October 10, 2012 archive

Afternoon Visit to Rostherne Mere 10th October 2012

Afternoon Visit to Rostherne Mere 10th October 2012

After our rather disappointing visit to Sandbach Flashes we decided, after a spot of lunch at the Bells of Peover, to drop in on the hide at Rostherne Mere. We had previously been there most recently during the Open Day when we joined the Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society (CAWOS) and also got an eighteen month’s subscription to use the hide at Rostherne Mere. When we arrived there were, as we expected, a few local birders installed in one of the two sections of the hide. They looked like they were permanent fixtures and I think we expected this sort of thing. However, instead of steely looks, as we reached the door of the hide a chap who was smoking his pipe outside the hide made us feel very welcome and for starters straight away pointed out to us a lifer for us – a pair of Common Scoter near the far side of the mere.

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Morning Visit to Sandbach Flashes 10th October 2012

Morning Visit to Sandbach Flashes 10th October 2012

We missed the first birding group date of the month which was at Sandbach Flashes due to a dental appointment but we did go there the following day by way of keeping up with what the birding group is doing. We started off by parking on the left side of the road overlooking Pump House Flash and the higher ground behind it. There were were around 250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 100 Wigeon, 1 Mute Swan, ten Mallard, a few Cormorants, Moorhen. Lapwing and Coot. In the surrounding trees we saw a Sng Thrush and Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon and Magpies.

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