MB

 

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:
RE: Cheshire River Mersey Sites


After a first look around the East End of Moore and wondering where all the birds had gone a yomp following the Mersey via Arpley fields and Bridge to the Sankey Canal and then down to look over Richmond Bank and back was required.

Six+two Goosander flew upstream as I first passed over Arpley Bridge, just too far away from Moore NR to be a Moore 'patch tick'.

Great Spotted Woodpecker on the Canal. Mistle Thrush, plenty of Blackbirds, Coot, Moorhen, two Gadwall, Mute Swan family inc three juvs, Water Rail and seven Redwing.

A series of pools (leachate?) are being constructed on the Mersey Bank overlooking Richmond Bank which was just being covered by water as I arrived so gulls and waders had cleared off. A buzzard was being hassled by two Ravens over Moore capped tip to the south.

On the return a Grey Wagtail was flitting around Gatewarth sewage plant.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

AM Fiddlers Ferry Marina
Skein of 40 or so Pink Footed Geese over was first sightings of the Autumn here for me.
Single Fieldfare feeding on berries with Blackbirds and Robins.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

4,700 -5,000 Gulls (predominantley larger than smaller) and 800+ Canada Geese on the new sandbank forming under the middle tower of the Mersey Gateway Bridge at 15:00. (Tide was high still at this point).

Unfortunately I was driving over the bridge and whilst we were in a high sided vehicle the passenger took plenty of photos looking above the Plexiglass parapets onto the sandbank they were only good enough to identify gull / goose but did a bit of photochopping tonight to estimate numbers.

Is this bank going to become the new Richmond Bank with gulls feeding at the recycle yard in Widnes?

I don't think you can get close to view the bank on the Wigg Island side so the Sankey Canal on the North side probably provides the best views.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
Walk up canal towpath towards Ferry Pub
Young Little Grebe diving for food on canal
4 Curlew over
1 or 2 Redwing in with Blackbirds feeding in bushes

Industrial work ever increasing in area. large digger energetically working away on scrubby rough area of reeds and brambles by Windpump.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry
f Grey Wagtail


__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
Small numbers of Redwing over yesterday.

Possible to see over to the old tip area at Gatewarth from the River bank here, sad sight.
A large area of this great habitat for warblers and other birds has been razed, all vegetation above grass height grubbed out. Trees, bushes, nothing is left. The work is still ongoing, with vehicles moving around . Not sure how much will remain, when finished? Maybe just the two cast iron posts erected by the local council listing all the birds that their continued care of and future policies for this land will benefit from. (Yellowhammer, Grasshopper Warbler, Grey Partridge etc) At least these signs will serve as a memorial for years to come !

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Richmond Bank - two Great Black-backed Gulls, eight Herring Gull, 42 Black-headed Gull, 860 Lapwing, Cormorants.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
AM
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Buzzards
3 Cettis Warbler
1 Chiffchaff
200 plus Lapwing on River


__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
PM
Still difficult to access most of site.
Prolonged aerial dogfight between a pair of Sparrowhawks and a m Kestrel over the old tip area was dramatic and energetic. The raptors circled each other and swept high and low trying to gain the upper hand. Must have gone on for at least fifteen mimutes.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
Flock of 23 Gadwall on canal

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
Canal
Mute Swan pair have fledged seven young .

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
AM walk up tow path towards Gatewarth. Access to River still not possible due to ongoing construction work.

Mute Swan pair with six fledged young on weir.
Other fledged birds included Reed Warblers, Great Tits, Goldfinch, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen.


__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 141
Date:

Paddington meadows,

Yesterday, blackbird, song thrush, blackcap, robin,cettis warbler seen by mersey,mallard, gadwall, coot,moorhen, woodpigeon, kestrel, magpie ,carrion crow ,greenfinch, goldfinch, bullfinch, buzzards displaying, blue tit, great  tit, long tailed tit ,swallow 3



-- Edited by David Hughes on Saturday 30th of April 2022 08:35:30 AM

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry
3 Swallows
Sankey Bridges
4 Cettis Warblers
12 plus Reed Warblers
1 Blackcap
Mute Swan pair nesting on canal

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth AM
Still impossible to access site along River so I strolled along canal and railway for a bit, which is all that can really be done atm here, sadly
warblers heard and/or seen :
3 plus Reed Warblers
5 plus Willow Warblers
2 Chiffchaff
2 Cettis Warblers
2 Whitethroat

Also present, a pair of Linnets and several singing Reed Bunting



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 123
Date:

Male Wheatear on ploughed field west of Arpley landfill.

Redshank and Dunlin down river from Richmond Bank



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
Yesterday AM
Seen and/or heard singing

Min 4 Chiffchaff
Min 7 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark (fields far side)
1 Cettis Warbler



-- Edited by John O'Neill on Monday 21st of March 2022 09:33:05 AM



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
Soon it will be easier to list areas of the site with no building work going on....more path closures today, Horse Paddocks now inaccessible.

1 Grey Wagtail.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 72
Date:

Yellowhammer and yellow legged gull highlights at the Widnes warth end yesterday. I waited for the tide to come right in this time and still no Dunlin and unable to pick out any golden plover with the lapwing over the river on the wigg banks. Lots of curlew, shelduck, oystercatcher and common teal in front of the warth with predominantly black headed gulls and nice to see what I believe is a rise in lesser black backed gull numbers

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
The major building work still ongoing here shows no sign of completion. Paths down to River remain closed. 15 cars 1 van 3 lorries and a crane were on site today, a level of activity that suggests when completed, this development will have a big impact on wildlife here. Further work (additional car parking ?) started alongside the existing Ferry Pub car parking as well.

Birds on Horse Paddocks included :
2 Oystercatcher
30 plus Redwing
20 plus Mistle Thrush
1 Pied Wagtail
50 plus Starling, some in iridescent Summer colours.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 72
Date:

A pair of siskin in the alders at spike island was a patch first today, nothing else around out of the ordinary for the area. Their seemed to be quite a lot of oystercatcher on the sandbanks, didn't notice any Dunlin but left before the tide came right in .4 or 5 Yellowhammer in bushes at the Widnes wharth end of the marsh was a recent patch first and stonechat on the fence posts at the spike island end of the marsh and a pair of flyover Raven other highlights. The rescue Whooper Swan is still at spike island.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Chiffchaff at Gateworth by filter beds at lunch. Not heard to sing nor was light good enough to be sure that the sub-species was anything other than normal.

1 Grey Wagtail present and two Black-headed Gulls showing nice fresh hoods.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
y'day pm
Kingfisher perched up inside the lock connecting the canal to the River , next to sailing club. Never see them in here before....very unprepossessing place at first glance, lightless and industrial. I guess the relatively shallow water was the attraction.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 1841
Date:

11.30-15.00 Wigg Island Runcorn (Walked to Halfway House and returned via same route)

River Mersey sandbanks Wigg Island : 5 Redshanks, 2 Curlews and 7 Grey Herons.

Saltmarsh : 1 Buzzard and 1 Kestrel. 4 Mistle Thrushes on the lawn alongside the car park.

Ship canal and area alongside : 2 Buzzards, 30 Gadwall (18 attracted to an inflow at Astmoor, together with 30 Black Headed Gulls

and 9 Coots), 72 Tufted Ducks, 1f Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebes, 3m Pochard and 4 Teal.

River Mersey (Newton Marsh area) : 8 Golden Plovers with 340 Lapwings. 1 adult Great Black Backed Gull.

In the parkland a solitary Lesser Redpoll fed on alder seeds and a single Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen.



__________________
John Williams


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
50 plus Redwing with similar nos of Starling and a few Mistle Thrush and Blackbirds on Horse Paddocks.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina

1 Little Grebe on canal
Good Nos of Curlews in fields on opposite bank
1 Cettis Warbler in Reeds up towards Power Station



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Sunday 19th did a full loop of the Mersey from Warrington to the old Runcorn Bridge, outwards via Lower Walton, Arpley, Gatewarth, down the Sankey Canal to Spike Island, over the old Runcorn Bridge, down the Bridgewater, cut back onto Wigg Island, down the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal to Halfway House and just after Round Cherval cutting through to Norton Marsh, then back into Moore NR via the feeding station, past Birchwood Pool, down to the Mersey at Unilever and back to the MSC at The Stag in Upper Walton.

Nothing of note whatsoever! 18 miles and two blisters for at best 8 Teal on the ship canal and one Kingfisher at Gateworth. Few gulls about but all ordinary. Nothing on the pools at Moore. Though I forgot how long 18 miles takes to walk and how early dark comes in the winter, it was almost pitch black after Birchwood Pool at 4:50pm. But also very quiet. Got home to South Warrington to hear Tawny' calling. But none on Moore NR?

Edited to add: There appears a very distinct sandbank / Island building up in the landward side of the Mersey from the central pier of the new bridge. It is covered in green vegetation which suggests and looks from the height it isn't being covered by most tides. I did have a friend many years ago via work [lost touch, their company was something like Euntec or Anauser can't remember now, think Euntec were taken over anyway] in the "planning preconditioning / future environmental monitoring" which stated that there was going to be 30 years monitoring of the change of the ecology of the river.

Looks at the mo like a nice potential breeding island might be building up there? Or could that sandbank change the flow for other waders / curlew / gulls which sit around the Wigg area. There certainly seems much less flow now on the South side at low tide at Wigg compared to that at Spike Island (random anecdotal conjuncture from 20 - 30 visits to both this year). Moore was very poor for waders this year on the pools (high water, diversion of underground springs from capping Arpley being mentioned by one of the Farmers that works both the Moss Side fields and maintenance on the Landfill).

 

 



-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 21st of December 2021 09:23:01 PM



-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 21st of December 2021 09:24:12 PM

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
Loose skein of 100plus Pink Footed Geese over.
(37 seen earlier in day low over our house nearby in Penketh)

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Taking advantage of a friends a offer of canoeing (technically we were in a two man kayak) on the Mersey as some of this weeks high tides had a slight potential for a Mersey bore (no where near as spectacular as the Severn bore, but can be strong enough to push you without having to paddle).

We portaged in at Pickerings Pasture at 13:00 two and a bit hours before high tide at Warrington end of the Mersey and thirty minutes later we were drifting past Spike Island, which got a bit choppy past Runcorn Rocks. Shelduck watched us (no Ruddy ones), Little Egrets took flight. Plenty of Canada and greylag geese to the West of the new Mersey crossing. We had wanted to try and take the channel on the Wigg Island side but the wind direction meant for passive travelling (sitting as still as possible, no paddling, just using the foot rudders to stay in the flow) we had to stay in the lee on the Northern channel.

We nearly grounded going under the new Mersey bridge, there seems to be a sand bar building on the North side of the river there. 

Five buzzards circulated over Fiddlers Ferry PS. 

Drifting on at 14:20 we passed Penketh Bar where a small gull roost (mainly Black-headed Gulls, but a few Lesser Black Backs) was still present. 30 curlew were on the Bar plus a few small waders, Redshank I'm guessing, but with googles on (don't want to flip over into the Mersey and get that water in your eyes, even if just from the sand disturbed by the tide) and bins in drypac bags id not fully possible apart from the redshank jizz the birds displayed. At this point the flow was strong enough and direct enough only minor rudder corrections were needed, still no paddling so we were able to stay still and not make movements that might disturb birds. Ten minutes later past Penketh Bank a few further minutes later and Richmond Bank, which had only a last half football field of dry sand present; devoid of avians except a last few Comorants and Corvids.

Lots of Corvids on the north side of the Arpley Landfill (000s). A grey wagtail was on the humpback bridge over the river.

Into the rush as the river narrows and enters a concrete channel (~4mph is rushing when not paddling in a kayak). It is quite surreal to be sat motionless yet watch the world go by. A peregrine swooped from the Unilever factory silo over the river. We drifted on towards the railway bridge at Morely Common where our exit awaited. Four mallards (2m, 2f) gave us looks like they weren't happy with us being there. 

A finch flock contained mostly Chaffinch but also two or three Brambling as we were exiting the canal (note unless the tide is high, the mud here is very hard to get any grip on, it is more like Angel Delight texture than solid mud).

Next time, we're going to come down from Warrington portaging in at Chester Road and morr (sp?) with an anchor in a channel we saw south of Richmond Bank so we can let the water drop and have helmets and goggles off, cameras / bins / scopes out of the drypac bags one we are beached and attach to bank / mud anchor until the tide returns, which we guess is a 5-7 hr duration.

Going to need a lot of Bovril for that!



-- Edited by Andy Slee on Friday 10th of December 2021 06:57:04 PM

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
AM
Little Grebe catching fish in canal
Kestrel



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
Small numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare feeding with Blackbirds on berries.
1 Kestrel

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry
River by Sailing Club

1 Kingfisher

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
1 f Grey Wagtail on weir
3 of this year's young Mute Swans still sticking close to an adult bird. The Juvs very white plumage now.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
Building project proceeding. Starting to erect fences on other side of River House compound now.

A dozen or so Pied Watails feeding on ploughed field near middens joined by f Grey Wagtail.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry

Walk from Marina down towards Widnes
Few Redwing in Hawthorn bushes.
Little Grebe on canal.
Huge Buzzard (seemed much bigger than usual size) on a lampost near Power Station.




__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
PM
The construction adjacent to the River Plant Compound getting ever bigger. A car park for dozens of cars taking shape. One bay already finished. A Disabled Parking Space which somehow , although laudable, serves to make the whole ghastly development seem even more permanent.

Cettis Warbler singing in reeds by canal.
F Grey Wagtail feeding with two Dunnocks in Horse Pastures.
Small numbers of Starlings forming flocks.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
AM
Paths to River still closed , construction work getting ever bigger, what look like permanent access road now in.

1 f Grey Wagtail on middens in horse paddocks.
1 Cetti's Warbler in reeds on canal.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Grim isn't it.

The works are badged as "upgrade to filter station at Fiddlers Ferry" (a lie as I worked at Fiddlers and know the decommissioning plan(s) and this is some other Utility Ununited to SSE); it is UU putting in a bypass filter for when Sankey Valley floods in high rain.

Like you I always saw Lesser Whitethroat along the stretch past the small water turbine pump. This may be the last year it seems.

Not even that great on the Dark side in Moore - I went to Norton Marsh yesterday...the hide has been removed.

At the second bend downstream though from the old 'Richmond Ban' by Half Way House at Moore there were 1000+ gulls inc a Yellow Legged Gull.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM

Took a walk along canal to see what 's happening with big construction project that is occurring alongside the River Treatment Plant compound. This is well underway and has added roads, removed trees and thrown up an earth bank already. In the last couple of years, Lesser Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, Grasshopper Warblers and Great Spotted Woodpeckers have bred close by , amongst many other species.

Depressing.

Two Swallows still over Horse Paddocks where a single Meadow Pipit flitted.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 345
Date:

Any idea on this Gull? At Mersey Road Runcorn this afternoon. Appeared absolutely massive even when compared to the immature LBBGs.

 

The large one just centre right in the photo with the yellow bill with dark gowys spot.

 

First thoughts were large race Herring Gull but lack of black tips to the primaries and very white wings in flight (appeared "ghost like") ruled that out (corect asumption?) . Then reading my books at home, it made me wonder if it is just a gull in dodgy stage of moult or a hybrid. Other puzzling feature were the legs, a very pale washed out grey as well which didn't fit with yellow or pink as most of the other expected other large gulls have. 

 

Got a couple more photos if that helps but not much better (iPhone) - bird flew off to the Mersey after kids started throwing slices of bread at the flock!!!!!

 

 



Attachments
__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
2 Grey Wagtails on canal (literally on canal which was clogged up with thick green surface algae)

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
Large f Sparrowhawk crashing into a panicked flock of Goldfinches.
Water Rail calling from canal reeds.

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 1841
Date:

Late post for 31.08.2021 Midday

Walk from Lapwing Lane to Moss Side and Halfway House to view the Mersey at Norton Marsh/Fiddlers Ferry.

Moss Side : 1 Yellowhammer and a charm of 30 Goldfinches.

Norton Marsh : 1 Little Egret, 3 Grey Herons, 1 Buzzard and 60 Lapwings.

A quick scan through the big gull roost on mud banks did not reveal anything unusual, around 80% of them were

adult Lesser Black Backs.

Manchester Ship Canal : 3 adult + 1 juvenile (Full grown) Great Crested Grebes, 35 Tufted Ducks and 2 Lapwings.

2 Kestrels and a Buzzard were perched on the roof of the Stobart warehouse at Halton Moss.

A few Swallows were seen patrolling the just above the surface canal.

__________________
John Williams


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
2 adult Mute Swans with 3 young
Gatewarth
the Mute Swan pair here have 7 young in tow

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges
1 Grey Wagtail

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
late PM yesterday
2 Little Egrets with Grey Herons on River

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
1 Little Egret on River
1 Lesser Whitethroat brief burst of song


__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Gatewarth
Yellowhammer singing from opposite side of River

__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
AM
A very vocal recently fledged Kestrel was inexpertly flapping in and around a willow tree constantly calling plaintively.
Eventully it flew over the River and united with a second bird. Prob an adult f.



__________________


Status: Offline
Posts: 847
Date:

Fiddlers Ferry- Gatewarth
am
2 Lesser Whitethroat and at least 2 Cettis Warblers singing

__________________
«First  <  1 2 3 414  >  Last»  | Page of 14  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

RODIS

 

This forum is dedicated to the memory of Eva Janice McKerchar.