24/02/2024 My Garden, Golborne, Cheshire

Siskin: Birders are most likely to encounter these agile little birds in coniferous forests and plantations but, particularly in winter they can be attracted to garden feeders. 

These common resident finches have lemon-yellow plumage, long, narrow curved bills (quite typical among Fringillidae) and forked tails. Their striped appearance is what distinguishes them from similar-looking garden birds.

Dawn and I purchased a new house over the Christmas period and although this brings untold stress with packing, moving driving the morals van and then settling in. A new home brings the excitement of a new garden bird list and new visitors to my garden feeders. 

We lived in our old house in Abram for over seven years and I only recorded siskin twice on the feeders.  When we moved into our new house we had an awful problem with the resident squirrels, they were relentless in sniffing out the feeders, damaging them and emptying the seed. 

So, I decided to upgrade the feeders from to the fantastic Roamwild Pest Off Bird Feeder. These 100% squirrel proof feeders have a spring loaded perches that drop when anything heavier than a small bird lands on them, pulling down a door that closes the feeding holes along with large squirrel baffle on the top and above the feeding holes. 

They are great, I've had no more issues with squirrels and plenty of garden birds enjoying the free buffet.

https://roamwildproducts.co.uk/products/roamwild-squirrel-proof-bird-feeders

18/02/2024 Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Great Grey Shrike: I started the day over in a fantastic woodland, the remnants of an ancient royal forest in Nottinghamshire, Sherwood Forest. 

Meeting up with tom Marshall and Matt Woodward, two legends who I've not seen in far too long a time.  

Made legendary as the home of the famous outlaw in the ballads of Robin Hood this 400 acre forest, surrounded by lowland heathland this is one of the premier places in the UK to see the famously scarce lesser-spotted woodpecker. Our main target for the day although we only had a brief male calling before flying overhead and out of sight. 

We moved on to Buddy Common where we got wood lark singing and this smart shrike. the bird was predictably mobile and ranging across areas without access so it was tricky to get anything decent on it, but good to see all the same. 

 

Lesser Scaup: After a laugh and chinwag over a cup of coffee and some scran in the visitor centre coffee shop I moved on back home and headed to Woolston in Warrington to try my luck with the lesser scaup.

Dave Spencer refund the lesser scaup  at Woolston Weir after it being found over the bund on Woolsten Eyes NR. The bird after relocating here was in a poor light and at some distance, let's hope it goes back to the Eyes and shows better. 

11/02/2024 Middleton, Heysham, Lancashire

Glossy Ibis: After a busy few weekends without the chance of getting out for a spot of birding I eventually was let out and caught up with the long staying glossy ibis. These birds look so odd like a cross between a heron and a curlew with green and purple-brown plumage. 

Once a rare vagrant to the UK glossy ibis numbers have increased in recent years and it has become more common, with exceptional arrivals in 2007-11. They were even confirmed as a new British breeder in 2002 when a pair was discovered breeding in Cambridgeshire. 

 

A perfect storm that have created a range of factors are in alignment that have helped the speed of this species. Southern Iberia has experienced extremely dry conditions and a relatively higher winter temperatures across the UK has encouraged large number of glossy ibis to spend the winter here.

This bird has found its winter home on a small flooded pasture field behind a small village near Heysham. Stocked with horses and chickens the flood is pretty extensive and isolated as there's no general access to the fields.  

Upon arrival the bird was at the furthermost side of the pool foraging and probing its long curved big in to the muddy banks.

Eventually, after a short while the bird was spooked by a little eager and flew into the flooded pool opposite the derelict Middleton Parish Hall car park. 

This gave me a chance to get some nice flight shots before it landed and began probing the mud for worms again. 

05/02/2024 Taylor Park, St Helens

Ring-necked Duck: Dave Owen found this smart looking drake RND during his regular wardening rounds of the parks and wild spaces across the area. 

News came out while I was working ut of the Liverpool office, but I managed to make it before the fading light became too much of an issue.

Taylor Park is the largest Victorian park in St Helens named after Samuel Taylor who gave the land the park was built on to St Helens Corporation in 1892. 

Its a nice little park when you look past the obligatory poo bags hanging in trees, such a shame as its a beautiful park! Great children's play ground, boating lake and even a cafe.

RND gets their  name from the dark purple neck band but this is not conspicuous in the field, it catches the light and reflects back, but it its overcast it can be difficult to see. 

They are similar to tufted duck, but lacks the tuft  on the head and has a high crown at the back of the head. They have a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back. 

A scares American vagrant like this pulls in a good crowed of local birders, and it was good to bmp in to some familiar faces.