Moore nr,
I finally caught up with the 3rd w Kumliens gull today that has been around for a couple of weeks. It was picked up in flight by Mark Garner and then all present had good flight views for a couple of minutes before it flew off north. At one point I had the kumliens and a juv iceland gull together only a metre apart in flight. An awesome sight. For some excellent photos of this bird visit http://www.crosbybirding.blogspot.com/ A couple of juv glaucous gulls , a 3rd and 2nd summer Yellow legged gulls and pair of ravens flew in also.
A chiffchaff was singing early morning, a treecreeper,a pair of nuthatches, gs pecker but still no sign of the lesser peckers.

WHITE TAILED EAGLE OVER SEAFORTH NR,
I was very, very pleased to hear that PK had seen a juv white tailed eagle today at seaforth flying south.

WHITE TAILED EAGLE IN CONWY,
One seen there today

WHITE TAILED EAGLE OVER PRESCOT TOWN CENTER
I had been shopping in Prescot town and was on the way back to the car park at 16.00 when I noticed a very large bird of prey being mobbed by a couple of crows.
This large bird of prey was high up and I did not have any bins with me. It was bright blue sky and strong sun. I thought that must be an eagle. It was a massive bird with broad long wings. It was just heading away from me when I first saw it. It was getting mobbed by 2 crows which looked tiny next to it. I said to my wife " thats a white tailed eagle". It drifted quite fast out of sight , I probably only watched it for about 30 seconds. Its tail looked square cut at the end and this gave me some doubts but it may have been due to the fact it was moving away from me it gave this impression. Its wings were broad and long and the bird was very big , twice the size of the buzzards I had been watching this morning. It was very difficult to say what colour it was underneath, just a silouette and I did not notice any contrast from light or dark. I thought then it was a white tailed eagle and now that one has been reported in north Wales and Seaforth I am convinced it was a white tailed eagle that I saw today.
I have never seen white tailed eagle before but have seen golden eagle and this bird was a large eagle with a short tail.

Back on the patch,

It was nice to visit Prescot reservoirs today. Its been a few weeks since I was last here and a few good birds were on show. A female common scoter was present from mid morning. A drake has been present on Eccleston mere the last few days, so this obvoiously a different bird. 3 sand martins shot through, a wheatear on the causeway and 4 shoveler (3m+1f) also. 18 goldeneye, 1 female pochard, 4 teal, 60 tufted duck, a pair of gadwall, 8 great crested grebe, 1 little grebe, 2 buzzard and a sparrowhawk.

Birchwood pool, Moore nr.
It was an absolutely horrible day weatherwise with strong northerlies with heavy showers of rain and hailstones. An adult Kittiwake brightened up the day as it bathed on the pool. Kittiwakes start moving back to thier breeding sites in march and 14 were recorded at Audenshaw reservoir today also, so obviously a movement inland up the Mersey valley. This is the first ever record for Moore NR but birds have been seen on the Mersey close by.
A juv glaucous gull was seen flying around the tip but it never visited the pool.

Moore.
A juv glaucous gull ,2 yellow legged gull ( 1 3rd summer and a 1st summer) and a 2nd summer med gull.

Mere Sands Wood,
An adult night heron showed well and is the first I have seen in the UK.

I also think I saw a water vole. I have never seen one in the wild before but from the into the sun brief views as it swam in the water I think it may have been one.It looked like it has a flat nose and square head. I managed some poor shots of it so if anyone has any ideas please comment. Does anybody know if water voles are known to be present at Mere sands.

edit. I should have mentioned that its body was about 15cm long when swimming looking more rat sized rather than mouse sized.

Moore NR,
A pair Mandarin duck perched low on an overhanging branch on Lapwing pool were a nice sight.
2 juv glaucous gull,1 juv iceland gull and a 1st winter med gull were around birchwood pool.

Ten Species of gull in one day.

What a day!! It's certainly the first time I've ever seen 10 species of gull in one day. I must admit I was a little disappointed I did not see the recently reported Kumliens gull but what compensation in the form of a 1st winter caspian gull. It was great to get a photo of the caspian gull with the juv iceland gull close by.I think this may be the 5th different iceland gull this year. The juv glaucous gull is a new one although this has been around for a week making it five different glaucs this winter for me. 3 adult and 2 2nd winter yellow legged gulls. Last but not least the 2nd summer Med gull showed well as did the 5 common species of gull making a grand total of 10 species

Birchwood pool,

A juv iceland gull, a 2nd summer med gull and 4 yellow legged gull (2 adults, 1 2nd winter and 1 2nd summer. An iceland gull seen in flight by others may have been the recent kumliens but frustratingly I failed to get on it.
A first winter black headed gull with a white ring E1XP was rung as a pullus on 10th June 07 in Arnhem, Holland.

An adult yellow legged gull

This gull thinks it's a raptor.

2nd summer yellow legged gull

A Dutch black headed gull.

1st winter Caspian Gull, Birchwood pool, Moore nr.

Moore,

A chiffchaff was singing and showed well near the screen hide today. A 2nd w med gull and a juv iceland gull also.

Amazingly somebody has just recorded this gull at Sandbach flashes,pumphouse pool today.

More on the wing tagged Lesser black backed gull

Thanks for posting this Steve - its actually only the ninth record of a Spanish-ringed Lesser B in Britain or Ireland!We've had nearly 2,200 from B&I to Spain, but this is just a reflection of where birds are ringed/colour-ringed. It'll be interesting to see if this project leads to an increase in sightings of Spanish birds over the summer.

From Mark Grantham BTO via birdforum.

Seaforth NR,
An adult winter Little gull and 24 scaup were the best of it today.

Pale and faded,
A cracking summer plumaged med gull was the first I have seen here this winter at Moore. The same juv Glaucous gull and juv Iceland gull that have been present recently were showing well.

Some of the herring gulls made me look twice today with thier pale edged primaries and pale plumage.

This was a pale smallish herring gull with kumliens type primaries.

I wondered if this 2nd winter had some glaucous in it with its pink based bill and short primary projection.

A well travelled Lesser Black Backed Gull.

I have just recieved an email with the history for this Lesser black backed gull.
Wing Tagged as a male on 18.12.05 at Villanueva de la serena, Badajoz, Spain.

Then reported at

10.11.06 Sesimbra ,Portugal

25.02.07 Villanueva de la Serena, Spain

03.03.07 Cheshire, England.

06.03.07 Cheshire, England

15.02.08 Moore NR, Cheshire, England

03.03.08 Sandbach flashes, Cheshire (updated)
Many thanks to those involved in recording such birds. Its really interesting knowing the movement of these birds and as such it makes it very worthwhile reporting them.