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| Mediterranean Gull - Fazakerley - 7th February 2012 |
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| 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!
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| Mediterranean Gull - Fazakerley - 7th February 2012 |
18 comments:
I had a brief stroll through Sefton Park at lunchtime today. Saw two Ring Necked Parakeets behind the Palm House. There were about six Little Grebes close to the lake's island. There were three male Tufted Duck and about ten females/juveniles.I also saw two male and one female Pochard in close proximity.First time I've seen this species in Sefton Park.
I went to Calderstones Park this morning. Lots of tit and finch flocks in search of food. Good to see plenty of Long-Tailed Tits amongst them. Plenty of Nuthatches too and one drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.One pair of Tufted Duck on the lake.A couple of Redwing around the park too.I also heard at least three Song Thrushes in full song. I usually see Goldcrests in the park during the winter but none today.
Adult Tiercel peregrine been very active of sydenham house flats,looks like he's setting up a territory,no sign of a falcon though, fingers crossed.
Tony.
Very interesting about the peregrine, i'll have a look tomorrow. Has it been hunting over the park? Had a good couple of hours in greenbank and sefton this afternoon, loads of tits and chaffinch around, males showing some lovely colour now. plenty of nuthatch around plus treecreeper, wrens (don't seem to see many round here) and finally saw a female sparrowhawk high above greenbank, not hunting though. a lot of redwing around in both parks, little grebe numbers are up to 8 in sefton and parakeets showed up along with a woodpecker behind the palm house. really lovely afternoon except for seeing a group of kids throwing sticks and harrassing a swan sat on the field next to greenbank, it had the sense to clear off quickly before they injured it though.
Everything seems to be very active now as the breeding season gets under way, sefton park this morning showed several goldcrest, various tit species checking out the nestboxes, nuthatches and woodpecker in the big oaks and beeches near lark lane. Got some excellent and very close views of nuthatches in courtship display, lovely to watch. Then wandered down to the river stopping for a while to watch a pair of courting g.s woodpecker in the woods next to St Michaels station, lots of drumming and following each other from tree to tree, also some head bobbing and other display. Wandered round the perimeter of the garden festival site (apparently due to open on the 16th march according to the security guard), lsrge mixed group of probably 30+goldfinch and long tailed tit making a real noise and then a curlew doing very well for itself on the mudbank next to the brittania pub, really great close viewing. Stopped off at the woodpeckers again on the way home, this seems to be their territory and there are plenty of holes so hopefully they'll nest in the area.
Went for a quick look around Sefton Park without my bino's this evening, but saw 4 or 5 Little Grebes (hard to count them with them constantly diving underwater) Canada Geese, Swans, pair of Redwings, Coal Tits and the usual like Coots, Morhens, Mallards etc.
I was hoping to see a Nuthatch of G.S Woodpecker, but unfortunately didn't see any. I will take my bino's next time!
Saw a Jay in Princes Park today which was a nice surprise, and finally saw a Nuthatch in Sefton Park!
Hi Danny, Short Eared Owls still hunting at the speke/garston reserve yesterday the 14th. Do you think they are British birds ? I know there was a big influx of continental birds this winter.I would be interested in your thoughts on there origin.I also notice a lack of Lapwings this year at this site, they bred on the rough ground over the road from the reserve last year.Cheers Mark
out and about in sefton and greenbank today, loads of small species around, found nuthatch setting up nest in one of the boxes (and building up mud around the entrance hole) most of the other boxes i watched were occupied by tits. can't see the little grebes nests but i assume that's why they're still there so i imagine they're around but don't really know what i'm looking for. most unusual nest seen is a moorhen about 10 foot off the ground by the rathbone statue at the island end of the lake, in the trees to the left of the statue, don't think i've seen nesting one up a tree before. a parakeet and GS woodpecker on the feeders along with usual tit species and nuthatches, jackdaws setting up nests in a large hollow branch up an old oak on the lark lane side of sefton and a pair of fat carp in the 'new' bit of water out towards the blocks of flats side of the park. saw a peregrine over aigburth cricket club yesterday and on the mud at otterspool were a pair of shellduck, a couple of curlew and oystercatcher and a group of smaller birds what i couldn't quite make out down at the shoreline.
Hi Mark, I would asume that if they are still present in mid March that they are of British origin. Probably Northern England/Scotland. I have seen them at the end of March, on the Wirral marshes in previous years. Have you seen them again more recently? It would be nice to see them in warmer wheather!
Hi Niel, I will definitely look out for the Moorhens nest.....sounds a bit bizare! Good to see Peregrines are still being seen localy, and I was surprised to hear of the Carp in those pools.....I suspect anglers have been moving them around.
Hi Danny, i think you're right, can't think of how else those fish would be in there. checked on the moorhen nest this morning, it's still there but was unoccupied. However, i did see quite a few GS woodpecker including a pair following each other about and another being mobbed by a pair of angry nuthatch, must have strayed too close to their nest, not seen this before and the nuthatches won! amongst the usual bits and bobs i caught brief sight of my first chiffchaff in sefton park or at least i assume it was one and not anthter type of warbler. quite a uniform light grey.
Hi Danny, the Short Eared owls were hunting yesterday afternoon. Their plumage in the sunlight was stunning they were not even bothered that it was busy with walkers and riders on motorbikes.Six Buzzards were high over Allerton Towers,Pipistrelle bats also at this site early evening !I haven't seen any Swallows yet but Im expecting to see some at the Speke/Garston reserve along with Wheatears very soon. Cheers Mark
went for a spot of 'urban birding' on friday on my bike, started off well with a peregrine high and fast above sefton park heading towards the river. first stop was the anglican cathedral as i've heard that raven nest there, no sign of them but in the valley at the back of the site there were lots of goldfinch, tits, robin, a chiffchaff and a comma buttefly was a surprise. loads of flowering primrose and wild garlic at the parliament st end made this a really lovely stop. there are lots of birds in there and also a lot of bird boxes in the trees but most look old and the local squirrels look like they've had a go at them which is a shame. from there on past the uni to see if i could see and peregrine, which i didn't although a heron flew low over the union building, and on to wavertree. in the botanic gardens there were plenty of long tailed tit, wrens, jay, calling chiffchaff, and stacks of wood pigeon nests. after that it was down to the Mistry but only mistle thrush and quite a big flock of starlings out on the fields there, nothing of note in greenbank on the way home except for the swans busy with their nest building and a big terrapion basking on the surface and a quick swing past my favourite spots in sefton revealed nuthatch, tits, GS woodpecker, loads of chaffinch etc. not a bad day out. yesterday i had a lone redwing loitering in the trees at the back of my house and a pair of long tailed tit are nesting under a clump of brambles out there too. had a song thrush through today which is the first i've seen out there for a long while.
Just got back from a quick stroll through sefton park, sunday lunchtime, usual small species around but highlight was a great crested grebe around the island, lovely close up views, and the first coots have hatched already.
Hi Niel, Great news of the Great Crested Grebe, I will try and have a look for it tomorrow. The Coots have also hatched in Greenbank, lovely sight.
out in sefton park this evening i stumbled upon one of those moments involving animals which seem beyond human understanding. down a little track near the glen i noticed 5 or 6 magpies stood in a tight circle around something brown so i wandered up to have a look thinking they might be attacking a young animal, as i approached it looked like a rabbit hidden in a clump of grass but as i got close the birds scattered and revealed a very large rat sat in the clump and another big one a couple of feet away. just behind them were 4 grey squirrels in a pretty agitated state, got to within about 5 feet of them when the rats ran and the squirrels backed off a few feet but stood their ground. on a close inspection of the ground they were all so interested in i could see nothing that would make them that bold, expected to see something dead or some young rat or squirrel kittens but there was nothing. so i backed off to check out a parakeet that was calling in the trees nearby and when i came back past i could see the rats back in exactly the same spot, several magpies and a couple of squirrels in attendance in some kind of mexican stand off! very odd. any ideas?
had a few wanders around sefton park recently, lots of bird activity but thick leaf cover obviously making it hard to get clear views. recent highlights have been seeing my first blackcaps, cygnets with their parents on the island, a pair of peregrine high above the park diving and displaying, and tracking down and watching nest holes around the place. if anyone's looking for an easily observable woodpecker nest then head for the bench opposite the lake island on the lark lane side. look over your right shoulder about 60 degrees to the tree most of the way up the bank, there's a hole under a branch only about 12 feet off the floor that's occupied by a very noisy and very greedy (and easy to watch due to being well used to passers by) woodpecker family - lovely!
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