Raptors Galore

A late afternoon visit to the patch is always good fun at this time of year, and today was no exception. Although it was another bitterly cold afternoon, it was dry and bright. The late afternoon light bathed the whole patch in an amazing golden glow, and it was a real joy to get out and about.

I decided to have another look at the Water Pipits and headed straight to Carr Lane. However apart from a brief sighting of a bird in flight which appeared to land somewhere along the fencing I couldn't relocate any birds. The Pools were relatively quiet with a handful of Black Tailed Godwit and Redshank, and the usual selection of ducks - Eurasian Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler. I WhatsApp message from Sean O'Hara let me know that the Water Pipits were showing well from Town Lane, so with limited time available I headed straight round.

Parking up on the bridge on Town Lane I immediately located the Water Pipits and they were indeed showing well on the flooded field. The rest of the Pools were relatively quiet, with a couple of Eurasian Teal and a single Common Snipe. A Sparrowhawk was over Great Boar Wood, whilst a couple of Kestrel were feeding around Hale Marsh.

I decided to head round to Church Lane and have a quick scan of the Mersey, hoping that there may be something decent on the high tide. However other than a few Great Crested Grebe, and a good number of Wigeon and Eurasian Teal there was very little on the River itself. Frodsham Score and Ince Marshes were marginally more productive with 9 Whooper Swan, single Great White Egret and 9+ Little Egret. 

Grey Partridge appeared to be everywhere, with a minimum count of 30+ birds spread across the field. There were also good numbers of Curlew with at least 70 birds feeding in the fields. The light was amazing and it was great to see massive flocks of waders murmerating over Frodsham Score - even at a distance it was easy to pick out a good mix of species. With light fading I decided to head round to Within Way to check out the raptors coming into roost. 

 

Walking along Within Way it was great to catch up with one of the local Little Owls, although it was not particularly showy. Moving on I stopped at what is normally a good vantage point for raptors, it wasn't to disappoint. Over the next 30 minutes I picked up 2 Merlin (a 2cy male and female), 3 Peregrine (albeit 1 was sat VERY distantly on the Runcorn Bridge), 2 Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and 5 Kestrel. Whilst scanning Frodsham Hill I also picked up a distant creamy crowned Marsh Harrier, although it was a little too distant to age.

I returned to the bridge on Town Lane, but I had clearly missed any of the Egrets going to roost tonight. A Kingfisher darted along the ditch, whilst I could hear a Water Pipit calling from somewhere behind me. A couple of Grey Wagtail flew over my head, and eventually 2 Little Egret flew in from the west and appeared to land in the decoy, but a fairly disappointing return. 

A brief stop on Carr Lane on the way home produced a single Water Rail squealing, but very little else. Still a very enjoyable couple of hours on patch; and it's looking like it's going to be another good winter on patch for raptors.

Kicking off the Weekend

I had again had to put up with decent birds (Siberian Chiffchaff on Wednesday) being found on patch during the week with no chance of getting out; so after a very long week at work, I decided to take Friday afternoon off and get a few hours out on patch before the sun went down. It was another gorgeous bright afternoon on patch, with barely a cloud in the sky. However it was bitterly cold again, and only got colder as the sun dropped.

The flooded field along Carr Lane was pretty much entirely iced over still, and it seemed strange to see the area so quiet. However after a little perseverance I managed to locate the Cetti's Warbler near to the bridge, whilst a Water Rail was squealing from deep in the reeds. A couple of Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit were on the move, and a Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and a couple of Kestrel were enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Moving round and parking up on the bridge on Town Lane I quickly picked up one of the Water Pipit. At least 3 Stonechat were still around the Pools and the edges of Hale Marsh, with a male Merlin causing panic with one of the birds as it dashed through. A Peregrine bombed into the decoy, but presumably perched up just out of sight. 3 Little Egret were feeding out on the marsh, and a few Common Snipe were flying around.

The Canada Goose gaggle which seems to have taken up residence on the winter wheat field along Town Lane, had finally drawn some "better" geese in. A minimum of 44 Pink Footed Geese was great to see, whilst a single Barnacle Goose was also hiding among the Canada's. Okay, not the most amazing species, but it at least gives me hope that something else may eventually get lured into the group.

I parked up at the entrance to the United Utilities Water Treatment plant, and worked the area down towards the hide. Rob Cockbain had a probably Siberian Chiffchaff on Wednesday, but sadly there was no sign today. There were good numbers of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tit, whilst a decent number of Goldcrest were buzzing around. Approaching the hide I suddenly picked up a Yellow Browed Warbler among one of the flocks. Given the late date, I made sure I excluded anything rarer; sadly it was quite a bright bird, and when it started calling it clearly ruled out any chance of Hume's. 

The scrape was very quiet, probably not too surprising given the low tide. However the Mersey held some impressive wader flocks, including c.1200 Golden Plover, c.2000 Dunlin, Little Stint among the expected species. The pair of Peregrine were again sat up on the Runcorn Bridge, but a little too distant to really see well. Thousands of Gulls were streaming west up the Mersey, so with a little time still available I decided to head round to the Lighthouse.

Although Gull numbers were indeed impressive, the majority were roosting too far out to do much with. I estimated there were c.15,000 Gulls spread across the mud, and numbers are only likely to build over the next couple of weeks. I'll be checking the conditions a bit more closely and will hopefully get some decent Gulling sessions in soon. A couple of Rock Pipit were flying around by the Lighthouse rocks, whilst a quick scan of Frodsham Score/Ince Marshes picked out the Whooper Swans, a female Marsh Harrier and a couple of Little Egret.

The sunset was pretty impressive over the Mersey tonight, although with clear skies I think it going to be a cold one. A covey of 17 Grey Partridge were feeding out in the open as I headed back to the car. I headed back to the bridge on Town Lane briefly and bumped into Mike Roberts. 3 Water Pipit were now feeding on the edge of the flood, whilst the Pink Footed Geese were now segregated from the Canada Geese in the far corner of the field. As the light continued to fade I decided to have one last look at the flood on Carr Lane. Water Rails appeared to be everywhere, with at least 7 separate birds seen on the flooded field, and a further 3 squealing from the back of Carr Lane Pools. This is by far the largest number of birds I have seen locally (probably in my life?). With the light all but gone, I decided to head home to warm up.

  

Pea-Souper

The weather forecast for the weekend wasn't great for today, with Freezing Fog forecast. However waking up before 6am it was still clear as a bell, and I was hopeful that the forecast had been wrong.....sadly by the time I managed to get out the fog had arrived, and it turned out to be a real pea-souper. Driving towards patch it grew colder and colder, and arriving on Carr Lane the thermometer was reading -4. Brrrrrr!!

The flooded field on Carr Lane was completely iced over, whilst the paddock in front of Carr Lane Pools was just as bad. It wasn't too much of a surprise that there was little about. A Water Rail squealed briefly, whilst a few Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit flew over somewhere in the fog. A Buzzard was mewing away in the distance, but other than a few Wren and mixed Tit flock it was eerily quiet. I bumped into Mike Roberts, but with little about I decided to head round to Pickerings.

I could hear a couple of Grey Partridge calling as I walked towards the United Utilities entrance, whilst a few Robin and Dunnock fed quietly under the hedges. There were good numbers of Long-tailed, Great and Blue Tits feeding in the first stretch of footpath again and I spent a good half an hour chasing the flock. Sadly my only rewards today were 2 Woodcock that I flushed from some cover, a single Common Chiffchaff and a male Blackcap. There has clearly been a big cold weather movement of Goldcrest as well, with a minimum of 18 birds around.

A single Little Egret was all that I could see from the screen at the Scrape, with the fog seemingly getting even thicker. I returned to the car by the same route, again spending a lot of time checking the flocks. Sadly there was no sign of the Yellow-browed Warbler (although it was again seen this afternoon) or tristis Chiffchaff today, but a few Siskin and Redpoll flew over invisible in the thick fog. A Great Spotted Woodpecker had joined one of the roving flocks, but it was pretty much the same stuff again.

Parking up on the bridge on Town Lane I managed to pick up 2 ghostly Water Pipit creeping along the edge of the flood. The rest of the flood was devoid of life, other than 5 Eurasian Teal that flew in and skated across the frozen water. I could hear some Pink Footed Geese "wink-wink"ing from the field, but the fog was so dense I couldn't see anything at all. Walking along the road I flushed roughly 20 Common Snipe from the wetter areas that had avoided the heavy frost. Narrowly avoiding being run over I decided to retreat to a slightly safer area.

I had a slow drive around Hale village again listening for Waxwing without success, before heading over to Within Way. Coal Tit, Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were feeding around the gardens at the end of Within Way, but the main track was devoid of life. The fog seemed to be getter worse (if that was possible), so I decided to have one last try at the car park at Pickerings Pasture.

Fortunately the sun had just started to break through, and with it the temperature increased by about 6 degrees to a balmy 3 degrees....! A couple of Bullfinch were in the hedge running down to the Mersey, whilst the feeders were alive with Chaffinch, House Sparrow and Goldfinch. A male Sparrowhawk was making the most of the brightness. I picked up a Peregrine sat up on the Runcorn Bridge, whilst there were good numbers of gulls and waders on no-mans land (though the light and fog made ID difficult).

Giving up on the river I decided to have a look at the back of Pickerings and the control meadows. Small numbers of Redwing, Fieldfare and Chaffinch were moving around in the bushes among Blackbirds, Song Thrush and a few small tit flocks. Walking along I was frustrated as the fog again started rolling in, and with little moving and the temperature plummeting again I decided to save some of my brownie points and head home. 

Swamp Donkey - The Revenge

A busy week of work meant no patch birding, but as I was staying close to Alkborough I felt that it would be rude not to drop in and have a 2nd attempt for the Western Swamphen. Stupidly I had left my phone at home, but fortunately I hadn't been so stupid to leave my Scope and Bins. An early finish on Friday had me making a return journey to Alkborough, although the SatNav clearly didn't like trying to relocate it again!

Eventually finding the car park I made my way over to the viewing area from the back of the Paddocks. There were good numbers of Yellowhammer and Linnet moving around, whilst a Sparrowhawk drifted over causing mass panic. It really is a good looking reserve, and I wouldn't be too surprised if something else good has me returning in the next few years. I could hear Cetti's Warbler and Bearded Tit even from my position whilst Marsh Harriers were drifting over the Reedbeds.

Fortunately the Western Swamphen decided to be a lot more forthcoming this time, and it only took me 15 minutes to eventually pick it up feeding on the left hand edge of the "square pool". Despite the long range, and my long-standing antipathy towards twitching it, it was still a smart bird. Not quite the same as watching thousands abroad in much warmer climes, but a potential tick in waiting. It will be interesting to see whether it does get through the BOU, but at least now I won't be looking back regretting not having seen it.

Boom da Cetti

Although October was coming to a close there was still hope that something may turn up; but after some painfully slow visits my expectations had plummeted to new depths. Another rather cold, grey day with light westerly winds - not exactly the best for pushing something onto patch. But as with the rest of the year I decided to persevere, despite the temptations of the Eastern Black Redstart on the East coast.

The number of rare Wheatears and Chats turning up had me checking Burnt Mill Farm (a favourite area for Spring birds). Sadly there were no Wheatears or Chats, but there were masses of Fieldfare and Redwing on the move, many spiralling down into the gardens in Halewood. 3 Pink Footed Geese flew over to the north, whilst there was a single Corn Bunting, 2 Grey Partridge and a single Stonechat along the paddock edges.

I moved down to the "Ibis Pool" on Carr Lane, where there were 2 Black Tailed Godwit, 30+ Eurasian Teal and loads of Moorhen feeding. I suddenly heard a snatch of loud "chuks", "tsuks", "chips" and some other strange combinations of calls before an almighty burst of Cetti's Warbler call. This is surprisingly only my 3rd patch record, all in October (06/10/14 and 18/10/15) and probably relating to post breeding dispersal of birds. A group of local scallys with dogs then decided to walk through the back of the Pool, which was actually quite productive - with them managing to flush 38 Common Snipe, 146 Eurasian Teal (I didn't realise that there were actually that many in there!!), 3 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler and a Wigeon.

   

Scanning across towards Carr Lane Pools revealed 3 Mute Swan (a rare sight actually on patch), whilst there were 3 Ruff, 12 Black Tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank and a selection of Eurasian Teal, Shoveler and Wigeon. A Merlin drifted through and headed away towards Hale Marsh, whilst there were a few Kestrel, Common Buzzard and a single Sparrowhawk doing the rounds. I was joined by Iggy for a quick catch up before he had to book his flights to Thailand (lucky git!), so I decided to head round to Within Way.

The gardens at the end of Within Way held a few Nuthatch and mixed Tits, whilst the trees by the farm held some good numbers of Goldfinch. The walk down Within Way was relatively quiet, but was enlivened by a very strange Bunting sp. that flew over to the south which sounded more like a feldegg type Wagtail?! Sadly I didn't get much on it as it was silhouetted against the sky, maybe one that got away? A few Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail and small numbers of Fieldfare were moving around but it felt relatively quiet.

It was quite a big tide (7.9m) and it had pushed a few waders onto Hale Marsh including 4 Turnstone, 3 Grey Plover and a small number of Dunlin, Redshank and Curlew. One of the local Peregrines was sat lower down on the blue topped chimney, keeping out of the cool light breeze. The Weaver sluice area held at least 7 Great Crested Grebe, but it always amazes me that there are not more ducks or grebes present here.

I again decided to carry on and do a full loop of Hale Head. At least 3 Stonechat were present, sadly all clearly hibernans. Small groups of Linnets and Goldfinch kept me busy checking for anything rarer amongst them. There were very good numbers of Skylark present, but very few Pipits, with only c.20 Meadow Pipits seen in total. The reedbed east of the Lighthouse held a squealing Water Rail, nice to see that they have returned for the winter already.

Frodsham Score and Ince Marshes were full of Wigeon, Eurasian Teal and masses of waders displaced by the high tide. A juvenile Peregrine was causing chaos among the waders, which included a few Knot, Grey Plover and c.300 Golden Plover. A Great White Egret was easily picked out among c.12 Little Egret, but as ever was pretty much a dot. A female Marsh Harrier was getting a good going over from the local Raven population, and didn't stick around for long. The rest of the walk along Lighthouse Lane and Church Lane was quiet, with only a small covey of Grey Partridge present in the end field.

I had a quick stop at the bridge on Town Lane which produced a Kingfisher and 2 Grey Wagtail. Hale Marsh appeared quiet, but held a pair of Little Egret and a single female Merlin sat along the fenceline on the western boundary of the Marsh. A pair of Stonechat were sat miles out on the marsh, but even from a distance didn't look like anything better than the nominate race.

Not a bad patch visit, but it clearly is starting to feel a lot more like winter birding now. The question is what will November bring, hopefully there is still time for a late autumn migrant.....