Visit to Marshside RSPB 12th December 2013

Visit to Marshside RSPB 12th December 2013

I had been reading about a sighting of a Baikal Teal that had been seen at RSPB Marshside on Sutton’s Marsh, viewable from the path and just behind the sewage works so we decided to drive up thereto see if luck would shine on us. Of interest, also, were reports of a Possibly/probably (?) escaped Ross’s Goose and a Long-tailed Duck. With three chances like that we thought we would bound to be lucky at least with one or more of them if not all. So it was with high hopes we set off on a not too bad day, weather-wise.

We took the usual route we take to Martin Mere, up the M60, M62, M6 turning off at junction 27 but we turned off the A5209 to Rufford and then up to the A565. We turned left there and this brought us around to Marine Drive without having to go through Southport and since Sutton’s Marsh is on that side it was the most direct route. As we neared it we could see several cars parked on a small lay-by and, luckily, there was one space left so we got parked and joined the other birders. The field itself was completely chock-full of Wigeon and there were not too many Teal of any kind there. None of the birders we met had seen it so far today so we headed off down the path at the back of the sewage works and we went as far as the start of the adjoining field, Rimmer’s Marsh, but still we had no luck. We probably spoke to thirty people and none had seen any trace of it. It had gone lunch time so we thought we would head into Southport for a cup of tea and then return in a bit to see what the situation was then.

When we returned we started off by parking at the main reserve car park and were just walking down to the Sandgrousers Hide when we ran into a friend of ours from our birding group and he told us that he had just seen the Long-tailed Duck at the Junction Pool viewing screen which was just opposite where we parked but, keen to see at least one of our target birds, we walked all the way back there and we were not disappointed. At the back of the pond where it runs off into a rivulet we saw a splash and a long time later a bird surfaced. No sooner had it done so than it was back down again and this repeated itself over and over with long gaps whilst it was under water. Fortunately, after a little while, it decided to float on the surface for a while and we got very good views indeed, even if the plumage was not perfect in December. Be that as it may it was clearly a Long-tailed Duck and This was by far the best view we had had. In Scotland earlier in the year we got brief views of one flying over the water out at sea but it was nowhere as good as these views.

Happy that we had got our first target bird, we headed back to the Sandgrousers Hide to see what else was on offer !
Straight away we saw the Ross’s Gull off to the left of the hide on the edge of the land bordering an outflow of the main pool. It was grazing away but we could clearly see its bill and the black at the rear that was the folded trailing wing edges of the bird, jet black against the otherwise white of the Goose. I asked about the bird and was told that its origin was not known but that it was not ringed. Basically the reserve volunteer told me that it was a long way from home (Canada)and that its “tickability” was dependent upon how desperate you were. Well I was desperate because I was dead level on my year ticks with the 2012 tally and I was desperate to exceed that number by at least one of I could. I kept my own counsel on this hoping that a sighting of the Baikal Teal would give me this extra tick.

Whilst we were there the rain started coming down so we took the opportunity to look at the other species there and we counted Pintail, Shelduck, Greylag, Canada and Pink-footed Geese, Little Egret, Shoveler, Wigeon, Common Teal, Grey Heron, Little Grebe and a Black-tailed Godwit. When the rain stopped we headed back for a second look at the Long-tailed Duck but it was even more submerged than before. We headed back to the car as as we did so we saw a flock of Goldfinches and as I was getting into the car I just caught sight of a Reed Bunting.

We drove past the places where we had looked earlier for the Baikal Teal and there was no activity. The next day I looked at the sightings web sites and it appears that we missed it by one day – infuriating, but not uncommon. Putting a positive spin on things we had had a really good day and we had great views of the Long-tailed Duck. But would I have to rely on a “desperate tick” to exceed my 2012 year list ? – Only time will tell whether the Goose turns out to be accepted or not and, if not, I only have another nineteen days of 2013 to get that extra bird – or two !!

We had found a useful google maps area map with annotations that we used and it contains very useful information about the area. It also includes Hesketh Out Marsh, Martin Mere WWT and Mere Sands Woods as well.

Bird Sightings : Marshside RSPB