6-8am after Oxmoor down to the river at Moore from Bens Bridge. Greenfinch + Juv at Etheylene Station with family parties of Titmouse including juvenille - Long-tail, Blue and Geart. In addition four Cetti's Warblers on the way down, one Reed Warbler between Halfway House and Round Cherval and towards Randles tip an observable Chiffchaff going 'Chaff-chiff'. Even when close Cornell did not identify the audio! In total three Tufted Duck, five Gadwall and two Great- Crested Grebe on the Ship canal with two Cormorant. Lots of Magpie inc juv (40+) in Stobrats Horse Paddocks.

River on the falling tide held two Whimbrel, four Shelduck, three Canada Geese, 44 Lesser Black Backed Gulls (all sub Ad), and two Mallard. Curlew calling to the North of the river but not visible. An Osprey came from Fiddlers Ferry direction, made a couple of half hearted swoops / dives towards the river but then rose high and carried on South - surely wrong direction! But birds of the day (and I suspect will be bird of the year for me here) was a patch lifer I've long awaited - three Avocet flew East up the Mersey.

Four separate Swallow on the way back via the back path to Norton Marsh, Mistle and Song thrush singing, Lesser Whitethroat in the usual spot near the Tree Sparrow feeders and a House Martin over Lawing Lane.

Lapwing chicks alongside Lapwing Lane, two single Swallows. Pied Wagtail and Teal pair and Gadwall pair on the drying out scrape on Triangle field also. Common Whitethroat finally for the year (3) along Lapwing Lane in the Snipe Fields. Again, the bizarre sight of a Kingfisher flying down Lapwing Lane following every twist/turn of the road, as far from open water as you could get from anywhere in the patch (happened in Jan 2022 from memory). Cuckoo on Capped Tip, faint, probably Gatewarth side, Reed Warblers, Sedge and Cetti's all singing from Capped Tip area. Two Raven over Lapwing Lane.

Constant stream of Herring Gulls over west in ones and twos, must have been a few hundred in total as I looped out to the Marsh.

Another Common Whitethroat by the old Tree Sparrow feeder picnic bench, Lesser Whitethroat in the same bush as the last two years on the way to the old Norton Marsh Hide after the picnic bench and Grasshopper Warbler in the scrub to the NE of the path. Two more Lapwing with young in general area.

No Grasshopper Warblers in the usual spot on Norton Marsh but Sedge and Reed Warblers now in song and Red Bunting plus Skylark. White Wagtail with two Pied on Wader scrape. Distant views, high 10s of Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull loafing on Penketh Bar at low tide.

Further Grasshopper Warbler in Balloon Hut field on the back path to the Etheylene station and Song Thrushes galore.

Greylag Geese and four Gosling on Lapwing Lane Pool, four Little Grebe, one Great Crested Grebe in beautiful plumage, two Gadwall, two Tufted duck, young Coot and Moorhen.

Nice walk around yesterday, approx. 4.30pm - 7pm. Of interest:

Cuckoo heard and seen near raptor viewpoint; Linnets also heard but not seen. Whitethroat seen by the path that runs to the north of Lapwing Lake, and parakeets (at least 2) on Lapwing Lane. Reed warbler heard and briefly seen by the hide on Lapwing Lane, quite a few blackcaps around also. Not much of interest on Birchwood or Pumphouse pools, aside from a couple of lesser black-backed gulls chasing off a common buzzard. Didn't see any hirundines or swifts at all.

Is there a map for this site/the surrounding areas with the names that people in this forum use? I'm not super local to the area (closer to Wigan!), and I can't seem to find things like Norton Marsh, Big Wood, Black Fields Pool etc when I search them online.