What did you get up to in 2015

So how was your year?

Feeling in a reflective mood as I sit looking out the window on this dreary January Sunday - well it's what you do at new year, put the old year to bed, bank the good memories and plan for the new. 

Despite the foul weather, my garden birds are battling on, the goldfinches (counted over 20 today with a sprinkling of greenfinches too) have taken to picking the seeds from the evening primrose stalks and I've just seen a male house sparrow pass a mealworm to a female, early courtship because of recent mild weather perhaps?

This time last year, the weather was drier and colder and we had an honorary member with us - remember Monty Adelie who went to live with our Fran.

My year, like probably most of you, had highs and lows. But I'm only going to pick out some of the highlights from my year.

Monty Adelie our endearing penguin gifted from Lewis's brought a smile to our faces and raised the group a lot of dosh!

Monty and Crew...Speke Garston Coast Jan 2015

Getting a great and unusual view of a female scoter sitting on the tide line (sadly appeared unwell, waterlogged) straight after seeing the snow buntings on the beach on the Wirral.

Poorly Scoter

It was a miserable day in March when I joined the wildflower centre and friends of Everton Park to scatter wildflower seed on Everton Park, but I enjoyed watching it develop over the year, cumulating in the land life tale of two cities celebration day in July.

Poppies Druid st patch

Our RSPB Croatia trip in May, what can I say- lovely scenery, great birds and good chums. Fond memories of sitting quietly alone, awestruck, listening to nightingales in an olive grove at 7am, and then standing in a dark churchyard searching for scops owls. Wandering through mountain gorges, visiting wetlands, and then there was Pag Island – griffon vultures and the wonderful wryneck. 

Olive groves between beach and mountains

If you haven’t been away with us before, why not review the past blogs; we’ve been to some wonderful places, Norfolk, Cairngorms, Mull, Croatia, and Hungary. .. Maybe join us in future?

A particular happy memory was coming across a nifty stoat in Clock face Country Park, heaving his rabbit dinner back home...small but mighty!

Stealthy stoat in the buttercups

Walking around the coastal path of Anglesey during summer watching peregrines, choughs and ravens. Saving a hedgehog from certain death, as it had become stuck down a cattle grid, I’ll never walk across a grid again without looking down... A trip to Penmon point & Puffin Island on a beautiful spring day seabirds galore including puffins and eider ducks.

Saved - should have gone to specsavers!

Attending the Hen Harrier weekend in August in support of our hen harriers, and other persecuted birds of prey and wildlife. Proud to be part of RSPB Liverpool standing up for nature (the only RSPB group who took a bus load of members by the way)

Hen Harrier champions

Enough from me, if anybody would like to share a few happy/exciting memories with the group; I will post it on our January blog page 

Don’t forget were also have a twitter account @RSPBLiverpool, and our group is now on WhatsApp, a real-time info portal to find out what’s about, certainly has been well used today, pallas warbler, black throated diver, Caspian gull. Once registered on the site call Chris T and he'll add you to our group RSPB Lpool- Local Birds.  Enjoy

Hope 2016 brings you all you could wish for, birdie or otherwise!

Laura

A few words for the RSPB blog - Hilbre Haze

On Sunday I met up the MNA group for an early start on the slipway at West Kirby for 09:15hrs and the small group then walked over to Hilbre Island  for a high tide stay-over, which took us about 3/4 hr to walk across the sands to the bird reserve.

There was little wind which didn't dissipate the localised sea mist which hung around all day but did make an effort to lift for a while during our stay.

While there we saw quite a few small migrating birds that had stopped off for a rest and a quick feed. Also a few nosy Grey seals were seen bobbing up and down around the island just keeping an eye on us.

The usual wading birds were seen and a flotilla of Brent geese majestically passed the island at one point. Through the mist we could just see a few hundred common Scoters which looked like a large oil slick, as there was that many of them.

The volunteer bird recorder who had set caged traps around the island had caught several small birds in them and brought them over in soft white bags to show them to us. Pointing out the feather length differences between a first year bird and an adult bird returning from Africa. He blew onto the bird's chest feathers to separate them, for us to see how much yellow fat was left through their thin skin after their long journey.

Among these birds were a small Gold Crest, a Wheatear, which had stunning feather plumage.

We were allowed to watch him ringing, measuring, weighing and recording the birds statistics into his log, which would then be transferred onto a national computer data base. So that the individual ring identification numbers can quickly be accessed and can make a data comparison. 

One that he had just caught in a mist net had flown all the way from Africa ... which is just amazing when you come to think about it. As these birds only weigh a few grams. 

It was around 16:00hrs when the tide had receded sufficiently enough for us to walk back across the sand to Hoylake.

The mist rolled in even thicker, so i just followed the tracks in the wet sand of the vehicles that had driven to and from the island after the tide had receded.

The visitors who were still on the island and those returning to the mainland, got caught out by the mist, which was very disorientating and had to call the RNLI life guard for help, who fortunately was at hand and parked up on the island on his quad bike. He sounded his horn so they could get a bearing on him and to follow him back to the mainland ... 

As soon as i drove away from the coast and onto the M53 Wirral motorway to return back home. The sun was cracking the flags and had been a warm summer's day by all accounts.

A lovely day was had by all, disregarding the sea mist but seeing those lovely birds close up was a real treat.

Neil ............ 

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

In defiance of the Weather Man!

Brent geese - Rhodie Blythe

At 8.30 on Saturday morning, 14 or so of us defied the weather man who said it would rain all day and walked to Hilbre Island for an Over Tide Watch. 

As we walked across Curlew, Turnstone and Redshank were spotted feeding on various bits of beach or rocks waiting for the onrushing tide to ruin their breakfasts.  One lone Grey Plover and one Little Egret was seen and some Common Gulls.  Plus Oystercatchers in their thousands.  Then we had the privilege of seeing Brent Geese flying overhead.  The Knot gave us their murmuration.  Wow!

 

Oycs - Rhodie Blythe

As you all know the tide comes in at a very fast pace and we watched in awe of its power, as it drove the waders up looking for exposed ground. 

We finally reached Hilbre Island and went to the north end.  Sean spotted Common Scoter giving us a flypast; eat your hearts out Red Arrows!  Then a harbour Porpoise was seen in the distance in the direction of Gronant.

 

Scoter - Rhodie Blythe

Pretty soon the tide had taken every bit of beach and we watched the water, to be rewarded by lots of Great Crested Grebe bobbing about in the swell.  They were soon joined by Common Scoter, Cormorant and Atlantic Grey Seal who had a lovely time watching us.  Then Purple Sandpiper came into view and the camera lens clicked away!

A real treat was a talk on the ringing which takes place on Hilbre and we walked through the Heligoland Traps which were empty.  A Wren was seen nearby making a lot of noise, then a Robin!  Back to the north of the island and 3 Common Scoter were feeding on the exposed rocky beach, they were so close you could see their amazing bills, and they were soon joined by the exquisite Brent Geese, such beautiful birds.

Then the weather man won!  We battled our way to West Kirby against a very strong wind with the rain washing our faces until we arrived, extremely tired, back to the cars.  What a day!

Rhodie

Wet Wanderings in Wales

On the Promenade

Group trip to Llanfairfechan, Sunday February 10^th

Despite the most unpromising of weather forecasts, a dozen group members met up on the promenade at Llanfairfechan, overlooking the tip of Anglesey and Puffin Island. And the day started extremely well, with a dipper seen bobbing in the fast-flowing stream beside the car park,  even before we’d all finished assembling !

Red Breasted Merganser 

From the promenade we could see several red-throated divers in the middle distance, with great crested grebes nearer in, as well a red-breasted merganser sitting on the lake right behind the visitor shelter. There were also considerable numbers of oyster catchers flying west in front of us, so in due course we headed into the wind and rain and followed them along the shoreline towards Morfa Madryn reserve. This combines freshwater pools and wet grassland, favoured by lapwings in particular, with saltmarsh and shallow estuarial waters. Having arrived at high tide, we were rewarded by the sight of a great mass of oystercatchers huddled along the shingle spit curving across the bay in front of the (very welcome) hide, together with smaller numbers of bar-tailed godwits, dunlin and redshank. As the waters began to recede the dunlins in particular became very busy, dashing around to find the best feeding, and were joined by a few ringed plovers, as well as the larger waders.

Plovers & Dunlin   (N Prendergast)

Oystercatchers away

It was time to move on, so we headed back to the promenade, via a short detour to the sewage works, situated in a small wood nearby. Several pied wagtails and one grey were seen, as well as a meadow pipit, making the most of the insect life around the settling tanks.  Then we drove a short distance further west to visit The Spinnies at Aberogwen, described as a coastal lagoon, with reedbeds and woodland surrounds, and another view on to the great bay of Traeth Lafan. 

Little Egrets (N Prendergast)

The  lagoon hosted mallard, wigeon, teal and a little grebe, as well as two little egrets, hunched up on the shoreline, though we were not fortunate enough to catch sight of the local kingfishers.

The second hide on the reserve gives views on to the shore as well as inland, and from there we spotted a greenshank, showing well in contrast to the smaller darker redshank, as well as one egret busy hunting in a muddy creek.

Greenfinch  (N Prendergast) 

Incoming Robin  ( N Prendergast)

Then it was back along the beach, passing a rock pipit along the way, and on to Conwy for a quick check on the RSPB reserve and a welcome cup of tea.  A small flock of pochard looked very striking in the fading light, and we almost spotted the firecrest, known to flit among the trees ..... But there were siskin and redpoll, and we certainly did find our final target for the day, which was the scoter, a seaduck which winters in the area. Chris confidently led us to the shore at Llanddulas, and sure enough there in front of us was a huge flock of scoters, looking almost like a floating mass of seaweed until they briefly lifted off the water.

Along the Beach

All in all, everyone agreed it had been an excellent winter outing, with a final total of 57 species seen.

Anne Pope