Sunday 29 April 2012

Berwyn Mountains



I took a walk in the wild and very wet Berwyn Mountains during the week; you could have been forgiven for thinking it was January rather than heading towards May, what with heavy rain turning into hail then snow and a whiteout on the tops..... a bit testing it has to be said! Apart from the inclement weather conditions we had a great walk on hard open ground at times and the sun did appear on a number of occasions which in turn helped me find a good few decent sightings.

male Hen Harrier - Berwyn Mountains
Raptors were an obvious feature with a male Hen Harrier being the highlight; but 3 Red Kites, 2 Peregrines, 2 Common Buzzards were spotted too. I found a number of passerine migrants during the walk including a singing male Redstart, 2 Wheatears, 5 Rock Pipits, Tree Pipit, 5 Swallows, 7 Willow Warblers, 11 Chiff Chaffs, and the best of all a Ring Ouzel which flew past me during a hail/snow storm up on the tops.
Red Kite - Berwyn Mountains
Peregrine - Berwyn Mountains
The mountains and moors were alive with the sounds of the spring; with Curlews singing and displaying, calling Redshanks, Meadow Pipits with their parachuting song flights, a calling pair of Red Grouse, and Skylarks doing what they do best. Other highlights included a Dipper and at least 300 Palmate Newts in flooded hollows (by far the largest numbers of this species I have ever seen), and uncountable numbers of Toad tadpoles (in the 1000s)! With amphibian numbers like this it would be expected to find Grass Snakes and more likely Adders (due to the habitat) but alas no joy; probably because of the lashing rain!

female Palmate Newt - Berwyn Mountains
A number of interesting archaeological sites could be found on the walk including neolithic stone circles and burial mounds.




Sunday 22 April 2012

Odds and Sods

Thursday 12th
  • Tawny Owl in the Holly trees outside the Greenbank Sports Academy.
  • Chiff Chaff - Greenbank Park

Friday 13th - Speke Hall and Stocktons Wood 
  • Garden Warbler, 5 Willow Warbler, 20+ Chiff Chaff, 11 Blackcaps, 3 Nuthatch, 3 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, 3 Grey Herons, 7 Oystercatchers, 3 Curlews, Brimstone, 3 Peacoks, and Small Tortershell Butterflies, Cowslips, Snakes-Head Fritilary, flowering Ramsons, flowering Garlic Mustard, and the Bluebells in the woodland putting on a stunning display.

Saturday 14th 
  • Willow Warbler - Greenbank Drive Woodland

Monday 16th
  • Willow Warbler, Grey Wagtail, and nesting Mute Swans - Greenbank Park

Thursday 19th 
  • Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1st of the Spring) in the canopy calling in the wooded     gardens behind the wooded section of Greenbank Park, 2 Pied Wagtails, 2 Willow Warblers, Chiff Chaff, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and the Mute Swans nest is in a bad way due to the nesting platform sarting to sink!  
  • Brimstone and a Chiff Chaff - off Wellington Road
  • 2 Swallows - Penny Lane

Friday 20th 
  • Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Blackcap, and the clump of Honey Garlic - Greenbank Park
  • Peregrine perched on Ullet Road flats.
  • Raven (flew North), 2 Swallows, Nuthatch, Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Great Sotted Woodpecker - Sefton Park and Greenbank Drive Woods
  • 2 Chiff Chaff and a Nuthatch - Princes Park
  • Willow Warbler - University of Liverpool

Saturday 21st 
  • 2 Raven - over the Pier Head/James Street area.

Monday 2 April 2012

Sefton Park and Greenbank Park

In Sefton Park today the pair of Mute Swans were sitting on the nest on the island, with only two of the Little Grebes viewable but I couldnt see any nest as yet. Two Chiff Chaffs and a Blackcap in the park where the only incoming migrants and a Redwing an obvious outgoing migrant, two Nuthatches, two Pied Wagtails, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Grey Heron perched in the dead Birch on the Island. Along Greenbank Lane a Ring Necked Parakeet was in Plane trees opposite Greenbank College, this is the area where I suspected them of breeding last year. In Greenbank Park the Mute Swan nest was minus yesterdays eggs and they could be seen mating; cant explain that one. Bluebells are emerging everywhere heralding spring, and Sefton Parks Daffodil displays are at their best.
A Peregrine was perched on the top of Garston gas works today at 3:00pm, and eight Farm Geese and a Grey Heron on the University playing fields on Mather Avenue.

Sunday 1 April 2012

Odds and Sods


Sunday 25th March
  • 2 Foxes - Greenbank Park

Monday 26th March 
  • Chiff Chaff and Song Thrush and Wavertree Mystery Park
  • 20+ Pipistrelle Bats  - Greenbank Lane
Tuesday 27th March
  • Chiff Chaff, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 drumming), Buzzard, Small White

Wednesday 28th March
  • Ring Necked Parakeet, Honey Garlic (the clump from last year has re-emerged)
Friday 30th March
  • Chiff Chaff, Redwing, Ring Necked Parakeet, 3 Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail - Sefton Park (the dell area)
  • Chiff Chaff - Garston (near to the Office World)
  • Chiff Chaff - Wavertree Mystery Park
Sunday 1st April
  •  Chiff Chaff, Sparrowhawk, Colts Foot, plus many common Tit species nesting and nest building - Sudley House
  • Chiff Chaff - Cressington  Park          
  • Chiff Chaff, and Mute Swans have laid 2 eggs - Greenbank Park