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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> Cheshire and The Wirral -> Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)
Post Info TOPIC: Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)
Andy Slee


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Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)
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Copied from the Moore post.

Wondering if its just Moore that seems quiet (more passerines along my road in suburban Appleton that at Moore some days) I decided to park up at Eastford Road, a quick scoot around the east end of Moore, then over to the "Dark Side" via Arply Meadows to Gatewarth to Richmond Bank and back down the canal and back via Arply Meadows.

Nothing out the ordinary at Moore and no Willow Warblers yet but once north the Mersey the passerine density increased rapidly, I reckon a Chiffchaff density on the north side was 1 per 100-150m but 1 per 300m at the East End Moore. Dunnocks and Robins even higher densities.

Goosander on the Mersey by Sankey Bridges and displaying Lapwing on Arply Meadows. Couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker in the memorial wood by Gatewarth sewage works, which was bland of birds, the only duff spot today on the Dark Side.

 



-- Edited by Andy Slee on Wednesday 26th of March 2025 07:01:27 PM

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
PM
10-12 Sand Martins over, moving through,
At least 10 Chiffchaff singing around site.
2 Cettis Warblers.


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
M Merlin hunting near Old Tip area
5 Chiffchaff around site

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM
2 Chiffchaff
1 Redwing
1 m Goosander on River
1 m Sparrowhawk perched on bushes , Old Tip

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM
1st Chiffchaff of the year singing .

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
yesterday AM
Goosander pair still on River
1 Grey Wagtail Horse Paddocks
15 Meadow Pipits in small flock on Old Tip Area

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
Pair Goosander on river
3 Meadow Pipits Horse Paddocks
1 f Sparrowhawk near Ferry Pub car park First seen on site for over 12 months

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
10 plus Redwing Horse Paddocks
c 30 Golden Plover on River
1 Goldcrest in trees by River House Enclosure

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Terry Long


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A scope around from the wharf this morning. Less numbers of Shelduck but found a few rafts of Teal tucked into the sand bank. Curlew and Redshank dotted about nothing else of note

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Terry Long


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The highest number of Shelduck I think I've seen on the intermediate tide from Widnes waterfront. Loads of Canada Geese of similar number to the Shelduck 100-150+ 10+ Redshank 5 or so curlew. Most surprising though was I couldn't see any Teal. Pair of Gadwall on the canal, didn't hear any cettis warblers 



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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
Horse Paddocks
10 plus Meadow Pipits feeding in flooded fields . several Pied and 1 f Grey Wagtail with them.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM

1 Kingfisher : River
1 Great Crested Grebe : River
10 plus Golden Plover in with Lapwings : Richmond Bank
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker : Old Tip area
1 Little Grebe : Canal

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth AM

Snow still on ground. Fields either flooded or frozen over or both.
Pair Stonechat on Old Tip area
Loose flock of Redwing, Fieldfare and Starlings on horse paddocks.
Birds in hedges and trees included Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Buntings.


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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth

1 colourful f Grey Wagtail in canal side reeds.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth AM
Icy. Canal frozen over.

1 Common Sandpiper by Windpump creek.
Flocks of passerines in hedges included Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet and Reed Buntings.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
10 plus Bullfinch with a couple of Chaffinch in a mobile flock.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM

1 Kingfisher on River (perched on ground at main outflow near Wind Pump)
Mobile flocks of Tits and Finches still have a few Chiffchaff mixed in with them
1 each of Buzzard, Kestrel and Jay.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
1 juv m Stonechat by the pub car park
1 M Bullfinch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Kestrel
Small Flock of Reed Bunting feeding in hedgerows

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth AM

Same distinctive ad M Marsh Harrier hunting the River banks putting up flocks of Lapwing from Richmond Bank. (Only 50 or so, and no Golden Plover this morning)
6 Snipe flew down onto River
Single Fieldfare over first here this Winter for me


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Ad M  Marsh Harrier very low over River then moved to quartering the reed bed on opposite bank. Pale individual.
1 Little Egret on River
150 ish Golden Plover with about half that number of Lapwing.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Jay

 

 



-- Edited by John O'Neill on Wednesday 6th of November 2024 07:12:17 PM

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
100 plus Pink Footed Geese in an untidy skein moving upriver towards Warrington.
Soon followed by a much larger number moving over towards Moore .
Prob 500 birds in total.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
3 long skeins of Pink Footed Geese over 11.00AM ish.
Very vocal.
At least 200 birds in total.
First of season here for me.

1 Jay
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Golden Plovers still present with Lapwing flock on River. 5 Redshank too.

1 juv m Stonechat flycatching on Old Tip area.

2 juv Little Grebe on canal.

Skylarks over in 1s and 2s

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Big flock of Plovers on River.
200 plus Lapwings and 60 or so Golden Plover.

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Andy Slee


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Gatewarth Sewage Work / Memorial Wood - one Yellow-browed Warbler, take path in opposite Sunflower Drive and it is about 35m in.

Edited to add this bird was unringed. (See Oct British Birds or Birdguides a week or two ago before the influx on the ringing project for YBWs).

 



-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 8th of October 2024 09:15:57 PM

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth

Steady stream of Skylarks over.
1 Kestrel
2 Buzzards
1Swallow still over River

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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges-Gatewarth

Still a few warblers (chiffchaff/willow warblers) feeding in loose flocks in bushes and hedges.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Big increase in warbler numbers in the passerine flocks roaming the hedges.

30 plus birds. Most very actively feeding, fueling up for for their journeys. Most (all?) Chiffchaffs. Mainly adults.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 juv Little Grebe on canal
1 Little Egret on River.
Mixed flock of tits and a few young warblers (chiffchaff and/or willow warblers) in hedges.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
6.00pm ish

1 Whinchat (juv/f) in horse paddocks, flitting between fences and ground.
1 Swallow.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
6pm ish

Juv M Marsh Harrier hunting over fields on far side of River.
2 as Little Grebe with 2 fully grown young on canal.
10or so Swallows, adults and jus, over.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM
1 Common Sandpiper on the River.

1 juv Little Grebe on the canal.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM
Canal

Pair of Little Grebe energetically feeding two very small, very vocal and very cute fledged chicks .

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
PM Yesterday
3 Little Egrets on River.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth AM

Grey Wagtail Horse Paddocks

Fledged / young birds on site included several Swallows, 1 Kestrel (m) , 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker


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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
Mute Swan pair at Sankey Bridges had 4 fledged young.
The only Swift nest site locally I am aware of, behind the Sloop Inn, also had young birds fledged.
Other fledglings on site included Goldfinch, Willow Warblers and/or Chiffchaff , Reed Warblers.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 8th of July 2024 08:41:12 PM

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John Williams


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Gatewarth

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen in woodland near the wind pump this afternoon.



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John Williams
John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
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high tide
1 Common Sandpiper by main outflow channel near wind pump
2 Buzzards
Pair Mute Swans nesting by car park at Sloop Pub


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
yesterday PM

1 Little Egret on River
1 Kestrel
Small post breeding flocks of Starling and Goldfinches.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Lesser Whitethroat particularly vocal today, flitting across the main path into various bushes as it moved. Showing well briefly..

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John O'Neill


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yesterday 730pm ish

No Grasshopper Warblers heard, seem either late or lacking this year
Second site tick in a month. a sole Avocet on River
Pair Grey Partridge

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Swallows nesting at Penketh Hall Stables
1 possibly 2 Lesser Whitethroat singing

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
Lesser Whitethroat and a Cettis Warbler both showing surprisingly well (ie, at all) when singing

Tawny Owl heard . Sounded like a young bird.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
yesterday pm
Warbler sps for year here reached eight with several Whitethroat singing from bushes on grassed over tip area.
Numbers of Reed Warblers and Blackcap into double figures. Six m Blackcaps all together in one of the taller willows seemingly vying for the tree as their territory, all singing and chasing others off.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
"Site Tick" yesterday PM
M Goosander in main creek by Windpump

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
yesterday PM

1 Common Sandpiper feeding in main creek close to Windpump.

At least 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling from field sloping down to the Ferry pub.
2 Blackcaps singing brought warbler count for the year to date to 7

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
yesterday PM

First Swallow of year
Lesser |whitethroat still present, singing a lot more and moving up and down the main hawthorn hedge at top of riverbank. Hopefully settling up territory.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddler's Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
Not been able to get down here for a while so, despite typical Spring conditions (Hail, Rain, Wind) not surprising that the number of warblers seen / heard were up on previous visit...

1 Reed Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
4 or 5 Willow Warblers
At least 10 Chiffchaff
4 Cetti's Warblers

Also one or two Skylark sighing

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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
yesterday AM

First Willow Warbler of year
At least 10 Chiffchaff .


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Yesterday
7 Chiffchaff seen and/or heard .

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