Red Rocks Marsh NNR, Merseyside (1 Viewer)

Hi Jane, the Redwings were heading North-East over Seaforth,the count was 5254, seen between 8.00a.m-9.30a.m. A fantastic sight.

Cheers - so yours were going north too! What was going on there? The really huge count at Red Rocks usually involve reorienting birds that have been drifted out over the sea. The Fieldfares started coming through a little later and had almost caught up. Our count was an underestimation since it was pot luck if you managed to lay eyes on a flock, so high were they!

Jane Turner said:

Cheers - so yours were going north too! What was going on there? The really huge count at Red Rocks usually involve reorienting birds that have been drifted out over the sea. The Fieldfares started coming through a little later and had almost caught up. Our count was an underestimation since it was pot luck if you managed to lay eyes on a flock, so high were they!

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I wonder if these are Icelandic birds that have come down via Ireland and following the N Wales coast?

Time to shake the dust off this thread for another year. I went out at dawn this morning, determined to find a ******** Wheatear. As is traditional, I scanned the nursing home lawn and rockery but saw no Wheatears. I did see what I assumed was a slim looking blackbird fly a couple of feet into the central rockery (from the lawn). I mused to myself that would be worth checking for Ring Ouzel in a week or so.

I scanned the rocks and again failed to find a Wheatear. The checked the golf course and failed to find a Wheatear. Then the saltmarsh where I failed to find a Wheatear and all 6 Wagtails were Pied. There is a theme developing here. A few Meadow Pipits were passing over, but still in tiny numbers compared to what I'd expect this time of year. Also 4 Siskin, 5 Redwings and my first Sand Martin moved through. There was a male Peregrine eating something on the beach.

As it warmed up a Chiffchaff appeared in the point gardens. Interestingly a "Crow Meeting" set up on the beach. The peak count was 20. Then all but the local pair headed off towards West Kirby, while the resident pair headed north and hassled the Peregrine till it left its prey. Magpies had a meeting too, in the Poplars, though there were only 12.

I checked the nursing home lawn again (cursorily) and there were no Wheatears. There were no Wheatears on the point rocks or on Bird Rock, nor was there a Black Redstart which I was secretly hoping for. As I walked back up Stanley Rd I glanced over the lawn and the "blackbird" was out on show. I looked at it and was more than a little surprised to see the silvery edged long wings of a Ring Ouzel. It moved back onto the top of the rockery, where i could see it was a male, but probably not an adult due to a fair bit of blackness to the upper mandible. I phoned Hilbre to let them know then tried and failed to get a record shot. The bird dropped onto the lawn and went out of view to the right. I went back out to the point and onto the beach in an attempt to see the hidden parts of the lawn, but couldn't see it.

As I walked back to the car I heard the Ouzel overhead - it appeared to drop onto the NW corner of the golf course. I then went to Leasowe where I finally saw not one but TWO Wheatears

Great stuff Jane,I've enjoyed reading your contributions in here,keep them coming.:t:

Still no proper numbers of migrants, and NO Willow Warblers for a second day. Single Swallow and Sand Martin, a Jackdaw and two Redpolls were the only obvious migrants, 15 or so Meadow Pipits were more likely local birds.

There is still a couple of Water Rails in the marsh.

Looking good for the weekend.

Jane.
Single Willow Warbler Hilbre early yesterday but cleared off quickly.
Good numbers of Goldfinches pasing over Hilbre this morning (when I left count was 45 and rising) with single figure of Redpolls. Most of the finches ahd stopped moving by 09.30.

No Willow Warblers but a single Chiffchaff this morning as well. Star birds were fly through Merlin and a female Sparrowhawk that was caught in one of the heligolands. I'm still bleeding................

As ever its hard to tell what is movement and what is local birds with Goldfinches at Red Rocks - there were plenty about

I once had a large and angry female Sparrowhawk fly over my shoulder and hit a mist net. It bounced back towards my face and I put my hands up instinctively and met its feet. It took me 10 mins to pick the claws out of my fingers - they passed clean though. This was at Filey Ringing week and Mark and I were sleeping in the ringing caravan. There was no ring big enough so Mark went to get one, while I stuffed the indignant Sprawk into a pillow case and tried to stop the bleeding. Imagine my surprise when I looked up from the sink to see a Long-eared Owl fly into the same net. I avoided any more personal injury, but did bleed a bit on the Owl.

On its release (after getting Pete Dunn though gauntlets) its first action was to rip a cloud of feathers off the back of a Carrion Crow.

Shy and retiring they're not. Pugnacious they certainly are!

Little Owl is the angriest and wriggliest thing I've ever tried to hold.

Yep. Had one of those when I had a ringing licence previously. Whilst on a Zoology field trip from University I was acting as both student and demonstrator as ringing was one of the activities carried out - it was an early constant effort site at Woodchester Park, Glocs (famous for its Long-eared bat colony) and the University went there every year.

One morning, whilst surrounded by my fellow students, I caught a Little Owl. Just like a giant wren with more weapons. I don't know what was more hurtful - the owl or my mates cheering it on as I did battle.

Also spent 3 months working down there studying Badgers and what parts of my hands the Owl didn't make bleed the Badgers certainly did!

There is a Sedge Warbler singing at the north end of the marsh. It actually arrived yesterday and gave a single pathetic burst of song that Steve Hinde heard but then when nothing further was heard, put it down as a mis-hear. Today's bird was in the same place to the square foot, and was only slightly more enthusiastic. Other migrants included the first Tree Pipit, 5-7 Willow warblers a Wheatear 120 or so Woodpigeon, 8 Redpolls and the star birds 3 Tree Sparrows.

No hirundines!

A Grasshopper Warbler was audible on the Golf Course and the Sedge Warbler sang sulkily for a bit, but they were the only Warblers until a Willow Warbler came in off at 8. A solitary Wheatear appeared in the dunes at about 7.30

There was a good passage of pigeons again. 95 Woodpigeons and the star [identified] bird of the day - a Stock Dove, arrived from the East and left to the south (apart from 4 Woodpigeons that appeared to cross to Hilbre).

15 Redpolls, included on very large bird, at least as big as a Linnet, that unfortunately did not come down. 6 Jackdaws (east) 6 Sand martins, a Swallow and 2 Tree Sparrows completed the overhead passage.

At sea Little Gulls were visible, so I went home to count them! One the way i saw 75 Meadow Pipits on the 17th Fairway of the RLGC.

Is it worth a visit tomorrow first thing Jane?

CB

Probably - the visibility was dropping all day. This morning it was way too clear.

Where do I look for the Velvet Scoters?

CB

They are usually east of Hilbre, on the tide edge in front the wind farm. They sit higher on the water than Common Scoter. I'm guessing over the top of Bird Rock from RR

cheers Jane

CB

An amazing morning for variety - 67 species so far
Brent Goose, Shelduck Mallard, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter Two again close inshore just west of Bird Rock Red-breasted Merganser Common Pheasant Red-throated Diver 5 moved high west as the tide rose Great Crested Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk (1st of the year) Peregrine Falcon (2), Water Rail (still 4 in the marsh) Moorhen, Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Dunlin Black-tailed Godwit 3 sp birds on the tide edge Whimbrel 1-2 birds, 1st of the year Curlew, Common Redshank, Little Gull at least 40 and possibly up to 100, with birds up the Dee as far as Little eye and also well east into Liverpool Bay. Black-headed Gull Common Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Kittiwake Guillemot Feral Pigeon Wood Pigeon A few less today, but still 75 went south Eurasian Collared Dove Short-eared Owl One high over the point at about 9.30, lest to the south and caused a lot of alarm in the gardens Sky Lark Sand Martin (25) Swallow (5) Meadow Pipit (70) White Wagtail 20 in the spartina, Winter Wren , Dunnock, Robin, Northern Wheatear (2) Ring Ouzel 2nd cal Male early morning at the church end of Stanley Rd, Blackbird Mistle Thrush Sedge Warbler male still N en of the reedbed Blackcap male singing first light Willow Warbler (10-15) Blue Tit Great Tit, Nuthatch One seen at about 9.10. It arrived from the point, sat on the top of the poplars then left to the south and the same or another at 9.30 again in the poplars. A serious rarity here Magpie Jackdaw (9) Rook 1 west - 1st of the year. Carrion Crow Starling House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow two in the point garden, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin (1) Linnet, Lesser Redpoll (35) Reed Bunting


No Song Thrush, sandwich Tern, Tree Pipit, Knot, House martin. I might try later to see if I can get the day list to 70

Digi-binned Mega! [Twice]

Jane Turner said:

An amazing morning for variety - 67 species so far ...Nuthatch One seen at about 9.10. It arrived from the point, sat on the top of the poplars then left to the south and the same or another at 9.30 again in the poplars. A serious rarity here ..

Digi-binned Mega! [Twice]

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Mega indeed Jane! Only the fifth record or as you put it so eloquently "its rarer than Great Grey Shrike".

CB

PS Thanks for the Velvets. They were a much needed county tick for me.