A short distance away from the south side of the R Mersey, at Oxmoor LNR, Runcorn this afternoon, birds included 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Water Rail, 7 Snipe, 2 Gadwall and 1 Siskin
A single Ruff with 200+ Lapwing on the Mersey mudflats west of Norton Marsh this morning + Golden Plover, Curlew and Dunlin, also single Stonechat on Norton Marsh and 4 Green Sandpipers on the south bank of the ship canal. Yesterday a female Mandarin Duck on the ship canal.
Excellent views this morning of a juvenile Peregrine hunting over Norton Marsh and the Mersey viewed from Halfway House watchpoint. Also Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Redshank.
Gatewarth
Mixed flocks of tits and warblers moving thru hedgerows , mainly Long Tailed Tits, Willow warblers and Whitethroats.
Jay
50+ Goldfinches, many young birds.
Swallows gathering , many lining up on fences. Clearly preparing for leaving. Couldn't blame them...weather was miserable.
Gatewarth
This year's brood of Mute Swans almost fully grown and starting to get white adult plumage. Still cramming onto nest on canal, though. Looked a bit overcrowded.
Fiddlers Ferry to Gatewarth 2.00pm
Really high tide.
Reed Warblers and Whitethroats arrived en masse. Loads of both.
3 Grasshopper Warblers reeling
Single Blackcap seen
Single Lesser Whitethroat rattling from hawthorns at top of bank at Gatewarth.Seen briefly.
2 Buzzards hunting together, low over Old Tip then drifted higher over River. Kept v close to each other .
Gatewarth
8.00-9.00pm 18th/04
At least two Grasshopper Warblers reeling in reeds/scrub at bottom of field in between reserve and Ferry Pub. One showed briefly
Willow Warblers all over.Easily double figures
1 Chifchaff
1 Reed Warbler singing
Buzzard and Kestrel still flying.
Firecrest singing and showing superbly well at 11:30 today, flycatching occasionally from the hawthorns along the bank at Richmond Bank, but moves through fairly quickly.
High water at Fiddlers Ferry today was 4.0 metres at 14.56, despite a WNW wind the river didn't come over Norton Marsh, so no small mammal activity but had a good view of a juvenile Glaucous Gull, also an adult Yellow-legged Gull as well as Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing, Curlew, Shelduck and cormorant.
Flock c30 Redpoll high in trees near the Water Plant between Gatewarth & Fiddlers Ferry. Mobile but didn't seem to be feeding, I didn't see any go to the alders here.