Had half a day in this general area today cut short by a car problem!

First port of call was near Birkdale where 5 Cattle Egrets had been reported, but lots of birders I know had tried & failed to see them, still it was worth a go. I followed the pager directions to the letter and parked in Daisy Way and checked out the field opposite - nothing!! In fact the field did not look great habitat for egrets so I was a bit puzzled. I started to scan further round and got a glimps of an egrets head a few fields away. I could also see a dogwalker on a footpath over in that direction, so rather than scope from this distant point with limited views I set off down the B5243 in an easterly direction. It looked bad as the raod was lined with houses and the fields totally obscured but I then came to a track between 2 houses that led to some allotments. This was walkable up to the ends of the back gardens of the houses but from there on was totally private so I stopped and scoped from there. Pretty close in the first field was a large group of egrets. Taking lots of piccies and checking half hidden birds I eventually came up with totals of 6 Cattle Egrets and 12 Little Egrets, result I passed on the revised directions to the pager and so hopefully visiting birders will have a better chance now to connect.

Next stop was Banks, just past Marshside RSPB, where I pulled up and immediately saw one of the pair of resident Little Owls. As I watched the second bird emerged from the hole and flew off into nearby trees. Watching from the car the original bird showed brilliantly well but eventually turned and popped back inside out of view. The surrounding fields held good numbers of Red-legged Partridges too, another 'yeartick'.

I then headed to the Mere Sands Wood/Martin Mere WWT area but my cars computer came up with a fault light that could have been a number of problems, some serious, so I gave up on birding and headed home so I could see my friendly mechanic who is sorting it for me tomorrow. Better safe than sorry, but still a great morning out, and it was sunny to boot

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 10th of February 2017 10:43:41 PM

Day spent around here today; cracking day for it, and some great action seen. Highlights:

Linnet and skylark
c1,000 teal
25+ shoveler
6 gadwall
2,000+ wigeon
c150 pintail
c10 shelduck
150+ tufted duck
300+ pink-footed geese on outmarsh
2 mute swan
400+ golden plover
1,000+ lapwing
5+ redshank
60+ black-tailed godwit
2 oystercatcher
7+ curlew
5+ little egret
1 grey heron
3 common gull
2 great black-backed gull
1 merlin - fantastic views of it sat plucking and eating prey (skylark, I think)
1 kestrel (putting up hundreds of plovers and ducks)
1 sparrowhawk

A walk down to the mudflats from the car-park yielded:

1 linnet
c25 skylark
19 shelduck
20+ pin-footed geese
70+ dunlin
17+ redshank
32 oystercatcher
2 curlew
3 little egret
Plenty of waders to distant to ID.

Didn't have time for a proper look on Crossens Outmarsh, but from the quick spy I gave it, it was a sea of wigeon and lapwing, with a few starling, teal, redshank, pink-footed geese and little egret thrown in.

Our annual blow away the cobwebs trip started with an early (6-30am) departure from Rochdale for four A team members. We decided on Merseyside initially and we headed for Marshside, Southport with myself at the wheel. After a tricky drive in the dark we soon reached Southport and it was still dark! A good mooch around as the dawn broke, had us all watching a Great White Egret in the company of a Little Egret, nice for comparison. The usual expected birds were seen and then at Nell`s Hide a Lesser Snow Goose (Blue Phase) was seen right outside the hide and a couple of phone scope pictures were taken. The bird soon departed in the direction of Martin Mere?

    A few Cattle Egrets had been seen a couple of times in Birkdale, but after meeting a couple of birders, who narrowly missed the Lesser Snow Goose, told us that they had looked for the egrets without success, we had a look anyway and they were right, no sign, but 3 Grey Partridge at the side of the road in Hightown helped.

Dave O.

A report at Marshside ia that a red breasted goose had turned up with over 200 pink footed geese and someone managed a record picture to prove it before he wondered further out. I had a quick look myself and they were very distant by now. With having no scope and no luck finding it i decided to call it a day..... Thanks.

Snow Goose (Blue morph) feeding with hundreds of Pink footed Goose on inner marsh Hesketh Rd end approx 14.30, then flew onto outer marsh
Also of note
Merlin 1m
Sparrowhawk 1f

Thursday 20th October 2016

Ross's Goose & 3 Cattle Egrets just north of Sandgrounders Hide

Just got results back from BTO of a little egret I saw on 19 th Sept on marsh side. Bird was ringed on left leg with white darvic V, and right leg with yellow darvic K. It was originally ringed on 5th July 2013 by mr Cross at Penryhn castle near Bangor as nestling. This is the first reported sighting to BTO in that time. Worth keeping an eye out for it. Also some colour ringed black tailed godwits reported but awaiting results of those .

Day spent around here today; gorgeous day, but very bright making IDing roosting eclipse ducks, especially, quite tricky earlier on before it clouded over a little in the late afternoon. Again, some crackers seen; highlights:

Chiffchaff, goldfinch, linnet, house martin, swallow, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, skylark.
1 yellow wagtail
1 kingfisher
400+ teal
c25 shoveler
3 gadwall
6 wigeon
2 shelduck
1 tufted duck
400+ pink-footed geese
9 ringed plover
40+ lapwing
2 little stint
2 dunlin
5 snipe
1,500+ black-tailed godwit
1 oystercatcher
2 curlew
1 cattle egret (several sightings, once close in from the viewing screen just outside Sandgrounders Hide)
9 little egret
4 grey heron
1 merlin
1 kestrel

A walk along the path to the mudflats at high-tide yielded:

32 ringed plover on the path itself, with 2 dunlin
10+ redshank
3 oystercatcher
The fantastic sight of a train of 100+ curlew flying past; they kept on coming! Perhaps c30 knot and 50+ dunlin in with them.
c15 little egret

Further along Marine Drive, near a layby with a Ribble Estuary Nature Reserve sign, is a small pool on the seaward side of the road, which proved quite productive:

c15 linnet
400+ starling
100+ teal
3 wigeon
c40 golden plover
150+ lapwing
3 ruff
4 black-tailed godwit
1 little egret
1 or 2 kestrel

Spare day and an event was being run on my patch so rather than be part of the crowds - I'm used to having it to myself! - I decided to finally pop over to Marshside to see the Cattle Egret. We walked up Marshside Road to its favoured area and it was with the cattle as expected. With the bird under our belts immediately we then spent a couple of hours hoping that it would come closer for pictures. But it stayed at the rear of the field, mostly with the cattle, but also occasionally flying to a ditch to digest & rest. We watched it mainly catching insects such as grasshoppers, but also saw it take a large frog! The bird was on view all the time we were there, at least 3 hours, and showed really well through the scope. In the end I managed a record digiscoped shot at distance, but was pleased that the bird was so easily seen and so quickly too!

 

Third visit and third time luck to see the Cattle Egret, Rewarded with reasonably close views from Marshside Road

Sun 7/8 17:20-18:25 sunny light cloud strong sw wind

Cattle Egret 1 ad sp seen briefly at 18:00 at the back of the RSPB hide pool in rose bay willow herb and docks, seems to be a gulley ditch there
At least 12 L Egrets

Black tailed godwit at least 1,000
Golden plover 2

[Probable peregrine spooked godwits and other waders and starlings]
Sparrowhawk f hunting along hedge

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 8th of August 2016 06:18:54 AM

Luck wasn't on my side today as the cattle egret has up and left (was my motivation for going) . I searched thoroughly along the back path but i did get a nice glossy ibis view though distant whilst there. Every report that came in was the same- no cattle egret, still, it wouldn't have been my first all-timer so can't complain there. Other birds to note are Dunlin juveniles close, 30 swallows landed next to the sandgrousers hide on the fence, common sandpiper, black tailed godwit, avocet juvenile and several little egrets (10+). The Nels hide is currently bare with only a tiny amount of mud to show (which is about normal at this time of year). Thanks..

Saturday 30th July...mid afternoon visit.

- Cattle Egret 1
Got to Sandgrounders after just missing it from Marshside Rd (presumably that was you John I was speaking to?) and within minutes I picked the bird up and got everyone else on to it.
A splendid bird in cracking plumage and it was with the Cattle! I walked further up the path passed the hide and I found myself quite close, watching it feeding in between the herd. Brilliant.

- Glossy Ibis 1
Showing really well from Nel's, feeding well, and showing off its glossy colours in the sun.

Other birds of note...
- Little Egret 15+
- Grey Heron 2
- Black-tailed Godwit 200+
- Acocet 6
- Oystercatcher 1
- Sparrowhawk 1 female caught a juv Lapwing

Monday 25th July.
A weeks holiday so a chance for some birding through the week.

- Cattle Egret had flown 10 minutes before I arrived at lunchtime, apparently dropped infront of the hide but no sign all afternoon.
Bumped into Austin Morley and Dawn, and as we were talking, at 4.50pm a birder outside Sangrounders said he'd found it right at the back of the fields towards the waterworks, as if you were sat in the hide looking out towards the houses.
Myself and Austin went to check the very bird he pointed out and it was a Little Egret, it had a grey bill and greenish legs so we presumed an immature one.

Other birds of note...
- Little Egret 20+
- Black-tailed Godwits (few 100)
- Ruff 2
- Oystercatcher 2
- Avocets
- Dunlin
- Curlew
- Redshank
- Lapwing
- Linnets
- Sedge Warbler 2
- Reed Warbler 2
- Sparrowhawk
- Lesser Black-backed Gull took a young Coot, but it lost its catch to a Great-black backed Gull, who in turn was being pestered by a young Grey Heron.


-- Edited by Rob Creek on Wednesday 27th of July 2016 02:36:55 PM

Cattle Egret mentioned by RBA, from Sandgrounders flew S at 13:40

Might be worth checking the roost on the Marine Lake island, later

Also interesting that a Little Egret with yellow bill mentioned on this website for BMW on Tuesday

-- Edited by John Watson on Saturday 23rd of July 2016 01:56:15 PM

Late post for Monday 11th July, a change of route to cover staff holidays has meant a busier week than normal but also a rare chance for a bit of birding.

12pm - 12.30pm on latter part of tacho break.
Of note...
- Black-tailed Godwit 100-150 mostly breeding plumaged
- Avocet
- Oystercatcher
- Redshank
- Lapwing
- Shoveler
- Tufted Duck
- Little Egret
- Swift
- Sand Martin
- Skylark
- Whitethroat
- Linnet
- Starling group of approx 100

Nells Hide
6:00pm
M Ruff in full Summer plumage looking fantastic. A bit skulking, but showed pretty well eventually. 3 F Ruff, much plainer, of course were perfectly easy to see.
1 Common Sandpiper
Loads of Avocet chicks.
Junction Pool
1 adult Mediterranean Gull

Late post for Thursday 30th June. Approx 12.30 - 1.15pm

Delivering in Southport so thought it would be rude not to put the wagon on tacho break and get some birding in.
Lots of birds but mainly usuals.
Of note...
- no sign of the Glossy Ibis for me
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Avocet
- Redshank
- Oystercatcher
- Lapwing
- Little Egret
- Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Tufted Duck
- Sand Martin
- Swift
- Skylark
- Whitethroat
...and an even larger aerial figure as a fighter jet was doing some fantastic displays over the marsh opposite Sandgrounder's Hide, it came close to the coast road a few times and put up quite a few birds from the marsh in the process. I should imagine they're used to the planes, being so close to RAF Woodvale.

Monday 30th May
I had a few deliveries in the area so called in on my break. Nice to bump into Rob and Sonia Adderley.

Of note...
- Sedge Warbler 2 (1 up close)
- Reed Warbler 1
- Whitethroat 2
- Reed Bunting 4 all male
- Skylark
- Meadow Pipit
- Ruff 4 fantastic individuals in full breeding plumage
- Black-tailed Godwits also in full breeding plumage
- Avocet lots around
- Oystercatcher
- Redshank
- Wigeon
- Shoveler
- Gadwall
- no sign of the Glossy Ibis for me and I tried to find the Garganey that Rob and Sonia told me about but my tacho break was almost up so no sign of that either.

Sandgrounders
juv Little Gull showing really well hawking for insects over Sandgrounders Pool

I had a few hours here today 3.30-6.30pm.

glossy ibis feeding & showing well from the small screen inbetween junction pool & nels hide.
2 little gulls still on pollys pool
lots avocets around
4 ruff were flying around a lot, when they did land they were a bit distant for a photo, but I did try.
2 little egrets
2 little grebe
plenty of sedge warbler around
2 reed warbler
shelducks, oystercatchers, lapwings
few black tailed godwit & redshank
lots of swifts around
also swallows & house martins.

Sandgrounders area

6:00 pm
1 Black Tern full summer plumage hawking low with gulls and swifts, very close in

2 juv Little Gulls also close, flying with the tern at times.

6th may, 4.30- 9pm

1 glossy ibis, eventually & distant, I was stood at junction pool scoping the area & the ibis was right down the far end near hesketh road. it was preening & there was a chap with a camera pointing it in the direction of the ibis so I thought it seems settled & thought I might as well take a walk down there & get a closer look but unfortunately it was gone when I got there & the chap with the camera, I scanned around but nowhere to be seen
2 scaup, male & female showing well from junction pool.
2 little gull, feeding amongst the hundreds of black headed gulls on the pools near sandgrounders.
1 common sandpiper
40+ avocet
27 dunlin
lapwings, oystercatchers, shelducks, black tailed godwits & redshanks spread all around.
4 wigeon
tufted duck, shoveler, gadwall.
4 little grebe
2 wheatear
14+ sedge warbler
1 reed warbler
5 whitethroat
few swallows
3 house martin
several little egrets around.
plus all the usuals.

A very excellent day with a superb 59 species found and with some usual suspects absent. Highlights include; 2 Scaup males with 1 female (found at the far southern tip viewpoint- opposite the golf course), Three white fronted geese (thanks to a fellow birder), male white wagtail, 4 Mediterranean gulls, and thanks to the high tide, 16 eider ducks was a major surprise and 3 Jack snipes.Also to note was Golden plover (most now in summer plumage), grey plover, avocet, great and lesser black backed gull, wheatear and pintail. Now on my way back to get something for tea.....