Please leave comments on the comments box below the post and I’ll get in touch if required. Many thanks.
Frodsham Marsh Bird Blog
Please leave comments on the comments box below the post and I’ll get in touch if required. Many thanks.
Frodsham Marsh Bird Blog 
Bill, building of houses on the site of Wharford Farm( near Runcorn East) seems immminent. I have asked the council for their results of an environmental survey. They keep ignoring me .Breeding lesser whitethroat, grasshopper warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler, reed bunting, skylark, meadow pipit, stonechat andgrey wag and the last place I can find grey partridge. Snipe in the winter. I think most of these species are BoCC listed. I have marsh harrier, little egret, barn owl and the odd common sand as occasional visitors.
I asked for the site of Norton Crossing/ Wharford Farm to be added to the CAWOS inventory.
Also 4 orchids. The site has a decent flora.
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Osprey over Weaver Bend today at late morning. Happy to share images if you provide your email address.
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Regarding the so called red kite report. Just to put the record straight it was myself and my wife who saw it. We had just passed the Phalarope pool after watching a pair of marsh harriers when the kite flew past parallel to the track and we watched it disappear over the fields towards the Weaver bend. It’s our first there since we started visiting the marshes 20 years ago. Right place right time, just because Duncan missed it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there! I have never commented on the blog before even though I read it most days and enjoy it. The doubters are not always right you know.
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Hi, we visited for the first time yesterday, had a great day too. I wondered if you could advise the best place to park. We ended up opposite the model flying club, not sure that was the best place!
Thanks
James
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Hi James, The safest place for you and probably your cars suspension would be to park on the bridge the crosses the M56 motorway and walk out to the marsh. There is a map for birders which can be found under the header photo of the blog. Walking onto the marsh produces the best birds, but if you want to drive I would suggest you park at the ramp track to No.6 tank off Moorditch Lane.
Cheers. Bill
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Bill I met you the other day and you mentioned a website for birders think it was Cheshire and Wirral ? But not sure ,I was beginner with new binoculars . Thanks for help and encouragement .
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Hi Phil, The facebook group page is Cheshire and Wirral Birders. Put in a request to join and leave the rest to me.
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I’m hoping to visit the marsh on 12/02/19 with a small group of retirees. We haven’t been since windmill contractors vehicles closed or damaged the various tracks – please, are they restored to 2016 conditions or still in a terrible state? Did Peel Holdings do their duty?
David Poole (Manchester), 07/02/19
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We are keen to contact Tony Broome, he is an old friend we have lost touch with. Can you help us? Helen and Stuart Richardson, thank you.
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HI Bill
a small flight of 10/12 SWIFTS seen high over no 6 at 3. 30 this afternoon
seem early to me
regards
idris & Jacqui
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Hi bill is this a ring ouzel in my garden, how do i send photos
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Bill
Ignore my last post, I should have written Bar Headed Goose!!!
John
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Bar tailed goose with canadas on R Weaver about half mile upstream from A56
John Gascoyne
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HI BILL, HEARD MY FIRST CUCKOO OF THE YEAR YESTERDAY AT MARTON SANDS,(NEWCHURCH COMMON), IS THIS THE YEARS FIRST?
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Hello i rescued a red legged partridge it doesnt seem to be flying not sure what to do with it any ideas i live in frodsham
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I hate to report this but was driving along the M56 today at around 7am south towards chester and opposite the wind farm in the hard shoulder saw what I think was the body of a Marsh Harrier, I don’t know who to contact as its out of hours 1800 so thought i’d put it on here
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Hi Bill, at the marsh today didn’t see the ggs, but did see a dark transit van full of leylandii cuttings looking like he was after a place to dump them , GL55 GGU, did see a flock of avocet on no 6 tho , hope your well , Guy .
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Hi Bill
I have a picture of some fly tipped waste which includes a lot of Leylandi cuttings and other rubbish. let me know if you want to follow this up.
Cheers
John G
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There were 5 Scaup at Pennington Flash last reported on 12th Feb, and now you have 5 Scaup …
http://www.manchesterbirding.activeboard.com/t9927554/pennington-flash
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Curiously, they’ve gone from Frodsham, and I saw 5 distant probable Scaup at Pennington Flash again y’day eve (also, Iceland Gull & Med Gull)
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Hi
I am hoping to visit the marshes on Friday afternoon, can you recommend on where to go
Cheers
Jim
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Hi, not sure who to direct this to but hopefully someone in the know will answer.
I came across this blog purely by chance as other than watching the birds and other wildlife in my own garden my interests lie elsewhere. I must confess to not being an ornithologist but a ‘concrete spotter’ so all you ornithologists (twitchers) can probably empathise with me on the excitement I felt on seeing a photo of a rare and intact Allan Williams Turret on this blog and the reference to another close by.
As a paid up member of the Pillbox Study Group (PSG) and for my own interest, I travel the country photographing and recording the locations and condition of WW2 defence structures. The Allan Williams Turret, intact and in its original deployment is indeed a rare beast as there are only a slack handful surviving the post war scrap/salvage drive.
If at all possible and if anyone knows who I need to contact in order gain access to the land and structures could you please drop me a line. I read that offering help to the local farmer/land owner (whoever he is?) or joining in on a bird count (who would I need to contact?) could secure me a place on the boat over. I am quite happy to ‘pay the price’ of a chance to visit the turret(s) and at any time of the year – just need 24 hours notice as I live in the east of England.
So if anyone can help please let me know.
Cheers
Jan
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Please could you advise me about access to the marsh? On my last visit from Manchester I crossed the M56 via Marsh Lane & turned left (Moorditch Lane I think) to go to No 6 tank only to find the way blocked by a JCB & windmill work. Is the former inclined path/driveway to access & view the tank from the north side restored? Is it still possible to to reach the path north of the redwall reed bed along the river bank to the Weaver Bend from Marsh Lane as formerly? Is there any other way onto the marsh to view no 6 tank?
Thanks for the worthwhile blog, I hate the windmills!
David
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I think there’s a black tern sp. on the weaver bend. I have no camera, but managed some iPhone/bins photos. Have tweeted them to you.
It’s been catching insects for the last half hour from the surface of the water, doesn’t seem to be the little gull from previous blog posts.
Fingers crossed
Mike
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i would love to go been trying to find out how to but can never seem to find it, is there a postcode where to go please? thanks
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I saw two black swans take off today on the Weaver not far from the entrance to the Manchester ship canal. Have also seen Buzzards nesting in the railway bridge take the duckings 😦 and lots of lapwings on the Weaver bend.
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Hi we met at the cuckoos the other evening could you drop me an email asap with a contact number – cheers Graham
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A quick hello to Bill Morton Long time no see from Pete Carty who was at Froddham today enjoying some very nice birding. Met some friendly locals who mentioned your blog.
I am now working for national trust on the long Mynd and Wenlock edge in Shropshire
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I have just found this blog through another link and has brought back treasured memories from my first birding days from 1970-1976. I saw some of my very first common species here like Grey Heron and Water Rail and spent many hours on a Sunday afternoons sheltering from the rain in Marsh Farm barns watching Golden Plover or crouched on the Weaver Bend trying to turn Little Stints and Ruff into something else! I saw my first Great Grey Shrike near no. 6 tank in March 1974 and thought birding couldn’t get any better than that at the time. I still regard Frodsham as pivotal in my birding progression and it’s wonderful to see it going strong and improved: alas I have only been back there twice in almost 40 years, but I can still remember the smell of the place!
My best wishes and good birding to you all
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Hi Bill 2 wheatears on fence near bend c p on marsh farm track at 11 am today 22nd
Idris roberts
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While watching my son rowing today my wife and I walked up the canal from the Runcorn rowing club about 2 miles up river there is a lake where we saw 2 swans and a lone egret together with coot moorhen and buzzards overhead many small birds on the way chafincg greenfinch robin blackbird wren and a blue flash near the bank (wishing it was a kingfisher) and of course the ducks male and female mallards. And of course rabbits . What a wonderful day we didn’t know that walk existed.
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Two calling not singing chiffchaff both ends of no 6 south bank also Merlin
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Hi there, am very interested in photographing the Alan williams “bunker” could you give me a better idea of where it is, and how to access it please, thanks great site keep up the good work !! best t
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would really love to visit have you an approximate postcode please
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Thanks for your helpful info today when we met above the ICI tank on our first visit to Frodsham Marsh. Great Blog.
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Hello, firstly many thanks for your wonderful blog, which I’ve read avidly over the last few years. I’d never been out there before… but I have now. An amazing place, particularly at nightfall.
Your standard of photography is amazing, I love how you (collectively) love the contrast between wilderness and industry… nobody does it better.
This is the first time I’ve ever contacted you, but I nearly did a few Sundays ago. The same Sunday that you first recorded a cattle egret, I saw one, surely the same bird, as I hank you so much, be happy, and be well. xx
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Not on the marsh but on saturday 1st a flock of 450 black tailed godwits were in the weaver valley about a quarter mile upstream from the A56 on flooded fields. 340 still present on the sunday
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This evening (01/05/2013).
2 Whichat Weaver Bend (both females), 19 Wheatear around the ‘Pipes’. Yellow Wagtail No 6 Tank + Male Marsh Harrier.
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Hi Bill,Long time no see.Even longer since I have been down to the…,full of fly tip rubbish….but a singing Cettis warbler was a pleasant surprise.
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A female Ring Ouzel was seen briefly this evening before flying across the narrow pool between No 3 and No 4 tank. Also female Marsh Harrier over No 4 tank.
No 6 tank 9 White Wagtails, 2 Little Ringed Plover and a lone Swift.
14 Wheatears in ploughed field along Lordship Lane and a female Whinchat on fence by Redwall Reeddbed.
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23/04/2013: 1 Male Whinchat, Weaver Bend along with a Grasshopper Warbler which briefly showed well. Also 3 Sedge Warblers.
3 Wheatears in 2nd field along Brook Furlong, and a late Fieldfare in the field by the stables.
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Bill
4 swallows and 2 house martins over the weaver at pickerings lock pool this afternoon
Seems early for the martins ,to me
Idris Roberts
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Keep upthe good work
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First time I have seen this site – amazing. More so for me because my greatgrandfather was
born in Frodsham Lordship. Its lovely to see birds I’ve never seen on what I’ve thought as a
“blot on the landscape” (Stanlow refinery). My greatgrandmother was born in Weston so lovely to see the church spire in these wonderful bird pictures.
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