Flat Lining

After a fairly successful start to the month with a good smattering of migrants, I managed to head out for a quick couple of hours around patch. Despite the weather not being too bad, with plenty of broken cloud and some decent sunshine it still felt relatively cold, and certainly cooler than yesterday.

I started at Burnt Mill Farm again where there were still good numbers of Wheatear, however other than a few Goldfinch and Linnet it was remarkably quiet. A small smattering of Meadow Pipit were moving through with a couple dropping into the paddocks, before moving on quickly. Again there was no sign of the Corn Buntings, and I was starting to get increasingly concerned that they would be lost as a breeding species on patch.

Carr Lane was quieter than yesterday, but small numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap were again singing from the scrubby areas along Ramsbrook. A Water Rail was squealing from the flooded fields along Carr Lane and the reedbed was alive with the sounds of Reed Bunting. Hopefully it won't be long until the first Sedge and Reeds return. Carr Lane Pools were relatively quiet, but there were still reasonable numbers of Eurasian Teal, single Wigeon, whilst Shoveler and Gadwall numbers were starting to build up.

Moving round to the gate on Town Lane there was not much more to be seen, although 2 White Wagtail and a further 3 Wheatear were present. With a real lack of waders present I decided to walk along Town lane to the bridge and was rewarded with a single Water Pipit. However there seemed to be a real dip in the numbers of migrants about. With limited time and very little to keep me out and about (and getting into trouble) I decided to head home.

After a fairly successful start to the month with a good smattering of migrants, I managed to head out for a quick couple of hours around patch. Despite the weather not being too bad, with plenty of broken cloud and some decent sunshine it still felt relatively cold, and certainly cooler than yesterday.

I started at Burnt Mill Farm again where there were still good numbers of Wheatear, however other than a few Goldfinch and Linnet it was remarkably quiet. A small smattering of Meadow Pipit were moving through with a couple dropping into the paddocks, before moving on quickly. Again there was no sign of the Corn Buntings, and I was starting to get increasingly concerned that they would be lost as a breeding species on patch.

Carr Lane was quieter than yesterday, but small numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap were again singing from the scrubby areas along Ramsbrook. A Water Rail was squealing from the flooded fields along Carr Lane and the reedbed was alive with the sounds of Reed Bunting. Hopefully it won't be long until the first Sedge and Reeds return. Carr Lane Pools were relatively quiet, but there were still reasonable numbers of Eurasian Teal, single Wigeon


Fairly dire scoot round patch - plenty of Wheatear, 2 White Wag, single Wapit Town Ln

Foolish Birding

After a fairly murky morning with heavy rain I managed to time my patch birding perfectly, with the clouds breaking revealing some warm Spring sunshine. After a bit of a rush of migrants to the end of March, I was hopeful that the start of April would follow in the same vain.

I started at Burnt Mill Farm where I was delighted to find that the first Wheatears were finally back in. At least 7 Wheatear were bouncing about the paddocks, including some nice confiding birds which allowed some good photo opportunities (....for me!). The paddocks were full of Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Goldfinch, although it was slightly alarming that there was a distinct lack of Corn Bunting again. A Willow Warbler was singing in the garden of Burnt Mill Farm, my first of the Spring and always a joy to hear.

Moving down Carr Lane I stopped at the bridge and found a female Garganey feeding quietly at the back of the flooded field. The fields were alive with Wheatear whilst Great Boar Wood and the scrubby ditch along the back of Ramsbrook were alive with Chiffchaff and Blackcap. The sudden arrival of some sunshine clearly tempted the raptors out with 3 Peregrine, 20+ Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk and 6 Kestrel. Sadly despite what looked like perfect conditions and good numbers elsewhere I failed to find any Osprey.

Carr Lane Pools were remarkably quiet with only a handful of hirundines flying around, so I moved quickly onto the bridge on Town Lane. A Great White Egret was sat out distantly on the Marsh, whilst at least 2 Water Pipit were still present. It will be interesting to see how long they decide to remain.

Heading round to Within Way I caught up with the Little Owl, which was enjoying the afternoon sunshine. 2 Marsh Harrier were soaring on the thermals just east of Runcorn Hill, whilst a female Merlin shot through. Hale Marsh held a Green Sandpiper and the hybrid Shelduck sp.  but the tide failed to push many waders in. With very little else moving, and next to no migrants I decided to head back towards Carr Lane again.

The male Garganey had reappeared on the main pools, whilst a very smart summer plumaged Water Pipit was feeding in the small pool just in front of the gap in the hedge. There were still at least 5 Wheatear bouncing around, and a Whimbrel came flying over from the north and headed towards Hale Marsh. A Siskin and a Lesser Redpoll flew over, just as a reminder that it was still early Spring. With my time running out, I decided to head home.

March Showers

I was keen to get one last patch visit in before the end of the month, and I was fairly hopeful of a good visit based on the forecast. Unfortunately the weather had other plans, and it was very much a case of sunshine and heavy showers. However at this time of year it is good to be out whatever, with the prospect of migrants starting to arrive.

Arriving at Burnt Mill Farm the light drizzle had turned into slightly more persistent rain. The paddocks were pretty much devoid of life, not especially surprising given the conditions. A few Meadow Pipits, Reed Bunting and Linnet were still moving around. I had a very brief look for the Lapland Bunting, but with fairly poor conditions I didn't spend too long.

Luckily by the time I had driven down Carr Lane the rain had relented and some signs of brightness were slowly starting to come through. The male Garganey was again showing well on the flooded fields, with Little Grebes, Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall and Lapwing as supporting cast. Moving across the road I picked up my first Little Ringed Plover of the year on the edge of the Pools.

Water Pipit (c/o Mike Roberts)

The summer plumaged Water Pipit was again showing fairly well (although my pics were awful - fortunately Mike Roberts got some good pics the day before). A few hirundines were moving through as well with a group of 12+ Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow over the back of the Pools. The pools held the usual suspects, but Black-tailed Godwits numbered about 90, a slight increase on recent numbers. Just as I was about to leave another group of c.20 Sand Martin suddenly arrived and starting feeding over the flooded fields, real "active" migration - one of the reasons why I love Spring.

Moving around to Town Lane the Pools didn't reveal much else, but the Ruff was again feeding in the far corner of the pools. 3 Greylag Geese (an increasingly scarce patch bird) had joined the Canada Geese which were spread across the Pools and Town Lane floods. Duck numbers are pretty much the same at present with a single male Wigeon, 46 Eurasian Teal, 24 Shoveler and a handful of Mallard and Gadwall.

Town Lane was fairly dire with Hale Marsh exceedingly quiet. However a rather tatty looking Kestrel gave some nice views, and a few Little Egret were stalking the outer marsh. After the initial optimism from Carr Lane, there seemed to be a real lack of migrants, and even the Meadow Pipit and Skylark numbers seemed to be down. A quick look over the Pools on my return to the car revealed the male Garganey had relocated again.

With the clouds finally starting to break I decided to walk Within Way, with the anticipation of doing the full Hale Head loop via the Lighthouse. However it was so appallingly slow that I rejected the idea, with the sum total of a good mooch around being 2 White Wagtail, 1 Wheatear, 5 Chiffchaff and 2 Sand Martin flying north. The return walk was enlivened slightly with a/the female Merlin dashing through. To make things worse the dark clouds then unleashed a massive downpour....thank god I had decided to leave my waterproofs on!!

With the rain easing again I decided to head to Hale Park (probably the first of many Spring visits) to have a look for any grounded migrants, although given that it was only the end of March I was not too hopeful. Needless to say there were next to no migrants, but it was nice to catch up with plenty of Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest. Scoping across to Frodsham Score and Ince Marshes I picked up a single Great White Egret, 2 Mute Swan and 9 Swan sp. (which through the haze looked likely to be Whooper). The dry weather didn't last long and with heavy rain starting again I decided to call it quits and head home.

Patch Mojo

Most of my recent birding has been away from the patch, but with a day off and some half decent weather forecast I decided to get back out onto patch to look for migrants. The weather was very spring like indeed with bright sunshine and blue skies, although the coolish north-easterly reminded me it was still March.

Starting at Burnt Mill Farm I was a little disappointed to find no Wheatear on the main paddocks, but a few Common Buzzard and Kestrel were keeping the local Meadow Pipits and Linnets on their toes. Moving around I checked the fields around Burnt Mill Farm and was pleased to find some fairly decent numbers of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer, along with good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Linnet again.

Driving down Carr Lane I could hear Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing from Great Boar Wood. Parking up on the bridge I could hear plenty of woodland species in full song including Nuthatch and Treecreeper, whilst various tits and finches were clearly making the most of the spring-like weather. I had a little off-road explore and was pleased to find a very smart male Garganey at the back of the flooded field, sharing the area with 3 Little Grebe, Gadwall, Mallard and the usual Coot and Moorhen.

Moving across the road I immediately picked up 5 Water Pipit feeding very close to the road. 2 of the group were already well advanced into summer plumage and I enjoyed watching them for a while. The pools looked relatively quiet with a handful of Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and the expected assortment of ducks. A female Marsh Harrier swept through the back of Carr Lane Pools before heading off and out onto Hale Marsh and away.

Moving around to Town Lane the Pools held pretty much the same that I could see from Carr Lane, but a Ruff was mooching around in one of the secluded corners, whilst a pair of Gadwall were also present amongst the expected Eurasian Teal, Mallard and Shoveler. Wandering along towards the bridge I heard a loud Thrush "tuking" overhead, looking up I was greeted by a male Ring Ouzel. The rest of Hale Marsh was relatively quiet other than 2 Little Egret.

I decided to have a look along Within Way, hopeful that my run of Spring migrants would continue. The Little Owl was again showing well, and a female Merlin was briefly perched up on a distant bush, but otherwise it was a quiet and rather blustery stroll. Scanning across Hale Marsh there were 5 Golden Plover, 2 Turnstone and a single Dunlin among the Redshank and Lapwing.

Strangely Gadwall is one of the first signs of Spring on the patch, and the pre-breeding flock was already starting to build on Hale Marsh with at least 57 birds, whilst a further 12 were out on the Mersey. A small group of 14 Wigeon still remained, and it will be interesting to see how long they remain before heading north. Scanning the grassy area at the bottom of Within Way I was pleased to finally pick up my first patch Wheatear of the year, whilst out on the Mersey 3 Avocet were feeding in the gutter which runs off from the Weaver outflow. By now the wind had really picked up and I had to head home, however the return walk produced probably the best patch bird of the day.....

.....searching through the corvids I stumbled upon 3 Rook! They are a remarkably rare bird to see "on patch", and with no local Rookeries, most birds are singletons during autumn migration. Returning via Carr Lane I had another brief look at the Water Pipits and Garganey, before heading home. So a pretty good return to form for the patch and it finally felt as though I was getting my patch mojo back......thank God for Spring!! 

North Wales Birding

Despite only being a stones throw away from North Wales, I have done next to no real birding in the area since I returned to the north-west. With patch birding being slow (a huge understatement) and the temptation of seeing a number of scarce breeders I thought I would give it a go. I managed to talk Iggy into taking a break from the patch and together we headed into Wales at some ungodly hour.

Arriving at Worlds End at just before sunrise, we slowly drove along patiently awaiting the arrival of the Black Grouse. A couple of calling Red Grouse, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and a brief Merlin put in a showing, but strangely there was no sign of any Black Grouse?! Retracing the road we finally managed to pick up a very distant lek of c.15 birds....but to say they were distant would be kind! Thankfully we could hear some more birds calling, so carried on a little further until......

The lek must have decided to have a sleep in, as 21 males were sat right by the road. Using the car as a hide we managed to balance scopes and optics through the windows and get some great views. Sadly there were no females on show, but a female Mallard that decided to walk through the lek drew some admiring glances...... Having had our fill of the Grouse we headed back towards civilisation, taking in a much better view of a male Merlin and a few Red Grouse on the way.

We headed towards Clocaenog and along one of the minor roads had some great views of Common Crossbill and Siskin. Both were very much in evidence across the whole of the forest. Pulling over to let a car pass, Iggys car unfortunately dropped into a newly created "gutter" of water and mud. After c.30 minutes and realising that we were well and truly dug in, we managed to find a kind farmer to extract us! Why I forgot to take any pics I will never know!!

A number of stops around the area failed to yield any Goshawk, and the lack of phone reception didn't help in trying to locate the Great Grey Shrike. On the plus side we jammed in on a singing Firecrest, along with the more expected woodland birds including plenty more Common Crossbill and Siskin. A distant raptor certainly looked good, but having stupidly walked down the hill without a scope I wasn't to firm up any ID (note to self - don't walk anywhere without a scope!!).

Driving up towards Llanbedr y Chenin we had a number of stops, and eventually found a smart Dipper along one of the many good looking rivers. Red Kites were very much in evidence with at least 5 birds, and a female Goosander flew over the car. Despite Google Maps attempting to take us to random locations we finally made it to Llanbedr y Chenin in good time (despite the numerous river stops).

Within seconds of arriving we were watching a couple of Hawfinch at the tops of the trees. However getting decent views was a different matter, with the birds very mobile and deciding to sit just the wrong side of branches! There was a minimum of 9 birds, but an accurate count was difficult given how mobile the flock was. We also distantly scoped a group of 5 Goosander and had another 4-5 Red Kite circling around above our heads.

A "posh" toilet stop for Iggy at Conwy RSPB allowed me to pick up a couple of Chiffchaff  in the car park, whilst an adult Mediterranean Gull flew over calling. By now the drizzle was becoming quite heavy, but undeterred we pushed onwards to Llandudno and the Great Orme. After navigating our way to the Mines, we were slightly miffed to find that the clouds were exceedingly low, reducing visibility to near zero.

A drive around and a scan from the Church resulted in a few Red Throated Diver, Shag, Cormorant, Guillemot, Razorbill. A stop by the café along Marine Drive produced my first 2 Wheatear of the year, but the cold wind definitely didn't make it feel much like Spring! Jackdaws were very much in evidence, but we just couldn't locate any Chough. We decided to carry on and have a mooch around the Limestone Pavement.

A wander around the rather windswept top produced very little other than 8-9 Stonechat and plenty of Meadow Pipit. But finally the sounds of Chough filled the air, but sadly views of a pair flying away were far from what was hoped for. The early start was starting to catch up with us both, so we decided to call it a (rather successful) day and head home. The drive home was uneventful, but we picked up the 21 Whooper Swan on the M56 at Frodsham (opposite Helsby Hill). I'll definitely be heading back to North Wales again soon, if nothing else to catch up with the Pied Flycatchers!