Crosby,
Very quiet today with a cold northerly blowing but the 2nd w ring- billed gull showed briefly at coastguards on the shore.
Eccleston mere,
An adult winter little gull performed well this afternoon found by AS at midday.

Escaped Harris hawk

Carrion crow feeding in the meadow today

Female green woodpecker

Prescot reservoirs,
A drake goosander over no4 this afternoon,19 oystercatchers, 6 chiffchaffs , 3 buzzards, 1 woodcock and female green woodpecker seen in yates wood.
An American raptor was screaming at the edge of the wood . A harris hawk with jeesies on its legs allowed close approach obviously used to humans.

Small tortoiseshell

Comma

Lapwing on territory in the meadow

Prescot reservoirs,

Pretty quiet today but lovely in the spring sunshine. 13 oystercatchers, 60 lapwing, 6 great crested grebe, 2 gadwall, 13 cormorants, 2 kestrel m+f, 2 buzzards, green wood calling, and 3 chiffchaff singing.

250 common gull, 100 black headed, 20 lesser black backed, 30 herring gulls.

The butterflies and moths were enjoying the sunshine with 2 comma, 2 small tortoiseshell and a small quaker basking in it.

Prescot reservoirs,
BH had the first sand martin today flying up and down no3 res. Green woodpecker calling, 6 redpoll, and 2 woodcock.

The police get with it at Crosby

Crosby Marine park,

The 2nd winter ring billed gull showed well briefly and a 3rd winter yellow legged gull gave a fly past well spotted by T.V. I managed to miss a couple of white wags that were present today but no other migrants today. I sneaked a look through the fence at Seaforth to see a couple of female type scaup very distantly. Plenty of black tailed godwits, redshanks, a few curlew and a single knot and ring plover. The area was well watch today with 5 birders present.

It looks like I will have to correct the post below. After posting the great tit photos on Birdforum, the general concensus is that it is just a 1st winter female great tit. I thought I had read somewhere that these pale birds were scandinavian birds. We live and Learn!

Great tits need a closer look !

First winter great tit with a male great tit for comparison

It really stood out as being very pale

Mantle colour is darker than the common gull next to it. It is probably from the northern european populations.


Larus argentatus agentatus

Large white primary spot is visable on p10

Prescot reservoirs,

The Chiffchaff is still singing but no other migrants yet. A dunlin went over and green woodpecker showed and called in the meadow late afternoon. Also 16 goldeneye,1little grebe, 4 great crested grebe with a pair displaying, 2 gadwall,4 shellduck, 2 teal,80 lapwing 17 oystercatchers, 2 raven, 1 peregrine, 6 red legged partridge and 2 redpoll .

62 lesser black backs, 8 great black backs, 120 common gull ,100 black headed, and 100 herring gulls with and adult argentatus amongst them.

At the feeding station a great tit caught my eye. It was a washed out version of the other great tits present.Its breast being a pale cream colour as opposed to the bright yellow of the others and its mantle being a grey blue as opposed to the green of the others. I at first I suspected this was scandinavian race of great tit but in fact it is a first winter female great tit.

Has spring sprung?

Prescot reservoirs,
A chiffchaff was singing and showing well this morning in yates wood. Possibly a spring migrant or possibly a wintering bird enjoying the morning sunshine. Green woodpecker seen and heard today and 2 stonechats on the north fence. A harris hawk with jessies flew over the meadow mid morning. 3 woodcock also. Pretty quiet on the gull front with lesser black backed numbers building up.

Desert Wheatear, Irlam

After re-arranging my work schedule for today I was off to sunny Irlam after picking up Billy from the reservoirs. We arrived at Roscoe Rd, Irlam on the edge of Chat moss . We met Menzie who gave us on the ground info that the bird was showing better from Astley Rd on the other side of the field. So off we went and parked up. With only about 20 birders present we were right on to the Wheatear which was feeding in a small ploughed field. What a stunning bird this was. A cracking male and showing really well in the morning sunshine.

We stayed till 10.30 and apparently the wheatear left flying high to the south west at 10.45. I'm glad I made the effort this morning and didn't wait till this afternoon. We decided to go home over the moss and come home on the East Lancs Rd. Big mistake. The road starts off ok but gradually gets worse and worse with pot holes 6ft deep. Got lost but eventually came out the other side.