Trip reports

WATCHING ON THE WIRRAL

Saturday, 12 January 2008

A rewarding day out on the Wirral started with a walk around the periphery of the West Kirby Marine Lake seeing first a red-throated diver in winter plumage, three goldeneye and a pair of mergansers from the promenade. Below us, on the beach, a small flock of waders, including redshank (one ringed), black legged knot and a turnstone were feeding. For a wader encore a flock of c100 knot flew past turning & swirling, flashing their bright undersides in the sun. On the Marine Lake there was a great crested grebe, some cormorant and a pair of mute swans, together with a collection of gulls; black-headed, herring and black-backed. Over on the Dee Estuary were some curlew, a single grey plover and a little egret.

Scanning the sea at Meols we noted parties of scoter flying straight and fast just above the water. The incoming tide pushed 100's of waders onto the beach. By the tide-line there was a flock of about 500 mixed waders, predominantly knot and grey plover, with browner dunlin and near white sanderling running by the water's edge. C24 curlew and c150 oystercatchers stood in the deeper water at the back. On the sea I counted 13 shelduck and many cormorants.

At New Brighton we saw passing kittiwake. Later at Perch Rock, a flock of waders, mainly turnstone, some knot, winter dunlin and some redshank were seen on a pontoon. The nicest surprise (for some delighted members a new bird) was the presence of three winter slate-grey plumaged purple sandpipers below the common gulls perched on the handrail.

A brief visit to Frodsham Marshes revealed a kestrel hovering, a buzzard soaring and a large mixed flock of waders flying, the latter probably set up by the buzzard.

This report is representative of the twice monthly trips organised by Wigan RSPB Local Group. For details of forthcoming trips, which are open to all, please see the events page on this web site.

Photo: Goldeneye (from another site)