March 23, 2024

Whitegate Way

February 27, 2024

Thurstaston

Our local February field meeting will be based around the Visitor Centre at Thurstaston Country Park.

We will wander along footpaths with hedgerows and fields beside us, as well as scanning the shore, salt marsh and river.

Meet at Thurstaston C.P. car park for 10am departure.

Station Road, Thurstaston, CH61 0HN.

Car Park Fees:-

Up to 1 hour = £1

Up to 2 hours = £2

Up to 3 hours = £3

Up to 4 hours = £4

Greater then 4 hours = £5

N.B. They only accept credit cards, phone payments or payment through the JustPark app.

(Choose how long you wish to stay – but I’ll be putting £5 into the WBC coffers!).

Generally good paths, although as you may be aware the Wirral Way can get a bit muddy after heavy rain.  We will hopefully walk along a section of the beach.

Toilets are available at the Visitors Centre.  If you don’t bring your own lunch, you can buy refreshments from Flissys cafe and the new Whistle Stop Cafe at the Centre.

There is no need to book for this meeting.

Any questions, please call/text Hugh on 07527 828 571.

Hugh

February 22, 2024

Bittern Diaries – Mike Roberts

Mike says:-

“The talk covers my experiences of trying to see and photograph the highly secretive bittern.  It looks at behaviour and conservation looking at wintering sites such as Moore Nature Reserve and breeding locations such as the Somerset Levels as well as other unusual sightings.”

This illustrated presentation will take place at St Bridget’s Church Centre, Church Road, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 7HL.

The attached Bittern photograph was provided by Mike.

January 27, 2024

Wigan Flashes

Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve covers 260 hectares with waterfowl & bird screens.  It features a mosaic of wetland habitats proving the perfect place for open water, reedbeds, wildflower meadows and woodland trails.  The Leeds-Liverpool Canal (Leigh Branch) runs through the site. The ‘flashes’ themselves are lakes formed as a result of mining subsidence.

Directions:

Meet at 10a.m. at the Wigan Flashes car park just off Poolstock Lane, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan WN3 5DX

If coming via the M53/M56/M6, leave the M6 going North at J25, towards Bryn Interchange.  At the interchange, take the first exit at the roundabout onto the A49/Warrington Road (Straight on at first traffic lights and past McDonalds on left).

After c.0.6 mile, at the second set of lights, get in right hand lane and turn right onto Poolstock Lane (B5238). Continue for c. 0.8 mile.  You will see a grass area on your right.  At the end of this area, immediately look for the small, white Car Park sign on the right (Opposite 77 Poolstock Lane).  Turn right into the cobbled lane and continue a short distance into the car park.

If coming via Liverpool, there are several routes you can take.  You may approach the car park from the opposite way.  Hopefully the postcode will get you close.

NOTE: There are ongoing roadworks on the M6 around this stretch by Junction 25. The exit is open as I write these instructions, but in the event of the junction being closed on the day, you will have to follow the detour and hopefully re-find the route.

Sorry, there are no facilities on site.

The plan is to take our lunches with us, but this is dependent on the weather on the day.

Please text Hugh on 07527 828 571 if you intend to come along so he can alert you in the event of any changes to the plans.

You can also contact me if you have any questions beforehand or on the day.

Hugh

January 25, 2024

Siberian Summer – Steve Woolfall

Steve says:-

“Discover the rich variety of birds and wildlife from Moscow woodlands, across the Russian Steppes, via the Himalayas to the magical Lake Baikal”.

This illustrated presentation will take place at St Bridget’s Church Centre, Church Road, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 7HL.

The attached photograph, of a Siberian Blue Robin, was taken by Steve.

January 10, 2024

Hugh’s News – 10 January 2024

A slightly belated Happy New Year to Members and best wishes and happy birding to you all for 2024.

We didn’t see any owls on our trip to Lunt Meadows sadly.  But Ellie saw a ghostly Barn Owl there on a previous visit – lucky her!

James has sent in a video taken by a colleague of his, Lauren Hadfield.  She found a Short-eared Owl hunting over moorland in the North Pennines, and this shot the video.  What a lovely, evocative film.  (We can’t upload videos to the website, so it is attached to the notification email).

Finally, I came across a piece of wicker artwork of a Short-eared Owl at Parkgate Old Baths carpark.  It commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Wirral Way.  Work has finished here on a new seated viewing area with disabled access.

Not blowing my own trumpet (well, not too much!), but I mentioned the Waxwing invasion this winter, and birds have now been seen on Wirral and in Liverpool.  They were often quite mobile, but Bill caught up with a small flock in Upton, and Ellie found some in Childwall.

Finally, a reminder that the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from Friday 26th – Sunday 28th January.  I know many of you take part in the annual survey.

Thank you to Ellie and Hugh for the photos.

Hugh

December 17, 2023

Lunt Meadows

Lunt Meadows is a reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust for Lancaster, Manchester and North Merseyside. It is located adjacent to the meandering River Alt just north of Liverpool and consists of a matrix of pools and rough pasture that attract lots of winter wildfowl and waders. It overlooks extensive farmland that often holds large flocks of Pink-footed Geese. It is also a haven for both short-eared and barn owls.

Directions:

Meet at the reserve car park ready for a 10am departure.

Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve
Lunt Road

Thornton, Liverpool

Merseyside

L29 8YA

A number of paths run around the reserve. These are unsurfaced and can be rough underfoot, with a number of narrow kissing gates. There are a few bird hides/screens, but there is not a lot of shelter anywhere.

The paths can be wet after rain, so wellingtons are strongly recommended. 

There are no toilets or facilities available on site.

Please text Hugh on 07527 828 571 if you intend to come along so he can alert you in the event of any changes to the plans.

NOTE: The reserve doubles as a Flood Mitigation scheme for the R. Alt, and it is deliberately flooded periodically!

There are numerous ways to reach Lunt Meadows. The post-code and attached maps will hopefully help you find the reserve car-park.

I take the dock road out of Liverpool towards Crosby, Formby and Southport.

After passing Crosby and Thornton on the A565, you reach the roundabout where it meets the A5758.

Take first exit here still on A565 towards Formby, Southport.

After 300 yards, turn right onto Long Lane.

Continue for half mile to junction and turn right onto Lunt Road.

Track entrance down to reserve car park is on left in c. 500 yards.

Hugh

November 23, 2023

An eye for birds – Bruce Kendrick

This is a ‘rites of passage’ story of one lad’s journey through those early formative teenage years when birdwatching sits easily with Merseyside in the sixties.

A passion for nature has stayed with him, throughout his life and he looks back to those times with mature perspective and sentiment that add their own colours to the story.

It’s a celebration of nature and its power to humble and heal.  It’s also an inspiring call to arms for anyone who values the world outside their door.

This illustrated presentation will take place at St Bridget’s Church Centre, Church Road, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 7HL.

November 18, 2023

The Spinnies (+ Llanfairfechan & Conway RSPB)

The Spinnies, also known as Aberogwen, is a North Wales Wildlife Trust reserve near Bangor.

This lovely, compact reserve is next to the estuary of the River Ogwen and the tidal mudflats known as Traeth Lafan, and the constant ebb and flow of the tides attract lot of species.  As well as the estuary, there is a series of lagoons plus surrounding farmland and woodland habitat providing shelter and food for wildfowl, waders and smaller birds.  For much of the year, the brightly coloured kingfisher is a familiar and well-loved sight as it perches around the reserve and dives into the water in search of prey.  Never guaranteed though!  2 bird hides and feeders provide fantastic opportunities to enjoy the wildlife close at hand.

Meet for 10am start at the reserve’s beach car park. LL57 3YH

Directions

From Queensferry, take A55 towards N. Wales, Bangor, Holyhead etc.

Keep on A55 through Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan.

Continue on the A55 at the Llanfairfechan roundabout.

After approximately 4.6 miles from the roundabout (ignoring the Abergwyngregyn turn-off), take the exit left towards Tal-y-bont.

In c.150 yards, turn right at the T-junction; then right again in c.300 yards at the next T-junction.

Pass over the A55 to another T-junction and turn right again.  Follow the road in the direction of Bangor, then after 0.6 mile turn right onto a minor road. (There is a small, brown sign on the left to the nature reserve on the right, but it’s not obvious!).

Follow narrow road for 0.8 mile to the car park at the end by the beach.  CARE – farm vehicles use this road.

All paths are well surfaced and level.

There are no toilets here, but we can move on after lunch to either Llanfairfechan or RSPB Conwy, where there are facilities.  Bring your RSPB Membership card.

This should be a full and productive day in North Wales.

Please text Hugh on 07527 828 571 if you intend to come along so he can alert you in the event of any changes to the plans.

November 10, 2023

Hugh’s News – 10 November 2023

Waxwings have been arriving in the UK in big numbers, in Scotland especially, as well as along the East coast of England. Bill saw this bird on a recent trip to Bempton Cliffs.  With luck, a few of these gems could find their way over to our side of the country.  It has been several years since a large Waxwing irruption occurred, so one is long overdue.

Reports suggest that this could also be a good year for Short-eared Owls. Look out if you are walking anywhere with views over the Dee Marshes, as this species can be seen hunting during the day.  Marsh and Hen Harriers are both present along with Merlin and a single Bittern.

West Kirby Marine Lake often holds Red-breasted Mergansers and Goosanders during winter months, but Bill found a rarer Great Northern Diver there last week.

Ellie had a fantastic encounter at a Red Kite feeding site in LLanddeusant in Wales. The Kites swoop in and take the food without landing, so you must be quick to snap them!  As well as the Kites, Buzzards also came in for the scraps.

Members at our last meeting for Keith Offord’s excellent talk will recall he mentioned the long-distance migration of Bar-tailed Godwits.  The North American sub-species regularly migrate from Alaska to overwinter in New Zealand.  But in 2022, a Godwit smashed the record by flying non-stop from Alaska to southern Australia over 11 days, after taking a wrong turn on its journey to New Zealand!  Amazing navigation and stamina.

Thank you to Bill, Ellie and Hugh for the photos.

Hugh