Well I must have been a good boy this year as Santa came to me early. Not expecting much in the wind and rain apart from a soaking and getting squashed by falling trees I took a yomp to Halfway House and the River. On the way saw six/seven Bullfinch, their numbers are really up on patch. However, Santa's treat was on the rocky stream at Randall's Sluices was a Dipper bobbing around. Patch first for me, year first as well - missed dipped out on Dipper at all my usual spots! Nice, forgot about the wind and rain for a few minutes.

Definitely a day of quality over quantity, the rest of the birds were Jackdaw everywhere in the 00s, Woodpigeon 00s also, two Stock Dove, 74 Curlew, 203 Lapwing and a Redshank at Penketh Bar, Canada Geese, Great Black-back, Lesser Black-Back, Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls, ~300 in total but the rain was really coming down now and I don't have thaaaaaaaaaaaat much enthusiasm to count gulls every day. Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Cormorant on the Ship Canal, Long-tailed, Great, Blue and Coal Tits, couple of Blackbirds, flyover Buzzard and Wigeon and that was it.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Sunday 22nd of December 2024 05:13:33 PM

Flushed a Woodcock walking down Lapwing Lane at dawn meaning I've seen all the "expected" second winter species back on patch this autumn/winter.

Norton Marsh and the river had three Shelduck, six Mallards with a Pekin Duck (plastic site first for me!), two Redshank, 185 Black-headed Gull, two Common Gull, two Great Black-back Gulls and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 87 Curlew and 147 Lapwing.

Two Skeins of Pink-footed Geese 87 W and then 30 South. Two Greylag Geese were with the 79 Canada Geese visible on Curdley Marsh.

Lots of flyover duck including Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Tufted Duck.

Back to Lapwing Lane around 700 Woodpigeon and 400 Jackdaw in the fields. Good numbers of Chaffinch (15+) about and 26 Redwing in three flocks.

Following the back path past the old feeders a mixed flock included Blue, Great, Coal, Long-tailed Tit, two Great spotted Woodpecker (M+F chasing each other) and tantalisingly briefly a Marsh / Willow Tit. Smack bang on the point where the Marsh Tits territory is to the east and the Willow Tits territory is to the west, never called and only poor views against the light so goes down as an either.

44 more Black-headed Gull and three Common Gull on Birchwood Pool, really devoid of duck life these days.

Plastic site first ticks ticks continued as I left the site with a Peahen (escapee from Walton Hall) wandering down Moss Lane.

Quiet the last few days when I've been down for short stretches and managed to cover all of the patch. Of note, again ducks out of place sighting Goldeneye (f) first of the second winter season but on the Eastern Reedbed. Never seen one there before would have though it far too shallow the way it is silting up.

Pumphouse Pool Pochard flock stable at 18 (9m,9f), 48 Mallard a high number and 47 on Lapwing Lane Pool quite an influx for the site of these, plus a few dodgy Mallard hybrids. 80-90 Coot seems typical for Pumphouse Pool and Birchwood Pool is a bland glade of grebe, duck goose and gull at the moment.

Only Siskin, Woodcock and Fieldfare not yet seen in the second year period that would be expected annually. Quite a lot of disturbance from drilling rigs and cranes working along the HyNet Pipeline provisional route doing ground surveying / boreholes might explain why these three species are not yet in the usual spots...or mildness of the winter to date?

Bah Humbug! Unwanted second half of the year tick, Ring-necked Parakeets back near the Green Woodpecker nest they predated in Spring. Hopefully they get culled a bit earlier this year so the Woodpeckers have a chance (though Greater seem to have taken over the area Lessers used to nest).

Very quiet other than 40 Curlew on the fields North o' Lapwing Lane, 300+ Woodpigeon, 186 Starling quasi-murmurating in daytime.

Great day at Moore with a real variety of birds seen. Really peaceful atmosphere today. Started with a Great Tit, quickly followed by Blue Tit, Wren, Long-tailed Tit and then a Kingfisher from the hide on Lapwing lane.

After the hide I got a couple of Goldcrest and a large flock of finches turned out to be a mix of Goldfinch, Siskin and Redpoll.

I seemed to be in among the birds today. Some days I dont get much at all but in quick succession A Coal Tit showed well before I got my woodland trinity of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and a Treecreeper. Many of these were seen again along lapwing lane.

Chaffinch, Jay, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing made up the other species.

On Lapwing lane pool was Wigeon, Tufted duck, Shoveler, and Little Grebe. 

A really good haul for me.

Down at the river....123 Lapwing, 24 Curlew one Snipe, one Green Sandpiper. 24 Cormorant, one each of Grey Heron and Little Egret.

98 Black-headed Gull, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls including one very pale mantled bird, almost Herring Gull in colour, 12 Great Black-backed Gulls, four Herring Gull including a huge Argentatus almost the size of a Great Black-backed Gull.

A single Buzzard was the only raptor of note.

Seven Wigeon, 24 Mallard and eight Tufted Duck.

Yesterday in amongst the storms only visited Lapwing Lane Pool. Kingfisher performed brilliantly in front of the hide getting Sticklebacks out the lake - presume the biblical rain was bringing them to the surface. Other than that seven Wigeon, 14 Mallard, 19 Coot - but I could only see halfway down the pool! Three Swallow down on the wires by Big Hand Ranch.

Today went to Halfway House for the high tide - the Ship Canal was the highest I have ever seen and the tide at turn just flooded Norton Marsh. Highlights four Buzzards, three Ravens, one Great Egret, seven Little Egret (but no Grey Heron?), flyby Common Sandpiper, five Redshank, 69 Lapwing, 52 Golden Plover, 17 Curlew, 119 Black-headed Gull, 19 Lesser Black-backed Gull and seven Herring Gull. Along the Canal 69 Tufted Duck, 110+ Coot, Little Grebe (unusual on the canal) and Cormorant.

Six Redwing in Owens Wood and a female Stonechat near the Tree Sparrow feeders.

Edit. Jeeps, shows how this species status has changed...forgot to mention Yellow-browed Warbler in Hillcrest Quarry - at a educate guess same bird I saw about 100 yrd N last week and was seen a few hundred yards E at the weekend by others.

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Thursday 17th of October 2024 06:49:03 PM

Quiet day - Wigeon flock building up again at Lapwing Lane. Nothing hardly on the farm fields and Marsh.

Coming back through the old canal west of where the Forestry Commission screen was in a mixed Tit flock was a Yellow-browed Warbler, a bit anti-climatic being the third one I've seen in a week...........who'd have thought these little sprites would have such a fall.

I told two birders whom I know have patched Moore....their replies "Had one in my garden today" and "I'm watching one on Scilly right now" somewhat removed more gruntlement from the day. Ho-hum.....

Yesterday 785 Woodpigeon on the fields if Upper Moss Side. quieter today but four Mipits over, female Stonechat Norton Marsh, 104 Lapwing and 11 Curlew on the river with the usual five Gull species. First Redwing of the second half of the year also over here.

320 Pink-footed Geese in from ESE at 12:45 (wonder if these were the same flock that went S over Warrington around 8:30. As always the Pink-feet seem to fly towards Fiddlers Ferry and then turn NNW which puts them on a line pretty much towards Martin Mere and the Lancashire Mosses.

Seven Swallow at Big Hand Ranch on the way out the reserve.

A great day for ducks and the weather with it too!

Lapwing Lane Pool - 35 Coot, four Tufted Duck, two Gadwall, two Mallard, a Little Grebe. Great Spotted Woodpecker showed well next to the hide with plenty of Tits (Great, Coal, Blue, Long Tailed) flitting to the food balls in the hedge next to the hide.

Birchwood Pool, seven Tufted Duck,four Cormorant, the only Gull of the day - a single Black-headed. Seven Coot, three Great Crested Grebe and one Little Grebe, eight Tufted Duck, two Mallard, 43 Canada Geese.

Pumphouse Pool you could have walked from one side to another stepping on ducks never seen it so populated! 57 Tufted Duck, 14 Pochard, four Cormorant, pair Mute Swan, 55 Canada Geese, a Grey Heron, four Gadwall, one Shoveler, four Mallard, a Little Grebe.

Two Nuthatch chasing each other in the woods on the way back to the car park.

Taking a step back from worrying about the future and going to the patch to see what was there in the mists this morn (plus a day late WEBS count for Norton Marsh).

27 Curlew and a Redshank were the waders. A very good number of Teal at the river (45) ith a smattering of Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall. Three Little Egret and Three Grey Heron were busy fishing away, with 45 Black-headed Gulls, a couple of Great Black-backs and eight Lesser Black-backs and seven Herring Gulls. No geese or raptors but the mist was keeping things down.

Good numbers of finches, seven Chaffinch in one flock and a charm of 70 Goldfinch on the path to Upper Moss Side. Quite a few Chiffchaff seen, lots of Titmouse, Treecreeper, Goldcrest flitting about especially at Owens Wood and at the West of Lapwing Lane.

Three Kingfisher at West Dock.

Back at Lapwing Lane Hide there was debate going on, a Firecrest had been mentioned as being seen Thursday just gone (18th) but conflicting reports as to whether it was on the path to Birchwood Pool or the path to Wigg Island (about as far apart as you could be!). Not seen anything on the usual threads/chats/Whattsapps.

Oh, and Grey Partridge on the field by Big Hand Ranch on the way in. Patch tick 135 for the year!

-- Edited by Andy Slee on Monday 23rd of September 2024 10:19:30 PM

A dawn repeat of yesterday with pool numbers the same. I guess the higher than usual number of wildfowl on Pumphouse is due to the loss of habitat at the Black-fields Pools.

Kestrel and Sparrowhawk both seen but the best was a Tree Pipit (year first anywhere for me and only my second at Moore) flitting around the conifers at the Green Woodpecker fields.

3pm very quick visit round the full loop of Lapwing Lane in a vehicle for none birding purposes....

17+18 Pink-footed Geese SE about three minutes apart.

Eight Swallows over Triangle field.

Yesterday lunch a wander to the river. 300+ Shelduck back on the Astmoor side of the bend at Halfway House. Juv Marsh Harrier (sightings in the last three/four years for me have gone from less than annual to more than twice annual in this area on a roughly similar amount of time spent down this end the reserve) flew from Curdley Marsh over to Astmoor. 37 Curlew on Penketh Bar, little else though, one Little Egret, two Grey Heron, 37 Curlew, 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, one Great Black-back, seven Black-headed but no Herring Gull or anything rarer.

Coming up Moss Lane 350+ Starlings feeding in the fields with another 13 Curlew.

A few Long-tailed Tit groups about, Robins, Corvids and a single Chiffchaff still singing but winds kept everything else at bay.

Posted originally three years ago......re anyone regular at Moore......

 

I know Mike Mullholland, Andy Dutton and Mark (Moorepatchbirder) were fevrant posters here or on their own blogs of years lists up to the 130/140s.

There are a few peeps I see who engage socially to a more or less communicative level (God, you'd think most Birders were AHAD or autistic from the ones you meet at Moore NR (There is one that is a supported person who)) - the ladies from the Mersey Gateway Trust occasionally, Harry who doesn't do this website, and whats me name "Keith, from Lowton"

 

 

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Lapwing Lane Pool - eight Little Grebe (4 Ad, 4juv), 35 Coot, seven Mallard, three Tufted Duck, one Cormorant.

Birchwood Pool - Great Crested Grebe juv, 45 Canada Goose, three Coot, 35 Tufted Duck, four Pochard.

Pumphouse Pool - two Green Sandpiper, three Coot, 27 Tufted Duck, one Mute Swan, eight Pochard, Moorhen.

Ship Canal - 17 Coot, 22 Tufted Duck.

Anglers quarry - nothing on view, limited sight lines with vegetation overgrown.

Ploughed fields on the way into the reserve held Curlew, Black-headed, Herring, Common and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jay, Stock Dove (1), Wood Pigeon and Grey Heron.

Eight Swallows, a few parties of Long-tailed Tits, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff still.

Early morning to the river at Halfway House / Round Cherval / Norton Marsh produced four Redshank, first Ruff for a couple of years, 17 Lapwing, three Common Gull, eight Grey Heron and seven Little Egret, 43 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and four Herrings Gulls plus 87 Black-headed. Quiet otherwise on the walk down there and back (from Wigg Island for a change) with just a couple juv Reed Warblers, juv Titmouse, Buzzard and Great Crested Grebes.

Carrying on with my addiction to the river at the moment at Halfway House / Round Cherval / Norton Marsh.

A couple more Common Gull at the ebb of the tide, 37 Lesser Black-backed Gull imm and 18 ad, 3 ad Great Black-backed Gull and ~200 Black-headed Gull, though very mobile going towards Astmoor/Wigg and back much more than the other gull species.

Greylag Goose with broken wing in with the Canadas. Seven Little Egret, five Grey Heron. 

Three Curlew and two Whimbrel, 45 Lapwing, Redshank heard but not seen. Two Oystercatchers downriver.

Lots of Magpies on the walk in and back inc. juv (est 50). Lots of Woodpigeon and on Moss Lane again 30+ Swallows on the wires.

East End for a change today and some nice birds seen for the first time in the second half of the year (Jul-Dec) running total now 88 species for second half year vs. 127 species seen Jan - Jun.

Shoveler returning to Millbrook Pool was first of these, calling Green Woodpecker near Colins Field and Tawny Owl made up three of the new second half of the year species today.

Eastern Reedbed - Reed Warbler still singing, four House Martin over (fourth species), juv + Ad Reed Bunting. Cetti's Warbler also trying song without the usual gusto; perhaps a juv. Dead Mute Swan floating at east end.

Millbrook Pool, two Teal, two Shoveler, three Gadwall, seven Coot, Water Rail Calling, ad Mute Swan and two Cygnets. Lots of Jackdaw and Carrion Crow flying over to Capped Tip.

Pumphouse Pool - Canada Geese, Tufted Duck, Pochard pair + 2 juv, Grey Heron, Swift, Swallows, the very pale (almost white underwing) Buzzard soaring above the WCML bridge.

Canal path back to Eastford Road - Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, lots of Robins (15+), Blackbirds, couple Common Whitethroat and Song Thrush. Quick peek at the now empty Black-Field Pools area, nothing, now just an arid wasteland save for a couple Long-tailed Tits. 

A much, much (MM) wiser man than me who was a Moore Patch Birder for many years always tells me he has better bird experiences on falling tides at the Banks and Bars at the River Misery bend in the river at Round Cherval / Halfway House so the next few visits are putting that to the test........on todays falling tide or an hour and a half from when the Bars first expose until they reach full size on small tides like these.........(compare against the three visits below on rising tides when birds get flushed up the Mersey).

Three Herring Gull, 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, only 5 definite adults, remainders in plumages in juv-sub Ad, three Great Black-backed Gulls, 235 Black-headed Gulls (2/3 juvs) when the rate of dropping in dropped to less than one a minute.

18 Canada Geese, four Cormorant, five Tufted Duck, 18 Mallard, one Great Crested Grebe, 18 Canada Geese, two Gadwall, one Teal.

Two Kestrel (one juv), one very distant Buzzard over Fiddlers Ferry.

One Curlew, one Common Sandpiper (downriver rom Richmond Bank - Astmoor, never grounded), 28 Lapwing an numbers building in from all directions slowly over the time I was there, seven Oyster catchers, five Grey Heron and one Little Egret.

About 20 Swift south in front of the rains that came at 5pm, Cetti's Warbler calling, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch all flyovers at Round Cherval.

Three Stock Dove, eighteen Carrion Crow and four Jackdaw also graced the sandbars.

So 50:50 in terms of birds being and better/different/worse on a rising or falling tide. All I know is that they are rubbish on a full tide at the river, unless it is going to top the Marsh.

An hour afternoon trip from Yellow gate at West end of Lapwing Lane to Halfway House had sightings of Reed and Sedge Warbler (Chiffys heard of course), Great and Blue Tit juv, Mistle and Song Thrush, juv Magpies but not much else.

The river held the interest as the tide had started turn turn and rushed over the bars with three Common Sandpipers individually upriver, two Oystercatcher, three+two flyover Curlew and numerous (50+) Lapwing providing the waders. 

A juv+Ad Grey Wagtail (year tick) were flushed as the tide rose on the bank - not seen this end of the reserve before, wonder if like at the East End they breed/roost at the WWTs on the Ship Canal south bank then come onto the reserve to feed.

Seven Little Egret, three Grey Heron, constant circulation of Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed and Herring and Black-headed Gulls. Quite otherwise and clegs biting madly.

Greenshank circling over Pumphouse Pool before flying high over the railway was a welcome addition to the year list for the patch. Two Little Grebe, two Great Crested Crebe, 11 Canada Geese, single Mallard eclipse, six Gadwall, 19 Coot (3 juv) and a single Moorhen juv. Three Swift and two Sand Martin over.

Why the Greenshank wasn't on the usual Black-fields they traditionally stop at was clear from noise and then viewing - the Pools have been emptied and inert material is being added to fill them (part the Port Warrington Plan to turn the Pools and Arpley Meadows into Light Industrial during 2025/6). A single Coot and a Magpie were the only inhabitants. Shame, always been a good corner of teh patch to view, even if just out the bounds of the reserve itself.

Reed Buntings calling away at the Eastern Reedbed with a few Chiffchaffs still singing away, only a single Coot on both pools (again not suprising if the roost site at Black-fields has gone and no Grey Herons in the Heronry either).

Kingfisher on the Ship Canal and one ad Great Crested Grebe.

Reed Warbler still singing along the path along the Canal, Buzzard, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Little Egret all flying along the Canal.

19 Curlew back on Penketh Bar at the bend in the River and 65 Shelduck visible over towards Astmoor from Halfway House. Three more Grey Heron around the river and seven Little Egrets, four Oystercatcher, three Swift, a single Swallow. 

Seven juv starlings were on the roof at Stobarts warehouse and lots of Magpie, everywhere (gave up counting after 80).

Something made me think a lunchtime wander to the river at Halfway House was in order today and I am very glad I did so. Starting out from the Yellow Gate on Lapwing Lane I dropped onto West Dock to see an adult Kingfisher passing a sprat to a juv. Pure patch magic. This set the tone for the day in terms of Adults and Juveniles.

Blackcap, Song and Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Blue, Coal and Great Tits, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch were all singing away along the track down the Ship Canal going west. Star of the morning though in terms of numbers were Common Whitethroat, 13 Ad and 7 juv in the dead-on one mile from West Dock to Halfway House. 11 Cetti's were heard calling on the Moore side plus 2 or 3 more from Oxmoor. A couple of Reed Warblers tried to impress with their singing but were pale compatriots to the Whitethroats and Cetti's.

The between Round Cherval and Halfway House I heard a Sedge Warble song start up. Watching the thin patch of reeds a juv climbed up a reed to full view only a few feet from me; I froze; in flew an adult with a cleg in its beak and passed it to the juv............whilst a few reeds away a juv Cettis Warbler popped it head up and watched on enviously (I don't know if birds know envy but the look on this little Cetti can only be described as such). Pure patch magic #2!

Looking over the Mersey sandbanks to the sound of a Raven family (2 ad, 2 juv) performing acrobatics. The stayed for around 20 minutes then flew off high South over Oxmoor. One ad Great Black-backed Gull, 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls of all ages, two Blacked Headed adult Gulls, one Little Egret, 47 Lapwing, two Grey Heron, two Oystercatcher, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe and two Cormorant made up the birds on the river. Five Swift spent time over the river.

On the return walk a Buzzard, ad+juv Kestrel flew over and a male ad Stonechat was in the Stobart horse paddocks with final birds of the day at the swing bridge being a flyover Great spotted Woodpecker and Canada Geese.

A very pleasing 51 spp. for a two and a bit mile walk over an hr and a quarter, especially with the sprinklings of patch magic applied!