High Tide at Parkgate and Burton Mere Wetlands 21 March 2023
A hight tide of 9.8 metres at 10:49am took us up to Parkgate where, amazingly, the car park at the Old Baths was viertually empty. This was probably because it was the first day of high tides which were:
21st March, 10.49hrs (GMT), 9.8m.
22nd March, 11.31hrs (GMT), 10.1m.
23rd March, 12.12hrs (GMT), 10.1m.
24th March, 12.50hrs (GMT), 9.9m.
Being the first day the tide wasn’t particularly high and it wasn’t one of our best high tides but there were signs that Spring was coming and the smaller birds on the marsh were very active.
We did get a couple of Marsh Harriers as one would expect and good numbers of Pink-footed Geese as well. Large numbers of Curlew revealed themselves as the tide came in – possibly around 200 of them – but it wasn’t a spectacular.
We stayed for a couple of hours but the weather was too good and the tide not high enough for a spectacular. Still, it was a nice day and the rain held off. We left Parkgate and dropped in on Burton Mere Wetlands where the Long-billed Dowitcher was supposedly present again but reports suggested it was sitting deep in the middle of a floack of Black-tailed Godwits so not showing very well at all. I feel we will only see this bird when it wants us to.
At Burton the Avocet numbers are rising. I think their biggest count so far this year was 90 but that is cattered over the reserve, I think. There were lots of Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of Black-headed Gulls. A smattering of the usual duck species was enlivened by a Pintail. So not the best of high tide days but we are going to try for another one on Thursday.
Bird Sightings : Parkgate 21 March 2023
| Species | No |
|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | 20 |
| Canada Goose | 8 |
| Carrion Crow | 6 |
| Curlew | 200 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 4 |
| Great White Egret | 2 |
| Herring Gull | 4 |
| Little Egret | 6 |
| Mallard | 10 |
| Marsh Harrier | 2 |
| Meadow Pipit | 6 |
| Pheasant | 1 |
| Pink-footed Goose | 600 |
| Rook | 20 |
| Shoveler | 4 |
| Starling | 10 |
| Stonechat | 2 |
| Teal | 30 |
| Wigeon | 10 |
Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands 21 March 2023
| Species | No |
|---|---|
| Avocet | 40 |
| Black-headed Gull | 80 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 60 |
| Blue Tit | 3 |
| Canada Goose | 12 |
| Coot | 6 |
| Gadwall | 6 |
| Great Tit | 2 |
| Greylag Goose | 8 |
| Lapwing | 40 |
| Little Grebe | 2 |
| Nuthatch | 1 |
| Pintail | 1 |
| Shoveler | 6 |
| Teal | 50 |
| Tufted Duck | 10 |
| Wigeon | 40 |
