Hoylake Bird Observatory (1 Viewer)

[edenwatcher]

But isn't the ground frozen solid Jane?

I'm glad I have a couple of months grace before I need to cut mine. Which reminds me, I need a new mower before then ...

Rob

 

[Jane Turner]

I missed a cut at the end of autumn... then it got water logged... it was looking very shaggy

If I want a Hoopoe again I need to make the back lawn like a bowling green..

Not going near the front lawn until their are wheatears about!

 

[Jane Turner]

See a new species of wader today! Its obvious that this is a juvenile bird - an adult would never make such a crass error!


It was a Sanderling btw!

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

See a new species of wader today! Its obvious that this is a juvenile bird - an adult would never make such a crass error!


It was a Sanderling btw!

Ok Jane, what happened next?

Don't tell me, you had to post the pics so you didn't see it

Could make a funny cartoon strip from that series .... a competition, perhaps?

Andy.

 

[Jane Turner]

It got mugged by 6 or so Herring Gulls and flew off in a sulk.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

It got mugged by 6 or so Herring Gulls and flew off in a sulk.

Looks confused in those shots, doubt if it'll put it off trying another Sanderling though!

 

[Jane Turner]

Looks confused in those shots, doubt if it'll put it off trying another Sanderling though!

I expect it willl wait till the tide is out and have a nice tasty racer! I've seen an adult female drag a waterlogged Woodcock ahead of the advancing tide.... most of a mile, before lurching into the air with it only to lose grip right over my garden. Pity it wasn't still alive - it would have been a garden tick.

It had had all the "best" bits anyway!

 

[edenwatcher]

All good value.
We once saw a game of pass the parcel (or redshank)! We were down the garden (looking for smew as I recall) when a female sprawk came and grabbed a redshank on the mud. It sat with it for a while as crows gathered round, but when one started pulling its tail the sprawk made a bolt for it. It dropped the still twitching redshank and the crows moved in. Suddenly a buzzard dropped into the middle of the crows and seized the redshank. In due course it flew off with it and passed it to its mate!

Rob

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

As your best birds are succumbing can you save me something for tomorrow!

Stephen.

 

[Jane Turner]

Will try... thre is a big tide, though not many waders on todays! Shedloads of gulls though!

 

[Andrew]

Have you had a Little Auk yet as there seems to be loads regularly off the east coast of Scotland the last few days. Some went past the west coast yesterday so could be a potential year tick soon?

 

[Jane Turner]

Not seen one from the house ever.... not a common species in the West Irish Sea!

 

[Andrew]

Ah well!

 

[Jane Turner]

Been a quiet day today. The same Peregrine as yesterday learned its lesson and took a Knot well before the tide. About 40 Brent Geese (Pale bellied as far as I can see) were on Hilbre, but visible from home. 125 Curlew, 1500 Knot, 500 Dunlin, 200 Grey Plover and 120 Sanderling were pushed in by the tide.

Stephen Dunstan came to visit and we managed to see a drake Long-tailed Duck and the Brent Geese

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Been a quiet day today. The same Peregrine as yesterday learned its lesson and took a Knot well before the tide. About 40 Brent Geese (Pale bellied as far as I can see) were on Hilbre, but visible from home. 125 Curlew, 1500 Knot, 500 Dunlin, 200 Grey Plover and 120 Sanderling were pushed in by the tide.

Stephen Dunstan came to visit and we managed to see a drake Long-tailed Duck and the Brent Geese

Yes, many thanks again for the hospitality Jane. It was good to see sites I have heard about so much (and slightly frustrating to drive past several others). Hope to get out to Hilbre one of these days.

Stephen.

 

[Jane Turner]

There was a different Peregrine today - an adult female, but I didn't see her catch anything. More Grey Plover - at least 300 and a single Bar-tailed Godwit. By leaning a long way out of the bedroom window I manged to see the Lapwing roosting after the tide on the east end of the East Hoyle bank

68 for the year

 

[Jane Turner]

Yes, many thanks again for the hospitality Jane. It was good to see sites I have heard about so much (and slightly frustrating to drive past several others). Hope to get out to Hilbre one of these days.

Stephen.

Happy to take you out there!

 

[Jane Turner]

Been out in Chicago again - hence the lack of updates. Just seen a rather fine Great-northern Diver Its cold and windy here... remarkably like Chicago!

69 for the year

 

[Jane Turner]

This morning I was halfway down the drive on my way to open the gates when I heard and saw two Ravens. They flew as far as I could see out towards Wales! My thirds record for the house of one of my favourite birds!

75 Meadow Pipits were the first definite spring passage of the year

70 Species for the year

 

[Jane Turner]

PLenty of action on the sea this morning. 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Goldeneye, 45 Common Scoter and good numbers of Divers and grebes