Reed Warbler at Leasowe
Digiscoped by Jason in poor light and rain last Sunday.
Spotted Flycatcher on Moss Lane
Following Dave Nickeas’ reports of a Spotted Flycatcher last week at Pitt’s House Covert I made it my target bird for the weekend, and walking along Moss Lane just after the Southport Old Links Golf Club and before reaching Three Pools Waterway (and thus still in Merseyside, for those who keep a Merseyside list) on Sunday I came across this bird in a paddock by Pool House Farm. It may be the same bird Dave had, it was only a few hundred metres away. And then the heavens opened and the skies turned dark! So, not great pics, but a fine little bird.
The Sandplant
The Southport Area Committee of Sefton Council meets on Wednesday night at the Town Hall. Agenda Item 7 is a report on the sandplant. To read more and download the report, see Discussion
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:
Dotterel on Plex Moss
Many thanks to Phil Boardman for offering this great flight shot of the Plex Moss Dotterel he took yesterday, stood next to me, Jason and Bones who were getting poor results with digiscoping! Phil has more great shots on his flickr stream including this shot of the Crosby Pallid Swift.
Pallid Swift by Phil Boardman
See the Latest Sightings page for news on the status of both these birds.
Wirral Whimbrel
Bones makes his debut on the blog with this fine shot of a pair of Whimbrel taken last weekend on Hilbre Island
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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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.
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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
The Big Websites
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Flickr Photos
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