another bumper day off birds,77 species seen throughout the day(a new daily record for me) should off been more. 11-7.30pm.
the walk from burscough bridge station produced...

8 wheatears
1 yellow wagtail
2 yellowhammers
4 corn buntings
1 linnet
1 kestrel
10 red legged partridges
5 hares

at martin mere...

1 little stint
2 curlew sandpipers
1 garganey (male) a second was seen by another observer.
1 red crested pochard,located from harrier hide at 6.10pm.
all above first for the year for me
no signs off the wood sandpiper.

3 dunlins
1 common sandpiper
10 ringed plovers
2 whimbrels
3 curlews
30+ ruff
40+black tailed godwits
100+ avocets
2 little grebes
several buzzards throughout the day,6 in the air at once.
1 sparrowhawk
failed to see a marsh harrier
4 whitethroats
1 sedge warbler
3 reed warblers
1 willow warbler
1 chiffchaff
blackcaps all around
swifts, swallows, house martins & sand martins over.
small numbers off usual wildfowl.
plus all usual birds around the reserve.
2 hares & 1fox near the reed bed walk.



-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 6th of May 2012 10:56:29 PM

Having spent a very pleasant morning on chat moss with Andy, Mel, Simon et al headed over to Martin Mere to find there was a Wood Warbler in the wildfowl garden.

Happily a burst of sunshine encouraged it to show itself and give a few bursts of song.
also seen
Reedbed walk

Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
3 Swift
House martin
Sand Martin


whilst on the main reserve there was plenty of the usual suspects

Common Crane just seen by Mr Barber from the UU hide - about time too

You're right Sid, it was about time. One of the largest birds in the country has managed to elude me for almost three years. I even managed to miss the two birds close to where I live in Lymm a few days ago. Never mind, at least I can sleep easy now !

Also of note today at Martin Mere were: 2 Whimbrel, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 1 Ringed Plover and a barbequed chicken & chips !



-- Edited by John Barber on Monday 23rd of April 2012 04:40:35 PM

First post in the sighting sections..

Sunday 8th April 12:30-1:30pm, very brief visit to pick up binoculars left there last week, don't ask , and to have a look at the scopes at In Focus.

2 Marsh Harriers, my first ever sighting. Watched one for approx. 5 minutes before being joined by the second for a few minutes before going out of range.

2 Buzzards on fences around the mere
1 Sand Martin over the mere at 1pm

Lots of Avocet and Lapwing.

Further sighting of bittern in flight over top mere reported today on WWT Martin Mere sighting board

On the WWT Martin Mere sightings section today - A bittern seen flying into the reedbeds. Seen from the Harrier Hide.

10.30-til dark, 55 species seen.
highlight off the day goes to the 2 bewick swans that i found at the ron barker hide around 4pm (now they say its tricky to id them from the whoopers)but these two were on there own in the middle off the pool,also confirmed by the two chaps that were there & the photo i took was confirmed by the swan experts in raines observatory,went home very chuffed & also a lifer for me
other highlights..
1 ring tailed hen harrier
4 marsh harriers
2 buzzards
2 kestrels
2 ravens
thousands off pink footed geese, no signs off white fronteds,
50+ barnacle geese
1500+ whooper swans
50+ ruff
1 great spotted woodpecker
1 willow tit
plus lots off the usual shellducks, pintails, teals, wigeons, + others
good numbers off lapwings, est 4000
plus all the usual birds in & around the reserve
good day out

Excellent half day out. Loads of the usual fayre, but at one point had 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Peregrines, 1 Buzzards and a Barn Owl in the bins at once, a very special experience!

Bright but very windy, the kind of day when you keep the hide windows shut. The United Utilities hide was swaying so much that I was in danger of being sea sick.

Star attraction was the Grey Phalarope giving good views from the Ron Barker hide.

Other highlights included 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Peregrines, and lots of Pintail, Teal and Wigeon.

Also whopper numbers of Whooper Swans.

Sarfraz Hayat wrote:

---

I saw the White Fronts on Sunday which I keep calling Y Fronts by mistake too. Did I meet you there Steven?

-- Edited by Sarfraz Hayat on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 10:50:50 PM

-- Edited by Sarfraz Hayat on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 10:51:08 PM

---

hi sarfraz, we did not meet but im sure we crossed paths at sometime during the day.

good day here today,despite the wind. 57 species seen.
on my way to the mere i did manage to find a wheatear at brandreth barn & get a few pics. at martin mere i shown the pics to andy in the infocus shop,who was pleased to see them as this was the latest ever record for a wheatear in lancashire.
later when i was in the swan link hide a chap shouted SWALLOW, i did manage to pic it up in my bins as did several other birders.
another late migrant
other birds...
good numbers off pink footed geese, whooper swans, also teals, wigeons, pintails & shelducks.
plenty off ruff, only managed 3 black tailed godwits.
at least 22 white fronted geese
77 barnacle geese (feral)
3 marsh harriers
4 buzzards
2 kestels
1 sparrowhawk
2 ravens
1 barn owl on my way out off reserve at 4.55pm
plus all usual birds in & around reserve.

did manage a little wonder around the festival & bump into julie unwin (nice to see you again) but did not manage to get to the bto stall to say hello to steve suttil (sorry steve).

Glorious day spent watching thousands of Pink Foots flying in, with a couple of Barnacles for good measure.
Stonechat from the Ron Barker hide,
Buzzard & female Sparrowhawk riding the thermals together, demonstrating the difference in size.
2 Redlegged Partridges in a ploughed field on Redcat Lane on the way down to MM,
& a Kestrel being mobbed.

all day here today,61 species seen highlights being...
1 red kite still showing well throughout the day
at least 4 marsh harriers.
plenty off buzzards.
sparrowhawks & kestrels.
peregrine falcon having a bathe.
pink footed goose, the board indicates around 4500 around the area.
1 little stint
3 ringed plover
2 dunlin
2 snipe
plenty off ruff
there was reports off curlew sandpiper,but missed them
hundreds off canada & greylag goose at the harrier hide with 1 bar headed goose
swallows & house martins all over
plus all the usual birds in & around the reserve.
and a beautiful sunset to finish a good days birding.

An interesting few hours today, Thursday, 15th September.

Red Kite 1
Marsh Harrier 3
Hobby 1
Peregrine 1
Kestrel 4
Buzzard 5+
Sparrowhawk 1
Pink-feet Geese 400+
Meadow Pipits, Swallows and 3 Chiffchaffs.
Ruff 30+
Wigeon 6+

etc.etc.etc.

Enjoyable if quiet day 0930-1440. Highlights were:
1 juv. Cuckoo (showing down to 30ft from Ron Barker hide)
7 Green Sandpiper (3 from Hale hide)
1 Greenshank
17 Ruff
2 Marsh Harrier (I only saw 1, though)
1 Buzzard
1 Black Tailed Godwit
1 Stoat (Ron Barker hide)

Also finally found the 'special' walk back to the station from the reserve. 40+ Tree Sparrow feeding on the path

-- Edited by Joe Wynn on Tuesday 23rd of August 2011 05:36:53 PM

juv cuckoo showing well from the ron barker hide also kingfisher and 2 green sandpiper from the hale hide .

A rainy visit here today only produced the following birds of interest:

5 Ruff
2 Green Sandpiper
1 Avocet
1 Buzzard

Quick visit for Paters' Day.Highlights:
Many Avocets with young, one nearly taken by a LBB gull.
2 summer plumaged Dunlin.
Green Sandpiper.
50+ Black Tailed Godwits
Many Tree Sparrows
Stock Doves
Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler
Very close nesting Swallows on visitor centre.
Driving out next to field opposite a dead Quail on the road.

Pectoral Sandpiper showing intermittently around 5 o'clock from the Ron Barker hide

-- Edited by Jon Bowen on Monday 30th of May 2011 07:27:50 PM

Good day at Martin Mere, with:

Great White Egret 1 adult in breeding plumage ( pink upper legs).
Dunlin 4
Little Ringed Plover 2
Ringed Plover 6
Black-tailed Godwit 100+
Redshank 8
Sanderling 3
Avocets plus young.
Mediterranean Gull 1 1st Summer
Greenshank 1
Yellow Wagtail 1
Peregrine 1
Buzzard 2
Raven 2

etc.etc.etc.

late post for yesterday saturday 16/4.
no signs off the 2 black winged stilts that were reported the day before 15/4,and there was reports off a cuckoo on the reed bed walk 16/4 but not for me
still had 74 species off birds, not mant birds there but obviously lots off species about. walked from burscough bridge train station on the trail,birds off note...
3 wheatear, 8 red legged partridge, 4 grey partridge, 4 corn bunting but more heard,
1 yellowhammer, 1 raven, 2 buzzard, plenty off rooks,crows, & jackdaws, lapwings,
pheasants, wood pigeons, stock doves, tree sparrows,swallows & sand martins.
at martin mere...
1 greenshank, 1 common sandpiper, 1 reed warbler (others heard on the reed bed walk) sedge also reported, 2 raven, 1 tawny owl, 1 marsh harrier, 1 peregrine, plenty off buzzards, 1 dunlin, 6 ringed plover, 4 curlew,2 black tailed godwits, did not manage to count avocets but plenty off them, 1 whooper swan with broken wing, plus the resident whoopers, still around 20 pink footeds, loads off shelduck, and tufted duck.
pintail,wigeon,pochard,gadwall,teal, only in small numbers, all usual suspects at the feeding station, plenty off blackcaps about, willow warblers also,did not hear any chiffchaff (unusual) pied & white wagtails about and a large flock off about 70+ meadow pipits on my back to the station,plenty off hares running around the fields also. briliant day still other birds i have not mentioned but 74 species is a record for me.

Popped in to In Focus yesterday on way home for an hour or so, but it was pretty wet.

Still plenty of Brambling knocking about, some with rather black heads looking good too. Plenty of Wildfowl still around too, with usual 800+ Whooper Swans, 1,000s of PF Geese, Wigeon and Teal, with Shoveller, Gadwall, Pintail and the likes out there too.

Wader-wise there were a couple of Dunlin on Sunleys, with 9 Avocet, a Redshank, lots of Lapwing and a snipe, plus the flocks of Ruff. No raptors, but it was raining heavily while I was there in the hide

Quick wizz round Martin Mere on way home from Hesketh.

No red head Smew; not been around for a couple of days.
Highlights: Apart from the huge volume of swans, geese and
wildfowl.

12Avocets
20+Ruff
3 Ringed Plover
All from Ron Barker

3 Bramblings only at Janet Kerr feeder

C20 Black Tailed Godwits on Mere