Frodsham Marsh - Thursday 29th May 2014

Having been earlier in the week, it was only right to take another look at the stunning Red Necked Grebe and the Lesser Scaup. My brother in law Gary was keen to see the RNG in it's stunning summer plumage and a bird rarely seen on the west coast let alone locally, but more regularly in winter on our East coast. So an opportunity not to be missed :)

Arriving in the Landrover we drove up towards Redwall Reedbed and parked up and donned in suitable attire (wellys) it was very muddy after many birders had slugged through the mud, we made our way down towards the River Weaver. I set the scope up and straight away could see at least five Great Crested Grebes, some Shelduck, Tuftys, Coot and Mallard. No sign, hmm, had it flown? Walking a bit further up, eureka, the Grebe emerged from the depths not more than six metres in front of us!

What a stunner!!! The bird was feeding and was regularly diving down for fish. These images are not the best but were taken phonescoping so best I could do given the light (very poor) at 7.30pm.

A bit of neck extending and a shake of the feathers and then down to catch another small fish :) Success, Yummy.

The little tufts that could be seen on the back of the head were so cool and the bird really was a show off, tonight there was only me and our Gary, a couple of other birders and Mr Bill Morton himself. Forgot to ask Bill, but I'm sure they have had a May Red Necked Grebe before, but back in the late 80's early 90's? If anyone can recall.

After a while watching with which our Gary was chuffed as the bird was a lifer for him, we moved on to try and see the Lesser Scaup (or Little Bluebill) on No6 tank. Walking up the track to No6, it was literally seconds before we spotted the Lesser Scaup. I had seen a much closer Lesser Scaup at Burton Mere Wetlands last year, but still great to see the North American *vagrant but quite a way out. I managed a couple of record phonescope shots before the gloom descended.

This fine drake bird has a small tuft on the hindcrown and a whitish grey back with darker vermiculations. You can just make out the black nail at the tip of the bill in this next shot.

And a final shot before the bird moved closer to the bank and out of sight. The bird had been diving down and feeding and prior to presumably going to a quiet spot to roost, was joined by a pair of Tuftys.

Two more ticks, to go to my adding yearlist, which not even into June and I have already surpassed last years total of 210.

Happy days and an excellent evening with other birds spotted including Avocet, Red Legged Partridge, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff and a Kestrel and Peregrine resting on a Pylon!

Observers

Mike Buckley (photos)
Gary Chidlow
Bill Morton. 

Red Rocks & BMW Saturday 10th May

Been a while, but got a call from Shaun to go and do a bit of birding down at Red Rocks. Those that know Red Rocks will have seen some great finds by local top birder Jane Turner. After the Easterly winds brought a Wryneck, Tawny Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Spotted Crake and a cracking Little Bunting on Hilbre Island. Wow, some patch ticks there!! So with that in mind we were optimistic but not hopeful of any rarities as the North Westerlies had arrived :( good for a seawatch though maybe?

On arrival at West Kirby, the beach was pretty quiet and most of the White Wags have moved on to breeding territories. Near the steps up to the walk along the Golf Course I could see a Whitethroat characteristically flying up from a bush and calling away. In the dunes on the front were numerous Skylarks & Mipits. A Wheatear flew up and the white rump very visible then settled down to allow a pic.

Further up an acro was calling after listening to scratchy song, defo a Sedge Warbler :) snapped by Shaun.

It really does look quite different and a shame seeing missing Poplars and some scrub near the front. Poor Mistle Thrushes will have to nest elsewhere! A few Goldfinches were flying over and some nice male Reed Buntings were calling nearby however which cheered me up.

Up onto the red sandstone rocks the tide was well on it's way out but the mudflats between RR and Hilbre were covered in thousands of Dunlin & Ringed Plover, a few Sanderling also. About twenty Cormorants were out on the tide edge.

Looking out to sea was difficult as I never took my scope today, just bins, but did not seem to be much on the move. A Black Tern had been spotted by Jane at Hoylake, but alas no sign and we were prob a little late arriving for that. After enjoying the stream of Dunlin and Plovers, we made our way back onto the boardwalks and I was hoping to hear the whip whip whip call of a Spotted Crake (dream on mostly heard at night), stay optimistic! In the next few months the Open golf starts and the stands are already built in places.

Another acro, this time a Reed Warbler calling from the vast reedbed. More Reed Buntings and another Whitethroat but not much else on show. Walking further up the boardwalks and scanning the golf course for Hoopoes as I do (one day I will see one here), nothing, very quiet. Shaun suggested we have an hour down at Burton Mere Wetlands so we set off and were hoping to see the Wood Sandpiper that was reported early doors on Birdguides. So after an enjoyable hour or so we set off.

Upon arrival at BMW we saw some local birders including Roger from Chester Zoo who said the Wood Sand was seen early morning but right out in the flooded pools beyond reception main scrape! Damn, and no scope. Still the gen consensus was the bird is still around but had not been seen for a while. A couple of Garganey were on view as well as plenty of Godwits and the Avocets. Walking up to IMF hide we heard Chiffchaff and Blackcap and the bubbling calls of the breeding Little Egrets! No Cuckoo sightings yet, won't be long I suppose. Only one person in the hide when we arrived and she had not seen the Wood Sand :( plenty of noisy Black Headed Gulls had prime nesting positions on the island and a couple of Redshank were on the muddy fringes of the pool.

After a while all the birds got up a way out, including Godwits, Lapwing, and corvids. A young Peregrine was spotted by Shaun just below the main group of circling waders. Just then it made a dive low and across the fields at the back, putting yet more birds up. They may come our way and indeed the Black tailed Godwits arrived but a different high pitched call alerted me and the erratic flight of a Sandpiper! It was our Woody and it flew around in circles for a while before disappearing over the hide and that was that! Flushed by the Peregrine. Suppose we would not have seen it otherwise so thank you Peregrine :)

The Black tailed Godwits looked stunning in summer plumage and the more drab immature birds mixed in. There were some islandica mixed in the flock as well as you can see the deeper rufous colours extending right down the breast. Spot the Dunlin (not Curlew Sand as one watcher suggested)

Wow, a great spectacle and a joy to watch. It was about 1pm and we had been out since 8.30am so stomach was rumbling and it was time for home and dinner. On the way back to the car park a Buzzard flew overhead.

An enjoyable mornings birding and with Shaun going away for a few days with his lovely wife Gillian next weekend, we may just get one more outing in this week after work somewhere (hint hint).

Observers
Mike Buckley
Shaun Hickey (photography) 

Norfolk Birding Day 2 - Snettisham

Early morning breakfast at 7.15 with the taste of cider and dodgy stir fry still coming up not the best way to start the day, but after some oj and coffee and a fair breakfast was raring to go. We had decided today to have a trip to Snettisham. On the way to the reserve we spotted some small birds on telegraph wires, always worth a look in farm country for Corn Bunting. After stopping we got out and saw that they were lovely Yellowhammers, Paul managed this shot when one curious bird flew a bit closer, Magic!

Corvids filled the ploughed fields, Rook, Carrion Crow and Jackdaws a plenty.

We drove up the path to the reserve near to some fishing lakes and straight away heard our first Willow Warbler of the year :) Walking past the lakes Shaun spotted a pair of Egyptian Geese with young.

Also there were Greylag mainly but the odd Canada Goose. In the hedgerow Paul spotted a pair of Bullfinches and we also had Greenfinch, Goldfinch & Chiffchaff.

Walking through the scrub we had mainly Linnets and a lone Little Egret was on the far lagoon. After a walk of about a mile, at the top end was a small colony of Black Headed Gulls and then we climbed up to the front looking out into The Wash. Dark Bellied Brents were on the mudflats with hundreds of waders, which were mainly, Godwit, Knot, Oystercatcher and Dunlin. It would have been great to get a closer look but the road through by the coastal bungalows was private with no access! Black Tailed Godwit in flight.

Walking down to the hides (only one remains after the storm of December 5th 2013) it was heartbreaking to see the damage that had been caused. It was quite frightening to imagine what that event must have been like for those living nearby as for that amount of water to come over the banks and wreck 5 of the hides was truly mind blowing. The main breach has been fortified and work on the hides will re-commence once the breeding season has finished. We flushed a few rabbits and a Stoat came out onto the path before disappearing into the scrub.

From the hide, we could see mainly Black Tailed Godwit, Avocet, Gulls and a few Dunlin. It was bleak bird wise and did not have the feel of a reserve at all. Hopefully things will get better over the coming years when things have settled down and repairs are completed. Walking back we had views of a pair of Buzzards and a pool contained about 7 pairs of Tufted Duck. I had an alert on my mobile that an Ouzel was at Heacham and a Cuckoo had been spotted at the Coastal Park about half a mile down the road, so we decided on giving that a go. We paid a £2 parking fee and set off walking around the coastal scrub and reedbeds (Snettisham Country Park), no sign of Cuckoo, but we did hear a couple more Cetti's Warblers and had a Stonechat and yet more Linnets. Later on we spotted a Wheatear

and then heard a Sedge Warbler singing on top of a bush near the reedbeds. Paul got this shot.

 A Willow Warbler was singing nearby as well.

After a few hours we decided to have a look around the estate at Sandringham and see if we could increase our total of ticks and get near to the 100 mark. Parking up we walked through some lovely ancient woodland that comprised both coniferous and deciduous trees. Nuthatch, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit and Long Tailed Tit put in an appearance. Just then I heard the rhythmical call of a Goldcrest and we spotted it flitting high up in a conifer.

No sign of any woodpeckers though. What a beautiful area and so quiet, hardly anybody around. As we were leaving to make the journey back up North, we spotted a raptor high up overhead, lighter coloured long wings and a white tail with black bar at the end, it then hovered whilst tail twisting!! Rough Legged Buzzard in the bag and a great way to bring up the 100 species for the trip. Paul was made up as he had a few lifers in the bag, Shaun had a great trip and took some excellent photos, and my yearlist had a few more additions to take my total up to 161 with loads more Summer Migrants yet to be added :-)

Stay tuned for more blogs with trips to Anglesey & Lyn Brenig planned next few months.

Observers

Mike Buckley
Shaun Hickey (photos)
Paul Kurs (photos)

Lincs & Norfolk Birding - Thursday 10th April 2014

Our short break down to Norfolk had finally arrived and myself Shan & Paul set off in the three seater van at around 5am for the four hour journey to birding heaven. The journey started with Shaun driving and myself and Paul squeezed into the front, this was soon to change as Paul decided to be the dog and get into the back of the van as he was getting dead legs! Upon first light & passing into Lincolnshire you get a feeling of the broad open spaces and ploughed fields, rape fields, vegetable crops and endless sky. The weather was fine with a few nice days forecast so all was well. During the journey we still bird from the van and all species are added to the total.

First pit stop and breakfast time in Little Chef at Boston. Breakfast birding brought about Song Thrush, Dunnock, Linnets, Buzzard being mobbed by crows and a Robin. Fully refuelled and £10 each lighter after tea and an Olympic Breakfast, we headed for our first destination RSPB Frampton Marshes. It was about 9am on arrival and straight out of the van we saw Curlew, Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Teal, Mallard, Pied Wagtails in the fields opposite the visitor center and a Blackcap singing nearby. Walking over to the freshwater scrapes by the reception centre we could hear plenty of noisy Black Headed Gulls. They certainly look fine close up though!

Most of the Islands were occupied by the gulls and a few Avocets were nearby.

I said to the lads we must have a Med Gull amongst that lot. Sure enough, I spotted one strutting around like cock of the rock and managed a cheap phonescoped record shot as it was quite a way out.

Other birds we could see included Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Mute Swan, Shoveler, Goldeneye and a pair of resplendent Great Crested Grebes stood out nearby :)

Walking down a little further Shaun made us aware of hundreds of Geese in the sky in the background. And then we spotted some of them in the flooded fields. They were Dark Bellied Brent Geese.

Skylarks were climbing to the heavens singing all around us and there was swarms of midges everywhere but not a hirundine in sight! Mad hares were all around in the fields and were a joy to watch as they played on this great reserve with not a care in the world :)

Paul spotted a few Ruff dotted here and there, probably the most mis-identified bird ever due to various sizes and plumage changes :-

and then a fair sized flock of Black Tailed Godwit some immatures but most in reddish breeding plumage.

We then did a circuit of the lagoons up out onto an embankment that borders the reserve and looks out onto the saltmarsh. A few solitary Redshank were feeding out on the marsh along with a Little Egret but little else of note. Just then Shaun spotted a pair of Ringed Plover fly in to the lagoon, these were the first I had seen this year and looked fine. Scanning the lagoon I came across a solitary Little Ringed Plover also another year tick.

As we walked along we spotted several more Plovers busily feeding and squabbling with rival neighbours! A quick look in the hides produced nothing out of the ordinary bar a very pink Black Headed Gull! Spring was defo here and there were lot's of butterflies around the reserve, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and this lovely Brimstone,

Cup of tea before we left & to donate a few quid to the reserve.

Back into the van and next destination was RSPB Titchwell, we had decided not to check in at our digs until after we had been birding. As we drove on it was hard to see a field that did not contain a Pheasant or a Grey Partridge! Also we had Kestrel overhead and a bit later on a Sparrowhawk circling. In the car park at Titchwell, I was looking up at a big group of Raptors circling high above, with Red Kite, Buzzard and Marsh Harriers all on the thermals. I spoke to the lady at the entrance about the Black Kite sighting and she said it was most definitely a mis-identification as in 30 years of birding she had only seen 3 (hmm), Oh well. A Redstart singing in the bushes and a Yellowhammer on the track towards the first hide certainly got me excited. As we walked down we could see Marsh Harriers flying above the reedbeds, a fantastic sight. Paul spotted some Pochard at the back of a nearby pool and Reed Buntings were singing from nearby scrub.

Entering the hide we had views of Bar Tailed & Black Tailed Godwits, (flying up and wheeling around in big circles)

Knot, Dunlin and at least four Sandwich Terns. The Avocets were looking fantastic and easy to see why the RSPB made them their emblem bird :-)

Just then the explosive song of a Cetti's Warbler rang out from a nearby reedbed, brilliant :) Movement at a low down window in the hide made us look and it was the most showy Snipe we had ever seen!!

Exiting the hide and walking further on to the Parrinder Hide we could see more Redshank & Ruff in the odd creek and lots of Linnet in nearby fields on tide wrack. After a quick look out from the Parrinder Hide, where we saw Shelduck, Gadwall,(see pic)

Grey Plover,Curlew,Turnstone and some Pintail fly in. We then walked up to the beach for a seawatch as high tide was around 5pm. Out to sea there were rafts of Common Scoter and I picked up a few Velvet scoter in amongst them as the sea was very calm. Some Sanderling were busily feeding and happily chasing the tide in and out as they went along. No sign of any Snow Bunting (mostly all moved on North by now) but a few Pied Wags. A most curious sight was a Common Scoter that decided to come out of the sea and go for a stroll up the beach!

We decided to walk back to the van and drop the scopes off and just take the bins down to the Fen Hides and have a closer look at the Harriers. What a good decision this proved to be. After Paul had nearly stepped on a Robin near the van and myself on a fat Wood Pigeon, you get the impression these birds are fed by visitors!

After a quick pasty at the RSPB shop, we walked the Fen trail and came across a couple of Jays in the bushes. At the Fen hide we got another Cetti's Warbler who was calling but could not be seen. Walking on we came across another Blackcap, numerous Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Great Tit & Blue Tit. Arriving at the Fen pools, we got views of quite a lot of Tufted Ducks but further up in the corner Shaun spotted a pair of Red Crested Pochard. Lovely birds and another yeartick! This one having a shake :)

And the female moving along close behind,

Just then the Harriers appeared and a male had a small vole, 'get ready for the food pass' I said and sure enough the female came up from underneath and a successful pass ensued, captured by Paul & Shauns cameras :) Brilliant.

Back of the camera shot of female honing in for the food pass :-

And success as she grabs her meal :) Wow, cannot script stuff like this, amazing.

On the way back to the Van we heard a Grasshopper Warbler and also saw a pair of Red Legged Partridge on an unused farm path.

We decided to call in at Holme Village where there is a Golf Course near to the coast and see if we can see any migrants. Shaun & Paul got involved in a conversation with a rather eccentric chap who had been playing Golf and nicknamed him the Colonel. I could barely make out what he was saying but it definitely involved a Wryneck at some stage. I was busy spotting a rather large Mistle Thrush in a nearby tree. Anyways, moving on, we walked to the dunes and scoured the golf course with little luck until Shaun spotted a Wheatear on a bank. A bit further on a Swallow flew over, the first we had seen all day! Meadow Pipits and Linnets, but nothing else, maybe we were a tad early and the place will be alive most probably in the coming weeks. Last stop at Hunstanton and a quick look for any Ring Ouzels near the lighthouse (best early morning) no luck but a fine Grey Partridge having a dirt bath then strolling off :)

Back to The Crown Inn Gayton where we checked in got cleaned up and came down to the bar for a few ales for Shaun, Cider for me and a few glasses of fine wine for Paul. In between we fed our faces in the restaurant and then tried to engage in conversation with the locals "oo ar oo ar" the end of a great day. Bring on 2mo.

Observers

Mike Buckley
Shaun Hickey (photos)
Paul Kurs (photos)