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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> Cheshire and The Wirral -> Moore NR
Post Info TOPIC: Moore NR
Andy Slee


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Moore NR
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Rare due to work these days a rare chance to traverse the whole reserve early. Birdsong was fantastic as the ground frost gave an eirie mist close to the ground in places. Came in from Wigg Island and heard Common Whitethroats twice on Randles tip and from Oxmoor, as soon as I passed Halfway House not one more all morning. Mind other warblers seem missing in usual places this year - still no Reed Warblers down the West. 13 Cetti's Warblers heard in the whole traverse from Halfway House - Owens Wood - back path to ex Norton Marsh Hide, Lapwing Lane Wood / Pool - Birchwood Pool - Pumphouse Pool - Black Fields Pool - Eastford Road - Morely Common.

31 Canada Geese on Cuerdly Marsh had goslings present, difficult to see in the long grass. Redshank (1), Little Egret (2), Grey Heron (5), Black-headed Gulls (49), one Herring Gull, three Lesser Black Backed Gulls and two Great Black Backed gulls came through Round Cherval whilst watching the tide fall and the mudbanks revealled but no waders seemed to be dropping in as the sun rose. Two Oystercatchers "peeped" their way upriver and a couple of Gadwall and four Shelduck were on the river but little else.

Snipe, Kestrel, Reed Bunting and Skylarks over the Marsh. No Warblers apart from Cetti's on the Marsh.

Five (!!!) Ring-necked Parakeets flew from the direction of Promenade Park to a house with feeders on Lapwing Lane.

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Garden Warbler by the new aquatic scrape. with a nice showy Treecreeper.

Juvenille Coot and Mallard on Lapwing Lane Pool. Two Little Grebe.

Pumphouse Pool still very high little suitable wader ground, eight Tufted Duck, two Shoveler, eight Mallard, two Little Grebe, two Gadwall, 13 Sand Martin, 1 Little Egret, two Siskin in the Alders behind Colin's Hide.

Two Oystercatchers dropped into the Black Fields Pool which has been drained to leave a decent amount of muddy shore, where a Little Egret flew in (from Pumphouse?). Two more Grey Heron present. Mallard, Little Grebe, four Tufted Duck on the pool with a Common Sandpiper the the back of the West cell and resplendent in the morning sun on the back of the East cell a Wood Sandpiper (patch first for me and thus patch first for year).



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Andy Slee


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Very similar to last week on the Marsh or Eastern Reedbeds except for stayover(?) Siskin singing in the alders near the Eastern Reedbed. Not usual for them to stay to the breeding season.

Willow Warbler numbers seem very low as do Chiffchaff - Blackcap equalling Chiffchaff for territories down the Eastern End and no Chiffies up the Marsh end. Still no Whitethroat (either spp.) or Grasshopper Warblers or Reed Warblers on the Marsh at the West End, three Reed Warblers round the Eastern Reedbed / Black-fields Pools.



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Andy Slee


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East End today. Morely Common a couple of times a year has big numbers of Wagtails and today was no different with approx. 32 Pied and nine White Wagtail.

Moving round to the Black Fields Pools where the water is being pumped out a Common Sandpiper was flitting about. Star birds though were 29 Sand Martin dropping over the pool calling away. One Little Egret was present, Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe and Grey Heron.

Pumphouse Pool conversely the water is getting higher and higher. A second Common Sandpiper was here - a much paler individual than the one on the the Black Fields. Further Sand Martin, single Black-headed Gull, Cuckoo heard calling towards East entrance to Capped Tip, two Pochards, Tufted Duck, and single Mute Swan. Flyover Oystercatcher.

Eastern Reedbeds held at least three Reed Warblers to make up for the dearth in the marsh at the West End. Seven Cetti's Warblers on the loop around the East End and a Tawny Owl watching from a roost spot near one of the paths. Blackcaps almost  outnumbering Chiffchaff at the end of the reserve.



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Andy Slee


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Started at the canal crossroads and went over the boardwalk past the new aquatic scrape where a Garden Warbler was showy and singing, first for year anywhere and thus patch first for the year. Two Blackcap, Willow Warbler and five Chiffchaff also in the glade around the scrape.

Carried up Lapwing Lane to more Blackcap, three Swallows, Greenfinch.

Ring-necked Parakeets feeding at the bird feeders of a house on Lapwing Lane. no

Taking the back paths to Norton Marsh apart from Chiffchaff and Blackcap these were very quite, a couple of Blackbirds and a Great Tit made up the other birds.

The Marsh is still a scene of destruction from the floods last week. Many of the reedbeds have been flattened or broken / beaten down by the high tide, which judged by the detritus line topped out only just below the bund top, meaning some parts the Marsh would have been 2-3 metres under water. Lots of detritus (plastic mainly, bottles, croc shoes, footballs - Liverpool balls in excess of any others!!!) etc trapped in the broken down reedbeds, but at least new shoots are already showing so regrowth will be quick. The lack of Reeds probably explains lack of Reed and Grasshopper Warblers which I'd usually expect here at this stage of Spring / Migration. Four Skylarks were seen, one Meadow Pipit, three Reed Bunting and two Snipe, with a Buzzard overhead and a Kestrel drifting over from fiddlers Ferry.

Three Whimbrel flew calling over North looking to drop in on Penketh Bar but deciding not to and carried on over Fiddlers Ferry. A Single Redshank was on the river. A Curlew was also calling but unseen under the banks. Seven Shelduck, a few Mallard, Gadwall and Canada Geese made up the ducks, whilst the Gulls were 11 Lesser Black-backed and three Great Black-back - including one of very large size towering over the other two. A few Cormorants hung about drying their wings.

Greenfinch and Cetti's Warblers seen on the walk back to Lapwing Lane Pool, the clearances along the north bank of the canal now give good views into the old Snipe Fields from the south edge - scrub looks good for Whitethroats when they arrive. Willow Tit pair near the old Forestry Commission hide in the wood. Lapwing Lane Pool held seven Tufted Duck, male Pochard, two Little Grebe, three Gadwall and a Great Crested Grebe and a Reed Warbler flew across the hide between the adjacent reedbeds.

 



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