Lazy weekend

Mediterranean Gull, Cheshire

Corn Bunting, Hollybush Lane, Rixton

Whitethroat, Moat Lane Pools, Rixton

Common Terns, Moat Lane pools, Rixton

Stock Doves, Pennington Flash

Oystercatcher, Pennington Flash

Garganey, Pennington Flash

White Wagtail, HGF

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Couldn't be bothered going anywhere much this weekend so I concentrated on a bit of local birding. Winwick was pretty quiet though 6 pairs of Grey Partridges were present on Waterworks Lane the other evening. A male Yellowhammer is also singing away here and this morning four Brown Hares were in the field opposite to the feeding station. One or two Tree Sparrows are still visiting the garden while the regular cock Pheasant is now coming in on his own suggesting his mate may be incubating.

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HGF remains pretty quiet with just the pair of Mute Swans and a few Mallard as regulars. I have seen no waders at all (Lapwings excepted) here though yesterday morning a Black-necked Grebe was present (slightly unusual at this time of year) - today it had gone though two Great Crested Grebes had dropped in. The nine pairs of resident Lapwings have produced broods of 3, 3, 2 and 1 so far. A male Corn Bunting is also singing occasionally nr Midhops and there are now three singing Whitethroats on territory. This morning a Buzzard was mobbed by Lapwings, Crows, Collared Doves!, and a pair of Pied Wagtails. Bet he wished he'd stayed in bed! No sign of any Yellow Wags - I have a sneaking suspicion that they have moved on due to the lack of unsuitable habitat - all the fields have been converted to rape and there are hardly any of the usual potato crops. Another sad sign of the times.

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Yesterday morning I spent an hour at Pennington. A drake Garganey was showing quite well when I arrived - it buggered off shortly afterwards. The Lesser Whitethroat was singing nr Horrocks Hide and a single Common Tern was on the spit. Overall I wasn't particularly in the mood and I spent most of the time wandering around aimlessly.

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This morning I visited Rixton. A drive down Hollybush Lane produced a Mistle Thrush mobbing a female Sparrowhawk, a couple of Corn Buntings, a Yellowhammer and 2 Grey Partridges feeding next to a hare. The tip pool was empty, though two male Wheatears (Greenland race) were in the usual field off Prospect Lane. The two Common Terns have stayed on Moat Lane pool two - a couple of Redshanks, a few Sand Martins and 15 Tufted Ducks were also present. Two Garden Warblers were singing around the area and a Cuckoo called constantly nearby. All told around the little Rixton tour I picked up 16 Whitethroats!

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Later on I wandered over to Delamere to have a look at the Med Gulls. I was slightly surprised to find they had moved this year - they took some finding today. Two pairs are present and are difficult to see. Three herons created chaos by moving through the Black-headed Gull colony - there was not much else on the water. At this point I called it quits for the weekend.