Waxwings in Wavertree

22 WAXWINGS - today at 12:45 at the bottom of Binns Road/Rathbone Road opposite the entrance to Wavertree Technology Park perched up in the back garden trees - plenty of berries in the Technology Park for them so are probably sticking around the area.

At the top of Binns Road a Peregrine was hunting pigeons over the flats and the adjacent railway cutting, later on probably the same bird was hunting pigeons around Picton Clock area.

the Mediterranean During the Big Chill

I have checked the Cotoneaster trees on Aigburth Road both today and yesterday but both times they have been Waxwing free (but they did hold 12 Redwings and a Nuthatch, and a Grey Wagtail near Sudley school), but I noticed today that the large Cotoneaster tree that overhangs Greenbank Lane from the walled gardens has been steadily stripped of berries, have I missed a flock of Waxwings? Maybe, or maybe just a flock of Redwings........I will keep my eyes peeled!

 

I walked through Sefton Park yesterday morning and found a good deal of decent sightings; I entered the park opposite Aigburth peoples hall where 30+ Redwings and a singing Nuthatch could be seen (and heard), down at the South end of the lake near the small cafe 24 Mute Swans could be seen, together with 60+ Coot, 200+ Black Headed Gulls, 5 Little Grebes. 4 Ring Necked Parakeets where showing well eating new buds on the Ash trees above the south end of the upper path that skirts the west side of the lake (near the car park), on the same path 30+ Siskin (with some brilliantly bright males) where feeding in Alder Trees (behind the Gorse clump that has been cut back on the lakeside banks). Two of the Parakeets flew along the lakeside and began to create a massive din towards the north end of the lake, they then began to be joined by Jays; they where obviously attacking something, by the time I caught up with them they had been replaced by about 50 Carrion Crows that where repeatedly mobbing a Common Buzzard in the woodland behind the cave (see previous posts), their attention was obviously doing the trick as they continued to make the raptor fly away from (try to spot it in the photo!) them until it saught refuse in nearby gardens surrounding the park! Other highlights included 17 Pink-Footed Geese south-west, 6 more Little Grebes, 15 Stock Doves, 10+ Goldcrests, 2 Coal Tits, Treecreeper, and 4 more Ring Necked Parakeets (behind the cafe).

 

In Greenbank Park I was surprised to see an adult Mediterranean Gull with the Black Headed Gull flock, the bird was present for around twenty minutes before flying off towards Wavertree Mystery Park at 11:15, a fantastic bird starting to moult into summer plumage and sporting rings on each leg, probably the bird Liverpool RSPB found on Sefton Park lake last week. Also in the park Redwings where in song in the Beech Trees that skirt the park along Greenbank Park, male and female Tufted Duck, 2 Nuthach, Treecreeper. Hopefully I will see the Med Gull again as it has obviously been around for a while.

Finally were they should be!

Thanks to the post informing me that WAXWINGS had been seen perching in trees surrounding Saint Margarets school on Aigburth Road this morning, this is where they where two years ago, presumably they will be feeding on the Cotoneaster trees opposite the school playing fields and then perching up in the trees opposite. I have been watching these trees this winter (see previous posts) as they are full of berries and an obvious magnet to any self respecting Waxwings! I haven't the chance to get down until Tuesday but if any other local birders do .... good luck!

Anger Management

 I took a wander around Sefton and Greenbank Park, well I thought it would be best as if we believe some of the weather forecasts, we are in for a bit of a baltic period! Down on the lake I found 13 Little Grebes (I think that's a record for me), Grey Heron, female Mandarin (in the first smaller lake), and 24 Mute Swans; with one male bird (I presume the resident male) puffing himself up and aggressively pursuing the other birds, in the process driving them all down towards the small cafe, pretty good going - 1 vs 23! During this chaos I was startled to hear the honking of three Whooper Swans which flew in low from the north and circled the lake a few times before flying out of sight

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A Common Buzzard spooked the local birdlife as it lazily flew from the bowling club into the wooded area behind the lakeside cave, and 15+ Siskin in the Alders behind the small cafe where more unusual; also in that area at least 50 Goldfinch, 3 Pied Wagtails, and singing Goldcrests in the lakeside Yews. Walking back through Greenbank Park I found another Grey Heron, 2 Ring Necked Parakeets where squawking away and Nuthatch and Treecreeper in song, best of all the three Whooper Swans then came flying over the lake calling and headed off towards Smithdown......I wonder if they dropped down onto Sefton Park lake for a small time, or if they headed back there. Maybe they are still there! wishful thinking!

 

On Wednesday I was in Calderstones Park, not much around - Nuthatch, plenty of singing Goldcrest, 20 Redwings, 3 Stock Doves, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 13 Tufted Duck, and a very strange small duck on the lake - obviously a leuscistic plumage variant but of what species? My guess is Teal, bill colour and body and head shape, and size all look right.....but a bit confusing to say the least!

65+ Pink Footed Geese south-east over Penny Lane last Tuesday too.

Waxwings at last!

As the previous posts show, a Waxwing flock that can be relied upon has now been found in the area, thanks to the tip off from Will on Friday. I only managed to see one of the 135 birds at Prince Alfred Road on Thursday, but on Friday morning at least 90 birds could be viewed.

The majority of the flock perch up in Sycamores and Willows next to the electricity sub-station behind the closed down carpet world on Smithdown Road and make occasional forays in smaller groups over to the berry trees in the Penny Lane shopping precinct and down onto the rosehips opposite the carpet world, and occasionally onto the old factory roof for a bit of bathing and preening. Waxwings at any time are a real treat but to have them just 'around the corner' is even better! 15 Goldfinch and a Cormorant flying north-west where also in the area.
 

 

Elsewhere, in Greenbank Park 2 singing Treecreepers, singing Nuthatch, male and female Tufted Duck, hybrid Goose, Mute Swan, 10 Redwing, Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, and flowering Daffodils could all be seen this morning.

I took advantage of the glorious weather today and had a walk along Crosby shore with the family this afternoon and was rewarded with two Divers, which looked very much like Great Northern Divers flying into the Mersey River mouth, apart from this sighting small numbers of Sanderling could be seen along with 600+ Oystercatchers and 100+ Bar-Tailed Godwits, 15 Skylarks, 14 Tufted Ducks and a female Red Breasted Merganser on the Marine Lake, and bizarrely a decapitated Auk species on the beach!

90+ WAXWINGS moving between berry trees at Penny Lane Precinct - Church Road, and the closed down carpet warehouse on Smithdown Road today between 9-10 am.

135 WAXWINGS - CHURCH ROAD/PENNY LANE PRECINCT TODAY!!!!!!!