Cheshire And Wirral Birding: Hills, Lowland and Coast (2 Viewers)

[Jane Turner]

I went down to RR yesterday. It really is devastating to see the destruction that has taken place. Two Germans walking around the reserve were completely amazed at what had happened and speechless when I told them it had been done by CWT.

As I was leaving a guy got out of a CWT van on the foreshore. I told him of the strength of feeling that there was against this vandalism. His view was that the birds can fly away to somewhere else where as the natterjack toad has to stay where they are. He also said that by removing the ivy it would open up the dunes to a more varied flora. I pointed out that the whole debacle is a result of not consulting with local people who know a whole lot more about a site than someone just out the office for a day. He did confirm that no further work will be done until discussions have taken place. At least that might prevent further destruction of such a fragile and precious environment.

I was under the impression that Grasshopper warbler, Reed bunting had the same status as Natterjack Toad in the Biodiversity Action Plan... as for that matter does the now decimated Horsetail. Is he planning on translocating the Natterjack Toad population to the opposite end of the marsh and inland? Its a long way from the ex Poplar Copse to the scrapes and hibernation sites!

The site was about 50% Fixed Dunes, 25% Dune Slack, 20% fore-dunes and 5% trees. It sounds like the plan was to increase biodiversity by upping the fixed dunes to 55% while removing 100% of the trees.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday – 2 Twite at Leasowe; Wheatear at Burton; 5 Whooper Swans and Short-eared Owl at Frodsham; 50+Avocets and Hen Harrier at Burton Mere Wetlands;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today – Great White Egret at Pickering’s Pasture plus esc Red-breasted Goose and 4 Brent Geese at nearby Hale;

CB

 

[David Bedford]

Picked up 3 different Iceland gulls in the first 10 minutes after arriving at Richmond Bank this morning. However these were then flushed, along with all the other gulls, by a birder walking along the side of the river!
After that, as I've seen happen before on Saturdays, the gulls wouldn't settle. If there are a few hundred gulls on the bank others seem happy to drop in. However, if the bank is clear, a few dozen birds will gather then suddenly fly off! Don't know if this happens on other days too.
A request then for those visiting Richmond Bank maybe for the first time- please don't watch from the water's edge!

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Some old news first tonight:-

Mar 13th - Mealy Redpoll at Macclesfield Garden; Ring Ousel reported at Meols;

Mar 11th - Ruddy Shelduck at Hankelow;

Mar 8th - Arctic Redpoll and 8 Mealy Redpolls at Macclesfield;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Mar 14th - Great White Egret at Hale; Willow Warbler reported at Alsager; 2 Twite at Leasowe; 32 Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands also esc Ringed Teal; 4 Sand Martins at Neumann's Flash also nearby 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 3 Sand Martins on Budworth Mere; 5 Crossbills at Lamaload Resr;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Garganey at Gowy Meadows CWT; 2 Mealy Redpolls at Macclesfield; Little Ringed Plover and 2 White Wagtails at Houghton Green Flash; 4 Black-necked Grebes at Woolston Eyes; Little Stint and Hen Harrier at Burton Mere Wetlands; 2 Twite at Leasowe; 8 Avocets and 5 Whooper Swans at Frodsham; Spotted Redshank and Greenshank at Heswall; 10 Sand Martins at Budworth Mere;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Arctic Redpoll and 6 Mealy Redpolls at Macclesfield; Glossy Ibis near Stanlow; Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper and 2 Red-legged Partridges at Frodsham; Iceland Gull at Sandbach Flashes; Yellow Wagtail at Ince Marshes; 5+ Little Gulls, 11 Gannets, 22 Red-throated Divers and 3000+ Common Scoters at Hilbre; Little Stint and esc Red-breasted Goose at Pickering's Pasture; 2 Twite and a leucistic Meadow Pipit at Leasowe; 2 Little Ringed Plovers and White Wagtail at Houghton Green Flash; Spotted Redshank at Heswall; 12 Purple Sandpipers at New Brighton ML;

CB

 

[chris butterworth]

Just had my first chance to get to Red Rocks to see what's been going on for myself. Apart from the felling of the Poplars ( with there own suite of invertebrates ), the digging of what I suspect are 'Natterjack Pools' in the saltmarsh ( about 1m square, right next to a clump of Phragmites that will probably have taken them over by the end of the summer, and in a place not frequented by breeding toads ), the loss of plant and invertebrate habitat ( and, of course the plants and invertebrates ) by extending the current Natterjack 'enclosures', the dumping of the spoil, totally obliterating an area of ephemeral slack / wet grassland and the mass strimming of the Horsetails, to tidy up the edges of the boardwalk, they've left great gaps in the fence around the reed bed, where they've been cutting a few strips of Phragmites, and now there are bloody dogs running free through the reeds. They couldn't have done a better job if they'd sold if off for housing development.

 

[Jane Turner]

There were common Frog and Toads happily spawning away in the old enclosures - which are contiguous with the new scrapes... so unless they are going to evict the all spawn asap... its all a wasted activity.

I'm struggling to see what any of the activity has to do with the most recent condition report from the site

This site is subject to accretion and some of the habitats and features are moving into the Dee Estuary SSSI. The site is clearly in declining condition, Unit 1 Green Beach - this feature is moving out into the Dee Estuary, zonation, natural function and sediment supply are present but outside of the site boundary. Unit 2 Reedbed and Dunes – the natterjack pools (which are outside of the site boundary) have 90%+ cover of common reed, toadlet production has been 0 in 2005, 40000 in 2006, 8000 in 2007, 10 in 2008, 0 in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The transition habitats have been lost due to the cover and spread of common reed, sources of enrichment should be investigated. Unit 3 Southern Dunes - the fixed dunes have a high level of invasive non native Rosa spp (Japanese Rose) which is beginning to encroach into the reedbed.

Leaving aside that NE have misidentified the rose - doing things to stimulate reed growth seems a little counter-productive.


I've checked with Trevor Beebee - they haven't discussed any of their activities with him.

 

[Jane Turner]

mass strimming of the Horsetails, to tidy up the edges of the boardwalk, they've left great gaps in the fence around the reed bed, where they've been cutting a few strips of Phragmites, and now there are bloody dogs running free through the reeds. They couldn't have done a better job if they'd sold if off for housing development.

CWT have denied doing the strimming the Horetails- blaming the council - though its suspicious that it occured when they were on site. Also suspicious that the strimming goes all the way back along the boardwalk to where the've taken down the fences and cut the reeds... maybe the council can walk on water

 

[chris butterworth]

I must admit, when I saw the area where the Poplars used to be, it was heartbreaking. It's far worse than any of the photos portrayed.
"90% + cover of Common Reed" is down to lack of correct management.
"Sources of enrichment should be investigated". The berm just to the south of the run off from RLGC directs the water flow towards the Natterjack pools. North of it is where all the 'new' reed growth is ( and, in the summer, sheets of algal growth ). South of it, no reed. Hmm, I wonder why?
As for the "Rosa rugosa". I found one mature plant in the rocks south of Pinfold, that's all. There may be other plants, but in no way is there enough to be "invasive". If NE don't know basic botany we're f......, sunk. ( I also saw the large Flowering Currant bush they'd left. :eek!:. What's that all about? )
Being of a suspicious turn of mind I've been wondering if NE have found out that there has been no real work to preserve the Natterjack population and given CWT an ultimatum, causing panic among desk warriors. The confusion about which Rose is present could come from being given duff information. I'm not saying that is what happened but .........

 

[Jane Turner]

It all very plausible... did you notice the ash trees felled within the flowering currant! 25-30 year old trees! Here is a before and after of the Poplars..... just trying to find my photo of 1000+Orchid spikes now under the spoil heaps

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Stanney Woods; Green Sandpiper at Acre Nook SQ; 20+ Crossbills at Delamere Forest;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - no sign of Arctic Redpoll at Macclesfield but 3 Mealy Redpolls; Caspian Gull, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull and Yellow-legged Gull at Richmond Bank; Mealy Redpoll at Marbury CP; 5 Black-necked Grebes, 6 Sand Martins and 80,000 Starlings at Woolston Eyes; 2 Twite at Leasowe; 5 Purple Sandpipers at New Brighton ML; 2 Little Ringed Plovers at Houghton Green Flash;

CB

 

[HughPulsford]

It all very plausible... did you notice the ash trees felled within the flowering currant! 25-30 year old trees! Here is a before and after of the Poplars..... just trying to find my photo of 1000+Orchid spikes now under the spoil heaps

This is quite simply unbelievable. How can a County Wildlife Trust be such crass idiots, it totally beggars belief the destruction they have caused, the impact it will now have on avian migrants, and the total lack of any habitat advantage to any of the toads. maybe SSSI should stand for Stupid Silly Sickening Interference !

 

[Jane Turner]

Its worth adding that the value of the habitat to passage birds was in the original SSSI citation

http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003697.pdf

 

[PhilW]

Twite at Leasowe

 

[John Barber]

For what's happened at Red Rocks, read the rest of the planet. Very sad.

 

[chris butterworth]

I have responded with:
Jacki,
I am very upset by the wilful damage your organisation has caused to Red Rocks.

I have also asked her for evidence for the assertion that 'many have been very pleased with the work we have carried out’ as it relates to the destruction of the mature trees.

I've just got back from the shore, only a single male Wheatear just south of Pinfold steps, and while I was down there spoke to a few of the regular dog walkers about the 'improvements'. I'm not sure who CWT have spoken to but, with those I spoke to on Monday , only 4 out of 27 initially thought the work was an 'improvement'. When I explained about the inadequacy of the work carried out for the Natterjacks, the loss of habitat, the effects of felling the trees on migrating birds and the affect it would have on breeding species plus a bit about the lost flora and the effects on invertebrates the score for those who didn't think it was 'a good idea' rose to 27 - 0 ( with a couple verging on the apoplectic ). Not a scientific survey by any means but it does go to show that, given more information than "It's for the Natterjacks", even those that have no real interest in nature can see the the recent destruction for what it really is.