Winter

The thermometer plunged this week with heavy frosts and snow experienced locally. The local council are doing a lot of work in Stanney Woods so, keen to see what was going on, I went with Molly Friday afternoon. The main ponds have been dredged and some of the encroaching trees cleared to make them more attractive t oinvertebrates. Hopefully they'll still attract the amphibians. New hard paths have also been laid. Ideal for the local scallies to get around on at nght whilst filling the ponds with their empty tins and bottles!
Quite a few birds around with Redpools being hear but not located and the usual woodland supsects all being seen or heard. Scraping a few fallen leaves away with my boot attracted a Robin for a few posed photo's.

Walking the stubble fields Sunday proved there had been some cold weather movement with two Snipe & a Jack Snipe being flushed from a flooded portion of the field. A couope of Bramblings were heard callling in the large mixed finch flock but couldn't be located whislt a few Lapwings passed overhead on a beautiful afternoon when both the moon and sun were on show together.

A late night Saturday night meant a bit of  later start going to Hilbre Sunday - with the temperature down to -5 C I'd reached West Kirby before the Landrover warmed up enough for some heat to come from the heater! Fantastic views across the West Hoyle to Point of Ayr and beyond to snow-capped Welsh  mountains.

Not many passerines today but a couple of new Blackbirds were ringed with wing measurements suggesting they were continental birds. Most of the avian action was centred around the Brents and waders. For some reason everything was easily spooked today but Golden Plover, Grey Plover and Snipe were good Hilbre records.

 Spot the Grey Plover above!

 The Brent flock includes a couple of colour ringed birds - these have travelled phenomenal distances to vist Hilbre. See here for details of where these birds have come from.