Burton Mere Wetlands (1 Viewer)

[Swifty49]

Went to Burton Mere for the first time yesterday. Lovely place, good facilities and and very welcoming staff.

No doubt regulars will know all the usual suspects on display but here they are anyway.

From the centre; BH Gull, oystercatcher, lesser BB gull, common gull, coot, pochard, Canada goose, teal, tufted duck, mallard, heron, great white egret, little egret, black-tailed godwit, redshank, ruff, cape shelduck (had me puzzled, apparently an escapee that keeps returning) spotted redshank (reported but not seen)

Marsh Covert Hide; wigeon, heron, teal, black-tailed godwit, redshank, dunlin, snipe, pintail, curlew, coot, mallard, Canada goose, tufted duck, hen harrier (reported to have killed a teal earlier in the morning but not seen by me)

Small birds on the feeders; blue tit, great tit, nuthatch, chaffinch, goldfinch, robin.

Woodpecker heard, but not seen in the car park.

At one point a party of women (something to do with some university trust or project) descended on Marsh Covert Hide and proceeded to host what sounded like a WI tea-party. I have never heard noise like it in a bird-hide before!

All in all a very pleasant day apart from the cackling of the WI hens!


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[captaincarot]

At one point a party of women (something to do with some university trust or project) descended on Marsh Covert Hide and proceeded to host what sounded like a WI tea-party. I have never heard noise like it in a bird-hide before!

All in all a very pleasant day apart from the cackling of the WI hens!


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i have it appears to be a special feature of burton mere that gaggles of women descend on the hide and start making a row. i've absolutely no idea why they think everyone inthe hide would wish to hear about their last holiday or some rubbish about their grand kids. the hides need signs in them indicating that they should respect the other hide inhabitants and shut up

if you want proper birding with peace an quiet, go to IMF

 

[bradinho]

i have it appears to be a special feature of burton mere that gaggles of women descend on the hide and start making a row. i've absolutely no idea why they think everyone inthe hide would wish to hear about their last holiday or some rubbish about their grand kids. the hides need signs in them indicating that they should respect the other hide inhabitants and shut up

if you want proper birding with peace an quiet, go to IMF

There are signs up and at busy periods we are trying to find time to send staff/volunteers down there to control this situation.

And yes IMF hide is lovely and peaceful ... apart from when a few dudes descend on it and endlessy talk about the twitches they've been on! Lets not have any sexism on here

 

[captaincarot]

There are signs up and at busy periods we are trying to find time to send staff/volunteers down there to control this situation.

And yes IMF hide is lovely and peaceful ... apart from when a few dudes descend on it and endlessy talk about the twitches they've been on! Lets not have any sexism on here

rather hilariously, or not depending on your point of view, last time i was there it was a woman wearing the typical volunteers uniform, who was leading the gaggle towards the height of their crescendo.

 

[Swifty49]

Three avocets at Inner Marsh Farm on Wednesday 14th and nothing else out of the ordinary. Female bullfinch on the feeders at Burton Mere Wetlands.

Couple of shots of the avocets at IMF, taken with a Canon SX30IS at full 35x zoom (840mm) then cropped

 

[bradinho]

rather hilariously, or not depending on your point of view, last time i was there it was a woman wearing the typical volunteers uniform, who was leading the gaggle towards the height of their crescendo.

This wouldn't have been in the Marsh Covert hide would it now?

As you know the level of noise in the Reception building can get high but it doesn't really matter because of the double glazing and the birds are not affected.

If you find the noise in the reception building not to your liking then go to the "Dugout" screen for the same views w/o the "gaggles" of talkers.

Most of yesterdays redshank are still here (around 100) and amonst them hide at least 7 spotted redshank, 4 ruff and a common sandpiper .... no sign of yesterdays lesser spotted woodpecker.

Great White Egret seen on Burton Marsh.

Yellow and white wagtail at IMf plus wheatears - ploughed field.

Peace

 

[captaincarot]

This wouldn't have been in the Marsh Covert hide would it now?

Peace

yeah it was in the hide not the visitor center and reasonably early on after you had first opened,
i'd put it down to over enthusiastic volunteer attempting to help and the signs appeared to be having an effect last time i was in, indeed one of the people being noisy held one in their hand and called loudly ooh they don't mean us do they.

 

[Jaff]

I'd have thought the 'Quiet, Birds Have Ears' sign would be a standard fitting in any hide.

 

[bradinho]

yeah it was in the hide not the visitor center and reasonably early on after you had first opened,
i'd put it down to over enthusiastic volunteer attempting to help and the signs appeared to be having an effect last time i was in, indeed one of the people being noisy held one in their hand and called loudly ooh they don't mean us do they.

OMG! Classic quote will have to use that one on the after dinner circuit!

 

[Peugeot]

Noise levels in Bird Hides

Hi Swifty 49 and Captaincarot

First of all,I'm 100% behind Paul on this one,and I think that on visiting Burton Mere Wetlands,the most important thing to realise is what an absolutely brilliant place it is,and to support all of the RSPB members of staff and volunteers in their efforts to make it enjoyable for everyone who visits the reserve.
The point raised is of coarse,purely a matter of how you percieve the way in which Birdwatching should be enjoyed,and from a personal point of view,I always talk quietly whilst in Hides,as a means of showing respect to other people who are present at the same time,but do I think that noise affects the birds in any way....................NO!!!
My point of view is quite simple,
If you visit a park in the heart of any city,you will see dogs running around everywhere,and both adults and children talking and shouting away merrily,whilst also there will be cars driving in and out constantly,but the place will be full to the rafters of birds,and when birds visit a nature reserve,they don't know that it is a nature reserve,because they can't read,and they will very happily adapt to any noise or activity from the people who visit it.
Try visiting RSPB Vallley Wetlands on Anglesey,and you will see jets and helicopters flying very low over the reserve non stop from Monday to Friday every week,and I can tell you from over 45 years experience of Birding there,that you won't see a single bird budge at any point whatsoever,and it is one of the very finest places to enjoy wildlife anywhere in the U.K.
So........Let's see someone put a sign at Valley Wetlands saying "Quiet please,birds have ears too"

Cheers Denzil

 

[captaincarot]

anything nice about today paul, i may with a lot of luck possibly be able to get over tomorrow, if i can get my car back from the garage today

 

[bradinho]

anything nice about today paul, i may with a lot of luck possibly be able to get over tomorrow, if i can get my car back from the garage today

Sorry to miss this one (can't read this everyday). I always try to post sightings on the excellent www.deeestuary.co.uk though.

Todays highlights include whimbrel, yellow wag, ruff, spot red and tree sparrow!

 

[captaincarot]

Sorry to miss this one (can't read this everyday). I always try to post sightings on the excellent www.deeestuary.co.uk though.

Todays highlights include whimbrel, yellow wag, ruff, spot red and tree sparrow!

no worries the car comitted suicide anyway before i could get it to move anywhere so the day was cancelled, 4 of that list would have been year ticks

 

[Swifty49]

Hi Swifty 49 and Captaincarot

First of all,I'm 100% behind Paul on this one,and I think that on visiting Burton Mere Wetlands,the most important thing to realise is what an absolutely brilliant place it is,and to support all of the RSPB members of staff and volunteers in their efforts to make it enjoyable for everyone who visits the reserve.
The point raised is of coarse,purely a matter of how you percieve the way in which Birdwatching should be enjoyed,and from a personal point of view,I always talk quietly whilst in Hides,as a means of showing respect to other people who are present at the same time,but do I think that noise affects the birds in any way....................NO!!!
My point of view is quite simple,
If you visit a park in the heart of any city,you will see dogs running around everywhere,and both adults and children talking and shouting away merrily,whilst also there will be cars driving in and out constantly,but the place will be full to the rafters of birds,and when birds visit a nature reserve,they don't know that it is a nature reserve,because they can't read,and they will very happily adapt to any noise or activity from the people who visit it.
Try visiting RSPB Vallley Wetlands on Anglesey,and you will see jets and helicopters flying very low over the reserve non stop from Monday to Friday every week,and I can tell you from over 45 years experience of Birding there,that you won't see a single bird budge at any point whatsoever,and it is one of the very finest places to enjoy wildlife anywhere in the U.K.
So........Let's see someone put a sign at Valley Wetlands saying "Quiet please,birds have ears too"

Cheers Denzil

Fortunately the birds don't seem affected by the noise, but I do! If I'd wanted to listen to a bunch of women nattering about the grandchild's first tooth or where to get the best exchange rate for the Euro, I would have elected to spend my morning in Starbucks and not in Marsh Covert Hide! It's a simple matter of consideration for others which, sadly, seems to be on the decline.

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[Jeanie]

I was in Marsh Covert hide this morning. It was quiet except for two chaps crunching their way through crisps and discussing football and ones trip to New Zealand.
Maybe the chaps moaning about women discussing their grandchildren would have joined in the football chatter and not seen it as an inconvenience but a way to pass a very slow for birds moment.
I too get irritated if people make a lot of noise in a hide but on average, because there's normally more men, it's the chaps doing the monolog.

 

[Swifty49]

I was in Marsh Covert hide this morning. It was quiet except for two chaps crunching their way through crisps and discussing football and ones trip to New Zealand.
Maybe the chaps moaning about women discussing their grandchildren would have joined in the football chatter and not seen it as an inconvenience but a way to pass a very slow for birds moment.
I too get irritated if people make a lot of noise in a hide but on average, because there's normally more men, it's the chaps doing the monolog.

I think the key words are volume and numbers! It's natural to chat in a hide at a low volume but the specific incident involved a dozen or more women (many without binoculars) who were part of an organised party and just chose to treat the hide like the coffee shop at John Lewis.

 

[Swifty49]

Went to RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands for the afternoon today. Weather stayed dry and although there was the usual summer dearth of species, there was enough going on to keep me interested. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the green sandpipers that have been frequenting there of late, but they were a no-show, unfortunately.

Birds on view from the centre building included black-headed gulls nesting, a family of shelducks, black-tailed godwits, a pair of nesting common terns, little egrets and all the usual suspects like coots, mallards, etc.

From the Marsh Covert hide I saw greenshanks, godwits, little grebe, tufted ducks and a surreptitious fox! Shortly after arriving a cuckoo lolloped onto a bush about 70yds away but before I could get any form of glass up to my eye it had flown off again, to offer a view from the centre.

There were a few birds on the feeders including tits and a female bullfinch.

Had a look through one of the new RSPB HD scopes in the centre which was a 25-50x82mm and was very impressive, particularly at full zoom.

I would have liked to have gone to Inner Marsh Farm too, but it's not open on Tuesdays.

Can't post any photos as I am awaiting Photoshop CS6 and have no means of cropping or re-sizing at the moment.

 

[ronald surgenor]

Hi all, i've a friends birthday in the area next weekend and I'm hoping to pay a visit to this spot on friday 28th (flying in from sunny n.ireland), is it best to come near the local high water period, or does it not make a massive difference to bird numbers. Any rarities I should be looking out for in the local area as well btw ;-)

 

[bradinho]

Hi all, i've a friends birthday in the area next weekend and I'm hoping to pay a visit to this spot on friday 28th (flying in from sunny n.ireland), is it best to come near the local high water period, or does it not make a massive difference to bird numbers. Any rarities I should be looking out for in the local area as well btw ;-)

The tide on the 28th isnt really significant on the lower part of the estuary (BMW to Parkgate). All the info on the reserve at www.rspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands and the wider area www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary

A really nice website for info and sightings around the area is www.deeestuary.co.uk and in the imterest of fairness http://cheshirebirdnews.blogspot.co.uk/ is a good one for sightings too.

For a chat why not phone the Visitor Centre at BMW on 0151 353 8478

 

[ronald surgenor]

Thanks for the info, I think I'll pack a few extra memory cards for the camera ;-)