Spotshanks and Greenshanks
Trolls having been exorcised, it was good to head back to Marshside after a lengthy change of routine. A Wheatear in the sandplant, vast flocks of Goldfinches and Starlings, Mipits seemingly on the move, and a Short-eared Owl way off over Crossens Outer were early highlights. A liberal sprinkling of Little Egrets, and a Goldcrest in the bushes by Sandgrounders, then down to Nel’s where five Spotted Redshanks were close in, and later on four Greenshank dropped in.
Bittern at Crossens Outer
It was a foggy day today when I finally had chance to catch up with the Bittern on Crossens Outer. A couple of Short-Eared Owls were around too, and several times I had the Bittern, the shorties and Little Egrets all in the same view in ‘scope and bins. A great day following a similarly fine day at Anfield yesterday. Very bad light for photography of course, but this video captures the jizz of the Bittern well: it’s showing very clearly here in North Merseyside, for such a normally secretive bird.
Moving swiftly on …
Thanks again to Phil Boardman for these images: he snapped this bird at Marshside today. It fits the description of one seen at Martin Mere earlier in the week too.
And if that’s not enough to make you want to check out Phil’s flickr stream, how about these stunners:
26th April: Sedge Warbler at Marshside, Gropper & Grey Seal on the Wirral
I spent most of the day counting gulls and ducks for the Wetland Bird Survey; I fired off this quick shot of a Sedgie just as I was heading home. The original was not quite in focus, very flat, washed out, and lacking contrast. I seldom do any processing other than cropping and perhaps a tiny tweak of exposure, but I cranked up the curve in this using some very rudimentary software and got this effect. Let’s call it art. Or crap!
Meanwhile, Jason went to the Wirral and did some proper digiscoping, starting with this Grasshopper Warbler at Leasowe …
… and then this Grey Seal at Hilbre
Archived shot: 5th July 2006, Spotted Redshank
I’ve not managed to get to Nel’s Hide during its opening hours this week to snap the near-summer plumage Spotted Redshank currently there. The last time (and indeed the first time) I saw one in summer plumage at that hide was also one of my first ever “successful” attempts at digiscoping, on the evening of the France v Portugal match in the 2006 World Cup, if I recall. This was taken with a Coolpix 995; the bird was on the nearest mudbank to Nel’s along with a juvenile Little Ringed Plover. I got back home in time for kick off.
April 22nd, Kestrel at Marshside
Another very fleeting visit with Django, the dog, tonight. Little to photograph except the resident Kestrel once again, who poses for me very readily. I think he has one eye on Django as a likely snack. The midges had similar thoughts about me.
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21st April, Marshside: Whinchat
My mooching around the house all day, being off work sick, was clearly too much for the family, who persuaded me that a bit of fresh air would do me good, and dumped me and the dog at the end of Marshside Road some time after 6pm. Rumours of a Great White Egret having flown over at 5pm were quickly scotched by a phone call, which also advised that the Spotted Redshank was still viewable from Nel’s at the time it was locked up, and sure enough it was ‘scopable even from Junction Pool but a photo was out of the question. So the highlight of this short visit was this Whinchat. Having seen, but failed to get a decent image of, the bird in the sandplant on Saturday, this one was at least eventually sufficiently obliging for me to get these record shots. A probable Tree Pipit flew over the sandplant, which had plenty of Wheatear around.
Marshside, April 18th
Little Grebe by Jason
Wheatear by Jason
Wheatear by Jason
Avocets by Jason
Black-tailed Godwit by Simon
Lapwing by Simon
Kestrel at Marshside
Easter Monday, from the bench at the Marshside Rd junction.
Welcome …
This blog originally had a grand purpose for birding around Marshside and beyond. The map and info Pages section is still useful for that, but for rolling news of sightings and general discussion that purpose has perhaps been overtaken by the ease of use of other web developments, and I’d particularly recommend taking a look at the Ribble Estuary Nature Facebook Group.
These pages are now a repository for me to share photos and videos of my birding in and around Merseyside and occasionally further afield, and to provide me with an outlet for the occasional rant. You’ll find digiscoped photos and videos with a bit of reportage as the main posts; some useful birding info and resources are in the static Pages section.
Short form url: http://ow.ly/3b5PK
For other, more regular, blogs I recommend that everyone keeps a daily eye on John Dempsey’s Birdblog – probably the best online birding journal in the world (Theakston’s Best please, John …) as well as other local blogs of which there are links below. Of these, Colin Bushell’s Ribble to Amazon is currently the most regularly and enthusiatically updated and carries most useful information.
Comments & Sightings
jstannage on Discussion Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Moore and Pennington Flas… Roger John LITTLE on Moore and Pennington Flas… phil boardman on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings
Blogroll
- Another Place ~ Pete Kinsella
- Bill Aspin ~ Brockholes
- Brockholes Sightings Facebook
- Colin Bushell’s Blog
- Dave Bickerton’s Blog
- Dee Estuary Sightings
- Hilbre Island Blog
- Manchester Sightings
- Martin Mere Sightings
- Menzie Birding
- Mike Watson ~ E. Lancs
- Moore N.R. Sightings
- North Wales Sightings
- Paul Shenton ~ Flintshire
- South Liverpool Birder
- St Helens Sightings
- Steve Tomlinson
- Tony Conway ~ Seaforth
- Wirral Birder
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