With an overnight NE and some pre-dawn rain observers were hopeful of something good today. With Bee eaters reported throughout the UK and most locally on the Orme; that was the hoped for species.
Returning waders were immediately evident with 11 Redshank feeding in the gutter below the sea defence. 12 returning Black headed Gulls were to be found roosting on the sand just off Dove Point .
Many young birds could be found in every bush with Whitethroat and Reed Warbler being the most notable.
The day was punctuated at approximately 11.30 when the hoped for rare was located; A cracking male Serin was found at 'Hoopoe Hollow' sitting on a fence line with a Greenfinch and a Linnet. No sooner had the bird been located and identified, it took flight. Observers resolutely kept it in their sights until it eventually alighted atop a small, very distant tree. A few record shots were taken before the bird dropped into a distant weedy paddock and lost to view.
This is an exceptionally rare bird on Wirral and only our second ever. The last record was another male; singing in gardens next to the Lighthouse on the 9th April 1991!
The bird was not seen over the next couple of hours although there are many finches feeding amongst the weedy paddocks so is likely to still be present.
AMC, EW
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| Male Serin - AMC |
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| Male Serin -AMC |
26.06.15 heard serin at 8pm this evening in horse paddocks where all the poppies are, and then a brief glimpse when it flew away with mixed flock of linnet and goldfinch.
ReplyDeleteSean O'Hara
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ReplyDeleteHi Neil
ReplyDeleteFull credit to Eddie W also. This is our second Lighthouse record, the first being on 9th April 1991. This was also a male found singing in the garden of stone cottage. In addition to these records there have been 'flyover' records from Red Rocks & Hilbre.