Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
9-10am
Slight fall of snow but warmer than has been, River not iced and Shelduck and Grey Herons , Lapwings and more Gulls were present
4 Bullfinch in hedge along main path
Cold, slight drizzle. Very high tide.
Pink Footed Geese - 100s over in skeins of various sizes, some quite low, by far the highest number of this species I have ever seen here.
1 Little Grebe on River, at outflow near Windpump.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker flying to perch right on top of a tall electricity pylon. Another heard calling.
Several Jays.
Sankey Bridges - Gatewarth
9AM
Flocks of 300 plus Lapwing with few Redshank on sandbanks in River
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker calling in copse near Windpump
Mixed flocks of tits and finches in hedges
Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
AM
A sole Raven accompanied me pretty much all the way round, vocal, continually muttering to itself. First seen flying over old tip area, then perched up on pylon by wind pump, then over horse fields. When over the fields it started to indulge in acrobatic tumblings, climbing high then somersaulting down , wheeling over and over, changing vocalisation to a high shrill cry.
Fiddlers Ferry - Gatewarth
900-1000 AM
Single Redwing gorging on Haws on a Hawthorn Tree was first I 've seen on site this season
1m Bullfinch
Reed Buntings flitting along main pathside hedge like a flock of winter finches
Gatewarth
Typical Autumnal scene this morning with purple flush of naturalised Michelmass Daisies on the old tip and Berries, Hawes and Hips red in the hedges.
Lapwing numbers up on the river
Skylarks passing over in 2s and 3s , vocal.
Fiddlers Ferry -Gatewarth AM
Perfect procession of 2 adult and 8 rapidly whitening piebald young Mute Swans on canal. One of the adults headed the line, the other brought up the rear.
1 Cettis Warbler singing in reeds...weird kind of canaryish twitter rather than full on song.
1 Jay
Gatewarth AM
2 seperate family groups of Mute Swans on canal this morning, one with 2 adukts and 7 yiubg the other 2 adukts and 6 young. 3 other adult birds on River.
Cettis Warbler and, less expectedly, 2 Chiffchaff singing in and around hedge on top of Riverbank
Still 2 Swallows in and oit of barns at the Penketh Old Hall Stables.
08/09 AM GATEWARTH
7 young (this year's birds) and 4 adult Mute Swans made an ironically vocal group on the canal.
1 Cetti's Warbler singing
Long loose flock of Long Tailed Tits had a few Blue Tits and Willow Warblers mixed in.
Large, mobile,vocal flock of adult and juvenile passerines feeding on hawthorn hedge along main path, drinking from muddy puddle as well included a Garden Warbler, a site tick and the tenth warbler species I have seen here, though I have seen them pretty close before.
Other species, in rough order of numbers : Goldfinch, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Robin.
7 near full grown cygnets feeding with both adult Mute Swans on canal.
Gatewarth
early evening
Mute Swan pair at nest. Female sheltering 6 cygnets under wing.
Post breeding flocks of Starlings (40 plus) and Lapwing (30ish) formed
Plenty of recently fledged young birds about including a mixed flock of Tits and Finches in trees round Water Compound, where 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were flying to and fro close to last year's nest site. Family party of 4 Whitethroat.3 or 4 young Pied Wagtails were skimming the water at the canal like swallows, catching flies with gusto.
1 Marsh Orchid (not fully flowering, appeared to be Northern Marsh)
Gatewarth
Earlier start for my hour long allowed walk
9-10 AM ish
Grasshopper Warblers much in evidence, at least 6 birds heard/seen
Whitethroats also obvious at least 4 mainly in song flight
1st Sedge warblers of year here 2 in song flight
Reed Warblers in big nos sining from canal side reeds
At least 4 Cettis Warblers
Best of all A Cuckoo calling repeatedly from far side of River and seen briefly in flight distantly.. First recorded here for at least 4 years
Gatewarth 2.30-3.30 pm
Lesser Whitethroat , very vocal and mobile bird calling and singing seen and heard.
At one point, as it moved along the main hedge along the track close to the River, Lesser Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler and Cettis Warbler all audible together.
Gatewarth
Identical walk to yesterday but fewer warblers heard, no Grasshopper Warblers nor Blackcaps nor Whitethroats heard or seen this morning.
Close views of Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Cettis Warbler some consolation.
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.