Parkgate Raptors (1 Viewer)

[baileysam18]

Hi, this is my first post after reading alot and you all seem a friendly bunch so thought id ask a question!

Anyway, after reading about the RSPB raptor watch at Parkgate i was very interested as i love to see BOP in the wild. However i work weekends and so would never able to attend one of these! I was wondering if anyone had any experience of seeing BOP around the Parkgate area? Or any areas near?

Cheers, Sam

Link for RSPB: http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/details.asp?id=tcm:9-205304

 

[Hedgeland]

Welcome to the forum.

For all you birding and raptor needs for the River Dee including Parkgate your best bet is to review the following.
http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/
This has latest sightings and accounts for all the locations to view the birds.
There was a large count of Hen Hariers on the 11th Feb which I quote from the website
"A remarkable count of 8 Hen Harriers (3 males) coming into the roost at Parkgate Old Baths has now been confirmed, another report put the figure at nine! The previous highest count was of seven in Feb 1981."

Regards
H

 

[Patrick_L]

Hello Sam

Parkgate is an easy spot to watch raptors, as the road runs along the edge of the Dee Marshes and gives a pretty uninterrupted view across the river and marshes to Wales.

I'd suggest you check the tide times and get there an hour or so before high tide. The higher the tide, the better, as is the afternoon as the light is generally better when looking south. View from anywhere along the front, although parking is easiest at the eastern end before the road turns back inland.

2 weekends ago, in a brief watch I saw 3 Hen Harriers and a Short-eared Owl off Parkgate, along with several Little Egrets, Stonechat, Kestrel etc. Other raptors are regular. They will, however, start moving off soon, particularly if the milder weather continues.

Best of luck

 

[gadus]

Hen harrier, SE Owls, Barn Owl showing well at the moment. Don't worry about the tide as it's rare these days for it to come anywhere near the wall at Parkgate.
Best place is probably the Old Baths where you can park and watch in relative comfort, The SE Owls and Barn Owl hunt quite close in, the Hen Harriers come to roost on the marsh around sunset though the best time to arrive is probably a good hour before as the views of the owls are superb in good light.
Beware the gate behind the Boathouse Pub where you access the site gets locked at 5pm at the moment so if your planning to catch the last of the light it may be worth Parking up in the town or risk the Pub car park.
Dee Estuary web site has got directions and I'm sure other users here can go into more detail should you need it.

 

[baileysam18]

Cheers guys, been a few times now though have only seen SE owls so far. Ah well, patience is the key!

 

[bitterntwisted]

Sam,

If you are at Parkgate Baths at sunset you can't fail to see the harriers coming in to roost. Although they will be moving on very soon I saw at least six birds a couple of weekends ago.

Graham

 

[munsworth]

Hello

Hello from Mike Unsworth
I live near to Orrell Water Park near Wigan but do a lot of my birding at Martinmere and Marshside but I am particularly attracted by the raptors on the Dee marshes but dont know the area well so I would appreciate some advice on when and where.

 

[baileysam18]

Sam,

If you are at Parkgate Baths at sunset you can't fail to see the harriers coming in to roost. Although they will be moving on very soon I saw at least six birds a couple of weekends ago.

Graham

Graham,

I drive in by the pub on the left, the boathouse? and park up on the small car park on the left overlooking the marshes. Is this the Parkgate Baths?

Also, going tomorrow from around 3ish, hoping to see something. Any particular area to see them best from?

Cheers, Sam

 

[ikw101]

Graham,

I drive in by the pub on the left, the boathouse? and park up on the small car park on the left overlooking the marshes. Is this the Parkgate Baths?

Yes

Also, going tomorrow from around 3ish, hoping to see something. Any particular area to see them best from?

Directly in front of the car park - please see the link on post 2.

For SE Owls and Barn Owls Denhall Lane in Neston is another spot worth trying. Further upriver Burton Marsh is also superb for Owls eg, regular counts of 20+ SEO this winter also on the flight path of the largest roost of Little Egrets in the north of england 130+. Due to the size of the marsh at Burton views tend to be more distant.

 

[bradinho]

Little Egret roost was over 250 this summer!

 

[bradinho]

If you want any info regarding the raptors or the RSPB reserve feel free to phone/email IMF office details at www.rspb.org.uk/innermarshfarm

Latest sightings here too.

Also try www.rspb.org.uk/parkgate for Parkgate info.

 

[bradinho]

Great news - The Parkgate Raptor Watches are back!

Sunday 11th October 5pm
Sunday 15th November 3pm
Sunday 13th December 2.30pm

all @ Old Baths Car Park

Come along and find out about the birds of prey that overwinter on the estuary including Hen Harriers, Merlins, Peregrines and the Short-eared owls.

A few reports of Hen Harriers and Short-eared owls are already filtering through!

 

[Rob Smallwood]

And remember - the raptors are their even when the RSPB aren't, so if you are passing it's always worth a visit. It's a bit like sea-watching without the spray!

 

[Boom]

We regularly go to Parkgate and Burton Marsh throughout the Winter- wouldn`t worry about any raptors "moving on" as the best time for raptors (in our experience) on the Dee Estuary is Winter.

Regularly at least 5/6 Hen Harriers including 2 males and an immature. These could be seen quite closely coming into the roost from the car park at Old Baths throughout the Winter.

Also regular:
Sparrowhawk/Buzzard/Kestrel/Peregrine/Merlin/Short Eared Owl and Barn Owl.

Personally we`ve always found mid to late afternoon to be the best time to visit.

On a few occasions there was a count of over 30 Short Eared Owls on Burton Marsh last Winter although this was definitely an exceptional year for them as the year before there was only single figures. Also there`s a chance of Little Owl at these sites.

There`s also been a female Marsh Harrier present all Summer who knows what will happen as the year goes on.

For sheer variety of raptors it`s got to be one of the top sites in the NW especially throughout Winter.

cheers.

 

[bradinho]

Thanks Boom - thats exactly what the Raptor Watches are about - showing people birds, telling the history/conflicts/background etc, counting them and we are there as the Sun sets to watch them drop into their roosting spots.

Although we did not see the Little Owl last winter - the tree it used to use has fell down!!!

 

[PhilW]

Little Owls now inhabiting a tree on the other side of the golf course!

 

[bitterntwisted]

wouldn`t worry about any raptors "moving on" as the best time for raptors (in our experience) on the Dee Estuary is Winter..

My post which referred to birds 'moving on soon' was made back in March this year before the thread was revived yesterday. As you say, Winter is the best time.

Graham

 

[Boom]

Apologies Bittern - always read the small print?

Little Owl also seen by the farmhouse behind Inner Marsh Farm as well-apparently one was flying around the visitors car park one day though i didn`t see this myself.

It`ll have to go some to be as good as last year.....here`s hoping........

cheers

 

[bradinho]

Boom - You are right in being cautious....fingers crossed!

The Little Owl flying around the car park was real and was extremely present for a couple of days - it now seem to have moved on somewhere else - perhaps taking its young (we think it had 2) to better less disturbed feeding area? At other times of the year it can be seen fairly regular across the first field at IMF sitting on a pile of sandstone.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Marsh harrier at dusk last night from Old Baths car park. Also had at least 65 Little Egrets over (apparantly 160 roosted at IMF recently).

CB