Calidris Corker 


Weather, warm mainly cloudy, wind SSE 3mph,

A mid morning Outing slightly off the normal patch to West Kirby in search of a Grey Phalarope that has been seen on the marine lake in recent days  and any other birds blown off course by the recent gales proved to be quite fruitless with very calm conditions for the high tide not being ideal, 

An unfortunate Common Gull GC

Further along West Kirby marsh A Grey Plover stood out in fading summer plumage , A handful of soon to be gone Sandwich Tern  were gathering in amongst Common , Black Headed, Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 3 Little Egret , 2 Bar Tailed Godwit, a scattering of Dunlin and a very impressive 5-6000 Oystercatchers made up the high tide gathering

Little Stint , GC

Aileen assisted

Weather , strong north westerly winds 35mph frequent heavy showers

The first of the strong storms of the season arrived overnight with Wirral and Merseyside taking the brunt of Aileen
Rarities didn't materialize but County scarcities took the limelight in quite Spectacular fashion .

Leach's Storm Petrel ,  AMC 

 Birders turned up from near and as far away as Yorkshire and the North East at New Brighton and other sites along the North Wirral coast .

An estimated 53 Leach's Storm Petrel passed by New Brighton's Fort Perch rock numbers only an estimate with multiple observers and birds circulating  around the Area making accurate numbering difficult,

Grey Phalarope Elliot Monteith

Waders Galore!

Weather: west 3, cloudy & warm

A slowish start began with a small but obvious arrival of Wheatear. A total of 12 were recorded by the end of day. Two birds were brought down onto the beach at Hoylake by a light mid afternoon shower whilst the rest were to be found around the Dunes west of the Lighthouse. Other passerines included a Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a single Garden Warbler were seen around Lingham Lane. 

Waders were very much the theme of the afternoon. At least 20 Little Egret were recorded feeding in the tidal channels below the sea defence at Greenshank groyne were up to five Greenshank were also recorded.  Three Knot were seen roosting amongst the small boats along with 200 Redshank and 500 Oystercatcher. Bird of the day however must go to a Juv Little Ringed Plover feeding in the sea weed at the bottom of the sea defence. This is in fact the second LRP at the Lighthouse this year, the firts being found by Ken Davies in the spring. Whist scarce whatever the season there has perhaps been only two other Lighthouse LRPs in autum and this is the first juvenile I am aware of.

Other highlights included an adult Med Gull found by Stan Davidson and a couple of cracking Emperor and Migrant Hawker Dragonflys.
 

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover (AMC)

 

Little Ringed Plover (AMC)

Little Ringed Pover (AMC)

Greenshank (AMC)

Distant Med Gull (AMC)

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly (Stan Davidson)

Weather : SW-3, overcast

The first large fall of the Autumn included at least 18 Wheatear which arrived at Kerr's field late afternoon. Other migrants included 4 Chiffchaff. 2 Goldcrest and 2 Whitethroat were also recorded during an early evening circuit of the paddocks.

Tim Kinch

1st winter Northern Wheatear-Leasowe Lighthouse (Tim Kinch)

 

 

Weather : SW-3, warm and sunny

Migrants were on the move at the Lighthouse today. An early morning circuit of the coastal paddocks produced three Wheatear and a Spotted Flycatcher. By late afternoon the Spotted Flycatcher had moved on however Wheatears had increased to five. Several Warblers had arrived in the coastal hedges including 2 Chiffchaffs a single Willow Warbler and a single Whitethroat.

A good count of 24 Little Egret fed in the shallows just beyond the Lighthouse car park along with several young Grey Heron.

Other waders on the move today at the Lighthouse included 400 Dunlin, 33 Ringed Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Black tailed Godwit and a single Knot.

Willow Warbler (Tim Kinch)

Wheatear (Tim Kinch)

 

Weather: Warm , mainly cloudy , wind south west 5mph,

A mid morning circuit of the Lighthouse provided  regulars with some great birds, bird of the day was an adult Hobby that had the pick of over 200 Swallows on Park lane fortunately for the Swallows the Hobby left empty handed after chashing a Swallow and narrowly missed out on a kill hopefully with the abundance of hirundine the hobby will stick around before its journey south, 

The other highlight on Park Lane was a Grey Wagtail . 

Over the past few days a Juvenile Black Tern has been seen off hoylake and Hilbre, Today it was joined by an adult off Meols , (As of this evening 5 Black Tern  were in the tern roost at Hilbre Island ) 
Other Terns seen off  Meols were 150 Common Tern and 40 Little Tern,

2 Mediterranean Gulls One adult on the sand near dove point and a second year bird flew over one of the observers.

Waders in the area , 1 Greenshank  in the usual haunt of the western groyne, 5 Turnstone feeding at the bottom of the embankment the adults in the group were still in fine summer plumage, and 1400 Oystercatchers off the lighthouse before high tide, 

Passerines in the area , 8 Chiffchaff  2 Blackcap and a Common Whitethroat, 

Tuesdays Yellow Wagtail. David Haigh

Weather , mainly cloudy sunny intervals showers later , wind SW force 2.

With summer slowly fading into autumn a trickle of migrants are passing through at the Lighthouse on their way back to the winter haunts , the predicted strong winds from the Atlantic hurricane failed to materialise With Saturday being the better of the two days for a sea watch

                                                                                             Wheatear by Tim Kinch