrived at the Old Baths Car Park in good time for the roost. As we arrived we were greeted by a friendly Stonechat.

We were not to be disappointed with with the Harriers either with a Ringtail showing almost immediately directly in front of us, this was before we had even got out of the car. It was then fairly quiet raptor wise for a while with the only two or three Kestrels around. Then my dad spotted a Short Eared Owl which was up and down for 15-20 minutes and then gave great views quartering. We decided that in the end we had seen at least six and at least three ringtail Harriers.

There were plenty of Little Egrets about, and a Raven croaked over us.

A smashing day with no rain!

Pete Welch wrote:

---

I think standing in the old baths car park watching the SEOs is one of my favourite birding experiences so I'll be on the look out for a good Spring tide next year!

I guess it gets quite busy so wondered if its worth a spot on the wall of the road leading to the old baths, if the car park area itself is full? Guess it depends just how high the surge is?

---

Pete you won't have to wait until Spring for the next 10 m "spring tides" - there are two on 1st and 2nd February at mid day ish on both days. Parkgate itself is a nightmare for parking and the Old Baths is the place to be - just get there early

I think standing in the old baths car park watching the SEOs is one of my favourite birding experiences so I'll be on the look out for a good Spring tide next year!

I guess it gets quite busy so wondered if its worth a spot on the wall of the road leading to the old baths, if the car park area itself is full? Guess it depends just how high the surge is?

Happy belated birthday Sid.

Hi Sid,

As you say, if you get the conditions right, it can be an awsome spectacle.

A few years ago, we (Myself and Mr Chorley, I think) were watching a Water Rail floating on a lump of vegetation. It managed to avoid the Gulls, many of which didn't, and came within a couple of feet of the sea wall, then flew inland, between our legs.

It can also be a bit "heart wrenching" at times watching the smaller birds and mammals being picked off as they try to avoid the incoming water.

A couple of years ago, we also witnessed a swimming fox as it got cut off from dry land-something I have not seen before

Cheers

PS- Happy Birthday, I wont ask how old

Riggers, I have put my post into English now I think cheers

But to clarify a little further what I made a hash of saying for others who may not be familiar with the "Parkgate High Tide story"

Under the weather conditions forecast today I wasn't expecting to see too much in the way of additional raptor activity. Sometimes on spring tides with the right combinations of wind and atmospheric pressure water levels rise dramatically with the approaching high tide.

When the water breaks over the edge of the marsh, small mammals such as Water Voles, Wood Mice, Brown Rats and Common Shrews attempt to retreat to higher ground.

With all this movement, the opportunist hunters arrive. Herons, Gulls, Kestrels and Marsh Harriers take their share, and on a good day Peregrines, Merlins and Sparrowhawks turn up. The most spectacular hunter though is the Short-eared Owl, quartering the marsh, getting closer and closer as the tide makes its way towards the sea wall.

I have of course seen the Owls both Short eared and Barn in recent weeks as well as the Harriers under "normal" conditons - I was just pointing out that the high tide spectacle at Parkgate depends on factors other than just a high tide and doesn't always happen.

So after all that I'm going to have a bit of my birthday cake and have a lie down

We had good sightings of Short Earred Owls (2) and a Barn Owl along with at least 3 Hen Harriers coming into roost at dusk from the Old Bath House car park. These species can usually be seen here at dusk.

I think you would have been lucky for the tides today. Only a 9.5 metre tide and not a lot of wind.

The difference is amazing when the tide is right (10 metre +) and the winds and pressure systems in the Irish Sea are right

Early this morning Burton Marsh/Decca Pools gave some of the best views of a Hen Harrier (ring tail) that I have ever had over there - also a Peregrine on a post close in was nice. Inner Marsh Farm was rather quiet the main interest being provided by a small flock of Linnet feeding in the meadow to the left of the path on the hill down to the hide and 5 Siskins in the trees at the bottom of the hill.

On to Parkgate for the spring tide. With the lack of wind not expecting too much and I wasn't disappointed - didn't see too much Another ring tail and another Peregrine on a post was the size of it - no Owls to be seen

-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 5th of December 2009 07:46:00 PM

1.30p.m. today high tide at Wallasey Life Boat Station, 7 Purple Sandpiper on rocks just below station amongst approx 20 Turnstone, excellent views
Cheers Ian

Just so that no one gets disappointed if you go looking for the Purple Sands at New Brighton - generally the only time they are on the pontoon on the marina at New Brighton or on the rocks behind the lifeguard station is just before and over high tide.

Same as below for us today except 1 heron, only 1 poss merlin in the distance and one hen harrier and sadly no barn owl seen! The stonechats were friendly today, as was one kestrel that happily ate it's dinner in full view of us all. Over at the marina was what at first looked like a rb mergansa but on viewing the photo's seems to be a f goosander (maybe). Lots of redshank sunning themselves on the jetty, Single raven from the car traveling through thurstaston, no buzzards though which seems different somehow.
Apparently a spoonbill at parkgate which we failed to spot



-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Sunday 8th of November 2009 08:34:39 PM

Nice afternoon at Parkgate yielded:

3 Hen Harriers (all ring-tails)
5 Short-eared Owls
2 Peregrines
2 Merlins
3 Kestrels
1 Barn Owl
2 Stonechats
around a dozen Little Egrets
plus oodles of Mipits, Skylarks, Curlews etc

Fri 6th Nov

We three + one started at West Kirby
RB Megansa

Red Rocks

Rock Pipits
Loads of Cormoragnts
Thousands of Knott/Dunlin swirling around the sky
Oyster Catchers
Plover
Curlew
and the usual stuff

Burton Marshes

Hen Harrier


Inner Marsh Farm

Water Rail
60+ Little Egret
Ruff
Pintail
The other usual stuff

All in all a good day seeing 45 species.

A short Wirral wander today starting at New Brighton for high tide at 11.30 found Redshank, Turnstone, Dunlin and 5 Purple Sands on a very crowded pontoon on the marine lake - No Purples at the Lifeguard Station though. A sea watch at the Gunsite produced - gulls!!. Redrocks just after high tide is never the place to be but the Brents were visible on the landward side of Hilbre. Finally to Parkgate where the Short Eared Owl numbers have reached 5 and the ringtail Hen Harrier came vey close by but then the rain set in and time for home.

The golf ball stealing behaviour has been noted several times here before - I have not seen it but I bet a few the local birders are familiar with it - do they think they are eggs?

Late afternoon visit to Parkgate for a walk along the Wirral way to Heswall and back around the golf course.

Before we left the Old Baths car park we had a really good display from a ring tail Hen Harrier over the Boat House pool and a pair of Stonechat just on the marsh side of the wall. Our walk along the marsh/golf course produced a flock of 15 - 20 linnets and several Mistle Thrush but no Redwings. We did see something really unusual with a Raven diving down onto one of the golf course fairways and making off with a golf ball much to the dismay of the owner of the ball . Had he been "birdied" Mrs O? Has anyone else ever seen this sort of behaviour from a Raven. Arriving back at the car park we met a friend of Phil Owen - nice to meet you Steve. As the sun was setting we watched 3 Short-eared Owls, 2 Hen Harriers and the resident Barn Owl out for it's evening fly round the marsh.

Quick visit to a couple of Wirral favourites today - Innermarsh farm for the Wood Sand not seen one in late summer previously - very smart little bird plus several Ruff, loads of Lapwing and one Paul Brady

Walked along Cadly Beach with the ebbing tide - lots of Gulls of course and Oycs and a good number of Curlew but not the hoped-for Whimbrel.

Finished up at Parkgate where we had the most amazingly close views of Barn Owl(s) - the bird(s) returning from the marsh were low and directly over our heads in the old baths car park flying inland. This was between 18.30 and 19.30 - just before we left a Marsh Harrier (not adult male) came in apparently to roost.

To finish a really nice Chinese meal at Mr Chows on Parkgate front.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Friday 11th of September 2009 11:35:34 PM

Couple of hours at New Brighton and all I saw were a few Fulmars and Kittiwakes.
There were claims of Wilsons Petrel on the Seaforth side.

Had a better time at Inner Marsh farm on the way back with a female Marsh Harrier and 2 Hobbies

High winds had me making the annual pilgrimage down the M53 in search of Leach's and other goodies.

Stunning adult Sabine's Gull s at Wallasey Coastguards (down to 3m!) and New Brighton (one lingering for well over an hour) plus another adult, a juv, Bonxie, manx Shearwater, probable Sooty, 2 - 6 Leach's made a great day out.

Still finding sand in unusual places though!

new brighton
lots of turnstone and a few ringed plover near perch rock also the usual gulls and cormerants and a steady passage of terns.
west kirby was a lot more productive manxies and arctic skuas plus a large roost of sanwich terns approx 350 with lots of youngsters.also a large group of oystercatchers and curlews with some nice summer plumage knot and bar tailed godwits.

If its any consolation, there was nowt at Castleshaw either, just some local idiot

Late post for 24/7/09

Sea-watch from Red Rocks:

20+ Gannets (distant),
2 Common Scoter,
70+ Sandwich Terns,
15+ Knot,
30+ Sanderlings,
30+ Dunlin,
100+ Oystercatcher,
3 Curlew,
Great Crested Grebe,
Peregrine sat on a sand bank.

Bit disappointing considering the high tide (over 9.5m) and onshore blow. (Formby had Manxies & Arctic Skua, and Heysham & Walney both had European Storm-petrels and Manxies).

-- Edited by Ian Woosey on Saturday 25th of July 2009 04:30:36 PM

Paul

Welcome to the forum, nice to meet you yesterday as well. Never met an RSPB chap from St Helens before

I have sent you a private message please have a look.

Hi Sid,

Finally got around to registering on this site. Good to see you at IMF today.

Just thought I'd mention the good year we are having for breeding birds in the woodland and surrounds - all the usual garden suspects seemed to have had a good year including the Gt Sp Woodies which have two young uns!

Laters

A mini Wirral Wander produced amongst others a Lesser Whitethroat, a pair of Linnets with nesting material and 7 Little Egret on the beach at Leasowe lighthouse.
Very little at Redrocks and Parkgate and at Inner Marsh Farm a Little Ringed Plover, 2 Spoonbill and a Little Owl sitting up on the dead tree in the garden next to the car park - apparently it's a regular in and around the car park area up through the first gate and in the field to the left.

My mistake - it was 2004 and 2006

Tony Coatsworth wrote:

---

There was a Hoopoe in the paddock last year I think but I missed it :(

---

Tony

There was a Hoopoe there in April 2004, didn't realise that there had been one since - I shall have to keep my wits about me

There was a Hoopoe in the paddock last year I think but I missed it :(

Thanks Pete, will "walk that way" next time we are there.

Geoff Walton wrote:

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Umm - We walked down the prom and saw a Whimbrel on the breakwater thing. Did not go the other way

---

Hello Geoff, I didn't venture on to the prom bit - it was down to luck of where I parked - I drove in towards the lighthouse, rather than park in the car park near the prom and the pasture with all the warblers was the landward side of the access road. If you wanted to check where the wheatears etc are [and where I understand last week's Stone Curlew was] there's a path runs from behind the lighthouse [200m parallel away from the shore I guess] through some scrub wood alongside some reed filled ditches which gives way to fields and horse paddocks. At the stables at the far end you can either come back on the prom or another path which runs just below the sea wall with reed beds on one side and whitethroats/lnnets in the gorse on the other. As its a bit tricky to describe - a look at the OS map [1:25,000] on Multimap should do the trick! Cheers, Peter

Umm - We walked down the prom and saw a Whimbrel on the breakwater thing. Did not go the other way

I had a quick trip to the Wirral today as well - that Leasowe is an amazing place - only had time to do the first paddock but saw two Grasshoppers, loads of Whitethroat, Skylark, Wheatear, Sedge Warblers, heard Reed Warblers and I'll pay a return visit with more time for sure.

Also quick visit to Inner Marsh - not much out of the ordinary - Spotted Redshank outside bins range but no sign of Spoonbill or Garganey - great views of Whitethroat and Chiffchaff on the top of the railway embankment though.

Another early start this time with Bill and Voirrey Oxley for a Wirral Wander, thanks folks - the highlights of the 60+ species seen being:-

Leasowe Lighthouse area: Lots of Swallows and Wheatear, Sedge, Reed, Grasshopper, Willow Warbs, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat and the stars - 3 male and 1 female Whinchat in the horse paddock furthest from the car park. Also two Gannet diving offshore and two Turnstone, coming into breeding plumage, on the breakwater at high tide.

Gilroy Nature Park: Common Sand and Raven.

Burton Marsh: apart from a few Little Egrets nothing of note. The Short Eared Owls and The Harriers are presumably finally away to the hills.

This is where last years bird was and where this years was seen later on Friday = I know - I was there yesterday!

Good luck to all that try, I'm giving up on this one....

Visted Leasowe Lighthouse area for the first time and had a cracking days birding, before moving down to Inner Marsh Farm.


1 male Redstart showed for long periods as did 2 Grasshopper Warblers, with excellent views for long periods. Also 1 Sedge Warbler , 1 Reed Warbler, and 1 Whitethroat showing very well (All these were firsts ever for Janice and myself) Siskin and 4 Redpoll, plus lots of Linnet, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps.

Moved on to Inner Marsh RSPB Reserve after 14:30pm and got more first that included a Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Spoonbill.
Also showing was 2 Buzzards overhead. Lots of Chiffchaff and Blackcaps around. Ruff and Common Tern around and a GSW drumming and flew over the reserve as we left. A quick look over the marshes on leaving the area and a Shorteared Owl was hunting and still in the area

Deeestuary site have reported it (Red-rumped Swallow) again over the horse paddocks on Lingham Lane at 6 this evening. If anyone fancies giving it a bash tomorrow this area is just past Leasow Lighthouse, an area that is noted for producing some good stuff in the way of migrants and rarities - it's not a bad place to wander around as well.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Sunday 19th of April 2009 01:40:22 PM

RBA are saying this mornings report was erroneous.

Reported early this morning according to the Dee Estuary site. I had a quick mooch for it too after work yesterday with no luck.

Thanks Rob - shame you missed it cracking little bird - looks as though it's not around today unfortunately.

Sid

Well done lads - I visited twice between domestic duties and mananged to leave too early on Thursday and arrive too late on Friday!