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!

Waxwings on the march

I was lucky enough to spot 17 Waxwings over the City Centre today at 12:15 whilst I was on the TUC organised anti-government funding cuts march and rally! The birds flew over St Georges Hall, presumably from the area in Scotland Road they have been frequenting, they then circled over Lime Street/Copperas Hill area for a couple of minutes before heading South towards Toxteth, a strange sight indeed over the City! A Peregrine over the city too, as one was yesterday over University of Liverpool.

Waxwings on the move!

I started the day well yesterday, as me and Mike "the cockney" Brown where sticking to a tight schedule we managed to tick the Waxwing flock on the junction of Scotland Road and Leeds Street in the city centre, without stopping the car! A sacrilege for sure! Maybe I will catch up with them during the next few days, I wonder if they where the birds I saw over the University of Liverpool during December?
We then had a quick look for the flock in Norris Green, but couldn't repeat the drive by pattern! Mike had 70 birds there on Townsend Avenue the day before. The birds I reported in Bootle during December are still around in that area too, there is plenty to go around!

We traveled up to Preston Docks to catch up with the long staying Iceland Gull, a rarity nowadays away from areas like Moore and its adjacent tip, the bird duly obliged and could also potentially had been ticked from the car! How is it that so many decent birds over the years have been found near Macdonalds? Does this point to a higher than average rate of obesity within the birdwatching community?

We made are way up to Fairhaven Lake, Lytham St Annes,to see the Red Necked Grebe. The bird was in its usual area in the East corner of the lake and showed really well. Also on the salt marsh adjacent to the lake; a flock of 70 Twite (according to the RSPB visitors centre there has been 300 reported).

Our next stop was Lytham Crematorium for the resident Ring-Necked Parakeets, we easily found 4 of the birds, due to their ear splitting calls! 4 pairs of these great birds bred here last year, and with one of the 4 birds present yesterday a 1st winter bird; they seem to be doing well, especially if they can handle the last couple of winters, good luck to them I say. One of the male birds was actively displaying and calling, and according to a couple of local birders; they are already carrying nesting material! Now if these critters think spring is on the way, it really must be!

When leaving the Crem at the bottom of the access road where it meets the main road, we had a flock of at least 12 Waxwings fly past us, I have never known a winter like it for this species, its hard not to see them at the moment!

One last look at the Iceland Gull on the way back rounded the day off nicely.

Secretive Sparrowhawks

I was amazed recently to hear young Sparrowhawks calling from private land near Greenbank Park, about 200 yards from home! Over the last couple of months I have only seen Sparrowhawks in the area on two or three occasions, proving how secretive they are when they are breeding. Fingers crossed when the young fledge I will be able to view them from the public land.
Not much else of note:- 19 Pied Wagtails, Southern Hawker and Commas in Wavertree mystery yesterday. Large numbers of Large Yellow Underwings in the moth trap last night as I am quite a novice in this field they are about the only thing I can ID. Maybe I will start posting a few images and anyone more clued up can let me know what I've caught!

Greenbank Park

Visited Greenbank Park this morning. The usual Grey Heron plus another bird, family of Mute Swans, Nuthatch feeding young, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaws, and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls have been regular lately.

Also a Buzzard circling over Penny Lane; they are everywhere now.