Wirral - 30 Dec 20

Spring tides on the Dee Estuary were shown as straddling the New Year. With Covid restrictions being reviewed on the 30th December it seemed that this date would be a good bet in case the area became 'out of bounds' - as indeed it did, moving in to Tier 4 on 31st. First good decision.

Armed with information about the presence of Snow Buntings in the area but with scant information about where they might be along the 20-odd mile coast-line it was definitely 'fingers crossed'. After a blank at one of yesterday's reported locations it was off to a look at the incoming tide at Hoylake. As I stepped out of the car another birdwatcher said "they are here". And indeed the Snow Buntings were. Good decision number two

Here is a winter-plumage male with extensive white in the wing and a black-tipped yellow bill. In summer it is a stunning black and white bird with a darker bill. I am not sure of the provenance of the grain(?) but it did the job attracting seven (some said eight) birds to the area.

Another male. The birds were remarkably tolerant of people walking on the beach less than 20 yards away.

A reflective view of a male. As far as I can recall Norfolk 1984 or 1985 was the last time I saw this species so I was well-pleased to see them and especially to see them well. Saves having to climb Cairngorm - their only UK breeding site.

Here is a female. She has very little white in the wing. The yellow-brown flanks will go white and the other areas will darken but retain a mix of brown and black during the breeding season. The bill will go dark.

Another view of a female.

Two females.

This pipit popped up while I was photographing the buntings and the camera was not ideally set up. Its dark legs mean it is either a Rock Pipit or, just possibly, a migrant Water Pipit wintering from Scandinavia. Much reference to my Field Guides led me to conclude 'just' a Rock Pipit largely by the density of the streaking on the breast. Still it is my first in the UK this year.

This was rather worrying: the legs certainly do not look black! As my field-guide puts it "sometimes not-so-dark reddish-brown, never pink as in Meadow Pipit".

The Dee Estuary birding web site often records interesting ducks on West Kirby Marine Lake. Whenever I look it seems to have a few Black-headed Gulls and nothing much else. I did find a group of roosting winter-plumaged Dunlin.

Probably over-enlarged but this shows that they are not fully asleep. Many birds sleep with one half of the brain active and are constantly peeking to check for danger.

Towards the top middle of the group is a lone Redshank. Its legs are hidden but it is slightly larger and the plumage less marked.

(Ed Wilson)

Wirral - 15 Dec 20

Today the forecast was for a fine day and the tide tables showed a Spring Tide of almost 10 metres on the Dee. Time for another trip

The start was at a different venue for the high tide: Heswall

The main target species here was Pintail. There were several hundred of these quite splendid ducks around though none came very close and I have had to enlarge the images, possibly rather more than I should have. Here four pass by - three drakes and one duck. [The houses are across the estuary and in Wales]

And here three drake and one duck Pintail give scale to a duck Teal.

A larger group of Pintail again accompanied by a single Teal.

There was an impressive number of Curlews - a declining species. Here one flies by. Always great to see and, particularly, to hear their evocative calls.

The only bird to perch for a close-up was this female Pied Wagtail, here on the rope-knot of a tied-up small fishing boat.

-----------------------------------

Then it was on to Hoylake one the receding tide. Waders were on the move back to their newly exposed feeding grounds.

The sea-front at Hoylake just about two hours after high tide. In the far distance the clouds are over the Snowdon Range.

One of many Shelducks to be seen here in winter.

Maintain Social Distancing guys. Or are they gals? Can't be sure as the drakes swollen bill-base has not yet developed. The narrower chestnut breast-band on the left-hand bird suggests a duck with two drakes on the right. The other bird is at an unhelpful angle.

I read that a 'cluster' or 'medusa' is the collective noun for Knots. Here some pass in front of one of the huge off-shore wind-turbines.

Settling down to feed. Towards the top right one bird has an orange 'flag' on its leg, part of a population monitoring scheme. I cannot read the flag ID more is the pity. Enlarging the image on screen shows a green or blue ring is below the flag

Two more arrivals as others get down to the serious business of feeding.

Here they are 'on parade'.

I'm not too good at holding the camera steady. A short video clip of the Knots on the move. There are a few Dunlin scattered about, most obviously getting left behind at the end.

A sextet in close-up.

"What's that over there?". The full name of this species is Red Knot. They acquire red plumage during their short breeding season in the high Arctic. In the UK we sometimes see blotchy red and grey birds in May or July.

And off they go.

Would you believe Redshank as the interloper? A well-named species.

 Two Redshanks on their own.

Not only Knots. This group of waders are Dunlin. A 'fling' is the collective noun for Dunlins according to the web

Very different when the sun comes out. If you look carefully there is a smaller wader at the bottom centre. It is one of the very few Sanderlings noted.

An enlarged view of some of the Dunlin. The bill length of this species is very variable with females averaging longer bills. There are also several different populations that adds further confusion though possibly not at the moment when only wintering birds are present and passage birds have left.

A study in black and white. A passing adult winter Black-headed Gull and an Oystercatcher.

An Oystercatcher probing deeply. Note it too wears a ring."

(Ed Wilson)

Dee Estuary - 17 Oct 20

Today there was a forecast high Spring tide and a visit to Parkgate on the Dee Estuary seemed a good plan – we might all be locked-down again before the next Spring tide. Sadly the tide was not as high as forecast, courtesy of the high pressure over the UK and also a slight E wind. So there was no spectacle of wildfowl and waders making their way past to roost. There are always some birds to be seen and here are a few images from the day.

The Dee Estuary is known for thousands of overwintering Pink-footed Geese. There are quite a challenge to photograph as they usually fly over quite high in long skeins making it difficult to show their features.

Just about managed it with this one. Has the grey on forewing as does Greylag Goose, though it seems less pale and contrasting with the rest of the wing. The bill is the give-away. Much smaller and not orange – just occasionally with some orange marks. All geese can be identified by their calls.

Just this one Common Snipe was seen flying out of the marsh. The long straight bill and short almost dumpy appearance identify. In real life the erratic, evasive flight action is also distinctive.

A female Marsh Harrier quartering the marsh. White on the crown is just visible. A male has grey panel in the wing, contrasting with dark wing tips. In winter this site also attracts Hen Harriers. These can most easily be identified by their 'ring-tail' - a white band around the upper tail.

There was a very cooperative Mrs. Kestrel, clearly used to people and giving good view. On a favourite chimney here.

Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched?

Now she is watching for movement in the marsh – it is full of voles and other prey items.

While hovering the small feather at the bend on the leading-edge of the wing – the alula – is pushed forward to help the bird maintain control. Those of you with any aeronautical interest probably know that most aircraft have leading-edge slats on their wings that are deployed for landing and take-off. These are the equivalent of alula – they improve control at low airspeed.

Oops. Cut the wing-tip off.

A friendly pair of Stonechats were on tourist duty. The plumage difference between the sexes is less pronounced in winter. The male always has a dark, almost black, head. Here he is standing on a dead dock (Rumex sp.) stem.

The more delicately marked female Stonechat.

And why not another view.

(Ed Wilson)

Wirral - 18 Sep 20

Today I made another visit to The Wirral to look at waders and gulls on the high Spring tide.

This time I started at New Brighton at the mouth of the River Mersey. Behind the shopping centre is a pool with a pontoon used by birds at high tide. Six Redshanks in with a group of very blotchy-looking Turnstones.

There were several hundred Turnstones. The local web site guide notes that in Winter these are sometimes joined by Purple Sandpipers. Not today.

The groyne separating the 'beach' at New Brighton from the river was being used as a pre-roost gathering by Herring Gulls – yes: all this variety of plumages can be seen on Herring Gulls. On the lower right is an interloper – a lone Oystercatcher.

Did someone say Herring Gulls? There are a scatter of Oystercatchers with them – I can see eleven. If you look hard at the top middle there is also a Curlew...

...enlarged as much as I dare to prove the point.

Next photo stop was at Heswall again where there were fewer waders but some species giving better views. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a collective noun for a group of Knots for this is what these are. These birds are properly Red Knot (to separate them from another species - the Great Knot). Only when in breeding plumage are they red. There is a hint of a red wash remaining on the front middle bird. The groups of many thousand that are seem overwintering at favoured spots in the UK are grey.

Here are three more with a Black-headed Gull behind for size comparison.

There are ten Knots here if you look hard. Two with some red wash. You could count the legs and divide by two, but several are standing on one leg! On the extreme right foreground is a smaller Dunlin. These too are grey in Winter plumage.

A closer view of five of the Knot with a Dunlin behind. This Dunlin still has some dark on the belly from the breeding plumage and is much browner than it will be when it completes its moult.

A trio of waders in the far distance here. At the back are six Curlew. In front of them about 20 Knot. Closest are Dunlin – I make it 12? Under the fourth from the left Curlew is a very pale wader – a Sanderling.

Two weeks ago there were throngs of Ringed Plover (that's not a formal collective noun either). This visit just one or two. It is the wrong habitat to find the smaller Little Ringed Plover. That would show orange on the bill, a yellow eye-ring and duller pinkish legs. Relying on leg colour can be difficult on a muddy shoreline.

A size comparison. A Dunlin in front of a Black-headed Gull.

A side-elevation of a Sanderling showing a few new grey winter plumage feathers. The bill is very obviously a 'black' black (unless covered in mud).

Another size comparison. A Sanderling is dwarfed by two Common Gulls – and these are not large gulls.

While on the subject of Common Gulls here is a winter plumage adult. The dark mark across the greenish-yellow bill is less distinct in winter. The legs too are greenish – never pink or yellow.

As it turns its head the bolder 'necklace' of spotting is obvious. In summer the head and neck are pure white.

Lower centre is a Common Gull in flight. Even though this birds is still moulting the outer primaries is shows a feature that I use to pick adults of this species out in flight – the black and white wing-tip pattern is the same on the upper and lower surfaces unlike all other gulls in the UK. There are two others in different states of wing moult partially hidden above and behind. Immediately above is a big brute of a Herring Gull well in to winter plumage with much head streaking. Three Black-headed Gulls complete the foreground.

Herring Gulls anyone. Look carefully and there are two Great Black-backed Gulls here. One is slightly right of and above centre with its legs hanging down. The other is second from the left at the bottom showing obvious pink legs. Even female Great Black-backs are bigger then any Herring Gull and have a lumbering flight. Apart from a faint grey wash on the heads of juveniles this species has a white head at all ages and all times of the year.

(Ed Wilson)