Mad Dogs and Englishmen (and Patchbirders)

Tuesday had been a scorcher with temperatures up to 34 degrees making life in general a little sweaty and uncomfortable. Today was not quite as hot (28 degrees), but the humidity was through the roof. Most "normal" people would probably head for somewhere cool, but I decided to spend a bit of time on patch to see what the warm weather had brought in.

I headed straight to Town Lane I scanned across the Pools from the gate. There was a good gathering of Black Tailed Godwit again with c.700 spread across the site. Again the spread of the birds meant getting a true count near impossible. There was also a single Greenshank and Common Sandpiper mooching around, but remarkably difficult to see among the Godwit. Duck numbers were well down with no sign of the Garganey or any Teal. 

With little on show from the gate I decided to walk down Town Lane to view the flooded fields. I managed to find a colour ringed Black Tailed Godwit (it'll be interesting to get the results of where it was ringed in due course) among the hordes of other Godwits. There were also at least 4 Ruff doing their best to hide among the group, all appeared to be moulting males. There was one absolute monster which was at least the same size as the Black Tailed Godwit. 

A single Snipe flew in and landed at the back of the flooded area, but the majority of my time was spent looking for further colour ringed Godwits. Looking across the road onto Hale Marsh there was a single Common Sandpiper in the brook. The decoy was a frenzy of Cormorants, whilst the Grey Heron youngsters appear to have fledged. A Sparrowhawk was circling over Great Boar Wood, whilst a few Common Buzzard were on the wing, but looking decidedly lazy in the warm sun.

Moving round to Carr Lane I found a Green Sandpiper on the flooded field, but other than a few Coot and Moorhen there was little else that I could make out from various vantage points. I had a further scan across Carr Lane Pools, and had a moment of panic when I picked up a Godwit that looked on first views like a Hudsonian. Fortunately it raised it's wings seconds later revealing a clean underwing, and allowing my pulse to return to normal.

Moving round to Within Way it felt even hotter with little to no breeze to cool me down. Small numbers of finches were buzzing around including c.75 Goldfinch c.15 Greenfinch and c.30 Linnet. Whilst the sky was full of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows, with the odd Sand Martin thrown in for good measure. A couple of Meadow Pipit and Yellow Wagtail were making the most of the remaining puddles, on the way down but there was little else and the end section seemed dead compared to recent visits.

The tide by now was rushing out, and there were 4 Common Sandpiper on the rocky shore at the end of Within Way. A good spread of c.400 Black Tailed Godwit were feeding on the muddy areas, whilst Curlew numbers continue to increase. A distant female/imm Marsh Harrier was feeding over Frodsham, and good numbers of Raven were wheeling around. However the heat haze was fairly horrific, making scanning difficult. A juvenile flava Wagtail dropped in by me for a moment, but otherwise it was quiet. The return walk produced a Peregrine circling up in the stratosphere, and a few Common Buzzard, but it seemed like the majority of birds were having a siesta.

Another quick look around Carr Lane resulted in the reappearance of the Egyptian Goose, whilst small parties of Black Tailed Godwit were constantly leaving the Pools towards the Mersey. With little else new in and having lost a stone in weight from the sauna-like conditions I decided to head home.

Blame it on the Weatherman

The long range forecast had promised heavy rain and cloud for the day, however it was dry and relatively bright when I woke. Looking at the forecast it indicated that it should be dry but a little overcast (maybe I should have just listened to the long range forecast!) But with the prospect of a bit of patch birding I headed out.

Starting at the gate on Town Lane I was pleased to find that the Black Tailed Godwit flock had returned with c.500 birds present. A Greenshank was feeding on the front edge of the island, whilst 2 Ruff were mingling with the Godwits. A small group of c.50 Godwit flew up revealing a single Bar Tailed Godwit, my first returning bird of the autumn. Ducks were in very short supply with only a single Eurasian Teal, 3 Gadwall, and the family party of Tufted Duck. The 1cy Hobby showed briefly at the back of Great Boar Wood.

I walked along Town Lane to the bridge but there was very little of note. The wet fields held more Black Tailed Godwits but there were no ducks at all today. Hale Marsh had an autumnal feel to it, with Meadow Pipits moving over. Bumping into Rob Cockbain we headed back to the gate where the Ruff were showing much better (the size difference between the two males was very surprising). A Sparrowhawk was sat distantly at the back of the second section of Great Boar Wood. The rain was just starting when I left and headed round to Carr Lane.

The flooded field is still a nightmare to view, but I made a number of attempts to get some angles into the area. I was rewarded with what were presumably all of the ducks that should normally be on the main Pools. 3 Garganey (2 eclipse male and a female), 4 Shoveler, 12 Eurasian Teal, 6 Gadwall and a good number of Coot. A Wood Sandpiper was walking along the back edge, whilst 2 Snipe were feeding away in the open alongside a couple of Redshank. Not a bad return, but near impossible to get a clear view of the entire area, so there could well have been more lurking in the corners.

The weather was really starting to close in as I headed to Pickerings Pasture. The approach track from United Utilities was probably the quietest I have seen it for some time, and with no distractions I reached the hide. The scrape had 57 Redshank roosting (my highest count for some time - and despite the fact it wasn't high tide!) and a single Black Tailed Godwit (who looked a bit miffed that he was on his own). 3 Little Ringed Plover were again feeding out on the Marsh, but otherwise it felt very slow.

A Peregrine was sat distantly on the Runcorn Bridge, whilst there were good numbers again of Curlew (c.150+). Gull numbers continue to swell with a big build up of Lesser Black Backed Gull with smaller numbers of Herring and Black Headed. A Greenshank was feeding along the edge of water under Hale Marsh, but there was surprisingly no Common Sandpiper today. The rain started to get heavier so I head back to the car to decide where to head next.

 

The rain had eased slightly so I decided to head round to Within Way. The hedges were alive with birds with the most numerous being Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Whitethroat. A pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker were very vocal by the farm. Skylark seemed to be everywhere, whilst the hedge/fence-line to Hale Marsh held a number of juvenile flava Wagtails. I had brief views of one of the juvenile Redstarts again, but again it was very skittish.

The rocks at the end of Within Way held 2 Common Sandpiper, but with the rain getting heavier again I gave up trying to scan the river (partly because I couldn't even see the other side). I spent longer scouring the bushes and was rewarded with the Lesser Whitethroat again, another brief view of the Redstart and good numbers of Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warbler. A number of Chiffchaff had also appeared, whilst I also picked out a Willow Warbler. A Corn Bunting was singing from the Barley field again, whilst finches were constantly on the move. Now soaked through I decided to call it a day and dry off.

Despite the weather an enjoyable patch visit. It will be interesting to see what the impending High pressure (bringing our BBQ Summer) brings along with it, hopefully lots of rare herons and maybe a Mediterranean speciality......I can but dream! 

Jacket On, Jacket Off, Jacket On, Jacket Off

The sun had at last returned and provided a bit more warmth to proceedings, however the blustery cool westerly still made it feel cold out of the sun. The return of the sun also meant a return of the heat haze....I thought I best get my excuses in before I post any pictures!

I decided to start on Within Way to have a look for a couple of Redstarts that Iggy had found last night. A couple of young Grey Wagtail were feeding in the farm entrance, whilst plenty of Goldfinch and Greenfinch were on the move. The House Sparrow flock seems to be building further with c.200 birds today. There was no sign of the Little Owl, but I did flush a Green Sandpiper from a small puddle nearby (why do they always go for the smallest puddle and overlook great big areas of suitable habitat?!).

Continuing down Within Way I eventually stumbled across the Redstarts, however to say that they were skittish would be an understatement. Waiting for them to show again I picked up a Lesser Whitethroat working its way along the hedge. Failing to see the Redstarts again I continued to the Mersey, which was nearing low tide. The Peregrine was sat on top of the blue topped chimney, but the Mersey itself was fairly dead and the strong haze made identification of anything on the wrong side of the Mersey near impossible.

Deciding to give the Redstarts a little more time resulted in some marginally better views, but the overgrown vegetation made getting clear views very difficult. They are both clearly recently fledged birds, but where they have come from is anyone's guess. A pair of Corn Bunting were singing in the barley field, and c.6 flava Wagtail were buzzing around again. A couple of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk moved over, making the most of the slightly warmer conditions. 

Moving back round to Town Lane it was pleasing to see that the Black Tailed Godwits had returned, with roughly 600 birds spread across the pools. The Egyptian Goose was again present, as was the family party of Tufted Duck. An adult Hobby was zooming around Great Boar Wood, whilst a Buzzard was staking it's claim to the dead tree. There were only small numbers of Mallard and Gadwall present on the Pools, and no sign of anything more interesting.

Wandering along Town Lane I eventually picked out a female Garganey asleep on the edge of the pools with a couple of Eurasian Teal, but there was no sign of the eclipse males or the Green Winged Teal. A Common Sandpiper was again by the bridge on Town Lane, but Hale Marsh was again relatively quiet other than the ever present Meadow Pipits and Skylark.

Despite it being low tide I thought I would check out the small gathering of Gulls at Pickerings Pasture. The walk down to the hide provided good views of a Goldcrest family, along with a few Blackcap and Whitethroat. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over, whilst a few small groups of Long Tailed Tits moved through. A Chiffchaff (with an almost entirely grey cap) was feeding just outside the hide, but that was about as exciting as it got. The 3 Little Ringed Plover were still feeding out on the Marsh but the small group of Black Headed Gulls didn't hold anything.

The Mersey itself was a lot more productive with a minimum of 12 Common Sandpiper feeding along the low tide line. A Greenshank was feeding on the edge just below the scrape pool with a small party of c.17 Redshank. Curlew numbers are increasing by the day with c.300 spread across the mud, with a small group of c.70 Lapwing. Gull numbers were also quite impressive, with a probably adult Yellow Legged Gull which was sat just a little to far away in the haze to be 100%. But with time running out I had to make a quick dash back to the car.

An enjoyable patch visit with some surprisingly good birding considering the time of year, hopefully things will only get better.....

   

Duck Day Afternoon

Considering it is meant to be summer, it really didn't feel like it today. The overcast sky and brisk wind made it feel cold, but fortunately the early rain had stopped during the majority of my visit. With chores to do at home I wasn't able to get out until late morning, by which time Rob and Carol Cockbain had already found a few nice bits (eclipse Garganey and Green Winged Teal).

Arriving at the gate on Town Lane I immediately picked up the Egyptian Goose feeding at the back of the pools, but there were next to no ducks besides a few manky eclipse Mallard and the Shelduck family. However, scanning across towards the wet fields along Town Lane I immediately picked up the Garganey.

Walking along Town Lane I managed to get better views of the scruffy looking Garganey. The Green Winged Teal had also joined the throng of 16 Eurasian Teal feeding in the pools, but despite probably having my closest views to date it was remarkably difficult to phone-scope behind the vegetation! The large Black Tailed Godwit flock had dispersed (presumably to feed on the river) and only 2 birds were left today. Scanning the surrounding fields and the 1cy Hobby dashed through towards Great Boar Wood, and at least 3 Sparrowhawk were on the wing across the skyline.

Hale Marsh held a few more Black Tailed Godwit, whilst the decoy was again full of Cormorant and a few Grey Heron. Scanning the edges of the marsh I was surprised to find a male Whinchat, a rather strange date (being well over a month earlier than most of the returning birds). There were also good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Skylark around, whilst a Sedge Warbler was still displaying in the field by the housing estate.

Returning to the gate I was pleasantly surprised to find a further Garganey which showed well, whilst actively preening. More duck had returned as well with 5 Shoveler, 7 Eurasian Teal, 19 Mallard and a female Tufted Duck (with 7 chicks). Moving round to Carr Lane I bumped into Iggy and we had a brief flight view of one of the Garganey, whilst the 1cy Hobby was hunting Swifts over the decoy. 

I left Iggy looking at the Garganey to explore Hale Park for the first time in a while. It was fairly overgrown everywhere, but there was a good selection of the specialities. Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Coal Tit whilst there were Blackcap and Whitethroat everywhere, with smaller numbers of phylloscs. The fields towards Hale Shore held a couple of Grey Partridge and Mistle Thrush, but it seemed fairly quiet. The tide was pretty much at its lowest point and there seemed to be very little about, however scanning Frodsham Score I did pick up a Great White Egret (my first in a number of months).

Within Way produced the majority of expected species with a good flock of c.150 House Sparrow, 30 Goldfinch, 20 Linnet and 15 Greenfinch. The Little Owl was showing well in it's usual tree, and it was great to hear the excitement in the voices of the couple who looked through my scope (it's never too late to get into birding!!) There were a number of Yellow Wagtails moving around, and the hedgerow at the edge of Hale Marsh held at least 6 juveniles. Scanning the river there were c.750 Black Tailed Godwit, c.200 Lapwing and 7 Dunlin, but with the clouds getting blacker and heavier I decided to make a tactical retreat back to the car.

With light drizzle in the air I stopped at the bridge on Town Lane, where I caught up with the 3 Common Sandpiper that Iggy had found in my absence. One of the Garganey was still present on the flooded section and 15 Black Tailed Godwit had returned. Scanning the Marsh I suddenly heard a Sandwich Tern, looking up an adult bird sailed right over my head and towards Pickerings Pasture. Although not a million miles away from the roost I wonder where it had come from (it sounded like it had come from the direction of Great Boar Wood?!).  By now the rain was getting heavier and heavier and with no brightness or breaks in the cloud in sight I headed home.

  

One good Tern

A mixed day of weather with generally dry and bright conditions but very blustery. However if you were unfortunate to get in the way of one of the rouge showers you could get a drenching (as Iggy and I did this afternoon!). I had been down at Otterspool Promenade watching Mediterranean Gulls when 7 adult Sandwich Terns flew south in the direction of the patch. Needless to say the engine was fired up and I was heading towards patch minutes later.

I had given Iggy a ring on the way, and I arrived seconds in front of him. Setting up our scopes quickly we nearly had our heads taken off by an exceedingly low juvenile Peregrine. A couple of Yellow Wagtail were buzzing around over the fields whilst smaller numbers of Swifts and Swallows were moving south. A "comic" Tern flew west, but remained a little too distant to positively ID. With the haze making things difficult we decided to head down to the Lighthouse.

We were both rather surprised to see a juvenile Wheatear fly up from in front of us. Double checking to make sure it was nothing rarer, we spent a while watching it being pushed up and down the track by the Sunday walkers. Arriving by the Lighthouse we had excellent views of a Kestrel that decided to conveniently hover close to where we were standing, whilst it was constantly mobbed by a procession of Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Linnet.

After much scanning I eventually picked up a very distant juvenile Sandwich Tern (only my 2nd patch record - involving 5 birds). A few groups of Black Tailed Godwit moved through, presumably to either roost at Frodsham or Carr Lane Pools. The Score again was covered in Canada Geese, but it was interesting to find at least 26 Greylag Geese (a surprisingly rare bird on the Hale side of the Mersey). There were again good numbers of Raven, whilst small groups of waders, gulls and ducks were roosting a little too distantly to have a proper look through. However a very smart 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull flew past at about mid range, my first of the summer.

By now the clouds and rain were now heading rather quickly towards us, and we thought it may be best to head back to the car. Swifts were dropping out of the heights ahead of the rain, whilst smaller numbers of mixed hirundines were joining the feeding frenzy. Our fatal mistake was to have another look at the Wheatear, which delayed us just long enough to get drenched on the final walk back to the cars.

With the rain looking fairly set in, I decided to save my birding brownie points and head home. All in all a fairly successful brief patch visit, just a shame that the rain decided to get in the way!!