Martin Mere

Sean Sweeney · Status: Offline

RE: Martin Mere

Sean Sweeney · Status: Offline

All the tufties must have come to North Manchester, as I had 118 on Heaton Park Reservoir today.

PS. Off to Marton Mere tomorrow afternoon, hope the Bewick's Swans are still there!?

-- Edited by Sean Sweeney at 21:26, 2009-01-01

Nev Wright · Status: Offline

Didn't see any Tufties at CWP either this morning!

Neil McCall · Status: Offline

4 Bewick Swans and a Peregrine this morning, also lots of Ruff, Tree Sparrow. Didn't see a single Tufted Duck so will have to go to Chorlton WatrerPark soon!

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

Good flocks of fieldfare flying around and over the reserve(60+) and one redwing.
1 lesser black backed gull
1 great spotted woodpecker
1 bewick swan amongst the many whoopers
40+ruff some very colourful
1 ruddy shelduck hybrid
male and female peregrine
1 marsh harrier
3 buzzard
loads of pintail,shellduck, teal and wigeon and a few pochard.
where are all the tufties?

100s pinckfeet flew into the rese

rve about 3 ish

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

Ahh right

I thought it may have been someone off the forum - would have been good to put a name to a face.

Pitty about the weather yesterday eh! Not sure what the weather was like there today (?) Im in Scotland at the moment and the fog has not lifted all day!!

I did hear someone say they had seen the Cattle Egret back on the Mere yesterday afternoon

Cheers Kane

-- Edited by Kane Brides at 21:29, 2008-11-30

Ian Campbell · Status: Offline

Sorry Kane
Don't think it was me, as always I only look at the birds

ps
Norma is a right cracker (does this get me back in your good books)

Cheers Ian

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

Ahh so it was you, Ian who kept looking at me!!

You should have come over and introduce yourself.

I have to agree - the stands at MM this year were quite poor.

-- Edited by Kane Brides at 21:30, 2008-11-30

Ian Campbell · Status: Offline

Went this a.m. with Peter & Norma Johnson to visit partly for the bird fare. I have to say that I was disappointed with the event, there seemed to be fewer exhibiters than in the past, I've only been once before but Peter & Norma (old hands

) also agreed.
Cheers Ian

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

thanks for the info Kane very interesting to know where the birds come from

i was going to give andy in infocus a picture but he was busy profiteering

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

The two Peregrines were showing all day up to around c15:30, often at the back of the Mere. Over 400 Whoopers in for the feed, then they all disappeared at around 17:00 as a dog was loose on the reserve!!!!!!! The Pinks also followed. Lots of Whoopers spending the day out in the fields. Good numbers at Ormskirk and Tarleton.

The Ruff with the rings on, Gary was ringed in the Netherlands in 2006 and was first seen at Martin Mere last year. Arrived back at the end of Sep this year, there is another colour ringed bird around too, which has a yellow flag above the tarsus, but I last saw that on Friday at Marshside!

Kane

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

A very wet visit to the mere this morning but it didnt bother the ducks and whoopers which are now back in their hundreds and good numbers of juvs amongst them.
Raptors of note 4 buzzard,2 marsh harrier,2 peregrine.
A few flocks of snipe and 40 ruff one of the ruff had rings on blue/white one leg and the other leg red/blue.
very distant flock of 50+ feral barnacle geese with a red breasted goose amongst them from the Ron Barker hide .

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

The Ross's goose was back at Martin Mere this afternoon c14:30.

Kane

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

2 ruddy shellducks
2 stonechats
1 male peregrine (watched it kill and eat 1 poor moorhen

)
1 merlin
2 buzzard
2 marsh harrier(imm male and juv)
1 kestrel
1 sparrowhawk
1 little owl
20 ruff
good passage of fieldfare and redwing
1 great black backed gull.
400+ pinkfeet but whoopers still sparce, may increase if we get a change of wind direction.

Tony Coatsworth · Status: Offline

Only about 20 Whoopers this morning - about 6 youngsters
Thousands of Pink-footed on the reserve and all across the mosslands but no sign of the Ross's Goose
1 Peregrine
a few Buzzards
usual ducks

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Seen from the ron barker hide this morning 9.30-10.45am

1 Curlew sandpiper
3 Golden plover
Little Owl
3 Buzzards
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Peregrine
1 Marsh harrier
1 Merlin
Plenty of Snipe,Ruff, Whooper swans and pf geese

-- Edited by Dave Thacker at 19:32, 2008-10-12

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

11.10.08

It was one of those days again on the mere thoughsands of pinkfeet making one hell of a racket nothing unusual amongst them.

1 green sandpiper, 2 curlew sands,1 mega for me and another to add to my life list 201 pectoral sandpiper infront of the ron barker hide showed very well until spooked by something and then couldnt re find .
also a few golden plover amongst the lapwings with plenty of ruff and snipe.

raptors seen 5 buzzard,3 marsh harriers one was a stunning male,merlin shot past and distant litle owl and kestrel.
also some lunatic with a tame peregrine spooking everything on the mere.

mark dyson · Status: Offline

Congrats Gary, nice bird to get 200 with. I am on 199 so i am looking for my next tick. My list would have been higher but I tend only to go birding during the winter months and into spring. I was at Martin mere on Sunday but was a bit lazy, and decided if it flew in, great, but i have been on to many wild goose chasses to care.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

very late post from our sunday visit 4.00-6.30pm

hoping to get my 200th bird in britain and with the road full of twitchers thought i must be in with a good chance.spoke to a few twitchers who were all looking for a ross`s goose amongst the thoughsands of pink footed geese.no one about had seen the goose

but we managed a few barnacles and a very pale pink foot

.

we decide to go to the ron barker hide and just admire the sunset and the restless pink feet flying around the reserve. i was just about to call it a day when the wife said, "whats that bird you are looking for? is it a white one ?heart racing skipping beats there it was just flew in, right infront of us .mega good luck and 200 for me.

Adam Dyson · Status: Offline

on the mere today there was a Bean goose present among the many pink feets. me, Mark Dyson (my dad) and Keith pilling saw it from the united utilities hide. Also outside of the ron barker hide their were 7 buzzards at the same time spiraling over the mere. peregrine also present on vinsons.

Pete Lane · Status: Offline

About 40 whoopers present today, and the swallow was still feeding young.

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

Peregrine, 1 Avocet, Sparrowhawk, Ruff, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Whooper Swans and thousands of Pink Feet!

Swallow also feeding young in the nest, at the entrace to the building!

Kane

-- Edited by Kane Brides at 16:56, 2008-10-01

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

You'll be please to hear Gary that hay making at Martin Mere is now complete and the fields are now free for the Pinkies to use!! Which there was 12,000 at roost last night.

Kane

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

2 golden plover
1 dunlin
40+ruff
50+snipe
thousands lapwings
6 whoopers
2 greywags
6 buzzards
2 marsh harriers
2 kestrel
2 sparrow hawk
missed the early merlin also seen from the ron barker hide

few hundred pinkfeet being disturbed constantly by tractor mowing and low flying light aircraft.eventually they decided to turn tail and head back to marshside so we followed them.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

10-12pm
lapwing numbers are growing by the day,nice to see a good mixed tit flock 30+trapeezing through the hawthorns mainly longtailed also a few goldcrest amongst them.
great views of a juv buzzard from the united util hide only 40 yards away sat on a fence post.also plenty snipe drumming over the marsh and a couple of sedge warblers generally chasing one another about.
nothing new from the ron barker hide still loads of lapwings ,snipe,10 ruff,4 buzzard,2 marsh harriers and 1 peregrine.
stoat made an appearance along with a kingfisher but very brief.
scanned the hundreds of greylags but couldnt pick out any pinkfeet.
set off for white coppice.

-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 08:52, 2008-09-19

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

pm sent. cheers. henry.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

Henry Cook wrote:

Was this a new bird in Gary? I remember there being a shelduck sp around the reserve last winter but it looked like it had part cape shelduck genes.
A fantastic place for raptors though, love it there.
Henry.

hi henry i could send you some photos of the bird if you private message me your email address regards gary

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

Much the same today. A nice flock of 12 Pinkfeet dropped in front of Ron Barker hide.
Great views of Marsh Harrier and Peregrine. Plenty of eclipse ducks, Pintail,Wigeon, Teal and Gadwall. After much searching, couldn't find the Garganey.

Swallows still feeding young in the nest under the entrance, these are going to have to grow up quick!!

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

Was this a new bird in Gary? I remember there being a shelduck sp around the reserve last winter but it looked like it had part cape shelduck genes.
A fantastic place for raptors though, love it there.
Henry.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

14.09.08
3 juv marsh harrier
4 buzzard
2 kestrel
1 sparrow hawk
1 kingfisher
10 ruff
30+ snipe
1 barn owl feeding till 11.30am
6 redshank
all the usual ducks no sign of the long staying garganey

a pencil tick lifer

for me was the feral?ruddy shellduck female from the hale hide definately an unringed bird.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

10.15 -14.30

Rain free birding for at least 2 out of 4 hours

Had a chat with Andy at Infocus who told me that a Spotted Redshank was about the mere with a couple of PF Geese being seen as well.I didn't see them but I had cracking views of a juvenile Peregrine hunting in front of the Swanlink hide for about 50 minutes, making around 10 attempts at catching prey until it finally caught a pigeon.

Also seen
2 Goosanders
4 Redshank
10 Snipe
12 Ruff
100+ Greylag
3 Buzzards
1 Marsh harrier
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrels

Also while walking along the path just before the Ron Barker hide I watched a Stoat creep up on a juv Moorhen which was feeding near the bird table. The Moorhen saw the Stoat at the last moment and ran for its life screaming its head off.
All the noise scared a small Rabbit from cover which ran across the path closely followed by another 2 Stoats. All this about 3m in front of me ,Brilliant

Just noticed the Martin mere web site has put a decent photo of a female Ruddy Shelduck which I also saw today and took as an escapee. They are wondering if it is actually a wild bird, its a shame that we will probably never know

-- Edited by Dave Thacker at 21:14, 2008-09-09

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

ron barker hide 10-2pm 7/09/08
5 buzzard
1 kestrel
1 peregrine
2 marsh harrier
2 kingfisher
1 garganey
2 ruff
1 ringed plover
1 redshank
8 avocet
still no pinkies although not suprising
with the red arrows wizzing around.

much better to watch the swallows doing their acrobatics

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

A small handful of Pinks are knocking around the reserve this morning...

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

same yesterday dean alot of day trippers always good manners to help them though.
the pinkies were reported from ormskirk way not on the reserve.

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

According to the their website the first Pinkies(10app) arrived yesterday.

I got great views of the Wood Sandpiper last week. I was surprised that no one had picked it up. The hide was full but when i showed Joanne, my wife, the bird through the scope people started asking where it was. It was right out in the open and reported on the board in the hide and in the main entrance. I went to the hide with the hope of seeing it and there it was plain as day.
Just goes to show that you shouldn't assume that a hide full of people has seen everything on show.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

30.08.08

excellent views of two kingfisher today enjoyed watching them doing a spot of fishing from the ron barker hide also showing well from here, a much sought after bird for me and finally a lifer

a very smart wood sandpiper.green sandpiper also present along with 13 ruff and 30+ snipe.3 marsh harriers hunting and fighting off the buzzards at the back of the reserve. very good day for raptors kestrels and sparrow hawks also wizzing around, also 1 distant peregrine.
large numbers of lapwings and greylag feral geese but no sign of the pinkies yet

teal and wigeon starting to make a comeback and black headed gulls also increasing in numbers.
last but not for the squeemish a lesser black backed gull trying and succeeding in eating a huge mole ,just as i was chomping into my roast beef butty

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

25th Aug.

2 Marsh Harriers flying around, seen from United Utilites hide.

Kane

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

25/08/08

1 fem Marsh Harrier
2 Buzzard
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Green Sandpiper
20 Ruff, in a wide variety of plum.
6 Snipe
1 Kingfisher
1 Black tailed Godwit
4 Pochard

Plus usual stuff.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

19/08/08
1 juv marsh harrier
1 dunlin
2 greenshank
1 little ringed plover juv
2 green sandpiper
1 common sandpiper
1 buzzard
1 sparrowhawk
2 kestrel
7 mergansers female may have been more as they were diving alot
300+greylags
50+canada geese
3 whoopers
pink feet are due back around bank holiday info thanks to andy at in focus

-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 10:29, 2008-08-20

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

02.08.08
Good day for raptors 2 juv marsh harriers,2 buzzard,1 peregrine,1 kestrel.
plenty waders about with good numbers of ruff in mixed plumage which can get a little confusing when your hoping for a wood or pectoral sandpiper.Only a few late avocets left on the reserve but lapwngs on the increase.Snipe showing well today at least 5 with 3 green sands ,1 common sand and 1 little ringed plover.
one little gull amongst a few hundred black headed gulls was a nice change.
stopped at top of parbold hill for ice cream couldnt resist.field next to wiggin tree going down hill had at least 50 greenfinch feeding in the newly plowed soil, most ive ever seen

Adam Dyson · Status: Offline

went this afternoon and saw the Spoonbill at united utilities hide. Quite a way out but easily recognisable with the bins.

Kane Brides · Status: Offline

Hi Paul,

Yes there are still a few Whooper's around at Martin Mere and these are the over-summering birds that dont go back, mainly due to a number of reasons. Quite a few of the OS birds are ringed (Yellow JN9, 67B, H5N) and some have stayed there for a number of years. Some of the over summering birds can fly as I have in fact seen one of the ringed ones at Leisure Parks and then back at Martin Mere on the same day!! Probably not up to the long journey back north and just doing local movements!

K

Paul Wilson · Status: Offline

Sue and I went today. Not the best of starts - got there at 9, forgetting it doesn't open til half past. Anyway, got in and rested my camera / tripod setup against a table whilst Sue made use of the facilities. On returning, she picked up her bag and over went the tripod and camera, crashing to the floor!

Luckily the only damage was a dent in the lens hood. At £150 for a new one, i'll live with it.

Not much around at Martin Mere today. Very windy. No sign of the Temminck's (glad we went for the Pennington one on Saturday). A couple of Marsh Harriers and three Buzzards were about the best birds around. Several Pink-footed Geese and a couple of Whooper Swans are still here - there always seem to be a few birds that don't leave with the rest after winter.

By lunchtime, we'd had enough and went to Marshside for an hour. From the main RSPB hide we saw very little. A few Avocet chicks near the hide but not a lot else. Devided to walk up to Nels Hide before returning home, and glad we did. The Glossy Ibis was there - too dostant for any photos, but looking good (when it wasn't keeping its head tucked in against the strong wind). Also found a male Garganey and three Little Stints.

Didn't turn out to be one of those "wish I'd stayed in bed" days after all.

Adam Dyson · Status: Offline

Went earlier this afternoon. Red legged partridge crossing the road and then into the field outside the entrance. Temmnick's stint on the mud at Ron barker hide although it was very difficult to make out with the bin's but a good scope would pick it up. Good to see the Avocets with young. Moved to marsh side about 5.00 to see the spoonbills but no sign. Avocet's, shelduck's and bar tailed godwits present. I only stayed for 5 mins but i may try to get to southport pier tomorrow when the tide's in to see what birds get pushed in.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

sat 17.05.08 cloudy
fairly quiet on the reserve today nothing unusual ,i suppose a low always follows a high, with the golden oriole nowhere to be seen.

nice to see lots of chicks about today mallard,canadas,lapwings,avocets,ringed plover and oystercatchers.All parents keeping a close eye out for two hunting grey herons which could have done some serious damage.only raptors of note were a few distant buzzards.
a few sedges and reed bunting around the reserve and one whitethrote.
stoat seen moving house dragging its kids along as parents do infront of the ron barker hide .one very brave or stupid rabbit approached the stoat then ran off just in time.

not one butterfly today and still not seen my first dragonfly of the year.hopefully weather will improve again next week along with my bird watching.
forgot to mention 3 snipe infront of united hide.
also down curlew lane 4 grey partridge ,2 red-legged partridge.

-- Edited by Gary Gorner at 19:10, 2008-05-17

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

monday 5th may
ron baker
2 ring plovers with at least 3 newly hatched chicks
1 dunlin
22 avocets
2 buzzard
1 peregrine
lapwings and redshanks

harrier hide
no harriers

4 little grebe

u.u hide
1 drake garganey

1 common whitethrote
1 sedge warbler

swanlink
2 ringed plover
1 dunlin
1 common sandpiper

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

Very quiet today all the hides to myself

60+ Avocet
Black Tailed Godwits
4 Ringed Plover
Gadwall
Shelduck
Shoveler
Ruff
Redshank
Kingfisher
Wheatear
Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Loads of Tree Sparrows
A few Pink Feet remaining
Great views of a roosting Tawny Owl
Buzzard

Dean.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

the cold easterly wind keeping everything very low to the ground .water levels have now been reduced , avocets,blacktailed godwits,redshanks,common sandpiper,4 ringed plover,4 ruff and one single dunlin could all be seen from the swanlink hide.
not much happening on the raptor scene only one sparrowhawk of note.
whoopers have nearly all gone probably only the very few resident ones left.still a few pinkfeet spread about the reserve. appeared very strange to see the odd wigeon,teal and pintail still about after the hundreds that stayed during the winter.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Good views of a female Merlin, Peregrine and 6 Buzzards all being mobbed by many Lapwings as they came too close to the mere.
Also 6+ Ringed Plovers from the UU hide. Lots of Dunlin, Redshank and Curlew and 10+ Avocets

£8.25 to gain entry and worth every penny.

Gary Gorner · Status: Offline

must ave missed the cattle egret too busy watching the swan feeding freenzy.
did manage two peregrine,great spotted woodpecker,6 avocets and all the usual stuff.
cracking day got another lifer

corn bunting down curlew lane thanks to andy from infocus shop.he made my day so i repaid the complement and bought some new bins what a great help he is

.