Waxwings reach Warrington at last

Hardly an invasion but three waxwings at Battersby Lane, Warrington today were at least a start and a welcome sight!

Bittern in Rammies

A bittern sunbathing in Ramsdales reedbed was the highlight of a glorious morning at Pennington Flash today. I first saw the bird distantly flying across the reedbed on Saturday, and today I saw it again distantly standing on the edge of the reeds. I walked back to Rammies but by the time I got there the bird was still visible but deeper in the reeds and quite hard to spot. 

Another "scaup", Pennington Flash

This morning I saw what I thought was the now regular female scaup at the western end of the flash from Mossley Hall farm. I didn't have my scope with me, it was just through binoculars. Then I walked around to the ruck where the light was better but still not good and took these photos of what I assumed was the same bird. Except that on examining the photos this evening, they're clearly not of the same bird.

The most obvious difference is the extent of white on the face, which is more extensive on this bird and unlike the other bird, it goes right under the bill.

I always think that scaup look like real bruisers when compared to tufted ducks, they are larger, more robust and sit higher in the water. This bird is very petite for a scaup.  It appears to be about the same size as a tufted duck and look at the bill, if anything smaller than the adjacent tuftie. Compare the bill size to that of the female in the next couple of photos.

This is the first bird. Notice that the pale patch on the ear coverts is also a lot larger, and the eye is brighter than todays bird.

Continuing scaup and common scoter, Pennington Flash

The female scaup us still at the western end of the flash, along with three wigeon. Three common scoter were in the middle.

These scoter must have dropped in at some point as I was walking round, because I certainly didn't see them first thing, but when I got back to the boat club they were pretty obvious in the direction of the point.

Marsh harrier and woodcock kick-off the new week at the flash

An exciting visit this morning in heavy drizzle, mist and murk got off to a great start when a very dark, almost black juvenile marsh harrier flew over Mossley Hall farm at about 9am. Unlike the hen harrier on Friday which was high and powered through east, this harrier appeared from the west at just over tree height and then lazily disappeared north. It didn't look like it was simply moving through, more like it was hunting the local area, so perhaps it will return in the coming days. Only my second marsh harrier at the flash following another juvenile which flew over the ruck and Ramsdales on 22nd November last year. 

When I set out this morning, I was hoping for a woodcock since I heard that there had been a small influx into the north west in recent days. Sure enough, on visiting a couple of places on the south side where I have seen them in the past, I was able to find two of these wonderful birds for myself. 

Meanwhile, at least one of the 1st winter scaup was still present, and probably the other one was about somewhere. The drizzle really was bad at times and it certainly hindered viewing so that a 1st winter scaup could easily have been overlooked. Other ducks today included eight goosander, including two males, around 20 goldeneye and the usual seven pochard off the car park, including six drakes.

The recent good run of form at the flash continues, with two species of harrier in three days, what a time to be alive!

Jack snipe and hen harrier to end a great week at Pennington Flash

It's been a memorable week at the flash. It started well with the discovery of two scaup with the tufted ducks at the west end on Tuesday, and just got better as the week progressed, with a jack snipe yesterday and a hen harrier today, the latter a site first for me. On top of that there's been a noticeable build up of ducks, including at least 29 goldeneye and 10 pochard. Not big numbers yet but double what there were last week.

No doubt that the hen harrier was the highlight of the week. I was in Horrock's hide this morning and saw a raptor flying towards me over the ruck, high and at first distant, but it clearly had the flight of a harrier on passage, with a few fairly fast wing-beats followed by a short glide, at which time it held its wings in a shallow 'V'. It flew towards the hide and dropped a little before banking slightly left and then heading off east to the left of the hide allowing me a decent enough view to see that it was a hen harrier. What a fabulous sight it was and I wished that I'd been on the ruck to see it better. Any species of harrier is a decent record at the flash, though hen and marsh both occur on the mosslands to the south so are always a possibility.

Scaup, Pennington Flash

Just as the heavens opened this afternoon I managed to find two scaup at the west end, best seen from Mossley Hall farm. The left hand bird looks like a young male to me, whilst the right hand bird is probably an adult female, based largely on the bright yellow eye. Also today, 10 goldeneye and six pochard including five drakes.

Before the rain!

Hilbre Island

Today a brief family walk over to Hilbre Island on a glorious autumnal day. Before the walk started though, I had enough time for a brief look at the juvenile great northern diver that has been present on West Kirby marine lake for about a week. I didn't have time to try to get closer, but on such a calm, mirror like lake it was easy to find, and let's be honest, even if I'd stayed all afternoon I probably wouldn't have got anything much better than this!

This was my 4th great northern diver on the marine lake.

An interesting few days at the flash

9th November is the anniversary of the penduline tit at the flash and although this week has not produced anything close to such a rarity, it's still been an interesting period and not least today. 

I was about halfway down Sandy Lane on my way to Green Lane when two cattle egrets flew low over the road. They didn't appear to have come from or be going to the flash and judging by their flight it appeared to be a local movement rather than a flight of passage, almost as if they were just jumping the road. I walked the fields between Sorrowcow farm and Liptrot farm but could find no further sign of them during the duration of my visit.

At Mossley Hall farm I was watching the family party of four Egyptian geese when I noticed a couple of dunlin flying over in the direction of the boat club. Sadly there was disturbance there from dogs and people so presumably they just carried on since there is currently no other shoreline anywhere at the flash.

I was surprised to hear a chiffchaff singing in the woods behind East Bay reedbed today. Quite a strong song, not just a feeble effort as is sometimes the case at this time of year. Of course chiffchaffs are not uncommon in winter these days, though I personally have no records of birds overwintering at the flash, and this is the latest record I have of a singing bird from anywhere in the UK.

Whooper Swan, Pennington Flash

A decent morning at the flash before the rain set in for the day at 11am. I was on the ruck as a juvenile whooper swan flew over from the north and then dropped down and landed on the flash, joining up with a group of mute swans who seemed less than impressed by the uninvited guest.

There are now six goosanders off the car park, three males, two of which look like 1st winters, and three females. At least five goldeneye are about including a rather scruffy looking male which is probably a new arrival, and two drake pochard. Forty fieldfares went over the ruck in two flocks of 16 and 24, as well as at least one flock of pink-footed geese heading south. The family party of four Egyptian geese remain at Mossley Hall farm.

 

Cattle Egrets, Pennington Flash

Following a totally depressing visit to Flamborough Head yesterday in soaking drizzly mist and a slippery mud  bath underfoot, when none of the birds I hoped to see showed and bird of the day was yellowhammer, it was good to get back to some proper birding at Pennington Flash today.

In glorious, sunny conditions I was delighted to see two cattle egrets on the boat club shore. These might be getting a lot commoner elsewhere these days, but they are still very much a Greater Manchester mega and this was only my 3rd sighting of the species at the flash and in the county.

Other birds seen today included three drake pochard, four female goldeneye, 70 snipe and at least two Egyptian geese still.