Chiffchaff at Gateworth. Didn't hear call, against light and whilst looked "grey" that could have been a trick of the light.

Richmond Bank. Ca 420 Black-headed Gulls, some starting to look very smart as they develop their caps. 

27 Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls. 2 Great Black-backed. 1 Common Gull. 12 Herring Gulls including one absolute brute, as big as the GBBGs.

Three Redshank flew downriver.

Seven cormorant. My "friend" from Moore with the very white head (no dark on the crest at all) was present. Again light against to get a good view on the gular angle.

Great Spotted Woodpecker by Sankey Bridges plus numerous Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe.

Looped back round to Moore;  two of the three usual Woodpeckers species seen and on Lapwing Lane a Crow with a White Wing (right side from behind). I noted one on 2015, then haven't been much 2016 - 2019 and haven't seen a white winged Crow since frequent visits in 2020? Same bird? 

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 15th of February 2022 10:41:51 PM

A single Avocet feeding in channels on the bank earlier today........also 14 Black-headed Gulls and 2 singing Cetti's Warblers nearby on the landfill site.

In four hours with Pete Berry today produced:

1 adult Caspian Gull (a new individual)
1 third winter Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

A few hours yesterday (30th November) with Pete Berry before the large high tide produced:

1 first calendar year Caspian Gull (a few poor photos attached include one in flight; camera's on its last legs!)
2 Yellow-legged Gulls (and adult and first calendar year, photo attached of the latter; the less white-headed bird)

Huge number of gulls in the area with anywhere up to 8000 on the bank at any one time and a good regular turnover of them to and from the tip and heading downstream

An excellent day today with Ian produced

A 4th winter Caspian Gull
6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 Knot
and 4 Redshank

with up to 5000 birds on The Bank at any one time,and a lot of movement of birds to and from tip,the best numbers we've had here for a couple years,and hopefully the forerunner of a good winter.

A few hours this morning with Pete Berry produced:

4 Yellow-legged Gull (3 adults and a third winter)
6 Dunlin
Female Goosander

A few hours this morning with over a thousand large gulls present and along with Pete Berry before the sunny weather really stopped play produced:

5 Yellow-legged Gulls, including 2 adults, 1 third summer (4th calendar year) and two fine juveniles both the latter complete with one or two second generation scapulars each and a suite of other pro-juvenile Yellow-legged features. Two images of one juvenile included but admittedly extremely poor iphone-scoped examples taken at long range in poor light!

Plenty of juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls (many still begging for food from parents) and several juvenile Herring Gulls

A single Common Sandpiper

Almost 4 hours today, until the last of the Gulls departed at around 1.45pm when the tide covered the bank.

- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile amongst the 100's of Gulls.
(Primary projections were well beyond the tail
)

Other birds of note...
- Stonechat 1 male
- Reed Bunting 1 male
- Whitethroat 2
- Sedge Warbler 1 seen in the reeds near canal side / car park, more heard
- Willow Warbler 1 seen, lots heard
- Chiffchaff 2 seen, lots heard
- Swallow 3
- Blackcap heard only
- Skylark heard only
- Kestrel 1
- Common Buzzard 3

I found it frustrating at one point as all the Gulls were put up at least 3 times by one individual walking along the bank encouraging their dog to go near the edge. It was a case of wait until they land again, and start again! No sign of a Glaucous Gull but I will try again tomorrow.

Simon Gough wrote:

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I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.

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Absolutely no need to be embarrassed, you're certainly not the first nor will be the last to mistake the two; it always looks easier when they're on nice painted plates in a field guide but out in the field it's often a different matter.

I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.

Primary extension beyond the tail rarely lies...

Saturday 16th April - after work visit (approx 3.45pm - 5.30pm) with Simon Gough.

- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished.
A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?

Other birds of note...
- Blackcap 2 (1m 1f)
- Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f)
- Song Thrush 1
- Willow Tit HEARD ONLY
- Shelduck 10+
- Common Buzzard 3

Three hours from 12 noon until high tide. I walked the length of the Bank, back to the western end and then back to the eastern end until it was covered in full by the high tide. Each time, I picked out one each of juvenile Glaucous Gull and juvenile Iceland Gull.

The Glaucous Gull appears to be the 'course' individual as seen by Ian and others. The Iceland Gull was bunkered down on the sand with its head tucked in but, on my second walk up to the eastern end, it was up and moving about, turning out to be the dark billed one.

9th april, 9am til high tide covered the bank at just after 1pm.

2 glaucous gulls, one of them being the same juvenile as ian's plus a pale individual.
3 Iceland gulls, adult & 2 juveniles.
photos attached.

other birds around...

4 shelduck
8 gadwall
5 teal
1 oystercatcher
4 sand martin
4 willow warbler
6 chiffchaff
1 reed bunting
5 linnet
1 jay
2-4 buzzard

Prior to high tide

Iceland gulls 2 immature & smart looking adult
Glaucous gull 1

Swallows a few around for a while
Willow warbler present but not singing
Grey Partridge 2 pairs along edge of reed bed

Common Seal noted over the weekend but not seen today

Two hours late morning today with Pete Berry, until rain stopped play:

Juvenile Glaucous Gull
Third summer Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull

3 hours this morning with Jeff produced

2nd winter Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow Legged Gull

Three and a half hours today with Pete Berry produced:

A beautiful very advanced 'new' first winter Caspian Gull which unfortunately flew off back to Arpley Tip almost immediately after its discovery (hence the extremely poor record shots!)
Juvenile Iceland Gull
Single adult and first winter Yellow-legged Gulls

Three cold hours with Pete Berry today produced:

3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher

Looks like an influx of gulls into the area in the past week with probably up to 30,000 up over the tip at one point today. Birds visiting the bank were unusually flighty today though with rarely more than a couple of thousand on the bank at any one time.

Its good to note that since supermarkets started charging for carrier bags we,ve not seen a single "bagged bird",whereas before it was possible to see 4 or 5 in a single visit

3 hrs with Jeff this morning before the sun put in an appearance and finished off any hopes of getting views of anything,probably most gulls I've seen here recently was initially disapointing as although large numbers present,there was nothing of interest amongst them until just before the sun spoilt it I found:-
a 1st winter Caspian Gull(poss. the same bird that we saw a couple of weeks ago)

Thanks for your response Ian. In the 20 years or so I have been recording the wildlife in the area I have no records of Common Seal but I have seen Grey Seal on a couple of occasions in the Mersey between Fiddlers Ferry and Richmond Bank and also adjacent to Woolston Eyes no.4 bed. I wonder what the actual status of Common Seal is within area, just had a look at the Cheshire Mammal Groups The Mammals of Cheshire and there appears to be only one record of this species in the Mersey this century.

Mike Mulholland wrote:

---

Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?

---

Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!

A few hours with Ian this morning produced:-

A juvenile Iceland Gull

3 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls

a flock of 13 Bullfinch
several thousand Woodpigeon

and a Seal eating a large Flounder it had caught