I ventured down to the Speke/Garston Coastal Reserve this afternoon with the intention of playing with my new scope (boys and their toys!), there was plenty of waders to see on the shore; with over 2000 Dunlin dominating, with smaller numbers of Curlew (45), Redshank (175), Ringed Plover (2), Lapwing (67), and single Grey Plover and Oystercatcher, apart from waders 65 Teal, 5 Cormorant, and a Peregrine filled the bill. This amount of bird life on the shore was pretty impressive considering the presence of two tractors on the shore working on the sailing club slipway! On the reserve itself there was not a great deal showing (it was getting close to dusk by then) but Reed Bunting, 2 Skylark, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Pheasant, and 2 Kestrels (quite rare now in the south of the city) where still out and about.
As I prepared to leave I was surprised to notice a Short Eared Owl hunting the East side of the reserve and the Speke Hall land, I watched it for around five minutes as it quartered the area and worked the many ditches looking for rodents, it then drifted further into the international business park, I followed and found a second bird in the area; together with another Kestrel and a calling Tawny Owl it rounded the afternoon off nicely.
I visited Childwall Woods with Dylan on Saturday for the Wildlife Explorers Big Garden Birdwatch event, he managed to see 5 Nuthatches, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreeper, and a Fox.
On Thursday 2 Cormorants were fishing Greenbank Park lake at 8:40 am but when I returned half-hour later they had departed, but 2 Ring Necked Parakeets there.
4 comments:
I went to Greenbank and Sefton Parks this cold and frosty morning. Saw two Ring Neck Parakeets at Greenbank Park. Plenty of calling Nuthatches there too.Many more Nutchatches at Sefton Park and one Treecreeper also. Saw and heard two drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Plenty of Song Thrushes in song around both parks.Three Little Grebes around the Sefton Park lake island. About thirty Redwings feeding on the park's fields with a handful of Mistle Thrushes. An enjoyable morning's birding!
Hi Andy, those redwing were still there in the afternoon on the fields on the Greenbank side of Sefton park, about 6 or 7 mistle thrush feeding with them. plenty more redwing in the trees next to Greenbank allotments. 2 flocks of very active goldfinches spotted on either side of Sefton too. tufted ducks still on the lake (4 pairs counted today)and lots of nuthatches/treecreeper/assorted finches and tits brought out looking for food by the cold weather.
Hi Neil and Andy
I too was around Sefton and Greenbank Parks this afternoon. I had the Redwings aroung Greenbank and more on the other side of Sefton Park towards Aigburth Peoples Hall. The female Mandarin still around the island on Sefton Park lake with 10 Tufted Duck and 6 Little Grebe. Had the regular pair of Parakeets on thee feeders behind the Palm House.
Cheers
Danny Foy
Hi ive seen the short-eared owl twice this week took my video camera down the second time and managed to get some footage of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yry4LZmcWcQ&context=C4f5be67ADvjVQa1PpcFMZAnOiOFXGNoj-ubacb5iqMPF_-mh3hTU=
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