Sunday 10th May 2015
Weather:  Warm but overcast with light southerly then westerly wind.

All the Wheatears seemed to have moved on and the fields were devoid of migrants save for a single Whinchat,  seen in the field between the kissing gate path and the cable fence close to the western kissing gate. The bird was only present for a few minutes. Overhead 8 Swift flew north, briefly feeding above the fields behind the lighthouse, before moving on.  Again at least 3 Reed Warbler singing along the nature trail and a Sedge on the kissing gate path close to the eastern end.  A Lesser Whitethroat was heard but not seen in the scrub opposite the entrance to the lighthouse car park and a pair of Bullfinch were present here too.   Whitethroat now appear on territory in the shrubs along the various paths with a number of birds singing and doing their display flights.  Plenty of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers singing.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over Lingham Lane (perhaps they are going to breed again this year in the area?) and a Jay (an unusual bird for this location) was also seen flying over.

JB: DH: AD   

Whinchat (JB)

                                                                           

Saturday 9th May 2015

Weather: Overcast and cool with gusting westerly winds.

The strong wind made birding difficult.  A solitary Wheatear was feeding in "Hoopoe Hollow" but keeping close to the embankment, presumably for protection from the wind.  Another 5 Wheatear were in the horse paddocks along the path between the two (or now one !) kissing gates - presumably the same birds as yesterday that didn't move on due to the heavy rain.  Plenty of  standing water in the fields - hopefully a magnet for wagtails but none were found in the main paddocks.   Along the nature trail 3 different Reed Warblers sang with a single Sedge east of the duck pond.   A few Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat along the various hedges but a good number of Blackcap singing along Lingham Lane and in the bushes east of the duck pond.   In the flooded field behind Greenacres stables 3 Pied and 1 Yellow Wagtail showed well although distantly.  Better birding than anticipated !

JB       

8th May 2015

Weather: SE-2/3, sunny with cloud and heavy rain later.

The sunny start today allowed observers a couple of rounds of the Lighthouse area. Many Sedge and Reed Warbler continue to hold territory whilst a single Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' just west of the paddocks.

Other migrants included 5 Wheatear and a small arrival of 3 Lesser Whitethroats and 6 Willow Warbler in the area. 

A small Hirrundine passage started early morning. 100 Swallows, 50 House Martins and 35 Sand Martins had all moved North by mid morning. The forecast weather system arrived around 11.00 and typically we saw a decent Swift passage ahead of the advancing front. By the time we had the first spots of rain at least 70 Swifts had moved North.

With good numbers of waders on Hoylake shore this week , so attention turned to wader watching. Observers were treated to a spectacular array of summer plumaged species including 57 Grey Plover, 23 Ringed Plover, 18 Sanderling, 12 Knot, 2 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel , 5000 Dunlin and a sum plum Curlew Sandpiper.

9 Sandwhich terns and 5 Little Tern were recorded on the tide edge where a solitary Common Scoter flew east.

AMC, TK , MGT & EW

Grasshopper Warbler (EW)

Curlew Sandpiper (AMC)

Thursday 7th May 2015

Weather;  Early cloud replaced by sunshine. Warm, wind W F2



Around 2,000 Dunlin were off King's Gap, Hoylake, prior to the tide this morning. 20 Sanderling and 5 Grey Plover were also here. 50 Dunlin and 2 Whimbrel roosted on the western groyne at Meols over the tide.

There was a heavy movement of Swallows today at Leasowe with around 10 birds passing every 5 minutes from 10 am to 3 pm at least. The vast majority were headed east along the embankment and inland fields or north east across Liverpool bay. The total number involved between these times was therefore around 600 birds. 20 Swifts also passed through but only a handful of Sand and House Martins were logged.

4 Wheatears were present in the paddocks together with a Yellow Wagtail. Another Yellow Wagtail flew east and a single Whinchat was at near the western kissing gate this morning. (Note; The eastern kissing gate has now been removed)

There also appeared to have been an arrival of Reed Warblers with many additional birds being noted away from their regular breeding sites such as in privet hedges along Lingham Lane some distance from reeds. 

In the late afternoon another Yellow Wagtail was present in fields off Lingham Lane together with a single White Wagtail. A Cuckoo was also singing in the Lingham Lane area. 

Observers; AMC, JJ, CS, MGT, EW.

Singing Reed Warbler on East Bank (AMC)

Yellow Wagtail (AMC)

Monday 4th May 2015

Weather; Sunny, cloud later, wind SW F 3



A summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper remains on the beach at Hoylake together with good numbers of migrant Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plovers.

A Great White Egret flew west from the lighthouse along the embankment this morning. This is a rare bird here.

Migrants in the Leasowe area included 3 Whinchats, 6 Wheatears and a Yellow Wagtail present in the paddocks this morning and a Redstart near Lingham Lane. Single Grasshopper Warblers were present on Meols Common and on Lingham Lane. Willow Warblers are now past their peak passage numbers with only 6 present today. 

The first Cuckoo of the spring here was discovered in fields off Park Lane this afternoon.

Whinchat in the paddocks.      Les Hall

Overhead 30 House Martins and 4 Sand Martins flew east and a single Swift west.   Observers; AMC, JB, KAD, DH, CS, EW.

Cuckoo, Park Lane.     JB

3rd May 2015

Weather: SW-3-5, overcast with sunny spells later.

A quietish day started with the first round of the Lighthouse producing a Whinchat, 1 new Reed Warbler and several Sedge Warblers.

With a brisk Westerly vis mig was limited, however a Flava Wag moved through late morning whilst 2 Greenland Wheatears had arrived in the paddocks. Two Grasshopper Warblers were reeling near the pond. 

With a mid morning tide wader watching took precedence particularly with a strengthening wind. At Hoylake a good sized mixed flock of summer plumaged waders included 2000 Dunlin, 50 Ringed Plover, 11 Knot, 5 Grey Plover, 1 Bar tailed Godwit and 5 Whimbrel.

As the tide ebbed so the waders dispersed east towards Roman Road where at about 15.00 three Dotterel were located among the Dunlin opposite Roman Road, Meols. A great find of a local rare by MGT.  A local mega the  last North Shore Dotterel was an autumn bird found on the sea wall opposite the Lighthouse in September 2005. A fine summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was also picked up by AEH late afternoon.

So a quite day took quite a turn late afternoon with the arrival of some exciting waders and full credit to MGT for persisting in pretty blustery conditions.

Some video by Srw can be viewed at http://youtu.be/wZJBwqwiMdA


AMC, AEH, DH, JET, MGT & SRW

Dotterel (AMC)

Friday 1st May 2015

Weather; High cloud with some sunny intervals. Wind F2-3 SE-NE.


The change in the wind direction overnight to an easterly direction resulted in a decent arrival of summer migrants in the Leasowe area today. In particular there were good arrivals of Whitethroats and Whinchats. Over 30 Whitethroats were in the area, many being seen well away from usual territories indicating passage migrants. A minimum of 13 Whinchats were also present mid morning, including 7 together in the paddocks area, 4 in the Meols Common area and 2 in Kerr's field. This is by far the highest count so far this spring. Other individuals were reported from Wallasey golf course and the Leasowe castle hotel area so the true figure must be far higher.

A male Redstart, a male Yellow Wagtail, 16 Wheatears and a flyover Tree Pipit were also in the paddocks area mid-morning. A Grasshopper Warbler was at the duck pond and the first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring showed up in trees along the Birkett just west of Kerr's field.

Other migrants logged included 9 Blackcaps, 11 Willow Warblers and 8 Chiffchaffs. 

Most migrants had moved on by mid-afternoon leaving a Redstart in the inland fields, 4 Whinchats still in Meols Common and a small scattering of Wheatears.

Male Whinchat with his dinner      EW

Hirundine passage was rather sparse, however, with just 15 Swallows, 8 Sand Martins and 6 House Martins moving east. Observers;  KAD, LH, MGT, EW.

Spotted Flycatcher at the Birkett        EW