Red Rocks Marsh NNR, Merseyside (1 Viewer)

[Jane Turner]

A funny sort of day to day. Really quite quiet early on - with little evidence of any new arrivals. 7 Chiffchaffs at various locations, still 3 Reed Warblers in the reed bed, a Jay and a Great spotted Woodpecker. As we were leaving a Goldcrest called in the point Buckthorn then suddenly there was a right cafuffle of alarms. Robin, Wren and a deep thrush-like chacking, a croaking noise and rattles. I only got a glimpse of the bird making the rattle - but it did appear large, long-tailed and grey brown. I'd broken my microphone the day earlier - so was using a very suboptimal one. Fortunately there is just enough on the recording to prove it was a Barred Warbler. While we were staking it out - and hearing it rattle a couple more times, deep in the Buckthorn. A nuthatch flew over high and two Wheatears arrived.


Yesterday there was a record 2000+ Black-tailed Godwits and a Golden Plover 5 White Wagtails a Blackcap and another unidentified Sylvia seen distantly in flight only

The day before Grasshopper Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Yellowhammer, 12 Chiffchaff and 8 Grey Wagtail

Except that the Garden warbler wasn't seen well by either of us - we both assumed that the other had seen enough to ID it and on reflection was rather huge! I'd assumed the two birds were Blackcap and Willow warbler as they flicked between bushes - I only saw the back of the head though a dense bush on the larger bird - and it wasn't a Blackcap whilst the WW was actually a Lesser Whitethroat. Possibly a classic reverse string!

 

[Jane Turner]

recording here.... https://soundcloud.com/jane-turner-...-pass-filter-and-amplified-no-noise-reduction

replacement microphone in the post!

 

[Jane Turner]

Its a bit Fry's Turkish delight out there (full of eastern promise) though nothing alarming this morning.

There was a drop of migrants at or before dawn. In the end 12 Chiffchaffs and 6 Willow Warblers were logged moving south (and no doubt we missed a few). A Whinchat appeared at dawn then promptly vanished, its place on the northernmost Sallow being taken by a Stonechat. A second Stonechat arrived mid-morning. A Wheatear flew clean over the reserve and there are still Robins ticking away in every bush. There was another Locustella scare - which again was a Grasshopper Warbler - that's three so far in Sept and there are 3 Reed Warblers still grating away in the marsh.

Overhead passge was the best so far this year, with 13 Reed Bunting, 3 Grey Wagtails, 36 alba Wagtails (and 2 certain Pied) a flava Wagtail plus the 1st proper finch passage (14 Chaffinch and 6 Greenfinch). Corvids got in on the moving day vibe, with 38 Magpies south 5 Jays milling about and 3 Jackdaws south. Not to be outdone, a Dunnock circled to about 300ft, then bottled it and dived for cover. 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers came and went, as did two Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel.

 

[Jane Turner]

This morning was a complete non event. 6 Chiffchaffs and 2 Reed Warblers are still about. 4 Snipe flew over... there was probably a reticent Goldcrest in the Alder...and that is about it save a sprinkling of passage Reed Buntings, Wagtails and Pipits.

 

[Jane Turner]

Its like the tale of two days here. The sun came out and loads of Phylloscs appeared in the garden, so I took the dogs back to Red Rocks. A minimum of 4 Whinchat were present (though always a long way off and prone to flying inland) as well as a Spotted Flycatcher in the Alder and around 10 Phylloscs, mostly Willow Warblers, unlike this morning.

This afternoon's migrants plus a mystery bird photo from this morning...

 

[Jane Turner]

Bright and clear toady - with plenty of movement. Swallows at 48 and Skylarks at 28 were the most obvious species, though the 1st significant finch movement of the autumn was noted - Greenfinch at 38 and Goldfinch at 13 being the most numerous.

There are still plenty of warblers about - 7 Chiffchaff, one Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcaps and 2 Reed Warblers - one of the latter at least giving us a little bit of excitement as it was both rather clean looking and spent most of its time flycatching out of the Sycamore at the back of the Superbowl. However its rather lumbering demeanour, uninspiring face pattern and rather pale legs quickly dashed and hopes of something rarer.

It was the first good overhead passage day for a few days - 4 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Song Thrush, a Nuthatch, 7 Jays and 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers .

27 Pintail flew N, there was a Goosander at sea and a Golden Plover flew through early.

Corvid wars on Chris Boardman's roof and a sound recording of a passage GSW... promisingly loud if a good pipit takes the same line.

https://soundcloud.com/jane-turner-17/glw

 

[Jane Turner]

A Garden Warbler was yesterday's highlight, while today's best was a Bullfinch which I saw and a Buzzard which I missed - fewer of the latter than Melodious Warblers still!

 

[chris butterworth]

2 Wheatear at the West Kirby end of the marsh and a Grey Wagtail over Pinfold at 1015hrs.

 

[Jane Turner]

Cheers Chris - I expect I got the G Wag at home.

 

[Jane Turner]

Its all getting a bit samey...

The interest today came in the form of the 1st Long-tailed tits (8) and Rock PIpit of the autumn, a new Stonechat and a Nuthatch - the latter being a bit of high overhead passage obviously. Grey Wagtails (9) continue to move with Albas (20), there were 3 Wheatears, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap grounded.

Yesterday there were 4 GSWoodies, 5 Jays and a presumed Sedge Warbler

 

[Jane Turner]

Its been even samier of late, though yesterday there was a change.

Overhead was much improved with the 1st Redpoll and Siskin (2) of the autumn, though other finch numbers are still very low: Chaffinch 20 odd, Linnet 12, Greenfinch 9 and no Goldfinches. The stars of OHP were Corvids, with 102 Jackdaws, 4 Rooks, 3 Jays and 28 Magpies heading south very high. Meadow Pipits finally mustered a proper total (187) and there were 2 Rock Pipits and 7 Alba Wagtails heading down the Dee.

It was a morning of making your own entertainment. Firstly a Stonechat managed to look pale and interesting in very low sun against a leaden sky, but quickly turned to looking more conventional then a Cettis Warbler managed to scare us big time by coming out of the gardens in a tit flock and refusing to show anything more than glimpses for the whole morning. It was cavorting in the open later on!

That's the 1st I've seen here and the 2nd record ever and the 1st I've seen for 20 ish years

For those not offended by swearing who want to enjoy the sense of panic involved in getting a Cettis in a tit flock at an autumn migration watch point, listen here

https://soundcloud.com/jane-turner-17/brown-trouser-moment

 

[owl flight]

i notice the cetti's has been reported daily this week by deeestuary (presumably your sightings jane). i was just wondering, is there any particular part of the site it inhabits?

 

[Jane Turner]

It is always at the north end, easiest heard from the boardwalk, easiest seen in the ivy-filled hollow.

Its doing loops from the creeper at the edge of the new fence, through the superbowl, down as far as the gorse just past the|Alder on the boardwalk, crossing the reedbed to the clump of doom and going around again.

Just a chance there are two - I had the call from two different locations almost at the same time today. I've almost clocked up 4 seconds of view now! Been a great day today (Hawfinch and Twite the highlights, I'm just processing the sound files)

 

[Jane Turner]

15th October: Highlights were 3 Ring Ouzels, 365 Redwing, 1st brambling of the autumn, a Tree Pipit (!) 2 Swallows and a Short-eared Owl.

Today was excellent for Visible Migration, but 1st the grounded birds. 4 Stonechats, all with stubbornly non-peachy rumps, a Blackcap, 2 Goldcrests and the Cettis Warbler still prominent at the N.end. Its possible there are 2 birds based on calls heard today.

Overhead passage was the best this year, and undoubtedly an underestimate since the birds quickly gained height after dawn.

Totals (South or SE) Woodpigeon 81, Stock Dove 1, Short-eared Owl 1, Magpie 91 (max flock 41) Jay 1, Starling 475(W) Tree Sparrow 7, Chaffinch 695, Brambling 8, Alba Wagtail17, Twite 3, HAWFINCH1, Siskin 6, Redpollspp 2


Sound recordings from today. The Twite were unimpressive!

 

[Jane Turner]

A fabulous day for visible migration today as a stiff SW wind kept birds low enough to see for more than the 1st hour after dawn. Additionally the sky to the NE was nearly black and the low sun shone under the cloud base to the S, lighting the birds up light Christmas tree lights.

Chaffinches topped the totals, with 1880 logged +/- 10, with at least 14 Bramblings in with them. The best Siskin total of a really poor autumn (24) included a flock of 8. Mistle Thrushes were prominent, with 13 S, and there were also 5 Fieldfares. 4 Grey wagtails and a Rock pipit also moved through. Cettis warbler(s) were heard in both the North End and South End bushes, so either the resident bird has expanded its range or there are two birds present.

The highlight of the day made a brief and noisy journey south through the reserve, evading attempts to photograph it and eventually left high towards W.Kirby. Fortunatley the call is more use than a photo, though it was a really classic brown bird. (Siberian Chiffchaff)

https://soundcloud.com/jane-turner-17/siberian-chiffchaff-at-red-rocks


last Saturday there was a Kingfisher - the 1st since 1976

 

[Jane Turner]

Lighter winds and clearer skies than yesterday resulted in less visible migration, (probably becuase it was mostly invisibly/inaudibly high) but more variety.

Chaffinches only made it to 77., Brambling to 5 and Siskin to 12, thouigh there were 15 Mistle and 4 Song Thrushes as well as 2 redwing. At 1st light 20 Pink-footed Geese headed north out of the estuary and a Raven came cronking up the outer dunes. There were 2 Redpolls, the 1st for ages, and one was a deep voiced big bird (potential NW) - see attached recording - it sounds more like a Brambling!

The big news is that there are two Cettis warblers - we've suspected 2 for a week now, but have never had them both calling at once. Still no one has managed a photo!

Raven and a 3 fig Jackdaw flock from last Saturday

 

[Jane Turner]

A lot less overhead passage again this morning, which only handful of finches and thrushes (2 Brambling the best)

However there were 50 Pink feet - 49 SSE over West Kirby and 1 N out over the point and 2 adult Bewick's Swan west (always extra rare here)

In other news the Cettis Warblers are still present - one in the Wryneck hollow and one in the Superbowl this morning, the latter keeping still just long enough for a record shot

 

[Jane Turner]

550 Chaffinches, 7 Brambling, 39 Siskin, 1 Redpoll spp and a Crossbill went S this morning, as did a Pipit with a hissing call. It was too windy to correctly assess the call and record it.

43 Fieldfares, and a sprinkling of other thrushes.

 

[Brenty]

More chopping down at Red Rocks

I noticed further down towards West Kirby that big swathes of the reeds had been cut down giving easy access to the centre of the reed bed. The cut reeds have been left on the beach presumably ready for burning.

I thought that there was supposed to be some consultation taking place before anymore hacking took place?

 

[Jane Turner]

Yes there was! (Supposed to be consultation before they did any more damage.. I mean management!)

The quote when we raised this was

"We didn't feel that the cutting of reeds was controversial".


We pointed out that it was and that we still hadn't seen the management document. That didn't stop two more bouts of reed cutting.

They've cut reeds the entire length of the reed bed - and made at least 6 holes in the fence.