26/11/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Water Rail:Today’s morning started with lots of strimming around both sides of the Reception Hide, which meant very little birds of the feeders around the centre and birds on the main scrape.

All this disturbance was for a specific purpose, to cut rides in to the reeds in order to make seeing the resident Water Rails easier. And just as the wardens put their strimmers down the invisible bird made an appearance.

 

It’s amazing how Water Rail's evaporate and disappear in to their environment, behind the reeds.

25/11/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Nuthatch: Great weather and great birds today at work-if that what you want to call it, with a male and female Brambling and a few female Siskins along with a Red Breasted Merganser.

Siskin: Ok not the best pic, but always a nice bird to see and photograph. I hope they eventually come down out of the trees and down on to the feeders I’ll get a good shot then, even though it is cheating lol

24/11/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Green Woodpecker: Another great day at work, bird of the day had to be this stunning male Green Woodpecker which has been seen around IMF and BMW car park for a few days now, It was reported to be to be in the old big Oak Tree next to the onsite farm house near the entrance.

I found the bird feeding in the adjacent farm field and another flying over the farm house, later on that day I then saw it flying through the woods and towards the Bunker Hide where it was perching on a fence post.

Brambling: The male Brambling made another appearance after a few weeks, I thought I would put some seed on the same path I last saw it and it worked. The pile of seed first attracted the attention of the local Squirrels and Rats then a huge flock of Chaffinches about 20+ with a dozen or so Goldfinches.

 

I was obviously working and not able to kept a regular eye on the pathway but it was not until a couple pointed out to me that they had seen him feeding on the path until I grabbed my camera and took a peak.

 

Brilliant, it was there and showing well, It has been the only one seen on BMW side and I will continue to put seed out to entice the bird.

 

Its my 100th post!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS TAKEN A LOOK OVER THE LAST YAER OR SO

13/11/2012 Warrington, Milner Street

Waxwing: What brilliant birds, not only are they stunning and scarce but when they turn up on our small damp island they cause us birders to do a little twitching!

They are known to turn up on industrial estates, car parks and in this case next to a Kia garage and opposite the Honda garage along a business estate in Warrington.

There were about 50+ birds which were in a large American Plane Tree and seemed to be scouting the areas by flying short distances off their perches then back again. They then decided to descend only a metre away from me on a berry tree polishing off the fruit.

I arrived around 1330 and the birds stayed until around 1410 and then flew off out of sight, I came back about 40 minutes later and they were back on their American Plane Tree.

 

 

What a super bird! Brilliant day and the £10 well spent (train fare) I just wished the lighting was better as I’m not thrilled with my results, the pictures are grainy and the colours on the birds is not as vivid. Perhaps ill get lucky again when the weather improves.

 

 

 

 

I deleted this post by mistake and can’t change it around and make it an older post

*****PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS POST FOR BETTER WAXWING PICS AND NEWEST REPORT*****

20/11/2012 Chester Business Park

Waxwing: Wonderful Waxwings have finally made it to Chester and again on my split shift i grabbed my camera and headed off to Chester Business Park where over twenty of the beauties had be seen between MBNA and Natwest.

I took a very long walk around the place and didn’t see or hear any sign of them or any other birders but I didn’t give up these birds have an effect on me and other birders.

Perhaps it’s the way they look theses birds are stunning with their colourful wing tips and Jimmy Hendrix hair doo! Well more like Jedwood. Or perhaps because they are approachable as they pose while stuffing their beaks on berry trees just feet away from your lens. Or maybe it’s because they are rare but seen regularly in town centres, car parks and anywhere else you wouldn’t find a tropical crazy looking bird.

For me it’s their attitude and personality they are cool and colourful little characters.

 

I could only find a modest flock of five but they still put on a good show, there might have been more as Chester Business Park is pretty big. These birds where spotted alongside the main road through the park near Regents Building and opposite MBNA.

 Brilliant, beautiful, bohemian waxwing

10/11/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Brambling: I had this bird on a prefect branch overlooking the feeding station in perfect sunlight and as I lifted my camera and pressed the butted to capture the image there was no usual click....what! Oh no.....the battery went dead. I was fuming at my lack of organisation I knew it was running low.

I then ran to get my spare and by the time I got back the bird had moved of its perch and on to the floor, in the bloody shade.








Redwing: I wasn’t totally happy with the Brambling pictures, I guess I was still angry with myself for letting a super shot go due the battery so I tried my luck again later in the day. I didn’t see the Brambling but got this record shot of a Redwing and saw six of them flying over towards the Bunker Hide.

09/11/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Great White Egret: Another great day at work-if that's what’s people call it! It started of with a stunning male Marsh Harrier cursing over the reeds from the visitor centre hide then a female Peregrine cashing Snipe over the main scrape which was then mobbed my a female Merlin.

The day was then topped off with not one but two Great White Egrets amongst about 80 Little Egrets, brilliant. You can see they are much larger then the little and they have yellow bills, not black like the little. And in flight they are huge with very long serpentine necks.