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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)
John O'Neill


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Cheshire River Mersey Sites
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Gatewarth
Swallows constantly over in small numbers including juveniles noisily begging for food and being fed on the wing by the adult birds.

A sheltered hawthorn hedge near the windpump laden with berries was a magnet for passerines, many juveniles : Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits feeding with Greenfinch and Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Willow Warblers and a single Blackcap.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Little Egret feeding on river at low tide.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Large loose flocks of post breeding passerines in hedges and copses. Ash trees opposite Penketh Old Hall Stables especially favoured. Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet. Whitethroat, Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff, Dunnocks.

Single Little Egret low over River. Weird that they are so uncommon here, first I've had here all year.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 30th of July 2018 01:30:50 PM

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Few birds still singing. One Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Warblers gasping out truncated efforts.
A Cetti's Warbler still going full belt though. They seem to be in song all year round.




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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
pm
1 Grasshopper Warbler still reeling. From Old Tip area in full daylight.
3 Cettis Warblers singing

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
pm
Cycle track out of the Ferry Marina running along railway
Several Reed Warblers singing in canal side reed beds
3 Cettis Warblers singing from overgrown elders.

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Mike Mulholland


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Female Marsh Harrier seen from the Norton Marsh hide midday - initially flying low over the southeast corner of the marsh, it flew towards the river and then headed to Upper Moss Side. 



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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
Pair of Grey Partridge in fields near Old Station House

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5 - 6 pm
Warblers seen/heard around site in light rain :
1 Cettis Warbler canal side bushes /reeds and into scrub by wooden bridge. Showing quite well
1 Lesser Whitethroat hawthorns and brambles along river bank
3 Blackcap inc a pair together
3 Grasshopper Warblers Old tip area
Numerous Whitethroat , Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Reed Warbler

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
4 - 5 pm
1 Whimbrel showing well and fairly close on River, about level to Wind Pump. Vocal when a hawking Buzzard passed low over.

Warbler species swelled by Whitethroat and Blackcap, several of both species present.
Reed, Willow, Grasshopper, Cettis Warblers and Chiff Chaff also all singing and /or seen.

A seemingly unremarkable bit of path was attractive to a range of birds, Robin, Blackcap, Long Tailed Tit, Linnet, Reed Bunting. I couldn't see anything special but maybe they were after mud for nest building ?

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
8pm
3+ Grasshopper Warblers reeling
2 Cettis Warblers singing
1 Swallow roung Old Hall Stables


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Warblers seen heard and/or singing round the site 6pm - 7pm
10 + Chiffchaff
10 + Willow Warbler
2 Cettis Warbler

3 Buzzards
1 Kestrel
4 Bullfinch

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
4 Chiffchaff singing
Penketh Old Hall Stables
1 Swallow hawking over fields here was first of year for me.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddler's Ferry
1 Chiffchaff singing from trees round Water Plant building.
Several Skylarks singing in fields
Flooding in the fields attracted Oystercatcher, Curlew, Heron.
Pair of Mute Swans nesting on canal.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 4th of April 2018 07:31:42 AM

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
3 Chiffchaff singing , various parts of site, one seen

2 Cettis Warblers singing 1 in thick scrub on top of the River Bank 1 in reedy canal-side scrub near level crossing

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Mike Mulholland


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Really enjoyable couple of hours this morning at the west end of my patch. Highlight - six Whooper Swans on the River Mersey adjacent to Norton Marsh also 2 Green Sandpipers on the marsh together with 7 Redshank, 5 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Shelduck, 23 widgeon and 17 teal.   

Cetti's Warbler heard west of Richmond Bank and one in the Eastern Reedbed at Moore Nature Reserve.

Several Chiffchaff singing in the area and Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell on the wing.    



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John O'Neill


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Penketh Old Hall
20 or so Redwing in horse paddocks round riding stables made a nice wintery scene in light swirling snow.
One or two Mistle Thrush with them.


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Dave Riley


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A short stroll from home in Great Sankey to Gatewarth then along the Sankey Canal, we heard a Goldcrest singing in the conifers near Penketh Lane Ends (been there for a few days now) and a Cetti's Warbler was singing near where Sankey Brook joins the Mersey

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Single Fieldfare calling repeatedly from trees near level crossing

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
Green Woodpecker round alders at the Water Station building.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
pm
Single Goldcrest flitting in trees near Wind Pump.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
Bright Winter sunshine made even the Dunnocks energetically singing look handsome.
The 3 Bullfinch (2m1f) feeding in alders/birches positively glowed with colour.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
pm
6/7 Bullfinch in hedge
Tight , mobile flock of Redshank 25+ on River
1 Buzzard soaring low over trees despite drizzle.

2 Long Tailed Tits apparently carrying nesting materials into scrub.



-- Edited by John O'Neill on Sunday 4th of February 2018 01:36:03 AM

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John O'Neill


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PM
1 f Grey Wagtail on path by wind pump l

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
pm
Localised flooding around the Water Plant fenced area included a frozen sheet of water which had attracted around 10 Pied Wagtails , busy scurrying over the ice.
1 m Stonechat in same area flitting round reeds and bushes.

At least 3 Buzzard present.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

M Stonechat still present, not putting on so much of a show today, more typical behaviour, flitting round reeds and bushes on the Old Tip. Still close to where seen y/day.



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John Williams


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With the temperature above freezing there are plenty of Winter Gnats around John, and a few Lacewings too.

They're an essential item for Wrens, Goldcrests and Stonechats at this time of year.

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John Williams
John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth

AM

1 m Stonechat, presumably same bird I saw last month. On fence posts and in scrub at edge of canal towpath.
Oddly, seemed to be flycatching, though presumably not too many insects on the wing at the moment. Certainly flying up and returning to perch on posts. A Robin further along the fence was behaving in similar way.

Small flock of Linnets. Reed Buntings in hedges all seemed to be paired up rather than in flocks.




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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Small flock of Greylag Geese (6 / 7 birds) flew in and landed in field on far side of River. Away from feral flock of Canadas/Feral White Greylags.

Flocks of Reed Bunting feeding in hedges.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
830 AM
Thrush numbers right down but 5 or 6 Redwing in trees by Penketh Old Manor Stables.

Finch flocks in hedges had Greenfinch Goldfinch Chaffinch mixed with Long Tailed Tits and Reed Bunting.

1 Kestrel mobbed by a crow. I Jay.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry- Gatewarth

100 + Fieldfare feeding in hedges and bushes and perching up on tops of tall trees. 1 Mistle Thrush small nos of Blackbirds and Redwings.

Reed Buntings formed flocks feeding around hedges and rough ground.

1 Bullfinch m.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth

AM

Fields along Station Rd had big flocks of mixed thrushes, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird . Bushes along canal and hedges on site had plenty of thrushes feeding.

Finch / Tit flocks included a pair of Bullfinch

1 Grey Wagtail on River.

Cettis Warbler giving short bursts of song from cover , top of bank.



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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
830AM

1 m Stonechat in reedy scrub on riverside by water plant First I've seen here all year

15 Fieldfare

Skein of 12 Pink Footed Geese low over. Big flock of Canada and Greylag Geese on far side fields, Pink Foot possibly leaving this group.


Finches in bushes had good numbers of Reed Bunting mixed in with them

1 Buzzard



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 12th of November 2017 06:56:14 PM

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
Canal side trees and bushes full of fruit. Greenfinch Goldfinch Linnets Long Tailed Tits Blue Tits Blackbird Song Thrush Redwing feeding in the trees.

Continous stream of Sky Lark over, vocal , in ones and twos.

Buzzard on post.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
late pm

Good numbers of Redwings feeding in hedges and bushes all over the site. At least 50 birds, I estimated. Plenty of Blackbirds with them.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

20+ Fieldfare over

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Cetti's Warbler heard giving brief snatch of song from hedge on top of Riverbank
2 Buzzards hunting together over Old Tip.

Single Great Crested Grebe on river

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
A Jay was making strenuous but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to catch a Red Admiral on the wing.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Old Hall

Flock of House Sparrows and Goldfinches, mainly juvs, scattered by a f Sparrowhawk which crashed into the hedge the finches had shot into.

Old Tip

Willow Warblers, Greenfinches , Goldfinches feeding in berry laden hedges.



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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
pm
F Kestrel over Old Hall Stables
1 Little Egret flying upriver

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Canal
PM

Nice sighting of 2 fledged Reed Warblers perched together on a reed close to water being fed by parent bird

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Dave Riley


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I had a stroll this morning from Sankey Bridges/Liverpool Road, we found a Cetti's Warbler amongst a small flock of Blackcaps about 600 metres from the old Sankey Bridges railway station, on the way back, while watching a grey Heron fishing near the overflow, we heard and saw what we assumed to be a different Cetti's (about 500m from the earlier sighting)

-- Edited by Dave Riley on Saturday 29th of July 2017 02:37:13 PM

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5:00 pm
Single Grasshopper reeling half heartedly
7 fledged Mute Swans with parents on duckweed clogged canal.
10+ Pied Wagtails , adult and young on horse fields by Penketh Old Hall




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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
AM
1 young Bullfinch Old Tip area
Post breeding flock of Linnets





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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
9:45 PM
single Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly from old tip area

2 or 3 Sedge Warblers singing, a bit half heartedly.

A fledged Whitethroat deep in a small hawthorn was begging do loudly and so incessantly it not only attracted the adult Whitethroat but also a Wren which flitted around it in attendance.

Single Kestrel hunting high, upsetting the swallows.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Unusually good view of a reeling Grasshopper warbler perched up on scrubby weeds as it sang. Briefly joined by a second non singing bird (F? Young?) Another heard reeling nearby.

Sedge warblers, Reed warblers, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow warblers and Blackcaps all singing. Loose flock of fledged warblers feeding with Goldfinch and Blue Tit

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Cettis Warbler showing fairly well while singing from a small hawthorn bush....flew into small copse.
Numerous Sedge Warblers, Reed warblers, Willow Warblers , Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs singing.
Small mixed group of tits, possibly post breeding flock ?

Good numbers of toad tadpoles in shallow pool near entrance/level crossing
Southern Marsh Orchids coming out.

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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges
1 Cettis Warbler singing from thick cover near car park

1 juv Grey Wagtail stuffing itself with flies over canal

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5-6pm
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Grasshopper Warblers
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
10+ Willow Warblers
10+ Whitethroat
5 Reed Warblers

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John Williams


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Richmond Bank/Gatewarth (18.00-20.30)

1 Lesser Whitethroat , 8 Common Whitethroats, 2 Cettis Warblers, 4 Sedge Warblers and 2 Kestrels along the embankment.

On or above the river :

2 Buzzards, 10 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shovelers, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Lapwing and 1 White Feral Goose.


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John Williams
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