A brilliant find by Andy Goodwin at the flashes today. He heard a distant call so went to check, found a roving tit flock and there in it was the calling bird, a Yellow-browed Warbler. A couple of Chiffchaffs were in with the loose flock which contained mainly Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Blue Tits. I headed down soon afterwards and even though it had been seen recently the Yellow-browed Warbler went missing and I didn't see it for a tense 30-40mins. As I searched at one point on my own a flicking bird at the far side of the willows caught my attention, so bins up and there it was the Yellow-browed Warbler, a year tick and my most local one ever. I called it out for the 30 or so birders present but it dropped and moved off swiftly left. Luckily it was picked up a few seconds later and carried on moving left but came to the front of the trees and everyone got on it. I was relieved that it didn't just disappear as several new arrivals were there who like me hadn't seen it yet.

A great find (again) by Andy and a good local bird. If anyone goes looking it was down the side lane to the left of Elton Hall Flash as you look from the road, favouring the flash side of the track after you have paddled through the floods! It did fly across the track to the Hancock's Flood side a couple of times into isolated hawthorns but soon flew back to its favoured side. It wasn't calling much as many Yellow-browed Warblers are prone to doing, which made it harder to relocate.

Doc Brewster wrote:

---

Caspian Tern on Elton Hall Flash this morning, found by Andy Firth. Mainly perched up but has flown around and departed once, but returned. Was still there when I left at 12.10pm and then I had an update at 12.35pm to confirm still present.

---

Cracking photo showing the rain there Doc.

Was lovely views in the sun later around 4 pm, with down south on Clay Lane on Pump House Flash or the scrapes to the east of the road seven Curlew, one Black-tailed Godwit, five (four?) Little Ringed Plover, four Oystercatchers, two Grey Heron, a Great Egret and both Common and Green Sandpiper and two Raven doing display flights over the dead tree.

Interestingly, (actually, probably not for 99.99% of readers) I saw my first Common Tern here in the 1970s as a six year old! Didn't really register until on the way home today but mine great-Uncle, whom is housebound many counties these days away, whom I rung to tell of said visit for the Caspian Tern today said he'd check his books and rang me back to say himself and my Grandad had been out that way and seen Common Tern....he was well made up I'd seen a first or the Flashes for him by-proxy (Ron Brydon if anyone remembers - moved  in the away 1980s).

Oh did I say for me....lifer....

 

 

Caspian Tern still present at 3.45pm. It spent most of its time asleep but did have an occasional preen and a brief fly around with all the gulls when a flyover Sparrowhawk spooked everything. A UK lifer for me.

Also a 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull sat in a dead tree.

Caspian Tern still present 2.10pm. Well worth a visit, was chucking it down when I was there but local weather brightened up. When raining we all said it would keep it down on the flash. I suppose with it brightening up a bit then it may leave. But worth a punt

Late afternoon visit 16.30-18.30 (Highlights)

Pumphouse Flash

A brood of 4 (Adult Mallard sized) young Shelducks with 2 adults keeping a watchful eye on them.

Elton Hall Flash

1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Tern. Also at the back of the flash were 4 drake Teal still in resplendent breeding plumage.

There was a sizeable gull roost on the flash, mostly Lesser-black Backs together with a few Herring, mainly immature birds,

but oddly not a single Black Headed Gull could be found around the flashes. Are they all at their breeding sites ?.

Although surely this may also reflect just how seriously this species has been impacted by bird flu?.




-- Edited by John Williams on Friday 7th of June 2024 11:58:08 PM

An adult winter-plumaged Little Gull is at Elton Hall Flash today for its second day and showing well from the viewpoint. It was still present until 11.20am at least.

10.00-13.00 (Highlights)

Elton Hall Flash: 1 Hobby, 1 Buzzard, 3 Lapwings and a pair mating of Herring Gulls.

Still quite a lot of Teal on the flash, with a group of 35 seen in front of the viewing area.

Pumphouse Flash: 4 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 Buzzards.

A Yellow Wagtail and a Common Sandpiper were recorded on Pumphouse before I arrived.

Midday visit

Elton Hall Flash:8 Black Tailed Godwits, 3 Oystercatchers and 2 Buzzards.

Pumphouse Flash:1 Great Crested Grebe, 1m Goldeneye, 5 Cormorants and 2 Buzzards.

Also 2f Lesser Redpolls were on willows opposite the broken gate, as were 2 Chiffchaffs (With 1 briefly in song).

A single Water Rail was seen below the willows too.

Nearby a flock of at least 14 Fieldfares plus 1 Redwing were seen at the base of an hawthorn hedge.

Noticeably missing around the flashes were Lapwings, with not a single individual being seen throughout.

Afternoon visit

Pumphouse Flash: 1m Goldeneye, 870 Lapwings and 6 Tufted Ducks.

Hancocks Flood: 1 Little Grebe and 22 Curlews.

Elton Hall Flash: 1 adult Great Black-Backed Gull, 14 Cormorants, 7 Shelducks, 53 Greylag Geese,

230 Lapwings, 2 Fieldfares and 1 Coal Tit.

Midday visit

Pumphouse Flash

1 Golden Plover amongst a huge flock of Lapwings, and 1 Great White Egret.

Elton Hall Flash

4 adult Great Black Backed Gulls. Also 1 Mistle Thrush with Fieldfares on a adjoining field.

4 Stock Doves were amongst Fieldfares and Redwings on Rosemarys Flood.

10.30-14.30

Elton Hall Flash :

1m+1f Ruff, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Black Tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe, 3 Green Sandpipers, 1 adult Yellow Legged Gull,

1 Buzzard, 1 Barnacle Goose and 1 Little Grebe.

Pumphouse Flash:

1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Buzzards (In flight above the flash together),

1 Sparrowhawk and 3 Curlews.

Large numbers of hirundines were over Pumphouse Flash, mostly Swallows but with a few House Martins mixed in too.

No egrets were seen throughout, just 3 Grey Herons.

Late Morning visit

Elton Hall Flash: 6 Curlew, 2 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Buzzard and 7 Grey Herons.

Pumphouse Flash :1 Great White Egret, 4 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Also a group of 10 (Mallard sized) juvenile Shelducks.

A Red Kite and an adult Yellow Legged Gull had been reported before I arrived.

Morning visit.

No sign of the Red Kites which have been frequenting the area over the last 5 days.

The only raptors seen were a single Sparrowhawk (Mobbed by a very determined crow) and 4 Buzzards.

Elton Hall Flash : 1 Great White Egret.

Pumphouse Flash : 2 Great Crested Grebes, a pair of Shelducks with a brood of 7 small ducklings, and 2 Oystercatchers.

A pair of Reed Warblers were seen making frequent visits to the cobweb like nests of ermine moths that hung amongst a clump of willows.

10.00-13.30

Elton Hall Flash: 1 Common Tern, 2 Common Sandpipers and 18 Shelducks.

A male Blackcap was singing and showing really well around the view point.

Pumphouse Flash : A pair of Great Crested Grebes and 1 Buzzard.

Hancocks Flood : 2 Oystercatchers (Flood now largely dried out).

Afternoon visit.

Elton Hall Flash : 6 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 adult Great Black Backed Gulls, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Egrets,

6 Cormorants and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. At one point 4 male Reed Buntings were seen together below the feeders.

Fieldfares and Redwings showed well on the hawthorns near the viewing point.

When the rain stopped and the sun briefly appeared a trio of Buzzards soared over the flash, causing even the GBB gulls to flush,

the Cormorants though were unmoved and simply ignored the big raptors.

Amongst a large group of Wigeon on the back pool was a female, who was trying to evade the attention of a drake Tufted Duck.

He was clearly trying to woo her, she managed to place herself between 2 resplendent male Wigeon, they then turned to face

the amorous diving duck and succeeded in persuading him to look elsewhere.

Hancocks Flood : 20 Curlew and 1 Little Grebe.

Pumphouse Flash : A huge flock of at least 1000 Lapwings, they were extremely nervous and flushed numerous times, but the only

possible threat that could be seen were a few crows.

Really impressive numbers of Wigeon seen around the site, Shovelers and Teal appeared to be relatively numerous too, thankfully.

The lane leading to the rear of Elton Hall Flash was flooded, as is often the case, wellies or waders are strongly advised.

Had the chance to go around a part of the flashes that I wasn't as familiar with today in the company of Patcher-extraordinaire Andy G. many thanks to him for a fabulous morning.

The single massive highlight was our self-found adult Iceland Gull, we think the first one for Cheshire in 2022. The bird was with a big flock of loafing gulls on Railway Flash No.2. As quickly as we found it it took to the air and it headed off high over towards Elton Hall Flash. Weirdly it was the only gull to depart, such a shame as I was just starting to try to phonescope it!! Also on here I picked out a couple of brutes, 2 argentatus Herring Gulls, these being as big and bulky as the accompanying Great Black-backed Gulls. There were at least 20 Great Black-backed Gulls on there and flying over too.

We also had 2 Little Egrets, 2 Bullfinches and a Cetti's Warbler here as well as commoner stuff like Redwings. A nice sight was 2 Ravens in display, beak tapping in a tree not far from Pumphouse Flash. Near here a Grey Wagtail was in a damp field and flew towards a farm settling tank.

A distant record hand-held phonescoped shot of the adult Iceland Gull is attached, rubbish but proof of a cracking self-found bird

12.30-15.30

Elton Hall Flash : 1 adult Yellow legged Gull, 32 Curlews, 120+ Lapwings,

1 Peregrine (Judging by size a female which really spooked the Lapwings, Curlews and ducks numerous times),

2 Buzzards (Even one of these was the target of an attack by the Peregrine, although clearly just as a gesture),

4f+1m Goosanders, 1f Great Spotted Woodpecker, 13 Great black Gulls, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Little Grebe.

Several small flocks of Redwings were targeting the hawthorns that still had berries.

Pump House Flash : 1 Pink footed Goose (Not amongst feral geese but alone on the field behind the flash)

and 1 Little Grebe.

An egret that seemed large enough to be a Great White was glimpsed flying towards Elton Hall Flash, but when I

checked that area moments later no egrets were found.

A brief visit to Elton Hall Flash en route (sort of!) to Newchurch Common revealed that one adult Yellow-legged Gull was still on Elton Hall Flash. It was on the shore on the furthest spit out on the left hand side from the viewing area.

Other birds reported from Elton Hall/Pumphouse Flashes were 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Pintail, a pair of Stonechat, 201 Greylag Geese, 50 Shoveler, 168 Wigeon, 227 Teal and 3 Gadwall.

Afternoon visit

Elton Hall Flash : 2 Pintails, 7 Curlew, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Buzzards and 4 Grey Herons.

A Buzzard was seen carrying what appeared to be a dead Swallow, before flying into a tree to eat it's prize.

Hancocks Flood : 4 Curlew.

Pumphouse Flash : 1 Dunlin and 1 Wheatear plus 4 Chiffchaffs in the willows.

Hawthorn hedges just North of Pumphouse Flash : 1 Spotted Flycatcher, at least 4 more Chiffchaffs and 1 Sparrowhawk.

Oddly no Lapwings were seen throughout, but numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Gadwall are clearly building up.

17.00-18.30 Highlights :-

Elton Hall Flash : 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Stock Doves.

Hancocks Flood : 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Curlew, 4 Teal and a gathering of 78 Black headed Gulls.

Pumphouse Flash : 1 Great Crested Grebe. A pair of Buzzards rested on a nearby pylon.

The water level was very high on the flashes, with no shoreline showing and mayweed growing right down to water's edge.

10.30-12.30

Hancocks Flood :

1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Egyptian Goose and an exotic escape in the form of a White faced Whistling Duck.

Pumphouse Flash :

A brood of 6 half grown Shelduck ducklings and 2 Great Crested Grebes, whilst 4 Buzzards soared on thermals above the flash.

Morning visit

Elton Hall Flash : Ruddy Shelduck in the centre of the flash close to edge of the willows.

A male Blackcap was showing well by the viewing area.

Hancocks Flood : Spotted Redshank showing well on one of the remaining pools.

Pumphouse Flash : 1 Great White Egret being harassed by a Grey Heron.

Also 1 Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Oystercatchers and 1 Buzzard.

Midday visit

Pumphouse Flash : 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher, 3f+1m Goosanders, 1 Great crested Grebe and 2 Buzzards.

A couple of Swallows posed on overhead wires alongside the flash.

Elton Hall Flash : 14 Black tailed Godwits, 2 Oystercatchers and an impressive 60 Shelduck.

The good run continues with a great find by Ange Goodwin this morning. An Avocet was on Elton Hall Flash, out on the most distant spit of land on the left looking fron the Viewpoint. Also here several Black-tailed Godwits with some in smart orange garb and a close-up Little Egret with head plumes.