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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> Cheshire and The Wirral -> Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)
Post Info TOPIC: Cheshire River Mersey Sites (north of the river)
John O'Neill


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Cheshire River Mersey Sites
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Gatewarth
9:45 PM
single Grasshopper Warbler reeling briefly from old tip area

2 or 3 Sedge Warblers singing, a bit half heartedly.

A fledged Whitethroat deep in a small hawthorn was begging do loudly and so incessantly it not only attracted the adult Whitethroat but also a Wren which flitted around it in attendance.

Single Kestrel hunting high, upsetting the swallows.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Unusually good view of a reeling Grasshopper warbler perched up on scrubby weeds as it sang. Briefly joined by a second non singing bird (F? Young?) Another heard reeling nearby.

Sedge warblers, Reed warblers, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow warblers and Blackcaps all singing. Loose flock of fledged warblers feeding with Goldfinch and Blue Tit

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Cettis Warbler showing fairly well while singing from a small hawthorn bush....flew into small copse.
Numerous Sedge Warblers, Reed warblers, Willow Warblers , Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs singing.
Small mixed group of tits, possibly post breeding flock ?

Good numbers of toad tadpoles in shallow pool near entrance/level crossing
Southern Marsh Orchids coming out.

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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges
1 Cettis Warbler singing from thick cover near car park

1 juv Grey Wagtail stuffing itself with flies over canal

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5-6pm
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Grasshopper Warblers
2 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
10+ Willow Warblers
10+ Whitethroat
5 Reed Warblers

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John Williams


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Richmond Bank/Gatewarth (18.00-20.30)

1 Lesser Whitethroat , 8 Common Whitethroats, 2 Cettis Warblers, 4 Sedge Warblers and 2 Kestrels along the embankment.

On or above the river :

2 Buzzards, 10 Shelduck, 4 Gadwall, 2 Shovelers, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Lapwing and 1 White Feral Goose.


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John Williams
John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Lesser Whitethroat singing from cover. In field with wind pump.
6 Blackcap
3 Sedge Warblers


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
pm
seen
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Sedge Warblers
heard
5 Grasshopper Warblers
in addition to numerous Whitethroat Willow Warbler Chiff Chaff Reed Warblers

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling 5:45 pm

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John O'Neill


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Sankey Bridges
1 Cetti's Warbler singing , mobile along canal-side vegetation.

2 f Grey Wagtails flycatching from wooden planks on canal

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John O'Neill


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9AM 1 Grasshiopper Warbler reeling



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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

8 - 9 PM
6 Grasshopper Warblers heard reeling tonight as light failed.
More or less scattered across site.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
added to the warbler chorus this morning
4 Whitethroat
2 Blackcap
6 Reed Warbler

also 3 m Bullfinch

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Reed Warbler heard singing
1 Cetti's Warbler heard. Brief burst of song from rough overgrown area on top of bank.



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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

8-9 PM



Single Grasshopper Warbler reeling incessantly from brambley edge of reedbed in field sloping down to Ferry pub.
After longish wait I managed to see the bird as it flew up to change position.

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Mike Mulholland


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Cetti's Warbler singing yesterday morning in scrubby area southeast of Richmond Bank also Reed Warbler nearby.



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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
"2 Swallows over Old Hall Stables
3 Willow Warblers heard singing from old tip area and riverbank
3 Bullfinch
Chiffchaff up to double figures, 3 singing just in the few trees and tiny reedbed round wooden bridge


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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
2 Buzzards up in air together being divebombed by 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls
Gatewarth
1 Buzzard being mobbed by a Murder of Crows.
Skylark singing.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 30th of March 2017 11:18:32 PM

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Rob Smith


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Western edge of Cuerdley Marsh adjacent to Sankey Way

Blackcap - 2
Cettis Warbler
Chiffchaff - 3

Jack Snipe - 1 on the marsh itself

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
3 Chiffchaff singing, 1 seen flycatching from a tall willow. Chaffinches and a single f Bullfinch also in the same tree.

2 Peacock Butterflies on wing.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5pm ish
1 Chiffchaff heard singing from trees along canal

Pair Linnet (m singing) and a m Bullfinch -Old Tip area


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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
6pmish
2 Grey Partridge calling in field along road

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
7 Curlews low over Old Tip. One Kestrel hunting here too.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Grey Partridge calling.

Birds moving round bushes and hedges included Bullfinches (5+) Long Tailed Tits(2) Goldcrest (1)



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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
Small active flock of Redpoll feeding in alder trees near water plant 10+
Buzzard and Kestrel hunting
! Song Thrush
Gatewarth
Around 50 Redwing and 30 Fieldfare in fields opposite Penketh Old Hall Stables .Loose flock, few Blackbirds and 2 Mistle Thrush with them as well as Starling, Magpie, Goldfinch and 1 Jay.
1 Buzzard.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Constant stream of Fieldfares over, in small numbers, often 2s and 3s, low. Very vocal.

2 M Bullfinch in hedge at top of bank.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Flock of 10+ Bullfinches flitting round bushes on bank over river were most I've seen here all year. Chaffinch and Goldfinch close but not flocking with larger finches.

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pete berry


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A Cetti's Warbler was calling and on a couple of occasions bursting into sub-song in the scrubby area just where we gull watch from at Richmond Bank on and off all morning.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
Although some work still going on at Penketh Outflow the flooding has completely gone in the adjacent field. No sign remains.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
The flash/flooded field at the rear of Penketh Outflow has increased in size, three quarters of the field under water now.

More birds using it too, 50 or so Black Headed Gulls, 11 Mallard , a Moorhen and a Buzzard here today. Probably the site is not going to be challenging Leighton Moss just yet.

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John O'Neill


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FIDDLERS FERRY
Only 2 young Mute Swans with the adult pair on canal

around 60 Lapwings flying round in tight flock. at least 1 Curlew.

Lots of shooting going on far side of river. (Woodpigeons could be targets ?)

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
All the work on the sluice at Penketh Outflow has, unsurprisingly perhaps, meant the adjacent field has flooded.
This mini-flash will probably be worth watching, especially if hard weather drives birds off the River.
50 plus Black Headed Gulls, a mallard and a heron all here today. Buzzard over.

4 of this year's Mute Swan young have survived. With the 2 adults on canal.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
M Kestrel hunting along river.
Large F Sparrowhawk over canal.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

1 adult Mute Swan on canal with 6 young from this year in tow.
1 Buzzard , large bird perched up heraldically on haystack on far side of River.
16 Grey Herons in long but very straight line on River, like a queue for a Bus.


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Terry Long


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White stork on river by new bridge construction yesterday 6.30pm

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Fledged warblers in reeds in small pond near wooden bridge over canal, Sedge and Willow.
Buzzard over old tip.
Plenty of Juv Linnets and Magpies about.

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Terry Long


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Black Tern on the river by new bridge

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Gatewarth, arguably. well into the Summer Birding Doldrums.
A little group of recently fledged Sedge Warblers very much the highlight of a relatively birdless circuit the afternoon. Single Buzzard.
Even the wild orchids going over. Not many butterflies on wing, despite sunny conditions; few Gatekeepers.

A recently deceased Mole an interesting find.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Numbers of Warblers singing very low now Reed Warblers buzzing around the canal but apart from these, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Whitethroats all in single figures.

Single Buzzard.

Flowers more in evidence. Pyramidal , Bee and Southern Marsh Orchids all out in sloping field between Gatewarth and The Ferry Pub.

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Terry Long


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Kittiwake swimming on the river at high tide just west of Widnes warth.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Quiet, still some warblers singing but noticeably fewer than recently
Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler
Reed Buntings also singing

Good nos of Toad Tadpoles

Plenty of Marsh Orchids out. most Southern, a few individual plants looked rather Northern Marsh-ish

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

wet.

Damp looking buzzard perched up on a pylon.

Lots of warblers singing, in rough order of numbers -Whitethroat, Reed Wabler, Willow Warbler ,Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler

Moorhens with fledged young on canal.


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Mike Mulholland


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Mid-morning yesterday good views of a female Marsh Harrier hunting over the marsh at the southern end of Fiddlers Ferry power station also Cetti's Warbler singing near Randle Sluices. 



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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 poss 2 Grasshopper Warbler reeling
1 each of Kestrel (m) and Sparrowhawk (f) hunting over the old tip
np sight or sound of Lesser Whitethroat


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Lesser whitethroat in blackthorn hedge and adjacent scrub along main path this pm

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry-Gatewarth
8pm
Pair Mute Swans nesting on canal
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling
Numerous Whitethroat and Reed Warblers

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
7.30 -8.00 pm
2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling
4 Whitethroat


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
7.30-8.00 pm
4 Grasshopper Warblers reeling
Blackcap
Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers common

Fox trotting up the River on far bank

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling in reeds and grasses in sloping field between Gatewarth & Ferry pub.1st of year for me. Intermitent at first then 8.30m started singing non stop. Seen briefly.

Swallows back at Old Hall Stables. Swallows with one Sand Martin hawking over canal.

Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff ,Reed Warblers singing.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Tide and blustery wind combined for a very high level of water late morning. Flooding into surrounding grass. A long line of white water visible pushing upriver could've been an example of a tidal bore (?)

Weasel running practically over my feet could have been displaced by high water...or hunting smaller prey displaced ?

Deprived of any sandbanks, the many larger Gulls entertained themselves by picking up clearly inedible detritus from the river flying up to drop their prizes back into the water, fight over it with other gulls etc

Birds seen:
Willow Warbler (first of year) 1
Swallows 3
Chiffchaff at least 4
Bullfinch 1
Glaucous Gull 1
Iceland Gull 1



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