Newton Lake

I called in at Newton Lake this morning on the off chance that the Ring-necked Duck had returned, but no sign of it, just a handful of tufties. Also 3 Gadwall.

Newton Lake

No sign of the ring necked duck this morning, should have gone last night. I had a walk to Rob Lane with another birder and heard my first willow warbler of the year. Not much consolation though!

Willow warbler 1 singing
Blackcap 1 singing
Lesser redpoll 1
Nuthatch 1
Chiffchaff 5+
Gadwall pair
Teal 3
Shelduck 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 1

Damian P

Mistle Thrush

I found a mistle thrush sat on its nest in Billinge plants this afternoon. My question is do both birds of this species take turns to incubate the eggs or is it down to the female only? The reason I ask is because when I found it the bird was more visible and looked bigger than when I went back later to photograph it. It may be that later it was just lower down in the nest, maybe because it was cooler and was getting ready for night-time. Or on the other hand the male may have replaced the female; im assuming the female is larger!

Newton Lake mega

Newton lake, male Ringed-necked Duck on the lake with tufted duck also 2 shelduck. Peter.

Moss Lane

I had a walk down Moss Lane this evening after work. The sun came out just as I got there making all the yellowhammer stand out like jewels against the newly ploughed fields. My first swallow of the year flew through and the corn bunting were singing away again.

Swallow 1
Yellowhammer 30+
Corn bunting 3
Stock dove 4
Linnet 5+
Skylark 10+

Brown Hare 2

Also after 4 years of living here, we've finally got birds nesting in the garden - a pair of bluetits have chosen to nest in the box with a camera in. There's no eggs yet but I'll try and work out a way of capturing some images and put them on here if they lay any.

Damian P

Eccleston Mere

Sand Martin 4
Blackcap 2 singing
Chiffchaff 4 singing
Mute Swan 3
Gadwall 3
Reed Bunting 5 males

Penkford Flash

Penkford Flash, NLW from the bridge. 1Green Sandpiper, 17 Teal, 2 LBB Gulls. Peter.

Eccleston Mere

Shoveler 2 (m&f)
Teal 7 (4mm, 3ff)
Oystercatcher 2
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Kingfisher 1

Just a quick look this morning, no sign of the Ring Ouzel.

Eccleston Mere

Ring Ouzel, ad male showing well in scrubby field opposite the Sailing Club timekeeper hut on west side of Mere late afternoon. Still present at 5.30 when I left.

RayB

A few photos of the Ring Ouzel below. Still showing in exactly the same spot behind the hut at 7:30pm. Also this evening, 3 Gadwall (2mm, 1f) and 1 Kingfisher - Colin D.

 

Moth trapping at home

Double-striped Pug 3
Early Thorn 2
Small Quaker 2
Common Quaker 17
Clouded Drab 3
Hebrew Character 3
Early Grey 2
Oak Nycteoline 2 (only the 2nd and 3rd I've caught)
 
RayB

Moss Lane area

There were birds everywhere along Moss Lane this morning and the song and calls of either skylark, corn bunting, lapwing, reed bunting, and yellowhammer could be heard almost all the time.

The wheatear where in the ploughed field near the pylons, and the redwing were in the tall hedge next to the sheep paddock.

Wheatear 2m
Redwing 4
Grey Partridge 1
Oystercatcher 4 (2 in the ploughed field opposite the rugby club and two near Sadler's Lane)
Meadow Pipit 8+
Linnet 6
Reed Bunting 3+
Stock Dove 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Tree Sparrow 10+ at Sadler's Lane
Skylark, lapwing, yellowhammer everywhere

Corn Bunting

Wheatear (I hope that's the right type of barbed wire in the background!)

Corn Bunting Video

 

Damian P

Eccleston Mere

Lesser Redpoll 15
Sand Martin 4
Water Rail 1 still in western ditch and showing well
Bullfinch 4
Oystercatcher 2
Gadwall 2 (m&f)
Buzzard 1
Kingfisher 1

Sankey Valley

Orange Underwing 5 Goyt area, in flight
Great Crested Grebe 20+ Carr Mill Dam
 
RayB

Eccleston Mere

Sand Martin 20
Gadwall 3 (2 males, 1 female)
Kingfisher 1
 
CD & RayB
 
 

Eccleston Mere

Sandmartin 5
Water rail 1
Kingfisher 1 fishing on the stream
Mute swan 2 adults
Gadwall 1m
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Grey Wagtail 1
Lapwing 2 over
Lots of reed bunting

A fox was seen briefly in the fields again.

Damian P

Eccleston Mere

Gadwall 4 (3mm, 1f)
Mute Swan 2 adults
Tufted Duck 18 (10mm, 8ff)
Nuthatch 1
Treecreeper 1
Grey Wagtail 2

Eccleston Mere

Sand Martin 6
Kingfisher 1
Gadwall m&f
Tufted Duck 17
Great Crested Grebe 6+
Sparrowhawk 1
Reed Bunting 1
 
RayB

Eccleston Mere

Sand Martin 3
Water Rail 1 in western ditch
Buzzard 1
Kingfisher 1

A quick half an hour at Sankey Canal

1 Kingfisher
1 C Chiffchaff
3 Buzzards
2 Blue Tits taking nesting material into one of the footbridge lights.
They were gaining entry in a tiny gap between the steel tubing and the light casing. Fascinating.
Cheers
Howard A




Sent from my iPhone

Moth trapping at home

March Moth 1
Small Quaker 1
Common Quaker 5
Hebrew Character 1
Early Grey 2
 
RayB

Eccleston Mere

Chiffchaff 3 singing
Gadwall 3 (2mm, 1f)
Kingfisher 1

But otherwise very quiet.

Eccleston Mere

There were very few birds at the Mere this afternoon probably because of the high winds...

Gadwall 4 (3m, 1f)
Lesser Redpoll 4 in the hedge between the first two fields near the boat hut
Reed bunting 2
Pied Wagtail 9 feeding on the grass near the entrance
Kestrel 1

I think that was it!

Damian

Billinge Hill

A singing chiffchaff provided the entertainment on a drizzly morning. My first one up here this year a sign that spring is coming - promise!

14 redwing didn't look too happy with the weather as they headed north determined not to be grounded by the weather they stayed low slowly moving north from tree to tree.

There was also a small passage of meadow pipits.

Paul B

Sent from my iPod

Moth trapping at home

Just four species overnight but it will get better as the year goes on. If anyone wants to know what these moths look like, go to ukmoths.org.uk where there are lots of photos of most species.
 
Common Plume Moth 5
March Moth 1
Common Quaker 4
Early Grey 4
 
RayB 

World's End, Llangollen

Black Grouse still lecking and showing well at World's End this morning.