Wirral wader festival this October

WIRRAL WADER FESTIVAL

Saturday 27th -28th October 2018 

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Wader Conservation World Watch.

http://www.waderquest.org/p/the-wader-quest-team.html

WADER CONSERVATION WORLD WATCH

Wader Conservation World Watch. 

Part of Wader Conservation November

A celebration of wader conservation and conservationists.

7th & 8th November 2015

Its as simple as A,B,C.

A.     Go out and see waders/shorebirds wherever you are in the world.
B.     Send us an email telling us what you have seen and where.
C.     We'll create a list the species seen between us worldwide.
D.     Look for you name on the roll of honour on this website.

It is that easy; no registering required just good old-fashioned bird watching... oh! And an email.

This is your opportunity to show your solidarity with, and appreciation of, wader conservationists around the world be they professionals or volunteers.

Go and see waders: because you can!

WIRRAL WADER FESTIVAL

This year the UK will have its first dedicated wader festival.

Join us for the 

Wirral Wader Festival

14th - 15th November 2015

http://www.waderquest.org/p/wirral-wader-festival.html

Winter on the Dee Estuary- a film by Scott Reid & the RSPB

Short eared owl and Kestrel fight over dinner!

Just had to share this film with you again. I sent it out last Christmas, well worth another look and as we have lots of new members…..

A great little film by Scott  Reid and the RSPB about the Dee Estuary  in winter, including Burton Mere Wetlands and Hilbre.

Beautifully shot, informative, great for your wader id.

The Shortie who lost his lunch and swirling Knot, terrific.

Dare you not to watch it more than once

.

. http://vimeo.com/77881908

By the way

Hoylake High Tide Birdwatch

Saturday 8th November

10 am

Price: Free

Join the Coastal Rangers, the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens and the RSPB on this high tide birdwatch at Hoylake to see the large numbers of wading birds as they gather and roost on the shore. We hope to see spectacular large flocks of wading birds as they gather to roost on the beach over high tide, now that they have returned from their breeding grounds for the winter. With a rising tide, we should see the birds at close quarters as they roost and feed.

Beginners welcomes. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them. No need to book.

Meet at the bottom of Trinity Road, King's Parade, Hoylake. There are public toilets nearby and various cafes and pubs for refreshments in Hoylake.

High tide 11:39am
9.61m H

A tale of two Tides

 

Deceased Water Rail -Neil P

Parkgate – Thursday, 5^th November, 2013

Peaty Jen, Linda Rees and I rather foolhardily decided to go to Parkgate to watch the high tide.  On arrival we could barely stand up and decided to watch as much as possible from the confines of a very small but dry and warm car!!  We watched as thousands of birds took off from the encroaching water, it was too murky to see what they were, we knew we saw geese, think they were Canada and Pink Foot.  Lots of Cormorants battling but getting nowhere.  Ducks, Little Egrets, Waders all taking to the skies at once.  Wonderful to see, not good for them.  The small birds like Redwing, Linnet and Skylark were really struggling. 

We got out of the car, and immediately saw two Short Eared Owls.  We thought that perhaps the tide would not get to the wall. Wrong!  It overtook the wall causing untold devastation to the small mammals which were neither quick nor strong enough to get out of its way!  We saw lots of dead voles, shrews and other small things. 

Parkgate Rails- Rhodie B

As the tide continued to railroad in the Water Rail were flushed, we saw them being buffeted against the wall, and I have since heard that at least two have been found dead.  Such a sad sight.  A man decided to take a picture of a fox which was trying to get up the harbour wall, it was so distressed, it was last seen trying to swim out to sea away from him.  Another person lifted a little vole out of the water, took a picture, then put the vole back!!  Wish I had seen him, he would have joined the vole.  Cars were still driving along the coast road, and ran over the little creatures that had managed to escape the water until a very sensible motorist blocked the road and helped save numerous other mammals.  A wonderful spectacle in the sky, but a very different story on the ground.

Hoylake – 7^th December, 2013

Another day, another high tide and a very different outcome.  Hoylake on Saturday was very benign.  No rushing waters, just gentle rolling wavelets, but the birds were very skittish, possibly from the two days they had endured earlier!  I saw lots of Knot, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Grey Plover and, the usual assortment of Gulls. 

As most people were looking out to sea a Sparrowhawk flew over our heads, and a good view was had by some of us, including me!

Peregrine on shore  - Rhodie B

Then the spectacle of the day was seeing a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a huge tree, near the edge of the water.  I watched it preen, it then took off and gave chase up the beach.  It didn’t catch anything so came back and hunkered down on a grassy mound in the sands.  The next thing it was off, flying low, at a tremendous rate across the beach.  It saw the Knot, the Knot saw it and started their wonderful synchronised flight.  The Peregrine singled one out and the chase was on.  They swooped, they rose higher and higher.  I think it was the luckiest Knot alive that day, it escaped.  I then walked back to the station, and home to a hot cuppa! 

Rhodie 

RSPB Liverpool Rocking at the Red Rocks

On the Red Rocks, looking towards Hilbre Island - L Bimson

Another sunny Saturday saw an expanded Leasowe light brigade (16 of us today) rocking at the Red Rocks, well maybe a slow fox trot, as the weather  was a just a bit too chilly with the wind blowing in off the Irish sea, it sucked away any warmth provided by the bright sunshine.  Alas it would also be detrimental to our bird watching, as the mudflats were devoid of bird life; a few distant birds could be seen flying about Hilbre Island. 

Hilbre Island - N Prendergast

We didn’t tarry, just long enough for Chris to point out the buildings and the ringers heligan traps on Hilbre, and  the importance of  this dropping off point for migrants and feeding birds waiting for the tide to  turn. We took the path along the coast towards West Kirby, checking the scrub, marsh and reed beds, backed by the Royal golf course.

Despite the recent weather being poor and spring slow to burst the buds. Our migrants were back, chiff chaff and whitethroat sang. Swallows skimmed the marsh, swooping over the head of a single Wheatear braving the blow. An elusive sedge warbler was in fine voice in the reed bed but despite straining every eyeball, he evaded our gaze. More familiar birds were about, always a joy to behold  a skylark high in the sky, fluttering then parachuting down, all the time singing his territorial warbling song. Another melodious attractive finch is the linnet, another opportunity for Chris to point out identifying marking on its chest and tail. (Skylarks and Linnets are both on the conservation red list along with our House Sparrows)

Reed bed & Dunes - L Bimson

Other more common a garden birds, wrens, house sparrows, goldfinches and blackbirds, flitted between the neighbouring gardens and the gorse/ shrubs.

Our only birds of prey for the day were a buzzard and later a sparrowhawk smoothly gliding through from the gardens and out over the golf course.

The reed beds only other obvious occupants were reed buntings, a few snoozing Mallards and a hidden Moorhen prrp!

Exploring the nearby natterjack slacks, we came across some tadpoles but these would be the offspring of frogs, the natterjack breeding a little later in the year.

Looking out over the shore from the sand dunes, 2 shelduck were accompanied by a party of 4 white wagtails,   a little further out a mixed flock of dunlin and ringed plover busily probed the mud. Gregarious, skittish, and fast of foot, a pleasure to watch,  suddenly taking flight on mass spooked by an unseen foe,  twisting and turning  in unison until landing  on the sandstone safety of  little eye.

Busy...Ringed Plover & Dunlin - L Bimson

Returning to the rocks, waiting for the tide to race in, we took timeout to admire various early flowers, garden escapees or deliberately scattered?  Narcissi and grape hyacinths, free seeding Honesty and cranesbills. Nettles flourished along the path, Chris determined to show us white/red dead nettles don’t sting!

Sea scurvy - L Bimson

Pretty clumps of White Sea scurvy shone out, one of the first plants to flower on the marsh. The only butterflies to brave the blow were small tortoiseshells, seen sunning themselves in sheltered areas. 

Tortoiseshell - N Prendergast

We hoped the distant waders on the shoreline near Hoylake life boat station would be flushed our way by the incoming tide, however once again the wind was against us and the only birds to come our way was a solitary cormorant, a  group of 4 curlews and a large party of mixed gulls. The only bird of note, a distant Gannet further out on the horizon, past the wind turbines, travelling out to sea.

Time for home.  Not a great haul for the day, only 28 species seen, but another informative amble in the fresh sea air and a home baked lemon curd cake from Tomo to finish the day - Yummy.

Bimo   

Our Red Rocks Day list: 28 species

Shelduck, mallard, buzzard, ringed plover, dunlin, cormorant, curlew, gannet, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull , herring gull, wood pigeon, skylark,  swallow, meadow pipit, white wagtail, wren, wheatear, blackbird, house sparrow, whitethroat, chiff chaff, magpie,  carrion crow, chaffinch, goldfinch, linnet, reed bunting.

I could have stayed at home

I missed a trip out today to Burton Mere Wetlands with Tomo, another appointment in the morning sunk that idea. Must catch up with the Egrets, Merlin's, Harriers,Spotted Redshank, Bramblings and Water Rail soon. 

Dinner time with the weather closing in, saw me making a mad dash for New Brighton. Rob had reported a large flock of mixed waders on the pontoon -  "1 Ruff, 18 Purple Sandpiper, 310 Turnstone, 130 Dunlin and 1,200 Redshank on the pontoon at New Brighton pontoon. Can't have been much room left!"

We'd caught up with the purple Sandpipers at Christmas on a Local Group walk. Me thinks another looksy would be nice. 

I didn't count them but it was busy.

Mixed Waders, New Brighton Pontoon 01/02/13

A didn't linger, not even for cake & coffee, a thought  had entered my head..  A snap decision and I  was heading for Hoylake and the Kings Gap. (I'd missed the high tide wader watch  a few weeks before, had sulked a bit after hearing about the masses of swirling flicks, on the the tide line)  Fortunately I was in luck the tide appeared to be on its way out but there were plenty of birds on the shore. Small flocks of Dunlin went through toward Hilbre, and parked up along the shore further along  sadly, too far for my bins alas. But I was compensated by plenty of Oycs, Redshank, Curlew and  mixed Gulls, including some massive Gt Blacks.  Managed to get reasonably close to those sitting on the tide line by the life boat station. 

Oystercatchers

Aloft

Shelduck! and his mates

Ten minutes later I was running to the car, I was soaked  and I'd only been out an hour and half,  but I was glad I went.

Laura