Up North

Mediterranean Gull - Fazakerley - 7th February 2012

Mediterranean Gull - Fazakerley - 7th February 2012

Visited an old friend up in Fazakerley today, and had a good search through the local area to see what it had to offer. In Bluebell Woods 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Kestrel, and a Goldcrest could be seen, but alas no Red Squirrels; these have now well gone......and replaced by Greys. Over on Lower Lane playing fields this adult moulting Mediterranean Gull could be seen in the presence of larger numbers of Black-Headed and Common Gulls. This site has always been a good bet for this species, and if looking for them early morning is preferable. We then ventured in to Fazakerley Sewage Works (private reserve - Key holders), here we found 3 Common Snipe, 6 Teal, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Woodcock, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Water Rails, 1 Bullfinch, 6 Reed Bunting, 20+ Pied Wagtails, and a Skylark....... also Roe Deer have been regularly seen here. A great mornings birding in the city if you ask me!

Mediterranean Gull - Fazakerley - 7th February 2012

Odds and Sods

There has been a great deal of foxes in the local area recently including this bedraggled young individual in Greenbank on Saturday, this sighting was even better as my boy Dylan managed to watch it for a few minutes through his binoculars......great stuff (nerd in the making)!

Not a great deal around of late, but usual late autumn migrants have been seen recently including 6 sightings of Woodcock (3 Greenbank, 1 Calderstones Park, 1 Sefton Park, 1 Uni of Liverpool) all of these have been birds in flight at dusk. Ring Necked Parakeets are an obvious species in the local area with up to 7 birds frequenting the Greenbank area, and single sightings in Sefton Park, and Calderstones Park (Saturday); recently on warm autumn days the Greenbank birds have been seen pairing up..........I know they are hardy but surely this is a bit premature!

The pair of Mute Swans have now left Greenbank Park for a winter in Sefton Park (as well as 21 others), Tawny Owl calling on Greenbank Drive recently was a good sighting as these birds which were common in the area at one time have become very scarce; probably due to the over cautious guidelines of the council arboriculture department..............how much would it cost them to fit an owl box each time they remove dangerous rotten limbs?.........voluntary nest box building days could even be run through the ranger service or RSPB for example.

Plenty of autumn passerines are moving through; Redwings are evident in the parks and at night calling overhead, smaller numbers of Fieldfares have been passing through but not lingering, Finches, Grey Wagtails, Pied Wagtails, Long Tailed Tits, and Goldcrests have all been present in decent numbers, with Meadow Pipits still migrating overhead.

Ivy Broomrape flower stalks could be seen near to the cafe at Calderstones on Saturday, coupled with flowering Red Dead Nettle, Coal Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Tufted Ducks, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, and the aforementioned Woodcock.