November 2018 : Summary
UK Species Year List to November : 171
Total UK Species in November : 77
New “Year Ticks” in November : 2
New “Life Ticks” in November : 1
Year ticks in November
- Brent Goose at West Kirby Marine Lake on 11th November 2018
- Water Rail at Burton Mere Wetlands on 11th November 2018
Life ticks in November
- Velvet Scoter on High Rid Reservoir near Bolton on 25th November 2018
Summary
It was the 11th of the month before we got out birding and that was a trip up to the Wirral where we managed to get a couple of year ticks, a Water Rail at Burton and a nice flock of Brent Geese just off Kirby. We did miss out on the rare Pied Wheatear at Meols but we had thirty-eight species on the day and it was a good day out
We missed the first birding group outing for November on the 6th which was to Tatton Park but by all accounts it was quiet. The following week was to be Frodsham but there was a bit of confusion and in the end we opted for Pennington Flash on the 13th November where we got the usual good variety of birds if nothing special.
We had an afternoon out at Tatton Park on the 17th but that was with family so we weren’t doing any serious birding. We managed to get a Pintail on Melchett Mere but that was about the only interest. We still had our visitors on the 20th so we missed that birding day which I believe was supposed to be Neumann’s Flash.
On the 25th we made a Sunday morning trip out to a very cold and windy High Rid Reservoir near Bolton where we got a life tick (female) Velvet Scoter
On the 27th we went to Burton Mere Wetlands for a birding group day but there were only five of us. Despite the poor weather we managed to fit in a couple of hours before the day turned very wet and we did manage to get a nice collection of birds including a great winter flock of mixed finches and tits – and even, increasingly rarely seen, a Treecreeper.
In the garden, the colder weather has started bring in good numbers of Goldfinch, House Sparrows (from over the ginnel) and Blue Tits as well as occasional Long-tailed Tits and Coal Tits. Blackbirds have reappeared but, of course, so have the Feral Pigeons and Squirrels. He have a Robin, a Dunnock and, I think, a Wren.
By the last few days of the month the weather had turned very wet and that was the cue for the end of our birding month