archived field meetings 2006

Wirral Bird Club - Archived Field Meetings 2006

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Willaston & Burton Woods - Sunday 17th December 2006

The sun was shining and there was plenty of bird activity as we strolled along the Wirral Way from Hadlow Road. Great tit, blue tit, coal tit, chaffinch, redwing, starling, etc etc., we were doing so well. Then Muriel put on her sunglasses and it was all change. The heavens clouded over, there was a great flurry as we reached for waterproofs, and down came lashings of rain. We're a hardy lot though, undeterred we trudged on until the weather settled, and back came the birds!

After lunch we changed venue, and a walk through Burton Woods revealed interesting fungi but not many birds - nice view of a kestrel and a couple of very colourful pheasants away in the fields - so the decision was made to head for Denhall.

There were lots of waders and wildfowl out on the Decca pools, flocks of lapwing, plenty of teal and wigeon. There were several little egrets, apparently there are something like 169 around the estuary, and as the light faded they flew in in little groups of 3 or 4. We'd had the best of the day but we stuck it out hoping for a view of a barn owl, short eared owl or maybe even a harrier, it was not to be but it didn't spoil our enjoyment of the last meeting of the year..

Greenfield Park and Dock - 25th November 2006

The forecast was for gale force winds, lashing rain and icy temperatures - but the weather didn't live up to expectations! It was a very still dry day, brightened by the occasional glimpses of sun.

Greenfield dock has seen better and more prosperous days but there was a good selection of birds out on the water and in the surrounding greenery. Great crested grebe, red breasted merganser, redshank, knot, oystercatcher, grey wagtail, greater spotted woodpecker and buzzard were just part of the list.

Stopping only for a 'swift' cup of coffee, the walk in Greenfield Country Park led us past the ruins of Basingwerk Abbey and meandered alongside a fast running stream which fed a number of pools.A dipper busied itself in the water, while further along tufted duck and little grebe took life at a more leisurely pace. Bullfinch, goldcrest, sparrowhawk and jay enhanced the lovely late autumn colours of the trees.

The final tally was in excess of 40 species, so we were well satisfied.

Follow this link for more information about Greenfield Park

Hawarden - 29th October 2006

Our trip to Hawarden was remarkable in many respects: the number of members who attended, the amount of fungi seen and the beautiful weather. Unfortunately the bird list was somewhat sparse!

The woodlands were very picturesque in the dappled sunlight with some wonderful old oak and beech trees, the ground was carpeted with acorns, sweet chestnuts and conkers.

We had lovely close up views of a magnificent buzzard and at the other end of the scale, a friendly dragonfly who came to land on several of us.

Permission to walk around the normally private areas of the estate was granted by Sir William Gladstone, who wished us 'a nice day'. It was more than that - it was a great day.

Blacktoft Sands RSPB Reserve - 30th September 2006

Situated on the Humber Estuary, Blacktoft Sands is England's largest tidal reedbed. It is ideally located on the east coast flyway to host a wonderful mix of birds as they move through the country at this time of year - some arriving at their winter quarters, other leaving for the warmer climes of southern Europe and the African continent.

10% of the British population of bearded tits breed here annually, and club members had superb views of a most obliging male posing in the reedbed at close quarters. Marsh harriers were showing well, numerous snipe, several water rail and hundreds of golden plover were among the total of 47 species recorded.

It was disappointing that the coach had many empty seats! Blacktoft Sands is quite a way away and it is a treat to be taken there in comfort with a professional driver at the wheel. The committee arranges several coach outings during the year, particularly to cater for those who are unable or don't wish to drive long distances. Without your support we will be unable to offer this service. Please help the Club to remain dynamic by participating in these events.

Whixall Moss NNR - 29th July 2006

Whixall Moss is a rare bog that is now being restored by English Nature after years of industrial peat extraction had almost destroyed it totally. With the rare habitat comes a range of rare and interesting plant species. Amongst these, all kinds of insects live, scooped up into the collecting net for close inspection. Various butterflies and dragonflies were much in evidence, especially in the more sheltered areas.
The birding highlight were the Hobbies that were hunting for dragonflies over the Mosses. These are small dashing falcons with slim wings, showing a Swift-like shape. We saw waders and duck such as Snipe, Curlew, Lapwing and Teal which have started to return to the wetter areas.

The day brought home to me the delicate balance between habitat and species, and the need to maintain a healthy food chain. Without these, the birds will suffer and our hobby will be much the poorer.

A special thanks is due to Dr Joan Daniels for her fascinating and knowledgeable guidance.

Click here for link to English Nature Whixall Moss information

Avocets
Exciting local news for Wirral Bird Club has been the successful breeding by a pair of Avocets. This species is the emblem of the RSPB and has recently been expanding its range in the UK into the North West. It is also a beautiful bird to look at, with its smart black and white plumage and characteristic up-curved bill that it sweeps back and forward in the water when feeding. So the fledging of three chicks near Burton brought a steady stream of visitors to the site to see the new family. The parents were very vocal and aggressive in moving on any birds that strayed a little too close to the youngsters. Hopefully, this will be just the start of a new colony, to complement the increasing Little Egret population on the Dee.

Llanymynech Rocks - 25th June 2006

This nature reserve is based on impressive 100 foot limestone cliffs that were once a limestone quarry and which tower above the village of Pant. Before scaling the cliffs however, we made a more leisurely walk along the Montgomery Canal, where we picked up some of the more common species including Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush. Finding the birds at this time of the season proved difficult, as most species have stopped their displaying and singing, and tend to be busy feeding their young in the lush leaf growth. Perseverance added Bullfinch, Treecreeper and Nuthatch. An adult fox with two cubs watched us nonchalantly from across a field, before slowly disappearing into the hedge.

After lunch we explored the Rocks themselves. The site has an interesting range of both flora and fauna. At the base of the cliffs we found 3 species of Orchid - Bee, Pyramidal and Spotted - as well as other interesting plants. Also of note was a small herd of Hebridian Sheep that were being used specially to graze a protected area to encourage re-generation of the ground. Jackdaws were breeding on ledges around the quarry. A young Green Woodpecker was a nice find. At the end of the day, a few stragglers from the Club found three young peregrines seemingly playing as they practised their arial skills in preparation for adult independence.

Coach Trip to Leighton Moss - 21st May 2006

Leighton Moss must surely be one of the brightest jewels in the RSPB crown. Even on a day of unrelenting downpour the total bird species seen on Sunday was an amazing 64, and this included marsh harrier, bearded tit and avocet.

There was a good turnout by club members, the coach was nearly full, and despite the appalling weather, a good day was had by all.