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Aug 29 2018
Burton Mere Wetlands : 29th August 2018
We had hoped to get our first Spoonbills of the year with this quick return to Burton but we were out of luck with the birds already gone. On the other hand we were to early for the Osprey (which would also have been a UK first for the year.
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Aug 21 2018
Burton Mere Wetlands : 21st August 2018
Short of good ideas for a birding day out, given a mixed weather forecast, we opted for a return to Burton Mere Wetlands despite having been there recently. As it happened, we had a great day out getting forty-eight species including a couple of year ticks – and unlikely ones at that.
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Aug 14 2018
High Tide on the Wirral : Burton and Hoylake – 14th August 2018
After a long break away from birding, taking in all of July and the first half of August, we at last managed a day out to the Wirral for a high tide. We got a good range of birds including two year ticks and even a life tick!
Jul 08 2018
Birding Group Schedule Sep 18th – 4th December 2018
Birding Group Schedule Sep 18th – 4th December 2018
| 18-Sep-18 | Burton |
| 25-Sep-18 | Hoylake (high tide 12.03pm so perhaps preceded by a visit to Red Rocks or another to Burton). |
| 02-Oct-18 | Pennington Flash |
| 09-Oct-18 | Riverbank Road/Parkgate/Denhall Quay Autumn’s biggest Tuesday high tide @ approx 12.15pm at Parkgate |
| 16-Oct-18 | Moor |
| 23-Oct-18 | Old Moor |
| 30-Oct-18 | Sandbach Flashes |
| 06-Nov-18 | Frodsham Marshes (concentrate on no.6 tank, high tide approx 10.00am bringing in waders from Mersey mudflats) |
| 13-Nov-18 | Tatton Park |
| 20-Nov-18 | North Wales (Conwy ? Little Orme ? Llandullas ?) |
| 27-Nov-18 | Neumann’s and Haydn’e Flashes |
| 04-Dec-18 | Martin Mere & Pub Lunch |
Jun 30 2018
June 2018 Summary
June 2018 : Summary
UK Species Year List to June: 157
Total UK Species in June: 97
New “Year Ticks” in June: 25
New “Life Ticks” in June: 1
Jun 27 2018
Scotland Holiday Summary 13th – 27th June 2018
Summary
Our holiday in Scotland was amazing. We had some ups and downsin the weather and we failed to see some birds we would have liked to see (Manx Shearwaters, Skuas, Divers, Short-eared Owls) and others we would like to have seen more of (more Golden Eagles always!) but we did get some great views of some great birds and Mull, itself, is just fabulous. Our choice of “cottage” turned out to be exceptional so, even with the periods of bad weather, we managed very well overall.
Jun 27 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 15 : 27th June Coquet Island
We departed Musselburgh withthe intention of visiting friends near Morpeth. It crossed my mind that I might be able to squeeze in a boat trip out to Coqurt Island which leaves from Amble harbour. The plan worked out that while Anne had lunch with the friends, I would take the hour-long boat trip out there with the chance of getting a year-tick of Roseate Terns, one of the very few sites that offer a fair guarantee of seeing them.
Jun 26 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 14 : 26th June Aberlady Bay, North Berwick, Musselburgh
After out family meal of the night before we had a full day to ourselves so, after a nice breakfast at the Brunton Hall, we headed down the coast to Aberlady Bay. I forgot to set off the route recorder so it missed off the bit between Musselbury and Aberlady but we parked in the usual parking spot and took the wooden bridge on to the reserve. It is a fantastic reserve and my decision to take my scope with me gave us a few good sea birds as well as the usual land based ones.
Jun 25 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 13 : 25th June Dunoon and Musselburgh
As I looked out of the window of our hotel in Dunoon for the last time I got views of a pair of Black Guillemots and a small flock of Common EIders sailed past the ferry. It was a short ferry from Hunter’s Quay to Gourock and we were there in short time. From there there wasn’t much for it but to keep going around Glasgow to Ediburgh. The view up The River Clyde from Gourock was actually fascinating and not quite what one would expect. From Glasgow to Edinburgh was just what one would expect.