Stoately Stupendous!

Stoat

A week off, and I can’t tell you how good it was to be off from work, and what a good choice. The weather was glorious.

Needless to say that meant we had no reason to stay indoors and do tedious household chores. It was boots, cap and sun cream on, and ‘where are we going next?!

Up the M62, 20 minutes later and we’re at Clock face Country Park. Opened in the late 1990s, this was formerly a colliery site and is linked to ‘The dream’ statue at Sutton Manor. Fifty seven acres of meadows, woodlands, wetland, intersected by footpaths and a popular fishing pond. 

Last time we'd visited it was winter, some snow still on the ground.

 

Fishing pond

Adjacent is Maypole Wood, in 2003 the Forestry Commission planted thousands of trees to form the young woodland, a new section of the expanding Mersey Forest.

http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/beauty/clockfacepark/

http://www.discoverthemerseyforest.co.uk/

Toposcope

The park gives extensive views from its highest point and has a toposcope to guide your eye (probably best viewed from in winter, when the woodland foliage doesn’t obscure some of the vista).

Fiddlers Ferry power station

It was a windy day and I must admit birds were mainly heard rather than seen, the usual summer migrants were prevalent, Chiff chaff, willow warbler, black cap, and whitethroat accompanied by familiar home birds, finches, tits, robins, jays and thrushes.

The meadows were now in bloom, patches of wildflowers flourished such as orchid, birdsfoot trefoil, buttercup  and ragged robin

Ragged robin

Buttercup 

However the highlight of out trip was about to occur, a most unexpected encounter with a rather attractive stoat and an unfortunate bunny.

As I said a windy day  and at first I thought the form flying across the path was a piece of cardboard, however the sudden dash back across the path of a red and white furry thing with a black tail tip, led me to inspect the said  ‘cardboard’, only to find a dead although still warm Rabbit! This was exciting just like Springwatch on the telly. We backed off a way and watched, sure enough the stoat returned to retrieve her (Admittedly I can’t say I know whether it was a she or a he) dinner.  How vigorous these little mammals must be, carrying home a quarry at least twice it’s size.

Stoat in meadow

Through the buttercup meadow she bounced, occasionally stopping for a rest? Or more likely a watchful lookout for any bigger predators about intent on stealing her dinner; certainly we had seen buzzard and kestrel hunting overhead. Finally she reached the edge of the woodland and disappeared into the tree line, back to the den and maybe her kits?

What a treat, to observe this formidable little predator. It's beauty, amazing strength and perseverance. Yes sad for the bunny but this is the natural world all in order, in blood and claw.

Watch!

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc_P78qx0QES

Laura

A Midsummer Evening in Lovely Lunt Meadows

 Lunt Barn Owl

On midsummer's night twenty or so members of the group gathered for our first evening trip to Lunt Meadows, and were rewarded with a wonderfully peaceful walk, with some delightful sightings. First and foremost, we encountered dozens of swifts, not way up in the heavens as so often, but flying as low as head height, to make the most of the plentiful insects, and giving us excellent opportunity to admire their aerobatic skill. As we left the arable land and walked along the edge of the woods, thrushes and blackbirds were heard singing constantly, along with the wheezy call of greenfinches, among others. Then the path comes Into the open grassland and reedbeds of the nature reserve proper, and here we saw reed buntings, whitethroat and sedge warblers, as well as a particularly fine linnet posing on top of a reed. 

While the swifts and swallows continued to circle and weave around us, high above we saw 19 cormorants flying in a v formation, as well as a loose flock of starlings heading home to their roost. 

Lunt Meadows, pools & River Alt 

Over the pools, almost hidden by the tall vegetation, we saw the occasional oyster catcher and lapwing, but of course the real hope was to see owls, and right on cue, as the sun began to reach the horizon, a barn owl appeared and began to fly slowly to and fro across the grassland in front of the woods, occasionally dropping down into the grass in search of prey.

The Lunt Little 'un 

The return journey took us past Lunt Farm and back to Sefton village, where we were looking out for a little owl. In the end, some of us heard it, but only a few actually caught sight of the bird perching, before it flew off.  One up to Chris T. !

All in all, it was a lovely outing, and one that will certainly appear on the programme again( if only we could guarantee such perfect weather!).

Anne Pope

(all photo's L Bimson)

Birding with Rodders and Peaty

Our Sunny Sunday in Liverpool – 16^th June, 2013!

This Sunday saw Jenny and I  tripping the light fantastic along the coast from Hale, heading towards the Lighthouse then back to the village, and no, there was no pub stop, although I nearly suggested it, but who would drive me home??

It started out as quite a quiet day for birds, and then we saw the scrawniest Robin I have seen in years, he looked exhausted trying to find food for his brood.  Shortly afterwards we saw a very smart Mistle Thrush getting enormous worms out of the ground, then taking them off to a tree.  Then 5 male blackbirds all in a very small amount of field, I was surprised there were no fisticuffs amongst them.  

We carried on along the path, the reeds and grasses at times totally obscuring our view, and the cow parsley etc., waving over our heads.  We were lucky enough to see a couple of Reed Buntings, every time we spotted one, down he would go and disappear, to then re-appear on another reed!  Why don’t they keep still? 

Whitethroat R blythe

Shortly after we heard the lovely song of a Whitethroat, who rewarded us for our patience - not a word usually in my vocabulary – by sitting on a tree reasonably close to us. 

In the distance we could see lots of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Shelduck, Black Headed Gulls, and 5 Grey Herons, as well as Crows.  A pair of Oystercatchers decided to shout at the world and the Mallard just sat and watched, preening and feeding in the very low waters of the Mersey and a couple of Cormorant flew by.

As we walked back towards Hale village a Buzzard came overhead and was set upon by a Crow, it was great to watch the dog fight over our heads, and yes, the Buzzard won!

In the lane we saw and heard numerous Goldfinches, chit chattering away to us.  House Martins darted overhead on both sides of path, not forgetting the Meadow Pipit and the glorious song of the Skylark.  

Rhodie