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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)
Brian Baird


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RE: Cheshire River Mersey Sites
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Gatewarth

2 Common Sandpipers seen along Sankey Brook as it meanders around Phase1 this afternoon. Also Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff all singing east of Whittle Brook.

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John O'Neill


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Warblers reaching maximum species
1 Whitethroat
1 Reed Warbler
3 Blackcaps
heard and/or seen today along with Chifchaffs and Willow Warblers

More unexpectedly :
a site tick in the shape of a Ring Necked Parakeet. Loudly calling in trees near Wind Pump annoying the local Magpies. Flew off in direction of canal. An exotic splash of colour on a grey drizzly afternoon.

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John O'Neill


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7.30-8.30pm
Willow Warblers outnumbering Chiffchaffs
Single Grasshopper Warbler reeling continuously from brambles/reeds in sloping field down to the Ferry.

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Mike Mulholland


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A patch first for me yesterday - caught up with Cheshire's roving Great White Egret. Early afternoon Andy Dutton and myself had walked to the Halfway House watchpoint mainly on the look out for Wheatears and any other migrants. It was relatively quiet (we didn't have any hirundines), spent an hour or so checking the Mersey for waders and really little of note, just about to go when the Egret dropped in to feed in the shallows adjacent to the southwest corner of Norton Marsh. In the ten minutes or so it was there it was feeding constantly and it then flew to Wigg Island.

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John O'Neill


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Single Willow Warbler singing from willows in field sloping down to Ferry Pub

Numerous Chiffchaff

F Sparrowhawk hunting low over old tip then soaring high over River

Buzzard perched up on a fence

-- Edited by John O'Neill on Sunday 6th of April 2014 08:41:42 PM

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John O'Neill


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thanks Chris
"a few years"...how observant am I !!

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chrisdorney


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Hi john.i have been putting food there in the winter months for a few years now and despite the yellowhammers being in close proximity they haven't made their way over to the feeding station yet although most of the time this year I have spent having my dinner in the ferry car park due to the big van that parks on the other side of the road.how inconsiderate...

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry

Station Rd just before Ferry Pub


Hats off to whoever has put up feeders in the hedges here. This afternoon they were full of House Sparrows.Other garden birds using them-Chaff-Green- and Goldfinch, Starlings, Wren,Robin.Blackbirds, Dunnocks,Blue and Great Tits.


Close by two male Yellowhammers feeding round a midden. Skylark more distantly singing.

-- Edited by John O'Neill on Tuesday 25th of March 2014 08:49:19 PM

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John O'Neill


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7 Chiffchaffs singing round the site this morning.
Sparrowhawk and Kestrel both up hunting at the same time over the Old Tip area.
Also :Buzzard, Linnets, Jay. Skylark singing.


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John O'Neill


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Chiffchaff singing from Willow on top of bank. Near wind pump.

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John O'Neill


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Curlews flying up river
Single Redshank on sandbanks
2 Buzzards, one very rufous on head and breast
2 Kestrels

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Mike Mulholland


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Juvenile Iceland gull on mudflats west of Norton Marsh early afternoon, also 68 lapwing, 1 oystercatcher and 5 redshank.

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry
2 Buzzards very vocal flying low over Ferry Pub

1 f Kestrel perched up on railway signal

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John O'Neill


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9.30 am
M Stonechat showing well perched up on brambles round the pond on path down to Fiddlers Ferry.
A second bird skulking round in the bushes was poss a f Stonechat.

2 m Kestrels hunting ; one hovering low over old tip





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Brian Baird


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Gatewarth

Male Stonechat still present on old tip area today, and seven Curlew on the south bank of the river plus a pair of Kestrels hunting (one seen eating prey) and a Buzzard being chased off by a Crow were the highlights of a quick visit before lunch.

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John O'Neill


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Pristine 2w Iceland Gull on River (close in to shore up as far as the wind pump)
3 Kestrels hunting separately
1 f Bullfinch in trees by canal
1 Pheasant on old tip

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Brian Baird


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Gatewarth

Two Goldcrests and a pair of Bullfinches actively feeding plus a male Sparrowhawk were the highlights of an hour here this afternoon before dusk.

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John O'Neill


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2 Greylag over
2 Buzzards one hunting low over old tip. the other high over the river
Huge gull numbers on Richmond Bank. Vast majority were Herring Gulls. Several Herons, One Cormorant.

Felt almost Spring-like in the sun, Robins and a Song Thrush singing

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John O'Neill


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Fiddlers Ferry 3.30pm

4 Redshank on River

Steady stream of gulls heading downriver to roost, mainly Black Headed



-- Edited by John O'Neill on Sunday 29th of December 2013 12:30:34 AM

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Mike Turton


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Had a few hours down Wigg Island this afternoon not a lot about at all a few coots, 5 Shovelers, and 50 or so Teal on the lagoons no small birds of note,the but over salt marsh a local tick for me a female Marsh Harrier was nice to see
MIKE

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 22nd of December 2013 06:22:54 PM

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
early Am
Kestrel and Buzzard hunting over the old tip
Fields on opposite side of River flooded. Several Curlew here.
Single Great Crested Grebe and 3 Cormorant on River.

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Ian McKerchar


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Forgot to add: -

On Tuesday, 3rd December, a pair if Stonechat were around the area between the old tip and the pumping station at Gateworth, also briefly getting onto the tip itself.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

High Tide had driven majority of gulls off the River, sandbanks more or less covered. The gull flock hadn't gone too far, massed in fields on opposite side. Still big flocks over/on the Tip as usual.

Few Fieldfare in trees and bushes.

M. Kestrel mobbed repeatedly by Crows.

Two Linnets.

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Mike Mulholland


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Mid morning on Sunday had a brief but close view of a roe deer - it suddenly sprang out of a patch of reeds on the edge of the river just below our watchpoint in Owens Wood (south west of Norton Marsh)
Also had a couple of brief flight views (and heard a few calls) of what was either a Rock Pipit or a Water Pipit.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Wet.

Single Grey Wagtail near Railway Line.
Several Jays.
Good nos Long Tail Tits in hedges.

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Nick Isherwood


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Raven over the sewage treatment works at 9.30 yesterday morning.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
5.00-6.00pm

Single Short Eared Owl showing well.
First seen soaring high, buzzard-like, over River, mobbed by a couple of black-headed gulls. Steep angled dive got it down to head height where it shot past me to the old tip area.
Refound (presumably the same bird) a bit later hunting low along reedy ditches far side of River.

Buzzard (hedge hopping like a sparrowhawk) and Kestrel also present.

Meadow Pipits, Linnets, L T Tits.

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Mike Mulholland


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Two bar-tailed godwit today at low tide on the river west of Norton Marsh also little egret, peregrine and raven.


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Mike Mulholland


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A single curlew sandpiper this morning on the mudflats west of Norton Marsh with 21 dunlin, 3 redshank, 27 golden plover and 500+ lapwing.
On Tuesday I had a very brief call of what was probably a yellow browed warbler in an area of sallows along the ship canal track east of Halfway House. I spent over an hour trying to relocate the bird but without any success.

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John O'Neill


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Gaitwarth
very quiet
Buzzard and Kestrel hunting
8 juv Mute Swans with adult on canal

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Mike Turton


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Wigg island today
Plenty of ducks on lagoons (from tower hide)
Teal c45
Gadwall 18
Tufted ducks 20
Shelducks 40+ on river at high tide
also load of coots 48
1 little grebe
6 little Egrets liking the low water levels on the pools
1 kingfisher giving nice scope views but to far for a photo
and a Cetti's Warbler showing well but briefly in sallow bush just across path from the hide
MIKE

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 22nd of September 2013 08:18:12 PM

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Ian McKerchar


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Originally posted by David Kennedy today:

Fri. 6th Sept 2013

Saw the location loyal LEUCUISTIC MAGPIE in Runcorn at 6.35am today. It was at the junction of Cheltenham Close and Ascot Ave once more. Later it moved up near the shops.

Also of note recently on the Heath fields in Clifton Rd was a jackdaw with plenty of white in both wings, and a crow which has been seen twice now with a broken lower beak. It dangles hopelessly and is useless to the bird. However the crow has modified its eating habits Ive noticed, cleverly using its tongue and upper beak to pick up small food items. It seems healthy and has been around for weeks now in the Heath Rd south to Clifton Rd fields area.


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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth

Nice hour late afternooon in sunshine

Plenty of small birds moving thru hawthorns, brambles, roses etc at top of riverbank, tits and warblers mainly, including a Lesser Whitethroat (site first for me) juv bird, v dark mask/head markings. Prob another present in thick cover... both calling, stonechat-like call.

Marsh Harrier (f/juv) low over River. Buzzard and Kestrel also hunting.

Covey of 7 Grey Partridge most I've seen here for ages.



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John O'Neill


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Loose flocks of passerines in brambles, rowans and scrubby reeds on top of River Bank mostly Long tailed tits with other birds mixed in : Blue Tits, Willow warblers, Whitethroats, Blackcaps; many young birds.

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DAVID KENNEDY


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LEUCISTIC MAGPIE
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23rd Aug 2013

Leucistic magpie still around in Runcorn. This morning at 6.30am it was in Cheltenham Crescent on the rooftops. Its a month since it was first seen, and is staying loyal to the Ascot Ave estate.

-- Edited by DAVID KENNEDY on Friday 23rd of August 2013 01:36:01 PM

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Mike Turton


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RE: Cheshire River Mersey Sites
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Red kite over spike island Widnes 10 45am heading north west
Mike

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Nick Isherwood


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First job of the morning today found me in Runcorn so I thought it would be rude not to go and check out the leucistic Magpie that's been present for a while now. I found the bird feeding on the ground with an adult bird under the Cherry trees on Ascot Avenue where its been showing quite regularly. A very unusual looking bird that had all the plumage variations but with an overall beige hue.

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
Mute Swans have bred successfully here this year, 2 adults with 7 almost fully grown young feeding on the canal today.

A young Kestrel on a post was presumably this year's bird.

Post breeding flocks of Lapwing and Starlings.

Gull numbers rising on the River.

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DAVID KENNEDY


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RUNCORN'S RELIABLE LEUCISTIC MAGPIE ...
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Sun.11th Aug 2013

This very unusual youngster is still about. First seen about 23rd July, its been regularly seen in the same area ever since. I saw it Friday at 5.30pm and again this morning about 8am. A photo Ive taken of it was in the Runcorn World newspaper this week.

This brown, tan and pink magpie is un-missable when it appears with its normal black and white associates. The location is in (and under) the cherry trees opposite the few shops in Ascot Ave (Off Clifton Rd) Runcorn.

-- Edited by DAVID KENNEDY on Sunday 11th of August 2013 11:27:54 PM

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DAVID KENNEDY


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LEUCISTIC MAGPIE IN RUNCORN
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This morning on and off between 6 and 7am the LEUCISTIC MAGPIE (seen since 23rd July) was showing well at close quarters.

It was one of 11 magpies enjoying the cherries in the trees opposite the shops in Ascot Ave Runcorn as 6 house martins circled overhead.

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DAVID KENNEDY


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LEUCISTIC MAGPIE

After 2 or 3 reported recent sightings, this morning I caught up with a leucistic magpie in Ascot Ave Higher Runcorn. It was again seen foraging under the trees opposite the Ascot Ave shops.

The bird isnt an albino (its eyes are black not pink). Its beak and legs are pink, and the black feathers are light brown except the tail which is white. How strange it looks!



-- Edited by DAVID KENNEDY on Friday 2nd of August 2013 10:42:51 AM

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John O'Neill


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Quiet. Few Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat still singing in the afternoon heat.

Good nos of Butterflies flying inc several Small Tortoiseshell and at least 1 Large Skipper. Burnett Moth numbers down but still plenty about.

Less welcome the many bloodthirsty Horse Flies present.

Checked out the Pyramidal Orchids again...more than I thought here, now all fully flowering; prob about 50 plants.Marsh Orchids finished.

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John O'Neill


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8.30-9.30pm
Grasshopper Warbler reeling. First heard for almost 2 months.
Intermitently singing at first later got going properly and continuously reeled loudly. Seen fairly well as it flitted between bushes. Old Tip area.
Kestrel still hunting up to about 9.00.
Reed Warblers and Whitethroat singing.

Lots of flowers out, Yellow Flag, Ox-Eye Disies etc. Tufted Vetch out all over, virtually every flower covered with 5-Spot Burnett Moths, must have been 1000s of them, easliy.

Best of all, a new Orchid species for the site : in with the various Marsh Orchid forms (Northern/Southern and hybrids I think) two Pyramidal Orchids seen. One rather weedy one fully out and a larger specimen just starting to spike.

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John O'Neill


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8.30 pm
Single Grey Partridge flushed
Whitethroat, Sedgw Warbler and Willow Warbler singing

Good no's of toad tadpoles by the wooden bridge, water black with them.
Southern Marsh Orchids (some a bit dark- poss hybrids) well out.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 19th of June 2013 01:46:26 AM

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Pete Welch


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Wigg Island - walk this afternoon gave Garden Warbler - heard only, Blackcaps, Whitethroat and possible Lesser Whitethroat [went into cover before I could be sure] - of interest were a pair of coot with well grown young which were building a nest next to the one still being used by the first brood - presumably ready for a second. Mute swans with eight cygnets also. Not a lot on the estuary bar cormorants. Plenty of dragonflies and damselflies on the old canal section - mainly Azure Damselfly with some Blue Tailed and Large Red Damselfly plus a few of the larger species I couldn't identify.

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John O'Neill


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no grasshopper warblers heard for 2 weeks now.

Curlew on River.

Toad tadpoles hatched in pond at entrance.

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Mike Mulholland


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Excellent close views this morning of 2 Arctic Terns - initially roosting at low tide on the mudflats just south of Fiddlers Ferry, and then feeding in the river as the tide came in.
Also a single Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpiper in the same area on the 6th.

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Mike Turton


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Cetti's Warbler Singing across from tower hide then showing very well directly below hide today at Wigg Island Runcorn this afternoon also Lesser Whitethroat singing near by but not seen
MIKE

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling 8.30pm ish

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John O'Neill


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Gatewarth
2 grasshopper warblers reeling tonight.

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