Firstly please accept my apologies for not posting the usual individual reports for these visits.
11th June 2019 – Lunt Meadows
Five members of the group attended and enjoyed a very good morning’s birding despite the persistent rain. The water levels in all the lakes and ponds were much higher than we have seen before as a result of all the recent rain. A total of 37 species were recorded and it was good to see many chicks and juvenile birds.
9th July 2019 – Burton Mere RSPB
Five members of the group attended and as on previous visits to this site we benefited greatly from the experience of guest leader Peter Twist. A total of 51 species were recorded on this visit and a particular highlight was the large number (25 plus) of Little Egret several of which were at their nest site.
10th September 2019 – Marshside RSPB
Twelve members pf the group attended for the morning with a couple of us staying on into the afternoon. Although we did not see as many species as on some visits to this site, a total of 31 species being recorded, the sighting of the two Ruddy Shelduck was a ‘first’ for the group. Another highlight was the group of five Cattle Egret ‘doing what it says on the tin’ as they interacted with some cattle.
‘Record shots’ of the Ruddy Shelducks (left photo) and the Cattle Egrets at Marshside.
8th October 2019 – Martin Mere WWT
(One of a number of occasions this year when the venue had to be changed because of the poor weather to a site where there was shelter available.)
Eleven members of the group attended this visit and a total of 42 species were recorded. Large numbers of Pink Footed Geese and a few of the Whooper Swans had arrived at the site, a little later than usual probably as a result of the mild Autumn. There were however surprisingly few waders to be seen although 6 Snipe was a highlight. Another highlight was seeing three Marsh Harriers hunting.
22nd October 2019 – Leighton Moss
On this occasion we were lucky with the weather but had been advised to take wellington boots as some of the paths were flooded following recent rain. Six members of the group attended and a total of 46 species were recorded. After spending the morning at the main reserve most of us went to visit the hides located at Morecambe Bay before returning home. One member who remained at the main reserve was rewarded with the sighting of a Bearded Tit. Although on the group visit we had heard a water rail we had not been lucky enough to see it. The photo included here was taken by Bill Hale who was not on the group visit but had visited the site the following week.
12th November 2019 – Mere Sands Wood
Another weather-related change of venue as the wind-chill and muddy conditions would have been intolerable at the planned venue of Hesketh Outmarsh on the Ribble Estuary. Ten members of the group attended this visit and a total of 33 species were recorded. Highlights were the large numbers of Teal and 10-12 Goosander.
The planned visit to Speke Hall on 10th December was cancelled, again because of bad weather.
Click ‘Continue reading’ for the full list of species seen on the above visits:
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Avocet | Several | With Young |
| Blackbird | A few | |
| Black-headed Gull | Many | |
| Canada Goose | 10+ | With Young |
| Carrion Crow | A few | |
| Coot | 50+ | With Young |
| Cormorant | 1 | |
| Feral Mallard | 1 | |
| Gadwall | Several | |
| Goldfinch | Many | |
| Great Crested Grebe | 5+ | With Young |
| Grey Heron | A few | |
| Grey Partridge | 1 | |
| Herring Gull | 1 | |
| House Martin | A few | |
| Jackdaw | A few | |
| Lapwing | Several | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 1 | |
| Little Egret | A few | |
| Magpie | A few | |
| Mallard | Many | |
| Marsh Harrier | 1 | |
| Mediterranean Gull | 1 | |
| Moorhen | A few | |
| Mute Swan | A few | |
| Oystercatcher | A few | |
| Pheasant | Heard only | |
| Pied Wagtail | 1 | |
| Ringed Plover | 1 | |
| Shelduck | Several | |
| Shoveler | 1 | |
| Skylark | A few | |
| Swallow | A few | |
| Swift | Many | |
| Tufted Duck | Several | |
| Whitethroat | 6+ | |
| Woodpigeon | Several |
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Avocet | Many | Including Juveniles |
| Blackbird | Several | |
| Blackcap | Heard only | |
| Black-headed Gull | Hundreds | Including Juveniles |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Many | |
| Blue Tit | Several | Including Juveniles |
| Buzzard | A few | |
| Canada Goose | c.20 | |
| Carrion Crow | Several | |
| Cetti’s Warbler | Heard only | |
| Chiffchaff | 1 seen, many heard | |
| Common Sandpiper | A few | |
| Common Tern | 2 | |
| Coot | Several | |
| Dunlin | A few | |
| Dunnock | A few | |
| Goldfinch | Several | |
| Great Crested Grebe | ||
| Great Tit | Several | |
| Greenfinch | A few | |
| Grey Heron | A few | |
| House Martin | A few | |
| Kestrel | 1 | |
| Lapwing | Many | |
| Little Egret | 25+ | several at nest site |
| Little Grebe | A few | |
| Little Ringed Plover | 1 | |
| Magpie | A few | |
| Mallard | Many | With Young |
| Marsh Harrier | 1 | |
| Mediterranean Gull | 1 | Juvenile |
| Moorhen | Several | |
| Mute Swan | 2 | |
| Oystercatcher | Several | |
| Pheasant | 2 | |
| Pied Wagtail | A few | |
| Reed Bunting | Heard only | |
| Reed Warbler | 1 seen, several hear | |
| Robin | 1 | Juvenile |
| Ruff | A few | |
| Shelduck | Several | |
| Shoveler | A few | With Young |
| Song Thrush | Heard only | |
| Spotted Redshank | 2 | |
| Starling | ||
| Swallow | 1 | |
| Swift | A few | |
| Teal | A few | |
| Whitethroat | 2 | |
| Woodpigeon | A few | |
| Wren | Heard only |
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | A few | |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Many | |
| Blue Tit | A few | |
| Buzzard | 2 | pm |
| Canada Goose | Hundreds | |
| Carrion Crow | A few | |
| Cattle Egret | 5 | |
| Coot | Several | |
| Gadwall | Several | |
| Grey Heron | 1 | |
| Herring Gull | A few | |
| Kestrel | 1 | |
| Lapwing | Many | |
| Linnet | A few | pm |
| Little Egret | Several | |
| Little Grebe | 2 | |
| Magpie | Several | |
| Mallard | Many | |
| Moorhen | Several | |
| Mute Swan | 5 | |
| Pink-footed Goose | Many | |
| Robin | A few | |
| Ruddy Shelduck | 2 | |
| Sand Martin | A few | |
| Shoveler | Several | |
| Skylark | 1 | pm |
| Swallow | A few | |
| Tufted Duck | Several | |
| Unidentified Raptor | 3 | |
| Woodpigeon | A few | |
| Wren | 2 |
| Species | Number Seen |
|---|---|
| Black-headed Gull | |
| Blue Tit | |
| Buzzard | 2 |
| Canada Goose | A few |
| Carrion Crow | |
| Chaffinch | |
| Coot | |
| Cormorant | |
| Feral Pigeon | |
| Gadwall | |
| Goldfinch | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 1 |
| Great Tit | |
| Greenfinch | |
| Grey Heron | |
| Greylag Goose | |
| House Sparrow | 1 |
| Jackdaw | |
| Kestrel | 2 |
| Lapwing | |
| Little Grebe | A few |
| Magpie | |
| Mallard | |
| Marsh Harrier | 3 |
| Moorhen | |
| Pheasant | 3 |
| Pink-footed Goose | Thousands |
| Pintail | |
| Pochard | |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
| Robin | |
| Shelduck | |
| Shoveler | |
| Snipe | 6 |
| Sparrowhawk | 1 |
| Stock Dove | |
| Teal | |
| Tree Sparrow | |
| Tufted Duck | |
| Whooper Swan | c.10 |
| Wigeon | |
| Woodpigeon |
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bearded Tit | 1 | pm |
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | MB | |
| Blue Tit | ||
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Chaffinch | ||
| Coal Tit | ||
| Coot | ||
| Cormorant | ||
| Curlew | A few | MB |
| Dunlin | MB | |
| Feral Pigeon | MB | |
| Gadwall | ||
| Goldfinch | ||
| Goosander | 1 | MB |
| Great Crested Grebe | ||
| Great Tit | ||
| Great White Egret | 2 | MB |
| Greenfinch | ||
| Grey Heron | ||
| Greylag Goose | 1 | MB |
| House Sparrow | ||
| Hybrid Duck | ||
| Jackdaw | ||
| Lapwing | MB | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 1 | MB |
| Little Egret | c.12 | MB |
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Marsh Harrier | 2 | MB |
| Mute Swan | ||
| Nuthatch | ||
| Pheasant | 1 | |
| Pochard | ||
| Redshank | MB | |
| Robin | ||
| Scaup | 2 | |
| Shelduck | MB | |
| Shoveler | ||
| Starling | ||
| Teal | ||
| Tufted Duck | ||
| Water Rail | Heard only | |
| Wigeon | ||
| Woodpigeon |
| Species | Number Seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | ||
| Black-headed Gull | ||
| Blue Tit | ||
| Buzzard | 1 | |
| Carrion Crow | ||
| Chaffinch | ||
| Coal Tit | ||
| Coot | ||
| Cormorant | ||
| Feral Mallard | ||
| Gadwall | ||
| Goosander | c.10 | |
| Great Crested Grebe | 2 | |
| Grey Heron | ||
| Herring Gull | 1 | |
| Jackdaw | ||
| Little Egret | 2 | |
| Little Grebe | 1 | |
| Long-tailed Tit | ||
| Magpie | ||
| Mallard | ||
| Moorhen | ||
| Mute Swan | ||
| Nuthatch | ||
| Pheasant | Heard only | |
| Pink-footed Goose | Flying over | |
| Robin | ||
| Shoveler | ||
| Teal | 100+ | |
| Tufted Duck | ||
| Wigeon | 2 | |
| Woodpigeon | ||
| Wren | Heard only |
Last Updated on January 3, 2020