Richmond Bank

Andy Slee · Status: Offline

RE: Richmond Bank

Andy Slee · Status: Offline

1567 Lapwing, 126 Black-headed Gull, 22 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 16 Cormorant loafing on the Bank at lunch.

A surprise was a flyover Yellowhammer!

A trick of the light but one Raven soaring overhead looked huge, when I saw the silhouette I was half expecting an eagle spp.

A slightly difficult place to get to for a mere mortal to get good views these days of the Bank from Gatewarth side. Be glad when they finally open the Arpley Country Park "Seawatching Hide".

Edited to remove slightly rude word and to add a couple of images which show how Moores loss may become Arpley Country Parks gain and how you'll be able to seawatch over Richmond Bank from a hide with the sun behind you!!!!!

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Tuesday 8th of October 2024 09:29:52 PM

Andy Slee · Status: Offline

Two years since the last visit from the North Side of the Mersey - access now possible again to the edge of the bend to the west of the Bank giving full views upriver to the Bank and downriver to The Ferry Tavern (and sneaky views over to Moore to catch anything on the patch there).

Went, primarily with the intent of doing a WinGS BTO count - tide timing (falling) was perfect for today and no storms, the Bank showed at 14:30 from the falling tide and quickly built up some nice avifauna. However at 15:20 all the gulls decided to fly off, in a roughly 50:50 flit by sightline and irrespective of whether small-gull or large-gull:

Either towards the Ship Canal, then turning as if to follow the Ship Canal to Frodsham;
Straight over to Fiddlers Ferry lagoon, thus;
The Bank was left with a big fat zero for a roost count.

Come back 2010, all is forgiven. Tell you what, there were ca. 1,600 gulls at peak on the Bank today when it was 2/3rds the way to low water, the 15,000 - 30,000s talked about a decade ago must have been a real spectacle.

Anyway a nice two hours, 37 species seen, highlights been Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Cetti's Warblers trying to outsing each other either side of me, eight Curlew, five Fieldfare "chacking" in a bush, three Grey Heron picking fish and an eel out the Mersey, eight Curlew, 27 Redshank and 320 Lapwing making up the waders (these all stayed when the gulls left).

Gulls, one Common Gull, 1342 Black-headed Gull, 165 Herring Gull (at least 12 Argentatus), 82 Lesser Black-backed Gull (~ 1/3 imm), six Ad Great Black-backed Gull.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 25th of January 2024 07:42:30 PM

Andy Slee · Status: Offline

Chiffchaff at Gateworth. Didn't hear call, against light and whilst looked "grey" that could have been a trick of the light.

Richmond Bank. Ca 420 Black-headed Gulls, some starting to look very smart as they develop their caps.

27 Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls. 2 Great Black-backed. 1 Common Gull. 12 Herring Gulls including one absolute brute, as big as the GBBGs.

Three Redshank flew downriver.

Seven cormorant. My "friend" from Moore with the very white head (no dark on the crest at all) was present. Again light against to get a good view on the gular angle.

Great Spotted Woodpecker by Sankey Bridges plus numerous Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe.

Looped back round to Moore; two of the three usual Woodpeckers species seen and on Lapwing Lane a Crow with a White Wing (right side from behind). I noted one on 2015, then haven't been much 2016 - 2019 and haven't seen a white winged Crow since frequent visits in 2020? Same bird?

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 15th of February 2022 10:41:51 PM

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Its a couple of years since I last went to the bank, todays sightings:-

Lapwing 840

Redshank 41

Dunlin 14

Cormorant (Carbo) 4

Gulls-approx 400 mainly Black Headed but also Herring Gull (including 2 Argentatus), Lesser BB and a couple of Common Gulls.

On the capped tip a female Stonechat, 2 Cettis Warblers and a male Kestrel

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

A single Avocet feeding in channels on the bank earlier today........also 14 Black-headed Gulls and 2 singing Cetti's Warblers nearby on the landfill site.

pete berry · Status: Offline

An end of an era as Arpley Tip is now closed,and there aint going to be any more gulls cry

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

In four hours with Pete Berry today produced:

1 adult Caspian Gull (a new individual)
1 third winter Caspian Gull
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull

pete berry · Status: Offline

3 hours this am with Jeff produced a cracking adult caspian Gull which hung around all morning and showed all the diagnostic primary patterns.
Poor number of gulls on today,maybe only 1500 birds,and not many coming through,possibly as its Monday and the tip has been shut over the weekend birds need to spend more time feeding?

Also in the scrubby area just right of where we sit a Cetti's Warbler was calling on and off all morning
and at least 30 Snipe flying around

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

A few hours yesterday (30th November) with Pete Berry before the large high tide produced:

1 first calendar year Caspian Gull (a few poor photos attached include one in flight; camera's on its last legs!)
2 Yellow-legged Gulls (and adult and first calendar year, photo attached of the latter; the less white-headed bird)

Huge number of gulls in the area with anywhere up to 8000 on the bank at any one time and a good regular turnover of them to and from the tip and heading downstream

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Images of today's Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gulls, with the Caspian displaying all the prerequisite features and perfect primary pattern on both upper and underwing.

pete berry · Status: Offline

An excellent day today with Ian produced

A 4th winter Caspian Gull
6 ad. Yellow Legged Gulls
1 Knot
and 4 Redshank

with up to 5000 birds on The Bank at any one time,and a lot of movement of birds to and from tip,the best numbers we've had here for a couple years,and hopefully the forerunner of a good winter.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Late news for yesterday when four hours with Pete Berry produced only a single Yellow-legged Gull, a first winter bird.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

A few hours this morning with Pete Berry produced:

4 Yellow-legged Gull (3 adults and a third winter)
6 Dunlin
Female Goosander

pete berry · Status: Offline

A couple of hours with Jeff today produced

5 Yellow Legged Gulls(4 ads and a 2nd w.)
Greenshank and a Redshank

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

A few hours this morning with over a thousand large gulls present and along with Pete Berry before the sunny weather really stopped play produced:

5 Yellow-legged Gulls, including 2 adults, 1 third summer (4th calendar year) and two fine juveniles both the latter complete with one or two second generation scapulars each and a suite of other pro-juvenile Yellow-legged features. Two images of one juvenile included but admittedly extremely poor iphone-scoped examples taken at long range in poor light!

Plenty of juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls (many still begging for food from parents) and several juvenile Herring Gulls

A single Common Sandpiper

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Sunday 24th April approx 11.30am - 3.30pm

Another stakeout for a Glaucous Gull but it wasn't to be!
- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile
- Great Black-backed Gull 2 adult + few large juv
- Grasshopper Warbler 2 reeling then showed but not good photo opportunities
- Sedge Warbler 3, more heard
- Reed Warbler 2
- Chiffchaff 2 seen, more heard
- Willow Warbler 1 seen, more heard
- Common Whitethroat 2
- Lesser Whitethroat HEARD ONLY
- Treecreeper 1
- Reed Bunting 2
- Bullfinch 1m
- Linnet 4
- Swallow 4 through
- Kestrel 1
- Common Buzzard 2
- Cuckoo heard but distant, seemed to be from the direction of Great Sankey.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Almost 4 hours today, until the last of the Gulls departed at around 1.45pm when the tide covered the bank.

- Iceland Gull 1 juvenile amongst the 100's of Gulls.
(Primary projections were well beyond the tail
wink

)

Other birds of note...
- Stonechat 1 male
- Reed Bunting 1 male
- Whitethroat 2
- Sedge Warbler 1 seen in the reeds near canal side / car park, more heard
- Willow Warbler 1 seen, lots heard
- Chiffchaff 2 seen, lots heard
- Swallow 3
- Blackcap heard only
- Skylark heard only
- Kestrel 1
- Common Buzzard 3

I found it frustrating at one point as all the Gulls were put up at least 3 times by one individual walking along the bank encouraging their dog to go near the edge. It was a case of wait until they land again, and start again! No sign of a Glaucous Gull but I will try again tomorrow.

pete berry · Status: Offline

A few hours today with Jeff produced

2 juvenile Iceland Gulls
3 Yellow Legged Gulls(an adult and 2x 2nd.w.)

other birds of note:-
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Dunlin
and a singing Lesser Whitethroat

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Simon Gough wrote:

I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.

Absolutely no need to be embarrassed, you're certainly not the first nor will be the last to mistake the two; it always looks easier when they're on nice painted plates in a field guide but out in the field it's often a different matter.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

A mid afternoon visit with today's gang, after a Glaucous Gull was reported but no sign of anything bar the usual Gulls for us.
Other birds of note...
- Oystercatcher 5
- Curlew 8
- Chiffchaff 2
- Common Buzzard 1
- Kestrel 1

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

I'm a bit embarrassed about this one as we did discuss Iceland Gull, but failed to notice the primary projection. I will certainly be wiser for the experience, thanks for the help on the ID Ian and John.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Primary extension beyond the tail rarely lies...

...making it an Iceland Gull. Damn you Glaucous Gull !!!
hmm

My apologies everyone for the misidentification, as a result I've picked the monkey up and put it back on my back! The Glaucous Gull remains a bogey bird.

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 17th of April 2016 10:50:26 AM

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Primary extension beyond the tail rarely lies... wink

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Rob Creek wrote:
Saturday 16th April - after work visit (approx 3.45pm - 5.30pm) with Simon Gough.

- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished.
A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?

Other birds of note...
- Blackcap 2 (1m 1f)
- Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f)
- Song Thrush 1
- Willow Tit HEARD ONLY
- Shelduck 10+
- Common Buzzard 3

I can't be 100% sure from the pictures,but it looks smaller than the herring gull behind it? and a bit small billed in one shot or is it just the camera making it look that way,looks small for a Glaucous though,but pictures sometimes are not the best guide.

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Sunday 17th of April 2016 08:24:32 AM

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Saturday 16th April - after work visit (approx 3.45pm - 5.30pm) with Simon Gough.

- Glaucous Gull - a Lifer for myself and Simon, and it was the target species so mission accomplished.
A cracking all white individual so I'm assuming it's a 2nd cal yr bird...faded/Spring?

Other birds of note...
- Blackcap 2 (1m 1f)
- Bullfinch 2 (1m 1f)
- Song Thrush 1
- Willow Tit HEARD ONLY
- Shelduck 10+
- Common Buzzard 3

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

With Chris Sutton c.1.30-3.30pm. Icleand Gull 2 - one 1st winter and one 3rd winter (?) exhibiting partially grey scapulars. Juvenile Glaucous Gull was picked up in flight coming upstream and landing at 2.55pm

Mark Jarrett · Status: Offline

Three hours from 12 noon until high tide. I walked the length of the Bank, back to the western end and then back to the eastern end until it was covered in full by the high tide. Each time, I picked out one each of juvenile Glaucous Gull and juvenile Iceland Gull.

The Glaucous Gull appears to be the 'course' individual as seen by Ian and others. The Iceland Gull was bunkered down on the sand with its head tucked in but, on my second walk up to the eastern end, it was up and moving about, turning out to be the dark billed one.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Lunchtime up to the high tide at 2pm with Simon Gough.

Among the group of Gulls of note...

- 1 juvenile Iceland Gull
- a yellow ringed Herring Gull (no chance of a number, sorry)
- Lesser Black-backed Gulls including 1 with a very long thin bill, and another with a small black beady eye which I can't recall seeing on these before.

Other birds of note...
- 2 Common Buzzard (put the Gulls up)
- 2 Kestrel (1 carrying a small mammal)
- 3 Shelduck
- 4 Teal on far bank
- 1 Oystercatcher
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 2 Linnet
- 1 Reed Bunting heard only

steven burke · Status: Offline

9th april, 9am til high tide covered the bank at just after 1pm.

2 glaucous gulls, one of them being the same juvenile as ian's plus a pale individual.
3 Iceland gulls, adult & 2 juveniles.
photos attached.

other birds around...

4 shelduck
8 gadwall
5 teal
1 oystercatcher
4 sand martin
4 willow warbler
6 chiffchaff
1 reed bunting
5 linnet
1 jay
2-4 buzzard

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Probably the best gulling session of the winter here this morning along with Pete Berry, until the very high tide covered the bank around 12:30. Those scarce gulls seen were:

Single juvenile Glaucous Gull (the coarsely marked individual)
Three Iceland Gulls (two juveniles and an adult)
Single Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Cracking first winter Caspian Gull

Photos (taken with a digiscoping camera which is now on its last legs and battling with sunlight when I picked the Caspian Gull out!) from left to right are: Juvenile Glaucous Gull (two photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with all dark bill (2 photos), juvenile Iceland Gull with bi-coloured bill (2 photos), adult Iceland Gull (2 photos), first winter Caspian Gull (single record photo but a classic individual).

Rob Smith · Status: Offline

Prior to high tide

Iceland gulls 2 immature & smart looking adult
Glaucous gull 1

Swallows a few around for a while
Willow warbler present but not singing
Grey Partridge 2 pairs along edge of reed bed

Common Seal noted over the weekend but not seen today

pete berry · Status: Offline

A few hours either side of high tide with Jeff produced

2 juvenile Iceland Gulls
A juvenile Glaucous Gull(different,much "coarser" marked bird than last week)
2 adult Yellows Legged Gulls

and a few Swallows,House Martins over and plenty of singing Chiffchaffs

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Two hours late morning today with Pete Berry, until rain stopped play:

Juvenile Glaucous Gull
Third summer Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow-legged Gull

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Four hours over the high tide today produced highlights of:

Two Iceland Gulls; a juvenile was later joined by an adult, each at different ends of the bank initially but with both eventually coming within metres of each other (of which rubbish record shots attached!)
Three Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult, second winter and third winter)
At least two Curlew
Really good number of large gulls, well behaved and in excellent light.

pete berry · Status: Offline

3 hours this morning with Jeff produced

2nd winter Iceland Gull
Adult Yellow Legged Gull

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Three hours today with Pete Berry produced:

4 Yellow-legged Gulls (two 1W, single 2W and 3W)
Yellowhammer over south

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Three and a half hours today with Pete Berry produced:

A beautiful very advanced 'new' first winter Caspian Gull which unfortunately flew off back to Arpley Tip almost immediately after its discovery (hence the extremely poor record shots!)
Juvenile Iceland Gull
Single adult and first winter Yellow-legged Gulls

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Two and a half hours today produced:

3 Yellow-legged Gulls (two adults and a second winter; a photograph of one of the adults below)
A solitary Whooper Swan feeding in a field on the southern side of the Mersey, just west of the old landfill complex
Single Raven
Several Siskin over north

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Three cold hours with Pete Berry today produced:

3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls
5 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher

Looks like an influx of gulls into the area in the past week with probably up to 30,000 up over the tip at one point today. Birds visiting the bank were unusually flighty today though with rarely more than a couple of thousand on the bank at any one time.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

It looks very much like today's first winter Caspian Gull is the same individual as seen here on December 11th 2015. Images from both dates portray the same bird to my eyes but with expected more advanced scapular moult today (see images on the Manchester Birding galleries).

Shows how long these birds can hang around and just how infrequently they get seen despite many visits since December (not all of which are posted on here when nothing in particular is seen!).

pete berry · Status: Offline

Its good to note that since supermarkets started charging for carrier bags we,ve not seen a single "bagged bird",whereas before it was possible to see 4 or 5 in a single visit smile

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Two and a half hours today around midday with Pete Berry produced:

Two superb Caspian Gulls (an adult and first winter)
Three first winter Yellow-legged Gulls
Flock of probably around 5000 Woodpigeons

pete berry · Status: Offline

3 hrs with Jeff this morning before the sun put in an appearance and finished off any hopes of getting views of anything,probably most gulls I've seen here recently was initially disapointing as although large numbers present,there was nothing of interest amongst them until just before the sun spoilt it I found:-
a 1st winter Caspian Gull(poss. the same bird that we saw a couple of weeks ago) smile

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

As I say Mike, in retrospect I'd lean fairly confidently to Grey Seal on head shape and 'spotting' but couldn't be 100%.

Clearly I need to stick to gulls...

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Thanks for your response Ian. In the 20 years or so I have been recording the wildlife in the area I have no records of Common Seal but I have seen Grey Seal on a couple of occasions in the Mersey between Fiddlers Ferry and Richmond Bank and also adjacent to Woolston Eyes no.4 bed. I wonder what the actual status of Common Seal is within area, just had a look at the Cheshire Mammal Groups The Mammals of Cheshire and there appears to be only one record of this species in the Mersey this century.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Ian McKerchar wrote:

Mike Mulholland wrote:

Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?

Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!

If you both thought it was a Common Seal then stick with it Ian, both Common and Grey Seal are occasionally seen between Liverpool Bay and a good distance up river from the estuary. Bottlenose Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise also stray up a little further from the bay.
Cheers

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Mike Mulholland wrote:

Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?

Unfortunately, mine and Pete's seal identification leaves plenty to be desired and despite being aware of the separating feature we thought it was a Common Seal and first but in retrospect it could well of been a Grey. We were too busy enjoying watching it with its prey and are happy with seal sp.!

Mike Mulholland · Status: Offline

Presumably a Grey Seal Pete?

pete berry · Status: Offline

A few hours with Ian this morning produced:-

A juvenile Iceland Gull

3 Ad. Yellow Legged Gulls

a flock of 13 Bullfinch
several thousand Woodpigeon

and a Seal eating a large Flounder it had caught smile