Shapwick Heath

Bewick's Swan, Shapwick Heath

Roosting Redshanks, New Brighton

Ringed Plovers, Leasowe

Purple Sandpipers, New Brighton

Yellow-legged Gull, Richmond Bank

Pintail, Houghton Green Flash

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Last weekend was a quietish one on the birding front. I did get a wander out to the Wirral for a couple of hours. I first rolled up at Hoylake – the incoming tide was being lashed by very strong winds which were also blowing my scope around. Consequently I couldn’t pick anything much out though I did see 30+ Brent Geese lift off nr Hilbre Island and head off towards West Kirby. I didn't stay long here, instead moving over to Leasowe where conditions were no better. I walked Bill along the embankment - there were plenty of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers flying past at high tide and lots of gulls on the water. Next stop was New Brighton where 19 Purple Sandpipers were roosting on the pontoon in the marine lake with 400+ Redshanks, 230+ Turnstones, 120+ Dunlin and a few Knot.

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HGF is still relatively quiet though I did manage to see a pair of Pintail which had been found by John Tymon. Only my second record of this species here. Two and then three Goldeneyes have also been present plus the first Great Crested Grebe of the year. Three Buzzards flew out of a roost together nr Myddleton Farm one morning. No opportunities to watch the garden or the feeding station this week.

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I did manage a brief session at Richmond Bank one morning - Ian McKerchar et all arrived shortly afterwards. It was low water and few gulls were around, I found one adult Yellow-legged Gull and also a Herring Gull (argenteus probably) with yellow legs. That was about all I managed though and later in the day I received a series of text messages from Ian " Iceland Gull just dropped in" and "Caspian Gull found". Typical!

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Wednesday late afternoon I rolled up at Shapwick Heath on a nice, sunny day with very much a Spring-like feel about it. Not much from Noah's Hide except two Bewick's Swans. One of the Great White Egrets was skulking in the reeds at the viewing platform in Ham Wall RSPB. There have been five or six of these birds wintering in this area though they are rarely seen together. I didn't have time to wait for it or any of its friends to come out as the Starling roost had moved and was down near the Decoy Hide in Shapwick Heath, around a mile away.

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I timed the arrival there perfectly as the first Starlings started to arrive. They gave spectacular performances with an estimated 2-3 million birds in the roost at the moment. On three different occasions I saw Buzzards literally surrounded by thousands of Starlings! Also here was a juvenile Marsh Harrier and a female Sparrowhawk plus a Peregrine which had a tiff with one of the Buzzards. A Bittern also boomed briefly. As usual I stayed until well after sunset when it was too dark to see and all of the observers had gone (I estimate around 200 people were present this evening - about half the weekend total) and was rewarded with a Woodcock flitting past. There is no way to adequately describe this experience but for me watching this event is like being in a cocoon of joy and it remains my favourite birding spectacle! Birds picked up this evening were:

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1 Great White Egret

1 Bittern - had a brief half-hearted boom as though clearing the pipes ready for spring

1 Little Egret

2 Bewick's Swans

1 Marsh Harrier (juv)

1 Peregrine (prob male

4 Buzzards

1 Sparrowhawk (dive bombed onto a tree full of Redwings)

2 Tawny Owls

4 Cetti's Warblers

5 Water Rails

1 Woodcock

1 Snipe

7 Lesser Redpoll

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

130+ Redwings

40+ Fieldfares plus a Roe Deer

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The next evening I came back to Shapwick Heath but this time I parked up at the far end and wandered down towards Decoy Hide. It was a somewhat colder and much greyer night. A small flock of 14 Redpolls plus a couple of Goldcrests in a Long-tailed Tit flock got the evening started. There was not much on Decoy pool though a flock of 13 Pied Wagtails was notable. I had less time to spare on this occasion so I headed off back for the roost.

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The Starlings started to arrive at 16:20 and the first half a million birds or so gave superb aerial displays. Typically the birds decided to move roost this evening and started going down in a far reed bed which was partially screened by willow scrub. I still managed to see some spectacular movements of birds through the scope and birds were still coming in to roost when I left at 17:40.

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Three Buzzards appeared and had a pop at the Starlings. Also of note was a distinctively marked female Marsh Harrier and a ring-tail Hen Harrier. These two had a brief grappling session which I think was more about getting in each others way rather than any genuine antagonism. It was interesting to see the relative sizes of these two harriers though with the Marsh being a much larger bird. A Sparrowhawk also appeared and when darkness descended at least 6 Tawny Owls were heard calling around the reserve.