Cheshire And Wirral Birding: Hills, Lowland and Coast (3 Viewers)

[John Barber]

Returned for a quick look with my wife around 3pm ( she hasn't seen Waxwings before ) and the birds were still present. Much to my surprise, Sid Ashton and the Manx birder were also still present after leaving them there almost three hours earlier - that's dedication for you !!

 

[MrB]

I have a few vids if its any help if it isnt certainly a strange one, strong super and follows the eye around at the back from distance it look scaly grey and pale.At times you pick out a few flecks of golden on the wings, Slightly smaller and not as chucky as the goldens, Regulary bullied. I never saw the underwings which I quess would be the clincher :C so I cant comment. Id be happy putting down as a American But I dont know me ass from me elbow.

Quick Check of vids when walking legs look long

Edit reported as GOLDEN on birdguides :-C

I confirmed all these features today (Sat). Birdguides are apparently saying it's European only because Rare Bird Alert says so. I'm not a member of Rare Birds so I can't check. Can anyone provide more info? Especially of who (if anyone) is supposed to have refuted the id (based on a picture?)?

 

[Jane Turner]

Did you see the underwings?

Went to see the AGP and on reflection and after looking at the available literature I’m not convinced that the bird is not a late moulting European Golden Plover. I saw the underwing and they looked white as the other plovers, bird seemed same size as goldies and didn’t look leggier than any of the others. The day light was poor but I remain to be convinced. The white flanks fit in with ‘Goldie’ moult and don’t fit with AGP.

 

[Jane Turner]

This is the only photo that I know about

http://frodshammarshbirdblog.files....den-plover-pickerings-pasture.jpg?w=584&h=357

 

[Bigshent]

Ive got plenty although not great and a few vids to ill post them on here not sure how to do the vids there is one my blog

 

[Jane Turner]

just post a link here... or click your signature...doh!


It doesn't look at all long-winged in that video.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

I've only seen the photo linked above - not looking good for AGP - but can anyone confirm from state of moult that the Frodsham bird is the same as the PP bird? If so I think its all over....

 

[Bigshent]

Im guessing its the same bird surely 2 goldies cant be so far behind in moult. I havnt the skill to help with the outcome but here are the vids. Ill add a couple more as they download

Towards the end of vid I though the legs looked long

http://s1356.beta.photobucket.com/user/Birdingforfun/media/AmericanGoldy006.mp4.html

http://s1356.beta.photobucket.com/user/Birdingforfun/media/AmericanGoldy006.mp4.html?sort=3&o=1

 

[John Barber]

I've only seen the photo linked above - not looking good for AGP - but can anyone confirm from state of moult that the Frodsham bird is the same as the PP bird? If so I think its all over....

Obviously I can't be sure, but I'm prepared to stick my neck out and say the Frodsam bird was probably the same as the Hale bird I saw yesterday - unless someone else was also watching an AGP lookalike this morning at Hale while I was over at Frodsham ! I didn't notice any discernable difference between the two birds, but I didn't see the under wings of the Hale bird.

 

[sid ashton]

Obviously I can't be sure, but I'm prepared to stick my neck out and say the Frodsam bird was probably the same as the Hale bird I saw yesterday - unless someone else was also watching an AGP lookalike this morning at Hale while I was over at Frodsham ! I didn't notice any discernable difference between the two birds, but I didn't see the under wings of the Hale bird.

John two of the points we talked about yesterday when we were watching the bird with Dave and Mark were its apparently longer legs and the greyish underwing which lead us to believe that we were looking at an AGP !!!!

 

[John Barber]

John two of the points we talked about yesterday when we were watching the bird with Dave and Mark were its apparently longer legs and the greyish underwing which lead us to believe that we were looking at an AGP !!!!

I obviously wasn't in on that particular conversation Sid. I know I didn't see the underwings myself. Will have to check with Mark & Dave

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - 30 Waxwings at Knutsford; 2 Woodcocks at Red Rocks;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gull at Richmond Bank; Great White Egret at Frodsham; 2 Waxwings at Upton; 3 Hen Harriers at Little Neston; c170 Brent Geese and 11 Purple Sandpipers at Hilbre;

CB

 

[jwreeves]

Saw the golden plover at pickerings pasture on saturday late morning/midday for about an hour, was mostly distant and not doing alot but did take flight once and as it took off i got a split second look at the underwings and they were white. Have never seen AGP but structurally appeared the same as the other goldies. The other 2 birders present were of the same opinion i believe. Compared it with the pics from late last week and im pretty confident it was the same bird, and had a(not very thorough tbf) scan and didnt see any other goldies in/moultingout of summer plumage...

 

[PhilW]

Here's a pic oof an AGP I took a few years back with a European Goldie in the back ground. You can see how leggy it is and how the wing tips extend way beyond the tail The Pickerings / Frodsham bird doesn't appear to show these traits from the videos / photo's I've seen.

As a matter of interest there was a European Goldie masquearading as an AGP in Oxfordhsire recently. See here: http://oxfordbirder.blogspot.co.uk/

There was a similarly confusing bird on Shetland this autumn.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Great White Egret and 3 Hen Harriers at Burton;34 Waxwings at Warrington also 33 at Knutsford and 8 at Heswall;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Waxwings were at Knutsford (30), Risley (13), Birkenhead (37), Heswall (8), Warrington (50-60) and Northwich (30); Short-eared Owl at Sandbach Flashes;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Waxwings

Waxwing influx 2012 - So far we have had significant numbers arriving in Cheshire. The last big influx in 2004/5 had only c50 birds arrive in November compared to todays total of c170 birds. The largest numbers were in late January. If this years influx follows the same pattern, we can expect large numbers with three figure counts at one or two of the regular sites. Incidently, no birds have been reported (so far) from Macclesfield, a traditional stronghold for this species in previous years.

If anyone has a copy of the 2005 Cheshire Bird Report, I recommend you read the article on the Waxwing invasion.

CB

 

[deeestuary]

......The last big influx in 2004/5 had only c50 birds arrive in November compared to todays total of c170 birds ............

CB

Ah - but what about 2010/11? That was certainly the last big influx and although we didn't get as many big flocks that winter birds were more widespread and totals were probably as big, if not bigger than in 04/05.
To quote the 2010 Bird Report for November and December there was a total of 209 records at 70 sites with the total of daily sightings being 3556 - compared to 55 records at just 18 sites totalling 2280 daily sightings in Nov and Dec 2004.
By this date (Nov 13th) we had had in 2010: 40 at Kelsall, 20 in Wilmslow, 12 in Macclesfield, 19 in Congleton, four at Thurstaston...........

Numbers similar to this winter I would say and looks like we are in for another exceptional Waxwing winter!!!!! Fantastic - I love them. |=)|

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - 2 Great White Egrets at Burton Mere Wetlands; Firecrest at Leasowe; Waxwings at Knutsford (6), Northwich (13), Warrington (51), Sandbach (3) and Lower Heswall (12); Scaup at Woolston Eyes; Crossbill at Great Sankey;

CB