Tuesday 13th September 2016

Weather;  Sunny start with light W to NW winds F2. Heavy rain set in by mid-afternoon easing off by evening.


Yesterday's breezy conditions sent 2 Manx Shearwaters and 57 Gannets off Leasowe. Waders recorded yesterday included 175 Bar-tailed Godwits (a good count of this declining wader), 60 Grey Plover, 35 Ringed Plover and 200 Knot in addition to larger numbers of Redshanks, Dunlin and Turnstone. A Peregrine was hunting the shoreline.
Migrants in the Leasowe area yesterday were a bit thin on the ground due to the breezy conditions but included 10 Meadow Pipits, 4 Wheatears and a Whitethroat. A juvenile Hobby was hunting flying insects over Lingham Lane.   Observers DH, JJ, TK

There were more migrants around today. 70 House Martins and 50 Swallows were swarming around the summit of the lighthouse. Overhead 2 Ravens moved west and 3 Grey Wagtails east. A total of 14 Wheatears were logged in the area. 2 Stonechats were in Kerr's field and a Whinchat was on Meols common. 16 Chiffchaffs were concentrated mainly around the Duck pond area while 7 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and a Willow Warbler were in Lingham Lane. A Little Owl, a Kingfisher and a Bullfinch were at Lingham bridge.

Juvenile Hobby hunting over Lingham Lane.       Tim Kinch

12 Little Egrets were on the groyne along with another Kingfisher. The Peregrine was again hunting the foreshore. 22 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Greenshanks were offshore. Observers TK, EW

Whinchat on Meols Common.        EW

Little Owl on the large corrugated shed near Lingham bridge, a favourite perch.   EW

Thursday 8th September 2016

Weather; Showers early, the becoming dry, clear and sunny. Breezy, wind SW F3-4.

A Little Stint and 2 Curlew Sandpipers were with many hundreds of Dunlin on Meols shore yesterday.

The continual clear weather and winds in the westerly sector have not been great for migration in the Leasowe area over the past week and today was no exception.

Little Stint at Meols.            JET

The morning shower may have contributed to the appearance of 20 Chiffchaffs, 7 Blackcaps and a Reed Warbler mainly in the Lingham Lane area although these quickly dispersed. 4 Wheatears were present on Meols common together with a Stonechat and a few Meadow Pipits are starting to pass through the paddocks on their return migration.

Raven over the paddocks.             EW

A Greenshank and 150 Redshanks were on the western groyne. A Raven flew over the paddocks. Sightings of Ravens at Leasowe have increased greatly recently with almost daily records in the past few weeks.

Wheatear on Meols common.         EW

 

Omissions;  Thursday 25.8.16;   3 Stonechats noted in Kerr's field this afternoon, 2 Whitethroats in Sandy Lane and a Spotted Flycatcher at Lingham bridge. TK, EW

Thursday 25th August 2016

Weather;  Warm with cloud and some haze early, brightening in the afternoon. W variable F2

There was a small arrival of Reed Warblers in the Leasowe area today with birds seen well away from their usual reed bed habitat at the pond. 2 birds were seen in hawthorne hedges on Park Lane while another was in sub-song from the privet hedge along Lingham Lane. A fourth was in the car park bushes while 3 more, possibly local birds, remained in the reed bed near the pond.

There was some Wagtail passage with 4 Grey and 1 Yellow Wagtail passing overhead east. A flock of 36 Pied Wagtails, mostly juvenile birds, were in the paddocks.

Other grounded migrants in the area included 6 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat, 3 Willow Warblers, 8 Chiffchaffs, 8 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers.

Kestrel mantling it's prey, a vole, on Meols common.       EW

Wednesday 24th August 2016

Weather;  Warm and sunny. Wind W F3

Only a single Willow Warbler could be found in the Leasowe area today following yesterday's large arrival, the clear overnight skies presumably prompting a large departure. Other migrants had also declined in numbers today with only singles of Wheatear, Whinchat and Whitethroat and only 2 Reed Warblers in the pond area.

There was an slight increase in Chiffchaff numbers, however, with around 20 being noted today. 5 Blackcaps and 2 Garden Warblers appeared to be new-in in the Lingham Lane area, feeding non stop in the elderberry bushes here which always attract them.

Blackcap;  Lingham Lane.       EW

Garden Warbler;  Lingham Lane.          EW

Other birds noted include a family of Stonechats off Park Lane, a Raven over the paddocks and an adult winter Mediterranean Gull offshore. Observers TK, EW

Garden Warbler;   Lingham Lane.        EW

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Weather; Sunny and warm. Wind SW F3

The days highlight in the Leasowe area was a large arrival of returning Willow Warblers with a minimum of 45 logged through the day. None were noticed before around 10 a.m. after which time the main arrival took place with many birds dispersing inland as yet more arrived. This arrival appeared to take place on a broad front across the North Wirral shore, and further afield, with 70 being logged at Hilbre, again arriving mainly mid-morning onwards. 600 arrived today on Bardsey island.

Other migrant species were not present in obviously larger than usual numbers though. 8 Reed Warblers was a good count in the Duck pond area, however, although some of these may have been lingering local birds. 

Spotted Flycatcher in Lingham Lane.     Tim Kinch

Other migrants present today in the Leasowe area included 12 Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, 2 Blackcap, 15 Chiffchaffs and a Sedge Warbler. 2 Spotted Flycatchers arrived in Lingham Lane this afternoon.

Willow Warbler. Part of a large local arrival of this species today.

200 Redshank, 40 Dunlin, 10 Turnstones, 15 Ringed Plover and a  Curlew Sandpiper were noted along the shoreline. 40 Curlew were present in fields inland from the paddocks. Observers; DH, TK, CT, EW

Reed Warbler       EW

Waders galore!!

Weather: W-3/5, overcast and squally.

Perfect tide times saw a busy North Wirral shore particularly as the Hoylake roost was holding some impressive numbers of birds. 

As the tide flooded around 12.30 so the roost increased. By high tide, Hoylake foreshore held an impressive number of birds including, 1000 Dunlin, 22 Knot, 28 Sanderling, 45 Ringed Plover and 5 Curlew Sandpiper. Gulls included 2000 Herring and 1000 Common Gulls, 200 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common  Tern. Offshore & Manx Shearwater moved West whilst 7 Snipe came in off the sea. 

The only passerine highlight came in the form of a Whinchat in one of the Lighthouse paddocks.

Whincht (Tim Kinch)

Curlew Sandpiper (AMC)