Shore lark again on the Great Orme

I was on the Great Orme for 8am today and it was a very different day to yesterday. For the first hour I was completely alone, not even a dog walker, and it was windy with very threatening skies but didn't actually rain. Then the threat became reality as a bank of heavy rain hit me and I decided to call it a day. 

In that dry period it was nice to locate the shore lark for myself and be able to watch it without other people about. It's a nice looking bird, and a wonderful location to see it.

Shore lark on the Great Orme

I was pleased to catch up with the shore lark on the Great Orme today after missing out last week. It's been elusive during its two week stay and went AWOL from lunchtime on Monday to Friday afternoon. 

The drive from home was through heavy drizzle and mist as far as Holywell, but then it brightened up and was a glorious day on the Orme with great big skies! 

This was a site tick for me. In recent years I've also seen snow bunting and Lapland bunting here.

Long-tailed duck, Taylor Park

Long-tailed Duck, Taylor Park
Photo © John Tymon

I was delighted to find a long-tailed duck at Taylor Park this afternoon whilst taking the toddler grandchild to the swings. It's the eighth record for St Helens and I've now managed to find three of them. My previous finds were at Eccleston Mere in 2005 and Prescot reservoirs in 2015, so with todays bird being in 2025, my next predicted sighting is 2035!

This coot kept chasing it.

Pochard and Goldeneye at the flash

The pochard flock at the Flash continues to build, with 59 off the car park this morning, apparently my largest flock ever at the Flash though I'm sure that must be more down to my under-recording in the 1980s & 90s. Certainly my largest flock this century. Also a build up of goldeneye today with 20 inc. 5 drakes.

Cattle Egrets

Yesterday I was at Martin Mere and saw a flock of 44 cattle egrets flying over the fields behind Sunley's, the largest flock of cattle egrets that I have ever seen in the UK. Earlier a dawn count had revealed at least 51 birds. Like little and great white, cattle egret has really spread in recent years to the extent that they now breed in the Southport area and last year I heard of a roost containing over 500 birds in Somerset. 

Even so, despite their dramatic increase they're still quite localised. For example, there's only ever been one record of the species in St Helens and that was way back in 2008, despite there being many square miles of suitable looking habitat on the Rainford mosslands. As the cattle egret flies, it's just 14km (9 miles) from the herd of cows at Dairy Farm Road to the flock of 51 cattle egrets at Martin Mere, but they never seem to make it. 

Greater Manchester does a little better but not much. I've seen five at Pennington Flash over the past 45 years, but it's still classed as a Greater Manchester mega. Meanwhile, Brockholes nature reserve near Preston on the Ribble, recorded it's first ever cattle egret just a few weeks ago.

Today I went for a walk on the Great Orme with Elaine. The birding highlight was this cattle egret flying over the sea below the lighthouse. It's certainly the first that I have ever seen at the Orme and when I checked my database, it turns out that it's only the second that I have ever seen in Wales. Perhaps I should get out more......

Billinge Hill vismig

Billinge Hill vismig 8am-10am most birds heading SSW: Woodpigeon 2939 in 50 flocks almost all before 9am & included one albino bird, redwing 93 in 10 flocks, fieldfare 61 in 3 flocks, stock dove 11, skylark 32, chaffinch 60 mainly in groups of 1-3 birds but one flock of 11, reed bunting 6, pink-footed goose 170 with 25 S & 145 E, song thrush 4.