Pied Wheatear, Meols 7th November 2018

News broke yesterday evening of a first-winter male Pied Wheatear seen at Dove Point, Meols for its second day. Photographs had been taken by finder Richard Ashford which were subsequently identified. This is the first record for Cheshire & Wirral. I made my way over to Meols this morning & joined a growing throng of 20 to 30 birders shortly after dawn.

The first-winter male Pied Wheatear performed really well & was on show just about the whole time I was on site, moving about the sea wall & at times only a few feet away. Even when the locals began passing along the pavement between birders & bird, it didn't seem to be bothered & simply flitted over the sea wall & back up onto it again further along. It was difficult for me to take photos due to the blustery wind, but I'm sure others will have taken some cracking shots.

Here's one of the photos Richard took yesterday. Another photo, by Dennis Morrison.

Video by Pete Hines

Grey Catbird, Trevescan 17th October 2018

The second record for the UK of Grey Catbird was found by local birder G. Mitchell at Trevescan, Land's End, Cornwall on 15th October 2018. The only other UK record was South Stack, Anglesey from 4th to 6th October 2001. There was previously another in Ireland at Cape Clear Island on 4th November 1986.

With the Grey Catbird sticking around, I made an early start on Wednesday morning arriving on site just before 1pm. As I arrived my old birding buddy Pete Walton with wife Adrienne were leaving, having not seen the bird, because they were due to fly over to the Isles of Scilly. Since the bird is still present today, hopefully they'll get another chance on the way back home.

There were two areas to view from: the bottom corner of the field being utilised as the car park or from the footpath running around the other side of Treve House. After initially viewing from the car park field I decided to move to the other side. The small stretch of sallows a short distance beyond Treve House was the bird's most favoured spot, although it did range over a wide area between the two viewing sites. My views were quite brief, with it perched for a few seconds on one of the bramble patches, before flying along the hedge & diving into cover on the far side. About an hour and a half later it reappeared & sped towards its favoured area. With my knee & back aching from standing for so long I made my exit, arriving back home in the early hours of Thursday morning, happy to have been able to see the bird, but a little disapponted I didn't get better/longer views.

Here's a great photo by Andrew Jordan

Some of the crowd... waiting... waitng

The favoured sallows area

Video by John Chapple

Squacco Heron, Kilnsea 29th June 2018

When news of an adult Squacco Heron at Kilnsea (Spurn NNR) in Yorkshire appeared yesterday morning, I quickly decided to make the trip over there.

I arrived on site a couple of hours later than planned due to an accident on the A63 shortly after the end of the M62, which closed the the eastbound carriageway. As I approached Spurn a negative message popped up, but was swiftly followed by a positive message with the bird simply moving between two favoured areas. Fortunately for me, the new location was on the Canal Scrape which is right next to the new vistor center & only a few paces from the car park. I had a quick look through to the back of the Canal Scrape just before entering the hide & could see the bird. The Squacco Heron performed really well as it moved slowly along the far bank, pausing motionless for several seconds at a time. When a Little Egret wandered along there was a bit of an altercation with the egret chasing off the heron. This resulted in some excellent flight views as the Squacco Heron circled the scrape before setting back down. After about 20mins the heron took off & headed back to the other area it was frequenting a short distance to the north.

Squacco Heron is another species I've seen many of abroad, but failed to see in the UK previously, so very satisfying to finally catch up with one.

White-winged Black Tern, Budworth Mere (Marbury Country Park) 18th May 2018

An adult summer plumaged White-winged Black Tern was reported from Neumann's Flash this morning, but had disappeared by lunch time. However, the bird reappeared not too far away at Marbury Country Park on Budworth Mere a short while later. This is the nineteenth record for Cheshire & Wirral.

I made my way over to Marbury, arriving mid-afternoon. I met one other birder on the walk from the car park to Budworth Mere. We both made our way along the path eastwards & soon picked out the White-winged Black Tern perched on part of the fence running down into the water on the northern bank about half way along at Kid Brook Spit. The bird stayed there for a while before setting off feeding to & fro in typical marsh tern fashion, giving myself & two other observers a real thrill as the black & white plumage flashed in the sunlight. We all watched for a while as the White-winged Black Tern repeated this behaviour several times; returning to the fence for a rest before setting off again on a few circuits of the mere.

Previous records:
1971 Frodsham, adult summer, 27th May (E. J. & R. J. Abraham, D. Woodward). New Brighton, adult winter, 30th August (F. H. Linn).
1973 Weaver Bend, 23rd to 25th June (E. J. & R. J. Abraham, D. Woodward).
1974 Elton Hall Flash & Railway Flash, Sandbach, 30th June (P. F. Atherton, J. P. Guest).
1979 Frodsham, juvenile, 16th to 19th September (M. Barlow, A. Guilfoyle, S. W. Holmes).
1980 Bebington, juvenile, 17th September (M. A. & T. C. Roberts).
1981 Frodsham, juvenile, 13th to 14th August (C. Murphy, R. Harrison, M. Wotham).
1982 Hilbre, juvenile, 2nd to 3rd October (D. R. Coan, C. M. Poole, S. A. Stirrup). Frodsham, juvenile, 2nd to 8th October (C. A. Darbyshire, N. Tasker).
1986 Woolston Eyes, adult, 13th July (P. Antrobus, I. Clark).
1992 Neumann’s Flash, second-summer, 8th May (P. E. Kenyon).
1993 Inner Marsh Farm, adult, 20th to 21st July (N. Friswell, C. Wells). Neumann’s Flash, Pickmere & Budworth Mere, juvenile, 7th to 10th September (J. Gregory, P. E. Kenyon, D. M. Walters).
2000 Frodsham, 21st May (R. Cockbain).
2003 Hilbre, adult, 9th July (N. & N. Dixon); same, 13th July (G. Broad); same as, Hoylake, 13th July (J. E. Turner).
2006 Neumann’s Flash, moulting adult, 9th August (P. Antrobus).
2010 Inner Mash Farm, juvenile, 14th to 18th October (C. E. Wells).
2016 Burton Mere Wetlands, 17th June (A. M. Conlin).

An Eastern Subalpine Warbler appeared at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire on Wednesday 16th May 2018. Although a subspecies it was still worth the effort of driving over there yesterday for a new bird. I arrived on site mid-afternoon with the bird having not been seen for just about the entire time I'd taken to drive there. There were about half a dozen birders present. We all waited patiently for a couple of hours until one chap found the bird about 75yds beyond Old Fall Plantation in Old Fall Hedge. Unfortunately, no one else managed to see the bird. A short while later I saw a movement deep in the hedge about 50yds beyond the wood & managed to briefly see the small red bib, moustachial stripes & white underparts as the Eastern Subalpine Warbler looked straight at me. Although I called the others, I stayed on the bird, but had lost it before the others arrived. I think a couple of them did manage brief views a few moments later further along the hedge, but I had no further views. Two Bonxies & quite a few Gannets passed by offshore whilst we waited for the warbler to show. A male Yellowhammer on the walk back to the car was very pleasant.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Flamborough photo by Tony Dixon

Update: 7th May 2020 - IOC has split Eastern & Western Subalpine Warblers.

Ring-necked Duck, Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB 10th May 2018

Cheshire & Wirral's eighteenth record of Ring-necked Duck was found by Ivan Clarke at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB on the Bridge Pool last Thursday afternoon.

I made my way over to BMW for my second evening visit in recent weeks. Upon arrival the bird showed well in the centre of the pool. However, by the time I'd got fully set up it had drifted to the right in poorer light conditions, in pursuit of a female Tufted Duck to which it subsequently started displaying. Eventually, the drake Ring-necked Duck came back around the island into the centre of the pool again, giving pretty good views, although it was diving frequently & spending little time on the surface. Quick action payed off with my first Ring-necked Duck for Cheshire & Wirral. It had gone the next day. Highlights of a leisurely walk back along the boardwalk were, a short blast from a Cetti's Warbler in a bush right next to me the other side of the boardwalk screen & two Swifts wizzing over, my first of the year.

Previous records:
1978 Rode Pool, male, 1st to 7th May (D. Allen, M. Arrowsmith).
1980 Billinge Flashes, male, 1st to 8th June; presumed same, 27th August (J. P. Guest).
1983 Frodsham, male, 30th October to 24th December (D. Wheeldon, M. R. Whiteside).
1984 Woolston Eyes, male, 26th May to 16th September (B. Martin, R. Taylor), presumed same as 1983.
1985 Woolston Eyes, male, 25th June to 30th July (R. D. Riley), presumed same as 1984; presumed same, Frodsham, male, 22nd to at least 24th August (M. S. Garner).
1986 Woolston Eyes, male, 14th June to 9th August (G. Baker, S. Kennedy, D. Riley), presumed same as 1985.
1991 Woolston Eyes, male, 5th to 8th February (J. Walsh); same, Rostherne Mere, 9th, Chorlton, 16th to 14th March (per A. M. Broome).
1994 Woolston Eyes, adult male, 10th to 12th June (D. Riley, S. Kennedy).
1996 River Dee south of Eccleston, first-winter male, 10th November (C. Jackson).
2001 Marbury CP, male, 10th to 11th April (D. Wild, P. Brewster).
2005 Wigg Island near Runcorn, adult male, 2nd April to 21st April (F. Duff, W. S. Morton); same, Astmoor, 17th April & 1st May.
2009 Astbury Mere near Congleton, adult male, 1st November (J. Spottiswood).
2011 Woolston Eyes, adult male, 21st to 23rd April (M. Baron).
2012 Frodsham, No. 6 Tank, male, 4th to 6th June (F. Duff, W. S. Morton).
2014 Neumann’s Flash, male, 15th May (P. Antrobus).

There's been a few good local birds recently.

As previously mentioned, I'd visited BMW a couple of weeks earlier on the evening of Friday 20th April to see & hear a singing Wood Warbler located at the start of the Woodland Trail, next to the car park. I'd missed the one at Leasowe the previous Sunday, so was keen to see it. It took a while to get adequate views since the bird wasn't always singing & tended to stay in the upper storey, only venturing lower a couple of times as it moved around its circuit. The Wood Warbler stayed for a week & was last reported on Thursday 26th April.

Whilst at BMW I took the opportunity to go in search of another first for Cheshire & Wirral for me. Cetti's Warbler. I've seen many Cetti's Warblers but for some unfathomable reason never locally. They're one of my favourite birds. Incredible song & skulking behaviour, allied to subtle tones of rich brown in the plumage are some of the reasons I like them so much. I expected to hear the loud, strident song somewhere along the boardwalk on the way to IMF, but I didn't. However, half way down the path to IMF I heard the unmistakable song almost right next to me in dense scrub. It took a while, but eventually the Cetti's Warbler popped out giving brilliant views.

Cheshire & Wirral's third record of Iberian Chiffchaff was found by John Gilbody at Thustaston on Tuesday 1st May 2018.

At first it was only a probable, as these birds often are until the song is confirmed as the full monty, which it was during the next couple of days. I headed over to Thustaston on 3rd May. After finding the directions rather confusing & having wandered around Thurstaston Hill for a while, a quick phone call pointed me in the right direction. I could hear the Iberian Chiffchaff as I approached the clearing half way between the end of School Lane & Benty Farm. The bird performed constantly, singing loudly & frequently as it made its way around a circuit of the clearing. The bird is still present at time of post.

Iberian Chiffchaff at Thurstaston photo by Elliot Monteith

Iberian Chiffchaff, Thurstaston, Cheshire from Colin Davies on Vimeo.

Previous records:
2004 Dibbinsdale, male in song, 29th April to 20th May (P. Brewster, P. S. Woollen).
2017 Kelsall, male in song, 30th May to 28th June (L. Ozsanlav-Harris).

The next day, Friday 4th May 2018, a second Wood Warbler of the Spring was found at Leasowe by Allan Conlin, along the start of the Nature Trail before reaching the pond. I headed over there & after a bit of searching the Wood Warbler was relocated & gave excellent views as it foraged, although not singing whilst I was there.

Wood Warbler at Leasowe photo by Graham Connolly

BBC World Hacks - The Bird Rescuers

BBC WORLD HACKS - THE BIRD RESCUERS (96kbs-m4a/16mb/23mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 13th March 2018

One of every five bird species could be extinct within the next century. Whether it’s down to the shiny glass office blocks materialising all over cities or the trawlers sailing ever-further out to sea to feed our growing population, our birds are seriously under threat.

This episode looks at two particular successes when it comes to helping the world’s feathered friends: how Toronto has become a world leader in making cities bird-friendly; and how a group of enterprising conservationists has almost eliminated the deaths of albatrosses as a result of deep-sea fishing.

Image: Pair of albatrosses on the nest
Credit: Shutterstock