Male Common Scoter still present on Budworth Mere this morning, its fourth day.

Three and a half hours this morning in sunny and crisp weather, light winds, -3 to 1*c. Bittern Hide, along the Mereside Path, along Forge Brook and up into Big Wood before working my way back to the Bittern Hide. Of note :-

Greylag Goose (172)
Canada Goose (620)
Pink-footed Goose (1)
Shelduck (11)
Teal (28)
Tufted Duck (56)
Greater Scaup (1)
Goldeneye (6)
Goosander (20)
Little Grebe (3)
Great Crested Grebe (40)
Stock Dove (1)
Water Rail (1)
Lapwing (34)
Curlew (13)
Snipe (6)
Bittern (1)
Buzzard (1)
Kingfisher (3)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Raven (1)
Nuthatch (7)
Redwing (11)

The Bittern was in view for extended periods, sometimes stretching and wing flapping in the sunshine. The female Scaup was associating with the Tufted Duck and also showed well. Approximately 90% of the mere was frozen over and the increase in some waterfowl numbers would have been due to the nearby flashes also being frozen.

50 species seen.

big beast of a Bittern roosted in coward reedbed late afternoon

Three and a half hours this morning from 8.55 in sunny and clear weather, minimal winds, 0-3*c. Usual walk from the Bittern Hide, along the Mereside Path, in to Big Wood, around the Open Fields and then back by the same route. Of note :-

Greylag Goose (65)
Canada Goose (350)
Wigeon (1)
Tufted Duck (13)
Goldeneye (6)
Goosander (16)
Little Grebe (3)
Great Crested Grebe (28)
Water Rail (1)
Curlew (49)
Great Egret (1)
Grey Heron (17)
Buzzard (1)
Kingfisher (2)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)
Raven (1)
Cettis Warbler (1)
Nuthatch (8)
Redwing (6)

Species seen 46

Sandwich Tern at Budworth Mere this morning found by GB. The bird wasnt present late afternoon when I visited although a single Common Tern was both flying around and resting on the Kid Brook Spit fence line.

Just under 3 hours from 7.55am, usual walk, mereside path, Big Wood, open fields and back by same route. Weather sunny, breezy, 15-16*c. Of note :-

Pochard (1)
Tufted Duck (23)
Little Grebe (2)
Great Crested Grebe (22)
Stock Dove (2)
Oystercatcher (3)
Lapwing (91)
Green Sandpiper (1)
Common Tern (3)
Buzzard (1)
Hobby (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)
Reed Warbler (1)
Blackcap (4)
Garden Warbler (1)
Mistle Thrush (2)
Goldcrest (8)

45 Species Seen

Morning Visit

Kid Brook area : 2 Oystercatchers and 6 Lapwings.

Budworth Mere : 10 Great Crested Grebes, and 6 Gadwall.

Just a single Grey Heron could be seen in the heronry by sailing club.

A single Common Whitethroat posed on brambles near the Marbury Road entrance.

Yellow Wagtail in first field, viewed from the Fishermans Path.

No Little Gull for us today, unfortunately.

Good numbers of Chiffchaff around the park and environs, 100 + Sand Martins over the mere and at least 3 Wheatear in Higher Marston farm fields.

 

Midday visit (Highlights)

Kid Brook area :

42 Curlews, 18 Lapwings, 2 adult Great Black Backed Gulls and 5 Oystercatchers (Including a mating pair).

Elsewhere on Budworth Mere :3 Kingfishers and 2 male Pochards.

Three and a half hours from 8.30am in fine weather, light cloud, minimal winds, 8-9*c. Same walk as last time out, 54 species seen, of note :-

Greylag Goose (15)
Canada Goose (50)
Shelduck (2)
Teal (2)
Tufted Duck (17)
Goosander (2)
Great Crested Grebe (15)
Stock Dove (1)
Water Rail (2)
Oystercatcher (8)
Lapwing (31)
Curlew (43)
Mediterranean Gull (2)
Common Gull (23)
Sparrowhawk (1)
Kingfisher (1)
Raven (2)
Goldcrest (6)
Nuthatch (3)
Treecreeper (2)
Redwing (24)
Fieldfare (4)

Three and a quarter hours from 9am, in sunny and fine weather, light winds, 7*c but feeling colder. Usual walk up into Big Wood and around the open fields, before returning to the Bittern Hide. Fifty species seen, of note :-

Pink-footed Goose (1)
Canada Goose (67)
Greylag Goose (31)
Grey Heron (5)
Pochard (1m)
Tufted Duck (26)
Goldeneye (2)
Goosander (2)
Shelduck (2)
Curlew (2)
Lapwing (c.150)
Oystercatcher (7)
Water Rail (1)
Kingfisher (1)
Redwing (8)
Mistle Thrush (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (3)
Nuthatch (5)
Goldcrest (4)

Hi Greg,

Regarding the 15 Oystercatchers seen around Kid Brook last Wednesday.

A group of 5 Oystercatchers were settled on the mud by Kid Brook, whilst an angler waded in the

mere quite nearby. At the time all the other birds that were around Kid Brook flushed, except for the

Oystercatchers, although they did eventually move on. The angler was approached by a couple of guys in an

inflatable dinghy, and he then appeared to move off. Soon afterwards numerous birds started to settle around

Kid Brook again, although the 5 Oystercatchers did not. After around 30 minutes or so a flock of 10 Oystercatchers

flew in from the Budworth direction, and they settled on the spit. I cannot be sure that the original 5 were not mixed

in with the flock of 10, although it certainly appeared that they were both separate flocks.

12.30-15.30

On the mere were 2m Goldeneyes, 10 Cormorants, 19 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Kingfishers (Seen simultaneously),

14 Tufted Ducks and 2 Shelducks. All the Goosanders now appear to have moved on.

An angler in waders was fishing just offshore from Kid Brook, but after he left 2 groups of Oystercatchers (5+10)

arrived plus 16 Lapwings. 29 Curlews were on the adjoining meadow. A solitary Grey Heron perched in the heronry.

At least 16 Siskins plus a single Goldfinch were on mere side alders, no sign of any Redpolls though.

2 Song Thrushes were in song in the park.

A pair of Nuthatches were in Big Wood, and 2 Treecreepers were amongst a flock of mixed Long-Tailed, Blue and Great Tits.

4f Bullfinches were seen near the car park. No raptors were seen throughout.

12.30-15.00

Budworth Mere: 1m+1f Wigeon, 18 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Kingfisher, 19 Tufted Ducks, 2m Goldeneyes,

5f+3m Goosanders, 8 Cormorants and 5 Grey Herons.

81 Curlews and 5 Lapwings were on the meadow around Kid Brook.

A single Treecreeper and a couple of Song Thrushes were noted on Dairyhouse Meadow.

2 owl boxes, 1 on Dairyhouse Meadow the other on the overgrown Haydn Pool appear to have been claimed by Stock Doves.

An initial three and a half hours from 8.05 in sunny and clear weather, 3-6*c before returning later after a walk to the Flashes. Species seen 48, highlights :-

Pink-footed Gose (35 over heading north west)
Mute Swan (14
Teal (1)
Tufted Duck (23)
Goldeneye (1)
Goosander (13)
Great Crested Grebe (26)
Stock Dove (8)
Water Rail (2)
Lapwing (59)
Curlew (4)
Woodcock (1)
Sparrowhawk (1)
Kingfisher (2)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)
Long-tailed Tit (8)
Nuthatch (6)
Redwing (46)
Bullfinch (2)

Three and a half hours from 8.45am in milder weather, light winds, sunny spells and 5-7*c. Mereside Path - Slipway - Big Wood - Open Fields - Mereside Path - Bittern Hide. Species seen 46, of note :-

Eurasian Teal (2)
Tufted Duck (30)
Goosander (11)
Great Crested Grebe (8)
Stock Dove (2)
Water Rail (2)
Lapwing (46)
Curlew (4)
Snipe (1)
Bittern (1)
Sparrowhawk (1)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)
Long-tailed Tit (15)
Nuthatch (7)
Redwing (31)
Grey Wagtail (2)
Meadow Pipit (18)
Bullfinch (2)
Siskin (4)

The Bittern, back for a couple of weeks now, put in a couple of flight views within Coward Reedbed, around midday. I note from BirdGuides that a further sighting was reported early afternoon.

Midday visit

No sign of the Bittern today, although it had showed really well yesterday apparently.

Only a tennis court sized area around Kid Brook remained unfrozen, and the waterfowl were concentrated there,

including 2m+2f Goosanders, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe plus 1m Goldeneye.

21 Curlews, 10 Lapwings and 1 Little Egret were on the meadow alongside Kid Brook, where 4 Egyptian Geese

grazed amongst a huge flock of feral Canadas and Greylags.

2 Buzzards were seen in parkland near the new hide, as was a single Grey Wagtail.

Beechmast below a large beech tree near the new hide attracted a flock least 10 Great Tits.

Mark Jarrett wrote:

---

Reported on Twitter, that a birder had 2 Hawfinch yesterday, in the trees surrounding the open area.

Well keep an eye open for the Bittern, Lez, as your possible sighting will be the first of the autumn/winter period.

---

 Hi Mark, it was a very nice local lady from the 'Friends of Marbury Park Group' that pointed out the possible Bittern sighting & myself plus the other Cheshire birder spent a good half hour scanning from different angles the area in question without being totally convinced. A lot of reed movements were observed but could have been from the many roosting starlings.

-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Saturday 3rd of December 2022 01:19:10 AM

13:30 to 16:30

Dipped on the Hawfinch which was briefly seen around 3pm by a Cheshire birder after we decided to go different directions to broaden the search & was unable to re-locate together later.

We did however experience an amazing sight of over 2,000 Starling coming in to roost in Coward Reed bed, where we thought we caught a brief glimpse of a Bittern moving its neck slowly in the reeds but the failing light, distance & camouflage meant we couldn't be certain.

Also seen :- Greenfinch;  Goldfinch;  Chaffinch;  Siskin;  Coal Tit;  Nuthatch;  Treecreeper;  Mistle Thrush and plenty Redwing in the treetops.

On Budworth Mere :- Little Egret;  Grey Heron skulking around Coward Reed bed;  Kingfisher;  Buzzard (heard only);  & around 100 Greylag Geese with at least 1 Egyptian Goose in tow coming in to roost. 

-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Wednesday 30th of November 2022 09:30:02 PM

Cuckoo singing this morning (08.40) between Uplands and Lesley's Leap.

Also Garden Warbler singing and showing really well Dairy House Meadow

Male and female Whinchat seen briefly Dairy House Meadows mid morning, also Grasshopper Warbler and Garden Warbler en route to Uplands. 

Two Mediterranean Gull in the ploughed field yesterday morning, a Little Ringed Plover by one of the pools in the next field and a pair of Mandarin in the final field. Two Little Ringed Plover also around Kid Brook Spit. A male Sparrowhawk had earlier flown low over the ploughed field with a squealing House Sparrow in its talons.

Quick visit this afternoon after the rain. Mereside Path to the Woodland Hide, then back the same way. Forty seven species seen, highlights being :-

- Shelduck (2)
- Shoveler (1)
- Gadwall (3)
- Tufted Duck (22)
- Great Crested Grebe (10)
- Stock Dove (2)
- Oystercatcher (2)
- Common Sandpiper (1)
- Green Sandpiper (1)
- Sand Martin (c.20)
- House Martin (1)
- Willow Warbler (2)
- Chiffchaff (15)
- Blackcap (2)
- Brambling (min 2)

Great to see the Brambling on the Mereside Path. A very scarce Winter visitor on patch here, usually only seen in singles or ones and twos. A female and a handsome male in breeding plumage. Flitting quickly and very high up, I have a feeling there could have been four birds.