Pages

15 Mar 2008

At home in my adopted county.

I'm not originally from Cheshire but have made it my home and an enthusiastic local birder! All good birders should work a local patch and become immersed in birding within the county they live in. Hence my dedication to the Wirral & Cheshire. Its a great county to live in for birding and something suprising is always just around the corner - like these Eider off the N Wirral coast yesterday afternoon. Found by me and twitched by Mr Conlin. Superb!

Plenty of other birds around with Red-throated Diver & Razorbill being the best. Good numbers of Great-crested Grebes and Common Scoter were on the sea but no sign of any summer migrants in the paddocks around Leasowe Common & Lighthouse. Surmising the overnight conditions and early morning drizzle were likely to result in at least some grounded migrants I was up and out early this morning. Sure enough I found a immaculate male Wheatear feeding in pastures along the Birkett. The first of the year. Star bird however was a summer plumaged Water Pipit with a flock of 50+ Meadow Pipits in the fields opposite Park Lane Caravan site. My first summer plumaged bird for many a year..................

Earlier in the week I was able to catch up with a Night Heron at Mere Sands Wood lnr, Lancs. This bird is being touted as perhaps being of the N American race. Hmm. Can't see it myself.



No comments :