Inner Marsh Farm - from the horse's mouth (1 Viewer)

[Bananafishbones]

any sign of the Little Stints over the last few days?

Was going to make the Journey Wednesday if they stuck around
Cheers
Dave

 

[bradinho]

Certain it wasnt an eel! As it broached the water you could see its back and quite a large, floppy, dorsel fin. It also had a goldish colour tinge.



There was a fishery to the north which has been cleared, I'm sure Bradinho can provide more info!

My guestimate on 3' length was based purely on the visible bit (ie its back) being a tad over 1' long, so I added a tail and a head and came up with 3'! LOL.

Two pools which are being almagamated into the new wetland/wader scrape were drained and netted whilst the two other pools (including Burton Mere) were extensively fished by the former owner and pals, so nearly all valuable specimen fish were captured and moved under license ... I'm sure that there are many non-native fish present in the River Dee and tributaries though.

 

[bradinho]

any sign of the Little Stints over the last few days?

Was going to make the Journey Wednesday if they stuck around
Cheers
Dave

Bfb - I paid a visit to the hide today (staff privilege!) whislt the reserve was closed and manage dto locate amongst masses of gulls and lapwings:
4 little stint
1 curlew sand
5 ruff
2 blackwit
17 dunlin
2 golden plover
2 spot red
5 redshank
1 black tern

Also 2 goldcrest in boardwalk area and nuthatch at feeders

 

[John Barber]

Carp

How deep is no. 2? a 3 foot carp would normally be at least a foot and half deep and require a very deep pool with lots of food to reach that sort of size.

Gareth

Gareth, I've done quite a bit of carp fishing over the years, and a big carp, say 20lbs, can live quite happily in water as shallow as 3 -4 feet deep.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Bfb - I paid a visit to the hide today (staff privilege!) whislt the reserve was closed and manage dto locate amongst masses of gulls and lapwings:
4 little stint
1 curlew sand
5 ruff
2 blackwit
17 dunlin
2 golden plover
2 spot red
5 redshank
1 black tern

Also 2 goldcrest in boardwalk area and nuthatch at feeders

Thanks Bradinho

 

[Bananafishbones]

Today 9.30- 11.15hrs

Very Busy as we left, word must have gotten out regarding some nice birds. Anyway the main features being:

1 Curlew Sandpiper
10 Golden Plover
5 Ruff (although I am certain of 4 and an odd looking one was ID by someone to be a female juvenile Ruff, so 5 it probably is then)
6 Little Stint
25+ Snipe in open view
4 Spotted Redshank
numerous Dunlin
1 Water Rail
1 Black Tern

Dave

 

[Jane Turner]

Got any photos of the Stints Dave - and was one of them a bit big?

 

[Bananafishbones]

Got any photos of the Stints Dave - and was one of them a bit big?

Alas no photos Jane (Very harsh light and distant), however they all looked pretty uniform in colouration and size.

Nothing on the pool to suggest anything out of the ordinary, and some knowledgable birders were in the hide at the time I was there

Dave

 

[Jane Turner]

Nothing on the pool to suggest anything out of the ordinary, and some knowledgable birders were in the hide at the time I was there

Dave

Cheers. I asked because there was a photo of a "intriguing" stint there yesterday now in the ID forum

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cheers. I asked because there was a photo of a "intriguing" stint there yesterday now in the ID forum

Right I see.... however I cant add anything to that debate from this mornings watch.

I wish I had my Collins with me in the hide as the ID of the female juv Ruff was ceratinly intresting. Slender wader, virtually half the size of the ruff close by, completely differing colouration to the ruff, and nowhere near as much white on its flanks as the ruff, it was repeatedly chased off by the Ruffs to start with.
Now at home it doesnt half look like a Buff Breasted. However I am far from sure and would be happily shot down if I was to see it again with the collins in front of me, but I still dont think Ruff even after ID my others.

I will watch this space.... or put my tin hat on.

Off to work now
Cheers
Dave

 

[Jane Turner]

Don't suppose you saw the underwing?

 

[bradinho]

This morning:
2 curlew sandpiper
4 little stint

Yesterday:
1 Black Tern, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Little Stint, 12 Dunlin, 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail), 18 Golden Plover and 2 Ruff

 

[Jane Turner]

Is the not so stint still there?

 

[bradinho]

Is the not so stint still there?

Sorry jane, been mega busy here and have been off-site promoting the reserve etc.

4 little stint yesterday ... some birders talking up one of them ... don't know any more than that.

Otherwise WWB Tern still here and showing well.

White-winged black tern present this am - first roosting on no 2 pool and then commuting between Shotwick Boating Lake and IMF pools frequently back and forth whilst hawking for insects.

Other notables:
2 spotted redshank
1 curlew sandpiper
golden plover
black-tailed godwits

1 drake pochard (unusual for us)

4 bullfinch (path to hide)
serveral tree sparrow reported from similar area

Also - Sat Oct 23rd 2pm another chance to go behind the scenes at Burton Mere phone 0151 336 7681 to book a free place. The new 5 hectare wetland is fun to scope from the location of the new reception area!

 

[Pitvar]

Had a really good couple of hours this afternoon - a Merlin took a snipe on the island, a Jackdaw chased the WWBT around for a while and one of the stints got close enough for some shots - three stints altogether and two Curlew Sands, Raven over plus more of the more common species than I've seen there in a while.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Did you get any shots of the Curlew Sands?

Was there late afternoon and some were claiming a single CS but I was unconvinced.

2 Spotshank, 2 Ruff, 2 Dunlin and the WWBT still present at dusk.

 

[Pitvar]

Hello Rob, I wasn't sure whether this was CS or Dunlin but I was leaning towards CS on the bill [which I know isn't the best feature] but the speckled front made me think Dunlin? Ignore the image name its cropped from the same frame as the Little Stint, Peter

 

[Jane Turner]

That,s a Dunlin. You can see blackish centred feathers dotted about on the belly amongst other things

 

[Rob Smallwood]

That's certainly not the bird that was being called as CS yesterday pm.

For the avoidance of doubt I'm not questioning that CS was present yesterday, but just whether the bird I saw late on was one. As weall know waders come and go like at any site, the 3 Little Stint disappeared towards the new workings at one stage but returned.

I'm still not sure about the bird we saw late on, although others with me are more convinced, as were many in the hide.

I guess we'll never know!

 

[Gronk08]

That's certainly not the bird that was being called as CS yesterday pm.

For the avoidance of doubt I'm not questioning that CS was present yesterday, but just whether the bird I saw late on was one. As weall know waders come and go like at any site, the 3 Little Stint disappeared towards the new workings at one stage but returned.

I'm still not sure about the bird we saw late on, although others with me are more convinced, as were many in the hide.

I guess we'll never know!

Hi

I have a picture of the suspect, when I get home I will put it on here for everyone to have a good look at.

Did not see the Stint there in the morning but we did get the bird people had identified as being the Curlew Sandpiper, it was hanging around the island in front of the hide.

Tim.