Spring in the air

Weather: SW-2, Mild becoming cooler later 

A brief visit to the 'North Shore' and a walk around the Lighthouse paddocks did initially have a spring like feel to it before a cold front moved through returning temperatures back down.

A Mediterranean Gull was on a flooded pool west of the cafe, whilst the drake Red breasted Merganser remains on the NBML.

Two Stonechats flitted amongst  the boulders at the Lighthouse car park. At this time of year they are as likely to be migrants moving north as overwintering birds. Great birds to see and always charismatic.

AMC, KD, EW

KD

AMC

BBRC acceptance

Many readers may already be aware the Burton Buff bellied Pipit has been accepted by  the BBRC and represent a first for Cheshire and Wirral. Once again congratulations Eddie on his fantastic find.

Neston, Old Quay

Weather: SE-5, bright and mild

Highlights from Neston, Old Quay during today's high tide included a female Merlin, a female Hen Harrier (photo below) and a couple of Buzzard.  A Water Pipt was seen and heard and eventually photographed, allowing the white outer tail feathers and brown rump to be clinched.

The  Tristis' Chiffchaffs found by Eddie at Denhall at the end of 2012 were educational for us all and allowed most of us to refresh our learning about this sub species.  So with at least six Chiffchaffs at Neston sewage works today it was perhaps no surprise that another Tristis type was found in the vegetation bordering the works perimeter. 

AMC, KD and EW

Photos AMC

Foreground vegetation preventing a clear shot  of this  Tristis (AMC)

(AMC)

(AMC)

Cormorants

Having received a question regarding the ID of Sinensis Cormorants and given birding is quiet we thought it may or may not be useful to take another look at a group that can at times be tricky and can throw us all given a bad angle, bad light or a bad view !

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Spring Tides

Weather: S/SW-6-7. Overcast and squally

Today's spring tides saw another spectacle on the Dee marshes as birds were forced out by the advancing high tides.  At least 3 Short eared Owls and 4 Hen Harriers were observed quatering the marsh in search of prey items such as the skylark below, doing it's best to evade capture by a Hen Harrier

Further north at New Brighton the high tide had moved a good selection of waders onto the pontoon including 15 Purple Sandpiper and a Greenshank. Also on the marine lake were 3 Cormorants, 1 Shag and a drake Red-breasted Merganser.
AMC, KD and MG

Photo's AMC and KD

(KD)

(KD)

Nothing like standing out in a crowd.  (AMC)

AMC

AMC

(AMC)

(AMC) Showing the 'saw Bill'

23rd January 2014

Weather: West -7, mild and overcast.

The juvenile Shag remains on the New Brighton Marine Lake. Also on the the lake a drake Red breasted Merganser, again an uncommon bird at this site.

CS

A splash of summer colour

Weather: S/SE - 3/4, cold 

A few grebes, divers and scoter where offshore at Hoylake today, whilst Gull numbers remained relatively low. The high tide wader roost at Hoylake was interesting with tens of thousands of waders cramming onto the shore. The usual waders were present including, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Redshank, Bar tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher.

Amongst the thousands of Dunlin was this summer plumage bird. A colourful sight amongst the greyer winter birds. An early moulter by some time as most ssp Alpina don't  acquire their summer plumage until April, however given this birds particularly rufous mantle and exceptionally long bill the possibility of it being another ssp such as Hudsonia is to be considered ? Comments welcome.