Eccleston Mere

Snipe 2
Lesser Redpoll 20
Siskin 1
Goldfinch 50
Bullfinch 1
Teal 3 females
Tufted Duck 7
Kingfisher 1

Eccleston Mere has always been a good place to see Redpolls, and I'm pretty sure that a pair or two still breed, but even so 20 is a decent size flock by recent standards.

Graduation Day

Saturday was graduation day at Edge Hill university, and here's a photo of your's truely looking like I'm auditioning for the next Harry Potter movie! Life's certainly exciting at the moment!

Watching Harriers

In the last few hours of daylight on a beautiful winters day, I watched three Hen Harriers hunting over fields. The light was perfect and the birds were as close as I have ever seen harriers. There were two females and a male, and they were quartering over fields which contained an impressive selection of species, including a Barn Owl, an adult Mediterranean Gull a flock of 350 Lapwings, several Golden Plover, Woodpigeons, Red-legged Partridge and gulls.

The ghostly grey male flew with a larger brown female, and the two rose briefly into the air together almost clasping talons before continuing the hunt. Both birds had a white rump, but it was much more obvious on the darker female. The third bird kept its distance, and I did wonder if it might be a young bird. At one point the female left the male and flew towards me over a ploughed field, it’s owl like face pointing directly down, oblivious to everything as it searched for prey. I couldn’t see any Red-legged Partridge on the ground, but I knew they were there, because one by one they flew up in panic as the harrier approached. Occasionally the bird would swerve towards a fleeing partridge, the barring on the raptors tail standing out in the bright winter sunlight, but I didn’t see it make a kill

For three hours I watched the fields, and saw the harriers several times, each time at quite close range. Of course I’ve seen harriers many times before, but this was different, this was the first time I have really watched their hunting techniques, and it was a privilege to see them so well. Meanwhile, in the background a Barn Owl hunted along the ditches in broad daylight, and up to eight Buzzards soared over the distant woodland. A wonderful afternoons birding.

Eccleston Mere

Goosander 1 immature male?
Teal 2 females
Kingfisher 1
Siskin 2
Goldfinch 80
Cormorant 15
Jackdaw 250 coming to roost on the island at dusk.

Walckenaeria acuminata

One of the reasons I like the linyphiidae (money spiders) is that the males often have modified heads which carry one or more pairs of eyes, which makes them look very strange. Walckenaeria acuminata is one of the more extreme, with all of its eyes on this ridiculous stalk! In real life, the spider is about 2mm long.

Waxwings Haydock

Thirteen Waxwings in Andover Road, Haydock (near Costco) this morning. Considering the huge numbers of Waxwings in the country at the moment, it's about time that we had a flock in St Helens. Let's hope that they stay for a few days. There are still plenty of berries on their favoured tree.

Eccleston Mere

Goosander 1 female
Teal 3 females
Tufted Duck 6
Goldfinch 50
Buzzard 1

Cut Lane / New Cut Lane

Brambling 2 or 3 with 100 Chaffinches in Cut Lane
Fieldfare 25 New Cut Lane

Eccleston Mere

Snipe 3
Lesser Redpoll 20
Goldfinch 100
Bullfinch 3
Little Grebe 1
Tufted Duck 5
Cormorant 10


Red sky in the morning......

Rainford Mosslands

Brambling 1 Old Coach Road (New Cut Lane), 2 Catchdale Moss, Green Lane.
Linnet 20 Catchdale Moss, Green Lane
Tree Sparrow 2 Mossborough Hall Lane
Fieldfare 20 Old Coach Road, 5 Mossborough Hall Lane
Redwing 50 Old Coach Road
Pink-footed Goose 100 Old Coach Road



Male Brambling on Catchdale Moss. This is a regular site for Brambling.

Eccleston Mere

Goosander 1 female
Lesser Redpoll 15
Goldfinch 50
Bullfinch 4
Kingfisher 1
Tufted Duck 8
Cormorant 10
Canada Goose 100
Greylag 1
Barnacle Goose 1