Conditions were very encouraging this morning - a bit of rain and plenty of cloud, with a nice north easterly blasting over the place, so Tropical, Bazzo and I had a look round the golf course and Marshside early on.
At least 7 singing Willow Warblers and three Chiffchaffs, plus four Blackcaps and a few Siskins between Hesketh Road and Marshside Road, with Swallows sweeping north fairly regularly through the rain.
The female Ruddy Duck was off the Hesketh Road platform again and a single Tree Pipit called over our heads here, before diving into the bushes of the Municipal Golf Course.
Four Wheatear and a Willow Warbler around the Sandplant, and brief snatches of Whitethroat song north of Sandgrounders Hide (where I note "Wild Merseyside" is still selling nicely - thank to everyone buying it - only nine copies left in there now!).
Hordes of Avocets here of course, and Bazzo had a Sedge Warbler in the bushes at the Marshside Road junction.
A few parties of White Wags headed north.
As Trops headed off for a hearty breakfast, Bazzo and I sauntered down to Nels, where a young Peregrine was putting the fear of God into the Blackwits, whooshing into them time and time again, before it singled out a victim and both birds disappeared to view over the road out onto the outer marsh.
Peregrine 1, Blackwit 0 I fear.
Plenty of Ruff coming into summer plumage now, and a few Golden Plover dropped in to say hello.
The rain lifted nearer 10am and a steady stream of House Martins with a few Swallows began to head north - I wonder if that was the same pulse that held Wirral's Red Rumped Swallow today?
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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16.4.09:6.45 - 9.40 RSPB Marshside:
3 Arctic Skua, 2 male Marsh Harrier, 1 Merlin, 2 Raven, 1 Rook, 2 Collared Dove, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Sedge Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 45 Swallow, 5 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin, 70 Meadow Pipit, 12 Mealy Redpoll, 50 Goldfinch, 75 Siskin, 1 Robin, 4 Wheatear, 1 Little Ringed Plover - all moving through.
Also 70 Avocet on site.
9 Wheatear at Marshside today, 5 female and 4 male, all behind what's left of Mount Baker. Singing Sedge Warbler in the scrub at the Marshside Rd/ Coast Road junction. Avocets all over Suttons Marsh, along with a few Black Tailed Godwits in breeding plumage.
Blue Headed Wagtail with about 20 White Wags on Curlew Lane this afternoon.
Tawny, Barn and Little Owls belong to one of the most secretive of BritainâÂÂs bird families,
and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) needs help in finding them for the largest ever
survey of the distribution of birds in Britain and Ireland.
Because of their largely nocturnal habits and their secretive behaviour, owls are one of the most difficult of
bird families to survey. The British Trust for Ornithology needs your help to find out where these birds breed
and how well they are doing. Hearing a Tawny Owl hooting in the autumn is a sure sign that these birds are
setting up a territory, this is when the distinctive âÂÂkee-wickâ calls are most often heard. Spring is the time of
year that these owls start to lay eggs and it will be towards the end of May before we start seeing fluffy owls
recently fledged from the nest. You can help the Bird Atlas project by recording the breeding status of
Tawny Owls in your area.
Along with Tawny Owl, weâÂÂre also looking for records of Barn Owl and Little Owl. Together, these three
common species of owl are under-recorded for the survey due to their nocturnal and crepuscular (twilight)
behaviour. Barn Owls tend to be most active at dawn and dusk and the sight of one hunting over rough
grassland during the summer months is the sort of evidence we are looking for. You may even have a pair
nesting on a nearby farm and can confirm local breeding.
Little Owl is the smallest of the owls that are found in Britain and can often be seen sat on fence posts, farm
machinery or on top of farm buildings during the daytime. By recording any Little Owls that you see, you will
help the BTO get a clearer picture of their distribution.
The Bird Atlas project started recording for its second breeding season on 1 April and weâÂÂre looking for
records of these widespread yet secretive owls. Recording the breeding evidence is a vital part of the Atlas
fieldwork â you need all your detective skills to hand! Listening for birds regularly calling, looking for birds
carrying food or chancing upon a recently fledged youngster are all ways you can contribute to the Atlas.
You can enter your records online at www.birdatlas.net (register and follow links to Roving Records) or by
requesting a form from BTO. In addition to the common owls, all other species you see in the breeding
season can be recorded, and by gathering records over a four-year period we will be able to compile
comprehensive species maps and start to investigate changes in distributions since the last Breeding Atlas
in 1988-91. For information on how to record breeding evidence see,
http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/bevidenceowls.htm