11.10.09 martin mere

Thousands of pinkfeet and 1 barnacle with them. Teal , wigeon ,pintail and shovler numbers on the increase but still in there molt plumage.
3 peregrine ,1 kestrel,1 merlin,1 sparrowhawk,1 female marsh harrier and a couple of buzzards.
ruff and 67 whooper swans

today the 27th at martin mere were two marsh harriers, over 3000 pink feet now and a new whooper swan to add to the four residents..............

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Sunday 27th of September 2009 08:18:51 PM

Gary Gorner wrote:

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go past the pier heading towards liverpool and its the roundabout with the horse and cart on it weld road there is a car park on the beach walk towards ainsdale only 400 yards and you will see the viewing platform the birds are really close at high tide

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think last weekend the car park on the beach was closed due to high tide,is there alternative parking,someone told me they had the entrance to the car park blocked and the sea was right up toot promin southport

It's always a good place to start looking for the Snow Bunts when they arrive.

go past the pier heading towards liverpool and its the roundabout with the horse and cart on it weld road there is a car park on the beach walk towards ainsdale only 400 yards and you will see the viewing platform the birds are really close at high tide

Gary, forgive my ignorance but what and were is "tags island"? Never heard it mentioned before.

Cheers Dean.

Dean Macdonald wrote:

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juv Red Necked Phalarope showing really well from ron barker hide today.
ringtail Hen Harrier and a good few thousand Pink Feet coming in.

Hundreds of Pink Feet coming into Marshide.

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BLIP ROUND THE RIBBLE WI CHARLIE OWEN
phalarope missing todaystill lots of pink feet,and merlin at marshside ,plus 18+little egret.
new rspb reserve at hesketh out marsh totally flooded at high tide,but could hear some greenshank in the distance and at least 10 more egret,is it me or are they getting more common than grey herons

martin mere
ruff-1
dunlin-2
pink footed geese 250>w
kingfisher
loads of swallows
all the usual stuff

marshside
b.t.godwit-1000+(nels)
knot-masses on shore
dunlin-masses on shore
peregrine-2
marsh harrier-1
kestrel-8
little egret-2
common snipe-40+
pintail
wigeon

---

came out pretty crap to be honest!it was a little far away!!mike may have got better with his new big kowa,digiscoping,but he was off to northumberland on hols this aft so he may send some to ian next week

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I remember seeing Warfy disappear shortly before I left. I wouldn't count on my digiscoping skills - it will probably come out looking like a juvenile Ruff or something - which is what many in the Swanlink hide thought was the WP this morning!!!

I forgot the 264 Blackwits on Junction Pool.

Paul Heaton wrote:

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John sorry buddy yes I recall someone taking alot of pictures, I was cursing at the time because my battery had run out on my camera, hope you are going to submit them to Ian for the gallery.

look forward to seeing those, Gm Birder did well today

keep birding

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came out pretty crap to be honest!it was a little far away!!mike may have got better with his new big kowa,digiscoping,but he was off to northumberland on hols this aft so he may send some to ian next week

Paul Heaton wrote:

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I would say it was showing very well! When the man that is Warfy found it this morning. The Ron Barker hide was empty when we got there this morning, sorry to have missed you Mike, could have had a GM get together.

Just after we put the news out, the hide was full, Gm Birder Warfy the main culprit?

Nice find buddy, and as mike says loads of ruff etc.

keep birding.

---

I was with mike in the hide takin a few pics,think you lot must have been to the right of us as we was in the barker hide when it was found

Wilson's Phalarope showing reasonably well from Ron Barker Hide this morning. Approx 20 Ruff between here and the Mere too. 4 Whooper Swans and a couple of Pinks probably summering birds. As the hordes descended to see the WP I headed for Marshside.

3 Wheatears flew over Crossens Out Marsh - little else except Teal and sheps.

14 Kestrels over various parts of reserve

2 Marsh Harriers (female plus juvenile) on marsh just up from sand plant

Large Peregrine perched on dead branch nr sand plant

Little Egret flew over

-- Edited by Mike Baron on Saturday 29th of August 2009 02:20:52 PM

Marshside - Sunday 23rd August

Day started off well on Plex Moss when a female marsh harrier, heavily in moult, flushed from the side of the road at 7.15am. A minute later and 100yds further down the road I spotted another large raptor flying towards me over Getterns Farm. Thinking it was another marsh harrier I was surprised to find it was an osprey when I stopped the car!

Spent the day around Marshside. I did nip up to the new reserve at Hesketh Out Marsh but a clay pigeon shoot was in full swing so there was little about. The shoot won't normally be a problem, but the east wind meant the sound was blowing across the marsh.

I had at least four marsh harriers out on the salt marsh at Marshside, possibly five, twice I had four in the sky together. Two views of peregrines, both times distant (we had excellent views of an adult and a juv tiercel the previous day). At least three merlins knocking about - a female caught a pipit right in front of me, then was chased by two juv marsh harriers; shortly after another female appeared and chased a pipit up into the sky, so I'm presuming this was a different bird; finally I found a tiny male sat on a post not far out on the marsh. I was joined on the sandplant by a birder doing WeBS counts at high tide. Along with the marsh harriers we had great views of merlin and a short-eared owl I found on driftwood - an amazingly lucky find as seconds after I got the other birder on to it, it dived off the branch on to the floor and was never seen again, despite me being there for over two hours! I also had a couple of sparrowhawks over the housing estate east of Sandgrounders, loads of kestrels on the saltmarsh, a buzzard on Bickerstaffe Moss on the way home and a little owl on Clieves Hill in the morning - so seven raptors and two species of owl in all.

Also seen were two wheatear in the sandplant plus one on a post by Pollys pool; a fly-over whimbrel; a kingfisher at Sandgrounders (good bird for Marshside); two coveys of grey partridge on the salt marsh; 50+ golden plover and a black swan on Crossens Marsh; several whisps of snipe (largest 16 birds); 7 wigeon and 2 pintail on Pollys, plus 20+ wigeon on Crossens - presumably newly arrived birds; hundreds of grey plover, bar-tailed godwit, knot, etc. plus 20+ sandwich terns past at high tide. Finally, I found a pinkfoot amongst all the feral greylags and canadas . . . though I think it's probably been here all summer rather than a new arrival!

This Morning at Marshside Sighting Including
Junction Pool
Cracking Views of a Wood Sandpiper
3 Dunlin

Outer Marsh
1 Marsh Harrier
6 + kestrels
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Peregrine

Sandgrounders
2 Common Sandpipers

The Platform
2 Wheatear
1 Common Sandpiper

Cheers jimmy

Quick visit to Marshside today 3-5pm, saw song thrush, swallows, house martins, kestrel, lots of starlings, lapwings, black-headed and herring gulls, redshank, dunlin, golden plover, avocet with one youngster, reed buntings, plenty of canada and greylag geese, robin, mallards, greenfinch, couple of oystercatcher, three sandpipers, dunnock, skylark and four grey heron.

Also saw two geese, looked very much like bar-headed geese (on the water with canada geese just before the main hide). I presume these must be escapees, has anyone else seen them?

martin mere
2 common sandpiper
3 green sandpiper
2 greenshank
1 buzzard
1 tawny owl
sedge and reed warbler
common whitethrote
nice to see 4 young ringed plover chicks,avocet and lapwing chicks also dotted around the place and all the usual stuff.

Martin mere

lots of chicks around today mainly shellduck,mallard and 16 avocet chicks.
4 ringed plover being harrased by the adult avocets and some oystercatchers also going bonkers as they did battle.A black backed gull flew in and put everything up but was chased away by the avocets and left empty handed.
3 blacktailed godwits , 1 single dunlin and several redshank dotted around the reserve.
great spotted woodpecker and all the usuals in place but i couldnt help wishing it was October again



-- Edited by Gary Gorner on Saturday 20th of June 2009 04:44:12 PM

monday 25.05.09
martin mere
A quick visit after spending most of the day at marshside paid dividends as a wood sandpiper was showing distantly from the ron baker hide.
Other birds included 21 black tailed godwits,little ringed plover,ringed plover with 3 chicks,oyster catcher,3 whooper swan,avocets with chicks,lapwings,redshanks,swallows but no kingfisher
marshside
one peregrine causing havoc infront of nells had 4 attempts at the dunlin and blacktailed godwits but missed every time eventually headed of to the thousands of dunlin and knot on the shoreline for a easier kill
avocets,redshanks,dunlin,blacktailed godwits all showing there best summer plumage along with two very nice curlew sandpipers
reed and sedge warblers singing and showing now and again from the reeds to the right of the hide and a few whitethrotes also.
a walk around whats left of the sandplant saw mipits,skylarks,reed bunting,wheatear and a few hundred noisy starlings.
little grebe showing at sandgrounders hide and a black backed gull looking very menacing patrolling the reserve.
The fields around looked perfect for yellow wags with plenty cattle around but none seen
Crossens outer held mainly shellducks and at the top end 2 redshanks,sedge warbler and whitethrote and a couple of grey heron.
more sunny days please

17.05.09 9.30-12.30pm
female marsh harrier from the suitably named harrier hide
2 ringed plover,2 blacktailed godwits,4 redshank,4 avocets,shellducks and oystercatchers being the more common species from the swanlink hide.
buzzard and a pale looking swift and a couple of avocet and ringed plover chicks
were the highlights from the ron baker hide.lots of swallows and swifts wizzing around.
1 peregrine sen in flight from the united util hide.

Marshside
only one siting of the garganey today from nels lurking about in the back channel behind the islands ,i dont blame it the wind was bitterly cold.a flock of dunlin and ringed plover flying arround quicker than red arrows.
a big flock of black tailed godwits probably 250+
watched a lesser black back gull eat its lunch in one gulp a baby moorehen ahhh.
still a few widgeon and teal and shovellors displaying.
a couple of sedge warblers half heartedly singing or they could have been crying because of the cold wind i certainly was
didnt see the curlew sand or the little stint but they may have been tucked in somewhere.

Martin mere
curlew lane had several corn buntings ,6 red legged partridge ,2 oystercatchers,1 wheatear.
on site we had a 4 redshank,3 dunlin,2 blacktailed godwits,2 little ringed plover and 6 ringed plover,2 sedge warblers,1 female goldeneye,2 buzzard ,1 kestrel.

-- Edited by Gary Gorner on Tuesday 5th of May 2009 07:17:16 AM

Nice to meet you too Gary!

Si and I also got 7 eider duck, 1 gc grebe and half a dozen gannets on/over the sea at high tide from what's left of the sandplant wall. A peregrine also flew over.

Earlier I got two gorgeous male whinchats by the sandplant with at least a dozen wheatear, and a little stint from Nells.

Later we called in at Churchtown cemetry just up the road and got a local rarety - a nuthatch!

martin mere 9.30-12.00pm
willow warbler and swallow from the car park
still a few pink footed geese about.
several ringed plover
redshanks and the odd ruff dotted about
60+ avocets
2 buzzard
1 sparrowhawk
1 kestrel
1 male kingfisher
just the odd whooper swan
a few linnets also worth a mention

mm 9.30am-12.00pm
50 avocet
20 ruff
8 ringed plover
2 dunlin
5 blacktailed godwits
10+redshank
4 buzzard
1 kestrel
1 marsh harrier
good numbers of oystercatchers and still plenty wildfowl to be seen

ms 12.00pm-2.00pm
tide reached the edge of whats left of the sandplant today assisted by force 4 hooley
1 kestrel
14 avocet
mipits and skylarks attempting to take to the air but diving back down pretty smartish
6 little egret
hundreds of godwits and redshank about and the knot and dunlin doing their acrobatics and wizzing down the ribble estuary.
4 ruff also worth a mention from nels hide.

Fantastic two hours at Marshside this afternoon - first visit and was impressed! Sightings included:

1 Ruff
Hundreds of Black Tailed Godwits
Spectacular numbers of Widgeon, teal, lapwing, golden pover
Four little egrets [two in front of hide and two out towards the shore]
Skylarks [at least four up and singing]
1 Weasel

But the highlight was two [possibly three] Short Eared Owls hunting in beautiful light - the one that flew across the road nearly ended up being someones bonnet mascot!

Also met some good friendly birders.