An hour at Hale shore this morning - lots of shooting and dog walkers [most dogs under control which was good to see]. Avian highlights:
Flock of 40+ curlew on the winter wheat fields 26 Linnet flying around and occasionally perching up near the lighthouse 6 Lark - presumed skylark - contact song had some elements of full skylark song - but very flighty and landed in the furrows every time! 2 Dunlin 20+ Redshank Hundreds of Teal and Shelduck on the river
Fantastic Starling roost on the Runcorn Bridge tonight - we were driving over as the flock wheeled and split; so a quick dart down to the roads to the north of the bridge gave superb views - the kids were amazed at the noise!
Pickerings Pasture today [for sledging really ] but pleased to see small mixed flocks of Goldfinch and Greenfinch with up to seven Bramblings in amongst them. First time I've seen Brambling in this area.
The big hedge along the bank from Pickerings to the White Bridge was full of thrushes and blackbirds plus the mixed finch flock - so much feeding was going on that I heeded the advice on here and turned back so as not to disturb them.
Pickerings Pasture this morning - took a couple of pounds of bird seed but the feeders were still quite well stocked. Saw my first GSW for the site along with a lone Redshank, plenty of chaffinches, grey wagtail, pied wagtail and what I'm going to say was a well marked juvenile sparrowhawk but the fleeting view I got wasn't enough to completely rule out Merlin - as it chased a Goldfinch down the shore!
Must be the best place for miles for Greenfinch up to 12 at a time at the feeders near the hide. One bit of behaviour which was new to me, were a number of Chaffinch flying up to a vertical section of tree trunk, hovering and picking something from the bark - it was mainly where frost was in sunlight so I wondered whether they were actually drinking melt water in the bark? Also thousand of gulls on the far sandbank as the tide turned - mainly BHG and too far away for anything else to be checked for :)
And 2+ Bullfinches, 1 Goldcrest and about 15 Linnets
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Cheers (I couldn't work out where the river you mention was at Moore?). There is a well established thread just for Moore sighting though (and a separate one for Richmond Bank too).
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 14th of November 2010 07:37:00 AM
Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Several hours gulling today produced: Ad Caspian Gull. Initially on the deck at fairly close range, this bird had a v v dark eye. What was really exciting for me was seeing the striking primary pattern as the bird flew away; something i've never seen before. Also present 2 ad & a 1st winter YLG and an ad Med. Also a calling Rock or Water Pipit around some pools which i couldn't pin down; a Raven and Buzzard, and i thought i heard a Common Sand call once on the river. Cheers.
Mike, you don't give a location for these sightings?
Several hours gulling today produced: Ad Caspian Gull. Initially on the deck at fairly close range, this bird had a v v dark eye. What was really exciting for me was seeing the striking primary pattern as the bird flew away; something i've never seen before. Also present 2 ad & a 1st winter YLG and an ad Med. Also a calling Rock or Water Pipit around some pools which i couldn't pin down; a Raven and Buzzard, and i thought i heard a Common Sand call once on the river. Cheers.
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Just had a pleasant walk by the river at Hale. The highlights being:
- Superb views of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard & Peregrine. - Large numbers of Curlew (group of 91 feeding on one field, lots on river mud). - 30+ Corn Bunting in stubble field to East of Lighthouse. - Dunlin, Lapwings, Redshank showing well beside river.
Common Sandpiper was been mercilessly harried by a very aggressive m. Kingfisher, not a bird you think of as being a bully but the sandpiper was chased all over the scrape by the smaller bird; At one point the Kingfisher also put up an adjacent Redhank.
Pickerings pasture this afternoon had a roost of over 150 Golden Plover, with:
20 Redshank 1 Greenshank 2 Shelduck several hundred Canada Geese a variety of gulls 4 Redwings over 2 Buzzards A duck in silhouette that had me thinking Garganey but was almost certainly a Teal
and a very showy kingfisher from the screen hide overlooking the decoy marsh
Popped down to Wigg Island and Pickerings Pasture this evening and despite not seeing the Bonxie that had been seen earlier I did pick out a Peregrine sitting on a shopping trolley half submerged in the mud [a bit strange but I guess any elevation on a sand bank is good for a Peregrine]. Also a Buzzard right out in the middle feeding on a fresh looking feathered kill [too far for bins to identify the prey] and I did wonder whether the Buzzard had taken advantage of a Peregrine or Bonxie kill? Also many tens of Curlew, Redshank, the normal gull roost, some distant geese on the mudbanks and at least 12 Cormorants in the mile of the Mersey visible between the two locations.
Gatewarth : 8.30pm...Buzzard perched up on a haystack on far side of river.
More unusual was the Buzzard over my garden this afternoon.(Penketh)
there was 3 buzzard and a hobby over my house in central warrington last week-400 yards from the town hall-they are moving over large towns more frequently these days.
Gatewarth : Juv Stonechat , very dark bird, in riverside bushes. Presumably this is proof of breeding here, something I've not been aware of previously. Linnets common, inc several young birds. One Whitethroat.
Gaitwarth (aka Gateworth) 8.20 pm ish Single Grasshopper Warbler reeling rather half heartedly from bramble bushes in field above the Ferry Pub.
Sedge Warb and Whitethroats also singing, 2 fledged Whitethroats flying around.
2 Ringed Plover on River, disturbed by a Fox hunting up and down the sand banks, looked like a very young animal...Gull roost (mainly LBBs) seemed not at all bothered.
Gatewarth: Grasshopper Warblers reeling in good numbers tonight (8.30pm ish) I estimate 7 but when more than 1 singing at once they make a bit of a wall of sound and personally I find it difficult to pick out the exact number. All over reserve including brambles on River bank. Sedge & Reed warblers also singing. Whitethroats and Willow Warblers completed the choir.
Pair of Grey Partridge.
-- Edited by John O'Neill on Friday 30th of April 2010 11:05:10 PM
Gatewarth : At least 2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling again tonight, from 8.00pmish.Much longer periods of song than last couple of nights....also one actually showed itself !
Gatewarth : 1 m Stonechat on trees between wooden bridge entrance and River.
At least 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling, started 8.00pmish in thick brambles in the fenced area 200 yards or so before Wind Pump. Couldn't see the GW, only reeled in short bursts.
Lots of gulls on bank in river, mainly Lesser Black Backed.
Gatewarth 5.00pmish..Glaucous Gull with gulls on river. Short Eared Owl hunting on both banks, swooping low over an interested looking Fox at one point! Chiff Chaff and Willow Warblers singing. Plenty of Peacock butterflies about.
Gatewarth : Water Shrew showing well in smallish pond just inside reserve over level crossing. Didn't know they occurred here, so a pleasant surprise for me.
Frodsham Marsh : Adult Female Cuckoo giving prolonged views as it caught a succession of what appeared to large black caterpillars. No. 6 bed, on wooden perimeter fence near to where some kind of clearance or pipe laying work being done. Repeatedly flew down to catch prey then returned to perch on fence to gorge itself.
30 plus Black Tailed Godwits here also, a few in summer plumage.
A Grasshopper Warbler still reeling today at Gateworth, altho' only in brief bursts. Early in the day, 5.00pm ish. Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats singing too. Distant Buzzard on other side of River.
At least 7 Grasshopper Warblers reeling tonight (9.00pm) from most areas of reserve, including one right by railway , where level crossing leads to wooden bridge.
Also Cuckoo calling, but distant, on other side of river...probably in Daresbury or Moore.
-- Edited by John O'Neill on Friday 1st of May 2009 10:27:03 PM
Grasshopper Warbler reeling 6.00 pm and showing v well also, in scrub in field between Gatewarth and the Ferry Pub (almost in reserve, just over barbed wire fence.)
Pair of Stonechats yesterday(07.03.09) at Gaitworth/Gatewarth, showing well in scrub and opener area just into reserve, over wooden bridge past Level Crossing. Jack Snipe feeding on island in the wader scrape at Pickerings Pasture today (08.03.09) 5.00pm-ish. Peregrine over here, landed on sandbank in the River.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 8th of April 2023 09:10:14 AM