Cheshire And Wirral Birding: Hills, Lowland and Coast (7 Viewers)

[Cheshire Birder]

Someone did manage to see the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on Thursday, that someone was not me and is yet to be me! At dusk lots of Corvids in the air, Gulls and a distant murmuration of Starlings.

To be honest LSW tend to be less frequently seen here in the winter (although I'm sure they are there most of the year). Best time is Mar/Apr at Moore.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Nice to bump into Cheshire Birder by the way !

Cheers !! :t::t: Shame it was disappointing. I was looking forward to a Glaucous or Iceland Gull.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Bittern showed in the reed bed at Budworth Mere at around 12pm. It was only a brief appearance before skulking out of view.

http://www.ajonestheearlybirder.blogspot.com

Glad you managed to get some views of it!

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Jan 15th - Great White Egret and Spotted Redshank at Burton Mere Wetlands; Bittern at Budworth Mere; 10 Purple Sandpipers at New Brighton; Lesser Spotted Woodpecker reported at Moore NR;

Jan 14th - Smew at Newchurch Common; Whooper Swan at Parkgate; 20+ Whooper Swans at Frodsham; Little Egret at Sandbach Flashes;

Jan 10th - Glaucous Gull at Arpley Tip;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Great White Egret at Neston; Iceland Gull and 9 Yellow-legged Gulls at Richmond Bank; Smew at Newchurch Common; Bittern at Budworth Mere;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Great White Egret, 5 Twite, 9 Bewick's Swans and 13+ Whooper Swans at Frodsham; Great white Egret at Haled also nearby Common Sandpiper at Pickering's Pasture; 2 Great White Egrets at Little Neston; 2 Great White Egrets at Burton also Whimbrel reported; Smew at Newchurch Common; Bittern at Budworth Mere plus Chiffchaff at Ashton's Flash; Yellow-legged Gull at Richmond Bank; Little Egret at Sandbach Flashes;

Looking at the GWE reports above, I would suggest there is some overlap of the records.

CB

 

[Jeremy Gloucestershire]

Tree Sparrows around Knutsford

Working in Knutsford next thursday and friday. I have a couple of hours spare and wanted some local advice. I haven't seen Tree Sparrows for several years (live in Cotswolds) so wondered if any reliable sites. I don't know the area at all so detailed directions/Grid Ref would help. Anything else of interest in 15 miles radius of the town? Best wishes Jeremy

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Jan 18th - Great White Egret at Burton; Cetti's Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands; Spotted Redshank at Heswall;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - 2 Great White Egrets at Frodsham; Great White Egret at Burton; 20 Rock Pipits at Neston Marsh also Water Pipit, 9 Twite and 3 Chiffchaffs at Old Quay/Sewage Works; Smew at Newchurch Common; Eider at Hoylake; Twite at Pickering's Pasture; Bittern at Budworth Mere; 3,336 Cormorants, 12 Purple Sandpipers and Shag at Hilbre; Kingfisher and 11 Purple Sandpipers at New Brighton ML;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Great White Egret at Burton; Twite, 3 Eider, 1,100 Common Scoter and 320 Great Crested Grebes at Leasowe; Mediterranean Gull at New Brighton;

CB

 

[John Barber]

Acre Nook Sand Quarry, Chelford

There was a strange looking ( hybrid / escapee ? ) goose on the pool this afternoon. it was amongst the Greylags and tending to follow a white Snow Goose look-a-like. It had a white face and a yellow / orange bill with a black and white neck - a bit similar to a Bar-headed goose in Collins. But the body looked black. Unfortunately, it started to rain into the face of the scope soon after I located the bird and I was forced to give up. I did manage to take a terrible photo on my phone camera which I've posted to the Facebook page of North West Birding. If anyone is down that way this weekend it may be worth having a look.

 

[John Barber]

Someone on Facebook wondered if it could be a dark morph ( Blue Goose ) Snow Goose. It's a possibility I guess, apparently there was a blue morph Snow Goose on the Dee earlier this year. I would go back and have another look in the morning but I've promised to go to North Wales with a friend. I may go back on Sunday if I don't hear anything tomorrow.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Jan 22nd - 2 Water Pipits and 6 Twite at Neston (also up to 5 Chiffchaffs wintering here); 2 Snow Buntings at Wallasey; Bittern at Budworth Mere; 5 Short-eared Owls at Heswall; 2 Hen Harriers and 2 Short-eared Owls at Parkgate;

Jan 21st - Hen Harriers at Parkgate and Burton Mere Wetlands; 2 Jack Snipe at Heswall;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Jan 23rd - Great White Egret, Jack Snipe, 2 Twite and 3 Water Pipits at Neston; Great White Egret at Frodsham; 2 Snow Buntings at Wallasey; 2 Bitterns and 106 Pink-footed Geese at Budworth Mere; 3 Yellow-legged Gulls at Richmond Bank; 7+ Short-eared Owls at Heswall; 4+ Short-eared Owls and 3 Jack Snipe at Parkgate;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - 2+ Great white Egrets ands Hen Harrier at Parkgate; 2 Great White Egrets, 10,000 Dunlin, Marsh Harrier and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits at Frodsham; Glaucous Gull and Yellow-legged Gull at Norton Marsh; Red-throated Diver swam up the channel past Heswall and Parkgate as tide came in; Water Pipit and Twite at Neston; 2 Snow Buntings at Wallasey; Spotted Redshank and 2 Short-eared Owls at Heswall; Bittern at Budworth Mere; Twite and 2 Jack Snipe at Hale; 6+ Bramblings at Tatton Park; 8 Purple Sandpipers at Hilbre plus 11 at New Brighton ML;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - Great White Egret at Parkgate; White-fronted Goose at Burton;

CB

 

[John Barber]

Went back to Acre Nook Sand quarry at Chelford this morning hoping for another look at the possible blue morph Snow Goose. No sign of the goose but I did bump into birders Steve and Gill Barber, who's local patch this is.

According to Steve this particular bird has been in the area since last November, with sightings also made at nearby Redesmere and Capesthorne. It's presence wasn't widely circulated as it's presumed to be of dubious origin.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Today - update - Water Pipit at Neston; 2 Snow Buntings at Wallasey; Bittern at Budworth Mere; 5400 Pink-footed Geese, 2000 Canada Geese and 12 Barnacle Geese at Burton (no sign of WFG);

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Jan 25th - Red-throated Diver at Parkgate; 9 Crossbills at Macclesfield Forest;

Jan 26th - Smew at Newchurch Common; 2 Snow Buntings at Wallasey; White-fronted Goose at Burton;

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Yesterday - Great White Egret and White-fronted Goose (European race) at Burton; White-fronted Goose (Greenland race) at Burton Mere Wetlands; Smew at Newchurch Common; Bittern at Budworth Mere;

CB