Flixton

Great crested grebe with a stick for its nest, Irlam Locks

I don't know what's happening with the crow's nest at the corner of the street. I think the crows abandoned it when the rooks got interested, then the jackdaws started haunting it, then the rooks looked like they.were back, then the leaves unfurled and hid the whole stage so I'm none the wiser.

Manchester Ship Canal by Irlam Locks

I went for a walk around Flixton, getting the bus to Town Gate after running a couple of errands. I walked down from there to Irlam Locks to see what was about.

Great crested grebe, Irlam Locks

This time last year I was worrying there weren't many swallows about, this year there are plenty though I wonder if that might be because the lousy weather has stopped them moving on North. The canal was a bit quiet: just a couple of pairs of mallard, two cormorants and three great crested grebes, including a pair that were collecting nest material. A couple of dozen black-headed gulls joined the starlings and magpies on the filtration beds on the water treatment works. A dozen or so sand martins flew in and joined the swallows round the horse paddocks.

Jack Lane

I retraced my steps and headed off down Jack Lane. I took a chance and took the path through the reedbeds, which turned out to be a good move as the long, dry April meant it was pretty firm underfoot. A few chiffchaffs foraged in the willows and one sang from a bush near the railway embankment, a couple of reed buntings sang from the tops of the reeds on one side of the path while a reed warbler sang from somewhere near the bottoms of the reeds on the other. My muttered curse at a camera-shy chiffchaff spooked a heron from the middle of the reeds, it flew off over the railway towards the river. A pair of kestrels came in and flew off in the same direction.

Heron, Jack Lane

Dutton's Pond was quiet, save for the three moorhens upsetting the fishing.

Fly Ash Hill was busy with birds but frustratingly difficult to pin them down. The starlings hawking for St. Thingie's flies, the greenfinch singing in the hedgerow and the robins feeding on the path were easy enough to spot, as was the hovering kestrel and the noisy buzzard patrolling the lagoons. The great tits silently foraging at the base of one of the half-drowned alders near the railway underpass set the scene. Silent goldfinches and blue tits set catkins shaking in the corner of the eye. Even the wrens went about their business quietly and surreptitiously. It was a relief to come out into the open space and have whitethroats bouncing round the hawthorn bushes, alternately loudly ticking and singing as the spirit took them.

Fly Ash Hill

I had a nosy along the mile road on the way back. A couple of pairs of pheasants fed with a handful of woodpigeons in one corner of the field while the usual pair of magpies bounced round the margin near the river.

A dabchick fished by the bridge over the river and a couple of mallards dabbled upstream. Then a quick visit to the garden centre and off home on the train.

Yorkshire

Kittiwakes, Scarborough

Early last Summer I promised myself that when we were out of lockdown I'd have a trip out to Scarborough for a bit of seawatching (it's one of those places that makes for a long day out and can be quite productive). With the lockdowns and the different tiers and all the other circumstances of our plague years I've only recently felt it could (or should) be an option.

The train journey over was good, though Yorkshire's fields seem a bit thinner on birdlife than Lancashire's. The highlight was between Haxby and Strensall when a merlin took flight from a trackside perch as the train sped by. Eight buzzards soaring over Huddersfield town centre was a surprise.

Kittiwakes on Scarborough's M&S

The weather forecast was a bit mixed but it turned out to be a bright early Summer day at Scarborough. Walking down to the beach I was impressed by the number of kittiwakes nesting on ledges of the buildings. Living in the Northwest of England it seems a bit unlikely that kittiwakes are our commonest gull but then when you see the sheer numbers festooning seaside towns on the Eastern seaboard it's not so surprising.

Great black-back, Scarborough Harbour

I wandered down the beach to the harbour. There were kittiwakes and groups of herring gulls loafing about. More kittiwakes flew over, most carrying lumps of seaweed for nest materials. A couple of cormorants fished near the harbour and further out there were little black dots on the water which could have been anything. A couple of swallows flew low over the water and on towards White Nab. A couple of rock pipits skittered around the jetties and breakwaters.

Rock pipit

Guillemot
This is the "bridled" form with the pale eye ring and stripe.

I walked down Marine Drive from the harbour to the accompaniment of nesting kittiwakes on the cliff beneath the castle. Rafts of kittiwakes rested on the water. Here and there there were more little black dots on the water, most of which turned out to be guillemots, though the first one I positively identified was a razorbill. A few of the guillemots came in a bit closer so I could get a better look at them. A dozen gannets flew in line formation about a mile out (I'm always surprised by how conspicuous and easy to identify gannets are at a distance).

Scarborough Castle

I walked round Marine Drive and took the path up to Blenheim Terrace and thence back to the station. Chiffchaffs, blackcaps and goldfinches sang in the bushes on the cliffs.

I had to change trains at York so I took a side trip out to the university at Heslington to see if I could catch the Savi's warbler that's been singing in the reedbeds by Lakeside Way. It's a quick trip out on the 66 bus and the lake (big pond really) is two minutes walk from the bus stop.

A dozen people were lined up by the reedbed. Half a dozen reed warblers, a couple of sedge warblers and a reed bunting really couldn't care less and went about their business alternately fly-catching and singing. I was told the Savi's warbler had sung ten minutes before my arrival so I waited and scanned the reeds for anything unusual. About quarter of an hour later the bird gave a snatch of song about ten yards in front of us. None of us could see it but for ten seconds it sounded as if there was a cicada in the reeds. A few minutes later it gave a shorter burst of song about six feet further away. Another quarter of an hour later a dark shape flitted across the base of a small tree in the reeds and another burst of song came from the depths it disappeared into. One of the other birders managed to get a photo of the bird, I just got a brief glimpse of its rear end. 

I waited a little longer with no further joy and then, with one eye on the weather I went for my bus. (The heavens opened as the train to Manchester pulled out of York Station.)

Wirral

Whitethroat, Leasowe Lighthouse

It came as a bit of a relief to see the partially-leucistic woodpigeon this morning, I was beginning to worry that something had had him. It was looking like being another changeable day's weather and seeing as the idea of staying at home to be walked all over by the cat didn't enthuse I decided to take a chance on a visit to Leasowe Lighthouse and perhaps beyond, weather permitting.

It didn't bode well that it had been raining all the way from Manchester to Bidston but as I got off the train at Moreton it was a bright, sunny Spring lunchtime. I hadn't even got past the remains of the Broken Biscuit Factory when I looked up and saw a dogfight between a buzzard and a crow. They scrapped high up in the air then went their separate ways, honour apparently equal.

Leasowe Lighthouse from Kerr's Field

The path to Kerr's Field was busy with small birds, mostly goldfinches and spadgers. The middle paddock was the busy one today, with half a dozen wheatears and a couple of pied wagtails. A stonechat flew over to see what I was up to, decided I was of no consequence and flew back to its patch of nettles.

Whitethroat, Leasowe Lighthouse

The area round Leasowe Lighthouse was busy with whitethroats, with at least a dozen singing males. There were a few chiffchaffs and blackcaps in the trees and three reed warblers sang in the reeds round the little pond on Leasowe Common.

Leasowe Common

I went over to the seafront and walked down the path towards the groyne halfway along to Meols. The tide was high but receding and gulls were starting to settle on the exposed sand. An odd-looking gull caught my eye as it flew past: black-hooded but with a lot of brown fringes to its wing coverts and black on its primary feathers. A Mediterranean gull to be sure but a plumage I've not seen before, perhaps a bird that hasn't finished its moult from second Winter.

Turned out nice again

A couple of curlews flew out onto the beach and were joined by a flock of oystercatchers and half a dozen little egrets then the sky went black. We were then treated to ten minutes of thunder and hailstones.

Leasowe Lighthouse

By the time I got back to Leasowe Lighthouse it was sunny again. A sedge warbler belted out its song from the ditch by the lighthouse and the whitethroats did their singing display flights from the bushes by the path.

Sedge warbler, Kerr's Field

Back on Kerr's Field a couple more wheatears had joined the throng including a couple more females and a big male that I thought was a robin the first time I saw it as I just registered a large flash of bright orange shooting from the brambles to behind a horse trough. Eventually he came out into the open, a big very bright bird that was almost certainly a Greenland wheatear.  Three chats were busy in the brambles by the far fence. Two turned out to be a pair of stonechats, the male coming over again to check me out. The third was more difficult as it was spending all its time in the brambles. Eventually it moved down into a more open patch of nettles and I added whinchat to the year list.

The weather was looking interesting again so I decided to knock on the head any idea of having a walk between Hoylake and West Kirby. I also decided against going over to Hale Lighthouse to see what was about. I got the train to Kirkby where the second thunderstorm of the day knocked out any idea of getting the bus to Lunt Meadows. So I got the Manchester train, the continuing downpour putting paid to any idea of stopping off for a wander round Orrell Water Park.

It looks like the weather's going to be like this all week. I've been promising myself a long distance day out since last June, I think this week's the time to get it off my wish list.

Pennington Flash

The car park oystercatcher

I was woken by the garden warbler singing in the garden. It took me a while to realise it wasn't the blackcap which had joined in the dawn chorus.

By the path to the car park

It was another of those days where if you don't like the weather something very different will come along in a moment so I went over to Pennington Flash where at least there's some cover to be had on a retreat to the bus stop.

Between showers

Despite the heavy rain as I walked down from St. Helen's Road there were plenty of birds in the trees and hedges by the path. The songs of blackcaps, wrens and a goldcrest were almost drowned out by a song thrush. Blue tits and great tits skittered around in the branches. Just the one chaffinch, a female.

Three-cornered leeks

As I got to the car park I noticed the three-cornered leeks were in full bloom. The sun came out as I scanned the flash. There were plenty of mute swans and Canada geese about, with a couple of dozen each of black-headed gulls and lesser black-backs. A handful of swifts hawked over the water and a couple of common terns were feeding over on the far side of the flash.

The water was understandably high and the spit at the Horrocks Hide was a series of small islands. I could see a few more geese and black-headed gulls, a couple of lesser black-backs sat on the compass pole and a pair of teal dabbled at the edge of the water.

Adult (left) and immature grey heron

A few herons loafed on the banks of the pool in front of the Tom Edmondson Hide. A few mallards, mute swans and gadwall were on the pool in the company of a male tufted duck.

A couple of reed warbler sang in the reeds either side of the path. The usual Cetti's warbler was nowhere to be heard this time.

Ramsdales scrape

One of the panels on the screen by Ramsdales Hide had been wrecked which made it a bit tricky for observation without disturbing the birds. A few Canada geese, mallard and gadwall loafed on the islands with a pair of lapwings. A dozen great crested grebes dozed in the bight. As I turned to go down the path a family party of bullfinches scattered from the brambles.

I had another look over the flash from Horrocks Hide while the weather was behaving itself. There were a few more common terns about, including one that looked a bit different, a short head and neck giving it an almost parakeet-like shape. Luckily for me the sun came out and the Arctic tern wheeled into the light showing a clean translucent wing with a thin black trailing edge. Good job it did otherwise I'd have had to leave it as a "Commic tern."

While I was watching the terns a flock of a dozen or so swallows fed high overhead and a sedge warbler sang from the patch of scrub by the water.

Not boding well

I watched the next weather front coming our way and decided to call it quits, pausing only to say hello to the car park oystercatcher.

Mersey Valley

Heron, Sale Water Park

The day's heavy rains kept most of the birds undercover. The blackbird, blackcap, dunnock and robin were seen but not heard and the spadgers were struggling to glean much from the sycamore trees on the embankment.

The rain abated mid-afternoon so I had a brisk nip down through Stretford Ees to Broad Ees Dole to see if the kittiwake that had just been reported was available to be added to the year list.

Stretford Ees by the tram line

Stretford Ees was busy with small birds emerging after the rain. Chiffchaffs, song thrushes and coal tits sang, wrens and robins scuttled round in the undergrowth by the path and judging by all the noise a pair of ring-necked parakeets were visiting their nest.

Goosanders, Broad Ees Dole

It should surprise the reader not one bit that a pair of carrion crows had chased off the kittiwake ten minutes before I arrived at Broad Ees Dole. A pair of goosander and a coot loafed on the nearly submerged island, a few dabchicks hunted in the ditches, mallards and mute swans shepherded their youngsters round the pool margins.

Mute swan and cygnets, Broad Ees Dole

Back on Sale Water Park the usual herd of mute swans were soliciting donations from the families watching a swimming race in the lake (see, it's not just birdwatchers). A small flock of half a dozen swifts hawked over the treetops and two swallows hawked low over the water.

It started raining again. I took the hint and went home. Just after teatime the rain died down again and the garden was suddenly heaving with spadgers and goldfinches, obviously catching up on collecting for hungry young mouths while the going was good.

• Blackbird 2
• Blackcap 1
• Collared Dove 1
• Dunnock 1
• Goldfinch 3
• House Sparrow 18
• Jackdaw 2
• Robin 1
• Rook 1
• Starling 1
• Woodpigeon 4

Blackleach Country Park

Common tern

It was another of those days that start sunny then bode very dodgy so I decided on a short walk round Blackleach Country Park. By the time I arrived it had become a typical late February day so it was nice to see some heralds of Summer about.

Lesser black-backs

A pair of lesser black-backs cosied up to each other on one of the rafts on the lake while fifty or so of each of sand martins and swallows hawked low over the water. Most of the couple of dozen black-headed gulls were loafing about on the water but a couple of second calendar year birds (identifiable by the brown tips to their wing coverts) were intent on chasing three common terns around every time they came near.

Blackleach Country Park

A pair of great crested grebes had five youngsters in tow and they made sure to stay well away from any of the gulls. Ditto the mallards at the other end of the lake. A raft of tufted ducks looked fitting for the wintery weather.

Blackleach Country Park

I strolled down the path to the motorway then took a path through the woodlands which reintroduced my boots to the wonder that is mud. Luckily it's been such a dry few weeks that the underlying mud was still set like concrete so it wasn't too bad underfoot. Although there were plenty of resident woodland birds about there wasn't any sign of any warblers, even the chiffchaffs were having none of it. 

Some of the woodland paths were better than others

I encountered the first warbler of the visit when I got back to the lake in the pouring rain. A sedge warbler was gamely singing from the reeds though it was soon put off by the weather and ran for cover. Having less sense than a sedge warbler I scanned about trying to find it. As I did so my eye was caught by a couple of birds flying about the lake. Dark, chunky looking Calidris-type sandpipers, but which? Luckily they got into formation with one of the swallows which gave me a sense of scale and I could be certain they were knots, their plumage somewhere between their Winter greys and their rusty breeding finery. They kept flying about, settling for a moment then taking flight again, I lost them as they flew over the other side of the lake.

The sun came out though it still continued pouring down but this was enough to persuade the chiffchaffs to start singing. I looked at the weather the wind was blowing in, took the hint and sloped off for the bus.

Etherow Country Park

Chiffchaff, Etherow Country Park

After getting away with dodging the rain yesterday it was back to business as usual today as it poured down in the sunshine. I'd gone over to Etherow Country Park for an afternoon wander. The mandarin ducks were keeping a low profile, I only saw a couple on the walk up to the weir. There were plenty of chiffchaffs and blackcaps singing in the willows and robins bobbed around the length of the path. A small flock of swallows swooped on the lake then soared over Ernocroft Wood.

Mandarin duck, Etherow Country Park

I looked in vain on the river for any dippers and nearly missed the only available grey wagtail until I looked in the tree it was singing from.

Keg Wood was heaving with birds but most of them were very quiet about their business. Most of the small birds flitting about in the trees were blue tits but there was plenty enough variety about to keep me on my toes. The chiffchaffs and willow warblers sang every so often but mostly spent their time gleaning from the beech twigs. 

Keg Wood, with bluebells

I sat by Sunny Corner for quarter of an hour to see what might come along. I was rather hoping a pied flycatcher might drop by en route to wherever it is they're nesting these days but had no luck this time. I wasn't alone, a chap I bumped into later asked if there were any about and I had to admit the last one I saw here was two years ago.

Bluebells, Keg Wood

A lot of kerfuffle and noise on the river approaching the weir turned out to be a pair of mandarin ducks taking exception to a heron that was a bit too interested in their family of ducklings.

Etherow Country Park

I had another look at the river by the weir. Good job I did, a dipper was busily collecting food for nestlings somewhere or other in the vicinity.