Thurstston Common

I visited Royden Park and Thurstson Common with the family on Saturday, we had a great old time and Dylan Really enjoyed it; lets face it what four year old wouldn't like climbing Thorrs Stone (as well as the occasional tree). Not a great deal about yet a cracking Hobby bombing along over the heathland was a great surprise and the star of the day! Possibly a close second was 9 Barnacle Geese heading west; whether or not they where genuinely wild is another thing altogether, yet another flock (15 I think) flew over Hilbre at the weekend; pointing towards a small passage of birds............maybe. Other highlights included a Crossbill, Buzzard, Redpolls, Green Woodpecker, Chiff Chaff, and Wild Asparagus.

More locally the Ring Necked Parakeets where on the Rathbone estate off Greenbank Road on Monday. On Tuesday three where in Greenbank Park together with 3 Tufted Duck, Nuthatch, Meadow Pipits and Linnets over, Swallows and House Martins, Grey Heron and 3 Foxes and Pipistrelles still around during the evening. Family party of Nuthatches on the railway at Penny Lane on Wednesday and 2 Foxes, Pipistrelles and another Bat SP in Sefton Park (possibly Daubentons) during the evening, and this Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar in my mums garden in Wavertree (see top of page)

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

Last rays of Summer

Autumn is rapidly creeping in especialy with the weather so far this week, yet on Sunday morning it felt like a Spring day with both Willow Warbler and Blackcap in full song on Greenbank Lane along with a juv Redstart (good local record), together with a soaring Buzzard and Swallows and House Martins, Large Whites, Red Admirals, and Commas it made those early nights seem a million miles away.

The pair of Ring Necked Parakeets whwere still in residence in Greenbank Park on sunday and monday, and continuing the line of escapees a Harris Hawk and 3 Terrapins where also in the park together with a female Tufted Duck.

Quite a late record was a Purple Hairstreak at the junction of Greenbank Road and Stalbridge Avenue last thursday and my first for the Greenbank area.

With a more Autumnal feel Fly Argaric toadstools are appearing under the birch trees in the halls of residence at the top of Greenbank Lane yeasterday.