Eccleton Mere

Barn Owl 1
Tawny Owl 1 in southern flooded woods
Woodcock 1 roding
Snipe 1 drumming
White Wagtail 1
Wigeon 4 (2 males, 2 females)
Shoveler 2 (male & female)
Teal 28
Goldeneye 2 (females)
Gadwall 10 (5 males, 5 females)
Mandarin 2 (male & female) flew over
Water Rail 1 in Alder Carr in SW corner
Willow Tit 1 in flooded woodland at south end
Tufted Duck 17
Mallard
Oystercatcher 2 flew over
Lesser Redpoll 3
Chiffchaff 5 singing
Great spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming
Treecreeper 2
Nuthatch 1
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Kingfisher 1

A friend flushed a Jack Snipe from the ditch just before the SW corner.

An amazing day at the mere. The Barn Owl was once again a great sight in the evening, hunting the fields adjacent to the mere. I saw it sitting on a fence post, and then watched as it hunted, occasionally at close range, until eventually it dropped on prey. As I watched, a Woodcock flew over roding, I saw and heard its squeek as it flew over, and minutes later a Snipe flew over drumming. I've never seen roding or drumming at the mere before, though Woodcock used to rode regularly over the Bottle and Glass pub at Rainford, and may still do so. In the southern woods I heard and then saw a Tawny Owl.

Most of the day was dominated by eight species of duck, and some good counts by Eccleston Mere standards! Gadwall set a new record at the mere, whilst 28 wasn't far off a new record for Teal. The air was full of the sound of Teal for much of the day, from dawn until dusk. I was quite surprised on my afternoon visit to see that the Teal were not only still present, but all still swimming around in open water rather than under the over hanging trees on the island, and they were in pretty much the same position in the evening. They seemed so flighty this morning that I didn't expect them to stay very long. Even the Wigeon were still there at dusk. In the SW corner the Water Rail showed well again, and there was a single White Wagtail with the Pieds.

Three visits today, dawn, midday and dusk certainly paid off. I'd have been pleased with that list from any location in the country, let alone a mile from my home! I recorded 56 species at the mere today.

Year 156 (Tawny Owl)


Most of the Teal and a pair of Shoveler in flight, and three of the Wigeon on the water.


Water Rail in the Alder Carr and White Wagtail.


This Chiffchaff was flycatching from the hedge near the yacht club hut.


It's quite interesting to compare todays Chiffchaff with the Siberian Chiffchaff I photographed at Middleton in Greater Manchester in February this year. The Sibe is clearly a lot greyer and the supercillium goes well behind the eye.