The First Winter Female Lesser Scaup was present again today from the Rotary Hide, 2nd sighting this week for me of it , luckily I was in the next hide already today when it dropped in . record shot below .It seems at the present time to be paired up with a Male Tufted Duck also it was interesting seeing the Male Tufted panic, thinking it had lost its mate ,when they both dived at the same time but the Lesser Scaup remained under water about double the time.
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 22nd of March 2024 09:59:53 PM
News on the Cheshire Whatsapp this morning that the Lesser Scaup had returned to Woolston Eyes, but then had flown off before access could be arranged. At 12.45pm news came through on the group that it had been relocated on Woolston Weir, outside the reserve. So I finished lunch and then headed down to Weir Lane to access the Weir area. A small group of assembled birders squinted into the sun dappled water and we joined them to quickly find the 1w female Lesser Scaup, sleeping most of the time, head on back, but easy to pick out nonetheless. The bird did life its head a couple of times, but I struggled with pictures anyway, shooting into the sun, and never managed a head up shot! Still, it was nice to catch up with and continues a good run of Cheshire ducks, what with the BMW American (Storm) Wigeon and my drake Smew
13:30 - 15:30 up the River Mersey from the Boatclub at Kingsway to the Weir past #3 and #4 and back (on the River).
Upriver, at least three concentrated patches of 30+ House Sparrows around the Westey bed before #4 bed, 57 Canada Geese in total, 147 Black-headed Gulls, plus what looks like a small roost on Cardinal Newman Buildings.
26 Redwing over during the trip heading to #3 bed and one Fieldfare.
3 Grey Heron on the river, 3 Little Grebe and ad+juv Great Crested Grebe near the start of the Oxbox, disturbed at least 2 Goldeneye m which flew up towards the Weir.
On the return 2 linnet over, patch of Siskins on Paddington meadows (15 or so), couple Bullfinch, four Greenfinch and two Goldfinch. Moorhen and Coot in the banks with around 17 Mallards.
Magpie, Carrions crow, Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit and Starling made up the rest, about 50 Starling looking like they were settling down to roost near the end of the old Latchford Canal at Kingsway Bridge.
Marsh Harrier (1) Female Hobby (5 separate sightings) could well be same bird Buzzard (1) Sparrowhawk (1) Great Crested Grebe (1 adult and 3 juveniles) on Weir Little Grebe (7) Shoveler (10) Gadwall (50 plus) Greenfinch (3) Lapwing (20) Tufted Duck (15) Grey Heron (2) Mute Swan (2 adults and three cygnets) Coal Tit (1) Long Tailed Tit (4)
Spotted Redshank on number 4 was the first recorded for 9 years apparently. Also 7 Black Necked Grebe, Garden Warbler, 1+Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cettis Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler. Gargany reported but not confident enough for eclipse plumage which needs to be addressed. Didn't see any in breeding plumage. Record shot of Spotted Redshank attached.
On number 3 bed were 2 Marsh Harrier, Black Necked Grebe, 7 Reed Warbler.
Two new Black-necked Grebe broods today takes the total to 13 broods so far this season, with hopefully one or two late broods to come too. The total number of birds (including young) is currently in the high 40's.
It was also a productive day for monitoring breeding activity of other species too: - three new Pochard broods, taking their total to nine broods so far this season. - a Shoveler brood of six is the first brood to be found on the reserve for many years, though breeding is suspected every year. - six new Little Grebe broods takes their total to a minimum of 12 broods. - two broods of Water Rail were seen, although birds were calling from four other areas of the reedbed and the true total is always higher than seen.
A Redshank on No4 Bed early morning was the only passage wader today, and two adult Mediterranean Gulls flew through. Belated news from Sunday of a summer plumage Little Stint also on No4 Bed, plus a decent passage of Ringed Plover and seven Black-tailed Godwit throughout the last week.
-- Edited by Daniel Owen on Tuesday 6th of June 2023 08:42:47 PM
Minimum of 14 Black-necked Grebes yesterday. 22+ was the peak April count, and based on behaviour several new pairs arriving in the last week the breeding season is looking at least average, but potentially above average, for the second year running...weather dependant of course. (10-12 pairs is the long-term average). It's worth noting that it's always a quiet time of year for counting them, with half on nests and guarding birds skulking in the reedbed - a scope helps if visiting the reserve.
3 Common Tern also yesterday, plus a big arrival of Reed Warblers across the reserve within the last week, and the best singing Sedge Warbler count since 2010.
Black-Necked Grebe (1) as John says below showing well from "Warrington Rotary Hide". Nice to chat with Brian Martin who said these are earliest sightings at Woolston Eyes. Little Grebe (2) Great Crested Grebe (4) Sparrowhawk (1) Great Spotted Woodpecker (1) Greenfinch (15) Bullfinch (8) Shoveler (10) Shelduck (7) Teal (45) Pochard (20) Gadwall (15) Greylag Geese (6) Canada Geese (14) Tufted Duck (70) Great Black-Backed Gull (4) Lesser Black-Backed Gull (1) Black-Headed Gull (20) Magpie (7) Coot (8) Moorhen (1) Great Tit (3) Blue Tit (2) Chaffinch (15) Cormorant (4) Mallard (8)
Having been favouring Moore this year as my local patch I was starting to get a bit guilty about not having been around Woolston for a few weeks and was planning to go soon. Well an afternoon WhatsApp was all that was needed to make me change plans for my afternoon stroll [to Halfway House at lower tide at Moore] and at 3:25 pm wandered in from West via the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC) track at Donaldson Engineering to go to the new #4 bed and within 20 minutes searching the target bird was found. Temmnick's Stint meandering about on a spit off the new Islets viewed from the western path around the bed. Cheshire lifer!
Thanks to Dan for the original message and both Dave's I saw on the way into the bed for more refined directions.
Wader species for the day included Green Sandpiper, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Snipe. No Dunlin though whilst watching the Stint at ca. 4 - 4:15 pm (or at all).
Pied Wagtail, Greylag and Canada Geese, Black-headed and Lesser-black Backed Gulls. Teal, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Great Crested Grebe and Shovler on the pool.
Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Robin, Blackbird, Reed Warbler all provided a musical backdrop whilst scanning the bed. Single Linnets and Greenfinch (?) seen on the dryer parts of the bed.
Looks a lovely developing site, great testimony to the hard work put in by the Woolston Eyes Conservation Group and others.
Edit - Expanded MSc acronym to Manchester Ship Canal (attempt at penance for a bad habit developed after spending over 30 years in an industry excelling in TLA - Three Letter Acronyms).
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 28th of April 2022 09:00:47 PM
Feeding station 19 bramblings probably more greenfinch chaffinch Reed buntings nuthatch 1pr great spotted woodpeckers 1pr bullfinch sparrowhawk 2 jays 9 greylag geese and all the usual wildfowl other birds seen wren goldfinch grey heron pheasant redwing song thrush robin dunnock great/blue/long tailed tits
#4 bed. 1 Cettis Warbler singing. Teal, Shovler, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall Present with Canada Geese, Black-backed Gulls, one Great Black-backed Gull and three Herring Gulls. Male and female Goosander flew in. Grey Heron skulking at the North side of the bed.
#3bed. Treecreeper (reserve first for me) at the Sybil Hogg hide. Surprisingly small Sparrowhawk flew out a bush in front of me across the fields where seed is grown for finches. Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch abundant all over the shrub around the bed. two more Cettis calling.
Lots of gulls flocks (5 - 60 birds) were flying west down the Ship Canal. I counted 52 flocks in an hour. Predominantly Black-Headed; of the three groups of Herring, one Group had two very large silver winged gulls in, wingspan 1/3rd greater than the rest of the Herring Gulls - Argentatus spp?
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 16th of December 2021 11:33:09 PM
-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 16th of December 2021 11:33:42 PM