[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank at Hale; Long-tailed Duck at Risley; Little Stint and 100+ Gannets at Hoylake; 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Great Skuas, 350 Gannets, 200 Kittiwakes and 5 Whimbrel at Hilbre; 9 Whimbrel at Budworth Mere;

CB

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Long-tailed Duck at Risley;

CB

[John Barber]

Originally Posted by John Barber

Thanks for the information Jane & Owl Flight, I'll use it to firm up a plan of action. I'll let you know if/when I get to see one.

Spent over three hours at Criccieth today and a couple of hours at Abersoch but no Skuas. Should have gone when the weather was bad !

I'll try to catch one in the Autumn, if not before. When do Pom Skuas start heading South ?

[Jane Turner]

Peak passage is October (a fair bit later than Arctics) unless there is a breeding failure ,but you sometimes sub adult birds summering.

These are by half month

[John Barber]

Thanks for such precise info Jane.

[gregbaker]

John - you should have headed north to Bowness on Solway mate - there's been loads past there recently along with Long-tails, Arctics and Bonxies.

[John Barber]

Originally Posted by gregbaker

John - you should have headed north to Bowness on Solway mate - there's been loads past there recently along with Long-tails, Arctics and Bonxies.

Yep, you're right Greg. It's my own fault for not being prepared for the migration season. I hadn't really got my head around Skuas as I've been too busy chasing other things. Still, you live and learn. Hopefully, I'll catch up with a few at Bowness in the Autumn.

[Jane Turner]

Originally Posted by John Barber

Yep, you're right Greg. It's my own fault for not being prepared for the migration season. I hadn't really got my head around Skuas as I've been too busy chasing other things. Still, you live and learn. Hopefully, I'll catch up with a few at Bowness in the Autumn.

They are a spring only phenomenon at Bowness... Bowness is as good in autumn as north Wirral is in spring! Though in autumn there is a sad lack of spooned adults.... (well they are very scarce)

[John Barber]

I said you live and learn !! Thanks again for the info Jane. I guess your graph contains the pertinent clues - see you at Holylake on a windy day in October.

[Jane Turner]

What you really need to do is go the the outer Hebrides this week

Taken this week
http://www.western-isles-wildlife.co...es2013crop.jpg
http://www.western-isles-wildlife.co..._skua_jk13.JPG
http://www.western-isles-wildlife.co..._flockcrop.jpg

[John Barber]

Fabulous photo's. Where to go, when to go ? ... Birding, bloody hell.

[Jane Turner]

The passage off N and SOuth Uist is very predictable.

eg. y'day 21 Pomarine Skuas were on the shore at Bayhead this evening. 415 Long-tailed Skuas, 455 Pomarine Skuas and 9 Leach's Petrels were seen off Aird an Runair.

[John Barber]

Amazing figures. Maybe I'll get up to that part of the world in the Spring one day.

One question I meant to ask: why are you likely to see more Skuas in the autumn from Hoylake ( rather than the spring ) if it's a straight forward reverse migration. Is it because they have juveniles in tow and stick closer to the coast ?

[Jane Turner]

In Spring they are going north - so birds in the Irish sea are pushed out well west by going round Anglesey - so little reason for them to turn east and fly along the N Wales coast when they want to go north. Any that do, tend to cut across from the Orme to the Lancs coast. In Autumn they are going south - and are pushed out by going round Galloway.. but have a lot more distance to travel south to get drifted into our coast by Westerlys.

Plus many go overland in Spring - up the Solway

Green is spring orange is autumn

[John Barber]

Very interesting Jane. Now I understand how the migration works for our part of the world I can plan accordingly. Thanks.

[bartolli]

Mostly a pleasant day at burton mere wetlands today, loads of avocets with a fair few fluffy little chicks. & quite a few cute Canada goslings around.

Lowlight of the day was watching a crow take all 4 avocet chicks one after the other from the same parents, took less than 10 minutes.

Plenty of black tailed godwits, redshanks, a few common tern and little egrets, 2 blackcaps, and a fem whinchat was pointed out by a visiting party. Plenty of warblers singing in the reedbed but only one to show itself was a ringed whitethroat.

[Cheshire Birder]

May 14th - Wood Sandpiper at Hale; Eider and 3 Whinchats at Leasowe;

CB

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Arctic Skua at Wallasey

CB

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Osprey, Eider, 7 Whimbrel and White Wagtail at Hilbre; Long-tailed Duck at Risley; Red-crested Pochard at Lyme Park; Scaup at Sandbach Flashes; Spotted Flycatcher, Cuckoo and Tree Pipit at Red Rocks;

CB