tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65558968369399597702024-02-07T04:54:46.044+00:00The Liver BirderBirding adventures from Merseyside, the North West and beyondAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-81347586046176330852013-11-10T21:05:00.000+00:002013-11-24T16:29:15.773+00:00Beauty And The Beast - 30 June 2013During a Sunday walk around Pennington Flash and the lagoons, 31 species were clocked up with notable highlights being 14 Common Scoter, 2 Green Sandpiper and a number of newly fledged Robins.<br />
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But my two remarkable memories of the day were:<br />
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Beauty... This Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus) which was fairly abundant in the marshy ground behind the lagoons.<br />
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And the Beast... If you look at it long enough you may get to love it!</div>
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<i>Certain as the Sun, rising in the east</i></div>
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<i>Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast</i>.</div>
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(Howard Ashman)</div>
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Species - 32 (order as seen) - Robin, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Coot, Muscovy Duck, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Great Tit, Bullfinch, Magpie, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Lapwing, Crow, Green Sandpiper, Common Scoter, Greylag Goose, Pied Wagtail, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-89820857379871399162013-11-08T00:04:00.000+00:002013-11-08T00:04:53.084+00:00The Fort At The Farm - 15 June 2013I had jumped at the opportunity of a couple of places on a walk to the Iron Age fort site at Burton Point. Even though I am a regular visitor to Inner Marsh Farm, I knew very little of its history and I welcomed the chance to find out more from two local experts.<br />
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We met at 10am in IMF car-park where Geoff (RSPB) introduced us to Gary, a local historian and archaeologist. We soon set off down the IMF path where we stopped briefly to admire a male Whitethroat singing from his regular perch below the bench gate. <br />
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We left the path and headed south-west across the meadows towards Burton Point. From the highest point here we had a fine view over both Burton and Parkgate marshes, and looking up the coastline we could just about see Hilbre Island 11 miles away off the north-west point of the Wirral Peninsula.</div>
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A little further south, after making our way between a badger sett and a small copse, we got our first sight of the large mound that was all that remained of the Iron Age hill fort. It dates to around 200 BC and it was hard to imagine what it would have looked like in those days. Fortunately, a nearby info-board provided an artists impression and Gary added the words to give us a real flavour of the site as a major promontory, jutting out into the old course of the River Dee. The fort was likely to have been an extended family farmstead, easily defendable with its 5 metre high banks of earth and stone, surrounded by a ditch.</div>
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We worked our way down below the mound and onto what would have been the river bed, and here we found the medicinal herb White Horehound (Marribium vulgare) rare for these parts, it was once thought to cure almost everything!</div>
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As we stood below the mound, Gary informed us that a burial site to the south of the fort was excavated in 1878. This revealed over 50 burials but whether these were of an early Christian date or the remains of a 1637 shipwreck, has never been determined. </div>
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Below the mound we saw the evidence confirming the old course of the river, in the heavy water erosion on the sandstone. And there was plenty of evidence of more recent sandstone quarrying. </div>
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We continued around to the east side of the mound to a quaint spot with a small brook, where Swallows, House Martins and Swifts were hawking insects. We stopped for sometime to enjoy the spectacle and even managed a decent view of the rare Wall Brown Butterfly. From here we had a short climb back to the higher ground, then made our way back through the meadows where we came across a Green Woodpecker feeding in the distance.</div>
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It flushed as soon as we started crossing the meadow and we soon noticed its food source, the small nests or mounds of the Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus). And by the time we reached the point where the woodpecker had been feeding, the little orange-yellow fellows were already out repairing the opening and giving us a good look at what is normally an underground forager.</div>
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After thanking Geoff and Gary for a fabulous morning, we couldn't leave without dropping down to the IMF hide and we were rewarded with this magnificent Spotted Redshank.</div>
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Ain't history fab!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-12184543286895072022013-10-23T22:11:00.001+01:002013-10-23T22:11:57.885+01:00Reflections of Marshside - 10 June 2013Having endured some horrible weather during my recent visits to Marshside, it was a pleasure to arrive this morning in glorious, calm, sunny conditions. Even if such conditions present a Catch-22 scenario here, as you look out directly into the glare of the morning sun from the east-south-east facing hides.<br />
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I started the day in Nel's Hide and was soon checking the Avocet nests and hoping for some successes. But it all looked pretty much as it was on my last visit, with some birds permanently on their nest and others sometimes on, sometimes off. Most worrying was a nest with four eggs that was visited occasionally by the male and female feeding nearby, but neither sat on the eggs during the 90 minutes that I was there. Better news came when I found an adult with three chicks across on the east shore, close to the waters edge and surrounded by plenty of nearby cover.<br />
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In a ditch to the left of the hide, a clutch of recently fledged Reed Warbler entertained me as they playfully flitted in and out of the reeds, with their excitement reaching a crescendo whenever the parents returned to feed them.<br />
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Out on the flash, the calm waters were entrancing, if feeling a little unnatural! It is rarely so still here, with the slightest puff from the prevailing off-shore westerlies usually sufficient to sustain a steady corrugation. Even the Lapwing (often on the wing at the sound of a Peregrine breaking wind from 5 miles away) were still and restful in the mirror-like water.<br />
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I moved on to the Sandgrounders Hide where an early Curlew Sandpiper was showing well but distant, two-thirds of the way down the right-hand channel. In partial moult from it's breeding plumage, it was magnificent looking with plenty of the rusty-red colouring still visible. It was my bird of the day but there were other contenders.<br />
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A very unique looking pale form male Ruff, complete with white feathery mane, was giving brief and tantalising glimpses from a watery hollow about 30 metres out. It was an agonising two hours before it emerged and slowly fed its way into the open but it was certainly worth the wait.<br />
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With a dozen or more people in the hide, it is hard to believe that what came next was witnessed solely by me and a covert Redshank! A Mediterranean Gull (2nd summer) simply dropped out of the sky with a bill full of something tasty, paused for a second or two directly in front of me, and was off again. How I managed to react so fast to get the shot, I'm not sure. How everyone else had missed it was even more of a mystery and I had a few of those '<i>are you sure</i>' looks, before my 3" view-back did a tour!</div>
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I can't visit Marshside without taking a number of shots of the resident (non-breeding) Black-tailed Godwits. Looking as splendid as ever, I could have included any number of classically posed birds here, but I've gone for this one as it sums up what you get from these wonderful birds... guaranteed character!</div>
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Fabulous day at a fabulous place. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-27054158894291134522013-10-16T23:46:00.001+01:002013-10-16T23:46:46.904+01:00Llyn Brenig, A North Wales Jewel - 8 June 2013I have a good spot for seeing the Cuckoo, just north of the wonderfully named World's End, near Llangollen. Hearing the male bird calling is certainly one of the highlights of a magnificent 14 mile walk, but seeing the bird is not a given and the mixed terrain is a bit gruelling. So with hot weather forecast for today, we chose a gentler option for a Cuckoo hunt.<br />
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Llyn Brenig, 12 miles south-west of Denbigh, is a really beautiful reservoir and a popular venue for trout anglers, plus the occasional Osprey. It is also a fantastic place for a birding walk, with a great chance of seeing Cuckoos.<br />
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We arrived fairly early and enjoyed a coffee in the visitor centre cafe, or to be more precise, outside on the balcony enjoying the view. We soon set off anti-clockwise around the reservoir and after a brief stop for a Willow Warbler, we arrived on the dam at the southern end, where a stop was compulsory to admire and photograph the resplendent vista.<br />
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As I looked out thinking '<i>it doesn't get better than this</i>' it suddenly did when a couple of Cuckoos flew across from the east and settled on the tree tops behind the visitor centre. It got even better when we heard a male Cuckoo calling from behind us and we turned to find another pair in the nearby wood. With 4 Cuckoos in sight, we then had a fifth when another male was heard calling from the east. What a start to the day!<br />
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Walking up the eastern side, it soon became clear why the Cuckoos are drawn to this area. The adjacent rough meadows were alive with Meadow Pipit, so there is no shortage of nests for the Cuckoos to parasitise.<br />
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Meadow Pipit with tasty catch but is it feeding a young Cuckoo?</div>
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We continued north along the path and up to the point where it veers off into a large coniferous wood and here we stopped for lunch at the waters edge. With another fine view across the calm water and one eye to the skies in search of the Osprey that had been feeding in the area, it would have been so easy to miss the days best view of a Cuckoo. But we were still hearing the calls, so we kept checking the trees behind us and out it popped to perch on a fence post some distance away. I was off... first using the cover of the walled bank, then closing in on my belly and crossing the path where I was almost decapitated by a passing cyclist (with PK sniggering into her tea). I had almost halved the distance when I quickly popped the lens through the long grass and fired off a couple of hopeful shots, just before the bird disappeared back into the wood. </div>
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The smell from the animal droppings that I had managed to accumulate in the process, accompanied us for the rest of the day but it was worth it!</div>
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A Llyn Brenig Cuckoo - clocked one at last!</div>
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Skylark - a welcome sight on any trip</div>
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Species (order as seen): Willow Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Magpie, Crow, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Greylag Goose, Grey Wagtail, Raven, Jay, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Skylark, Robin, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, House Martin, Redstart, Stonechat, Goldfinch, Canada Goose.</div>
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For more information visit <a href="http://www.llynbrenig.co.uk/">http://www.llynbrenig.co.uk/</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/LlynBrenig">https://twitter.com/LlynBrenig</a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-21829503364641190722013-10-06T22:57:00.000+01:002013-10-06T22:57:12.703+01:00Marbury Woodpeckers - 3 June 2013<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_1YyYALtVW1kIlFZ6dGKX7Fvs5vQzCaNbJlpHMq1qaeDRoXdblAxN0tZpPkks7xVFrRoLD3kIuolsVswxGUDH2xnkSGlOk5UpLS15A3YpCT3NhQwZq_VlxLH6Pu5_6gp7X0UZMIeBRjl/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-03+at+20.22.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_1YyYALtVW1kIlFZ6dGKX7Fvs5vQzCaNbJlpHMq1qaeDRoXdblAxN0tZpPkks7xVFrRoLD3kIuolsVswxGUDH2xnkSGlOk5UpLS15A3YpCT3NhQwZq_VlxLH6Pu5_6gp7X0UZMIeBRjl/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-10-03+at+20.22.36.png" width="215" /></a></div>
My first visit to Marbury for a while and after a quick tour of all my regular spots, I set off to find the Great Spotted Woodpecker nest site that I had noted on my last visit.<br />
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Not knowing if the birds had used the site, I approached cautiously but with no real expectation. That soon changed when I saw an adult bird fly over me and then, as I got closer, I began to hear the constant calls of insatiable chicks.<br />
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When I finally got hole-side, the view was amazing but I knew that I had to keep in cover so as not to spook the adults. But I soon realised that I was so conspicuous standing behind trees and the adults would see me as they came back in. So the answer was to sit down at a good distance, hood up, camera on tripod and watch the spectacle from a still and comfy position.<br />
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Soon after I settled down, the male came in with food, fed a chick and was quickly off again, leaving the chick squealing for more before withdrawing back into the nest, to be replaced by another at the opening. A few minutes later the female arrived with food, fed and departed. Soon the male was back feeding, then the male again, and again! I quickly noticed the pattern of the male feeding five or six times between each visit by the female. Maybe the female was busy feeding herself back up after the exertions of egg laying, or maybe the male had found a rich supply of food.<br />
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I wondered how many chicks there were and also, with room for only one a time at the dining table, were they all being fed? I studied them closely through the scope and noticed a few differences in cap markings or colouring, very subtle but enough to know that there was some rotation going on. I got to know 4 or 5 of them but as for the exact number I'm not sure.<br />
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As the heat increased in the afternoon, the chicks began to show signs of panting and soon withdrew to the shade of the interior. The relieved male stayed on guard nearby and the female, well I hadn't seen her for over an hour.<br />
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I returned a couple of times with PK, hoping to see the chicks fledge but I missed them going. I was just happy to know that they had.<br />
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The male brings in another tasty tree grub...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDjYQ7oo3gG_hlZSBs9adlsGk5E_V8WrH7nM_YF3vkidPQEb8Ne1nhY5IHlnbQRRtD4jimFWMLE_kQd5Sd9DeRrfxOyiq3_5fj2WTPp5YncxaiVEMGT88xPe0Bq2wXU_ZYkUXECMv6EIB/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-03+at+20.48.16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDjYQ7oo3gG_hlZSBs9adlsGk5E_V8WrH7nM_YF3vkidPQEb8Ne1nhY5IHlnbQRRtD4jimFWMLE_kQd5Sd9DeRrfxOyiq3_5fj2WTPp5YncxaiVEMGT88xPe0Bq2wXU_ZYkUXECMv6EIB/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-03+at+20.48.16.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and finally takes a breather on guard duty.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-8135441490473087872013-10-03T19:12:00.001+01:002013-10-03T19:12:09.284+01:00A Rainy Day At Marshside - 27 May 2013<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVYaC13QYigoiQMB4lxQXT60gwxEanESXZEDzbwYEGfm-nQxiv0B0ZM6kp_91cUKXF41r2dT5kIbSkA5yvTckbxWS1pTSl0OOrMaDKKZn4HJHMEYvcuQ359bjFvzRJXEBpmYIJJlA5IeP/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+22.19.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVYaC13QYigoiQMB4lxQXT60gwxEanESXZEDzbwYEGfm-nQxiv0B0ZM6kp_91cUKXF41r2dT5kIbSkA5yvTckbxWS1pTSl0OOrMaDKKZn4HJHMEYvcuQ359bjFvzRJXEBpmYIJJlA5IeP/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+22.19.39.png" width="213" /></a>Summer (almost) and yet today was cold and very, very wet. So I considered my options carefully before choosing to drive north to Marshside RSPB, Southport. I did this in the belief that I would find the brighter conditions promised by the weather reports but frankly, it just got worse!<br />
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After parking up and donning the waterproofs, the short walk from the car-park to Nel's hide (580 meters) was less than pleasant and I was not surprised to find an empty hide. Looking out into the murky greyness, the nesting Avocets were restless and forlorn looking, and appeared to intensify the near monochromatic view.<br />
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A hot coffee brightened my spirit suffice to begin scanning through the gloom and I found plenty of birds out there. On the small islands of mud, I found quite a few Dunlin busy feeding. I checked through some them looking for other small waders but the further out they were, the more impossible the task became. I did find a number of Ringed Plover across in the far margins but they are often there, so I knew where to look.<br />
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As it approached high tide in Liverpool Bay, a number of waders came in. A small flock of Knot were soon followed in by more Dunlin. Then came a big mixed flock that eventually settled to roost in the still gloom in front of me. I managed to pick out Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, more Knot, more Dunlin, Curlew and a few Sanderling.<br />
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Then came the days highlight when a small wader emerged from the pack to feed alone on one of the far muddy islands. I first assumed it was a Dunlin, but on closer inspection I was surprised to see it was a Little Stint.<br />
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Whether the bird had just come in or had been out there for a while, I don't know! I do know that the day suddenly seemed brighter!<br />
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Little Stint - a reasonable record shot given the conditions</div>
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Dunlin - summer clothes, wintery weather!</div>
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The Swallows were finding food despite the weather</div>
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Species Log (33) - order as seen: Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Teal, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Shoveler, Coot, Oystercatcher, Gadwall, Lapwing, Moorhen, Ringed Plover, Herring Gull, Swallow, Little Egret, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Curlew, Sanderling, Little Stint, Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Canada Goose, Swift, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-66425366059963414592013-10-03T15:08:00.002+01:002013-10-03T15:08:42.927+01:00Leasowe - 20 May 2013<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDI7wa4ML3RYwsLz2XAuDg3FxnMCdWeYe5Vr-A5gGzQEp5Yg-CueA4DLJX7sv-cQ72tO9cE2uIpQP70dacM45RYP6UPnI6HOJD9AMWPWNakLeUO-LZglGhMW5xMoh_tkVbt9tVKDix9YH/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-02+at+23.27.35.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDI7wa4ML3RYwsLz2XAuDg3FxnMCdWeYe5Vr-A5gGzQEp5Yg-CueA4DLJX7sv-cQ72tO9cE2uIpQP70dacM45RYP6UPnI6HOJD9AMWPWNakLeUO-LZglGhMW5xMoh_tkVbt9tVKDix9YH/s200/Screen+Shot+2013-10-02+at+23.27.35.png" width="130" /></a>A quick record of a fabulous birding walk around Leasowe Lighthouse; taking in the sea wall path, nature path, horse paddocks and adjacent lanes.<br />
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Species (order as seen):<br />
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Swallow, Goldfinch, Whitethroat, Herring Gull, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Crow, Mallard, Chiffchaff, Shelduck, Sedge Warbler, Magpie, Collared Dove, Wheatear, Grey Heron, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Starling, Woodpigeon, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Redshank, House Sparrow, Whimbrel, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Swift, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Linnet and Whinchat.<br />
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Skylark, a real favourite of mine and Leasowe is a great place to see them.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-51553143894650546852013-09-21T23:36:00.001+01:002013-09-22T00:30:48.150+01:00Moore Chiffchaff - 4 May 2013<span style="color: #42474a; font-family: 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN'; font-size: 15px;">â«</span><i>Welcome to Moore Nature reserve, have a nice day</i><span style="color: #42474a; font-family: 'Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN'; font-size: 15px;">âŹ</span> These words would have made appropriate lyrics to accompany the song being expertly performed by the Mistle Thrush that greeted us from the adjacent meadow as we left the car-park. Natures own 'meet and greet'!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIOqkB9ge4BByb3Rw7ipofAx0axlEsayByVn-FargIN6UVonjPX7owM0At9aa9_yyoS-y69TofB-wgbLvheXbHTM3SqZsUKZh1dVnqSgoB_A9xH1xmzfd4VWzxhpNUwJ3M3mw8wGTKEi9/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-21+at+17.31.56.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIOqkB9ge4BByb3Rw7ipofAx0axlEsayByVn-FargIN6UVonjPX7owM0At9aa9_yyoS-y69TofB-wgbLvheXbHTM3SqZsUKZh1dVnqSgoB_A9xH1xmzfd4VWzxhpNUwJ3M3mw8wGTKEi9/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-09-21+at+17.31.56.png" height="320" width="213" /></a>It was into the afternoon when we arrived, so we knew we would be restricted to one half of the reserve and we chose to walk the eastern side. We headed off toward Birchwood Pool and soon became aware of the glorious shades of blue and yellow smiling up at us from the Field Forget Me Not that was all around us on the southern footpath. </div>
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Arriving at the viewing screen opposite the island on Birchwood Pool, we were reminded of the extraordinary wet spring we had endured, as we noticed the Canada Geese nesting well up into the vegetation whereas last year they were almost a metre below on a narrow but dry shoreline.</div>
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Further on and into Birch Wood, we came across a Chiffchaff carrying nesting material and it soon led us to the location of the nest. We positioned ourselves in a half-hidden position to watch the comings and goings. PK guessed that it was going to be a long delay but she warmed to the industrious bird once I explained that it was the female that did the nest building! We watched her for some considerable time, amazed at how she navigated her way through the thorny scrub to the nest buried deep within, yet always emerged unscathed to continue the search for materials. </div>
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We eventually moved on and completed our circuit, taking in many more sights, sounds and smells of this wonderful place. We ended at the feeder station where the usual species fed on the abundance of seed. But no Woodpecker today... PK must be losing her mojo!</div>
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Mrs Chiffchaff, a very industrious bird</div>
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Moore is a great place to see my favourite Little Grebe</div>
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Todays species (order as seen): Mistle Thrush, Crow, Goldfinch, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Wren, Coot, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Chiffchaff, Buzzard, Wood Pigeon, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Cormorant, Robin, Great Tit, Blackcap, Jay, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting and Blue Tit.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-43859729799764868812013-09-12T22:22:00.001+01:002013-09-12T22:22:43.214+01:00Marbury Country Park - 29 April 2013<br />
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This morning I took another trip up to Marbury Country Park, one of my favourite places for both birding and walking. I have had some great birds at Marbury this year and hoped for another good day with Yellow and Blue-Headed Wagtails reportedly showing.<br />
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First stop from the car-park, was the feeder station at the south-west corner of Budworth Mere, where I arrived just in time to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker take a drink at the waters edge. The feeders were well stocked and as busy as ever. My attention was drawn to a nearby wire, upon which many of the Tits stopped before moving on to their chosen feeder, including this ever cautious Blue Tit.<br />
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Also from this view point, I watched a number of Swallows and House Martins feeding over the mere when my first swift of the year suddenly darted through.<br />
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Continuing through the wood, I heard a Song Thrush singing and before long I saw it hopping along the path in front of me and then disappear into the undergrowth. As I watched it go, it drew my line of sight toward a Grey Heron which was stalking something deep in the wood. I watched for a while before it too slowly disappeared into the darkness of Big Wood.<br />
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I crossed Forge Brook and moved on to Fisherman's Path, past a couple of small pools and arrived at the edge of a newly ploughed field where I soon found a mixed Wagtail flock. Scanning this field for nearly an hour with a biting northerly crashing into me from across the mere, was not the most pleasant of experiences! But I found a few Yellow Wagtails among the largely Grey flock and what a warming sight they were as they popped up from the deep furrows. Although getting a decent photo was akin to one of those fairground whack-it games!<br />
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No sign of the Blue-headed Wagtail, despite a dozen birders searching for it.<br />
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Ball of sunshine! - Yellow Wagtail seen from Fisherman's Path</div>
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B<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">efore leaving I had a quick look at Haydn's Pool where I was pleased to see the Sand Martins using the artificial sandbank for a second year running.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I clocked up 41 species (order as seen) - Chaffinch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Robin, Reed Bunting, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Wood Pigeon, Coot, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Black-headed Gull, Song Thrush, Grey Heron, Blackbird, Moorhen, Shelduck, Jackdaw, Gadwall, Crow, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Treecreeper, Magpie, Blackcap, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Shoveler, Black Swan, Sand Martins, Buzzard, Raven.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-81307471895496592572013-08-29T00:15:00.000+01:002013-09-23T23:56:44.681+01:00A Farm Full of Hweet - 26 April 2013On a glorious spring morning, I spent a couple of hours at Inner Marsh Farm but it was a somewhat different visit than normal, with more time spent on the path down to the hide, than in it.<br />
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I was first to arrive and looked forward to that magical feeling that I get when creeping into a dark hide and quietly opening a shutter into the world of waders, wildfowl and whatever else! But that experience would have to wait today as I took in the sights and sounds around me...<br />
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Swallows were busy feeding low over the meadows as big flocks of Goldfinch passed through. A Kestrel floated above with eyes fixed for prey but found nothing and soon moved on. Grey Herons were flying back and forth from the marsh to their nesting site in the nearby woods. There is nothing unusual in any of this I know, so what was it that turned a ten minute walk into over an hour?<br />
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Answer: Chiffchaff.<br />
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After leaving the car-park where Chaffinch, Blackbird and a Robin were singing, I picked up on the 'hweet' calls of a couple of birds but soon realised they were everywhere. Again nothing too unusual. But this bird was once my nemesis and it drove me crazy in my futile efforts to see more than a half-hidden profile, often from well below. And as for photographs, 20 stitched together would not have made a full bird! I tried ever so hard before conceding defeat and that was when things changed. Suddenly they started to show for me, as if saying "why aren't you playing hide-and-seek anymore?"<br />
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I have since developed a real affinity with the Chiffchaff, so on mornings like this when they show really well, I feel duty bound to take cover and enjoy them. There were maybe a dozen busy pairs about, many taking nesting material to various points along the adjacent railway embankment but I did find three nests being built along the path to the hide. And it was the third one, beyond the railway bridge, that gave me the best spot to hide and watch, and I did for some time. This pair were totally oblivious to my presence and often rested within a few feet of me. I was amazed at how industrious they were. I wanted to time how often they returned but my timer (iPhone) was tucked away in my rucksack and had I moved I would have blown my cover. I wanted to enjoy this hour, knowing that this nest in the low scrub would be submerged under a metre of vegetation within a week or so.<br />
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I did eventually move on and as no one had come down the path, I was still the first into the hide and opened the shutters to view Oystercatcher, Mute Swan, Avocet, Moorhen and Black-tailed Godwit. I was also lucky enough to see a couple of Spotted Redshank drop in.<br />
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However, what sent me off to sleep that evening was hweet, hweet, hweet<span style="color: #42474a; font-family: Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">...</span></span><br />
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Chiffchaff, my friend at last, taking a break from nest building<br />
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Spotted Redshank moulting into summer plumage and roosting with Blackwits.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-22711975111199363322013-07-11T23:07:00.002+01:002013-08-28T20:34:19.055+01:00Costa Del Leasowe - 20 April 2013I chose a great day for the short hop across the Mersey (or under it to be precise) for a birding day at Leasowe, North Wirral.<br />
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My diary notes for the day included the heavily underlined phrase " <em>The first really warm day of the year" </em>and it was glorious. So good that I almost gave up on the birding idea in favour of one of my favourite walks, a 10 mile round trip coastal walk to West Kirby. I compromised and with camera and bin's set off along the coast towards Hoylake.<br />
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The tide was out, which at Leasowe leaves a narrow channel about 25 meters wide and running adjacent to the sea wall. On the far side of the channel, 40 Redshank were busy feeding along with a few Dunlin and a Curlew. I took a few shots and moved on but only managed about 50 meters before a frenzy of alarm calls stopped me in my tracks. Turning back to see what the fuss was, I was amazed to see a number of Redshank mobbing a Curlew! Strange, I thought, as I was quite used to seeing both species coexisting in almost perfect harmony at my local Mersey Estuary patch. I walked back and the penny dropped... it was a Whimbrel and my first this year. I bagged a few shots for the records, before giving myself a mental beating for initially mistaking the bird for a Curlew at such a relatively short distance. But exoneration came later that evening when reviewing the photo's and seeing that the first bird was indeed a Curlew and the Whimbrel must have arrived after I had walked away.<br />
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I am still a lttle curious as to why the Redshank - often wary but generally at ease in the presence of Curlew - should react so aggressively to the arrival of a Whimbrel! They obviously have no trouble telling them apart and (in this area at least) must see the Whimbrel as an uncommon visitor and thus a threat.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">A little further on, I found a dozen Turnstone, a couple of Wheatear and a sudden abundance of Swallows. Whilst t</span>he expansive sands that stretched out to my right were dotted with small pockets of gulls, mostly Herring and Lesser Black-backed, plus the odd Great Black-backed and one Black-headed.<br />
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On the walk back I took a detour down Park Lane for a look at the meadows, where notable finds were Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Reaching the end of the lane, I continued along the footpath for a look at the horse paddocks and found 20+ Wheatear had dropped in, plus a couple of White Wagtails, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Skylark and a small flock of Linnet.<br />
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I had clocked up 30 species but added a wonderful <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">31</span><sup style="font-family: Cambria;">st</sup> near to the old cafĂ© where a male Common Redstart flew across my windscreen and into the left-hand bushes. I needed to be certain so I parked up and slowly edged behind the bushes where I tracked it down for confirmation of another UK year â before it flew off over the new cafĂ© (burger van).<br />
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I had a great day but I have to admit to spending the evening nursing a badly sunburned neck!<br />
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Whimbrel at Leasowe - keeping its distance from the Redshank...<br />
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... and the Curlew photographed 5 minutes earlier</div>
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One of the Turnstone in typically rocky pose</div>
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Herring Gulls prepare for take-off on Costa Del Leasowe runway</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-75900804139495748542013-07-05T00:15:00.001+01:002013-07-15T15:59:10.484+01:00Five Miles Of Mersey Mud - 14 April 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-size: large;">WeBS Log 4/13</span></u></div>
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<u>Conditions:</u><br />
Rain carried in strong north-westerly wind<br />
Temperature: 14Âșc<br />
Visibility: Fair<br />
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<u>High Tide:</u><br />
Level: 8.7m (Chart Datum)<br />
Time: 14:18 BST<br />
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The photo is included as reminder of some of the tranquil, sunny days that I enjoyed during the winter WeBS counts. Lately, count days seem to attract the worst of the weather and today was particularly bad at Oglet Shore, where I had no other option but to walk 1.5 miles east to west and directly into the driving rain.<br />
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My numbers were well down with Dunlin certainly having moved on by now, and Curlew probably flocked up on the Hale farmland as they prepared to leave. On a positive note, I still had 239 Redshank and the 45 Oystercatcher was a good number.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-61313098998160323072013-07-03T01:18:00.000+01:002013-08-28T20:38:35.052+01:00The Mystery of the Levitating Redshank - 13 April 2013I never check any source of bird news before making the trip to Pennington Flash. Why? Simply because it's the kind of place that just never disappoints and almost anything can drop in there, so a decent days birding is a given. <br />
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Apart from my local patch, Pennington Flash is the only place that I keep a list for and I didn't wait long today before adding a Kittiwake to the list. It was not an easy pick at the far end of the spit, particularly amid the surrounding chaos of the Black-headed Gulls, but its plain black wing-tips and shorter legs distinguished it from a couple of nearby Common Gulls.<br />
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The spit also held the usual number of Cormorant, a Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Lapwing, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Crow and Pied Wagtail. And a large number of Swallows flashed over in u-turns before heading out again across the midge strewn waters.<br />
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Out on the flash were Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Teal, Gadwall and a pair of Goldeneye. I love Goldeneye and I crave a decent photo of a male but I always seem to get a distant bird - fair light, or vice-versa. I fear I may need to invest in a camo-canoe!<br />
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Next I had a look at the 'fairy-tale world' of the Bunting Hide feeding station. Where notable additions were Willow Tit, Bullfinch and my first Pennington Brambling. Also, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting, Robin (pictured), Greenfinch, Wren, Dunnock and Stock Dove.<br />
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I grabbed a picnic table in a sunny spot for some lunch before taking the circular tour of the hides that face out onto the idyllic lagoons. These hold plenty of birds and today I had Grey Heron, Goosander, Coot, Moorhen, Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Crested Grebe, Snipe, Tufted Duck, Shoveler and Blackbird.<br />
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Brilliant Kingfisher territory this is too but alas, not today. Ah well, just the 42 species then.<br />
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Unless of course, I can count the mysterious levitating Redshank as a sub-species...<br />
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Kangaroo Redshank - <i>Tringa totanus Levioso</i></div>
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A distant male Goldeneye on the Flash<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-72565472927520202432013-06-30T00:19:00.000+01:002013-08-28T20:39:54.032+01:00Hide & Seek at Risley Moss - 9 April 13<br />
We had some brilliant entertainment this morning at Risley Moss in Cheshire. Having started at the look-out tower for a bit of a raptor watch, the cold, miserable weather soon had us heading for the sanctuary of the woodland hide.<br />
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First of note were a couple of Yellowhammer. I had forgotten what a good spot this was for this fairly shy bunting and you can get a really good look at them here. Watching them ground-feeding alongside a few Reed Bunting, Chaffinch and Dunnock, it was noticeable how the two Yellowhammer clearly preferred their own space and they were always the first to flush.<br />
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Before long, PK's Great Spotted Woodpecker radar went into overdrive as she clocked a pair of them darting about in the wood, the female being chased by the male. <br />
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A short time later, the male appeared at the feeder station and the female soon followed. We watched the pair feed separately on the suet filled holes, as we have done here many times before. But we noticed how they constantly kept an eye on each other!<br />
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It was a surprise to see the male fly off first and the female then chase after him. But normality was restored when the female sped through with the male in hot<br />
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pursuit. They disappeared for a while but when they returned, the courtship display that we witnessed was fantastic.<br />
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We first saw the female as she settled mid-way up a nearby tree and her constant glances upwards led us to the male. Perched higher on the adjacent tree, he was rather fidgety and side-stepped up and down the branch whilst always looking down at the female. <br />
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It was the female that provided most of the<br />
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entertainment, as she went through a '<i>playing hard to ge</i>t' routine. She would first look up at the male, no doubt making sure that he was watching, then would manoeuvre herself into a hiding position, before showing herself and then hiding again!<br />
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Occasionally, the male would fly off, circle the female and then return to a different perch. Whereby, the female would simply reposition herself and reconvene her performance.<br />
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We enjoyed this spectacle for 20 minutes or more before the woodpeckers moved on. What a privilege it was to witness a very amusing display.<br />
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Back to the feeding birds and we added Blue, Coal, Long-tailed and Great Tits. Plus Nuthatch, Blackbird, Jay, Woodpigeon and a passing Raven.<br />
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Male Yellowhammer feeding in front of woodland hide</div>
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Male Bullfinch - I think he knows he's a looker!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-418564854605661262013-06-24T14:11:00.001+01:002013-08-28T20:41:22.883+01:00Le Pays des Mille Lacs - Spring 13A spring-time trip to <b>La Brenne Parc Naturel (</b>locally <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">'The Land of a Thousand Lakes')</span> was booked backed in autumn 2012 and the anticipation warmed us throughout the cold winter months.<br />
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Eventually leaving behind the appalling UK weather, we set off for the more temperate climate of central France. Or so we had hoped... But France too had suffered a poor start to spring, with plenty of rain and temperatures below the average for this time of year. It was about 2Âșc better than back home during the day but plummeted overnight to as low as -3Âșc. The Bermuda's and sun lotion were never going to get out of the bag!<br />
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Day 1: Arriving at Rosnay late afternoon, tired and hungry, we settled for a stroll around the lake that we looked out onto. There were a few Mallard about and a Grey Heron, but suddenly a Night Heron dropped in (camera not yet unpacked of course). I watched it briefly before it was seen-off by the Grey. A big tick so soon and a stroke of luck too, as we didn't see another all week! Also today - Mute Swan, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Moorhen, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Jay, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove and Pheasant.<br />
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Day 2: We headed off to see Tony Williams at Maison de Nature at la réserve naturelle de Chérine. What Tony doesn't know about La Brenne simply hasn't happened yet! He marked our map with some likely hot-spots and also pointed out the lakes that were dry and not really worth a visit. They drain some lakes periodically to farm the carp. Tony confirmed that many migrant birds had not yet arrived, and those that had were still in relatively small numbers. Worse news, the large breeding colony of Purple Heron was hidden away on a lake that was completely inaccessible due to severe flooding on the access path. Apparently you could get through if you had waders but we simply forgot to pack them! So it was a case of rip-up the target list, see as much of the area as possible and just enjoy whatever came our way. But that is what adventures like this are all about - the simple unpredictability of nature - a fact confirmed by our first Black Kite, circling above us as we said merci et au revoir to Tony.<br />
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We had a quick lunch accompanied by Chaffinch, a Robin and a White Wagtail before moving on to etang D'Essarts. Here we added Coot, Swallow, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Shoveler, Pintail, Little Egret, Buzzard, Stonechat, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. In the evening we had a stroll around a nearby wood, where we added Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, a female Black Redstart, another Black Kite and a few passing Cormorant.<br />
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Day 3: We awoke to two very clear calls. First a Cuckoo calling from the far side of the woods and then, the much closer call of a Hoopoe. We were to hear the Hoopoe for the next few days but we couldn't find it. We set off for etang Gabrielle, a huge lake and great place to look for Osprey, which we did unsuccessfully for some time. We did see a good number of Red-crested Pochard and the males looked fantastic, but too far away for a decent photo. We saw a lot of Little Egret here and also one Great White Egret. On the drive back to Rosnay we came across a farmer ploughing a small field and counted six Black Kites circling above. Later, at etang Masse we found a Cormorant breeding colony out on a wooded island and I counted 40 nests. Walking to a smaller lake nearby, we saw a Green Woodpecker and a male Black Redstart. The lake was deserted apart from Mink and we counted six in and around the margins. Back at base and during an evening stroll we found two Great Whites, the resident Grey Heron, a Wren and a couple of Marsh Tit.<br />
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Day 4: First thing today I spent an hour stalking a couple of Treecreepers but gave up once I had my customary 20+ shots of tree bark! We set off for a good woodpecker spot at la Chappelle but having got a little lost, we ended up in the middle of open farmland where we chanced upon a few Redshank and Lapwing feeding on a puddle. We eventually found la Chappelle, but all we got there was a rather eerie feeling from the old chapel and the surrounding woods were reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project! We quickly agreed to bail out and headed to la Maison du Parc (visitor centre) where we had lunch and the best boozy crĂȘpes we've ever had. From the car-park we followed a path down between a meadow and large woodland that took us to three lakes, where a mega fly hatch was being enjoyed by Stonechat, Black Redstart, Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff.<br />
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Day 5: A wipe out due to a very bad hangover. Just me, so we knew it wasn't revenge of the crĂȘpes! Breakfast at 3pm was followed by a short walk for two distant Great White Egret.<br />
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Day 6: A 7am walk in search of the Hoopoe brought me no closer to seeing the bird, but hearing its occasional calls amongst the magnificent dawn chorus was awesome.<br />
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We arrived at etang Foulcault quite early and found <br />
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it alive with waterfowl, Also Black-headed Gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls, a couple of Great White Egret and a Grey Heron. And overhead we had Black Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel. We moved on to etang Sous for possible otters but no joy. Whiskered terns breed here but it was far too early for them. In fact, their protected breeding area was still underwater! Out of the blue came a couple of Cattle Egret that sped, manic-fashion, around the hide a few times before disappearing. But we got lucky and caught up with them in a meadow near to the car-park and I managed a record shot at least.<br />
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We decided to round off this last day with another look at etang Gabrielle but on what was now a rather grey day, it was difficult to pick out anything across the open water. So we headed to the far north-west corner where it was marginally brighter. Here we<br />
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watched a Cormorant catch a carp so large, that after a 10 minute struggle trying to lift it through the surface and into position, it eventually conceded defeat and let it go. Sadly the carp did not survive the experience but maybe a pike or catfish got to enjoy the freebie. Quite a sight to round off the week I thought. But that magical unpredictability of nature was to have the last word... As our long-awaited Osprey came over from behind us and slowly faded away into the gloom.<br />
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My suggestion of a return visit in the summer, was not met with total enthusiasm by PK as she muttered something about lounging in the sun. So I have a compromise... but where on earth will I find her a camokini?<br />
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Our resident Grey Heron at Rosnay</div>
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Tufted Duck at etang D'Essarts</div>
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Fine male Kestrel from car en route to etang Sous</div>
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PK scoping Red-crested Pochard at etang Gabrielle</div>
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Early spring Pussy Willow flower (male) in the afternoon sun at Rosnay</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-66703513161976192042013-06-14T21:56:00.000+01:002013-08-28T20:42:23.439+01:00Five Miles of Mersey Mud - 11 March 2013<br />
I walked my Mersey Estuary patch today and with a temperature of -4Âșc with easterly wind-chill factor, it was no wonder that my high-water numbers were lower than normal on the 5 miles of shoreline from Garston through to Hale Head.<br />
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However, I still had 1,000+ birds and picking out 5 Twite near to the sailing club proved to be a real warmer.<br />
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Here are the numbers:<br />
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Ringed Plover - one of nine east of Garston Dock</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-89146374300953283142013-06-14T13:49:00.001+01:002013-08-28T20:43:07.406+01:00Around The Marsh and Through The Wood - 5 March 2013A mid-morning march around the inner marsh of Marshside_1 today gave me 22 species:<br />
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Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Crow, Mute Swan, Black-tailed Godwit, Robin, Avocet, Golden Plover, Shelduck, Lapwing, Teal, Oystercatcher, Jackdaw, Wigeon, Little Egret, Coot, Mallard, Moorhen and Canada Geese.<br />
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I moved on inland to Mere Sands Wood - where sadly no Bitterns have arrived this year - and added 11 more species:<br />
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Cormorant (24), Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay,<br />
Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Pheasant.<br />
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I made a note of the rats that feed at the base of the feeders behind the visitor centre, as one of them was enormous! I hope it was gestational rather than morphogenic!<br />
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Taking the bird species count to 34 was a flock of 20 Waxwing, which I thought I had seen fly over MSW but wasn't sure until I caught up with them in a nearby garden near to the A59.<br />
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First Avocet to arrive back to Marshside</div>
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Male Reed Bunting at Mere Sands Wood</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-22871160980772466192013-06-13T23:50:00.000+01:002013-08-28T20:44:05.325+01:00New Brighton in Colour - 4 March 2013A morning visit to Burton Mere Wetlands was foreshortened due to work on the electric fencing. It was not a wasted trip though, as I did see the resident Water Rail adjacent to the visitor centre and the feeders gave me my first Siskin of the the year. A quick stop at Parkgate Donkey Stand gave me 200 Blacked-headed and a few Herring Gulls, plus 6 Little Egret and 4 Curlew.<br />
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By now it was approaching high tide so I decided on a short detour to New Brighton on the way home. Situated at the western tip of the Mersey Estuary, New Brighton has seen significant regeneration recently in the Kings Parade area, west of the marine lake. It seems to have paid off too as it's always fairly busy. I recalled a recent visit; taking advantage of the increased visitor numbers, I wandered around shooting in black & white, trying to capture images resembling what it may have looked like in its heyday as a small but popular resort, complete with an open air swimming pool.<br />
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Today was a complete contrast to that last visit and the colourful theme dawned on me during a walk around the marine lake. First up, a group of roosting waders, within which two Purple Sandpiper with their distinct short mustard-yellow legs were an easy spot amongst the vivid orange legged Redshank (32) and Turnstone (21). The roost was soon disturbed when a passing Peregrine flushed everything up and away.<br />
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Most striking in the afternoon sun were the Starlings. A common black bird often ignored, but what a magnificent sight with their iridescent plumage of blues and greens, white spots, golden-brown tinged coverts, bright yellow bills and vivid red legs.<br />
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The south side was awash with the deep red legs and bills of Black-headed Gulls, mostly airborne and enjoying the fruits of the local food-pass hobby, viz. throwing the remains of lunch into the air for the acrobatic scavengers.<br />
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The lake held a single Herring Gull, looking majestic in super-clean white and grey plumage and glowing yellow bill with vibrant orange spot.<br />
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Monochrome has its place, but not in my world.<br />
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Purple Sandpiper taking a breather from the huddle</div>
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Iridescent star lingered for a pose</div>
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BHG no doubt resting after a fish & chips dinner</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-1612937713658573082013-05-14T01:52:00.000+01:002013-08-28T20:46:44.032+01:00LLanfairfechan & Conwy - 2 March 2013It's always a pleasurable journey driving into Wales. But with the added entertainment from my satnav as it attempts to roll its techno-tones around Welsh road names, it's often a hilarious journey also. You can well imagine what it made of our first destination this morning... the promenade at Llanfairfechan (via Dwygyfylchi and Penmaenmawr)!<br />
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On arrival we were greeted by the amazing site of a Jackdaw in a trance-like state, sea-watching. We guessed, based on recent weather, it was not so much enjoying the view but wondering what the big orange thing in the sky was!<br />
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It was approaching high tide and the increasingly calming sea mirrored the clear blue sky above, thus allowing clear views of Puffin Island, off the eastern tip of Anglesey. Just as well really, as the Red Breasted Merganser - our target bird today - where way out at sea, sharing the serenity with a number of Great Crested Grebe. That is until a lone male in full summer plumage, appeared within 50 meters and dutifully posed for photographs in the pale blue sea.<br />
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Mission accomplished, and after watching 100+ Oystercatchers desert the shrinking shoreline to head for their high water roost, we moved on to Conwy.<br />
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Lunch at the RSPB reserve was followed by a perimeter walk during which; Teal, Shelduck, Wigeon, Heron, Lapwing, Pochard, Canada Geese, Goosander, Blackbird, Curlew, Snipe, Tufted Duck, Little Egret, Coot, Redshank, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Crow, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Goldfinch were all added to the day-list.<br />
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Conwy RSPB reserve is very well run by its team of dedicated, friendly staff. In my opinion, it is streets ahead of the better known (Springwatch) sister site at Ynys-Hir.<br />
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Da iawn Cymru.<br />
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Hypnotised by the sea (a state I know so well)</div>
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Red Breasted Merganser enjoying its usual 'bad hair day'</div>
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Snipe bathing in the lagoon at Conwy RSPB<br />
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Curlew taking a breather near the lagoon<br />
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A perfect end to the day - Watching a Grey Heron searching for supper at sunset</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-30428192525741698892013-03-09T23:57:00.000+00:002013-08-28T20:49:56.035+01:00Redshanks & Orange-tails - 24 Feb 2013Today we decided on a non-birding walk! So we took a Sunday morning stroll around the grounds of Speke Hall* for some 'us' time.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We walked the perimeter path around the grounds and stopped for a while at the benched area that gives a great view of Liverpool airport (LJL) runway. Brilliant if that's your thing, but we were concentrating on the view we had of the eastern end of Garston shore and the many Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatchers that we could see.</span><br />
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We also enjoyed the strange sight of a redshank wading in a rather large puddle on the old access road between the sailing club and the airport.</div>
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Back in the centre of the estate and a quick stop at the cafe for tea/coffee was followed by a walk through the gardens where we found a Mistle Thrush looking for lunch.</div>
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A great, non-birding day!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">*</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Speke Hall (built 1530) <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">is a wood-framed wattle-and-daub Tudor </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">manor house in Liverpool and is </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. It has been in the hands of the </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">National Trust since 1986 and is well worth a visit.</span></i></div>
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Speke Hall - well worth a visit</div>
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Mistle Thrush looking for Sunday lunch in the gardens</div>
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Another orange-tail arrives at LJL</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-32705958869293010352013-03-06T15:40:00.000+00:002013-08-28T20:51:35.203+01:00Teddy On Tour at the Flash - 22 Feb 2013<br />
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Woody was on tour with us this half-term week and we soon found he was no ordinary bear, as he dismissed any suggestion of a picnic in the woods! </div>
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"I want to go birding at Pennington Flash" he whispered in my ear! I'm sure PK almost didn't believe me... "maybe Woody heard you mention those drake Smew" she murmured, but not wanting to let him down off we went bright and early. </div>
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And here is Woody's first list...</div>
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From just off the car-park, Woody set up his scope to see Mute Swan (he counted 24), Canada geese (he couldn't count to that number) and Mallard. Also around were a number of Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Crow and a big flock of Lapwing flew over.</div>
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We moved on to Horrocks Hide to check out the Spit, where Woody saw 22 Cormorant, Black-headed Gull (hundreds), a few Common Gull, Oystercatcher, Moorhen, Coot, Teal and a Grey Heron. </div>
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As we continued around the smaller pools, Woody added to his day-list with Tufted Duck, Goosander, Shoveler, Greylag Geese and Gadwall. Then at the Bunting Hide feeder station, he also added Pheasant, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Brambling, Reed Bunting and Dunnock.</div>
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A species count of 31 - well done Woody. Shame we missed the Smew though!</div>
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Woody, eye to eye with a 2 headed goose!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-62881035073563572962013-02-28T02:08:00.000+00:002013-08-28T20:52:44.731+01:00I had a birthday last year! - 18 February 2013First, I must make it clear that... I love Leighton Moss... I love RSPB reserves and before I get accused of being a male whatsit of some description... I love women too. However, the ageing lady (I'm not ageist either) that I, my wife, my friends and my fellow birders had to endure today, was an extreme example of what you can occasionally come up against when out for a quiet days birding at popular nature reserves.<br />
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To cut a long story short... we had enjoyed a great day at Leighton Moss (RSPB) with friends Amy and Chris. We saw lots of birds, with a great view of a Marsh Harrier and I saw my first Green Woodpecker for nearly 2 years. We had a great lunch (nice tuna balls Ames - pity about the carrot cake icing Chris), met some lovely people along the way and decided to end the day with an hour in the Eric Morecambe Hide. And that's where it went pear-shaped!<br />
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I just had time to find 3 Spotted Redshank for everyone before it happened... the arrival of Mrs Megaphone and her - surely by now deaf - accomplices! Showing absolutely no interest in the birds and sitting with her back to the water, off she went at maximum decibels...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I COULD MURDER A CUPPA..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"DO YOU KNOW WHO I SAW LAST WEEK..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"BEST VICTORIA SPONGE I EVER HAD..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"I HAD A BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"KNIT ONE PEARL ONE..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"MARKS & SPENCERS, </span><span style="font-size: large;">3 FOR A POUND..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"WHY IS EVERYONE LEAVING?"</span><br />
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And leave we did, in droves. It is not the first time that we have encountered this problem and I'm sure it will not be the last. But it was, I assure you, the most extreme example imaginable. Do these ignorant people not wonder why the rest of us speak so quietly, do they not ask themselves why hides empty shortly after they arrive?<br />
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The Eric Morecambe Hide was recently built and is brilliant. It is a short drive from the main reserve and is where a lot of visitors choose to end their day. Today it ended rather abruptly.<br />
Well done <span style="font-size: large;">Mrs Megaphone</span>, you emptied it single handedly!<br />
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Some highlights...<br />
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Moss Bros Pintails - synchronised diving or drowning out the noise?</div>
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Grey Heron - wondering where the noise is coming from!</div>
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Mynah Heron</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-45303168953578052842013-02-21T00:02:00.001+00:002013-08-28T20:54:06.837+01:003,000 Mud-lovers - 19 February 2013Today I did a low tide count on the Mersey shore-line between Garston Dock and Oglet Bay and found 3,000+ birds (not counting the many gulls). Early fog made counting quite difficult but it soon lifted, leaving a pleasant spring(ish) morning. Here are the numbers:<br />
<ul>
<li>Black-tailed Godwit (17)</li>
<li>Buzzard (1)</li>
<li>Canada Goose (2)</li>
<li>Cormorant (1)</li>
<li>Curlew (76)</li>
<li>Dunlin (1,337)</li>
<li>Grey Heron (1)</li>
<li>Kestrel (1)</li>
<li>Lapwing (75)</li>
<li>Mallard (217)</li>
<li>Oystercatcher (352)</li>
<li>Raven (1)</li>
<li>Redshank (461)</li>
<li>Ringed Plover (14)</li>
<li>Shelduck (212)</li>
<li>Teal (248)</li>
<li>Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)</li>
<li>Green Woodpecker (1)</li>
</ul>
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Also, a few hundred gulls, 50 Goldfinch, 200+ Woodpigeon, 100+ Crows, 10 Stock Dove, plus a few of Dunnock, Wren, Song Thrush and Reed Bunting.</div>
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OK it's not a fantastic species count, I know, but I won't grumble at seeing over 3,000 birds on my doorstep. Mersey magic!<br />
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Thank-you PK for helping at Oglet.<br />
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Oystercatchers on Garston Shore</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-9559730477260478932013-02-17T19:27:00.001+00:002013-08-28T21:23:15.553+01:00Garston Shore - 15 February 2013This morning I had a stroll along Garston Shore, from the east side of Garston Dock to the gantry marking the end of the runway at Liverpool (LJL). Well worth a visit, this one mile long stretch of rich Mersey mud will always give you a few waders and can throw up a surprise or two.<br />
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I started well with a pair of Song Thrush hopping around the path down from the car-park and - from the higher path - a look at the area in front of the dock found a good huddle of Oystercatchers.<br />
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The lower path here has been cut and laid along the rising bank of Common Reed, leaving a good metre or so of reeds separating the path from the shore below. This area always contains Redshank happily feeding in the mud, oblivious to any barking dogs along the path or the stream of air traffic overhead. Yet stop and pop a camouflaged scope through a gap in the reeds and they are off in a flash... maybe I should bark as I am doing it!<br />
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The tide was quite low, leaving the birds well spread and a little more patience was required to pick them out. Also, a small digger was being used to clear part of the slipway, so the often prolific area in front of the sailing club was rather quiet today.<br />
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Nonetheless, here is the list; Song Thrush 2, Blackbird 2, Oystercatcher 136, Cormorant 3, Redshank 113, Curlew 12, Shelduck 28, Herring Gull 12, Black-headed Gull 30, Teal 16, Dunlin 311, Ringed Plover 12, Mallard 5, Wren 1.<br />
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Strange thing is, so far this year I have only met one other birder here. Ah well - more for me!<br />
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Muddy Shelduck feeding at Garston Shore</div>
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One of the resident Reds.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04886167674615863102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555896836939959770.post-738779275582819162013-02-16T23:38:00.000+00:002013-08-28T20:55:22.102+01:00Mersey Gulls - 14 February 2013I had been planning a gull watch for a week or so but I just couldn't get the right weather and tide window. Today was perfect though, a bright morning with no more than a breeze blowing and the temperature hitting a whopping 8ÂșC. Plus the afternoon high tide that gave me a few hours from mid morning to view the birds.<br />
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I am not a gull expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know a spectacle when I see one and the massive gull flocks on the Mersey at Richmond Bank, provide a truly spectacular sight. Today, this large sandbank was split into a very orderly mix of 6,000 large gulls to the left and 9,000 Black-headed Gulls to the right. The birds were largely well settled - other than pockets flying to and from the nearby tip - but on the few occasions that they flushed briefly, the sight and sounds were awesome.<br />
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I scanned the Black-headed gulls for some time before I found the bright red bill of a Mediterranean Gull. I was surprised to see how advanced the winter moult was, with head colour about 75% into its black breeding plumage. I only found the one but it was a good find amongst so many closely packed roosting birds.<br />
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The larger gulls were mainly Herring, with a good scattering of Lesser Black-backed, Great Black Backed and a few Common Gull. Close to the shoreline and separated from the main roost, was a sleeping Glaucous Gull and I had to wait some time before it popped its head out long enough to confirm the tick.<br />
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There was an Iceland about too but I didn't get it before the eye-ache got me! So when it came, I was happy to see the tide rush backwards and cover the sand bank. In no time at all, 15,000 birds had noisily taken to the sky. An awesome spectacle and more Mersey magic!<br />
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Glaucous Gull (immature) at Richmond Bank</div>
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The last of the gulls leaving at high tide</div>
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