(Please accept my apologies for not posting individual reports of these visits)
29th March 2022 – Marbury Country Park
Five members of the group enjoyed a lovely morning’s birding at this extensive country park with its wide range of habitats between Burton Mere and the Trent and Mersey canal. A total of twenty six species were recorded and a particular highlight was the good views we got of a Mistle Thrush at quite close range.
Thanks to group member Ken for this shot of the Mistle Thrush.
12th April 2022 – Mere Sands Wood
Four members of the group attended this visit on a soggy and misty morning. It was interesting to see the on going repairs and replacements of the hides and the improvements to the main hub. A highlight was about twenty Swallows flying low over the water. A total of twenty six species were recorded.
10th May 2022 – Yarrow Valley Country Park
Yarrow Valley is another extensive country park with a wide variety of habitats alongside the River Yarrow and six members of the group had an enjoyable morning’s birdwatching, recording a total of twenty two species. Highlights of this visit were the Dippers feeding their young and the Grey Wagtails.
-
- Dipper with young
-
- Grey Wagtail – Thanks to group member Tony for this photo
14th June 2022 – Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve
It was good to be able to return after three years to this very special Site of Special Scientific Interest set on an island between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal close to the Thelwall Viaduct. Five members of the group enjoyed this visit with a total of thirty species being recorded. One of the main attractions of this site is the breeding colony of Black-necked Grebes and the timing of this visit was ideal as the adults were seen feeding their chicks. It was also good to see many other birds with their young. The Black-necked Grebes were at quite a distance but this one put on a good show for us as it constantly dived for food for it’s chick:
Thanks to Tony and Ken for these other pictures from this visit:
-
- The way in and out of the locked reserve
12th July 2022, Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve
Eight members of the group attended our final visit before the August break. This Wildlife Trust reserve, alongside the River Lunt, has a good variety of habitats and always produces a good range of sightings. This visit was no exception with a total of thirty seven species being recorded.
Click ‘Continue reading’ for the full list of species seen on the above visits:
Marbury Country Park, 29th March (26)
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | ||
| Blue Tit | ||
| Buzzard | 3 | |
| Canada Goose | ||
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Chiffchaff | Many heard | 1 seen |
| Coal Tit | ||
| Coot | ||
| Cormorant | ||
| Dunnock | ||
| Great Crested Grebe | ||
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Heard drumming | |
| Great Tit | ||
| Jackdaw | ||
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Mistle Thrush | 1 | |
| Moorhen | ||
| Mute Swan | ||
| Nuthatch | Many heard | A few seen |
| Reed Warbler | 1 | |
| Robin | ||
| Song Thrush | Several heard | 2 seen |
| Tufted Duck | ||
| Woodpigeon |
Mere Sands Wood, 12th April (26)
| Species | Number Seen |
|---|---|
| Blackbird | |
| Black-headed Gull | |
| Canada Goose | |
| Chiffchaff | |
| Collared Dove | |
| Coot | |
| Cormorant | |
| Dunnock | |
| Feral Mallard | |
| Gadwall | |
| Great Crested Grebe | |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | |
| Great Tit | |
| Magpie | |
| Mallard | |
| Moorhen | |
| Mute Swan | |
| Nuthatch | |
| Pheasant | |
| Robin | |
| Shelduck | |
| Swallow | c.20 |
| Teal | |
| Tufted Duck | |
| Woodpigeon | |
| Wren |
Yarrow Valley Country Park, 10th May (22)
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | ||
| Blue Tit | 2 | |
| Buzzard | 1 | |
| Canada Goose | With Young | |
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Coot | On Nest | |
| Dipper | 5+ | With Young |
| Feral Mallard | 2 | With Young |
| Great Crested Grebe | 2 | |
| Great Tit | 2 | At nest box |
| Grey Heron | 1 | |
| Grey Wagtail | 3 | |
| Jay | 1 | |
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Mute Swan | ||
| Robin | ||
| Song Thrush | ||
| Treecreeper | 1 | Tony & Brian |
| Woodpigeon | ||
| Wren | Heard only |
Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve, 14th June (30)
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | With Young | |
| Black-necked Grebe | With Young | |
| Buzzard | 1 | |
| Canada Goose | ||
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Chiffchaff | Heard only | |
| Coot | With Young | |
| Gadwall | ||
| Goldfinch | ||
| Great Crested Grebe | ||
| Grey Heron | 1 | |
| Grey Wagtail | 1 | |
| Greylag Goose | ||
| House Martin | ||
| Jackdaw | ||
| Little Grebe | ||
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Moorhen | ||
| Mute Swan | With Young | |
| Pheasant | 1 | |
| Pochard | With Young | |
| Reed Bunting | ||
| Reed Warbler | ||
| Robin | ||
| Song Thrush | Heard only | |
| Tufted Duck | ||
| Woodpigeon | ||
| Wren |
Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve, 12th July (37)
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | ||
| Canada Goose | ||
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Chiffchaff | Heard only | |
| Common Sandpiper | ||
| Coot | ||
| Cormorant | ||
| Feral Mallard | ||
| Goldfinch | ||
| Great Crested Grebe | ||
| Grey Heron | ||
| Grey Partridge | ||
| Greylag Goose | ||
| Herring Gull | ||
| Jackdaw | ||
| Kestrel | ||
| Lapwing | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | ||
| Linnet | 3 | |
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Moorhen | ||
| Oystercatcher | ||
| Pheasant | Heard only | |
| Raven | ||
| Reed Bunting | ||
| Reed Warbler | Heard only | |
| Sedge Warbler | Heard only | |
| Shoveler | Eclipse plumage | |
| Sparrowhawk | ||
| Starling | ||
| Swallow | ||
| Swift | ||
| Teal | ||
| Whitethroat | ||
| Woodpigeon |
Last Updated on December 26, 2022