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

Marbury - 15 November 2012

A bonus day off for PK (school being used as a polling station) and we set off for Marbury Country Park. There were two reasons for chosing Marbury today, one we love it there and two, a nearby Tesco (Northwich) reportedly had Waxwings feeding on the Rowans in the car-park, and PK wanted them. When we arrived at the Tesco, PK did see her first Waxwings but we were quite lucky, as minutes later they flew off and as we later discovered, were not seen again until late afternoon.

So on to Marbury where we had a very pleasant walk and ticked-off most of the usual birds, with the highlights being lots of Robin songs, a close view of a Grey Heron on the mere and 5 Jay feeding in a meadow north of Marbury Lane.

Beats work!

Robin at Marbury Country Park

Grey Heron in tree on Budworth Mere

Mere Sands Wood - 25 March 2012

Sunday at MSW with PK was meant to start with a quick 2.5 mile figure of eight around both blue and white routes, but as usual, we slowed to a stand-still when PK heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker from high above. We searched until we both had stiff necks but it was after we moved on that it finally

showed itself, undulating towards us through the woods. Our first sighting this year. Bet we will find them everywhere from now on.

We hit Rufford Hide for a while, watching Mallards, a pair of Shoveler and few Shelduck. A Grey Heron opposite us was looking for Sunday lunch but whatever it was stalking managed to live another day.

Not much to see in the woods around The Hollow but a chirpy Robin kept us company for a while and we watched a Blue Tit nest building in one of the boxes. The feeder station was relatively quiet apart from a few Dunnock (grey/brown and hardly ever mentioned but I love them) and a Song Thrush popped onto the table for a quick look at the menu!

On to the visitor centre and the Lancaster Hide where a Cock Pheasant was dining on the seed laid out on the platform, as were a number of Reed Bunting. Out on the water a single Lapwing was disturbed by Canada Geese fighting over territorial mating ground.

Time for Lunch, and I couldn't help hoping that I would get luckier than that Heron!

Yes Robin it really is the Sun!

"What, no worms?" Song Thrush at feeding station

Get off my patch