14.12.13. Birdlog
A walk from the Growhow works along the Holpool gutter flushed out a Green Sandpiper and further on beside the Manchester Ship Canal where a pair of Goosander were present, continuing past No. 4 tank and around No. 6 beds and a Great Spotted Woodpecker added to the tally.
Out of the area but of interest was a female type Wheatear on Burton Point on Friday morning.
Observer: Paul Ralston
A count of the duck on No. 6 tank produced 6 Shoveler, 7 Pintail, 5 Pochard, 200 Common Teal, 24 Tufted Duck and a 1st winter Scaup. Nearby the shooters disturbed the roosting Lapwings and 2,000 birds were quite mobile with 50 Golden Plover and a solitary Ruff. At the viewing area was a Chiffchaff and another was calling from the ramp area (east end).
The track leading to Marsh Farm had a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding along the fence posts there. On Frodsham Score and the mudflats beyond were upwards of 23 Raven, 150 Black-tailed Godwit and 500 Dunlin.
The Weaver estuary attracted 94 Tufted Duck, 9 Goldeneye and an unseasonal ‘summer’ Great Crested Grebe’.
On the way home I stopped off at the lay by on Wigg Island and was rewarded with a pair of Peregrine hunting the gulls on the mudflats there. Several dead gulls lay scattered on the mud and these attracted a passing juvenile Marsh Harrier who dropped in to take advantage of the free food. A Little Egret flew over Widnes Warth Marsh and disappeared into a distant pool.
Observer and images: WSM
