Wirral - 2 Mar 25

Today I revisited the Wirral, primarily for the wader spectacle as the highest Spring tide of the year forced them all on to the decreasing available mud of the River Dee Estuary. Things did not go entirely to plan but a whole series of worthwhile images were captured. I have split the photos in to two groups. The second group covering a visit to a pool in New Brighton is below

Starting at Meols some three hours ahead of high tide found this mixture of Dunlin (front) and Knot feeding in a channel close to the footpath that runs all the way along the foreshore here.

Apart from two Dunlin top right these are all Knot hungrily feeding. Another name for this species is Red Knot and when they are in full plumage on their Arctic breeding grounds they are indeed brick red.

Handy size comparison: a Knot leads a Dunlin.

A very common wader on the mud is Redshank.

Many Curlew have departing their wintering estuaries for their moorland breeding grounds. This distant bird was about the only one I noted.

A surprise was finding this wader. At the time I misidentified it as a Bar-tailed Godwit which is regular in small numbers here. But it is a Black-tailed Godwit which is only usually found much further up the estuary and on fresher water. Its identity is confirmed by the length of the leg above the 'knee' (anatomically really the ankle) making the bird taller. And also the straight bill which is slightly upcurved on Bar-tailed Godwit.

Size comparison with a Knot. That long bill can reach deep in to the mud.

A passing Black-headed Gull almost in full breeding plumage with some what above the bill to be moulted out. The white around the eye will increase to become two prominent 'half moons'.

That is a strange way to fly!

A complaining adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. By this stage of the year the legs are unmistakeably yellow.

Another fine-looking adult passes by.

Not too many Shelduck were still around, most having departed this wintering ground for breeding grounds in coastal dunes and inland. Some use old Rabbit burrows. This is a drake with the larger swelling at the base of its bill.

Mud, mud....

 ....glorious mud.

Moving down to use the Hoylake Lifeboat Station to use as a suitable vantage point to view the ever-reducing area of mud. Looking across the Dee Estuary toward Wales with snow on guess what – Snowdonia (or Eryri National Park as we are supposed to call it [though should it not strictly be Parc Cenedlaethol Eryi? Surely it is either all English or all Welsh?])

Two pesky Peregrines, likely young females on size, arrived in the area and promptly caused panic amongst the waders. These are all (I think!) Knots and Dunlins going hither...

...and thither.

And they manage this without Air Traffic Control!

A "must see" sight here is the "March of the Oystercatchers" as they walk en masse ahead of the fast rising tide and try to avoid getting their bellies wet.. Not so spectacular this time partly because of the pesky Peregrines and also because many have departed to their, often inland, breeding sites. (A pair tried to breed on the old Celestica site north of the Balancing Lake about 10 years ago)

Searching through the mass of waders one of two Little Stints known to be present was seen. Trying to find where it was in the camera and then getting an acceptable shot was always going to be difficult. Looking at the photos I took I noted that there was a lone Sanderling amongst the throng – it is the small pale wader with dark on the bend of the folded wing.

Full marks if you identify the flying birds. They are Black Scoter. I read that some 20,000 winter on the sea off shore. As they are diving ducks and the estuary is very gently shelving they rarely close to shore.

With the waders mainly chased away it was off to another location.

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After looking at waders being brought close to shore by the rising tide it was off to New Brighton. Between the shopping complex that includes a large Morrisons (and car park) and Fort Perch (and the disused lighthouse that guards the entrance to the River Mersey) is a small Marine Lake. The lake has pontoons used to launch canoes etc. during the summer but which are used as a high tide roost during winter.

Even before the pontoons hove in to sight this Cormorant emerged from the lake with its breakfast, lunch and dinner combined. I suspect the fish is a Dab Limanda limanda.

Down the hatch?

Too large perhaps?

Let's try at an angle.

Open wide and try sideways.

Doesn't seem to fit.

It certainly won't fit like that. The Cormorant seems to have almost dislocated its jaw.

It manage to climb out on the pontoon, scattering Redshank and Turnstones.

And somehow managed to swallow it.

Just the tail to go. Whew!

The speciality of these pontoons in Winter at the very highest tided is the possibility of seeing Purple Sandpipers. There are three here, the maximum number recorded all this winter. Two are the dumpy dark sleeping birds in front of a group of sleeping Turnstones. The third Purple Sandpiper is front left beside a paler sleeping Dunlin with more Turnstones and two Redshanks behind.

The arrival of a first year Herring Gull caused a bit of a panic. A Turnstone flies in front of the gull's breast. A Dunlin flies past the gull's nose. Redshanks depart to left and right. Meanwhile the three Purple Sandpipers shuffle forward identifiable by the orange base to their bills. Note how many of these birds are standing on one leg.

After all the hassle a Purple Sandpiper finds a quiet spot for a snooze. The 'purple' is mainly fanciful unless you go to its Arctic Alaska breeding grounds where for a few weeks the plumage does indeed gloss purple,

A clearer view of the first year Herring Gull with another one-legged Dunlin flying by.

You caused a lot of fuss.

A one-legged Redshank repositions in to the throng.

Now two of them, the first looks as if it might do a nose-dive.

One inbound head-on, tail spread and yet again showing only one leg, as does the standing Redshank.

And another. They paint their toe-nails black!

Er? Three Redshank: four legs. Go figure. The front bird is coming in to breeding plumage

Not useful as size comparison as the leading Turnstone is in reality smaller than the Redshank. These two have their left legs extended.

Make room, make room! A Turnstone wants to land among the Redshank.

One last non-wader. At the back of Morrisons are a few dumpsters with Starlings on the look out for freebies. It is not normal for Starlings to stand on one leg – I caught this one just as it was moving.

(Ed Wilson)

Wirral - 19 Feb 25

Back from two days staying with friends on the Wirral. Managed to take a few images of interest.

Day one started with a cutting East wind, a temperature of 2.0°C and horizontal sleet. It was a day for using the car as a hide and parking where birds were likely to look for handouts. Here is a passing first year Herring Gull showing the paler inner primaries.

 This adult Herring Gull has seen something of interest.

I am not sure this looks edible.

A classic adult breeding condition Herring Gull. The legs are always described as "pink", though they look more grey here...

...with the feet obviously pink. [This is a different bird – check the bill pattern]

I wonder what is going on behind the eye of this bird? "Where are my chips?" perhaps.

This is a Common Gull - "common" around the Wirral if not in out part of Shropshire. The best clue to its identity is the larger area of white near the wing tip than seen on most of our other gulls. It also has a smaller yellow-green bill. This bird has some remnant winter-plumages streaking on the head.

A different Common Gull with more streaking on its head. Note that the white at the tip of the under wing is very similar to that on the upper wing and this enables the species to be easily picked out.

A Carrion Crow concentrating hard to...

...successfully land on the rock in the strong wind.

Day two was very different. Sunny with a temperature of 14.0°C, still with a very strong wind, this time from the West. A small group of Brent Geese. These are of the species / sub-species (depending upon your preferred taxonomy) Pale-belled Brent Goose and visit us in Winter from their breeding grounds in Arctic Canada. In the foreground is a small wader – a Turnstone.

A trio in more detail.

Little and large: Turnstone and Brent Goose.

And a Brent Goose grabbing for wrack (seaweed) to eat.

A trio of Turnstones. This species is well-named as it does indeed turn (usually "flick") stones on the shore to look for morsels underneath. Here they are pushing in to the wrack for food.

An Oystercatcher formations team.

Guess who has been digging for worms! The houses in the background can put Oystercatcher on their house list.

An adult Black-headed Gull with extensive black breeding condition head markings.

Peering at the ground, checking for food items?

Is this Black-headed Gull really an Angel? It appears to have an extra set of wings.

The upper bird is a Black-headed Gull: the other a Common Gull – the white on the wing-tips and the yellow-green bill. In winter the bill has a dark band which this bird has yet to lose.

And a different Common Gull, still with head streaking but no band on the bill.

Well here's a colourful if scruffy-looking fellow. This Starling has had a wash and is now shaking off excess moisture and getting his feathers in order. They are iridescent in the low Winter sun. It is a male because the base of the bill is blue: it is pink for a girl.

They really are astounding when they catch the light.

A different male doing its Mr. Grumpy pose.

I am not sure you would call it "singing".

(Ed Wilson)