Jane Turner
Well-known member
I've always called it Pasture Rd. No guarantee anyone else does though!
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Parkgate-Wirral-High Tides (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter David Smith
- Start date
I've always called it Pasture Rd. No guarantee anyone else does though!
The Parkgate spectacle at the beginning of Feb was phenomenal !!! It would have to be omething really special to beat that - it was the first time the entire marsh ahd flooded for about 2 years and hence there were riduculous numbers of mammals and birds ... ... !!!
What height of tide is needed to flood the marsh at Marshside???
David Smith
Warrington Lancs
Theoretically 10.0 plus but everything depends on direction & strength of the wind. I have seen 10.4 metres and the water never came near the wall. Last week was 10.0 (on the day I went) and it came right up to the wall (and did so for the next 2 days I believe).
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Didn't see the red kite but:
2 merlin
1 peregrine
1 hen harrier (ringtail)
1 buzzard
1500 redshank
9 RB Merganser
lots shelduck
lots curlew
1 swallow
1 chiffchaff (heard)
Did kinda make up for it!
Mostly Autumn
Well-known member
I haven't been to Parkgate for years until today and I was pleasantly surprised how common Egrets were there.B 
I haven't been to Parkgate for years until today and I was pleasantly surprised how common Egrets were there.B
We had 315 into the roost at IMF last Summer - will be interesting to see how they have faired after this harsh winter ...
at least 50 little egret seen circling over their roost at IMF when spooked by a buzzard - this is representative of the breeding numbers and fairly similar to previous years numbers
The Spring tides are set to be huge this year falling on weekends at around lunch times ... see www.rspb.org.uk/parkgate for the RSPB events
Get your space early and be wary of pedestrians and break ins
Get your space early and be wary of pedestrians and break ins
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
9.8m tide on Friday, 9.9m tides on Saturday and Sunday - but high pressure overhead means the tide will probably remain a long way out. There are 3 x 10m tides next month - Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th and Monday 21st, all around about mid-day (so we can only hope for some low pressure / rough weather to precede them .
Chris
.Chris
9.8m tide on Friday, 9.9m tides on Saturday and Sunday - but high pressure overhead means the tide will probably remain a long way out. There are 3 x 10m tides next month - Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th and Monday 21st, all around about mid-day (so we can only hope for some low pressure / rough weather to precede them
Chris
Hi Chris , could you tell me where I'm most likely to see birds of prey on the high tide...Parkgate Old Baths or along the seawall ?
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
If the tide comes in it's best to stand at the old baths. Get there about an hour and a half or so before high tide otherwise you could find yourself relegated to the back as it can get busy. The car park at the bottom of Riverbank Road in Heswall is a good spot if the tide remains fairly far out ( like it did today - still good views of Merlin , Peregrine, Buzzard and Kes plus Pinkfeet, Brents ducks and waders though.)
Chris
James Bean
Well-known member
Parkgate was quite busy today for the high tide in the Dee Estuary, with at least 200 onlookers with all the usual gear; tripods, scopes and bins. Actually, it was a bit of a washout (no, that's the one thing it wasn't: the tide didn't get nearer than about 100 yards from The Parade promenade) but I expect the voles and other small wildlife on the marshes were grateful for their reprieve, which may have only been a temporary one because it all happens again tomorrow and Tuesday, so they may still have to run the gauntlet. If it happens, it's a sight to see, tiny bedraggled creatures scurrying for dear life as the birds scream and dive on their prey: nature in all its stark cruelty. The RSPB chaps were there as usual, which was just as well because they're so expert at finding and identifying birds, which I'm not, so the trick is to stay within earshot of one of them, and then you discover that distant thing on the wing out there really is a Buzzard (or whatever). If it had been an aeroplane, I'd have had no trouble identifying it, but my memory doesn't seem to work when it comes to recognising birds. However, I did correctly locate a few Egrets, and then kept popping over to the RSPB blackboard to check out the latest sightings. The tide is forecast to be a little higher tomorrow, so there's still a chance to maybe witness a grand exodus of little critters from the Dee...
James Bean
Well-known member
Parkgate today was much the same as yesterday: high tide approaching the sea wall but not quite reaching it (at least, not in any volume) so lots of little creatures can yet again sleep in their reed beds tonight and dream/hope that tomorrow will be more of the same. Not all escaped today though: further out in the estuary the gulls were swooping like Stuka divebombers, screams replacing sirens, on anything silly or desperate enough to break cover and make a run/swim for it. Judging by the activity and excitement, the gulls were having a feast, although I didn't see any little marsh-dwellers carried off by the frenzied foragers, as in some previous years. And the gulls were being very territorial about their hunting grounds, harrying harshly a lone owl which invaded their air space. It eventually gave up the uneven fight, chased away by two particularly persistent gulls.
The RSPB wardens and their tent again provided the focal point at Old Baths car park, setting up their scopes, spotting the birds, and inviting anyone to have a look, as well as confirming sightings/identifications, as a result of which even I managed to find and see some of the following:
Greylag Goose; Skylark; Shelduck; Kestrel; Heron (very graceful); Mallard; Black-tailed Godwit; Peregrine; Harrier (but no V/STOL); Little Egret; Black-headed Gull (lots!); Teal; Curlew; Oystercatcher; Moorhen; Redshank; Dunlin; Short-eared Owl and (I think) a pair of Swans... Oh, and a Pink-footed Goose!
The RSPB wardens and their tent again provided the focal point at Old Baths car park, setting up their scopes, spotting the birds, and inviting anyone to have a look, as well as confirming sightings/identifications, as a result of which even I managed to find and see some of the following:
Greylag Goose; Skylark; Shelduck; Kestrel; Heron (very graceful); Mallard; Black-tailed Godwit; Peregrine; Harrier (but no V/STOL); Little Egret; Black-headed Gull (lots!); Teal; Curlew; Oystercatcher; Moorhen; Redshank; Dunlin; Short-eared Owl and (I think) a pair of Swans... Oh, and a Pink-footed Goose!
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James Bean
Well-known member
Parkgate yesterday was less of the same as Monday and Tuesday, with the tide reluctant to approach the sea wall in any meaningful way, so good news for all creatures small. A Little Egret entertained the fewer watchers by playing "now you see me, now you don't" out in the marsh grasses. I'm rather glad the tide didn't come rushing in because, though we missed the spectacle of 'run for your lives' and 'every vole for himself', the calm of the estuary remained relatively undisturbed, the sun shone, the birds sang, and it was very pleasant just mooching around, enjoying the tranquility. Sometimes you can have fun doing nothing much at all...
