Tuesday 15th July 2014

Weather;  Hot and sunny. Winds light S.W.

Wader numbers are starting to increase along the north shore along with those of Gulls and Terns. Several small groups of  Dunlin, Redshanks and around 30 Curlew were off Leasowe together with 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls which were loafing on the sand with Black-headed Gulls.
A large female Sparrowhawk was quartering the mudflats at Meols like a small Harrier. 
Swifts were on the move with a group of 6 and one of 4 high flying birds heading due south inland over the embankment.
A single Common Sandpiper was on the groyne late evening

Mediterranean Gull.  EW.

Observers AMC, EW.

14th July 2014

Weather; SW-4, mild and overcast.

Morning update: The Green and Common Sandpipers remain at Gilroy whilst at the Lighthouse our first returning Redstart of the autumn was at the westerly kissing gate early morning.

An afternoon seawatch from the Lighthouse car park produced a single Gannet, 8 Common Scoter, a single Great crested Grebe, 16 Manx Shearwater and a flock of 14 Goosander flying west. Despite becoming commoner on Wirral over recent years we still only get a couple of records per annum at the Lighthouse  so a record shot of the flock was taken. With a little imagination and squnited eyes you can just make out they are Goosander and in fact all the birds were immature/female types, most probably part of a post breeding dispersal flock.

AMC, DH

14 Goodsander flying west at the Lighthouse (AMC)

13th July 2014

Weather: W/SW-4/5, sunny and clear

A moderate wetserly blow meant seawatching, so an hour over spent over high tide produced, 3 Kittiwake, 12 Gannet and 47 Manx Shearwater from Hoylake shore. Other birds in the high tide roost were good numbers of Sandwhich Terns including the arrival of the years first juvenile birds (photo below).

At Gilroy the Green Sandpiper remains and was joined by a Common Sandpiper and over 400 Black tailed Godwits

AMC

An adult with two juvenile birds (AMC)

12th July 2014

Weather: W/SW-3, overcast, warm and showers later

A seawatch from the Lighthouse car park was a sensible mid summer option. Highlights over the high tide included  27 Gannet, 17 Sandwich Tern, 130 Common Scoter and a pale phase Arctic Skua on the sea.

A late afternoon shower dropped another Green Sandpiper into Gilroy but no sign of any Med Gulls today. With so many Wood Sandpiper in the UK at the moment it would come as no surprise if one dropped in any day!

AMC, DH

8th July 2014

Weather: NW-2/4, clear, sunny and warm

The two adult summer Mediterranean Gulls remain on the shore form the Lighthouse Car park, whilst others have been reported recently from both Gilroy and West Kirby marine lake including two adults from the latter site on this evenings flood tide. All these birds fall into the pattern of a late summer / autumn build up of this species.

A Green Sandpiper was at Gilroy NP, early evening. Although always distant a couple of shots in the shimmering sunlight were managed. 

AMC

Green Sandpiper-AMC

Green Sandpiper -AMC

03 July 2014

Weather: NW-4, warm and overcast

largely quiet although numbers of Mediterranean  Gulls continue to build with three adult summers together at the Lighthouse Car park and a 1st Summer bird in the Mersey mouth from New Brighton.

Another summer plumaged adult was on New Brighton marine lake this evening .

A  few record shots were taken including one showing two of the birds together.

AMC, Colin Schofiled

Spot the Meds ??

Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Many Reed and Sedge Warblers are still in song in the Leasowe lighthouse area, together with a single Grasshopper Warbler. Large numbers of newly fledged Swallows are on the wing over the paddocks.
Offshore, however, autumn passage is starting to gather pace. Good numbers of Common Gulls have appeared together with two Mediterranean Gulls, an adult summer and a 2nd year bird. 10 Gannets and a Great-crested Grebe were on the sea together with around 40 Sandwich Terns which greatly outnumber Common Terns here at this time of year.
The reverse is true at New Brighton over the Mersey where Common Terns far outnumber Sandwich Terns. Around 50 were feeding over the river together with another Mediterranean Gull, an adult summer.

Observers AMC, EW.