Wednesday, 24 July 2024

Some St Helens birding


Straight back into babysitting duties following a week whale watching in north west Scotland, Monday morning found me heading for the swings at Taylor Park in St Helens. My binoculars tend to go everywhere with me though and a quick scan of the lake revealed a drake scaup with a couple of tufted ducks. My scope was in the car so later in the afternoon I returned for another look.

July is a good month for seeing drakes passing through on their way to moult, and this was my fourth July record of the species in St Helens alone.


It was still present this morning. Taylor Park may not seem the best place for seeing birds, but the scaup joins the drake ring-necked duck as a decent aythya species on the lake this year, and in previous years I've seen black-throated diver, pied flycatcher and Mediterranean gull here, so always worth keeping a look out.


Meanwhile, thirty-five curlew were in a field off Dairy Farm Road this morning....


....and another 21 were in a nearby field just off the Old Coach Road.


A family part of whitethroats was in Dairy Farm Road, including these two juveniles.

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