Gatewarth
Not managed to get down here for a few days and very noticeable increase in warblers present
2 Whitethroat seen
Heard :
at least 2 Grasshopper Warbler
at least 2 Cettis Warbler
2 Blackcap
3 plus Reed Warbler
numerous Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler
fisrt Swallow of Spring for me at Old Hall Stables
2 Chiffchaff and also 2 Cetti's Warblers heard 1 Buzzard a very active and vocal pair of Little Grebes in the reeds on the canal was an unusual sighting here Great Spotted Woodpeckers round last year's nest site
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 24th of March 2020 06:41:26 AM
Walk through Sankey Valley Park to Gatewarth/Richmond Bank (PM)
Sankey Valley Park : 2 Grey Herons, 1 singing Chiffchaff and a pair of Mistle Thrushes.
Gatewarth/Richmond Bank : 34 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Buzzard and 2 Common Gulls.
Cettis Warbler heard only.
Former landfill : 3 Reed Buntings and 1 Meadow Pipit.
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 17th of March 2020 11:06:48 PM
-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 17th of March 2020 11:10:30 PM
Gatewarth
Several Cetti's Warblers singing from round the site Probably 4 birds
Many birds paired up, Dunnocks singing and displaying
Linnets, Long Tailed Tits, Song Thush, Reed Bunting
Fiddlers Ferry
late afternoon y/day
The nest building Coot hopefully hadn't expended too much effort in its task....weather conditions (high water level, wind) had meant all evidence of the nesting had been totally removed.
Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from close to last year's nest site. Little patch of woodlands here flooded.
Murmurations of Starlings giving nice sighting. 2 to 3 hundred birds
Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
A freezing fog had rolled in making viewing conditions less than ideal....far bank of River invisible in mists.
Loose flocks of Redwing were strung along hedges and also flying over.
Nicely marhed juv m Stonechat gave close views (fortunately) in canalside scrub. Nearby, a Robin was flitting between Molehills repeatedly. presumably looking for easy meal of earthworms.
Good finch numbers in alders and other hedgerow trees, mainly Chaffinch and Goldfinch. 4 colourful male Bullfinches feeding on a hip laden Dog Rose. One was making a fair stab at hovering as it fed.
A Coot was disdainfully ignoring the Wintery conditions to concentrate on constructing an untidy nest in the canal.
Active mixed flocks gorging on/in berry laden bushes - Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Robins, Dunnocks ,Reed Buntings ,Blackrids,Song Thrushes were joined by a single Fieldfare.
Small numbers of very vocal Pink Footed Geese over
1 Buzzard
Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
AM
Nice confiding party of Long Tailed Tits feeding on Rosebay Willowherb flowers was mostly made up of young birds, not yet sporting their full length tails.
1 Jay
A few Reed Warblers still (just about) singing from canal side reeds.
Gatewarth
late pm
Warblers singing
1 Grasshopper Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
1 Cettis Warbler
Several Blackcap
Several Whitethroat inc one feeding on horse paddocks, hopping on ground like a blackbird. 1 young bird begging food from parent in bushes.
Gatewarth
5.30pm ish
Warblers seen and/ or heard in sunshine:
1 Grasshopper Warbler (grassed over tip)
1 Lesser Whitethroat (riverside scrub)
3 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaff
Gatewarth
Nice to watch an adult Great Spotted Woodpecker busy feeding a young bird. The young Woodpecker 's head fully out of the nesting hole . Both birds vocal. The second adult flew up tp the dead tree the nesthole was in later.
Mixed flocks of fledged birds : tits, finches, house sparrows, in hedges.
Gatewarth
PM lots of warblers singing in the sunshine
1 Lesser Whitethroat on river bank scrub
3 Cettis Warbler , one showing well
1 Sedge Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
Numerous Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat
Fiddlers Ferry
Walk along canal almost to Gatewarth
2 Cettis Warblers, many Reed Warblers and at least 1 Grasshopper Warbler all heard singing 5.00pm ish
Gatewarth
Atypically good, and prolonged, views of a Grasshopper Warler reeling from atop a bramble thicket. The vibrations of its throat could be seen as it sang and also the distinctive head turning technique to mask its position from hearers.
4 Bulfinch
1 Great Crested Grebe.
6 or 7 Buzzards soaring high joined by a Sparrowhawk.
Hi John. Just a quick observation in that youve only listed 6 Warbler species so far this year, and only 8 last year, those being...
...Cettis Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, and Grasshopper Warbler this year with the extra 2 for last year being...Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. Did you mean 6/8? Cheers
Gatewarth
8-9 pm
2 reeling Grasshopper Warblers heard. 1 seen.
This means seven ninths of regular warbler species that usually occur here seen this year so far.
Gatewarth
Quite sunny but not very Spring like, cold and windy. Fields and paths flooded.
Only warbler singing was a Cettis from the canal side reeds.
2 Buzzards flying v close together calling to each other.
1 m Kestrel
Gatewarth
Cettis Warbler heard singing from cover in field sloping down to Fiddlers Ferry
The hawthorn hedge at top of bank has been flailed back heavily. Not great news for nesting birds this Spring, but at least not grubbed out completely.
Fiddlers Ferry-Gatewarth
pm
Wet. Driving fine rain gusting in off River. The wet weather made a Robin's decision to indulge in a long bath in a puddle on the path seem a bit pointless.
1 Jay in hedge on top of bank.
1 Grey Wagtail on large midden.
1 Fieldfare and 2 Mistle Thrush with small flock of Starlings in fields.