Pennington Flash

Sanderling 1 on the spit
Shelduck 2
Goldeneye 5
Goosander 4
Willow Tit 1
Bullfinch 10
Reed Bunting 15

My first Sanderling at the flash, and quite an unusual time of year.

Lesser spots and a red head at Moore

A last minute decision to go to Moore Nature Reserve near Warrington, rather than Eccleston Mere first thing paid off handsomely! I was at Moore for 7:50am, and it was a glorious start to the day. I walked through the woods and then along the side of the old canal to a dead tree which has become the residence of a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. I was there for about 20 minutes before I saw the first bird, a female which landed high up in an Alder. A few minutes later she was joined by a male, complete with red crown. Wonderful little birds, I watched them for several minutes as they flew around and called, occasionally pecking at the bark of the tree and inspecting a potential nest hole. In the distance a Green Woodpecker yaffled. My first Lesser Spots in the UK since I saw a female at Eccleston Mere in 1999, though I did see one near Seville in Spain in 2008.

Then I had a walk to Birch Wood pool and saw the long staying female Smew. Year 142


Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are unexpectedly small and unobtrusive. How hard would this female be to spot if it didn't call and you didn't know it was in the area?


Unfortunately their preferred tree is not easy to photograph, but on one of these photos you can see the males red crown.


I am fond of redheads, yes they might not be quite as sexy as a full plumage male, but they have an allure all of their own....

Eccleston Mere

Water Rail 1 in ditch in SW corner
Mute Swan 2 adults
Grey Wagtail 1
Great Crested Grebe 7
Tufted Duck 6
Reed Bunting 4
Kingfisher 1
Cormorant 6

A beautiful morning at Eccleston Mere. This was the first time I have seen the Water Rail for a couple of weeks, and it was touch and go today. I arrived at its favoured spot seconds before 2 dog walkers came right up to me and asked in loud voices, "have you seen much today?" as their dogs disappeared down the ditch. The Water Rail scurried away to safety and I was left to explain what it looked like.


Grey Wagtail.

Sherdley Park

Two pairs of Manadarins in Sherdley Park today. Perhaps these are some of the birds which visited Eccleston Mere last year. They really are stunning birds. Year 140


The males are so spectacular, and catch the eye so much, that it's easy to overlook the fact that there is also a female in both of these photos! This is the pair behaving naturally and being almost as wild as a Mandarin can be in the UK.


This is one of the males coming to bread! A bit plastic perhaps, but I reckon they're a great addition to our avifauna.

Eccleston Mere

Goosander 1 imm. male
Teal 2
Tufted Duck 8 (6 males 2 females)
Lesser Redpoll 4
Goldcrest 2

Dovestone

We had a walk around Dovestone near Oldham today. It's an RSPB Reserve, with breeding populations of Golden Plover and Curlew, and also an outpost population of Mountain Hares. Today however we had to be content with several Red Grouse. Year 139.

Taylor Park

Pochard 12
Buzzard 1
Tufted Duck 20
Great Crested Grebe 6
Cormorant 4

Kirkby Moss

Shelduck 2
Mute Swan 2 adults
Teal 50
Gadwall 5
Little Grebe 2
Tufted Duck 2
Coot 37
Mallard 20
Fieldfare 20 in hedge
Buzzard 1

Rainford Mosslands

Lapwing 80 Dairy Farm Road including 20 displaying. 100 Old Coach Road.
Shelduck 2 Old Coach Road
Brambling 2 with 300 Chaffinches Clares Moss, Old Coach Road
Linnet 30 Dairy Farm Road
Buzzard 6 Old Coach Road

Eccleston Mere

Teal 4
Siskin 20
Nuthatch 1
Treecreeper 2
Lapwing 110 flying over
Tufted Duck 6
Kingfisher 1
Reed Bunting 2 singing

Eccleston Mere

Goosander 1 female
Tufted Duck 7
Siskin 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2