Birding Group Visit to Inner Marsh Farm and Parkgate 11th April 2011
Another good day our with the birding group. The weather wasn’t too good but we managed to keep dry for a while. We started off at the RSPB office and spotted a range of Finches on the feeders there. One of the group saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker but we didn’t. We walked down to the hide and en route we saw a number of birds including Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Song Thrush etc. There were quite a few of us present so when we joined the half dozen people already in the hide it was pretty full. There were a couple of Avocets and a non breeding Black Tailed Godwit snoozing by one of the islands while a mixed flock of Swallows, House and Sand Martins darted about overhead. There was a surprising variety of waterfowl there including a Great White Egret and a Spotted Redshank. Just as we were about to leave the hide a Hen Harrier showed and gave us all good views. The group was going to return to their cars and go on to another nearby site but as we walked back the rain started to get heavy and everyone decided to call the day off. Not, however, before we got a quick view of a Wheatear on a wall near the reserve car park.
Anne and I opted to go for a cup of tea and a bite to eat rather than going straight home and by the time we had done that the sun was out again and – apart from a high wind – the weather turned good again. We decided to go to Parkgate to see what there was to see there. We had a short walk across the fields – where we saw a Pheasant – and along the disused railway track for a short distance before returning to the promenade. We walked all along there and returned to the car park. The tide was well out and there wasn’t a lot to see but we did see a few additional birds (see below) and we had a pint at The Boat House (where we spotted a House Sparrow from the comfort of a window seat in the pub) and then returned home. On the way back we saw a few Buzzards to finish the afternoon off. There were a few of the birds spotted that I didn’t see myself but between Anne and I we saw some 44 species.
Bird List for Inner Marsh Farm
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Avocet | 4 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 1 |
| Blackbird | 2 |
| Blackcap | 1 |
| Black-headed Gull | 10 |
| Bullfinch | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 6 |
| Carrion Crow | 12 |
| Chaffinch | 6 |
| Chiffchaff | 4 |
| Coot | 6 |
| Goldfinch | 4 |
| Great White Egret | 1 |
| Greenfinch | 1 |
| Grey Heron | 2 |
| Hen Harrier | 1 |
| House Martin | 12 |
| Jackdaw | 4 |
| Lapwing | 2 |
| Magpie | 2 |
| Mallard | 12 |
| Mute Swan | 6 |
| Pied Wagtail | 2 |
| Reed Bunting | 2 |
| Robin | 6 |
| Sand Martin | 1 |
| Shelduck | 6 |
| Shoveler | 2 |
| Song Thrush | 1 |
| Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| Spotted Redshank | 1 |
| Swallow | 2 |
| Teal | 1 |
| Tufted Duck | 10 |
| Wheatear | 1 |
| Wigeon | 1 |
| Willow Warbler | 1 |
| Woodpigeon | 1 |
Bird List for Parkgate
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Buzzard | 4 |
| House Sparrow | 1 |
| Oystercatcher | 1 |
| Pheasant | 1 |
| Redshank | 1 |
| Starling | 6 |
How To Get There
We took the M56 to the end and continued on until the A540 exit towards Hoylake/Chester/B’Head/A540. At the roundabout we took the third exit heading to Parkgate Rd/A540 heading to Hoylake/Birkenhead/A550. We kept left at the fork and turned left into Mudhouse Lane. We turned left at the village and then on to Station Road
- Head south on Chequers Rd toward Beech Rd [308 ft]
- Turn left at Beech Rd [0.2 mi]
- Turn right at Barlow Moor Rd/A5145 [1.2 mi]
- Turn right at Princess Rd/A5103. Continue to follow A5103 [1.7 mi]
- Continue onto M56 (signs for Chester/Warrington/Wythenshawe/Birmingham/M6) [32.5 mi
- Take the A540 exit toward Hoylake/Chester/B’head/A550 [0.2 mi]
- At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Parkgate Rd/A540 heading to Hoylake/Birkenhead/A550 [1.8 mi]
- Keep left at the fork [1.2 mi]
- Turn left at Mudhouse Ln [0.3 mi]
- Turn right to stay on Mudhouse Ln [0.9 mi]
- Turn left at The Village [0.3 mi]
- Continue onto Station Rd
Destination will be on the right [0.7 mi]