Jane Turner
Well-known member
They are scarce on Wirral Rob - I've only seen them in very hard winters.
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Hoylake Bird Observatory (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jane Turner
- Start date
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Just surprised the woodcock again - this time in the back garden
Jane Turner
Well-known member
As I set off this afternoon to pick us the goose from Christmas dinner, a brown bird with a long bill flew out of cover straight across the front of the Landie. No sooner had the words "Look there is the Woodcock again" leave my mouth, than I realised that it was a Snipe! It dove into a thawed patch of long grass and froze, allowing my passengers a crippling view!
That's the first non flyover Snipe. Just need a Jack Snipe in the Iris bed now!
That's the first non flyover Snipe. Just need a Jack Snipe in the Iris bed now!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
There is still a Snipe in the front garden and 6 Song Thrushes, 10 Chaffinches a few Brambling etc coming to the chicken food!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I have to admit to barely seeing daylight on New Year's Day. I politely requested that the Common and Black-headed Gulls made less noise as they fought for Xmas left overs on the lawn. Today I was much more virtuous and spent most of the day outside working in the garden.
33 species today, the first being a Knot pack engaged in an escape flight from Peregrine (from bed) and the last two, at dusk, being a female Sparrowhawk through the back and a Grey wagtail over.
There must be 100 Goldfinches roosting in the back garden
The 33: Shelduck, Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.
33 species today, the first being a Knot pack engaged in an escape flight from Peregrine (from bed) and the last two, at dusk, being a female Sparrowhawk through the back and a Grey wagtail over.
There must be 100 Goldfinches roosting in the back garden
The 33: Shelduck, Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I spent 15 minutes looking at the sea yesterday and did a good clean up job on Wildfowl, 7 (6 drake) Goldeneye , 35 Scaup and 4 Brent Geese were the highlights. There was a very vocal Chiffchaff in the front garden.
34. Great-crested Grebe, 35. Bar-tailed Godwit 36. Brent Goose 37. Sanderling 38.Goldeneye 39. Scaup 40.Chiffchaff 41. Red-breasted Merganser 42.Common Scoter
I was in the garden most of the day today, extending the chickens' enclosure to include the pond (in readiness for the arrival of Ducklings).
Two species added 43. Redwing and 44. Siskin, both singles over. There was a Grey Wagtail again and I swear I heard Chough, but I couldn't find a bird!
34. Great-crested Grebe, 35. Bar-tailed Godwit 36. Brent Goose 37. Sanderling 38.Goldeneye 39. Scaup 40.Chiffchaff 41. Red-breasted Merganser 42.Common Scoter
I was in the garden most of the day today, extending the chickens' enclosure to include the pond (in readiness for the arrival of Ducklings).
Two species added 43. Redwing and 44. Siskin, both singles over. There was a Grey Wagtail again and I swear I heard Chough, but I couldn't find a bird!
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You can get anything as a ring tone nowadays!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
A few more additions today
45.Grey Plover 46. Guillemot 47. Black-throated Diver 48.Red-throated Diver.
Plenty of Goldeneye and Scaup out there. My first Diver of the year was a Black-throated Diver, initially close in flight, the on the water and then flying in loose association with a couple of Red-throated Divers..
There was another Redwing in the front garden.
45.Grey Plover 46. Guillemot 47. Black-throated Diver 48.Red-throated Diver.
Plenty of Goldeneye and Scaup out there. My first Diver of the year was a Black-throated Diver, initially close in flight, the on the water and then flying in loose association with a couple of Red-throated Divers..
There was another Redwing in the front garden.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
49. Coal Tit, coming to one of the feeders in the back garden.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
50. Greenfinch
Jane Turner
Well-known member
51. Blackcap - feeding on an apple in the back garden
Jane Turner
Well-known member
52. Brambling, coming to the feeders on several dates this week and 53, Mute Swan, and adult down the beach this morning, never a certainty on a year list
Jane Turner
Well-known member
54, also yesterday, a Velvet Scoter that flew up the tide edge a few times. I had trouble sexing it, imm male being the best fit.
My calling Chough has been located - its a Starling! Its Bob on!
My calling Chough has been located - its a Starling! Its Bob on!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
For the last few days, the birds have been emptying the feeders and eating a couple of apples. There are at least 75, and probably more like 150 Goldfinches, 25 Chaffinches, 20 Greenfinches and a Brambling & a male Blackcap
Jane Turner
Well-known member
A good long look at the 4000 or so Large Larus spp failed to even locate a YL Gull - the best I managed was a massive and pale wing-tipped argentatus Herring Gull.
The biggest surprise was the 6 Wigeon which were with the Shelduck off the lifeboat station. The drake Teal was also a surprise - sat on the sea with 7 Goldeneye. I found another party of 8 Goldeneye, but failed to locate the Scaup flock today. The sea was covered in Grebes and Divers - at least 30 Red-throated Divers and 300+ Great-crested Grebes (life was too short to count them!) I had a couple of long but distant views of a white-faced but dusky-necked grebe - possibly the recent Red-necked, though it looked more like a Slavonian. In any case too far to be sure. The Kittiwakes were more or less off Dovepoint!
55. Wigeon, 56.Teal, 57 Guillemot, 58.Razorbill, 59 Kittiwake
The biggest surprise was the 6 Wigeon which were with the Shelduck off the lifeboat station. The drake Teal was also a surprise - sat on the sea with 7 Goldeneye. I found another party of 8 Goldeneye, but failed to locate the Scaup flock today. The sea was covered in Grebes and Divers - at least 30 Red-throated Divers and 300+ Great-crested Grebes (life was too short to count them!) I had a couple of long but distant views of a white-faced but dusky-necked grebe - possibly the recent Red-necked, though it looked more like a Slavonian. In any case too far to be sure. The Kittiwakes were more or less off Dovepoint!
55. Wigeon, 56.Teal, 57 Guillemot, 58.Razorbill, 59 Kittiwake
Jane Turner
Well-known member
High Tide roost Pete. Sitting out the tide in a wide arc, some on the land, many on the water. I kept getting distracted by ducks... no matter how hard I try, large Larrys don't do it for me!
Thanks Jane, might try and get over there to look at those, with that sort of number of big Larids there must be a chance of something decent, although I`m sure you would have found it! Yes the LWHG complex is a Marmite type thing, I got into it because in my early birding days thats all there was to look at, at Seaforth!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Well there were no white-wings... and I'd have spotted one probably.
