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



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

The Big Freeze

I had a stroll around Greenbank and Sefton Parks today, the local waterfowl could be found very easily due to most of the open water being frozen over; in Sefton Park the female Mandarin is still in residence around the island, together with six Little Grebes (with the breeding plumaged males singing - or should that be trilling), ten Tufted Ducks, and 12 Mute Swans. Large numbers of Gulls could be seen circling the lake but rarely settling, one of these was an adult argentatus Herring Gull (or Scandinavian Herring Gull - not that unusual, but a nice bird). Plenty of Redwings around mostly in small numbers but over twenty towards Aigburth Peoples Hall and a calling Nuthatch in that area too. The regular pair of Parakeets were behind the Palm House and a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker too.

Three Tufted Ducks, Redwings, Nuthatch at Greenbank Park. With Ring Necked Parakeets calling on the university Rathbone Estate.