Wildlife Report for 2018 sightings of Stadt Moers park.

Our Chris has been busy recording in his local park.

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Report for 2018 sightings of Stadt Moers park.

A number of species are regular but a few rarities and uncommon birds added. I was surprised by a lack of a number of species such as meadow pipit and sedge warbler. The changes in the mute swans was interesting considering everyone you speak to in the park tell you its the same birds all year.

This is a systematic list of birds, mammals, dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies seen or heard during my regular visits to the Tushingham quadrant of Stadt Moers Park during January to December 2018.

Canada Goose Branta Canadensis

Maximum of 7 adult birds counted on the lake, 2 pairs did breed (1^st pair 5 juv 25/4, 2^nd pair later 2 juv 4/6.) 1^st breeding pair male bird was dominate of all other geese. Other pair only bred after the first group were a good size. No birds recorded after the 3^rd October.

Greylag Goose Anser anser

2 flew over 9^th April

Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus

A number of flocks were seen on the 14^th October the biggest skein being 53. Over 100 birds seen on that day.

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Maximum of 4 birds counted but lots of changes. Adult and juv (4CJU blue) ringed 29/9/17 at Stadt Moers was joined 2/3/18 by a pair, 1 (CJB5 green) ringed as a second year male on 10-8-16 at Spike Island. These birds left and another 2 arrived by the end of March, one with a BTO ring. Single bird left 11/4/18. No birds from the 25/4 till 28/5 when single bird (4CJU blue) returned. No birds from 4/6 till 24/12 when single bird (4CYP blue) ringed 3/2/2018 as juv male at Firs Flash, Leigh, Greater Manchester. No breeding this year.

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

2 birds flew around the wet meadows 21^st April, landed but took off 5 minutes later.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Resident on lake and did breed.

Teal Anas crecca

2 birds seen during the January and February visits.

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Maximum count of 8 birds on 1^st April 5 males 3 females. Birds recorded throughout the year but none breeding.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Adult bird seen on 1^st April only.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Maximum count of 2 birds. Single birds seen throughout the year.

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Maximum count 10 birds in January. 8 birds counted 14/3. No birds seen after 28^th April until 24^th December when a single bird flew over.

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

Birds seen throughout the year.

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Maximum count 5 birds on 14^th March. Birds seen throughout the year.

Water rail Rallus aquaticus

A single bird heard calling on 24^th December

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Birds recorded throughout the year. Breeding recorded 1^st juveniles 12^th May.

Coot Fulica atra

Birds recorded throughout the year. Breeding recorded 1^st juvenile seen 28^th April

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Single bird seen 28^th April on the wet meadow area.

Golden plover Pluvialis apricaria

Maximum of 8 birds counted on 2^nd March late afternoon. 3 birds left on the 3^rd March but flushed by dog walks and flew off. Birds on site due to cold weather movement (Beast from the East).

Woodcock Scolopax rusticola

Single birds recorded on the 8^th January in the old Quarry area. 17^th February single bird flushed off the wet meadow.

Jack snipe Lymnocryptes minimus

Maximum count of 4 birds on the wet meadow area during February and March.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Maximum count of 20 birds on the wet meadow area through January to March. 10 birds seen on the 24^th December.

Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Single birds seen on 22^nd April around the lake edge and on the 5^th May.

Black headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Birds seen throughout the year.

Mediterranean gull Larus melanocephalus

Single bird calling and flying over 17^th February.

Common gull Larus canus

Seen regular during Jan to March

Great black-backed gull Larus marinus

Single bird seen

Herring gull Larus argentatus

Seen regular through the year flying between Prescot reservoirs and Netherley sewage works and Huyton industrial estate.

Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus

Seen regular through the year flying between Prescot reservoirs and Netherley sewage works and Huyton industrial estate.

Winter on the lake

Feral pigeon Columba livia

Seen regular through the year.

Stock dove Columba oenas

First bird seen 9^th April.

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Seen regular through the year.

Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto

Seen regular through the year.

Swift Apus apus

First birds seen on the 7^th May. Last bird seen on the 2^nd September.

Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopus major

Seen regular through the year.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Seen regular through the year.

Jay Garrulus glandarius

Seen regular through the year.

Magpie Pica pica

Seen most days

Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Seen regular through the year flying over.

Rook Corvus frugilegus

Single birds seen flying over

Carrion crow Corvus corone

Seen most days

Raven Corvus corax

2 birds seen displaying 24^th January over the quarry area.

Coal tit Peripaus ater

Seen most days in autumn and winter.

Blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus

Seen most days.

Great tit Parus major

Seen most days.

Skylark Alauda arvensis

An individual flying over 14^thMarch.

Sand martin Riparia riparia

First seen 14^thApril when 2 birds flew over. Last seen 2^nd September.

Swallow Hirundo rustica

First seen 8^thApril. Last seen 2^nd September when 12 birds flew through.

House martin Delichon urbicum

First seen 21^stMay.

Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus

Seen most days.

Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

First heard and seen 8^thApril.

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

First heard and seen 14^thMarch

Reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

First heard and seen 5^thApril

Grasshopper warbler Locustella naevia

First heard 28^thApril not heard again.

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Male first seen 14^thApril female seen 21^stApril.

Whitethroat Sylvia communis

First seen and heard 21^stApril

Goldcrest Regulus regulus

Seen regular through the year.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

Seen most days.

Nuthatch Sitta europaea

Single individual seen once on 18^th April.

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris

Seen regular through the year.

Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Seen regular through the year flying over.

Blackbird Turdus merula

Seen most days.

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

7 birds seen on 3^rd March

Redwing Turdus iliacus

Small numbers seen on 17^th February. Returning birds seen 14^th October.

Song thrush Turdus philomelos

Good numbers seen through the winter. A number of birds seen through the year.

Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus

Seen regular through the year.

Robin Erithacus rubecula

Seen most days.

House sparrow Passer domesticus

Seen regular through the year.

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Seen most days.

Grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea

First seen 25^thApril with a juvenile bird seen on the Logwood Mill brook. Adults recorded on other dates flying over.

Pied wagtail Motacilla alba

A fly over bird seen on the 27^thMarch with another fly over 14^th October.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Seen most days.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla

A male bird was seen on 17^th February with a peak count of 2 birds in March.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Birds seen or heard on site during the winter months.

Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraystes

A single bird was seen on 8^th January and stayed around into February when a second bird was seen on 24^th February. Both birds left in March and were part of the hawfinch invasion that year.

Greenfinch Chloris chloris

Regularly seen through the year.

Linnet Linaria cannabina

First birds seen 21^st April and then seen collecting nesting material on 28^th April.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Seen most days.

Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

Seen throughout the year with best count of 3 males.

Total; 77 species.

Butterflies recorded

Peacock                               first seen 14/4

Small tortoiseshell           first seen 21/4

Orange tip                           first seen 7/5

Holly blue                            first seen 7/5

Small white                         first seen 7/5

Large white                        first seen 7/5

Speckled wood                 first seen 7/5

Common blue                   first seen 7/5

Large skipper                     first seen 5/6

Dragon and Damselflies recorded.

Dragonflies

4 spotted chaser           Libellula quadrimaculata  first seen 7/5.

broad body chaser       Libellula depressa               first seen 28/5.

brown hawker               Aeshna grandis                    first seen 2/7.

Damselflies

azure damselfly             Coenagrion puella              first seen 18/5.

blue tailed damselfly   Ischnura elegans first seen 21/5.

red-eyed damselfly     Erythromma najas              first seen 28/5.

Mammals

Rabbit                                Oryctolagus cuniculus       seen regularly.

Grey squirrel                   Sciurus carolinensis            seen through the year but small numbers.

Rabbit damage

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 40th anniversary sees house sparrow hold top spot for Merseyside

• House sparrow remains at the top of the UK Big Garden Birdwatch rankings, including in Merseyside with almost 1.2 million sightings recorded in the UK throughout the weekend, but for many species fewer birds were recorded than in 2018.
• Almost half a million people across the UK, including over 6,600 in Merseyside spent an hour watching the birds that visit their garden or outdoor space as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, counting more than 7.5 million birds in total.
• For many people, garden birds remain an important link to nature and the RSPB wants to do more to increase this connection to help both wildlife and people.

The latest results from the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch have revealed a mixed picture for Merseyside’s garden birdlife with seven of the top 20 species returning fewer sightings in gardens across the county than in 2018.

Now in its 40^th year, the Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for people of all ages to count the number of birds that visit their garden helping the RSPB build up a picture of how they are doing.

The event held over the last weekend in January revealed the house sparrow kept its number one spot in Merseyside. UK house sparrow numbers, reported by participants since the Big Garden Birdwatch began in 1979, have fallen by over half, but in recent years, national numbers have slowly started to rise again, giving conservationists hope that at least a partial recovery may be happening.

This year in Merseyside, there was a decrease in garden sightings of wrens and long-tailed tits, two of the smallest species to visit our gardens, after being counted in particularly large numbers in 2018. Populations of both species may have been affected by last year’s ‘Beast from the East’ as small birds are more susceptible to spells of cold weather. But it’s too early to say if this is a one year blip or the beginning of a trend.

Over its four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers. This species was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. By 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979, it came in at 21^st in the Merseyside rankings this year.

Throughout the first half of the spring term the nation’s school children also took part in the RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch. The UK-wide survey of birds in school grounds saw close to 60,000 school children, including almost 400 in Merseyside, spend an hour in nature counting the birds. Nationally blackbird was in the number one spot, but bucking the national trend, black-headed gull was the most numerous species seen in Merseyside schools, with an average of almost 13 per school; and was spotted in over 40% of all schools that took part in the county.

Annabel Rushton, from the RSPB in Northern England said: “It’s incredible to see that so many people across the county show a real passion and concern for the wildlife in their gardens and green spaces. People are becoming more and more aware of the challenges and threats that our UK wildlife is currently facing. Citizen science surveys, such as our Big Garden Birdwatch, really help empower people of all ages and backgrounds to play an active part in conservation, and to speak out for the wildlife they love and want to protect.”

To highlight the crisis that nature is facing and the loss of over 40 million wild birds from the UK in just half a century, the RSPB is releasing a specially-created track of birdsong titled ‘Let Nature Sing’. The single contains some of the most recognisable birdsong that we used to enjoy, but that are on their way to disappearing forever. A compilation of beautiful sound recordings of birds with powerful conservation stories including the cuckoo, curlew, nightingale and turtle dove.

The charity is calling on the public to download, stream and share the single (available to pre-order from 5 April) and help get birdsong into the charts for the first time, spreading the word that people across the UK are passionate about nature’s recovery. 

Martin Harper the RSPB’s Director of Conservation said: “Birds are such iconic parts of human culture but many of us no longer have the time or opportunity to enjoy them. The time we spend in nature, just watching and listening, can have huge benefits to our wellbeing, especially in these stressful times. The RSPB wants to help more people reconnect with their wilder sides and is bringing birdsong back into people’s busy lives by releasing a soothing track of pure unadulterated bird song. We hope that by understanding what we have lost, that we inspire others to take part in the recovery. Without nature our lives are so less complete.”

The track is designed to help reconnect the nation with nature, helping people find a moment to relax and promote a feeling of tranquillity, as birdsong has been proven to aid mental health and promote feelings of well-being.

For a full round-up of all the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results and to see which birds were visiting gardens where you live, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch 

Mean 2019

Rank 2019

% Gardens 2019

Merseyside	House_sparrow	3.5	1	52.5
Merseyside	Starling	2.6	2	31.6
Merseyside	Woodpigeon	2.4	3	79.3
Merseyside	Blackbird	2.3	4	85.1
Merseyside	Blue_tit	2.1	5	68.8
Merseyside	Goldfinch	1.9	6	32.7
Merseyside	Magpie	1.7	7	66.2
Merseyside	Robin	1.3	8	79.9
Merseyside	Great_tit	1.2	9	51.0
Merseyside	Feral_pigeon	1.2	10	24.4
Merseyside	Collared_dove	1.0	11	39.4
Merseyside	Long_tailed_tit	0.7	12	21.7
Merseyside	Dunnock	0.7	13	37.8
Merseyside	Chaffinch	0.7	14	25.1
Merseyside	Coal_tit	0.6	15	28.2
Merseyside	Carrion_crow	0.4	16	19.2
Merseyside	Jackdaw	0.4	17	10.9
Merseyside	Greenfinch	0.3	18	13.5
Merseyside	Wren	0.2	19	19.0
Merseyside	Common_gull	0.1	20	2.0
Merseyside	Song_thrush	0.1	21	7.0
Merseyside	Nuthatch	0.1	22	4.2
Merseyside	Jay	0.1	23	3.5
Merseyside	Great_spotted_woodpecker	0.0	24	4.1
Merseyside	Blackcap	0.0	25	3.5
Merseyside	Herring_gull	0.0	26	1.3
Merseyside	Black_headed_gull	0.0	27	1.0
Merseyside	Bullfinch	0.0	28	1.3
Merseyside	Tree_sparrow	0.0	29	0.5
Merseyside	Pied_wagtail	0.0	30	1.4
Merseyside	Pheasant	0.0	31	1.2
Merseyside	Sparrowhawk	0.0	32	1.8
Merseyside	Grey_wagtail	0.0	33	1.1
Merseyside	Buzzard	0.0	34	0.8
Merseyside	Grey_heron	0.0	35	0.8
Merseyside	Moorhen	0.0	36	0.4
Merseyside	Mallard	0.0	37	0.3
Merseyside	Goldcrest	0.0	38	0.5
Merseyside	Brambling	0.0	39	0.3
Merseyside	Reed_bunting	0.0	40	0.4
Merseyside	Ring_necked_parakeet	0.0	41	0.1
Merseyside	Kestrel	0.0	42	0.3
Merseyside	Rook	0.0	43	0.2
Merseyside	Siskin	0.0	44	0.3
Merseyside	Lesser_spotted_woodpecker	0.0	45	0.3
Merseyside	Stock_dove	0.0	46	0.2
Merseyside	Mistle_thrush	0.0	47	0.2
Merseyside	Red_legged_partridge	0.0	48	0.2
Merseyside	Lesser_black_backed_gull	0.0	49	0.2
Merseyside	Treecreeper	0.0	50	0.2
Merseyside	Green_woodpecker	0.0	51	0.2
Merseyside	Tawny_owl	0.0	52	0.1
Merseyside	Fieldfare	0.0	53	0.0
Merseyside	Linnet	0.0	54	0.1
Merseyside	Redpoll	0.0	55	0.1
Merseyside	Willow_tit	0.0	56	0.0
Merseyside	Chiffchaff	0.0	57	0.0
Merseyside	Barn_owl	0.0	58	0.0
Merseyside	Black_redstart	0.0	59	0.0
Merseyside	Marsh_tit	0.0	60	0.0
Merseyside	Hawfinch	0.0	61	0.0
Merseyside	Corn_bunting	0.0	62	0.0
Merseyside	Gadwall	0.0	63	0.0
Merseyside	Great_black_backed_gull	0.0	64	0.0
Merseyside	Great_crested_grebe	0.0	65	0.0
Merseyside	Grey_partridge	0.0	66	0.0
Merseyside	Hooded_crow	0.0	67	0.0
Merseyside	Lapwing	0.0	68	0.0
Merseyside	Little_owl	0.0	69	0.0
Merseyside	Meadow_pipit	0.0	70	0.0
Merseyside	Mute_swan	0.0	71	0.0
Merseyside	Raven	0.0	72	0.0
Merseyside	Red_kite	0.0	73	0.0
Merseyside	Redwing	0.0	74	0.0
Merseyside	Skylark	0.0	75	0.0
Merseyside	Teal	0.0	76	0.0
Merseyside	Tufted_duck	0.0	77	0.0
Merseyside	Waxwing	0.0	78	0.0
Merseyside	Wigeon	0.0	79	0.0
Merseyside	Yellowhammer	0.0	80	0.0