Wirral Bird Club - Club News

Forthcoming Coach Trips

North Wales Coast-Sunday 27th February 2011
Lake Vyrnwy - Saturday 7th May 2011

Ring 0151 632 4451 to reserve your seat

Next Indoor Meeting - Thursday 27th January 2011
"Kamchatka & The Ring of Fire" Val McFarland

Next Field Meeting -
Saturday 29th January 2011
Moore Nature Reserve, near Warrington
Lakes, woodland, meadows and wetland
Meet Lapwing Lane, Moore, 10 am

The BTO are very keen to make a push for new counters to help out with WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) on the Mersey Estuary. The current team, coordinated by Graham Thomason, is planning on retiring next year - after which, his replacement Steve Birch will need to have several new counters to help out at what is one of UK's most important estuaries.

It is really important that some new counters are attracted to carry on the sterling work that has been carried out by the dedicated WeBS volunteers up to now. If you can help please make contact. More information about WeBS can be found at www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/webs

Field Meeting Reports

West Kirby and Red Rocks - 12th December 2010
A crisp frosty morning attracted a number of members to West Kirby and our numbers were swelled by an explosion of Santas - men, women and children, who were taking part in a charity Santa Dash.

An immediate scan of the Marine Lake revealed male and female goldeneye and delightful red breasted mergansers with their punk like crest standing up after their frequent dives in the water for food. The lake was very calm, too calm for the single dinghy that was waiting to launch, but this allowed for the black headed, herring and great black back gulls to slowly bob about on the water. A couple of redshank also sat on the lakeside to add to the number of species but there were no grebe that have been observed here in the past.

The view from the lake perimeter walkway across the mud/sand flats was very photogenic as low mist hung over the distant water channel. Two stationary heron were observed as well as curlew, dunlin and knot with the occasional black tailed godwit. On the far water's edge were a large group of oystercatcher that took flight as a couple ventured far out and disturbed them. A solitary shelduck made its weary way across the mud to add some colour to the feeding birds and a golden plover was sighted by a couple in the group.

Emerging from the Santas, about to dash, the group walked along the boardwalk to Red Rocks. We were delighted to be accompanied by a solitary meadow pipit and a male stonechat that sat on the fence dividing the reserve from the golf course, and these were joined by a noisy wren. This is bird watching at its easiest and a couple of local birdwatchers that we chatted to later said that there were 4-5 stonechats in the area and that they nested there.

Towards the end of the boardwalk there was a shout from one of the group as a jack snipe flew low over the golf course grassed dunes and disappeared from view. The sighting was confirmed by another regular local birder who we chatted with at Red Rocks. The jack snipe is distinguishable from the snipe by its shorter beak and its habit of fast darts from cover to cover. This sighting, together with the stonechat, was a highlight of the day.

Other than an excellent view of Hilbre, there was little more to see at Red Rocks but we watched as a couple of dunlin and redshank flew over our heads and we headed back to our cars. After the group had gone their several ways, a few of the group observed a group of 12 turnstone, standing close in on a promontory in the Marine Lake. They soon moved as an inquisitive couple of walkers edged closer to them for a better view.

It was a lovely day out with the added attraction of seeing Santa and his sleigh. A Happy Christmas and a good bird watching New Year to all our readers.