Birding Group Visit To Frodsham Marshes 13th March 2012
Birding Group Visit To Frodsham Marshes 13th March 2012
We started off by parking up and walking down to the River Weaver. We then walked along the “Weaver Bend”. As we did so there was a meadow full of Skylarks chattering away and a few taking to the air singing vigorously. We had several sightings of Kestrel though whether it was one busy one or more than one we couldn’t tell – though some of the group were convinced at at least one male and one female had been seen. The river itself was far more interesting that I had thought it would be and there were many species to be seen.
We saw Pochard, Shelduck, Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Duck and Teal. As we went further round towards the small island in the bend we also saw a fair number of Goldeneye, Canada Geese and a single Greylag. On the island itself were Lapwing and Oysterchatcher and on the far shore a few Redshank. As we walked back from the bend there were Starlings in good numbers in the trees behind the meadow, a Buzzard in the sky above and a Pheasant in the field. A flock of eighteen Curlew flew over the river following its course.
We returned to the cars and drove back along the lane to where the fork is and we look the other fork along Moorditch Lane where we could hear more Skylarks in the fields to the right, one even perched on a post using all its energy for singing rather than flying. On the lake to the left we saw Cormorant and Grey Heron. There were Goldfinch and Reed Bunting in the trees. There was a great mass of birds roosting far to the left and closer examination revealed them to be around 200 Lapwing and 300 Dunlin, some of the latter already getting into their breeding plumage. Out on the open water among the Gulls and Teal was a single Avocet !
All in all a good day and we could really have spent much longer there. Perhaps it is a place we could go back to on our own.
Bird Sightings : Frodsham Marshes
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Greylag Goose | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 12 |
| Shelduck | 20 |
| Teal | 3 |
| Pochard | 3 |
| Tufted Duck | 10 |
| Goldeneye | 12 |
| Pheasant | 1 |
| Cormorant | 3 |
| Grey Heron | 2 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 2 |
| Buzzard | 1 |
| Kestrel | 2 |
| Coot | 6 |
| Oystercatcher | 1 |
| Avocet | 1 |
| Lapwing | 200 |
| Dunlin | 300 |
| Curlew | 18 |
| Redshank | 2 |
| Skylark | 20 |
| Starling | 20 |
| Goldfinch | 3 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
How We Got There
- Head north on Chequers Rd toward High Ln/A5145 (436 ft)
- Turn right onto High Ln/A5145 (0.2 mi)
- Turn right onto Barlow Moor Rd/A5145 (1.3 mi)
- Turn right onto Princess Rd/A5103. Continue to follow A5103 (2.1 mi)
- Merge onto M56 via the ramp to M6/Chester/Warrington/M’cr Airport/Wythenshawe/Birmingham (20.3 mi)
- At junction 12, take the A557 exit to Frodsham/Runcorn Airport/Widnes 0.3 mi
- At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto A557. (0.4 mi)
- Turn right by the traffic lights onto Sutton Causeway/A56
- Go through Frodsham village and at the far end of the main street you’ll pass a “corrugated” chapel on RHS – turn right shortly After onto Marsh Lane
- Take lane over the motorway bridge. Keep right at the fork and. After about 500yds it bends left and slightly uphill. Park on the verge on the right looking towards the chemical works & the River Weaver