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Post Info TOPIC: The Wirral


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RE: The Wirral


"Only" 16 SEO's this afternoon at Burton marsh from the Decca Pools. I spoke to a couple of guys who had 24!!!

Also 3 more SEO's at Parkgate and 3 Ring-tailed Hen Harriers in the roost.

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Hi Henry

Even more incredibly 21 SOEs were counted on Burton Marsh earlier in the week by the local wardens in one session. Yep your right about the Wirral that's where I have been doing most of my winter birding since I started.

Sid

blockquote>Henry Cook wrote:

Nice one Sid. The wirral has some excellent birding all year round but winter is when things 'hot up' there!
An incredible count of 17 Short-eared Owls was reported from Burton Marsh yesterday at 3pm.
Thanks. Henry.






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Nice one Sid. The wirral has some excellent birding all year round but winter is when things 'hot up' there!
An incredible count of 17 Short-eared Owls was reported from Burton Marsh yesterday at 3pm.
Thanks. Henry.

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For the second time this week I was on the Wirral this time to West Kirby - found the Great Northern Diver on the marine lake along with 2 Red breasted Merganser, a male Goldeneye and a Great Crested Grebe plus lots of Gulls of course. There was also a good selection of waders towards the southern end of the marina - Turnstone, Knot, Dunlin and Redshank included. Also met an Oldham birder - Paul Bowden - nice to meet you Paul. Hope that you found something worthwhile at Inner Marsh because my lucky birder status continued to be upheld with the discovery of 3 Snow Bunting on the Red Rocks reserve as well as Stonechat and Meadow Pipit. Over high tide there was a flock of 60+ Brent Geese off Middle Eye (the island next to Hilbre) and a single Bar-tailed Godwit with a small flock of Curlew.

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A pleasnt afternoon at Parkgate old baths produced two Short Eared Owls, (probably)two separate ring tail Hen Harriers, a Merlin sitting up nicely on a post, a pair of Kestrels, a Barn owl, several Little Egret - all on the marsh and just as we were leaving a Tawny Owl in the woods behind the car park in the area where the Little Owl used to sit for those who remember.

Sid A

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Still there this morning.

What a cracking bird to see in North-west England, or at least I assume it must have been, as I arrived 15 minutes after it flew off high North (possibly North-west). bleh.gif



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Rob


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Rough-legged Buzzard for second day today - yesterday on Hilbre, then moved today to the golf course between Red Rocks and West Kirby and appeared to roost there.

M

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Rob


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Date:

29/10/08

Denhall Lane/Decca Pools (Good for raptors)

Peregrine (2)
Merlin (3)
Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Hen Harrier (ringtail)
Kestrel (3)
Short-eared Owl (3-5)
Little Egret (18)

Walk from West Kirby - Hilbre (Good for waders)

Knot, Oyster Catchers (1000s)
Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Grey Plover, Cormorant (100s)
Bar-tailed Godwit (37)
Black-tailed Godwit (2)
Sanderling (8)
Ringed Plover (40)
Turnstone (50 - 100)
Purple Sandpiper (4)
Pale-bellied Brent Goose (67)
Merlin, Peregrine, Shag (singles)








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In case anyone's interested:

Sunday 19th October, 10am 3pm, Connahs Quay Reserve Open Day.
Join the Deeside Naturalists Society for some spectacular high-tide birdwatching. (HW: 29.5ft, 13.57). Location: From A548 take the Connahs Quay turn, and follow the Power Station signs. A member of the society will greet you at the reserve entrance. Further information: D.N.S. - 01244 537440.
Free.


Went a couple of years ago and had an excellent day - good birding and excellent bacon butties and mugs of tea !!!!

Connah's Quay is a private site that has an open day once a year.
smile.gif

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Neil Collier


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Exellent raptor day on the Wirral:

Sparrowhawk flew in front of car en route.

Hobby in full view at 20ft at IMF on the path near the little bridge over the stream. It then flew around our heads affording great views. Ringtail Hen Harrier immediately on entering hide, 3 Buzzard and 5 Greenshank then the action tailed off.

Ringtail Hen Harrier again on Burton Marsh along with Peregrine, Buzzard 2, Kestrel 3. Huge flocks of Starlings and Lapwings.

Another Buzzard and Little Egret 2 at Parkgate though otherwise pretty quiet here. the Little Owls tree has alrgely fallen down.



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"We Three" went to Innermarsh Farm and then to Hilbre Island. Really enjoyed Hilbre, first time for us.

Loads of Oyster catchers
Lapwings
Knot

The odd Curlew
Snipe,Ruff,Robin,Linnets,Godwits,Heron,Turnstone,Golden Plover,Redhanks,GC Grebe

Not a lot at IF, but saw a hobby and two Buzzards - loads of lapwing, and teal

Geoff

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j meadows wrote:

Also seen on the cruise a craig higson on official duties last last seen going to a photo shoot and free handouts of fudge barbiggrin.gif i think seen by myself and a Mr Woosey






It was a Ripple Jimmy - far classier than a fudge.biggrin.gifbiggrin.gifbiggrin.gif

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Also seen on the cruise a craig higson on official duties last last seen going to a photo shoot and free handouts of fudge barbiggrin.gif i think seen by myself and a Mr Woosey

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24th Sept AM - Leasowe

Peregrine
8 Little Egret
1 Turnstoneone
3 Bar Tailed Godwit
35+ Dunlin
40+ Curlew
30+ Lapwing
80+ Redshank
100+ Oystercatcher
1 Shag
4 Grey Heron
6 Skylark
3 Meadow Pipet
2 Stonechat

24th Sept PM - RSPB Bird Cruise - River Mersey & Liverpool Bay
1 Sparrowhawk
25+ Cormarant
20 Pink Foot Geese
5 Spoonbill (Crosby Beach)
1 Peregrine (Hamilton Tower)
20+ Sanderling

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Inner Marsh Farm

Little Ringed Plover
Green Sandpiper
Curlew
Little Egret
Kingfisher
Water Rail (Excellent views just in front of hide)
Black Tailed Godwit
Ruff
Peregrine
Buzzard
Kestrel
Blackcap
Greylag Geese
Canada Geese
Pied Wagtail
Stock Dove

Fields between saltmarsh and Burton Marsh Farm

Wheatear
Yellow Wagtail
Whinchat

This was my first visit and had a great day. biggrin.gif

Duane.


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Had a mooch around Burton marsh and Parkgate this morning

1 Barn Owl - caught 2 voles between 9am and 9-30am
1 Marsh Harrier (juv/female) - mobbed by a Kestrel on Burton marsh nr the Decca pools
1 Hen Harrier - ringtail giving spectacular views nr Boathouse flash
4 Kestrels
19 Greenshank on Boathouse flash

plus a range of common stuff. Very pleasant walk.

Mike

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21 .08.08
much the same as mike plus several gannet and 3 arctic skuasbiggrin.giflifer

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Had a mooch around Hoylake and West Kirby at high tide today.

No sign of the hoped for Skuas but lots of other birds - mostly on the WK shore:

1 Wheatear
1 Grey Plover (stonking bird still in summer plumage)
50 Knot
170 Dunlin
55 Ringed Plover
21 Sanderling (again some still largely in summer plumage)
3500 Oystercatchers (inc 1 partial leucistic bird)
400 Sandwich Terns
60 Common Terns
6 Little Terns
33 Bar-tailed Godwit (again one still summer plumage)
1 Med Gull (adult in winter plumage)

Couple of Grey Seals showing well - all in all a very enjoyable afternoon!

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If anyone is interested, the next good C10 metre tides are on 7th & 8th April roughly around 1 p.m. but check the weather on the day. Last year moderate easterlies kept one of the highest March tides off the marsh almost completely, while producing breakers on the Welsh side

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a cracking day we had at parkgate high tide today the tide was up to the wall well before hightide
as one person said its better than watching a cup final but not if you are a vole or a shrew as they got a right hammering off the predators what was waiting for them
birds seen and there was so much to see you just didnt know were to look
1 peregrine
2 merlin
1 s e o but up to 5 seen biggrin.gif
marsh harrier
buzzard
jack snipe 10+biggrin.gif
water rails 8+
snipe
bl t godwits
redshank
20 whoopers or bewicks confused.gif to far out to id
pink feet
pintails
teal
2 water pipitssmile.gif
skylarks still singing and nowhere to land
lots of others just an incredible sight with shrews and voles running about round your feet trying to find any cover whatsoever in the end you could have cried cry.giffor the little things just wanting to find places to hide in but thats nature and its cruel at times
but if you have never been to the hightide there its one you must put on your list but beware its not every time the tide comes so far up



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Looks like half of Mcr debunked to the Wirral today! Good day all round despite the water not rising as high as expected. And a little reccie round Moore for future reference to round off. Anyone try to get into IMF?

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we did see 1 rail make it! Seems like it was a works outing Anyone else go on to Gwydyr Forest for the Hoopoe? Showed well in its' natural habitat of high pasture . With Med gull and Greensandpiper at Moore this morning a good day out

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Also today at Pargate

minus a few Water Rails - watched a heron spend over 10 minutes handling (drowning & stabbing) and consuming one head first. Also a buzzard flew by with one in its talons.
15 + Little Egret from the boathouse car park and 20+ from The Ship pub.
Blackwits
Pink-feet
Pintail etc

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High tide at Parkgate

Tide didn't flood the marsh, however still a nice bit of birding:

3 Short-eared Owls
2 Merlins
1 Peregrine
2 Buzzards
2 Little Egrets
13 Red-breasted Mergansers
40+ Redwing in paddock behind car park

plus thousands of distant waders and Shelduck

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Can't claim the credit - just passing the news on - I'm tied to my desk yet again!!

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Rob


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Rob Smallwood wrote:

Cattle Egret today on Burton Marsh, NW fronm Denhall Lane - possibly not the Neston bird.





good spot ROB probably blown in yesterdaybiggrin.gif

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went on the wirral 24/01/07 force 7 hooley and waves coming over the road at new brighton. cracking roost of redshank,dunlin,knot, sanderling,turnstone, 7 purple sandpiper on rafts on the marine lake at 12.00 high tide,purple sandpipers lifers for mebiggrin.gif
hoylake,westkirby,birds very thin on the ground tide was so high. went onto inner marsh farm.cracking close up views of 2 foxes male and female .birdwise 6 spotted redshank,10 snipe,50 black tailed godwits and 1 bar tailed godwit quite rare for this site,green winged teal,4 heron,4 curlew,1 kestrel,shellducks,shovellers,teal,pintail and redshanks.great days birding always a pleasure.

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Cattle Egret today on Burton Marsh, NW fronm Denhall Lane - possibly not the Neston bird.

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Rob


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went to the wirral today with local group all the usual stuff giving good close up views
plus on west kirby marine lake
red throated diver smile.gif
2 r b mergansers

new brighton
cracking views of 4 purple sandpipers biggrin.gif

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Date:

27/11/07
WEST KIRBY
8 GOLDENEYE
6 RED BRESTED MERGANSER
25 TURNSTONE
52 REDSHANK
6 GREY PLOVER
SMALL FLOCKS OF DUNLIN ,KNOT, SANDERLING.
500+ OYSTERCATCHERS

HOYLAKE BEACH HIGH TIDE
2000+ KNOT
50+ GREY PLOVER
5 BARTAILED GODWITS
1 LITTLE EGRET
20+ BRENT GEESE OUT TOWARDS HILBRE
50+ SANDERLING

LEASOWE GOYNE PAST GOLF COURSE AWAY FROM CARPARK
100+ REDSHANK,OYSTERS,DUNLIN,KNOT,
2 GREATCRESTED GREBE
10 RINGED PLOVER
12 CORMERANT
biggrin.gif



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If you're at Parkgate "on spec" the post office sells tide timetables

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Ian Campbell wrote:

This Manchester birding site must be the dogs b******* of all, thanks to Ian Mck of course. No sooner than I request help-4.39. today than I get a reply; 4.50 p.m.(thanks Rob).





Aye - and that's despite your dodgy avatar! Build a bonfire.... wink.gif


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Rob


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Mike, totally understand why you like this part of the world, I did search the teal for a GWT but none seen by me anyway(this often means nothing!!!)
Cheers Ian

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Hi Ian

Glad you enjoyed the Wirral. One of my favourite places in the world.

The marsh generally will only flood with a 10m+ tide and then it depends on the wind. I have stood at Parkgate for a 10.1m tide which didn't flood the marsh because the wind kept it off. I would guess it unlikely that the marsh will flood this weekend.

The marsh at Heswall floods easier and Riverbank Rd in Heswall is a good spot for birding - there is a car park there. I would still think a near 10m tide would be needed here and favourable wind.

Parkgate can still be good on a fine afternoon - Hen Harriers come to roost there and other raptors should be around.

IMF is superb - any sign of the usual Green-winged Teal?

Mike



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Visited this morning with a friend from work. Probably chose the wrong place to visit for the high tide at 9.30 a.m. as we went to Burton Marsh and saw no sign of the tide!!!, Ill know better next time. Good place none the less, 2 peregrines and kestrels lots of little egrets, teal, wigeon, shellduck, mallard, lapwings, crows, fieldfare, meadow pipets, linnets redshank.
Then went to Inner Marsh Farm. This is a fabulous place, although Im not supposed to say so as the vollunter there said they dont advertise. Hard to find and with parking for 12 cars only but if youve not been Id advise a visit.
We saw lots of teal, wigeon, pintail, shovellor, shellduck, mallard, snipe, curlew, redshank, golden plover, lapwing. In the trees a large mixed flock of goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, sisken and on the set aside a flock of 30+ twite. Brambling had also been seen, but not by us.
Great weather, a half in the ship at Parkgate and a pint in the Harp at Neston made for a great day out of county.
Cheers and thanks again to all who offered me advice

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Visit on 21/11/07.

West Kirby marine lake:

RB Merganser 4 m 1 f
Goldeneye 8 f/imm 1 m

Hilbre Island for half hour visit; at low tide obviously. Part of a Wirral hike, so not much time allowed for birding.

Shelducks
Cormorants
Oystercatchers
Redshanks
Knot(s)
Little Egret 1
Grey Heron 1
Curlews
Grey Plover 1
Bar-T Godwit 1
Turnstones
Purple Sandpipers 5+...a bloke said he had counted 15.
Light-B Brent 30+
2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Robin and 1 wren on main island.

Also about 50+ Atlantic Grey Seals on Hoyle Bank.

A LS Woodpecker had been noted at the Thurstaston CP Visitor's Centre feeding station but I was not allowed time to sit and wait for it to return.



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Phil Greenwood


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Oh No!!!

I'm off on the 30th and not 23rd, typical!!!

Thanks for that Ian.

PS) Nice to see you support such a great team!!!

Up the Blues!!!

Phil





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This Manchester birding site must be the dogs b******* of all, thanks to Ian Mck of course. No sooner than I request help-4.39. today than I get a reply; 4.50 p.m.(thanks Rob).
Pete, the G.B.G. pub in Parkgate is the Ship Hotel, looking forard to a pint there on Friday!.
Phil, the high tide is at 9.30a.m. this Friday(23rd).
So many people out there willing to help, fabulous.
Cheers all Ianbiggrin.gif

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On what time and date is the High Tide??

Is it this Friday (23rd November) or the Friday after (30th November)???

Wondering if there is a Parkgate High Tide on any of those dates??

Always worth a trip so might give it a go if on the 30th.

Thanks

Phil



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Ian, which Parkgate pub is in the GBG ?. I usually call in The Ship for scran ( a decent roast and scan the marshes ) a couple of mega ice-cream shops and the chippy is refuted to be best around, though my favourite pub is still The Harp at Little Neston.

Plenty of Little Egrets from all locations.

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You can't really be sure.

If it is a really high tide there will be lots of people at Parkgate and extra eyes can help - but the locals reckon that Banks Lane nearer to West Kirby (check the Dee Estuary site for details) gives you better and closer views.

Parkgate Old Baths car park can be a bit busy for some people.

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Rob


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Just discovered that high tide on Friday is at 9.30 a.m., where of all the places mentioned is the VERY BEST place to be at this time??. I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!confused.gifconfused.gifconfused.gif

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The marsh out from the Harp has Rock, Meadow and Water Pipits - you also get the odd Ringtail Harrier overhead and SE Owl.

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Mike,
Will certainly visit Parkgate as well, just seen that it also has a pub in the G.B.G. things just get better and better!!!.
Thanks for info, cheers Ian.

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Ian

You could also try Parkgate up the road (approx 15 mins drive). Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin and SEO regular on the marsh and there is a Little Owl often seen peeking from a hole in a tree at the side of the paddock behind the car park. The boathouse pools here also produce good waders.

Check out this website:

www.deeestuary.co.uk/

Mike

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Thanks David, just looked up the Harp Inn in the G.B.G. sounds good. Just the advice I was after. Any other help, birds or pubs gratefully accepted.
Cheers Ian.

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Down Denhall Lane, from Inner Marsh Farm you come to Burton Marsh. There are sometimes Short-eared Owls on the marsh here and a variety of wildfowl/waders can be seen regularly throughout the winter. A good walk north along the estuary from here towards Neston will usually produce a good selection of marshland birds. Even better, there is a pub called The Harp Inn after approximately one mile which serves real ale and has a seating area overlooking the marshes.



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Ive got a day off work next Friday and have decided to visit RSPB Inner Marsh Farm. Ive never been before and wondered if anyone out there has any useful tips/advice on the area, other nearby places or maybe any good pubs!, I do have the CAMRA good beer guide, but its no substitute for first hand experience. Any help gratefully recieved, thanks in anticipation.
Cheers Ian

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LEASOWE 11/11/07

GREY PHALEROPE (LIFER)biggrin.gif
RED THROTED DIVER
REDSHANK
CURLEW
CORMERANT
KNOT
DUNLIN
TURNSTONE
GREAT CRESTED GREBE
1000+GULLS

WEST KIRBY

BARTAILED GODWITS
DUNLIN
KNOT
SANDERLING
ROCK PIPPIT
MEADOW PIPPIT
PIED WAGS





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On Sunday I visited the Wirral for a spot of birding.

Called in at Crosby early am - a lone adult Bar-tailed Godwit was the best find, plenty of Dunlin.

Driving down the M53 mid morning there were 10 Buzzards in the air together, 1m up road of J4. A Hobby was with them briefly. Buzzard 11 was on a fence post nearby and two more were in the air 1m down road from J4.

At Parkgate, female Marsh Harrier gave superb views from the Old Boathouse car park while being mobbed by two Crows.

11 Greenshank on Boathouse pools plus 2 Little Egret. Plenty of Hirundines.

Leasowe shore at lunch - approx 1400 Oystercatcher, 50+ Knot plus plenty of Curlew and Redshank and a couple of Ringed Plovers all on narrow sand bar.

Afternoon seawatching from Leasowe Gunsite produced a Guillemot, 3 Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern and a Great Crested Grebe.

Cracking day despite the lack of activitiy from the gunsite (didn't stay long enough for the Arctic Skuas).

Mike

smile.gif

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