Rare egret joins more common cousins at RSPB nature reserve

Cattle Egret...Phil Woollen

Staff at the RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve are celebrating this summer after an unusual bird – the cattle egret – nested for the first time at their Burton Mere Wetlands site near Neston. Viewers of BBC Springwatch may have seen the nest featured on the show in May, and now visitors are being encouraged to see one of the birds up-close.

Locals and visitors to the reserve will be familiar with the hundreds of little egrets living on the estuary, but prior to this year the much rarer cattle egret had managed just two previous breeding attempts in the entire UK, both in south west England.

As their name suggests, cattle egrets are usually found around cattle and many people recognise them from nature documentaries where they often feature around herds of zebras, wildebeest and water buffalo in sub-Saharan Africa. With bright white feathers, these relatives of the more familiar grey heron are beautiful to see and fairly easy to spot.

Colin Wells, Site Manager at the RSPB Dee Estuary said: “We’ve watched excitedly as little egrets rapidly colonised the Dee Estuary over the past couple of decades, with a total of 84 pairs nesting here this year. Their close relatives, cattle egrets, have been a regular visitor over the past six years since Burton Mere Wetlands opened, usually in the autumn when we have cattle grazing on the reserve.

“Egrets, along with other heron-like birds such as spoonbills, have gradually moved into the UK as their historic breeding areas in Europe are becoming hotter and drier due to climate change.

“Last year we had a record six cattle egrets at one point, but it was surprising to see at least two stay through the winter, even when the cattle were taken indoors to avoid the harsh weather. The birds felt so at home, we were delighted when they stayed to nest in amongst the established little egret colony.”

The pair successfully raised one chick, but they quickly left the area after the youngster flew the nest. However, with cattle grazing the reserve again, one cattle egret has returned and there is hope more will follow.

Colin added: “Visitors have been getting brilliant close views of the cattle egret from the comfort of the Reception Hide. There’s no guarantee how long it will stay, so if you fancy a look at one of these exotic birds close to home, come for a visit soon.”

For more information on wildlife spectacles, facilities and events at Burton Mere Wetlands, visit rspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands

Calling all wildlife explorers- it's time to bioblitz Port Sunlight River Park

Looking over mersey estuary from park

Wildlife experts say Port Sunlight River Park, converted from a landfill site and opened to the public in August 2014, is now ready for its first official biological recording.

The 70-acre park perched on the banks of the Mersey is owned by national land management charity the Land Trust and managed by Wirral charity Autism Together. It boasts panoramic views of the iconic Liverpool skyline, woodlands, wildflower meadows and a lake.

There are several opportunities for community members to be involved with bioblitz activities and learn about the wildlife at the park:

river park pond

• On Friday 26 May official wildlife recorders will be checking the park for all signs of mammals, birds, bugs and plant life. Community members are welcome to work alongside them. Anyone interested should contact the park ranger.
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• That evening from 9pm the park will host a bat walk. Families will be given hand-held bat detectors which capture the calls made by different species of bats swooping around their heads and convert them into sounds humans can hear. This event costs £3 and must be booked in advance.
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• On Saturday 27 May wildlife walks will take place as part of May's month-long Wirral Walking Festival. A bird-themed walk at 9.30am will be followed by a wildflower walk at 10.30am, then a family fun nature walk from 1.30pm to 3pm. Wildlife experts will be on hand all day to teach community members about the species now living at the site and there will be family wildlife-themed activities from 10am to 4pm.
• All staff and volunteers are all trained in autism awareness.
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Autism Together park ranger, Anne Litherland, said, "In the early days of the park, when it was still finding its feet, it was hard to believe it could ever be an environmental success. But these days we regularly spot foxes, voles, shrews and rabbits living here amongst the lovely oxeye daisies and deciduous woods, dozens of species of birds around the lake and many different butterflies, moths and mini-beasts.

"Our bioblitz weekend will be a big step forward for us. We want to prove that, given care, even an old rubbish tip can become a beautiful wildlife haven. RECORD (Cheshire's biological recording service) will be collecting all the biological data and we look forward to sharing the results with the community. Our thanks Merseyside Environmental Trust for helping to fund the weekend's activities."

View of Liverpool's cathedrals from top of river park hill

Autism Together's bioblitz partners also include Wirral Wildlife, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Chester Zoo and Friends of Ness Gardens.

Community members wanting to book places on the bat walk or find out more about the weekend's events should contact Anne on 07587 550060 or anne.litherland@autismtogether.co.uk. 

to the Huyton poet

But all was not lost, as in the same patch
2 snow buntings were causing a twitter,
So he pressed on the gas and drove very fast
to the place all the birders did muster.

The buntings sat tight,
to the twitchers delight and
all thoughts of that yank were abated.

T'was a tick for  the year, and what's that I hear?
the Laughing gull's back on the pier!

West Derby ANON

Laughing all the way

Lucky Warren caught up with a rare uk visitor today. 

Hiding out with the turnstones, redshank and Purple Sandpipers was a yank, a first year Laughing gull. These gulls normally winter in south America, along way from home. Maybe it just dropped in for Starbucks!

Laughing gull - Warren Sumner

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  Laughing Gulls are medium-sized gulls with fairly long wings and long legs that impart a graceful look when they are flying or walking. They have stout, fairly long bills.Laughing Gulls are medium gray above and white below. Summer adults have a crisp black hood, white arcs around the eye, and a reddish bill. In winter, the hood becomes a blurry gray mask on a white head. The legs are reddish black to black. Immatures are much browner and more subtly patterned than adults; they take 2-3 years to gain adult plumage.

No doubt New Brighton Marine lake will be knee deep in twitchers tomorrow.

http://www.marinepoint.co.uk/directions/

Laura

Showy Snow Buntings and a Scoter story

Crosby beach

Missed out on the high tide day trip to Heswall  and consequently the red throated diver, but managed a late afternoon trip to a stormy Crosby beach with hubby who thought climbing dunes would be good exercise, that idea didn’t last long!  Dipped on the snow bunting that’s supposed to be about.  

Linnets

But caught up with a large ‘parcel’  don’t know where that collective comes from! of Linnets  up to 30 flighty ones, lovely to see.

Sunday saw me chomping at the bit  to follow up another snow bunting lead from twitter.  Once again non birder hubby dragged out with the promise of a stroll from the kings parade to leasowe lighthouse and back.

Coastguard hovercraft

The beach ws busy the local coasguards when on exercises, a hovercraft was out at tthe water edge- just as well as the liverpool echo later  reported ' A family were rescued by the RNLI Hovercraft  after they were nearly cut off by the rising tide. Coastguards stopped a training session carry out a real life rescue at New brighton yesterday.Two men and two young girls had walked out to a sandbank on the beach at around 11.30am and became stuck.' 

Snow Buntingon

Ecstatic, the buntings were exactly where Ron told me, mooching about the flotsam of the strandline  2 out of reported 3. Great little birds to watch. Sprinkled some bird seed in area, may help to keep them about for other birders.

Snow buntings on strandline

Mission completed now for the stroll. Pied wagtails flitted around the breakwater but am unexpected encounter left me surprised, pleased as I hadn’t seen one in the wild close up and little sad, because  this was  female scoter, sitting on the shore close to the sea, I’m more used to  viewing these sea duck s through a telescope way out to sea.

Female scoter

Female Scoter

She was preening her back end feathers, which looked a little scruffy some unknown substance spoiling her plumage.   She seemed content to sit however she didn’t account for a curious boy determined to get  a mobile phone pic, she flew off down towards meols/hoylake along the waters edge. (which is sort of a positive sign?) I’d like to think she’s ok.

On the return leg  a turnstone and  a couple of sanderling treated us to a reasonably close view, again on  the waters edge.

Turnstone

Sanderling

Happy days.

Quick vids:  view small

Time to witness a wildlife spectacle to remember at Parkgate

The high tide in December was accompanied by atrocious weather high winds and rain and alot of the wirral coastline sustained damage. Parkgate promenade was submerged, cars were carried away, and many creatures were drowned  hopefully it won't be  a repeat performance on  the weather front.   

Water rail

Enjoy a date with nature at Parkgate this weekend and join the RSPB toexperience one of the best wildlife spectacles in the region.Many local people are familiar with the phenomenon of the high spring

tides flooding the vast saltmarsh of the estuary, but few have been there to witness it and the activity that follows.

In a bid to encourage people to experience the wildlife spectacle forthemselves, free events will be held by the team from RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserves from Friday 31 Jan to Monday 3 Feb with telescopes and binoculars available for public use.

Dan Trotman, Visitor Development Officer at RSPB Dee Estuary reserves,said:  The high tides in early December and January were some of the biggest and sadly most destructive in many years. Seeing the incoming tide reach the sea wall at Parkgate is unimaginable on a normal day due to the extent of the marsh, but in December the tide even came over the wall onto the promenade.

These infrequent natural events are something we like to celebrate because it is a chance for people to see this part of our nature reserve on the estuary at its most impressive. The Dees saltmarsh is home to hundreds of small mammals which are flushed from their homes by the incoming tide, attracting magnificent birds of prey including short-eared owls and hen harriers to feed.

With thousands of wetland birds trying to keep on the edge of the water, large flocks can be seen shifting around trying to find drier ground. Other predators take advantage too   foxes will be more than happy to snatch an easy meal, whilst even herons and gulls have been seen helping themselves to voles and small birds.

It’s not easy watching the voles desperately fleeing for their lives in December dozens were scrambling up the sea wall and running across the road   but it s a great reminder of how much wildlife is thriving on the marsh and the value of the RSPB protecting such a vast wilderness.

The RSPB will be hosting the free events at Parkgates Old Baths car park and at the Donkey Stand on the four days of upcoming high tides; Friday 31 January, Saturday 1, Sunday 2 and Monday 3 February.

Dan added:  The extent of the spectacle is dependent on the weather conditions on the day low pressure and a strong northwesterly wind are the best to drive the tide in fully, which is quite likely with the weather we’ve had so far this winter. Obviously thats something we won’t know for definite until closer to the time; it’s a case of keeping an eye on the weather forecast, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed and be present at Parkgate regardless.

Car parking is limited on Parkgate promenade and at the Old Baths car park, but the RSPB has arranged for extra free parking to be available for visitors at Marsh Nurseries on Boathouse Lane (CH64 6RD) and the

Wirral Country Park car park on Station Road (CH64 6QJ).

The events are fully supported by Cheshire West and Chester council and are part of the Wild Wirral  Date with Nature , which is showcasing the outstanding wildlife of the Wirral Peninsula and its coastline through

a series of events in partnership with Wirral Borough Council this winter. Full details and dates of further events can be found on the RSPB website, here: www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature/327690-wild-wirral-

For more information on the RSPB Dee Estuary reserves and activities,please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478, or check out the website.

www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary

**** Liverpool RSPB Event Sunday 02/02/14 The Wirral Wander 

 http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/Liverpool/events/

Stormy Wirral