The first birding group outing of the year was, of course, to Burton Mere Wetlands which we seem to go to every week on our own account. Be that as it may it was still an interesting day and some nice birds as usual.
Although the high tides had passed for the month, there was still a 9.3 metre tide at 2:30pm and there was also the chance to see the Spotted Crake at Burton Mere Wetlands that had eluded us so far this month. As it turned out, we got three year ticks in one day!
We had hoped to get our first Spoonbills of the year with this quick return to Burton but we were out of luck with the birds already gone. On the other hand we were to early for the Osprey (which would also have been a UK first for the year.
Short of good ideas for a birding day out, given a mixed weather forecast, we opted for a return to Burton Mere Wetlands despite having been there recently. As it happened, we had a great day out getting forty-eight species including a couple of year ticks – and unlikely ones at that.
After a long break away from birding, taking in all of July and the first half of August, we at last managed a day out to the Wirral for a high tide. We got a good range of birds including two year ticks and even a life tick!
The first stage of our holiday, planned to take in a week on Mull as well as several other locations on the way to and from there, was a drive from Manchester to Dumfries where we stopped off at WWT Caerlaverock and also, a new site for us, at RSPB Mersehead.
After a sunny day we were hopeful of a another one the following day when we decided to go up to the Wirral and visit some of the sites we rarely visit. Thes first stop was Leosowe Lighthouse but it was so windy and there tide was so far out that we soon abandoned that…
We managed to fit in a visit to Burton Mere Wetlands on the last day of the month and it managed to keep dry giving us a chance to get around most of the site. We were immediately rewarded with two Mediterranean Gulls on the main scrape which was a good year tick. The…
Poor weather had kept us from birding in February but a drier day and a highish tide on the Wirral (9.13m at 11:33am) got us out again and it turned out to be a pretty good day with visits to Hoylake, West Kirby, Burton Mere Wetlands and Connah’s Quay.
