Clear overnight conditions may have resulted in a clear out of many migrants from the Leasowe area. Numbers of Willow Warblers were well down with only 8 being logged today and none of yesterday's Redstarts and Whinchats could be re-located this morning. Wheatear numbers were also down into single figures.
It was a different story with Sylvia warblers, however, with 30 Whitethroats, 25 Blackcaps and 3 Garden Warblers being logged. There was also a good count of 7 Lesser Whitethroats, mainly in the Lingham Lane area but with singing birds along the nature trail, the embankment and the paddocks path. Hopefully some will stay to breed. Breeding has not been recorded for several years here due to hedge removal and disruption from the cable laying operation in the inland fields. The blossoming Blackthorn bushes along Lingham Lane are attracting many of the Sylvia warblers to this area and are well worth spending time examining.
A Cuckoo put in an appearance this morning in the Kerr's field area but could not be located thereafter.
A few new migrants started to appear in the afternoon with 5 Wheatears and a Whinchat in Kerr's field and another 4 Wheatears, also with a Whinchat, in the paddocks.
Most of the local Reed and Sedge Warbler territories now appear occupied.
Overhead passage today consisted of singles of Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit and Siskin, 4 Redpolls, 6 Sand Martins and around 10 each of Swallow and House Martin.
Some belated news from yesterday concerns the presence of a male Blue-headed Wagtail in the paddocks discovered and photographed by Dave Wilson. A good find of this very scarce local bird. There is a photo of this smart bird on the Dee Estuary Birding website. Unfortunately it could not be re-located today although it could still be concealed in one of the long grass paddocks.
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| Garden Warbler on Lingham Lane. EW |
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