05.02.15. Birdlog
A diffirent route today forsaking the highlight of Frodsham Score for the upper reaches of the Weaver estuary and fields beyond.
The horse paddock along Moorditch Lane had a smallish sized flock of winter thrushes feeding on the flooded fields and with the recent dredging of the ditch a sizable flock of Linnet were attracted to its edges.
A walk along Brook Furlong Lane across to Redwall reed bed, the Lum and around the I.C.I tank taking in the Weaver Bend was fairly educational.
Two male and a female Stonechat were flight tagging each other in some kind of prenuptial display in and around the Lum reed bed, and a good distraction from the walk. The Shooters Pools held 20 Meadow Pipit and not a lot of anything else.
.
A circumnavigation of the I.C.I tank was informative given that recent work on a couple of additional ‘Shooters’ Scrapes’ were in the field below the eastern banks and another area to watch come the Spring. A Little Egret flew over and would had christened the scrapes had it landed there.
A couple of pairs of Goldeneye and a female Goosander along with 12 Common Teal, 4 Redshank and 4 Common Snipe were all the ‘bend’ had to offer today.
The Weaver estuary always has something to other and today was no exception, 7 Great Crested and 15 Little Grebe, 23 Common Pochard, 87 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 14 Mallard and 22 Goldeneye with ten males performing their nuptials to the attendant females.
The water on No.6 tank was mostly covered in ice but a few Shoveler and Common Teal chose to linger in a small area of open water. A pair of Stonechat along the reedy edges to No.5 tank made the days tally to five birds.
Observers: Sparky, WSM (and images).
A Common Buzzard was perched in a bush with the motorway traffic thundering past. and additionally, a Merlin was along Lordship Lane and the usual Marsh Harrier was over No.6 tank.
Observers: Mr & Mrs Idris Roberts ( I know it’s a formal listing but you both wouldn’t want it any other way).
