The Wirral

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

RE: The Wirral

Jon Bowen · Status: Offline

Bitterly cold this morning but well worth it with great views of 5 raptors at Parkgate Old Baths.

Close views of both Hen Harriers hunting also great views of perched and hunting merlin.
Kestrels hanging around the car park in very fresh plumage
Peregrine far out perched on one of the many dead trees
finally as I had packed up ready to go after 2 1/2 hours a Short eared owl flew in off the marsh and landed on one of he short wooden post next to the road before dropping down onto the banking where it stayed for five minutes before being flushed by a passing car.
also plenty of mixed finch and pipit flocks, much to the delight of the various birds of prey, a pair of Stonechats close in
and two swans flying up river but two far out to ID.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Update on my Parkgate photos/video from Saturday...

The 2 Gulls that almost all of us ID'd as Yellow Legged (1 of which was devouring the Eels) were infact Lesser Black-Backed, it must've been the camera angle with the light making them appear lighter, but their is a point where the proper grey hue is seen.

The Godwit with the upturned bill that appeared to be lacking the black tail (which seemed to indicate Bar-tailed Godwit) has infact been confirmed as a Black-Tailed Godwit, so all 5 birds seen on that marsh pool were Black-Tailed Godwits,
still...I'm not disappointed, always a good bird to see!

Thanks to Ian McKerchar for the ID info.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Burton Marsh
Mike Ausberger & I stopped off on the way back from N. Wales trip with Riggers & co.
2 Short Eared Owls (one giving good views as it perched during a passing shower)
1 (poss 2) Peregrine
1 Common Buzzard (appeared to take something 'edible' from the sheep field)
Water Rail (heard only)

good to meet Dave Ousey(?)and fellow Rochdale birders. -The walk out towards the point failed to resolve the i.d. of the 'Booper' swans

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Parkgate, Yesterday 1.35 ish - 4pm

1 Shelduck, 2 Snipe, 4 Black Tailed Godwits, Little Egrets dotted around the marsh,
1 Peregrinne and 1 Short Eared Owl seen at distance through a kind birder's scope.
A flock of finch like birds with black and white wing and tail plumage kept popping up but quickly went to ground, could've been Snow Buntings but I haven't got photo or video evidence as I missed them surface again.

Photos and video sent to Ian McKerchar for confirmation or rejection of a single Bar-Tailed Godwit and 2 Yellow Legged Gulls, 1 of them catching its second Eel within half hour. Fingers crossed!!!

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of March 2013 12:53:09 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of March 2013 12:54:05 PM

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Just another quickie to report. As I said I was on a Wirral day (well afternoon) out and whilst scanning through wader flocks at Hoylake & Meols I found a stunning adult summer plumaged Med Gull on the beach off Meols Prom. The bird was with a few Black-headed Gulls & 1 Common Gull but was a long way out, this was about 3.05pm. There were huge numbers of Knot & Dunlin, lots of Curlew and plenty of Grey Plovers (as you can see I didn't count them )

Dennis atherton · Status: Offline

Must of kept passing each other pal, you did well to go to Parkgate later, we went at 2 for the high tide, nothing happened, literally, the tide time affected nothing and it was a none event, we did have a great Male Hen harrier and also M+F Merlin but pretty quiet, Great numbers of Purple Sandpipers at new Brighton though,
BMW had Water rail showing really well near Visitors center with a few Pintail and also a single flyover Golden Plover, Siskins and Nuthatch on the feeders

Cheers Dennis

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Beltin Mooch around the Wirral this afternoon -Highlights

New Brighton-12.00-13.30
Purple Sandpiper-c20
Turnstone-c50
Dunlin
Knot
redshank

Red Rocks-High tide-1400-15.30
Masses of waders-All below in decent numbers
Dunlin
Turnstone
Knot-That many it was uncountable
Sanderling
Oystercatcher

Parkgate-Old Baths Car Park-15.55-17.20
Short Eared owl-4
Hen Harrier-2m+1f
stacks of little egret

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Started the day at Burton Mere wetlands
Siskin
Blue tit
Great tit
Coal tit
Nuthatch
Bullfinch M+F
Goldfinch
Teal (only saw small numbers)
Grey Heron
Coot
Moorhen
Canada Geese
Lapwing
Golden Plover

Burton Point
Flock of Reed Bunting
Lapwing

Parkgate (think they call this the Old Baths)
2 Short Eared Owl
1 Barn Owl
also seen through a friendly guys scope a Peregrine and Male Hen Harrier. The guy also identified a Raven sharing a log with a Short Eared Owl.

Absolutely made up with today the Barn Owl just topped the day also chatted to lots of lovely people

-- Edited by Collette Collier on Friday 1st of March 2013 08:27:02 PM

-- Edited by Collette Collier on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 08:13:05 AM

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

Had a great day out yesterday with Mark Cain visiting several locations around the west and north Wirral coast.

Highlights were two Short-eared Owls down Denhall Lane, Water Rail and Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere, with some good closeup photo opportunities of Nuthatch and Siskin near the feeders. Possible Great White Egret at Parkgate (still looking at the photos). Got the tide tide times all wrong for Red Rocks, Leasowe and New Brighton, so no Purple Sandpipers today - I thought we had a solitary one left on the pontoon, but it turned out to be a Redshank, which may have been a bit poorly :(

Still, a nice sunny day for a change, not too windy or cold and with great company - that's what it's all about, isn't it?

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 12:19:43 PM

sid ashton · Status: Offline

From 15.00 - 16.00ish after BMW, from the Old Baths car park - 2 Short eared Owls, one a real show off and a male Merlin sitting up on a post. Didn't find any Hen Harriers at Parkgate but saw a ring tail at Burton marsh off the point earlier as well as the big flock of Pink footed Geese seen by Vicky.

Vicky Harper · Status: Offline

Burton Marsh:

48 Dunlin
1400 + Lapwing
Wigeon
Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin
Curlew
Nuthatch

Parkgate:

Approx 500 Pink-footed Goose
3 + Little Egret
Approx 100 Redshank
Great White Egret
Merlin attacking Male Hen Harrier
3 Hen Harrier 2 female + 1 Male

chrisdorney · Status: Offline

Two quick visits after work this weekend to neston old quay/sewage works.highlights included:
Water pipit showing really well on first filtration bed railings(first picked up by mark turner on the deck)but only stayed for a few minutes.
Chiffchaff feeding with long tailed tits both days
2 goldcrest(1 in song)
2 grey wagtail
1 meadow pipit
5 pied wagtail
1 buzzard worrying the crows

On/around the marsh

Barn owl
Peregrine
2 rock pipit
Stonechat
Hen harrier(m)

Mark also had a single twite and a cetti's warbler.

Ian Campbell · Status: Offline

Burton point this morning, Male Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Peregrine, Merlin and Kestrel providing the interest.
Then onto New Brighton Marina for 30ish Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone.
Cheers Ian

Patrick Earith · Status: Offline

From yesterday - sorry it's late!

Neston sewage works

single Water Pipit still present, along with a single Grey Wagtail, a pair of Pied Wagtail and a pair of Meadow Pipit amongst the many Carrion Crow

From the path along the marsh and back to the car park, lots of large mixed finch/bunting flocks that included Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest and Reed Bunting. Also, 2 Song Thrush in full song, a flock of Redwing in the trees, around 10 Curlew in the adjacent field, 2 bedraggled Buzzard sat next to each other on the same branch.

Out on the marsh itself, multiple flocks of Teal, 5 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron (one stood on the path and didn't fly off until I was about 10 feet away!), 3 Pheasant, several Redshank.

A nice morning, despite the weather.

DavidBowman · Status: Offline

Spent the morning at Parkgate with John Ireland and had plenty of good birds. These included: 1 Short-eared Owl (perched not for out from the Boathouse Car Park), I female Merlin (again perched), 3 Hen Harriers (1 male and 2 ring-tails), 4 Peregrines, 2 Great White Egrets, 4 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel and 1 Sparrowhawk, along with thousands of Pink-footed Geese.

Cheers David

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Today at Parkgate with John Parkinson. Weather fine and sunny.
Six hours up to 4pm. Nearly all our time at the old baths except for an alfresco fish and chip lunch on the old quay.

Great White Egret..1 Showed well in the morning in front of the chippy.
Hen Harrier ..1 male
Short-eared Owl..1 Superb views down to 40 yards in front of the ''baths''. constantly hunting down in the vegetation but not coming up with a catch.

Peregrine..2
Merlin..2
Kestrel..1
Buzzard..2
Grey Heron..12 plus
Little Egret..20 plus
Pink-footed Geese..c650 plus a fly away skein of 200
Lapwing..c500
Shelduck..20
Cormorant..2
Skylark..6
Meadow Pipits..4
Goldfinch..45
Oystercatcher..4
Redshank..15
Common Snipe..2
Mallard..c 25
Black-tailed Godwit..7
Teal.. ..6
Curlew..3
Starlings..c60
Wren..1
Black-headed Gulls ..c 400
Lesser Black-backed Gulls..2
Pheasant..1
Carrion Crows/Wood Pigeons.

sid ashton · Status: Offline

Did the Big Garden Bird Watch this morning then nipped over to the Wirral in the afternoon - first to Burton point where we had good views of a single Short-eared Owl, 2 very close up Buzzards, 3 Ravens and approximately 20 Golden Plover with a big group of Lapwing.

Next to Parkgate Old baths where we had a magic few minutes almost as soon as we arrived with one of the male Hen Harriers flying up the marsh and at the same time, a Merlin chasing a small bird, which it didn't catch, going the other way. Then almost immediately a Barn Owl gave us a terrific display no more than 20 - 25m out on the marsh at times

There was a second male Hen Harrier but they didn't appear to go into the normal roost spot. We left at about 17.45 and the barrier was still open.

Jon Bowen · Status: Offline

Bit of a tour this morning in the sunshine

at Neston (inc Sewage Works)
Water Pipit,
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
3 Little Egret

Hoylake for High Tide. First time I've actually made it there and great to see so many waders in roost and in flight, hopefully got some good shots
Good number of
Knot
Sanderling
Grey Plover
single Bar Tailed Godwit

Burton Mere Wetlands
Plenty of waders and wildfowl though highlight was Hen Harrier

Great to see the thermometer nearly at double figures although the wind certainly kept it chilly

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Hi Tanmay

From the B5136 between Burton & Neston take Marshlands Road down towards Neston Marsh. At the end (through a narrow gap between the houses) park immediately ahead of where the road ends, there is space for several cars here. Then walk right, through a metal gate, along past the horse paddocks on your right & Neston Marsh & reedbeds on your left. Wellies are really needed as it gets very muddy. Keep going until you reach a stone stile. Head over this and you then have 2 options. Walk right up a rack and through a kissing gale and over a bridge over the small stream. The head across a marshy field to the sewage works fence to view the filter beds. Pipits and Wagtails (& Chiffchaffs) can be seen on here, a scope is best. Alternatively you could scan the marsh & gutter from the field that you have entered over the stone stile. A raised bank after you cross the steam bridge gives the best views.

I will send this to your email too as per your PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Originally posted by Tanmay Dixit today:

Just a quickie, does anybody have directions to Neston Sewage Works/Neston Old Quay...wherever's best for water pipits?Planning to go tomorrow but not entirely sure where it is...any help would be much appreciated. If anyone has a map or similar I can PM my email address this evening if that helps.

Thanks
TD

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Apologies Henry, a rushed post sent from the back of a fire engine! It should have said tristis instead of collybita of course (and I was referring to my own pre-conceived perception of tristis as brown and buff birds)! Recently I researched an individual seen some years ago in GM (for the forthcoming county bird report) which met the vocal characteristics of tristis but not quite the plumage characteristics. At the time of the sighting tristis were reasonably poorly understood by today's standards, less was really known about fulvescens and never mind the current Dutch Birding findings; so the records was found not proven. Though I never actually saw the bird myself I did hear it and having decent experience of tristis it left me somewhat perplexed and I was never truly happy with it. Recent studies spurred me on though (pre-Dutch Birding article) and I have been fortunate enough to correspond with one of those involved with the ongoing study. I have my own concerns over what the Dutch Birding findings may promote at this point though and these seem to be mirrored by those I have corresponded with. The Dutch Birding study came as a real blow to many birders, certainly did for me, but a knee jerk reaction in attempting to assign anything outside our perceptions of collybita as tristis may be a little premature at this point? Further study is ongoing of course and maybe will reveal more twist and turns but for me, getting my head around the recent findings has been hard; hard to adjust my own engrained ideas of tristis and especially hard when I consider the future for assessing claims of them

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Slightly off topic I know, but the most recent study on Chiffchaffs seems to indicate that the 'paler' unusual individuals we sometimes see and attribute to abietinus actually aren't at all! They're collybita, pale and unusual maybe but collybita nevertheless. Furthermore it seems (and apparently its not a recent theory either) abietinus are practically inseparable from collybita on plumage

Hi Ian.

May I ask what's the source of this recent study on Chiffchaffs you refer to?

I ask as i've been reading into the issue of the whole collybita complex having seen a few questionable birds this last autumn, and a recent paper published in Dutch Birding (volume 34, 2012, no.6) using a genetic study on birds caught and rung throughout the netherlands concluded nearly all samples of what we used to refer to as 'abietinus' types were in fact good tristis and known field characters for abietinus are still lacking (to seperate from tristis and collybita).

Thanks.
Henry.

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

The Dutch Birding study came as a real blow to many birders, certainly did for me, but a knee jerk reaction in attempting to assign anything outside our perceptions of collybita as tristis may be a little premature at this point? Further study is ongoing of course and maybe will reveal more twist and turns but for me, getting my head around the recent findings has been hard; hard to adjust my own engrained ideas of tristis and especially hard when I consider the future for assessing claims of them

Yes, this paper appears to me to have simplified the situation field birders used to be presented with, but it is so radical that it requires a paradigmatic shift in thinking. Already this winter there has been a noticeable upsurge of tristis reports presumably as a direct result of this paper. I think it may be a premature distinction to make as there is still a lot to learn, particularly about ssp vocalisations and their role combined with DNA evidence which the Dutch Birding paper was weak on.

Taking this paper as gospel, hypothetically, with abietinus type birds being pretty much subsumed by tristis, then the idea of 'fulvescens' as a taxon is surely redundant. I may be completely wrong in assuming this though. More research needed!

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 23rd of January 2013 07:43:49 PM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Doc Brewster wrote:

On Sunday the Water Pipit showed well on the sewage beds through the fence and three Chiffchaffs also fed on the beds, all standard collybita Chiffies rather than abietinus or tristis forms.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 09:31:00 PM

Slightly off topic I know, but the most recent study on Chiffchaffs seems to indicate that the 'paler' unusual individuals we sometimes see and attribute to abietinus actually aren't at all! They're collybita, pale and unusual maybe but collybita nevertheless. Furthermore it seems (and apparently its not a recent theory either) abietinus are practically inseparable from collybita on plumage

All interesting stuff, if you like that sort of thing...

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

On Sunday the Water Pipit showed well on the sewage beds through the fence and three Chiffchaffs also fed on the beds, all standard collybita Chiffies rather than abietinus or tristis forms. On Neston Marsh we had two Green Sandpipers, flying along together, two Short-eared Owls and a single Jack Snipe. I will drop Colin a text, Paul

p.s. nice to bump into Mike Baron again after a long time, no see

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 09:31:00 PM

paul brady · Status: Offline

Jonathan Platt wrote:

Water Pipit at the Old Quay at Neston, two Brambling in a finch flock just through the style on the footpath where Marshlands Road meets Quayside and a Green Sandpiper in the same area - in the ditch just out from the tiny parking area here (one heard at the Old Quay may have been same bird). Earlier four Hen Harriers (2m, 2 ring-tailed) from Burton Point plus Peregrine and Merlin.

Hi jonathan (again), worth sending the green sandpiper record to Colin Wells as well ... the more record we have the better :)

Thanks

Oh same for the waxwing please at Burton Point Collette

Jonathan Platt · Status: Offline

Water Pipit at the Old Quay at Neston, two Brambling in a finch flock just through the style on the footpath where Marshlands Road meets Quayside and a Green Sandpiper in the same area - in the ditch just out from the tiny parking area here (one heard at the Old Quay may have been same bird). Earlier four Hen Harriers (2m, 2 ring-tailed) from Burton Point plus Peregrine and Merlin.

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Decided to avoid the crowds & try Riverbank Road, Heswll for the high tide today. The car park was virtually empty and between 4 and 8 birders were present at different times.

Birds seen (a couple before I arrived) were a Great White Egret, a male Hen Harrier (these 2 species I missed due to a bit later arrival than planned), 3 Merlins, a Short-eared Owl, a Peregrine, a female Sparrowhawk (flew throughthe car park!!), c.8 Brent Geese, over a thousand Pink-footed Geese, large flocks of Knot, Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatchers, a few Dunlin & several Black-tailed Godwits, a single Water Rail, c.20 Snipe, over 40 Pintail, and plenty of passerines perching around the car park as the waters rose. The marsh was very well covered by the tide and the array of species kind of combined the best of both worlds of Parkgate & Hoylake

Pete Welch · Status: Offline

Really good high tide at Hoylake today - perhaps ten thousand Knot plus a good few hundred Sanderling, Dunlin, up to ten Grey Plover, Oystercatchers and a Godwit. Also of note were Brent Geese on bird rock and at least three colour ringed waders which I'll be reporting [two Knot, one Sanderling]. I spoke to a local ringer who was telling me they'd rung around 60 Knot one night using mist nets - but they are just BTO rings and not coloured so distant ID would be difficult.

Also good to see Brian, Helen and Mike amongst other familiar faces! Brian and Helen saw a Peregrine take a Knot in the water but I only got to see the photos afterwards...

sid ashton · Status: Offline

First Wirral visit of the year this afternoon in lovely weather although something did seem to be missing or perhaps it was the presence of sunshine that was unusual

Not a birding day as such but on a walk from Parkgate Old Baths to Riverbank Road, Gayton was lucky enough to have several good views of a ring tail Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Merlin, Peregrine and Kestrel as well as a couple of noisy Ravens and just as darkness was falling a Barn Owl around the back of the Boathouse pub.

Finished the day with a meal at Mr Chows Chinese Eating House - just the job.

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Had a bit of a late ride down from Mcr to RSPB BMW arrived about 2.45 Nothing much to report as we only stopped in on our way down to Burton Point,

Burton Point
One Short eared Owl made a really brief appearance but was really far away, over to the big chimneys
1 Kestrel
2 Waxwing :0) Nice surprise
Little Egret (several dotted around)

Had a quick drive down to Parkgate and a Kestrel was putting on a fabulous display though the light was fading fast I didnt manage any good photos but enjoyed the display all the same. :0) Would have had great shots had the it been lighter but hey ho.!!

Good afternoon for me, well worth the drive down:0)

CC

paul brady · Status: Offline

Collette Collier wrote:

Thanks Paul, your photos are amazing.

I've added you as a contact so I can have a nosy at your pics from time to time. Hope you don't mind.

My Flickr user name is Dopeycc :0)

I just would like to find a closer location than an hours drive. But will be returning to Burton mere and have seen the short eared owls on the estuary close to the harp inn, not sure of the name of the road. Came back on 21st and saw them again but wasnt close enough for photos :0(

Thanks Collette high praise indeed. Yeah we'll do our best to move closer!

Bird sighting today at RSPB "BMW" - kingfisher, hen harrier, water rail

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

All day on the Wirral yesterday (traitor me!). Very little at IMF and when I left the hide I was the only one - battening down the hatches. Best there Stonechat pair and Hen Harrier 2 ringtail. Too windy for Short-eared Owls on the marsh walking to Burton Point and passerines in very short supply.

Headed for New Brighton high tide wader roost. Excellent showing:
Redshank 300
Turnstone 200
Dunlin 150
Purple Sandpiper 18
Greenshank 1

West Kirby light fading added Oystercatcher and Cormorant from the very busy path around the marine lake (it looks like people are walking on water there!) Couldn't tell if there were any Brent Geese - tideline already a long way off and the wind shaking the scope madly

41 species (9 waders) for a very strange New Year's Day list

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Wednesday 2nd of January 2013 08:11:53 AM

Pete Welch · Status: Offline

Walk to Burton point and back saw one Hen Harrier [male], Sparrowhawk mobbing a Buzzard over the sheep fields, Fieldfare, Kestrel, Little Egrets but too windy for Short Eared Owls I think.

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Thanks Paul, your photos are amazing.

I've added you as a contact so I can have a nosy at your pics from time to time. Hope you don't mind.

My Flickr user name is Dopeycc :0)

I just would like to find a closer location than an hours drive. But will be returning to Burton mere and have seen the short eared owls on the estuary close to the harp inn, not sure of the name of the road. Came back on 21st and saw them again but wasnt close enough for photos :0(

paul brady · Status: Offline

Collette Collier wrote:

Does any one no a spot any closer to manchester where owls or even kestrels are regular visitors. It's a 2 hour round trip for me and sometimes don't see much in the way of good photo subjects. Would appreciate if anyone no's a closer spot. :0)

The kestrels are pretty well behaved at both RSPB Parkgate and RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, plus both places hold short-eared owls, RSPB Burton Marsh (Denhall Lane and surrounds) is good too.

See http://www.flickr.com/photos/56438958@N05/6802704607/in/photostream for an example of a kestrel taking right outside reception building of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. Many other have been taken too just have a look at the Flickr group "RSPB Dee Estuary Nature Reserve"

PS SIghtings from Burton Mere today:
male hen harrier
2 short eared owls
merlin
1000 teal
raven

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Thanx mark and Steve, will check these out. :0)

steve ashworth · Status: Offline

Horwich moor is good for both Kestrel and Short eared owls drive up st georges lane and park on mast rd you shouid get both. Good luck l

Mark Battersby · Status: Offline

Collette

There are numerous kestrels at Dunham Massey but I have found that one of the best places is around Smithy Pool and the adjacent fenced area. Sorry but I can't help you with anywhere much closer than Frodsham marshes for the SEO's. I don't know how many there as I usually go to Denhall Lane. If you walk along the Lane adjacent to the marsh you will normally see them hunting mid afternoon. I have also seen them there at first light. if you walk the opposite direction to Burton Point you will get to a gate where you cannot go any further, they can be seen around there plus the hen harriers visit this area. IMF is just around the corner as well. On the way home moore nature reserve is only 10mins from the motorway.

Hope your next visit is successful.

Mark

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Does any one no a spot any closer to manchester where owls or even kestrels are regular visitors. It's a 2 hour round trip for me and sometimes don't see much in the way of good photo subjects. Would appreciate if anyone no's a closer spot. :0)

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Visited around 2.30 as weather in Manchester looked good, was pretty grim on the way down but was clear when I arrived at the harp inn.

Walked to the left where the big rocks are and spooked a kestrel out of a tree. It landed on the fence to the left and perched for approx a minute. By the time I'd got my camera out it flew off allowing just a quick blurred shot :0( returned later hovering where the red flag (RSPB reserve is there I think?)

Short eared owl showed around 3.10 left and didn't return for a good 20 mins, light started to fade although he returned several times but didnt get very close. Great afternoon

Saw a buzzard in a farmers field to my left driving down the motorway and a fairly large raptor (could have been another buzzard) perched on a fence just as I took the exit off the motorway.

Lots of goldfinch
2 pied wagtails
I think field fare (do these resemble wood pigeons when in flight) wow it's really tough this identifying while in flight??

also a huge flock of birds to the right where you can see the big ferries. Sorry not a clue what they are.?

Great afternoon and a great way to spend my last day annual leave off work. :0)

Pete Welch · Status: Offline

Hello John, I think its quite difficult on the Wirral as I've seen birders, photographers, walkers and dog owners all flush birds. I actually went back again to Hoylake today - just after high tide and the only disturbance I saw then was from a barking dog and a slammed car door [minor upset only - the flock of Knot wheeled around once then landed] until a black Labrador on a harness ran over 700m from Red Rocks direction and put everything on the beach up - I think the owner had a yellow Lab as well and looked a little embarrassed - as well she might! Good that on two out of three visits in the past month there were no issues with photographers though.

Anyway back to the birding - good to see Brian and Helen there [lurkers of this forum :) ] and in better light than yesterday I missed a shot of the big female Sparrowhawk [again!] the prey species looked very white today so might have been a Sanderling. The distribution of birds seemed a bit different today - more Grey Plover, Dunlin and Godwits, less Redshank and Sanderling but probably well over 6-7000 birds and again good to help explain what the spectacle was to passers by - scopes and bins were freely offered :) Shame I missed the period before high tide but just after was good. One Knot was looking rather unwell and stayed on the sand a few feet from the prom until a dog [on a lead] flushed it.

John Doherty · Status: Offline

Great report, Pete - got to admit that idiot dog-walkers are beginning to drive me around the bend - common sense just seems completely lost on those one or two individuals, it's unbelievable - just can forget one incident, but when it starts becoming, like, every time it starts to grate, you know? they do it at Southport, too, (out towards Crossen's Marsh) walk their dogs inches from where the waterfowl are - it doesn't matter if they're on the lead, does it? That's not the point, there is a zone where the birds' space is being invaded and that's that - I suppose that this feeds in nicely with the issues about photographers getting too close etc etc

It wouldn't go amiss just for the local authorities to put up notices 'politely reminding' these people to keep their animals a safe distance away - that wouldn't be militant, just common sense. We seem to have notices for everything else :)

I enjoy the interaction with the public just as much as the next birder, and I really love dogs and will often stop and chat with walkers about theirs (if it's behaving :P) but I feel that this is becoming too much of a problem myself - I haven't seen the situation on The Wirral, but at other sites it's just getting ridiculous

-- Edited by John Doherty on Sunday 16th of December 2012 10:15:47 AM

Pete Welch · Status: Offline

Good high tide roost at Hoylake - thousands of Knot with Grey Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling. As there was so little sand left many thousands of birds stayed in the air for a while over high tide. As one small flock of Dunlin wheeled in, a female Sparrowhawk swept onto the beach from the gardens just to the left of the slipway, took a Dunlin around 5m out into the surf line and then flew back to the gardens with it - stunning show and one of the photographers got superb photos of it [I got a dark blur :) ] Only disturbance was from dog walkers - two of whom quickly got their dogs under control when asked by one of the wardens and one lady with a greyhound who insisted on walking her dog on the 15m of sand left around the slipway - flushing the Knot, all for a twelve second walk...

Lots of people stopped to ask what species they were and what had caused the spectacle - always good to help other people enjoy the birds!

David Wilson · Status: Offline

An absolutely bitter day today down at Burton marshes. But worth it. Reed bunting , pair Stonechat then a Merlin zoomed past chasing a meadow pipit around Burton point area. Then walked towards the Harp inn. Fabulous views of 2 Short eared owl hunting around midday. 2 Water rail near the yellow outflow pipe. Fieldfare eating the last of the berries then a stunning male Hen harrier flew towards us before reeling away back out onto the marsh. One of those days.

David Wilson · Status: Offline

Went back to the Harp inn area this morning Collette. Got 26 Waxwings on the housing estate. Few pics as well. Pleased you got Short eared owls.

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Oh wow so glad you got the waxwings, brilliant. Hope you managed some good shots.? Will be keeping an eye out on Flickr :0)

David Wilson wrote:

Went back to the Harp inn area this morning Collette. Got 26 Waxwings on the housing estate. Few pics as well. Pleased you got Short eared owls.

-- Edited by Collette Collier on Sunday 2nd of December 2012 08:34:51 PM

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Dee estuary (harp in)

my first proper sightings of short eared owls today and saw 3 in total
1 Kestrel
Reed bunting
fieldfare

Big thanks to David for showing me the area and the best spot for seeing the short eared, had a great day and got a few half decent photos.

Waxwings seemed to elude us today at this spot however others passing said they'd made an appearance

Thanks to Sid that postcode was spot on.

CC

Collette Collier · Status: Offline

Hi Sid

Thanks so much for the tip and the postcode, always helpful to have a postcode to put in sat nav.

Will check ths out hopefully soon.

Regards
CC

sid ashton wrote:

Collette Collier wrote:

Hi guys

I don't no this area but was by default that way on Monday, went to burton mere rspb reserve and the staff there told us to head to park gate.. We went as far as the road would allow and ended up on a car park with a barrier that said is locked at 5. Is this a good spot for short eared owl spotting ? As i I dont no the area reading posts about sightings doesn't mean much in the way of finding them.

I'd love to photograph the short eared so thinking this may be a good place to start. I live in manchester so a long way to drive if it's not the right place.

Advice much appreciated :0)

Hi Collette probably the best place to see Short-eared Owls at the moment, on the Wirral is on the marsh off Denhall Lane. At this time of year they are frequently seen mid afternoon close to the Harp Inn, Little Neston (CH64 0TB) - that's down Marshlands Road off Burton Road. Rather than me trying to explain exactly how to get there take a look at DEE ESTUARY BIRDS in the Links section on the home page of our forum. Hope that helps.

PS you will have passed the top end of Marshlands Road on your way from RSPB Burton Mere to Parkgate

-- Edited by sid ashton on Wednesday 28th of November 2012 09:11:55 PM