Nice find by Greg Baker this morning in the form of a Wood Sandpiper on Ashtons Flash. A Ruff has been present for a couple of days and also a Green Sandpiper reported today. Ashtons quite often plays second fiddle to Neumanns (Siberian Stonechat aside) but is currently coming up trumps.
Adult Black-necked Grebe present on the mere for its fourth day, best viewed from boathouse. Favoured spot is over in front of Coward Reedbed, quite distant and can just about be picked up with bins but a scope would be preferable.
As part of my early morning walk. Dunlin and two Common Sandpiper on or around Kid Brook Spit, Sparrowhawk by the Fishermens Path. Also a Reed Warbler in a small patch of reeds on the south shore, not sure if Ive ever had them here before.
Early morning walk, 5.55 am, along the south shore of Budworth Mere didnt throw up much. Just a Common Sandpiper on Kid Brook Spit and two male Wheatear in the recently ploughed field adjacent to the Fishermans Path.
Early morning walk along the south shore of Budworth Mere produced three Common Sandpiper in the bay, west of Kid Brook Spit and a Yellow Wagtail on the fence posts at the spit. John Gregory had seen a number of Whimbrel earlier.
Early morning walk along the south shore of Budworth Mere. The Ternfest continues with 54 Arctic dropping in at around 9.30. At first, the one or two became five and within a couple of minutes, it was twenty. A few minutes later the numbers swelled even more. A superb spectacle.
Also around was an elusive male Mandarin with two Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper on Kid Brook Spit.
An early morning walk along the mere side path to the slipway. Four Common Sandpiper on Kid Brook Spit with a sole Little Ringed Plover. Lapwing and Oystercatcher also. Yesterdays Common Tern appear to have moved through.
-- Edited by Mark Jarrett on Sunday 19th of April 2020 10:39:04 AM
Todays walk was late afternoon along the mere side path as far as the slipway. An initial Common Tern was subsequently joined by a second on buoy F, whilst a third was on one of the buoys at the far eastern end. A pair of Oystercatcher and a Common Sandpiper were present on Kid Brook Spit. A male Whinchat was a welcome patch year tick, nearby on the grassy shoreline.
Apparently, there were two Common Tern here this morning early on, before one departed. This afternoons birds were possibly the Winsford birds plus this mornings lingering one.
10:00am - 12:15pm.
A walk from Whitton Mill car park to Marbury and back produced the following,
Great spotted woodpecker, Nuthatch, 2 Mistle thrush, Buzzard, Goldcrest, around 10 Chiffchaff's were heard in various locations with 3 actually observed.
Budworth Mere,
2 Great crested grebes displaying, Canada geese, Tufted duck, 8 Curlew, 4 Sand Martin, 2 Swallows down by the boat club.
Plenty of people still about, surprised that the dog training school was still operating.
2019 Bird Report covering Marbury Country Park and Budworth Mere plus Neumann's Flash etc is now avialable in pdf format. If anyone would like a copy who hasn't received one aleady please PM me with your email address.
Three hours from 9.30 starting at the slipway, then along Forge Brook in Big Wood, back to the slipway and finally at the Screen Hide overlooking Coward Reedbed. Weather fine, dull and cold. Of note :-
Great Crested Grebe (4) Little Grebe (4) Canada Goose (220) Canada x Greylag (1) Mute Swan (2) Tufted Duck (51) Goldeneye (pr) Goosander (2m, 2f) Lapwing (204) Curlew (33) Oystercatcher (2) Mediterranean Gull (1) Water Rail (1) Redwing (130)
One of the patchers had what he was fairly sure was a Dipper on Forge Brook a few days ago. Would be an excellent record for Marbury. Had a look today but no luck. The Mediterranean Gull was a different bird to the one I saw on 3 February, this one very advanced with an almost perfect hood and blood red bill. Ringed on both legs but way too far to see any details. One hundred and twenty Redwing feeding on the grass by Garden Warbler Corner with a few others here and there.
Two hours from 10.10 this morning in fine and cold weather. First from the slipway, then spent three quarters of an hour in the screen hide, amongst others :-
No sign of the Bittern, but at least a fine looking adult winter Mediterranean Gull turned up
amongst the huge gathering of Black Headed Gulls that were massed around Kid Brook.
Also of note on the mere were 12 Common Gulls, 3m+2f Pochards and 1f Goosander.
45 Curlews roamed around the pasture on the North Bank, and a single Treecreeper turned up
in Big Wood. 12+ Redwings were feeding on Holly berries near the visitor centre.
2 Buzzards were seen around the park whilst a male Sparrowhawk made a breathtaking dash across the mere side feeders.
-- Edited by John Williams on Monday 20th of January 2020 07:42:37 PM
Nice find by Greg Baker, late afternoon, was a Great Northern Diver on Budworth Mere. It had been calling but unfortunately only hung around for a quarter of an hour before flying off west. I got down there in record time, which wasnt good enough as I missed it by a few minutes! The Bittern was, however, showing well in the left hand side of Coward Reedbed.
First visit to this beautiful park yesterday 23rd December 14.00 to 16.30 highlights :-
In the park :- C.50 Redwings enjoying a plentiful supply of red berries & 6 Siskins in tops of conifers feeding.
Also 4 Nuthatches, 3 Treecreepers, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Fieldfares & a Buzzard.
On the mere :- 1 Male Goosander, 3 Cormorants & a Little Egret.
But undoubtedly the stand out was a first ever view for me of a Bittern in very poor light at 16.20 on left side of Coward Reedbed from viewing screen (very poor shot attached)
-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Tuesday 24th of December 2019 12:00:04 PM
Budworth Mere viewed from the slipway, then the screen hide, two hours from 9.50am in fine but dull and cold weather. Of note :-
Goldeneye (1f) Tufted Duck (124) Gadwall (2) Goosander (3m) Shelduck (3) Curlew (9) Lapwing (91) Green Sandpiper (1) Great Crested Grebe (66) Little Grebe (4) Cormorant (12) Greylag Goose (55) Canada Goose (145) Kingfisher (1) Water Rail (1)
Good to see the Bittern on show, preening in the partly flattened reeds across from the screen hide. Was in full view for at least 45 minutes. A nice surprise was the Green Sandpiper that did a quick fly round in front of the hide before departing.
Had a look through the Black-headed Gulls but no sight of the Mediterranean Gull that was around briefly on Sunday. They dont tend to linger here. A Herring Gull was present today, not a common occurrence. No sign of the Bittern but no doubt it will be active again late afternoon when the Starlings drop in.
The Bittern again showed reasonably well in Coward Reedbed at around 4.15 this afternoon. Best viewed from the screen hide at the west end of Budworth Mere. No flight views but the bird was up for a good ten minutes at one point. Starling murmuration of c.2-3k although many dropped down well away from the reeds across from the hide. Car park - with barrier - closes at 5pm although you are able to park as soon as you turn into Marbury Lane from Marbury Road.
The evening dog walk was an excuse to return to the screen hide overlooking the western end of Budworth Mere and Coward Reedbed. Upon arrival at 4pm there was a Starling murmuration of around 2-3k. This built up over the next quarter of an hour, then chunks of birds broke off an dropped into the reeds to roost. Others continued to arrive until after 4.30 and could be heard dropping in whilst it was virtually dark. Probably 10k in total. Meanwhile, the Bittern was giving superb views, moving in the reeds, wing stretching, flapping and attempting to catch Starlings. At one point, it flew past the small inlet into the far rhs reeds before flying back to its usual spot ten minutes later. Best views of a Bittern for a long time.
-- Edited by Mark Jarrett on Monday 2nd of December 2019 05:16:15 PM
Nuthatch and Coal Tit amongst other birds at the feeders by the screen hide. A flock of around 20 Redwing in and near the arboretum. No sign of the Bittern which, apparently, was up atop the reeds late yesterday afternoon.
Two or three visits to Budworth Mere since the 18th didnt throw up anything other than the norm, so it was pleasing to learn that a Bittern was seen and photographed at Coward Reedbed, early on Monday afternoon.
New in this morning were 4 Goldeneye, 2 males and 2 females. The females were right up against the north bank, east of the bay to the east of Kid Brook Spit. I didnt notice the males until later as they were at the far east end of the Mere, in front of the sailing club. Other than that, pretty much as it has been over the last couple of weeks although 25 Cormorant were noteworthy.
Plus Mallard, Coot, Grey Heron, Cormorant etc and other usuals. Small flock of Long tailed Tit with a separate Tit flock in Coward reed bed where Water Rail was heard. I have looked, several times, for the Bittern that was seen on 11 October, without luck. Presume it has moved on and was just prospecting for a suitable over wintering spot.
An hour and a half this morning from the slipway, then the screen hide, amongst others :-
Goosander (5) Tufted Duck (c.20) Great Crested Grebe (c.70) Water Rail (1) Lapwing (c.20) Curlew (c.30) Kingfisher (1)
Four of the Goosander were fresh in and appeared to be 3 adult females and a 2CY male. The other Goosander that has been around since 21 October was again present but stayed away from the others. Having read up on the ageing, sexual maturity and moult timings of this species, I feel that the lone bird may well also be a 2CY male. Thought originally to perhaps be simply an adult male in eclipse. Interesting stuff and not at all easy to get to grips with.
One and a half hours this morning from 9.45 in fine but dull weather.
Not too much happening. Of note, a Little Egret back to the Kid Brook Spit area, two Little Grebe close in to the north east shoreline and a Cettis Warbler calling from Coward Reed Bed. Some of the Tufted Duck appear to have dispersed but Great Crested Grebe numbers remain high at around the seventy mark. Very pleasing is the number of Cettis Warbler now on the full Marbury Patch, which encompasses Anderton Nature Park, Marbury Country Park plus the Neumanns & Ashtons Flashes. The first Cettis was recorded, I think, in January 2017 and we now reckon there are up to eleven territories. I also know of a further three just off patch.
Two and a half hours this morning from 9am in fine and pleasant weather.
Grey Heron (4) Green Sandpiper (2) Lapwing (c.25) Curlew (120) Tufted Duck (c.50) Great Crested Grebe (min 70) Little Grebe (1) Grey Wagtail (1) Kingfisher (1) Water Rail (1) Cettis Warbler (1)
Plus the Geese and other usuals.
We now have one less Coot on the Mere. A beautifully coloured, large fox appeared behind Kid Brook Spit. It moved amongst the waterfowl on the grassy shoreline before attempting to go for a Greylag Goose which avoided it. It then missed a Coot before turning 180 degrees and homing in on another unfortunate Coot at blistering pace. We can spare one..