Photos:
Various Butterflies at Halton including Small Skipper, Speckled Wood, Comma, Peacock, Small White and Common Blue
Field Grasshopper at Halton
House Sparrow plus juvenile and adult Mediterranean Gulls, Heysham
7th August
Started the day with a mooch around HGF. Very quiet, a couple of Little Grebes and four fishing herons being the “highlights”. Dropped Karen off at the hairdressers in Newton and headed off to Newton Lake. A single Green Sandpiper was, as usual, patrolling the spit while 8 Teal and 4 Gadwall made up the wildfowl interest.
Late morning, having arrived at the van, Karen and I had a walk by the Lune at Halton but on the opposite bank to our usual walk. We spent a while watching a juvenile Dipper feeding by Forge Bank Weir – a 4cy Great Black-backed Gull was also present – the first of this species I have seen here.
Mid afternoon I went for a walk up Langden Valley with my brother-in-law, Keith. Initially we saw not a lot of anything - it was just supposed to be a walk and not a birding session but somehow, as usual, my bins and scope had decided to tag along!
Eventually a Buzzard appeared and this started a run of sightings which included two more Buzzards, two Peregrines (adult and a juvenile), four Kestrels and five Ravens. Interestingly the first Raven settled on the hillside opposite and a Kestrel repeatedly swooped at it until the corvid flew off towards the head of the valley. Later a family party of four Ravens appeared further down the valley and were also repeatedly attacked by another Kestrel. I didn’t see any evidence of young birds around but they could easily have been hidden. Also of note were plenty of Sand Martins feeding around the beck.
Later in the evening, back at the van, a party of 18 Mistle Thrushes appeared on the wires. A Tawny Owl started calling at some point during the night.
8th August
Another drizzly day at the van, mostly spent lounging about. I nipped out for brief walks with Bill during the morning. Bull Beck was pretty much deserted with just a single Oystercatcher on the pebble bank plus a fly by Kingfisher and five Sand Martins visiting holes in the colony.
At Forge Bank Weir the juvenile Dipper was in the same place as yesterday, however a further two adults and another juvenile also turned up. In a spell of sunshine in the afternoon a mixed flock of 60+ Swallows and 15+ House Martins were feeding on an insect hatch from a couple of Sycamore trees by the van.
9th August
Started the day with a mooch to Forge Bank Weir. Singles of Dipper, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail were the main sightings.
Later I took Bill for a walk to Heysham, up the dog run and over to Red Nab. Three Whitethroats were picked up along the track and two Sparrowhawks started spiralling over. A fourth Whitethroat and some House Sparrows were in the sole bush by Red Nab. Also here was a Whimbrel, a Wheatear, two Med Gulls (adult plus juvenile), the usual two Little Gulls (adult plus first summer) and a flock of 92 Bar-tailed Godwits. Late while stood on the north harbour wall a couple of Canada Geese flew past (apparently quite rare here at this time of year) and a handful of Turnstones roosted on the wooden jetty.
Later in the evening I walked Bill around the bridges at Crook O’Lune. A Swift flew over and then a Grey Wagatil. I then spotted a Kingfisher, as usual here perched on a low hanging branch over the water. A second bird appeared and the first began to chase it while calling, presumably a juvenile begging for food?
10th August
Headed out to Red Nab this morning but soon gave up with the wind and rain stopping play. Before getting completely drowned I did see both Little Gulls plus four Med Gulls (two adults, a second summer and a juvenile). After we headed home from our mini break at the van.
I visited HGF in the evening rain – nothing new other than 9 Swifts feeding over the water – two more were flying around Myddleton Lane.
11th August
Back in Birmingham (oh what joy!) and consequently no birding.
12th August
Back from Brum I managed a late evening visit to HGF. Usual stuff on the water, a flock of around 200 House Sparrows were busy travelling along the hedge from Midhops towards the kennels.
Started the day with a mooch around HGF. Very quiet, a couple of Little Grebes and four fishing herons being the “highlights”. Dropped Karen off at the hairdressers in Newton and headed off to Newton Lake. A single Green Sandpiper was, as usual, patrolling the spit while 8 Teal and 4 Gadwall made up the wildfowl interest.
Late morning, having arrived at the van, Karen and I had a walk by the Lune at Halton but on the opposite bank to our usual walk. We spent a while watching a juvenile Dipper feeding by Forge Bank Weir – a 4cy Great Black-backed Gull was also present – the first of this species I have seen here.
Mid afternoon I went for a walk up Langden Valley with my brother-in-law, Keith. Initially we saw not a lot of anything - it was just supposed to be a walk and not a birding session but somehow, as usual, my bins and scope had decided to tag along!
Eventually a Buzzard appeared and this started a run of sightings which included two more Buzzards, two Peregrines (adult and a juvenile), four Kestrels and five Ravens. Interestingly the first Raven settled on the hillside opposite and a Kestrel repeatedly swooped at it until the corvid flew off towards the head of the valley. Later a family party of four Ravens appeared further down the valley and were also repeatedly attacked by another Kestrel. I didn’t see any evidence of young birds around but they could easily have been hidden. Also of note were plenty of Sand Martins feeding around the beck.
Later in the evening, back at the van, a party of 18 Mistle Thrushes appeared on the wires. A Tawny Owl started calling at some point during the night.
8th August
Another drizzly day at the van, mostly spent lounging about. I nipped out for brief walks with Bill during the morning. Bull Beck was pretty much deserted with just a single Oystercatcher on the pebble bank plus a fly by Kingfisher and five Sand Martins visiting holes in the colony.
At Forge Bank Weir the juvenile Dipper was in the same place as yesterday, however a further two adults and another juvenile also turned up. In a spell of sunshine in the afternoon a mixed flock of 60+ Swallows and 15+ House Martins were feeding on an insect hatch from a couple of Sycamore trees by the van.
9th August
Started the day with a mooch to Forge Bank Weir. Singles of Dipper, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail were the main sightings.
Later I took Bill for a walk to Heysham, up the dog run and over to Red Nab. Three Whitethroats were picked up along the track and two Sparrowhawks started spiralling over. A fourth Whitethroat and some House Sparrows were in the sole bush by Red Nab. Also here was a Whimbrel, a Wheatear, two Med Gulls (adult plus juvenile), the usual two Little Gulls (adult plus first summer) and a flock of 92 Bar-tailed Godwits. Late while stood on the north harbour wall a couple of Canada Geese flew past (apparently quite rare here at this time of year) and a handful of Turnstones roosted on the wooden jetty.
Later in the evening I walked Bill around the bridges at Crook O’Lune. A Swift flew over and then a Grey Wagatil. I then spotted a Kingfisher, as usual here perched on a low hanging branch over the water. A second bird appeared and the first began to chase it while calling, presumably a juvenile begging for food?
10th August
Headed out to Red Nab this morning but soon gave up with the wind and rain stopping play. Before getting completely drowned I did see both Little Gulls plus four Med Gulls (two adults, a second summer and a juvenile). After we headed home from our mini break at the van.
I visited HGF in the evening rain – nothing new other than 9 Swifts feeding over the water – two more were flying around Myddleton Lane.
11th August
Back in Birmingham (oh what joy!) and consequently no birding.
12th August
Back from Brum I managed a late evening visit to HGF. Usual stuff on the water, a flock of around 200 House Sparrows were busy travelling along the hedge from Midhops towards the kennels.
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