March 2015 archive

Mar 31 2015

Summary : March 2015

Summary : March 2015

New Species added to 2015 Year List in March = 7

Running Total for the 2015 UK So Far = 101

New UK Life List Birds In March = 0

Our Garden

March saw the garden alive with birds. A pair of Dunnocks and at least one pair of Robins are seen frequently. With the foliage in the garden still a bit sparse, a Wren has been showing well. Blackbirds are busy and the Blue, Great and Coal Tits have been plentiful. Well, one Blue Tit was seen by a neighbour in the talons of a Sparrowhawk so we have lost one at least. On the fifth we had two Mistle Thrushes on the bird table and on the lawn. These two birds visited daily for the rest of the month. Another neighbour saw a pair of Bullfinches in the rose bush at the bottom of the garden. On the 22nd we discovered a large number of grey feathers under the Fuscia bush – the Sparrowhawk by the look of it.
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Mar 31 2015

Birding Group Visit to RSPB Marshside : 31st March 2015

Birding Group Visit to RSPB Marshside : 31st March 2015

The last birding group day of the month – indeed of the term – was to RSPB Marshside. As usual it was blowing a gale so hard that it was hard not to get blown over. Although it wasn’t raining when we got out of the car, it didn’t take long before it started. Happily we were inside the Sandgrousers Hide by then. The weather was having a dramatic effect on the numbers of birds to be seen but we did at least get one year tick there.

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Mar 27 2015

RSPB Leighton Moss : 27th March 2015

RSPB Leighton Moss : 27th March 2015

After we left Sizergh we drove down to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve again, this time parking at the top of the causeway first and walking down to the public hide. The star attractions here were at least three Marsh Harriers and possibly more and a pair of Otters.

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Mar 27 2015

Hawfinch Watch at Sizergh Castle : 27th March 2015

Hawfinch Watch at Sizergh Castle : 27th March 2015

We had last gone to Sizergh Castle for the Hawfinch Watch in early March 2012 and that had been very successful. There had been several cold winters, however, and the numbers of native birds had been boosted by foreign birds escaping the colder parts of Europe. Since then we had had much milder winters and this had led to many fewer birds around since the. Or, at least, that is what the National Trust warder told us. So it was with a little trepidation that we stood on the cafe verandah – a bunch of around 20 of us – awaiting our first bird. It started off looking not so good as the first forty-five minutes passed without event.

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Mar 26 2015

RSPB Leighton Moss : 26th March 2015

RSPB Leighton Moss : 26th March 2015

We decided to take a trip up to Sizergh Castle for a Hawfinch spotting morning and decided to throw in a couple of visits to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. The last time we visited here in similar circumstances we had had three fantastic “life ticks” – a “redhead” Smew, a Snow Goose and a Glossy Ibis. This time we weren’t so lucky but the Marsh Harriers at Leighton Moss are always worth a visit anyway and there is always a chance of a rarity.

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Mar 24 2015

Birding Group Visit to Frodsham Marsh : 24th March 2015

Birding Group Visit to Frodsham Marsh : 24th March 2015

A fairly quiet day on the marshes. We started off at the usual path leading to the Weaver Bend. A fair number of species but numerically modest. A few Goldeneye could be found with a bit of effort and a small group including Gadwall, Teal and Redshank. Curlews flew over in small numbers and a couple (at least) of Kestrels showed themselves. Other than that the highlight was some Ravens fighting with Carrion Crows over the remains of dead sheep over by the farm. Some very wet intervals and even a touch of hail !
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Mar 22 2015

High Tide at Parkgate : 23rd March 2015

High Tide at Parkgate : 23rd March 2015

Another chance for a high tide at Parkgate wasn’t to be missed and at 10.2 at 12.20pm the height and timing could not have been better. The problem was that it was a beautiful windless and very sunny day – not always what you want at Parkgate where a lot of low pressure and a bit of wind always helps to draw the water in. It being a Sunday we weren’t sure whether we would get a parking place near the RSPB car park where we normally view the marsh from. On the plus side, it was the third high tide day so the marsh had been soaking up water for a couple of days already. What would we find then ?

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Mar 17 2015

Birding Group Visit to Burton Mere Wetlands : 17th March 2015

Birding Group Visit to Burton Mere Wetlands : 17th March 2015

In a change of schedule we swopped our planned venue for Burton Mere Wetlands. This gave those members of the group that had not already seen the Long-eared Owl to try for it. Although the bird had moved from its previous location we eventually found it on our way back from Inner Marsh Farm hide with the help of a friendly volunteer who was actually stationed there to prevent photographers from harassing the bird. It was in a much better position so we got better views than we had previously managed.

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Mar 10 2015

Birding Group Visit to Marbury Park : 10th March 2015

Birding Group Visit to Marbury Park : 10th March 2015

The birding group visit this week was to Marbury Park. It was a pretty quiet affair really. Wes searched the reed bed for Bittern but to no avail. Budworth Mere had the usual Cormorants and Black-headed Gulls on posts and the water held mainly large numbers of Great Crested Grebe and Tufted Duck with just a single Pochard mixed in. At the feeder station there were the usual birds that we had already seen at the bird table at the mere hide; Tits, Nuthatch and the like. In the woods we found a Great-spotted Woodpecker but really the high points of the day were as we left.

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Mar 05 2015

Birding Group Visit to Sandbach Flashes : 3rd March 2014

Birding Group Visit to Sandbach Flashes : 3rd March 2014

A brisk morning at Sandbach Flashes saw a rather small birding group party – just six people including us three ! As usual, though, you can expect a nice range of birds. We didn’t do too well on waders but there was an attractive mixed group of Fieldfare and Redwing feeding on the grassy slopes at the left of Elton Hall Flash. With them were a couple of Pied Wagtails and a single Song Thrush.

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