The Mystery of the Levitating Redshank - 13 April 2013

I 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Brilliant Kingfisher territory this is too but alas, not today. Ah well, just the 42 species then.

Unless of course, I can count the mysterious levitating Redshank as a sub-species...

Kangaroo Redshank - Tringa totanus Levioso

 A distant male Goldeneye on the Flash

Garston Shore - 15 February 2013

This 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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Strange thing is, so far this year I have only met one other birder here. Ah well - more for me!

 Muddy Shelduck feeding at Garston Shore

One of the resident Reds.