A repeat trip to the bend in the river Mersey at low tide at dawn to see if any waders were hanging around. Two Redshank represented the wader total until two Oystercatcher flew by. Including the banks to the North West of Wigg Island, from Halfway House 47 Shelduck could be seen, 217 Black-headed Gull (almost all immatures), 14 Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Great Black-backed Gull, one Mallard, two Cormorant, eight Gadwall and the usual Canada Geese.

Norton Marsh had eight Reed Bunting (4m,4f) and 12 Meadow Pipit (bit of passage), and six Skylark. Five Cetti's Warblers heard between Randles Tip and Round Cherval, two being on the South of the Ship Canal at Oxmoor NR. Six more heard singing transecting Norton Marsh. A White Wagtail was on Penketh Bar.

First Tree Sparrow for many months seen at Moss Farm and a lonely Wigeon was still on Lapwing Lane Lake. Kingfisher went up the Ship Canal as I drove over the swing bridge.

(edited to add Warbler to Cetti's, apols Ian for yesterdays sloppy post!).

Again, quiet the last two day with the Chiffchaffs and a few more Willow Warbler. Headed West today to the river, seven Snipe on Norton Marsh, two pair Reed Bunting, one Yellowhammer over, two Skylark, five Cetti's Warblers.

Up river to Richmond Bank a couple of Redshank and four Lapwing were seen on the way but Richmond Bank stole the day with 97 Lesser Black-backed Gulls including two almost pitch black coated ones (fuscus graselli?) and 22 Great Black-backed Gulls and a single Herring Gull. Six Black-headed Gulls loafed on the river with seven Canada Geese.

Two Siskin in the alders by teh farm fields footpath on the way back and two Oystercatcher in the wood on Birchwood Pool Island provided the last of the days excitement.

Today marks the Spring Solstice and thus the end of Quarter 1 of "Solstice to Solstice" year patch birding (I was banned from doing a 2023 patch list as apparently I have a lot of gardening and DIY to do.......)!

So a few trips have been had down the patch the last few days to see if I could get a share of the Sand Martins, Wheatears and Common Scoters that seem to be dropping in all over Cheshire (though Moore does seem to get its migrants later than the southern 2/3s Cheshire) to get the patch Q1 score to 100 (personal best in Q1 before 97). Nada, not a dicky-bird, quite literally. Bad birding ju-ju last few days. Hmmm, the Yin to the Yang of that excellent week a couple of weeks ago.

Then this morning, on a loop from Pumphouse Pool two Oystercatchers, one Lapwing, one Common Sandpiper, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Teal, Gadwall, Grey Heron and Mallard).Chiffchaff. 28 in total across the route (Pumphouse, Birchwood Pool, Lapwing Lane, back field path via Shiptons Wood (11 here alone) to Owens Wood, then to Round Cherval (tide still high, Canada Geese and Shelduck only birds on the river) and then back up the Ship Canal to the crossroads and swing bridge).

Male Goldeneye on Birchwood Pool, seven pairs great Crested Grebe across Birchwood Pool and the Ship Canal, Grey Wagtail on the roof of Recovery Wharf, three Ravens over Triangle field made the best of the rest.

Little else about, a decent number of Redwing (30+) and Song Thrush (12) were on the Southern Ship Canal horse fields by Stobarts Warehouse.

The destruction and decline of Moore NR continues. Birchwood East hide has (intentionally one presumes) been bulldozed into the pool itself. A youth had taken advantage of this new "launch spot" on Sunday and was canoeing on the pool..."the sign only says no swimming mate, doesn't say no watersports" which in reflection was a fair response to my challenge what he was doing there. Having canoed the Mersey a number of times past Moore i can't really fault the logic or take a high ground here as long as the Island and roosting birds isn't disturbed.

Scores on the doors: 98 for the Q1 "year" list to date (new PB but probably aided by the Marsh Harrier in the last week of Dec 2022), 281 miles walked, 132 hrs "on patch" since December 21st.

Afternoon mid to low tide yomp down the Mersey mudflats from Arpley Bridge to Richmond Bank, 2 Oystercatchers, four Lapwing, three Carrion Crow, 18 Black-headed Gull, 7 Great Black-backed Gull, four Lesser Black-backed Gull and one each Common Gull and Herring Gull. 33 Teal on the Bank.

Back to the reserve paths, now smelling of wellies full of sewage / Mersey mud.......Pumphouse Pool was best, 47 Teal, two Green Sandpiper and for less than a minute, five Wagtails landed on the Spit then flew off high to the North calling. At least two were White Wagtails, possibly a third but they flew as I was switching from Bins to 'scope so didn't get he best look at birds 3-5. 47 Teal and 9 Gadwall of note for duck.

5 Pochard on the Black-fields Pools, Gargeny not seen nor reported since Tue. A further 32 Teal (group from Richmond Bank or a third separate group, 112 Teal on patch would be my highest). 9 Tufted Duck.

And most strangely, on the roof of a warehouse at recovery wharf a Green Woodpecker pecking at the moss on the roof. Some inscety feed present warmed by the building heat loss?

One of those weeks patch birding and the hrs put in pay off. A very short visit today around the Eastern Reedbed and Pumphouse Pool (Long-tailed Tits two pair off, were the only woodland birds apart from a Wren), six Teal, eight Gadwall one Cormorant and a Grey Heron on Pumphouse.

Up the embankment to view the Black Field Pools (level is high looks, poor for wader passage this year but plenty diving duck present); one pochard, 17 Tufted Duck, a Coot, two Mallard, Buzzard overhead, two Moorhen, Black-headed Gull and at the back skulking along the reeds by the rear third pool, resplendent in the morning sunshine a Garganey. First patch bird of the year, first summer migrant on patch, first self-found Garganey. Not a bad end to a week with patch year ticks of Caspian Gull (less than annual) and Black-tailed Godwit (just about annual in the last 10 years, usually autumn on Pumphouse though rather than on the River banks.

So having seen the first "summer migrant" it is time to invoke the Moore Universal Law of Listing (C) Mark Feltham. I.e. you take the number of species at the first summer migrant, divide by 0.7 (on 96 species, divided by 0.7 suggests 137 species will be passing through the reserve....but you need to take 10% away as you'll not get every species), giving a year predicted patch total of 124 species. 8-9 more Warblers potentially, so 96 goes to 105, Cuckoo 106, Swallows, Swifts and Martins 110, three more plover species 113, a Tern species 114 (wouldn't an April Black tern be a nice tick?),  autumn Greenshanks 114, Hobby and Osprey 116, Woodcock 117, the illusive Stock Dove 118 and Water Rail hasn't been seen or heard this year but lack of access to the old Phoenix hide may be the reason. Hmm, that leaves 5-6 or so wild cards....perhaps Wheatear on migration and Ring Ouzel again if really lucky.

Record shot

Lunchbreak visit to the reserve from Car Park crossroads to the Eastern Reedbed and environs.

1 Parakeet still Lapwing Lane behind the hide and reports of three more. Buzzard over Ship Canal with 18 Gadwall. Great crested Grebe on canal also. 27 Tufted Duck on Anglers Pool.

Reed Bunting and Skylarks flying over the tip areas.

Green Sandpiper and two Teal on Pumphouse Pool but little else to the east all the way to Eastford Road.

Back to Birchwood Pool and there was a good raft of Gulls (high tide at Fidddlers Ferry was around 11:40). Up to 140 Black-headed Gulls with numbers coming and going over an hour. 18 Common Gull, my highest here for many years. Three Lesser Black-backed Gull (1ad, 2 imm), two Herring Gulls and a Gull that had a slightly different manner - slightly bulkier hind but more slender / edgy up front and look to it, even giving washing out sunlight conditions a very "pale" Herring Gull cf the classic Argentus next to it. Could only pick up bridge forehead going to flat top profile, pale yellow-green bill with very small ruddy dark spot, straight bill (cf the adjacent Herring Gulls fine yellow and red respectively). With the sunlight directly on the gull it looked very pale. Moving from the Southern Hide to the Western I got a much better side on view and pale head and neck striping were visible with the better light angle as were the primary showing white only on the tip and side (~2cm white grey stripe) of the outer primary and a small spot on P9 when the gulls was washing its wings, with only the smallest smidgeon of white when the wings were folded - seems good for a sub/ad winter Caspian Gull. There was also as per 22nd Feb "interesting Lesser Black-backed (presume) Gull was also on Pumphouse, I suspect tricks of the light, its legs appeared very vividly Crayola Crayon Yellow, and its back was as black as night, much darker than a compatriot next to it. There were no white areas showing in the tail primaries either, completely black, unlike the bird next to it" but I can't get diagnostic features to add up for that individual.

Screenshot from video taken, bird on left - too poor quality photo to ascertain anything but there for the record. Will try and process the video to an uploadedable size.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 7th of March 2023 04:33:40 PM

I saw the Parakeets last week - if they're settled, they'll be taking over Woodpecker holes . Potentially serious problem there

Andy, agreed, short is best

Hmmm, not convinced. Think a shorter narrative of highlights rather than a full list from the Birdtrack App as filled in as walked is more useful / easier to read. Comments welcome. Cheers, Andy

Lots of Tits in Song this afternoon. Very quite otherwise. No raptors. The Wigeon seem to have departed the reserve for the spring elsewhere. Three Cormorants alone in the roost on Lapwing Lane Pool.

Pumphouse Pool had the wader action with a solitary Green Sandpiper and likewise a solitary Lapwing and a solitary Pied Wagtail. Interesting Gadwall (x Mallard [Falcated?]) type duck with Gadwall body back and breast but a white throat band and green crown. Hybrid Mallard x Muscovy duck also present. Perhaps from one of the local farms or from the feral duck collection off the back of Eastford Road.

Two Common Gull amongst 49 Black-headed Gulls on Birchwood Pool. Great crested Grebe look to be building a nest on the East End the Island. Herring Gulls over a few times, perhaps 12 in two hours on the reserve.

Two Goldeneye (m+f) on Birchwood Pool. Six Little Grebe.

Black-fields Pools - seventeen Pochard (my site highest ever count), 7m, 10f.  Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall and Little Egret.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Monday 27th of February 2023 08:52:43 PM

Down to the river for Dawn. Plenty of singing Song Thrush, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Great Tits on the way from Lapwing Lane. 17 Grey Heron on the south bank of the Ship Canal, spaced between 120 and 145 "Andy Slee steps" apart, amazing regularity in spacing!

432 Lapwing on Penketh Bar, with 53 Curlew, four Herring Gull, one Little Egret and two Black-headed Gulls. Eight Canada Geese on river. Two Shelduck distant toward the saltmarsh at Wigg Island.

Eight Redwing back at Lapwing Lane, Marsh Tit heard but not seen on path from feeders to Birchwood Pool. Plenty of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes singing away. Great Spotted Woodpecker showing well by Lapwing Lane hide, drumming away. 27 Wigeon on Lapwing Lane Pool.

Lapwing Lane Pool; 27 Wigeon, m+f Goldeneye, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Blue Tits, Great Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper.

Richmond Bank; 457 Lapwing, two Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, 47 Black-headed Gulls.

Two Yellowhammer and six Skylark, Wren, Buzzard, two Grey Partridge, resplendent in the sun a male Stonechat, two Jack Snipe on Upper Moss Side and Norton Marsh.

Penketh Bar; 1097 Lapwing (none ever flew past me as I came down river from Richmond Bank so presume separate from the Richmond Bank birds), Four adult and one juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls, four Herring Gulls, one Shelduck, Grey Heron, 102 Black-headed Gulls.

Single Curlew flew over as I returned through the farm path. Quiet on the farm fields apart from Corvids. Woods back to Lapwing Lane also quiet a couple of Robins, Blackbirds and a Song Thrush.

AM
Birchwood Pool
2 dapper M Goldeneye displaying to 1 F bird in sunshine.

Skylarks (2), Dunnock, Reed Bunting and Cetti's Warbler on Norton Marsh.

47 Lapwing and 27 Curlew on Penketh Bank. Four Great Black-backed Gull, Mallard, Grey Heron, 47 Black-headed Gull. One Herring Gull.

Re Stock Dove funny, I was just wondering if any were still about. There used to be a pair to the left of Lapwing Lane hide. Re LEO the warden was telling me of recent sightings over the fields / marsh area so eyes open certainly. There is a second pair Tawny down near the Eastern Reedbed as well as the ones near the crossroads these days.

Decided on a long visit - low low tide to high (Spring) high tide. Video of tide coming past Fiddlers Ferry here ...amazing how nothing happens then the river basin fills in 30 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArJRDvq1QLA

I know, I put the trail cam upside down  so the time caption is upside down at the top. A small Mersey Bore can be seen passing Penketh Bar at 2m14s as the flooding tide comes up the estuary.

6:30 a.m. Crossroad / Swing Bridge. Mallard, Tufted Duck, Carrion Crow, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tawny Owl, Buzzard, Jackdaw, Jay, Wren, Treecreeper, Robin all seen or heard near crossroads or on the Ship Canal.

Lapwing Lane Pool Coot, Little Grebe, Wigeon, Shoveler (4), Great Tit and Cormorant.

Lapwing Lane (North) - Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Woodpigeon, Pheasant, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk.

Moss Farm - House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit and Blue Tit.

Upper Moss Side - Curlew, Feral Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock.

Round Cherval overlooking the river (9a.m.) - Great Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Teal, Cetti's Warbler, Lapwing (27), Gadwall.

Manchester Ship Canal back to crossroads. Nuthatch, Great crested Grebe (7), Moorhen.

Lapwing Lane Wood - Redwing (7), Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Bullfinch (2), Siskin, Raven, Goldfinch.

Recovery Wharf (10:30a.m.) - Starling, Pied Wagtail, Collared Dove (2).

Eastern Reedbed - Reed Bunting.

Black-fields Pools. Bittern (*) in flight across small third pool reedbed at back pool, as seen from top of bank above "Firecrest Alley", Grey Wagtail, 8 Bullfinch.

Pumphouse Pool (11 a.m.) - nothing; zilch, oh for the heady days of wader migration last spring here.

Birchwood Pool - Mute Swan, Pochard.

Halfway House and Norton Marsh (back up for the high tide) (12:20 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.) - Common Gull, Shelduck, Merlin (flushed by beautiful Dog Fox running on the Marsh as the tide covered it).

West Dock on the Ship Canal - two Goldcrest, three Fieldfare over in flight.

A respectable 63 species (no Coal Tit!?!), 17 miles walked.

(*) bumped into the warden later and mentioned this, there have been Bittern at Moore each winter for the last 30 years, up to three some years, they just don't report them much when away from the Eastern Reedbed (now inaccessible due to Phoenix hide having being burnt down last summer) as technically the areas aren't public access but belong to the Tip; not that that seems to stop some dog walkers such as the one that walked across the back of the pool today flushing the Bittern.

From Musselburgh to Moore, one day, two countries, twitching and patching (Part 2, see Scotland thread for part 1).

17th Jan - Waking in Scotland, a couple hrs birding there and an afternoon work in Runcorn I was goosed. But driving home from Runcorn I auto piloted and parked up at Moss Lane. 3:50pm so not much daylight left, but time for a quick loop around Lapwing Lane and a few environs. Wigeon and 47 Tufted Dock on Lapwing Lane Pool, plus two Coot.

Plenty of Jackdaw and Carrion Crows coming in to the Capped Tip roost and trains of Gulls (mostly Black-headed, a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed mixed in). Curlew calling on Upper Moss Side (UMS), Barn Owl quartering the fields on UMS. Blue Tits and Great Tits everywhere (tallies for the yomp 47 and 37 respectively). Couple of groups of 8-9 Long-tailed Tits moving through the trees back at Big Wood. Few Gulls on Birchwood Pool. Two Tawny Owls calling to each other in Big Wood coming back to the crossroad and to complete the day, as I set off back up Moss Lane past Big Hand Ranch a Little Owl (year tick) was sat on the gateposts of BHR! My first triple owl day (had two triple woodpecker days) at Moore.

Not bad for a "normal" work day, a lifer and seven year ticks!

A quick visit too Norton Marsh revealed a calling Corn Bunting on the Upper Moss Side farmland, heard to call and recorded and Sonogram checked - spent half hour watching the hedge the calling came from but never laid eyes on the bird. 

Penketh Bar had 504 Lawing and 67 Curlew with their haunting call drifting over the estuary. 32 Canada Geese drifted down the river. One Great Black-backed Gull was with the Black-headed Gulls. 26+6 Linnet in two flocks were also on the farm fields, with two Skylard and 6 Meadow Pipit over The Marsh. Four Snipe were flushed also.

Richmond Bank held 440 Lapwing and 1,260 Black-headed Gull with four Herring Gull and six Shelduck. Two Redwing flew over the Capped Tip where a Buzzard was soaring until battered down by the rain.

Reversing yesterdays loop, of interest first, was a male Peregrine today on Stobart's Warehouse. Great Crested Grebe again doing the display snake dance on the Ship Canal by Randall Sluice.

Song Thrush (patch and year tick) on the path from the Ethylene Station to the old Shrike Field which also gave up calling Grey Partridge (patch tick, year tick) which were then flushed (7 off) as I got closer up the path. Seven Curlew were in the paddocks by Stobrats.

Three or four Buzzards were over Upper Moss Side at any one time, six Kestrels in different locations. One female Sparrowhawk by Round Cherval on the Ship Canal and a female Merlin (patch tick, year tick) zoomed down the Lane by the old Tree Sparrow feeding Station.

Again High Tide....a Lapwing flock of similar size to yesterday (600-700) was put up from Fiddler Ferry Lagoons by an unseen source; a few minutes later looking East another slightly smaller flock (500-550) was flying over Richmond Bank / north side of Capped Tip - Fiddlers Ferry flock still in view so two separate flocks.

Thirty-eight Curlew were in a flooded field one field North from Moss Side Cottages.

A Goldcrest made the last of the days patch firsts for the recording period.

Couple of Pochard on Birchwood Pool and the unusually high number of Wigeon still on Lapwing Lane Pool.

Lunchtime. Black-fields Pools held 34 Teal. To the NW a distant flock of 800 Lapwing could be seen to rise from the vicinity of Richmond Bank as the tide came in.

Single male Grey Wagtail on the roof of Recovery Wharf.

13 Wigeon Lapwing Lane Pool.

Sparrowhawks (both F) at Feeding Station and Eastern Reedbed.

Four different Ravens seen. Nuthatches and Treecreeper in the Woods. Curlew heard in the direction of Moss Lane.

Terry Long wrote:

---

Hi, I'm not sure if I'm talking about the same gulls as you but I believe the majority of the gulls that pass overhead over the Mersey around wigg, roost at frodsham marsh.

---

Did a trip west today and walked from Wigg to Halfway House at dusk. Gulls were definitely settling on the mid-river bank as dusk fell under the new Mersey Gateway Bridge which doesn't get flooded except by the highest tides - saltmarsh grass appearing to start to grow this year.

Earlier, Halfway House delivered one Lapwing, three Redshank, one Curlew and 48 Dunlin (my highest count by far) on Penketh Bar.

Mostly the same as the last few days with the thaw giving a bit more action.

However, a new species for Moore was found today, being in Britain the 2nd most common Woodland Wader the Wood-Curlew. 47 were feeding at the bottom of Moss Lane in the Wood. 

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Saturday 17th of December 2022 05:34:50 PM

Eastern Reedbed...with everyone else getting Bitterns a forlone frozen hour with no Bittern, just four Starlings and 11 Long-tailed Tit and just one Cetti today.

Gulls appeared in bigger numbers than 7th Dec post I made below, but this time I was counting Corvids going to roost on the tip.

I had a bit of a theory last week as the farmer closes the gate near Colins Hide, the rattling of his Loadhaul tractor on the track makes a distinctive noise to say "all clear" as the Corvids only started last week to go towards the tip when that happened. Today, again within two minutes of the farmer leaving the tip, in came the Corvids (15:59 last week, 15:57 today so not related to sundown - both days clear blue skies).

In total 919 Jackdaw, 128 Carrion Crow, 1 Jay, 70+ Magpie (wasn't counting them at first) and three Ravens from Arpley circled back to the Capped Tip. Numbers felt to be less than half of last weeks roost.

87 Pink-footed Geese went North at 16:08.

Tawny Owl again on the path to the River Mersey from ERB.