Hunting dragons along Langley's Brook

It was a glorious late afternoon at Martin Mere, I was actually hoping to see a Russian white-fronted goose, but in the end it was a couple of breathtaking hobby's that stole the show. They were perching in a tree at the back of Sunley's marsh but frequently flew off and hunted dragonflies along Langley's Brook. They're always fabulous birds when they're hunting and they seemed to be doing alright since I saw them eating from their talons on several occasions. I've seen hobby's hunting like this before but never at Martin Mere.

Langley's Brook to the right of the photo.

This Russian white-front has been with greylags for about a week. It may seem strange that the bird is associating with feral greylags rather than the pink-feet which are all around, but it's not particularly unusual. I've seen white-fronts and bean geese with feral greylags previously, most notably a small flock with greylags at Leighton Moss in 2015. 

Three egret day at the flash

This morning I spotted a cattle egret flying over the ruck and then over the flash away south east at 07:10. I'd already seen the great white and little egrets so for the first time ever we had a three egret day at the flash and it had barely gone daylight. 

Cattle egrets are surprisingly scarce still in Greater Manchester and also St Helens. Last week there were 35 birds at Martin Mere and there are often double figure counts at nearby Hale (near Speke), Frodsham and Helsby. Yet the borough of St Helens has only ever had one cattle egret way back in 2008.

Black tern at last

As usual I was at the flash early morning and managed to find a juvenile black tern hawking for insects at the western end. I'd more or less given up with the species at the flash this year, not surprising when when you consider that today is the 14th September and my latest ever here was 17th. Other birds today included a female shelduck and common sandpiper, plus the usual great white and little egrets.

Late swift and a hobby, Pennington Flash

A decent morning at Pennington Flash turned into a very good morning when I got a message from Ian informing me that there was a swift over the sailing club drifting towards the western end. Fortunately I was at the western end and managed to pick it up straight away and better still, while I was watching it a hobby flew over, circled around and then disappeared behind the trees at Mossley Hall Farm. The hobby was my first and probably last at the flash this year, whilst the swift was my latest ever at the flash and my 8th latest ever in the UK. It would need to hang around for another week to break that record.

Earlier two common sandpipers were at the sailing club where I also accidently flushed a great white egret from the shore below the gap where we view from, while 50 swallows flew south east and joined a larger flock of 150 over the fields on the south side. Chiffchaffs are still on the ruck in double figures, some singing, a few meadow pipits went over, a redshank was heard and a flock of 130 pink-footed geese went over heading east.

Pink-footed geese over the flash

A flock of 27 pink-footed geese heading west this morning were my first of the winter at the flash. Also today, two common sandpipers at the sailing club, two female / immature common scoter, two great white egrets, four little egrets and 10 each of house martin and swallow.

Kittiwake, Carr Mill Dam

A smart adult kittiwake was at Carr Mill Dam this morning, found by Bill Harrison. As is so often the case with these wind blown seabirds it looked a bit knackered but by 13:30 is was gone, having hopefully flown back to sea rather than been attacked by a larger gull.

There were some pretty dreadful showers today, if you caught one you got a real drenching.

Knot at the Flash

A juvenile knot was at the sailing club this morning, along with two common sandpipers. My fourth knot at the flash.

Two common scoter were in the middle of the flash this afternoon. This is the third consecutive day that I have seen common scoter in the afternoon but not in the morning. 

Wilson's Phalarope, Marshside

A Wilson's phalarope on Junction Pool at Marshside, Southport today showed reasonably well in the poor light conditions and was my 11th in the UK. Four of those birds were at Martin Mere and given the history of movement of birds between Marshside and Martin Mere, there's still a chance that this could become my 5th at Martin Mere! Always great birds

Otter at the west end

Otters have been reported at Pennington Flash for a few years now but they're very rarely seen. I visit the flash almost daily but I've only had one previous sighting which lasted about 5 seconds. Today I was amazed to see an otter at the western end fishing for almost one hour. Occasionally it caught a small fish and would lie on it's back in the water eating it and then start fishing again, until finally it came up with a large eel which it took to the shore to eat, sadly out of view for me. Even in Scotland I've rarely had views so good. Possibly the highlight of the year at the flash for me.

Egrets at Pennington Flash

Photo: Great white egret
Ramsdales, Pennington Flash.

There's been an explosion of little egrets at Pennington Flash in the recent years and they even breed nearby these days. In the past week there's been at least seven around the edge of the flash as well as up to two of the somewhat rarer great white egret. Cattle egrets remain surprisingly scarce.

A day of passage at Pennington Flash

A fabulous start to September began when I found a wheatear on the ruck at 7am. It might not sound like much, but my first of the year at the flash was as recent as Wednesday and these two records are my first and second ever at the flash in autumn! 

Whilst walking around the ruck I heard the distinctive call of two tree pipits flying over and then the seven whistles of a whimbrel. The latter kept flying around the flash, occasionally looking like it might leave, before returning and looking like it might drop on the spit. A little later I called in at Horrock's hide and found the bird down on the spit, before it finally left at 9am.

Other highlights today included a great white egret and another juvenile black-necked grebe.