Monday 20 February 2012

White Winging It

Mediterranean Gull, Otterspool, 18th February 2012

Mediterranean Gull, Otterspool, 18th February 2012

Ring Necked Parakeet, Sefton Park, 18th February 2012
I took a look look around Otterspool on Saturday afternoon, after arriving I quickly found three adult Mediterranean Gulls on the field opposite the pub; one of the birds, as the photograph shows, was close to summer plumage; another couple of weeks and this bird will be a real stonker.....worth looking for again. This site is definitely the best site for this species in this area, it regularly holds birds during most winters and are best looked for on the front fields or the football pitches behind the pub along Jericho Lane. It was high tide on the river so nothing to see on the shore, but Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch in the park.    

Mandarin Duck, Sefton Park, 18th February 2012
On Sefton Park lake the female Mandarin was still in residence around the island together with a record count of nine Little Grebes (with the males in full song.....if you would call it that!), the resident pair of Mute Swans are now nest building on the island; with the female appearing to be sitting on eggs......but surely it is far to early? Elsewhere on the lake a Greylag Goose was an unusual visitor to the area and still eight Mute Swans, three Pied Wagtails and a Grey Wagtail could be seen on the lake edges.



Greylag Goose, Sefton Park, 18th February 2012

Little Grebe, Sefton Park, 18th February 2012
Two Ring Necked Parakeets, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Stock Dove at the feeding station behind the Palm House. Goldcrests and Coal Tits singing in the Scots Pines near to the Palm House.

Male Sparrowhawk over Greenbank Lane and a female Mute Swan bizarrely feeding on the Gaelic Football Pitch was an odd sighting. Ring Necked Parakeets calling in Greenbank Park too.


Pied Wagtail, Sefton Park, 18th February 2012
Thanks to Niel for the comment, it seems like we were around the park at exactly the same time!  The record of the male Peregrine from Tony, around the flats is indeed very intriguing, and I will try to keep my eye on it. Yet maybe it could be a bird from the town centre or the Cathedral? Fingers crossed we might have another pair. thanks for the comment.

A Fox was in Greenbank Park yesterday evening and a Peregrine over the University of Liverpool today.

Skylarks where in full song yesterday on Crosby Dunes and 30+ Sanderling on the shore.

Mute Swan, Greenbank Gaelic Football Pitch, 18th February, 2012


4 comments:

Tony. said...

Hi,if you walk towards the heights on croxteth drive,from the caves he sits in the recess alongside what i presume is a penthouse flat? at the very top. I have seen the Tiercel peregrine sitting on the ledge 5 times since xmas,and twice eating /plucking birds, pigeons i presume and also circling the block and vocally eechupping. They like to launch attacks from high buildings and this could be what he's doing and he could also be a visitor from town?, though its nice to think a new pair could set up on our doorstep,
regards,
Tony.

Andy B said...

I popped along to Crosby beach this morning.I heard a couple of Skylarks singing close to the dunes.There are still about thirty Sanderlings on the beach.They were accompanied by around twenty Redshank,ten Oystercatchers,one Turnstone and three Bar-Tailed Godwits.I peeked through the fence of the reserve.Lots more Oystercatchers,Black-Tailed Godwits and masses of Cormorants in there.

Andy B said...

Hardly south Liverpool related but what the hell.I was in Swansea at the weekend staying with a friend. Her flat overlooks the beach. A nice spot it is too. I noticed a juvenile male Black Redstart on a wall in front of her home.It was rather greyish and only it's throat was actually black.Only my second ever sighting of the species. My first was in a cemetery in Paris about seven years ago!

Danny Foy said...

Hi Andy thanks for that. Black Restart are indeed a great species and there has been one around red rocks on and off recently. They used to breed up in the north docks and are still sighted occasionallyat seqforth a breeding pair around garston docks would be nice.