Red Rocks, Neston Old Quay and Burton Mere Wetlands : 22nd April 2016

WIth a good day predicted and a 9 metre high tide due at Noon we decided on another visit to the Wirral. Expecting that a, none too impressive, 9 metre tide would’t do much anywhere except Hoylake we decided to go up there. As it happened the tide was mainly a long way out. We had a little bit of a walk around but we decided to try a place we had not been to before, despite its proximity to Hoylake, Red Rocks.

At Red Rocks the tide was still nor very far in but this allowed us to walk around the rocks. It was a much closer view of Hilbre (and associated) islands that I had expected and we could make out groups of Cormorants, Shelduck and Oystercatcher on the, slowly shrinking, smaller islands. We also saw a group of three Common Scoter which was a pleasant surpise.

Our next destination was Neston Ols Quay, a place that we had never quite located despite visiting the Harp Inn before. It turned out that the old quay (which we had seen prom Burton Point before) was actually just past the pub and there is actually a car park there. Practically speaking this is all the same site and on a wonderfully warm and sunny day we sat outside the Harp having a pint and watching the rising Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. There were other birds darting aound and on small pools we could see little groups of waders, including a few Avocets. The high point of the afternoon, though, was without doubt a view of a Short-eared Owl patrolling the marshy looking for a spot of lunch. We followed it in bins and scope for at least fifteen minutes getting some excellent views – the best ever in fact – watching the bird glide around occasionally turning and diving down to catch prey. It obviously did find a few morsels because it stayed down for short periods now and again. WIth the light coming from in front of us, the wings of the owl were lit up beautifully and really how could it get any better, having a pint of Landlord whilst sitting in the sun watching an Owl !

After this I suppose Burton Mere Wetlands was going to be a bit of a disappointment and, despite being told that all sorts of birds had been seen recently, mostly they eluded us. As usual the scrape was full of Black-tailed Godwit, Avocets and Redshank with reduced numbers of Ducks. There was a single Brent Goose amongst the Canada Geese and we got nice views of a very rough looking Ruff that looked as if was moulting into breeding plumage.

Around the site there were lots of birds singing including Wren, Robin and Blackcap. We saw a Nuthatch and also heard our first Sedge Warbler of the year. I also thought that I heard a Grasshopper Warbler (there were supposed to be two around) was was persuaded it was not !! There were lots of Chiffchaffs and in the trees the Little Egrets were making their gobbling noises from their nests.

We did go to the Marsh Covert Hide where we could see the usual ducks over by the Inner Marsh Farm hide but we didn’t have time to go that far as it was already late in the afternoon and we were in danger of hitting the motorway rush hour. As it happened we immediatley got stuck in a traffic jam and this lasted most of the way home adding about 40 minutes to the journey home. Still, it could not spoil the pleasure that we had had birding on a lovely warm, sunny, spring day.

Bird Sightings : Red Rocks

Species	Count
Common Shelduck	4
Common Scoter	3
Great Cormorant	12
Eurasian Oystercatcher	20
Great Black-backed Gull	6
Barn Swallow	4

Bird Sightings : Neston Old Quay

Species	Count
Mallard	10
Grey Heron	2
Little Egret	2
Common Buzzard	1
Pied Avocet	6
Northern Lapwing	6
Common Redshank	16
Great Black-backed Gull	4
Common Wood Pigeon	2
Short-eared Owl	1
Eurasian Jackdaw	10
Rook	1
Carrion Crow	2
Sky Lark	4
Barn Swallow	10
Great Tit	4
Eurasian Blue Tit	6
Eurasian Blackbird	2
Common Starling	4
Meadow Pipit	6
Common Chaffinch	4
European Greenfinch	1
European Goldfinch	4
House Sparrow	20

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands Reception Hide

Species	Count
Brent Goose	1
Canada Goose	20
Mute Swan	4
Mallard	20
Northern Shoveler	2
Tufted Duck	20
Grey Heron	1
Little Egret	1
Common Moorhen	6
Common Coot	6
Pied Avocet	40
Northern Lapwing	10
Common Redshank	20
Black-tailed Godwit	30
Ruff	1
Black-headed Gull	20

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands Environs

Species	Count
Common Pheasant	1
Little Grebe	1
Grey Heron	4
Little Egret	12
Great Tit	6
Eurasian Blue Tit	8
Eurasian Nuthatch	1
Eurasian Wren	1
Common Chiffchaff	2
Sedge Warbler	1
Blackcap	1
Song Thrush	1
Dunnock	2
Reed Bunting	1
Common Chaffinch	10

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands Marsh Covert Hide

Species	Count
Canada Goose	6
Common Shelduck	8
Gadwall	2
Northern Shoveler	6
Common Teal	10
Common Moorhen	2
Common Coot	2
Common Redshank	20
Black-tailed Godwit	12
Black-headed Gull	30

Red Rocks, Neston Old Quay and Burton Mere Wetlands : 22nd April 2016