Another morning in sunny warm weather, on the Shemmy Moss part of patch mainly.

A female Teal plus 2 young were on the mossland pools as well as 5 adult and 3 young Mallards.

A family party of 4(3y) Whitethroats was seen. A male Yellowhammer fed on the nursery fields.

A morning in hot sun at first then pretty solid cloud, but still warm, later. All on Shemmy Moss

A Water Rail was heard from the reedbed out in the centre of Shemmy Moss rather than at the usual corner.

Several Whitethroats were heard, an increase on last year is my first impression.

Another full day on Newchurch Common in hot, sunny weather and again mostly about the young 'uns!

On the pools a lone Greylag Goose was present with the Canada Geese, don't suppose it will stay until WeBS Count Day on Sunday! An Oystercatcher flew over Big Pool calling again.

A young Jay was with an Adult by the Pine Belt and a very recently fledged Jackdaw was by Sandy Lane. 3(1y) Dunnocks were seen, the youngster still very speckly with a noticeable gape. A pair of Garden Warblers were seen visiting a nest site.

A walk on Shemmy Moss produced just two birds of note, the male Cuckoo, seen and heard, as I arrived on site relatively early on this morning. A male Yellowhammer fed in the nursery fields.

On the Shemmy Moss part of my Newchurch patch this morning, sunny intervals and slight breeze.

A group of 3 Oystercatchers flew over from the Nunsmere direction calling.

A Skylark sang from the Nursery fields. Family parties of 4(3y) Blackcaps and 5(3y) Great Tits were seen.

Spent the afternoon on the Shemmy Moss part of my Newchurch Patch. Dull at first but getting sunnier and hotter as the afternoon went on.

A Moorhen with 2y was on one of the mossland pools, these were pretty small, not long hatched. A Water Rail was seen as it dashed into cover where it called sporadically. An Oystercatcher flew over calling.

A male Cuckoo called distantly and then got closer, eventually flying past me showing well. A male Reed Bunting was seen visiting a probable nest site. A female Whitethroat was also near a nest location chacking at me as I walked past.

A very unpromising looking visit am in drizzle and overcast, cold weather......... but

This turned into a good visit with Patch Bird #100 for 2025 heard first and then seen. The species was Reed Warbler, just the third ever here. It was seen behind Beach Peg on the east shore of Big Pool and sane continuously all the time I was there. Despite thorough searching for some time the dense vegetation made sightings all but impossible, although I did get two flight views in the time I was there. Whilst recording it on Merlin to do a screenshot of the sound trace for my annual report Merlin brought up Redstart as present, but I am dismissing that 100%, this app is notorious for IDing Robins as Redstarts!

It was WeBS Count day today, so down on the two pools to carry that out! The weather was cool and overcast but clear.

As expected it was very quiet with the fewest number of species recorded for any WeBS Count so far this year on Patch. One good count was 63(inc 30y) Coot. The Coot broods included pretty new broods of 7, 6 and 2 x 4! As other WeBS counters will know all the chicks were too young to be included in the final count for submission! A nice sight was 3 Moorhens, an adult feeding 2 newly hatched young. The 13 Great Crested Grebes included 1 youngster, well grown now but not old enough to be added to the WeBS tally! There were still 7(2ad) Mute Swans on Small Pool, so 5 cygnets survive. Other counts were 10 Tufted Ducks, 24(inc 2y) Mallards, and 24 Canada Geese,. Just 4 Black-headed Gulls were over the pools and 15 Sand Martins were seen.

Another am & pm in hot sunshine.

In the morning 2 Hobbies were hunting dragonflies over Shemmy Moss putting on an absolutely superb show. There were 2 Swifts over the Pine Belt this afternoon. At least 2 newly fledged Long-tailed Tits were on the main track by Finch Hedge.

On Shemmy Moss am. Dull, no sun.

But a real highlight, a female Cuckoo bubbling away, and as usual I was stumped by the call initially! This happens every year! A male Cuckoo was heard too.

Had a couple of visits today, the pools am and mosses pm. Hot & sunny.

The swan family were seen a bit better today on Big Pool and the confirmed family is 2 adult and 6 young Mute Swans. Another family of 6 recently hatched young were 2ad and 6 young Coot on Small Pool.

A distant Sparrowhawk was seen thermalling west of Big Pool. There were 12 Stock Doves at Common Farm and 10 Stock Doves on the Abbotsmoss Nursery fields, possibly some being the same birds, but still good numbers of this farmland species. Another farmland specialist, a Skylark, was in song above the Nursery fields. A young Goldfinch was near Nunsmere.

p.s. contacted by the local paper and they say that online wildlife news will be added Sunday, not today!

I had read your posts Doc and had been trying to locate the areas mentioned, thanks a lot as it was your info that led me to the right part and also made me even more mindful than usual to avoid any trampling of crops. Also none of us would have known about the Hoopoe if not for you, it is funny how the information you gave is travelling now through so many people! I was in a state of Hoopoe-delirium (and still am!!) when I posted so I wasn't clear sorry.

I have never visited your patch there before. When I have seen the thread previously I have read it but thought it was in an entirely different place.

It turns out I am not far away (Warrington) and so I will definitely return, it will always be very special to me now after the Hoopoe and I am hoping I might even get chance to go back and see this bird again if it sticks around longer (busy week though..).

Sorry to hear that someone there benefitting from your find is now behaving like that Doc, it's a shame and ruins it for everyone... I can't understand some people..

Steven it was great to meet you and thank you for sharing your pictures, I tried to zoom in with my phone to at least get a record shot but my hands were shaking too much with excitement!

-- Edited by Ruth Mott on Wednesday 14th of May 2025 04:26:20 PM

Popped down am and pm, am mainly to help a mate find stuff. Hot & sunny.

The Hoopoe was heard by two of us briefly although we didn't go looking for it, someone had had it earlier but it didn't show for the rest of the day. After impeccable behaviour all weekend by 3-figure crowds one photographer today decided to shout the odds about being asked not to trample farmers crops saying a few birders trampling over them would do no harm. I'm afraid his attitude has now possibly made future news from here less likely when I told 2 other patchers about him. He wasn't even a birder, just the worst sort of photographer that spoils it for all

The other side of human nature was when 2 locals who are friends rang to say they'd rescued a bird from the road and could I help. I was on site so met them and took a very young Woodpigeon squab 'into care'. On examination the squab had severe injures with it's insides hanging out, probably from a cat mauling. Unfortunately it had to be put to sleep.

Thanks for clarification re scopes Steven, totally understand now. For info I have well over 25 singing male Garden Warblers with a couple that show really well, one of which I took a group of visiting birders to one evening over the weekend. Sorry I wasn't around when you needed me!

Only had the morning so joined fellow patcher Dave and walked off to the south on what we call the Common Farm Loop. Sunny and hot.

On Shemmy Moss we were surprised to find 5(3drk) Tufted Ducks which didn't move even though we were relatively close, breeding birds methinks!

The best bird today was a classic male White Wagtail showing the ashy-grey back, clean pristine white flanks and a mask which didn't join on the lower edge. I know not an official BTO species but we like to record everything and this was missing before today for the patch yearlist! A pair (m+f) Yellowhammer were together on Shemmy Moss, the male singing from a tree top by the entrance track. A Robin with 2 just fledged young was by the edge of Shemmy Moss.

The Hoopoe showed pm on Sandy Lane when I wasn't on patch, after a report of it at Old Pale, Delamere this am.

Did you see my three posts below about it Ruth The first post gives site info and the main 2 locations the bird favours, including today's one!!

Keep an eye on here as I post each evening and had shown nearer than today if you'd come down Friday or Saturday. But still better today's views than none at all. That tree it was in is another of its usual places and was the first place I found it last Friday. I am surprised no-one offered you a view through a scope. I was showing everyone the bird through mine, even members of the public, on the first two days. I didn't bother too much with it today given that it was over three times the distance away compared to yesterday so couldn't have improved my pics. I am glad my find was a lifer for you (and lots of others I spoke to), a reward for all the hours I put in on my patch. to help folk see birds they really want to see!! It was me who told folk about the fisherman, and it was Friday night he had heard it constantly, it kept him and his mate awake!! It calls constantly as the trees it frequents here are its calling trees which it has come too each afternoon after feeding elsewhere each morning!

A mate who was there later saw it fly off high south which is a new direction of departure and could mean that it has left the area. I am away tomorrow but have primed my one fellow patch watcher to let me know it it is around pm! Watch this space!

On my patch again to help police' the pretty large twitch today. My Hoopoe still present, mainly on Sandy Lane where most visitors got good views and heard him singing! Showed several folk the best area for Garden Warbler too where we connected pretty easily.

Hot and Sunny am and pm on Patch, and a great day!

the huge highlight was a local MEGA, a male Hoopoe. Weirdly the timeline was that a local dogwalker had heard a weird call of something she'd never seen before and this was tracked down and sounded like a Hoopoe. That seemed so far fetched that we tried to make it fit some other species. But I persisted and found the tree in which it seemed to be singing in. By this time I was sure of ID and then to confirm it a stunning Hoopoe flew out of the pine it was in in the Pine Belt and headed off roughly eastwards. It was then heard distantly a while later so we drove round to Sandy Lane and could hear it in an oak right by the road. After a while circling the tree we found it high up singing its head off!! I then realised I had no digiscoping gear so took phone shots through my bins for record purposes (attached). After a while it flew off to by Novia Scotia Lane where it was heard calling. After I left a mini-twitch occurred and the bird was seen again by Sandy Lane! Some bad behaviour was reported so if anyone visits please keep OUT of the fields, they are newly sown and trampling will incur the farmers wrath big time!

Whilst searching in the Pine Belt I also had 2 Oystercatchers land in the adjacent field. Lapwings are also sitting here, another reason not to enter fields as breeding birds may be disturbed.

Over on Shemmy Moss late morning a stunning raptor display was seen. A pristine adult Red Kite was seen as it flew in then right above us it thermalled up giving superb views. At the same time 4 Hobbys were over Shemmy Moss, a couple actively hunting dragonflies and giving a breathtaking aerial display. In the background a Sparrowhawk and 2 Buzzards were also up taking advantage of the warm thermals. In the fields east of the Pine Belt pm around 10 Stock Doves were seen, the highest number for some time.

A morning visit starting early. Cool at first but sunny and warm later. All sightings were on Shemmy Moss.

There were 3(2drk) Tufted Ducks today, up one form the usual pair.

As I was leaving 2 Hobbys appeared and whizzed round feeding on insects, a fantastic sight. The Cuckoo was most vocal early on and showed in one of the trees bordering Shemmy Moss. A close encounter was had with 2 Skylarks, whether a pair or rival males I'm not sure. They were by the path just before the nursery entrance, hovering around 3m above the ground. A Goldcrest was in a pine on the north edge of the moss and collected a caterpillar and took it away, possibly to feed young in a nest nearby.

A brief morning visit hosting guests again, then pm around the pools. Some sun but cooler than of late.

On Big Pool there were broods of 7 & 2 Canada Geese goslings, my first this year. Late in the afternoon hordes of gulls dropped into Big Pool, seemingly feeding on a huge fly hatch and then dropping down to wash. The flock included an adult Herring Gull, 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 65 Black-headed Gulls, all were calling frequently making quite a racket. A Grey Heron flew through whilst the gulls were feeding. In the field east of the Pine Belt 10 Lapwings were counted with two sitting.

A male Cuckoo was heard north of Big Pool.

Out on Shemmy Moss am in hot sun but trying to avoid the afternoon scorcher!

There were 4(3drk) Teal on the mossland pools. A patch yeartick was the highlight when an unusual, but recognisable, call was heard overhead. On looking up I could see 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 adults and a 1w/1s bird, the sunlight emphasising the adults pale white wings and jet black heads.

A Rook flew over high looking more like a Raven or a raptor, thermalling and drifting through. It then returned doing the same 20mins later. A flock of 25 Feral Pigeons flew through, my largest flock of these ever on patch, but probably a flock of racers released somewhere locally! One of the many Garden Warblers showed superbly well in full song today.

A hot, sunny afternoon on Patch today.

The aforementioned 2 Great Crested Grebe chicks were seen at close quarters today being fed by their 2 parents, nice to confirm that two is the brood size.

The Cuckoo was again calling on Shemmy Moss where the male Yellowhammer was seen again.

The day started badly with finding a nail in my car tyre, but got dropped off on my patch and had a superb morning! Sunny and hot.

I walked from where I was dropped to check out the ploughed fields off Sandy Lane. I'm glad I did as I found a stunning male Yellow Wagtail. This was only the second one I've had on patch and a yeartick anywhere in 2025. I then walked the Common Farm loop where an Oystercatcher was heard and 5 Swallows were seen around the farm. Finally over onto Shemmy Moss where I first found a number of raptors thermalling which turned out to be 2 Sparrowhawks and 4 Buzzards. Then even better my first Hobby of 2025 came into view and showed really well catching insects on the wing as it stayed in the general area for at least the next 45mins.

Three Patch yearticks (with 2 being UK yearticks) in the last two days aint bad!!

Two visits today, the first from 7am then back pm, both on the mosslands and sunny and eventually warm.

A group of 4 Oystercatchers flew noisily over Shemmy Moss and headed off southwards, I can't recall having a group of four before.

Plenty of warblers with now an estimated minimum of 5 Whitethroats, 3 Garden Warblers and lots of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. One of the latter species, a Willow Warbler, was demonstrating distraction behaviour, indicating a nest nearby as I was checking an area for lizards! A Song Thrush exhibited the same behaviour in an area on the north side of Shemmy Moss. Birds carrying nesting material included Linnets and Long-tailed Tits.