10.09.15. Birdlog
After work and the plan was to watch over No.6 tank and attempt to count the ducks there. On arrival there wasn’t much to get me excited so I continued the walk down to the mitigation area on No.3 tank. The tractor was still tilling the soil and work on extracting earth and making earth mounds continues with some gusto and these were scattered across the northern half of the tank. I sure all will come apparent in time? Perhaps with all this tractor and earth tilling it was no surprise to see several hundred Black-headed Gulls following the vehicles course with the expectation of a tasty morsel or two.
Retracing my way back to the northern edges of No.6 tank I took up my usual position and watched the waterfowl below. The Pintail flock has increased to 10 birds with 300 Common Teal, 30 Common Shelduck (all juvenile birds), 12 Shoveler, 3 Wigeon, during the course of the evening Tufted Duck began to arrive to roost here from the Weaver Estuary. A small flock of 8 Mute Swan were settled close to the banks and the daisy clumps.
Little Grebe reached a total of 10 birds and the Black-necked Grebe reappeared after a few days absence and its fiery-eye glowed like a ruby in the evening sunshine.
Small numbers of House Martin and Swallow were moving through in flocks.
A female Sparrowhawk was impressive as it flew straight into a cottage hedge and behind the sign Marsh Green Cottages (Marsh Lane) in pursuit of a local House Sparrow. She emerged empty clawed but I’m sure the sparrow didn’t reappear too quickly after that scare and may needed a wet wipe tissue.
A Common Snipe was the only wader on the secluded pool which may have been watched out. However, 250 Black-tailed Godwit rose and settled over and on Frodsham Score . Raven are a regular sighting on the marsh and loose flocks were heading south at dusk.
Observers: Paul Booth, WSM (and images).
With all this warm sunshine love was in the air this morning on a local park lake with Mallards courting and cementing their relationships!
