The Little Ones

Photos:

Little Ringed Plover, HGF
Wheatears, Skylark, Common Sandpiper at Rixton
Tree Sparrow, Winwick

26^th April 

This morning a heron was perched on next door’s roof. I really will have to make an effort to find out where this bird is coming from – same story every year with frequent visits on the roofs or in the garden each spring and then nothing for the rest of the year… 

At the feeding station the Tree Sparrow numbers have dropped to 10 – birds are now mostly dispersed and I suspect I will stop soon. 

On the way into walk a quick drive through Rixton moss produced 10 Wheatears. I think this has to be one of the best places around for an inland site for this species – it is noteworthy that numbers here are generally always higher than on other local mosslands! 

An evening call to HGF in blustery showers produced my first Swift of the year along with 120+ Swallows. A Common Sandpiper and 4 Little Ringed Plovers were also again present. 

27^th April 

The feeding station was interesting this morning. Corn Bunting there feeding again and so were 4 Linnets in addition to 10 Tree Sparrows and 3 Yellowhammers. 

An early visit to HGF in light rain produced a Dunlin along with the usual Common Sandpiper. Still plenty of hirundines – 130+ Swallows this morning and a single House Martin. 

At lunch I escaped to Rixton. The local terns are still present but showing no signs of doing anything. On Moat Lane pools a Common Sandpiper was present, as was a very noisy Green Woodpecker. Lots of warblers were singing including a Garden Warbler which was in its usual location nr the house on Moat Lane. 10 Wheatears still on the mosses. 

28^th April 

Corn Bunting, 15 Tree Sparrows and 3 Yellowhammers at the feeding station this morning. At HGF an increase in birds with 35+ Swifts, 170+ Swallows, 13 Sand Martins and 6 House Martins flitting around. 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers present too. 

At Rixton today I was checking the warblers and having just listened to the usual bird, I was slightly surprised when one started singing at the side of Moat Lane pools. Can’t see it staying there. Terns still present and the mosses came up trumps today with 17 Wheatears, 9 Stock Doves, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a flock of 220+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls! 

29^th April 

Well it’s nearly May and this morning it was windy, raining and the temperature was 4°C! 15 Tree Sparrows and 3 Yellowhammers at the feeding station and just 3 Wheatears on Rixton mosses today. 

At HGF 4 Pochards were new in and unusual here at this time of year. 220+ Swallows graced the pool along with a male Yellow Wagtail, an Oystercatcher and 5 Little Ringed Plovers. 

30^th April 

The feeding station was somewhat predictable this morning – Corn Bunting, 15 Tree Sparrows and 3 Yellowhammers. A trawl round Rixton mosses at lunch produced 14 Wheatears and with one group, a distant Whinchat. David Spencer tried for it a few hours later and found it feeding happily just a few feet from the road! No sign of the terns today though a Little Ringed Plover was present on Moat Lane pools. 

2 Wheatears were at HGF this evening with one by the edge of the pool – an unusual place for it to be. The Pochards are still present and Lapwings in a nearby area have now hatched young! 

1^st May 

It was a case of "now you see it, now you don't" today. 

Early am I stood at the top of the bank at HGF and as usual quickly scanned the water. I immediately spotted a Shelduck - rare here and might even be a patch tick. Walking down the bank I briefly switched my attention to the aythya flock to check for the Pochard - when I switched back seconds later the Shelduck had gone. 

This evening I arrived for a repeat visit to largely empty skies. Suddenly a loose ball of Swifts (220+) dropped down and within seconds had passed through west. A few stragglers (25+) followed. 4 Little Ringed Plovers also present. 

Feeding station – ditto. 

At Rixton everything seems to have given up any pretence of breeding and piled back into the fields to feed. Sightings included 14 Wheatears, 11 Yellowhammers, 14 Grey Partridges, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 6 Stock Doves, Corn Bunting and the Lesser Black-backed Gull flock. Still no sign of the terns. 

2^nd May 

A Yellowhammer was feeding in the garden today. The feeding station held the usual sprinkling of Tree Sparrows plus the Corn Bunting. 

Rixton mosses held 16 Grey Partridges, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 12 Wheatears, 6 Yellowhammers and 2 Corn Buntings. Still no sign of the terns. 

At HGF this evening in relatively fine weather were 190+ Swifts, 70+ Swallows, Common Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Oystercatchers. The Pochards are also still around. 

3^rd May 

2 Common Sandpipers and 6 Little Ringed Plovers at HGF this morning. 14 Wheatears still on Rixton mossland. 

Mid afternoon I got a call from Chris Dorney  - Chris had become aware of a female Ring Ouzel in Great Sankey. After work I flashed over there to meet up with him and we spent an enjoyable hour watching the bird feeding in a horse paddock. Nice to see one so close to home. A Wheatear also showed well on a nearby dung pile. 

4^th May 

HGF this morning – 5 Pochard, 180+ Swallows, 5 Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper.

At Rixton one of the terns was back, a Little Ringed Plover was present on Moat Lane pools and lots of warblers were singing. 12 Wheatears were present on the mosses.