A morning of high disturbance with ducks flying everywhere. Virtually no usable shore anywhere for waders due to water levels, swimmers and sailing club. One particular member of the sailing club seems determined to flush everything, constantly taking her canoe right into every nook and cranny and seemingly only happy when everything flies off. This is despite reassurances from the person in question and the sailing club that it will not happen again, it just doesn't seem to sink in. Oh well, despite the best efforts of people to disturb everything, I managed to see the following at this "National Nature Reserve" between 8:00 - 11:00;
Pochard 5 inc. 4 males
Wigeon 2 females / 1st winter off the remnants of the spit
Mandarin 1 female on what's left of Ramsdales scrape
Egyptian goose 1 adult at the sailing club
Teal 20 Ramsdales scrape
-- Edited by colin davies on Saturday 19th of October 2024 03:38:54 PM
The birds I just reported as black-necked grebes are being put out on the birding apps as Slavonian, which I must admit I thought they might be when I first saw them. In the photos, the right hand bird especially seems to have the head shape.
Please excuse the quality of the photos. I was battling with pouring rain, mist and soaked optics.
-- Edited by colin davies on Wednesday 16th of October 2024 05:14:31 PM
Great white egret 4 all in view at the same time from Green Lane. One in the western reedbed, two on the spit, one at the entrance to Ramsdales scrape.
Drake Mandarin circled the ruck before flying off back towards the canal basin. Judging by the amount of Mallards flying around at that point too it would seem they'd all been disturbed off there.
2 Great White Egrets
4 Little Egrets
53 Snipe circled the ruck at 08:25 before flying off NW. There were a few Snipe visible on the mini spit earlier but it is unknown if this flock was disturbed off the Ramsdales area or came in from elsewhere
24 (all adult) Great Black-backed Gulls, with 14 down on the water and the rest flying over NE
22 Meadow Pipits down on the ruck
748 Redwings over east in 24 flocks up to 09:30 (record shot of one of the flocks attached)
Great White Egret fishing close to Sorrow Cow Farm, then flew across to the south shore of the ruck and then flew back across to the south shore of the flash, all within the space of 10 minutes!
Adult Yellow-legged Gull
First winter Caspian Gull (more photos and videos, taken at dusk, on the website)
36 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 Cetti's Warbler calling and briefly in song around the shore by Sorrow Cow Pond
2 Great White Egret this morning, 1 was on the Rucks at dawn and then flew over to the South side a 2nd bird flew in from the West just after 8am and landed on the South side where both them fed c.25 Metres apart.
Other birds seen were at least 2 Little Egret, 8 Siskin south over in flocks of 5 and 3. 209+ Woodpigeon South, 29 Redwing in 4 flocks, the largest of 11 headed East the rest South. 8 Song Thrush west in 2 flocks, 11 Meadow Pipit south and at least 4 lingering on the Rucks. 2 Swallow south at 8.55 and 2 Greylag Geese West.
This morning from first light, saw the first 'proper' visible migration watch of the season from Ramsdales Ruck up to just after 9am:
1006 Pink-footed Geese in five skeins all moving south of the flash heading east and coming from the direction of the Mersey; c60 at 07:55, 140 at 08:05, 310 at 08:20, 56 at 08:30, c440 at 08:41
407 Canada Geese, with 364 coming in from the east in a single flock at 08:47 and dropping down off the main car park, then a further 43 flew in from the NW at 09:15
2 female/immature Wigeon on the main flash
1 female/immature Pintail flew straight through NW at 09:15
1 redhead Goosander
1 immature drake Goldeneye (associating with the Goosander!)
1 Great White Egret flew south over the ruck, from the direction of Bickershaw, at 09:25 and dropped onto the south shore of the flash somewhere
2631 Woodpigeons SE in 74 flocks up to just after 08:30 when they abruptly all but stopped moving
41 Skylarks in a single flock once again flew in from the SW at 07:56 and low north over the ruck; a roosting/feeding area movement? A further 2 birds flew high west at 09:17
21 Pied Wagtails in a single flock flew south over the ruck at 07:52
79 Meadow Pipits flew over south in 20 small flocks
345 Redwings flew over mainly E/SE in 33 flocks, the largest of 33 (which was also the latest at around 09:30 just as I was making my way off)
27 Song Thrushes on the ruck, including four dropping high out of the sky and into cover on the top of the ruck and another couple calling amongst the grass on the side of the ruck itself
This evening, a second winter Caspian Gull was in the roost, along with 41 Great Black-backed, 84 Herring, 107 Lesser Black-backed and almost 3000 Black-headed Gulls. A flock of 27 Pied Wagtails flew S/SE over Sorrow Cow Farm near dusk and a single Chiffchaff was around the pond there in a tit flock, along with a single Treecreeper.
This early morning's highlights and a couple of nice surprises included:
252 Canada Geese in a single flock flew in from the west at 08:32 and landed on the flash
Juvenile Garganey still present on Ramsdales but could not be relocated a little later
316 Tufted Ducks
814 Woodpigeons over mainly S/SE in many flocks up to 9am, though their generally low altitude and rather long straggly flocks would indicate more local(ish) movements perhaps
A remarkable (for here at least) 73 Skylarks in two wonderfully noisy flocks very low (barely tree top height) north up and over Ramsdales Ruck, with the first of 56 at 08:46 very closely followed by a further 17
4 Redwings together west over Ramsdales Ruck at 08:17, great to hear their calls once again
5 Chiffchaffs around the ruck, including one singing in shoreline bushes
4 individual Jays very high south over the ruck through the early morning
Goldfinch flock feeding on the ruck has increased to 54 birds
Water levels around the flash now expectedly very high
Last afternoon today, a female Mandarin was in Ramsdales, juvenile Garganey still, 26 Shoveler, 18 Teal, 6 Snipe, Common Sandpiper, plus adult Yellow-legged Gull and adult Mediterranean Gull roosted
This afternoon, a juvenile Garganey was on Ramsdales Scrape (video on the website), five Wigeon flew west and the Great White Egret (or one of them anyway) was still present.
Stonechat 1 first-winter on the ruck. My first at the flash since 29/11/1981!
Great white egret 2-3. Two in view at the same time on the south side and at the western end reedbed. A few minutes later probably a third bird flew in high from the north and landed on the side of the ruck. By that time I couldn't see the other two.
Little egret 2
Common sandpiper 1 at the sailing club
Swallow 2
Great black-backed gull 1 adult
Pink-footed geese 10 heading east
Shoveler 28 including 18 at the western end.
Chiffchaff 2 on the ruck.
Skylark 1 on the ruck.
-- Edited by colin davies on Wednesday 25th of September 2024 11:04:46 AM
1 Redshank flew in from the west and then lost to view behind trees so no idea if it landed at all
1 Common Sandpiper
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull
1 Swallow very low west over the ruck
Only a handful of Meadow Pipits south
24 Song Thrushes around Ramsdales Ruck was a large increase in numbers and the first real sign of their migration here, which included five birds (a two and a three) dropping high out of the sky from the north and into cover on the top of the ruck
Generally a lot quieter this morning than of late with not one egret of any species. Main highlight for me was also a Hobby, this one an immature which appeared to be hunting dragonflies , c.9.05 -9.15 over the grass fields along Slag lane which were sheltered from the brisk Easterly. Other birds of note, Common Sandpiper on the sailing club shore then later on the main spit. 2 Siskin over south, 78 Meadow pipit alos south and at least 25 Goldcrest. A female Wigeon was sat on one of the islands at the entrance to Ramsdales.
204 Pink-footed Geese in two skeins, with 132 flying in from the SE at 07:25 then splitting into two with a skeins of 76 then heading east and another of 56 heading NW towards the Ribble; another skeins of 72 also flew in from the SE heading directly N/NW towards the Ribble also, an unusual flight path from here.
1 Little Egret
1 adult Mediterranean Gull
1 juvenile Great Black-backed Gull
3 Kingfishers around Ramsdales
197 Swallows flew SE in 12 flocks up to 08:30 when passage all but stopped
3 seperate Grey Wagtails high south over the ruck
84 Meadow Pipits south over the ruck in singles or very small flocks
1 Blackcap in with a tit flock around The Point
1 Raven NW early morning
3 Rooks SE together
5 Linnets flew over the ruck together from the N/NW landing in shoreline trees but presumably flew off south as they could not be relocated later
A much quieter day today, with the highlight being 4 wigeon on the flash and a couple of little egrets. For the first time in nearly two weeks I didn't see the great white egret or the common sandpiper.
c15 Wigeon in a flock early morning, may have been down on the water but as I just caught them flying off west (with a few Teal mixed in) I only had seconds before they disappeared behind trees so it was a rough count
......
They were definitely on the water, just off the point. I counted 13 though it wasn't easy, they were against the bright sunlight for me from the sailing club. I could have easily missed one or two. There was also a drake pochard with them.
132 Pink-footed Geese over, with 22 east at 07:45 (coming from the Ribble direction) and 110 west at 08:47 heading towards the Ribble
c15 Wigeon in a flock early morning, may have been down on the water but as I just caught them flying off west (with a few Teal mixed in) I only had seconds before they disappeared behind trees so it was a rough count
1 Common Sandpiper still on the sailing club shore
1 Redshank
7 Swallows SE
2 Skylarks still on the ruck
9 single Grey Wagtails south over the ruck up to 9am
146 Meadow Pipits south over the ruck in small flocks and ones and twos up to 09:15, though birds were still moving south after this
17 Chiffchaffs on and around the ruck
2 Willow Tits together on the ruck in amongst a large Long-tailed Tit flock
17 Greenfinches south over the ruck with a largest flock of 16!
7 Chaffinches south over the ruck in ones and twos
Difficult viewing early morning due to thick fog, however the common sandpiper was still at the sailing club plus great white egret and at least four little egrets still.
Great White Egret present at the western end at 5:45pm and then presumably the same bird but perhaps a second was from there Tom Edmondson hide at 7pm.
Other birds seen this morning included 2 Black tailed Godwit on Ramsdales scrapes, single Shelduck flew west c.9am, Yellow Wagtail flew south over the rucks c.7.50, Reed warbler in with mixed flock at the Western end. c. 30 Chiffchaff around the site and several Goldcrest in with mixed tit flocks
A three egret day already at the flash, with cattle egret just having flown over south east. Great white on the side of the ruck and at least 3 little egrets still present. Common sandpiper and drake mandarin at the sailing club.
-- Edited by colin davies on Sunday 15th of September 2024 10:33:49 AM