August 2017 archive

Aug 31 2017

August 2017 Summary

August 2017 Summary

UK Species Year List to August: 186
Total UK Species in August: 80
New “Year Ticks” in August: 4
New “Life Ticks” in August: 2

New “Year Ticks” in August:

Black Guillemot on Isle of Rum on 1st August 2017

Manx Shearwater on Isle of Rum on 1st August 2017

Green Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands on 16th August

Pectoral Sandpoiper at Burton Mere Wetlands Gronant on 31st August

New “Life Ticks” in August

Great Sku on Isle of Rum on 1st August 2017

Purple Heron at RSPB Leighton Moss on the 24th August

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Aug 31 2017

Pectoral Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands 31st August 2017


On the last day of the month we decided to go up to the Wirral to look at some sites that we had not previously been to but first we dropped off at Burton Mere Wetlands to see if we could find the Pectoral Sandpiper that we had heard was showing fromthe reception hide. Unfortunately nobody had seen it yet that day but we did get Cattle Egret and Black Swan. There were also some Dunlin and Snipe, which we had not seen at Burton recently.

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Aug 24 2017

RSPB Leighton Moss Purple Heron 24th August 2017


  The BirdGuides reporting service had been listing a juvenile Purple Heron as being seen regularly from the Grisedale hide at RSPB Leighton Moss so we drove up there hoping it was still there. When we got to the hide photographers were obviously hogging the prime positions and not moving and this was exascerbated by the fact that the bird was only really visible from the left side window wwhich meant that only three people could get seats. Everyone else had to stand behind each other straining for a view ! To add to that, the bird was walking through the reeds and wasn’t easy to see and was heading left and out of sight. However, we did manage to get views of it eventually even though they were restricted to the top part of the body, the neck and head mainly.

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Aug 16 2017

Burton Mere Wetlands and Connah’s Quay : 16th August 2017


The first opportunity we had to get out and about birding after our Scotland holiday was a trip to Burton Mere Wetlands on a fine, warm day. Our visit got off to a great start when we were informed that one of the adult Cattle Egrets was standing on one of the islands of the scrape, rght in front of the reception. Additionally, to the left, on the pool right by  the hide was a Green Sandpiper showing really well. This latter was a first for the year for us. There were more interesting bird s to follow.

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Aug 02 2017

Birding Holiday in Scotland 22nd July – 2nd August 2017

Our Scotland break this year took in visits to all the various branches of my family and covered the Lothians, Fife, Aberdeenshire, the highlands and the islands. Over the period we got ninety species including two”life ticks” and ten other “year ticks” Our trip is described in full below.

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