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.



22/03/2012 The Great Orme

Lapland Bunting: Today I went bunting hunting up on the Great Orme. I started along Marine Drive there where loads of the regular gulls and a few stone chat with a few grey seal bobbing around the rocks like corks. My aims was to head over the visitor centre and then make my way around the lime stone paths, it was here I bumped in to two nice birders from who were on the same hunt.

They advised me the Lapland bunting where last seen yesterday on the lime stone paths so I made a beeline for that part of the Orme.

Snow Bunting: I was aimlessly wondering around when I was lucky enough to again bump in to theses two birders who were with a gaggle of other birders, they told me the bunting just flew in my direction, but is missed them. We then turned to see both Lapland bunting forging amongst some rocks at our feet, brilliant.

Stonechat: (male) After filling our SD cards with pictures we then turned to see a snow bunting on the path behind us, what a super bird. After taking my fill of pictures I said good bye and headed home spotting a couple of raven and a peregrine.

19/10/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Nuthatch: My birthday and Christmas’s have all come at once, now I am a proud owner of a Canon 100-400mm 4.5 L series lens and I am made up! I was on my own on the reserve today and unable to get out of the Visitor Centre to play with it so I stayed around the feeders.



I placed some nuts one the log below the feeders and the well names nuthatch was straight on them hovering each one up before the rats and squirrels got to them.

Tawny Owl: I was also lucky enough to see this tawny owl spying on me from beneath the ivy, brilliant bird to see.

15/10/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Hobby: Birdwatching is the best Hobby ever! Watching this spectacular bird of prey hunting right over my head, outside Burton Mere Wetlands decking area swooping and stooping while catching Dragonflies was simply awesome.

This late record for the reserve has been showing well all week, other highlights include a late Avocet a couple of Whooper Swans and the Yankee – Long Billed Dowitcher came back.  

09/10/2012 Leighton Moss RSPB

Bearded Tit: It was a stunning morning at Leighton Moss before I started my working with volunteer’s course as it was clod but calm and clear. I headed straight down to the grit feeders down towards the public hides and came across a huge gaggle of birders at least 20 people standing and waiting in the cold. I took my place, at the back of the crowd and waited and waited then I was treated to stunning views of a female tit. I waited another 2 hours hoping for the male to show itself but had to settle for the just views of the female.

 A lifer for me (:


The one that got away, this must have been the best, sharpest image I took of the tit but unfortunately the bloody bird was looking the wrong way!

Marsh Tit: Other birds of note on the day where 2 Whooper Swans at Lillian's Hide and Marsh tits on the feeders.

01/10/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands

Long-Billed Dowitcher: I had a phone call this afternoon from somebody on Burton Mere Wetlands while I was on the reserve working, they were saying they think they have found a Long-Billed Dowitcher but needed some identification help as they were not 100%.

 So me and Dan rallied the troops and headed down to see, it was among several Black-Tailed Godwits. Another lifer, made up!


Other highlights from the past few days at Burton Mere Wetlands are: Golden Plover, Greenshank, Hen and Marsh Harrier.

 

21/09/2012 Frodsham Marsh

Marsh Harrier: (male) My first day off in a long time took me to Frodsham Marsh.

Pretty quiet really, a huge flock of Greenfinch where flying around weaver bend and on tank.6 there was a few Ruff and Dunlin.

The highlight by far was this stunning male Marsh Harrier off the end of tank.6

02/09/2012 Burton Point

Wheatear: My day at Burton Mere Wetlands begun with great views of the Marsh Harrier then suburb views of a Peregrine and Hobby with a fly by from a Merlin, while of Pectoral Sandpiper was still showing thought the day.

I was treated to a trip to Burton Point to try my luck again at seeing the Little Owls and at long last they were there, sun bathing on the rocks.

We saw two young Owls and a pair of Kestrels in the area and bumped in to a few local birders who were kind enough to lend us their scopes.



The Wheatears where showing well again at the sheep dip pens too.

29/08/2012 Burton Point

Wheatear: I took a quick trip after work on Monday to Burton Point with the hope to see the Little Owls, which have successfully bread down there and alas the weather turned the rain came and the owls where gone, probably hidden from view.

But I did see 4 Wheatear happily sitting on the fence around the cattle grid and sheep pens which brightened my day a little.


Another great week at the RSPBs Burton Mere Wetlands Reserve and the highlight for me was definitely the Common Lizard and the Merlin. The Marsh Harriers where out daily and a pectoral Sandpiper gave a good show on Friday and the same waders and wildfowl are growing in numbers.

25/08/2012 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Common Lizards:  This was one of many highlights of today action at Burton Mere Wetlands it was spotted on one of the ditches on the reed and fen trail, I actually found out that Common Lizards although their name suggest are no so common but here at Burton Mere Wetland there is a large and widespread population.

Green Woodpecker: I was surprised to see this young woody feeding in a garden as I walked in to work this morning. It was on someones lawn in one of those million pound houses just off Paddington Lane.

We know there is a resident Green Woodpecker on the reserve itself and we often get reports of people hearing its call but very few people actual get to see it. I was chuffed.

The Marsh Harriers once again didn’t disappoint as they showed really well through the day as did a Pectoral Sandpiper which was a fantastic tick.

22/08/2012 Chester Meadows

I have just come across this Friends of Chester Meadows news letter from Spring 2012.

They have taken two of my photographs of the Mediterranean Gull and have kindly put my Blog link on there too. This article was first realised on their public information board just outside of the meadows.

The Meadows are unique in being so close to the centre of the busy city of Chester, yet offer a peaceful place to enjoy surrounded by nature. They are regularly enjoyed by walkers, joggers, anglers, bird watchers. There is so much to see: ground nesting birds, river birds, small mammals, aquatic life or just take in the breathtaking beauty.

http://www.friendsofthemeadows.org.uk/images/Newsletter_184_Spring_2012.pdf

http://www.friendsofthemeadows.org.uk/