Good to be home! (1 Viewer)

[Andy Wraithmell]

Staying at my parents house in Murdishaw, Runcorn for the next 2 weeks (although we'll be staying in Criccieth for 4 days as well). Birding at my old mans patch which is a loop around the Bridgewater Canal. Great to catch up with some birds I haven't seen in a few years. So far the highlights have been Raven, Bullfinch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Yellowhammer, 3 Buzzards and a House Martin. Yesterday we took my daughter to the small zoo at Walton Gardens and I spotted a large kettle of about 200 gulls soaring high over the Moore area. We were delighted to see a Glaucous Gull amongst them. Presumably these birds had been flushed from the landfill which we could smell! I'll be posting pictures to my blog when we get back home to Florida.

 

[Andy Wraithmell]

Went to Wigg Island and Pickering Pasture today. Had a singing Willow Warbler and 10+ Blackcaps at Wigg Island and there was a Ruff and 2 Gadwall from the hide at Pickering Pasture. Heading to Gwynedd tomorrow for 4 days.

 

[Andy Wraithmell]

At Burton Marsh RSPB this afternoon we had a nice flock of about 20 Black-tailed Godwits, although they were actually on the other side at IMF. Things have changed a bit at the reserve since my last visit some 10 years ago. For the better...the RSPB have done a fantastic job. We've got the birds in Florida but the majority of our reserves are not AS visitor friendly. Anyway we also had a Little Ringed Plover, quite a few Avocets, Greenshanks, a Yellow Wagtail, and lots of hirundines.
Earlier in the day while exploring tidal pools on the beach at New Brighton we had a nice flock of 11 Little Gulls and a Greenland type Wheatear alighted on the rocks briefly before heading up the Mersey shoreline. There was a small but obvious flight of finches and Meadow Pipits overhead...mostly Goldfinches.

 

[Andy Wraithmell]

A singing Blackbird woke me up at 545 this morning so I got up and went for a 2 hour walk around the Bridgewater Canal and fields behind my parents house. At least 6 Skylarks were singing and several Blackcaps. Two male Whitethroats were singing in the bramble patch along the railway line embankment. Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings were also acting territorial. A Common Buzzard was knocking about and I'm still enjoying how much more common this species has become since I moved to Florida in 2004. Ravens too, one flew over calling. Always nice to see Yellowhammers and singing Willow Warblers. A Grey Wagtail was my final highlight of the morning.

 

[tigertom]

A singing Blackbird woke me up at 545 this morning so I got up and went for a 2 hour walk around the Bridgewater Canal and fields behind my parents house. At least 6 Skylarks were singing and several Blackcaps. Two male Whitethroats were singing in the bramble patch along the railway line embankment. Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings were also acting territorial. A Common Buzzard was knocking about and I'm still enjoying how much more common this species has become since I moved to Florida in 2004. Ravens too, one flew over calling. Always nice to see Yellowhammers and singing Willow Warblers. A Grey Wagtail was my final highlight of the morning.

I know this patch very well myself as I live just up the road in murdishaw
also: some interesting walks rouud this way and some good birds to seen though have not really ever listed all that I have seen around this patch some off my recent ones are Wheatear yellow wagtail snipe and tree pipit( this one dropped in to land on fence post 8ft from me the other week got is breath back and then few off high toward Moore) and in the wood land further on towards sandymoore lots of woodland birds to seen inc green woodpeckers garden warblers willow tits and kingfishers along kekwick brook as well. A nice local patch. The raven you seen will be from the water tower they have been there for few years now
|=)|MIKE:cat:

 

[Andy Wraithmell]

Last day here so got up at 545 and went for a 2.5 hr walk around the canal loop. Very windy but managed Sedge Warbler, 5 Whitethroats, 6 Willow Warblers, 10 Blackcaps, 5 Swifts, 2 Sand Martins and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Before lunch we had a short walk at Pickerings Pasture but didn't really see much of note. A Little Egret was feeding in the small pool in front of the hide. Lots of Black-headed Gulls on the river and a couple of Grey Plovers in summer plumage.

Looking forward to some nice weather back home now!