Martin Mere

Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Red Kite 1
Willow Tit 1
Marsh Harrier 1 female
Tawny Owl 1
Kingfisher 1
Ruff 35
Pink-footed Goose 3500

Another tremendous visit to Martin Mere! I saw the Kite first from the Ron Barker hide, both in flight and later sitting on a fence post. The light was perfect, you could see every detail through the scope, and in the early morning sunlight there was no heat haze. Then about an hour later I saw it again even more spectacularly from the United Utilities hide as it flew across Woodend Marsh. While I was in the UU hide, I managed to pick out a Pectoral Sandpiper on Woodend Marsh, though it was a bit distant.

On my way back to the Ron Barker hide, I called in briefly at the Raines hide, and found the Pec Sand now right in front of the hide with a flock of juvenile Ruff!


Red Kite (left). Not the greatest photo in the World, but I quite like it. I think it shows the size diffrence between the kite and the Carrion Crow which is mobbing it. The photo on the right is of the Pectoral Sandpiper. Again it won't win any prizes, but worth noting the size difference between the Ruffs (left 2 birds), Reeve (2nd right) and Pec Sand (extreme right). It has been hanging around with the Ruffs for a couple of days......

Eccleston Mere

Siskin 5
Blackcap 1 female
Goldcrest 2
Barnacle Goose 65+ flew over
Kingfisher 1
Lapwing 20 flew over
Skylark 20



Brown Hawker

Red Underwing

Moth trapping has been ok recently, but perhaps not quite as good as might have been expected given the hot days and warm nights we have had this week. Red Underwings are always exciting moths to catch though, partly because they are large, colourful moths (about 40mm long), but also because everytime you catch one you're hoping that when it flicks it's wings, instead of red you will see violet-blue, which would make it Clifden Nonpareil, one of the most prized migrant species at this time of year.

Billinge Hill

Wheatear 1 on ploughed field below beacon.
Chiffchaff 1
Skylark 100+
Coal Tit 1

I counted at least 63 Skylarks flying around the horse paddocks and adjacent fields. The rest were flying over the beacon south west.

Carr Mill Dam

Cackling Goose 1

Billinge Hill

Lesser Redpoll 1 over beacon (going north!)
Blackcap 1 female in Elder bush near beacon.
Chiffchaff 2 including one still singing.
Swallow 4
Skylark 50+ some going SW, others just hanging around, and 2 singing!
Meadow Pipit 30
Treecreeper 1
Goldcrest 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Mistle Thrush 17
Tree Sparrow 60
Yellowhammer 40
Grey Partridge 6 in ploughed field below beacon.
Grey Wagtail 2

Carr Mill Dam

Cackling Goose 1
Kingfisher 1

Cackling Goose Carr Mill Dam

When I heard that a Lesser Canada Goose had been reported from Carr Mill Dam this morning, I was fairly sure that it would be the same Cackling Goose which was seen at Eccleston Mere, Knowsley Park and Prescot Reservoirs in the August, and sure enough it was, with the same dodgy looking wing. However it's now looking even better, with a really nice purply sheen to the breast. It differs from the other Canadas in it's small size (barely bigger than a Mallard), short neck, tiny bill and dark breast. There is a debate on bird forums about this bird, and the majority seem to be of the opinion that the bird is a hybrid, largely because its back is apparently a fraction too grey, and it's bill a fraction too big for pure Cackling Goose, but it's a close call for me. In perfect light at Carr Mill Dam it may look a fraction grey, but with 20,000 Barnacles on Islay on a dull winters day, there wouldn't be many people saying it was a hybrid in my opinion! Interesting bird whatever the reality......

A nice size comparison with Mallard, Canada Goose and Coot (left), and a great view of its shiney purply breast (right).

Billinge Hill

Raven 2 over the beacon. Probably the St Helens resident birds just moving around.
Wheatear 1 in the horse paddocks.
Chiffchaff 2 in bushes around beacon. One still singing.
Skylark 100 mainly heading south west.
Meadow Pipit 50
Yellowhammer 40
Bullfinch 3

It was a glorious morning on Billinge Hill. Highlight was the Skylark passage, but the Ravens are always pleasing birds to get on a site list!

Burton Mere Wetlands / Inner Marsh Farm

We called in today at the newly opened RSPB reserve Burton Mere Wetlands on Wirral. It's basically an extension of the old Inner Marsh Farm Reserve, and is very impressive. At the moment you can't walk from the new bit to the original hide, but that is the next stage of the development. Most of the best birds we saw today were from the old hide, where we saw Water Rail and 20 Curlew Sandpipers and there was also a Pectoral Sandpiper which we didn't see.
However there had been reported Honey Buzzard, Bearded Tit and Hobby in the new bit before we arrived, so it's all very promising.

The new buildings at Burton Mere Wetlands.


Migrant Hawker (left) and Water Rail (right).

Barred Sallow, Queens Park

Last night I caught a Barred Sallow, the second for my yard but only the third for St Helens. My first was in 2002 and at the time was only the third Lancashire record, and the first since 1995!