Hoylake Bird Observatory (5 Viewers)

[Jane Turner]

I did get a few in the evening. Not got time to come onto BF much. Got a lot going on in my life.

Had a Manxie in garden airspace today. There will be more Leach's in the morning. A little alarmed about the 4 species of skua claimed, when there were only 2 skuas out there!

 

[Jane Turner]

Three Snow Buntings yesterday - including an adult male, at the bottom of the garden. Also 56 Pinkfeet flew over a couple of weeks ago

 

[Jane Turner]

The first Wheatear of the spring was just about visible on Bird Rock this morning.

 

[alan_rymer]

Working in Liverpool this week on lates (2-10pm ) and next on earlys ( 8am-4pm ).
Popped into Red Rocks at 9am yesterday morning ( Parked in Stanley Road ). Didn't know what the tide would be like ( very quiet, couldn't even see the sea :smoke. I had a wander around the Marsh, Heard two Water Rails, Plenty of Skylarks up and singing, a few Mippits, Reed Buntings, Dunnocks, C Crows, G Herons and Shelduck plus a single Kestrel. Looked out for your new observatory, but couldn't see it!.

 

[Jane Turner]

Coincidentally I'm working in Liverpool this week!

 

[Jane Turner]

I can see a Wheatear on the nursing home wall, as well as what may well have been a Black Restart, however its too far to be sure and I have to go out. Earlier, a Sand Martin flew past the bedroom window.

Wish this weather would stop, block for 5 weeks, then start again!

 

[Jane Turner]

There have been a couple of Chiffchaffs flicking about in the back garden this morning. They made washing up a little more tolerable!

 

[Jane Turner]

My first Swallow of the year flew NNE this morning

 

[Jane Turner]

There was a Goldcrest in the front garden and a Chiffchaff in the back garden this morning. At least 7 Wheatears moved west up the beach

 

[Jane Turner]

7 Willow Warblers so far this morning as well as a couple of Siskins twice and a Sand Martin and 11 Linnets. The first Sandwich Tern of the year was at sea.

 

[Jane Turner]

and..... I was madly scanning for an Osprey at 10:15, because of the Gulls reactions.... seems my instincts were right even if my raptor spotting skills were poor! An Osprey flew behind me at 10:15!

 

[Jane Turner]

A quiet morning today - tea on the balcony resulted in 4 Gannets, 25 Siskins in one flock, a Reed Bunting and a Swallow (all passerines vis mig)

 

[Jane Turner]

There were three Willow Warblers feeding in the back garden yesterday evening and one singing in the front this morning, the latter clinging tenaciously on to a tree to prevent being blown inland!

 

[Jane Turner]

There have been good numbers of Willow Warblers in the gardens today, 4 or 5 in each garden most of the day. I'm guessing 20+ must have gone through, with smaller numbers of Chiffchaffs. There have been bona fide White Wagtails since Wed pm too.

 

[Jane Turner]

There was a Whimbrel calling out by Hilbre late last night.

 

[Jane Turner]

Had a nice surprise this afternoon. I was looking at a couple of Willow Warblers that were coming in to bath in the stream when I saw what I thoroughly expected to be a Dunnock acting furtively under the streamside cover... it was in fact a Grasshopper Warbler.

 

[Jane Turner]

There was a Grasshopper Warbler singing after dusk last night, in the front garden. I'm tempted to think that its a different bird to the one in the back garden the day. Its been misty most of the day. Siskins and Redpolls are still moving through, I've seen a few Swallows whilst moving the lawn, and there are 6+ Sandwich Terns out on the tide.

 

[Jane Turner]

There was a Chiff-thing singing this morning. "chiff chiff chiff siouu siouu siouu" Its looked like a standard collybita however. Redpolls and Siskins are still moving in good numbers 20-25 of each, and there are quite a few of the latter coming down for a drink.

The habitat in the front garden is developing nicely: The buckthorn, gorse and bramble, along with a complimentary non-spanish Sparrow to go with the non-Spanish Chiffchaff. More than enough to lose a good Sylvia in now!

Afternoon update:
The breeding Swallows are back I was out in appalling light failing to get a photograph of the pair of them flying about all excitedly, when they started giving alarm calls. I also failed hopelessly to get a photo of the Peregrine that came wapping through the garden, low enough for me to see its cere naked eye and that its got damage to a primary on the right wing. Has anyone notice damage to the Birkenhead male?

 

[Jane Turner]

It was raining this morning, but its brightening up now The Swallows made my lie easier by keeping still long enough to pose for a photo. I found the cowslips in the back garden a much easier subject though!

There has been a Comma a few times this year, and the first Holly Blue of the season was in flight yesterday.

 

[Jane Turner]

There has been a thin trickle of migrants, Willow Warblers, Redpolls, Swallows, Siskins mostly, in the last few days. This morning there was a nice Greenland Wheatear on the roof.