Thanks to Gary Gorner who sent me these shots of Black Necked Grebe, which he watched during a tour of the Wigan Flashes last week.
Gary also had Red Crested Pochard n Smew, so it was a pretty good day!
They always strike me as mean looking little birds do Black Neckeds, probably down to that beady little red eye....give me a nice bug-eyed Pied Billed anyday, far more friendly.
Steve Fletcher called me this today after he saw a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the wing in Woolton on Tuesday - presumably an adult that has hibernated around there.
Hummingird Hawks pulled off the same trick on the Wirral a year or two back, so you never know, if the weather gets a bit warmer, they may be calling into your garden sooner than you think this year....
Anyway, back to work, but the weather looks good to connect with Wheatear at the weekend, and maybe the odd hirundine or two.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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hi, john
Had at least 5 white wagtails at seaforth from the fence this afternoon, and a load of mipits. stunning views of a skylark. if the weather's decent tomorrow i might go to Marshside. no sign of any little gulls or wheatears today.
The Pec Sand reared its ugly head at the marsh again yesterday and today(29th) and on both occasions turned out to be a Reeve (the same one). Mike Mck. was asked to comfirm identification yesterday and Bazzo, Trops and myself where asked today!
Anyway we caught up with 4 Little Stints and 12 Knot (very unusual) at Nells. A Curlew Sand and "The Teal" at Sandgrounders, elsewhere 4 Wheatears at the point and a couple of Chiffs on the golfcourse.
Driving down the Knowsley Expressway towards the Speke Road at about 5pm this Wednesday 28th March I spotted what I first thought was a buzzard.
Then I noticed that the wings seemed swept back a bit and that - as it was almost over my vehicle - that its middle tail feathers seemed to be missing.
Trying not to tail gate the vehicles stopping for the traffic lights, I couldn't [despite it 'going over the top' of me] be 100% certain whether it was a kite.
Apparently there has been one in north Cheshire recently. The road was very busy - so I was wondering whether anyone else saw the bird.
Or was it "just another buzzard"? Eyes to the sky not advisable when on busy road!!!
Duncan.
Had a Harris' Hawk at Banks today. When I first saw (over the copse leading out to the sea wall south of Old Hollow) it was being mobbed by crows, showing a big white rump, and carrying i thought, twigs. Closer view showed jesses, tatty tail feathers (no white end visible), blackish body and flight feathers and dark rufous wing coverts. Bare parts pale. Slightly smaller and more chunky than nearby Buzzard (which it attempted to follow) with a sort of wheezy drawn out "caaaaaw" call.
I saw a geezer with a 'awk on wrist a couple of weeks ago near the Douglas so ??? This one seemed to respond (flew overhead) when I did a circling action with my arm as if I was whirling a lure thingy.
Not much else, Wheatear and a pair of Goldcrests at Old Hollow ,
Ron
Ta Ron,
The image of you twirling your arms about like a dervish to interest a passing falconer's bird is one I shall treasure till closing time tonight....
By 'Wigan Flashes' do you mean Woolton Eyes?
If so how do you get there? I keep meaning to go but have been baffled as to the route (from Liverpool)
If not, where are they?
Jim
I think you mean Woolston Eyes Jim - they're lagoons alnogside the Manchester Ship Canal basically under the Thewall Viaduct.
I think you still need a permit to visit.
Best bet is a good OS map.
There are quite a few flashes around Wigan, with Pennington Flash perhaps being the most visited (off the East Lancs Road), again a godd OS map is the way to find 'em all,
John
Thanks John
I do know Pennington, I go there quite a lot but I must try for Woolston some time
Jim