Birding Group Day Out to Martin Mere WWT 31st January 2012

The last day of the month was due to be a visit to Martin Mere and Mere Sands Woods but, in the end, it was decided that there was so much to see at Martin Mere that we would stay there all day rather than leave early to go to the nearby Mere Sands Woods. This decision was made quite early as we had, from the start, started to see some good sighting, especially of raptors.

We started off by going to the Ron Barker hide where we saw three Marsh Harriers. Although the Pink-footed Geese were mainly all out in the fields for the day, there were a few there and indeed one was grazing just in front of the hide so we got good close views. We also saw around 40 Ruff mixed in with the Lapwing and the very large numbers of Wigeon. Many of the smaller bodies of water were largely frozen over and as the day went on it got colder still.

We walked back down the main path where we saw Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Great and Blue Tits but no Tree Sparrows. We dropped in at the Kingfisher hide hoping to see the Water Rail that had been spotted from there earlier in the week. The reeds were all frozen so we were hopeful but in the end there was just a Heron and a few Mallard. At the Hale hide there were large numbers of Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. These three species were even more plentiful from Raines Observatory where we also had Goldeneye and lots of Whooper Swans and Greylag Geese. There were also hundreds of Shelduck.

With it being rather chilly we headed back to the cafe for a spot of lunch and to warm up a bit. After lunch we headed for the United Utilities hide where we saw two Peregrines which started to mob a Marsh Harrier to the point where the harrier decided that it was all too much trouble and cleared off. However a little later it came back and there was more fighting. All very spectacular. There were also Ruff, Starlings and a Black-tailed Godwit.

At the Harrier hide there was a greater variety than usual with large flocks of Wigeon, Pochard, Teal, Shelduck, Tufted Duck and Coots as well as five Pheasant. As usual there were Black-headed Gulls generally plentiful throughout the site.

We dropped in at the Janet Keir hide where a Water Rail had also been seen a day or two before but it was just the usual suspects there – finches, Reed Buntings, Dunnock, Robins and Pheasant etc.

At the Swanlink hide there were large numbers of Mallard, which seem to like this part of the site. There were also Ruffs and Whooper Swan. By this time it was nearing the 3pm feeding of the Whooper Swans in front of the Swanlink hide so we settled in there. Whilst we were waiting for the feeding to start we had some extremely close views of Ruff which enabled us to see clearly the totally different colouring of a first winter bird to that of a non-breeding adult. The differences in leg colour and bill colour as well as some variation in plumage made it clear why so many people have difficulty in identifying Ruffs in winter.

There were large numbers of Whooper Swans, of course, but I still don’t think numbers have been as high as they were a few years ago. In any case there were thousands there and also thousands of Greylag Geese and Shelduck. As ever it was a joy to hear the cacophonous honking of the swans as they hoover up the feed. The antics of the Shelduck are also comical as they crash land in any open space amongst the feeding swans hopeful of getting their share.

By now it was getting very cold so we decided to call it a day around 3.45pm so we all headed back to Manchester.

The sightings were :

Bird Sightings : Ron Barker Hide

Species	Count
Pink-footed Goose	10
Shelduck	50
Wigeon	200
Mallard	6
Shoveler	10
Marsh Harrier	3
Buzzard	1
Moorhen	6
Lapwing	200
Ruff	40
Black-tailed Godwit	1

Bird Sightings : Kingfisher Hide

Species	Count
Mallard	6
Grey Heron	1

Bird Sightings : Hale Hide

Species	Count
Wigeon	40
Teal	40
Pintail	4

Bird Sightings : Raines Observatory

Species	Count
Whooper Swan	600
Greylag Goose	20
Shelduck	200
Teal	100
Mallard	20
Pintail	100
Pochard	2
Goldeneye	2
Buzzard	1
Moorhen	4
Coot	60

Bird Sightings : United Utilities Hide

Species	Count
Greylag Goose	200
Shelduck	60
Cormorant	2
Marsh Harrier	1
Peregrine	2
Ruff	2
Black-tailed Godwit	2
Starling	30

Bird Sightings : Harrier Hide

Species	Count
Shelduck	100
Wigeon	200
Teal	200
Pochard	100
Tufted Duck	50
Pheasant	5
Grey Heron	1
Kestrel	1
Coot	40
Black-headed Gull	40
Magpie	8
Carrion Crow	2

Bird Sightings : Janet Keir Hide

Species	Count
Pheasant	2
Moorhen	2
Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	4
Blue Tit	2
Great Tit	3
Long-tailed Tit	4
Blackbird	2
Robin	3
Dunnock	1
Chaffinch	8
Greenfinch	4
Goldfinch	4
Reed Bunting	3

Bird Sightings : Swanlink Hide

Species	Count
Whooper Swan	800
Shelduck	200
Mallard	600
Pintail	40
Ruff	10

Birding Group Day Out to Martin Mere WWT 31st January 2012