Red Rocks Marsh NNR, Merseyside (1 Viewer)

[Jane Turner]

Most birds move though in the 1st hour after dawn. Some of the thrushes were there at dawn. The Woodpeckers peaked at about 9.30.

To be honest there is seldom much there after 10

 

[Cheshire Birder]

At least 1 Waxing heard calling about half way down the marsh at 12.30pm but couldn't be relocated. Also 2 Slav Grebes off the point at 3.20pm before flying off towards Hilbre.

CB

 

[Jane Turner]

There is an Avocet on the beach just about opposite the Pinfold Lane steps.... my 244th species there

 

[deeestuary]

212 Brent Geese along the marsh at high tide today - counted by four experienced WeBS counters.
Highest ever record for Wirral.

 

[Jane Turner]

It felt good this morning, but was actually very disappointing. No warblers, no chats and only Pied Wagtails in the spartina., though there were two 1stW females to get the hopes up briefly. Skylarks and Reed Buntings singing away in typical numbers. Over head there was a couple of Jackdaws and a good 18 Long-tailed Tits and a Coal Tit.

Male Peregrine on the beach..... and that's it!

 

[Jane Turner]

Feeling a little more spring-like today. Two Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were acting like migrants. Over head there were small numbers of Redpolls and Siskins probably 8 of each, 8 Jackdaws and two Ravens also moved through. Later on there were 3 Sand Martins and a Crossbill

 

[Jane Turner]

Another interesting morning. Two Goldcrests and three Chiffchaffs in the gardens, three Wheatears in off the sea and 6 Sand Martins were the obvious migrants. Also 50 or so Meadow Pipits over by 8.30. Plenty of finch activity too. 12 Redpolls, 25 Siskin, the annual Bullfinch and a Brambling. At about 8 o'clock I heard what I thought was a Serin flight call, three times and disappearing to the south. I failed to see a bird however, and on reflection the call was a tadge too "fruity".

Unusually for Red Rocks I got another bite at the cherry and the bird came back -in a flock of Siskins. It dropped into the back of the poplars, though remained out of sight. I managed a sound recording of it - which I'll see if I can get onto here later. Eventually the bird flew out. It was Serin shaped but perhaps a tiny bit bigger. The underparts were black and white - almost solid black on the upper breast and with heavy black flank stripes. I couldn't make out any other plumage. Anyway the call is a good match (as is what I saw plumage-wise) for Red-fronted Serin - an unusual record!

 

[PhilW]

Thanks for the text Jane. We listened out from West Kirby before corssing to Hilbre but no sign - it obviously doubled back!

 

[Jane Turner]

20+ Chiffchaff and 5 Wheatears this morning (though I wasn't there!)

 

[Jane Turner]

An increasingly cold morning with frequent light showers. The best bird of the day was a singing male Brambling - still with extensive pale tips to the head. Other finch passage included 12 Redpolls and two Siskins

Warblers were thin on the ground - maybe 6 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler, the latter arriving off the sea, so not a remnant of yesterday's mini fall. There were no Wheatears, which was surprising.

Hirundines moved in small numbers, just 8 Sand Martins and 3 Swallows up to 9am. The most conspicuous passage species was Meadow Pipit, with around 200 on the beach down towards West Kirby and another 150 on the North Shore. Three alba Wagtails which flew over the point may have been Whites, but the 15 or so down with the Pipits were all checked carefully and were Pieds. Other overhead passage included 13 Jackdaws and 5 Magpies.

The best bird was fluffed - a small plover that sounded like a Little-ringed Plover but appeared to show a wing bar! It landed briefly at the south end, then continued S!

I'llpost the Brambling song once I have converted it

 

[Jane Turner]

A bright early start saw some early migrants at Red Rocks. Singing Reed and Grasshopper Warblers, a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers a male Redstart and a Blackcap. Over head migration was going well, with Redpolls, a couple of Tree Sparrows and a few hirundines. Then the fog rolled in off the estuary and everything came to a grinding halt.

50 Meadow Pipits and 15 [White Wagtails on the beach and what sounded like a Lap bunting - but I only heard it distantly once.

Early for a Reed Warbler!

Edit: Yes 11th April was my previous earliest - and that was startlingly early.

 

[Jane Turner]

6.20-9.30

An obvious dawn drop of migrants included 9 Wheatears and 25 Phylloscs, mostly Willow Warblers. The Wheaters left south almost immediately, but Phyllosc moved all morning - with 40+ Willow Wablers and 7 CHiffchaffs the final total. Also inclided in the dawn drop was a Whitethroat that wasn't seen after dropping into the top of the point Buckthorn. Yetserday's singing Reed Warbler was belting it out again, and a second bird is singing with equal gusto at the south end of the marsh. By contrast a Sedge Warbler sang for a couple of seconds then shut up - I never heard it. The Grasshopper Warbler is still in the superbowl. At 8.30 a male Redstart flew in off the sea and pitched into the top of the Poplars for a minute or so. There was also 2 Goldcrestsand a Blackcap.


The most marked event of the day was overhead passage, with flurries of White Wagtails moving through all morning. The peak count on the west beach was 95, whilst the peak on the north beach was 285. There could easily have been more like 500, since there were flocks leaving to the East all morning. Two Yellow Wagtails over Stanley Rd were probably the same two on the beach at King's Gap. They were not seen in the 285 scan,despite being there 10 mins earlier, which is why I'm sure there were many more than the 400+alba that will be logged. Meadow Pipits were also present in more modest numbers -say 150. Very few hirundines, 7Swallows and 12 Sand Martins. . Finches were also moving very prominently, with 129 Redpoll logged and three Bramblings.Surpsingly no Siskin but 7 Tree Sparrows were unusual. The best bird was a Nuthatch that kept circling over the point looking confused. Other waifs and strays included 35 Jackdaws and 12 stratospheric Magpies. Woodpigeons were moving, but I failed to count them - I'm guessing 50-60.

Todays birds that got away were what sounded like a Twite, that wasn't seen and two waders that looked like Green Sandpipers, but they were over Hilbre!

 

[Jane Turner]

06:00-10:00 58 species today

Not as promising as yesterday, without the dawn drop of migrants and with less overhead passage in frustratingly cloudy conditions. The Warblers that arrived on territory in the week are still in place (Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler and two Reed Warblers) with singles of Chiffchaff, Willow Wabler and Blackcap

There are still plenty of White Wagtails on the beach to the west, with 128 being the peak count. 60 or so Meadow Pipits too. Two Tree pipits flew over (too high to see them). 17 Wheatears (all fem types) arrived suddenly on the beach, then quickly dispersed inland (like they usually do). Later 6 male Greenland types appeared in the end Gardens.

A Whimbrel was new for the year - out north of Bird Rock, calling loudlly at 6am! Pigeons were moving in good numbers, and because not much else was happening, I counted them - 209 Woodpigeons south. There were two Coal Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker that made several exploratory flights out over the estuary before giving up and going south.

Finches were less obvious than yesterday, but 55 Redpolls were still logged as well as two Bramblings and a single Siskin. Also a couple of Tree Sparrows. The highlight of the days was a record of two Fieldfare, which arrived high from the North East and left to the south.

Still very few hirundines.

 

[Jane Turner]

A great morning this morning in "classic" Red Rocks conditions. Warblers were moving through all morning and there was a significant overnight arrival. Also plenty of overhead passage.

Most prominent were Grasshopper Warblers. There were 4 singing birds and I also saw 4 non-singing birds at various times. There were a minimum of 6 birds present and possbily more. Reed Warblers have increased from 5 to 7 birds on territory and my first three Sedge Warblers were also singing. Three Blackcaps, three Whitethroats and 17 Willow Warblers completed the warblers. At about 6.30 an imm male Ring Ouzel flew up the gardens and dropped into the superbowl. Itwas still audible there some hours later. There was just a single Wheatear present at first light, but more arrived at 8am,including at lease one Greenland Wheatear.

6 Tree Pipits and 3 Yellow Wagtails were the highlight of the overhead, passage which also included 48 Redpolls 1 siskin and a Brambling 3 times (or 3). Hirundines started to move later in the morning and had reached 5 Sand Martins and 12 Swallows by 9am. Also2 White Wagtails, and a Tree Sparrow. Larger birds included Two Rooks, 5 Jackdaws and just 27 Woodpigeons. Finally a Grey Heron came in off.


This is one of the more prominent Grasshopper Warblers - in the northern edge of the Wryneck hollow.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JaneEl...key=Gv1sRgCKPNzcelmZ_11wE#5596840785246661938

Also a dodgy photo of one and a Wheatear going the Greenland trick of sitting in a tree.

 

[Jane Turner]

More of the same today - though less overhead passage. There are at least 10 singing Grasshopper Warblers with singing birds every 100ft or so at the north end of the marsh, including two in the gardens. Plenty of observations of non-singing birds too. Sedge Warblers have increased to 5 and the Reed Warblers are stable at 7. Fewer Phylloscs today, 10 Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff,as well as the first Goldcrests (3) for some time. 3 Whitethroat and. the seemingly resident Blackcap pair in the poplars completed the warblers. 7Wheatears appeared around 8am and the Ring Ouzel is still in the back of the ivy. 15 Swallows, 15 Redpolls and 2 Tree Pipits flew over as did a pair of Jackdaws and a Short-eared Owl, which couldn't make its mind up,flying N, south then north again!

The best bird of the day (and for that matter the year)had me very excited till I saw it. I could hear this bunting-like tjip call coming from the point and it shows how things have changed that I was thinking Ortolan or actually Cretzschmar's instead of what it was-a Corn Bunting.

Edit: missed the Whimbrel

 

[Jane Turner]

Still at least 10 Grasshopper Warblers, with birds singing at three locations that were not occupied yesterday, though I wasn't there at dawn to check. Otherwise two Wheatears a handful of warblers and a few more hirundines than of late 20 each of Swallow and Sand Martin

 

[Jane Turner]

The imm male Ring Ouzel is still at Red Rocks, though I gather it was seen to leave to the south today.

 

[Jane Turner]

Still 4 singing Grasshopper warblers (and maybe more, I wasn't down until 7.30) There is now a full compliment of Acros - the long established 7 Reed Warblers now have 10 Sedge Warblers for company. Quiet otherwise, though there are three territorial Whitethroats, and one pair nest building. A Tree Pipit and a fly though Ring-necked Parakeet were the only other birds of note.

 

[Jane Turner]

The Parakeet was there again

 

[alexwarro]

I think I shall plan a visit to Redrocks next week.

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