Liverpool 'country' walk

I was going to go for a walk on the Wirral with the family yesterday but decided against it as it was blowing a gale out there.... fair weather birder! We eventually decided to take a walk around South Liverpool; from our area at Greenbank we walked through Calderstones park and followed the footpath to the East that crosses Allerton Golf Course and into Allerton Towers, then across Woolton Road into the Eric Hardy Nature Reserve, then into Clarks Gardens (including a quick pint in the pub in the park), through Springwood Crem and then followed the footpath alongside the cemetery towards Camp Hill, from Camp Hill we followed the path through the Woolton Woods and finished in Woolton Village; a great walk which I have never done in one go before, for the majority of the walk you could easily have been mistaken for thinking you were in the heart of the countryside!

As for the wildlife I managed to catch up with some half decent birds including a Red Legged Partridge, 2 Bullfinches, Goldcrests, Raven, and a Sparrowhawk at Eric Hardy Nature Reserve. Nuthatch and male Blackcap at Clarks Gardens, Buzzard at Springwood Crem, Red Campion in flower in the Golf Course, and in Calderstones Park I found what appears to be a small race Canada Goose; probably parvipes or Lesser Canada Goose; the bird was at least a third smaller than the others and with a slightly darker breast.... although not to spoil the birds credentials it did show clear signs of its primary feathers having been pinioned in the past and thus relegating it to the 'fence jumping' category, yet still an interesting find and I have no idea where it must have come from. Also in the park a strange hybrid Goose which is also new to the area, 9 Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, 20+ Coal Tits, 10+ Goldcrests, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker, and last but not least a calling Green Woodpecker in the line of Beech Trees on the Harthill side of the park adjacent to the walled gardens.

Like Gibraltar

I couldn't believe my eyes today in Greenbank Park as a Common Buzzard was circling over (not that unusual) but within ten minutes it had been joined by at least 14 other birds which mostly appeared from high to the north. Most birds arrived in no more than threes, and all spiraled high over the park for another ten minutes until they gained height and drifted south; apart from three birds which headed north-west. This display duly attracted the attention of a pair of Peregrines which harassed them something rotten! I am certain that this was migrating behaviour rather than local(ish) birds, and was more reminiscent of the Gibraltar straights than urban Liverpool.

Apart from this great sighting three Ring Necked Parakeets where in their usual place in Greenbank Park at 8;30 AM, Grey Heron, male Tufted Duck, 100+ House Martins, Swift (maybe my last for the year?), Hybrid Goose, Farm Goose, Grey Wagtail, nesting Coot, and 2 Red-Eared Terrapins, Red Admiral in the park too.

Elsewhere in the local area there was a large amount of flyover passerines heading south this morning which included at least 200 Mipits, Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Grey Wagtails, and large numbers of common finches and hirrundines.

Chiff Chaff in song on Dovedale Road, 6 Red Admirals, 5 Speckled Wood, and escaped Russian Vine on Penny Lane

Goal Hanger

I was surprised yesterday to find a Common Buzzard on the football pitches next to Jericho Lane, Otterspool. The bird first flew down from the woods and landed on the pitches (in the process scattering all of the gulls) and then flew closer to Jericho Lane, landing on a goal, where it perched up for at least 20 minutes, they really are getting closer and closer to the city centre now.

There was nothing much on the shore as it was high tide, yet a flock of around 75 Redwings on the football pitches and Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch in the woods.

On Sefton Park lake the 4 Little Grebes are still present, along with 4 Tufted Ducks, the GreylagxCanada Goose, and 17 Mute Swans including the 2 imm birds from Greenbank and 2 adult birds already paired up around the island (I wonder if one of these is the male who's mate was killed by a dog last summer). Nuthach, Redwings and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the park too.

Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Heron, 2 ad Mute Swans and the usual Farm Goose in Greenbank Park

Birds, Butterflies, and Cricket

I went to the Lancashire vs Hampshire county game yesterday at Liverpool Cricket Ground on Aigburth Road, and I found Purple Hairstreaks still in flight there, with at least three of them in the vicinity of an Oak tree at North-West end of the ground, also plenty of Holly Blues and Whites. A couple of Common Buzzards circled over and drifted off towards the estuary; from the direction they came from I suspect they must have been migrants. The best of all was a Clouded Yellow which drifted across the pitch during play! Oh and I found the time to watch a bit of cricket in between also!

Greenbank Park

Visited Greenbank Park this morning. The usual Grey Heron plus another bird, family of Mute Swans, Nuthatch feeding young, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaws, and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls have been regular lately.

Also a Buzzard circling over Penny Lane; they are everywhere now.