Prescot reservoirs

An Adult winter yellow legged gull was at prescot res today. I managed a few records shots which seem to show an unusual wing pattern. p10 has a completely large white tip and p5 has only the faintest black mark at the tip. Maybe this is a bird from the eastern end of the range.Olsen/larsson say a completely white tip is more common in eastern mediterranean/black sea populations sometimes show white tip to p10 and only narrow black markings on p5. Any suggestions welcome from you gullers out there.

Also today,

Adult w med gull,11 wigeon,11 shoveller,49 pochard, 43 mallard,6 goldeneye 1m 5f,120 tufted duck, 2 f ruddy duck,4 little grebe, 1 siskin, 3 redwing, 1 stonechat and a peregrine.

I have not been able to get out birding lately but here are some recent reports from Prescot reservoirs.

2 Nov 3 whopper swans

1 Nov 115 fieldfare

31 Oct adult yellow legged gull

30 Oct 5 stonechat

21 Oct 163 fieldfare, 43 redwing, 2 stonechat and 1 ring ousel

First winter common gull and mystery birder!

Prescot reservoirs,
A 1st w med gull on posts around no 4 res today. Also 3 snipe, 1 curlew,4 skylarks, 10 redwing, 66 pochard, 1 wigeon, 8 little grebe, 3 cormorants, 10 chaffinch, 1 buzzard and female sparrowhawk. AS reports 2 raven today. BH reports female merlin and 2 crossbill in over pines yesterday and JT reports jack snipe on causeway last Thursday.

Prescot reservoirs,

A superb adult ring billed gull graced the reservoirs today. This bird has arrived hot on the heels of red necked phalarope and little stint. Its certainly been a great year at the reservoir so far. Its a pity I was the only birder there today to enjoy it, hopefully it will return for others to see. Also today 29 pochard, 1 female goldeneye, 9 little grebe, 2 stonechats and AS reports 2 whooper swans early morning.

Red Rocks nr, Wirral, Merseyside.
A Blyth's reed warbler at the north end of the reserve today. Its been there a couple of days and showed well to me for about 10 seconds. An acro warbler, cold coloured grey brown, with none contrasting upper plumage, and a white throat and whiteish lower parts. A prominent eyering and a less prominent super in front of the eye and slighly behind. It was calling and responding to a couple of pebbles that I tapped together. The call similar to a sylvia tacking.

Prescot reservoirs,
A red necked phalarope was busy feeding on no 3 reservoir today. A first winter bird looking smart in its black and white plumage.
A male stonechat in the ranch and a wigeon on no4 also.

Flamborough Head was the place to be today. Brown Flycatcher, Izzy Shrike, Red Backed Shrike, and a couple of yellow browed warblers made this a day to remember. A little owl on a roadside telegraph pole on the way home capped off a great day.

Prescot reservoirs,

A whooper swan over and the first returning goldeneye (f) of the year gave this Saturday a very wintery feel to it. 10 redwing, 7 siskin, and the female stonechat added to this. A juv dunlin moulting into winter was an attractive bird on the causeway. Also 4 wigeon, 1 teal, 39 pochard, 7 little grebe,1 kingfisher,1 artic tern,4 buzzards, 6 skylarks and a tawny owl calling in yates wood. Swallows, martins and mipits moving through, throughout the morning. A large flock of pinkfeet, 500 approx dropped down on to catchdale moss.

3 whooper swans were also reported at Thrapston GP Northants and 8+ at Martin mere today ........

Prescot reservoirs,

A juv little stint was a nice suprise as I walked across the causeway today. It was very confiding as it feed on the edge of the water totally unconcerned by our presence. I noticed on bird guides that there seems to have been a big influx of little stints today.Not suprising with all the north easterlies recently. Also 1 dunlin, an juv artic tern, 1 shoveller, 6 wigeon, 45 pochard, 200 tufted duck, 7 little grebe,1 stonechat, 30 redwing and a swift. Still small numbers of house martins and swallows.

2 kingfishers today have been very showy lately, flying around and fishing at the reservoirs.

BH reported 2 sandwich terns through on Tuesday.

Prescot reservoirs,
Another spotted flycatcher today near the bandscreen. A late common swift went through today with 20 swallows and 9 house martins. 3 skylarks and 11 meadow pipits were on the move as were the newly arrived flock of 26 siskins. The female stonechat was still present in the ranch but no sign of the reed warbler seen earlier by AS. BH had spotted redshank over calling. A kingfisher was showing well around no4 res today.The pochard have now increased to 35 , the little grebe were at 7 and 1 female ruddy duck.
Yesterday in the torrential rain a peregrine, a knot, common sandpiper and a female wheatear were the best of it.
A couple of highlights through the week were lesser spotted woodpecker seen in the ranch feeding in the sallows by A.S. and yellow wagtail seen on the causeway by B.C.

Prescot reservoir,
3 Spotted flycatchers, 1 willow warbler, 4 reed buntings in wheatear corner. The stonechat still present by the pond, 2 skylarks over and 11 meadow pipits. Adult med gull on no4 res.
Juv cormorant and 17 pochard on no3 reservoir. Common sandpiper on cauaseway and Bar tailed godwit calling over.
BH reports pintail and juv little gull yesterday. Both cracking birds for the res and bothI have yet to see here.
BC reports 4 wheatear and a whinchat on thursday.

Prescot reservoirs,

2nd winter med gull and 5 wigeon on no4 res. A swift over no3 res with house martins and swallows.1 snipe flushed from new pond. 1 spotted flycatcher, 2 chiffchaff and a willow warbler around bottom wood.8 grey wag and 10 pied wag today.

My lastest watercolour taken from a photo I took on a cold ,sunny, January morning in 2004 . A good winter for waxwings and these were on Queens drive by the queens pub in Liverpool.

Prescot res,
Med gull on no4 today, 3 sand martins, 13 pochard, 2 little grebe, 1 chiffchaff , 1 grey wag and 4 pied wags.

Crosby marina,
Firecrest in willows in s. e. corner of marina

Prescot rerservoirs,
An adult med gull on post around pr4, Red breasted goose flew over with 40 barnacles, 10 grey wagtails and 14 pied wagtails on the causeway. The juv stonechat still present in the ranch. 2 treecreepers, 10 long tailed tits, 1 coal tit, 1 male blackcap and 2 chiffchaff amongst the tit flock.