Photos:
Rixton Mosses
Lesser Scaup and Bewick's Swans, Slimbridge
Fourth winter Iceland Gull, Stubbers Green
29th January
This morning I set out with Bill with the best of intentions for going to the Wirral and after being in the car for just five minutes I decided I didn’t want to drive anymore. Consequently I stayed very local. I started off by diverting to Rixton. In a stubble field at the top of the lane was a flock of around 120 Fieldfares. I was slightly perplexed at why they were feeding in a stubble field when there are plenty of short grass fields around which I would have thought they would prefer. Obviously there was something of interest to them. I later found another flock of around 80 birds in the field opposite the end of Chapel Lane. A bit further on down Holly Bush a Sparrowhawk flew right past me and straight down the lane, flying just a foot or so above the ground. Two Buzzards, 4 Kestrels and a pair of Grey Partridges were also seen down the lane but to be honest it was relatively quiet. Moat Lane pools were also quiet – four Mute Swans and a few Tufties.
Next I decided to go for a walk around the fields behind Hanging Birch and Frank’s Farms in Culcheth. I have not explored this area properly before and although there were a few birds kicking around, I was disappointed not to see the hordes of Yellowhammers, Corn Buntings and Reed Buntings previously reported here. In fact I saw just one Bunting in the two hours I was there – a Corn Bunting (though I did see another of these on Holcroft Lane later on). There are two small and one large stubble fields at the back and they seemed to hold plenty of Grey Partridge – I saw five different coveys totalling 42 birds. Three Stock Doves were feeding here too and around the area I saw a Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel and 3 Jays plus loads of tits!
Leaving I drove past Holcroft Hall Farm and noted a Lapwing flock – around 130 birds were present in the field in front of the farm and 7 Golden Plovers. These fields seem to be almost a banker for Golden Plover in late winter though rarely so earlier in the winter. I next headed back toward home and called in at HGF. Pretty much the same on the water, however a small flock of 32 Pink-footed Geese flew over heading NW. On overcast days like today I rarely see over-flying pinks, however when they do occur, as with this morning, they tend to fly much lower. At the feeding station this morning were approx 110 Tree Sparrows – the largest count I have had this time.
Late afternoon the weather brightened up a bit and I wandered over to Risley Moss. Walking up the path toward the tower a very dark looking fox trotted across the path. When I arrived at the tower, Brian Blair, one of the guys I bumped into at Moore yesterday was present. Brian hadn’t seen much and had also left his car parked inside the reserve. I advised him to go and move his car outside and walk back in, adding that the owls didn’t usually show up until last light which was nearly an hour away. Typically just five minutes after Brian left, two shorties flew up! One flew off high to the right and completely out of the reserve; the first time I have seen one do this. The other quartered the mosses in front of and slightly to the left of the tower giving superb views. Best views I have had of a shortie all winter and Brian missed it because of my duff advice. By the time he got back this bird had gone to ground.
As light started to fade, a Woodcock flew past much earlier than usual, a Sparrowhawk flew through and then two more shorties got up at the back. One flew up high and straight over to Rixton Moss while the other quartered at the back. Then the bird I had seen earlier off to the left got up and flew straight out of the reserve off to the left and finally a fifth bird got up at the back and hunted with the other bird that had remained in the reserve. Woodcock started flying past and giving good views, we eventually had 10 and at least 21 Snipe. Two Tawny Owls also called.
30th January
12 Blackbirds came out of the roost in the garden this morning. I then took Bill for a quick bounce to HGF but I only walked the south field today. One of the problems with constantly playing catch up on this blog is that, writing this a few weeks later, I can’t for the lift of me remember why I only visited the south field. I also forget lots of the interesting details which are part of why I set up the blog in the first place! Anyway in the south field were 32 Grey Partridges (3 coveys) and a Skylark.
Later in the day I started travelling south (working in Somerset tomorrow) and called in briefly at Stubbers Green on my way past. The fourth winter Iceland Gull was showing well when I arrived but nothing much else with few gulls around. The birds that were present quickly flushed and with nothing much returning to the pool, I continued south.
Late afternoon I diverted to Slimbridge, more just to get out of the car for half an hour in daylight than any other reason. The observatory was rammed with people today – far more than I have ever seen here. The Bewick’s in the current mild weather are somewhat reluctant to come onto the pool for food – apparently they have no real need with plenty of natural food around for them. Around 80 birds did eventually turn up and I also saw the female Lesser Scaup again in the far corner.
31st January
After work today I nipped over to Ham Wall. When I arrived I headed off along the grass path to where a Yellow-browed Warbler had been showing on and off for a few weeks now. A couple of birders were already there but hadn’t seen anything. I soon found a Chiffchaff and a few Bullfinches. A second phylloscopus warbler then appeared feeding in the grass along the bank of the drainage ditch. This got the other birders really excited, especially when they realised it had a supercilium! I pointed out that so do Chiffchaffs and that this bird didn’t have any wing bars. They were still optimistic though and continued to discuss the supercilium long after this second Chiffchaff had flown off. I also added a Goldcrest before heading off for the Starling roost.
At the viewing platform one of the Great White Egrets flew around a bit, as did a handful of its smaller cousins. A flock of Pintail also flew over and I spotted a male Marsh Harrier hunting the reedbeds opposite. I also found another Goldcrest in the trees next to the platform and at least four Cetti’s Warblers were calling. Eventually the first Starlings started to appear and they were much earlier than usual. When there were approx 20,000 birds milling around, for some reason they decided to move from the reedbed where they have been for most of the winter and go somewhere completely different.
Having figured out where the Starlings had decided to move to, I set off on the quarter mile walk up the path to the second viewing screen. Bizarrely many of the assembled birders decided they didn’t want to do this and left. Why? At the second viewing screen we got good if somewhat distant views of the Starling flock. It was also interesting to see them from a different perspective and the swirling shapes in the sky looked even more impressive. Anyway the flocks seemed to be down and into roost today well before last light. I then headed back to the first viewing screen. Interestingly, late arriving Starlings were still coming back to the usual roost site and, finding nothing there, were frantically dashing over the reeds looking for their friends and neighbours. Obviously the change of plan didn’t get to everyone!
Another thing I notice is that virtually no one stays here after the Starlings have roosted and I think they must miss all sorts of good birds. The interesting one I saw was a large owl flying low over the reeds. It didn’t look like an eared owl and I guessed at Tawny. This was confirmed when it landed in a tree and started calling, another one later joined in.
This morning I set out with Bill with the best of intentions for going to the Wirral and after being in the car for just five minutes I decided I didn’t want to drive anymore. Consequently I stayed very local. I started off by diverting to Rixton. In a stubble field at the top of the lane was a flock of around 120 Fieldfares. I was slightly perplexed at why they were feeding in a stubble field when there are plenty of short grass fields around which I would have thought they would prefer. Obviously there was something of interest to them. I later found another flock of around 80 birds in the field opposite the end of Chapel Lane. A bit further on down Holly Bush a Sparrowhawk flew right past me and straight down the lane, flying just a foot or so above the ground. Two Buzzards, 4 Kestrels and a pair of Grey Partridges were also seen down the lane but to be honest it was relatively quiet. Moat Lane pools were also quiet – four Mute Swans and a few Tufties.
Next I decided to go for a walk around the fields behind Hanging Birch and Frank’s Farms in Culcheth. I have not explored this area properly before and although there were a few birds kicking around, I was disappointed not to see the hordes of Yellowhammers, Corn Buntings and Reed Buntings previously reported here. In fact I saw just one Bunting in the two hours I was there – a Corn Bunting (though I did see another of these on Holcroft Lane later on). There are two small and one large stubble fields at the back and they seemed to hold plenty of Grey Partridge – I saw five different coveys totalling 42 birds. Three Stock Doves were feeding here too and around the area I saw a Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel and 3 Jays plus loads of tits!
Leaving I drove past Holcroft Hall Farm and noted a Lapwing flock – around 130 birds were present in the field in front of the farm and 7 Golden Plovers. These fields seem to be almost a banker for Golden Plover in late winter though rarely so earlier in the winter. I next headed back toward home and called in at HGF. Pretty much the same on the water, however a small flock of 32 Pink-footed Geese flew over heading NW. On overcast days like today I rarely see over-flying pinks, however when they do occur, as with this morning, they tend to fly much lower. At the feeding station this morning were approx 110 Tree Sparrows – the largest count I have had this time.
Late afternoon the weather brightened up a bit and I wandered over to Risley Moss. Walking up the path toward the tower a very dark looking fox trotted across the path. When I arrived at the tower, Brian Blair, one of the guys I bumped into at Moore yesterday was present. Brian hadn’t seen much and had also left his car parked inside the reserve. I advised him to go and move his car outside and walk back in, adding that the owls didn’t usually show up until last light which was nearly an hour away. Typically just five minutes after Brian left, two shorties flew up! One flew off high to the right and completely out of the reserve; the first time I have seen one do this. The other quartered the mosses in front of and slightly to the left of the tower giving superb views. Best views I have had of a shortie all winter and Brian missed it because of my duff advice. By the time he got back this bird had gone to ground.
As light started to fade, a Woodcock flew past much earlier than usual, a Sparrowhawk flew through and then two more shorties got up at the back. One flew up high and straight over to Rixton Moss while the other quartered at the back. Then the bird I had seen earlier off to the left got up and flew straight out of the reserve off to the left and finally a fifth bird got up at the back and hunted with the other bird that had remained in the reserve. Woodcock started flying past and giving good views, we eventually had 10 and at least 21 Snipe. Two Tawny Owls also called.
30th January
12 Blackbirds came out of the roost in the garden this morning. I then took Bill for a quick bounce to HGF but I only walked the south field today. One of the problems with constantly playing catch up on this blog is that, writing this a few weeks later, I can’t for the lift of me remember why I only visited the south field. I also forget lots of the interesting details which are part of why I set up the blog in the first place! Anyway in the south field were 32 Grey Partridges (3 coveys) and a Skylark.
Later in the day I started travelling south (working in Somerset tomorrow) and called in briefly at Stubbers Green on my way past. The fourth winter Iceland Gull was showing well when I arrived but nothing much else with few gulls around. The birds that were present quickly flushed and with nothing much returning to the pool, I continued south.
Late afternoon I diverted to Slimbridge, more just to get out of the car for half an hour in daylight than any other reason. The observatory was rammed with people today – far more than I have ever seen here. The Bewick’s in the current mild weather are somewhat reluctant to come onto the pool for food – apparently they have no real need with plenty of natural food around for them. Around 80 birds did eventually turn up and I also saw the female Lesser Scaup again in the far corner.
31st January
After work today I nipped over to Ham Wall. When I arrived I headed off along the grass path to where a Yellow-browed Warbler had been showing on and off for a few weeks now. A couple of birders were already there but hadn’t seen anything. I soon found a Chiffchaff and a few Bullfinches. A second phylloscopus warbler then appeared feeding in the grass along the bank of the drainage ditch. This got the other birders really excited, especially when they realised it had a supercilium! I pointed out that so do Chiffchaffs and that this bird didn’t have any wing bars. They were still optimistic though and continued to discuss the supercilium long after this second Chiffchaff had flown off. I also added a Goldcrest before heading off for the Starling roost.
At the viewing platform one of the Great White Egrets flew around a bit, as did a handful of its smaller cousins. A flock of Pintail also flew over and I spotted a male Marsh Harrier hunting the reedbeds opposite. I also found another Goldcrest in the trees next to the platform and at least four Cetti’s Warblers were calling. Eventually the first Starlings started to appear and they were much earlier than usual. When there were approx 20,000 birds milling around, for some reason they decided to move from the reedbed where they have been for most of the winter and go somewhere completely different.
Having figured out where the Starlings had decided to move to, I set off on the quarter mile walk up the path to the second viewing screen. Bizarrely many of the assembled birders decided they didn’t want to do this and left. Why? At the second viewing screen we got good if somewhat distant views of the Starling flock. It was also interesting to see them from a different perspective and the swirling shapes in the sky looked even more impressive. Anyway the flocks seemed to be down and into roost today well before last light. I then headed back to the first viewing screen. Interestingly, late arriving Starlings were still coming back to the usual roost site and, finding nothing there, were frantically dashing over the reeds looking for their friends and neighbours. Obviously the change of plan didn’t get to everyone!
Another thing I notice is that virtually no one stays here after the Starlings have roosted and I think they must miss all sorts of good birds. The interesting one I saw was a large owl flying low over the reeds. It didn’t look like an eared owl and I guessed at Tawny. This was confirmed when it landed in a tree and started calling, another one later joined in.
