<\/p>\n
The first birding group outing of the Autumn term was to the Wirrall for a – not very – high tide of 9.3 metres at 10:23am. Although it was very misty pretty much all the way, by the time we got to Hoylake it had turned out to be a beautiful, sunny and windless day ! The only let-down was that the tide did not come in very far. Still, we got some good sightings anyway.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We had heard of a Little Stint having been sighted but we could not find it among the Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. The numbers of birds were a bit down on our visit the week before but we did get three juvenile Sandwich Terns and a dozen Grey Plover – all but moulted out of their summer plumage. As we watched we had a quick scan out by the wind turbines for Common Scoter and, although we only saw a few at first, later we saw a huge flock – officially counted as 2,700 !<\/p>\n
There were the usual dog walkers letting their dogs run at the birds and I even felt the need to shout at one about it ! after a couple of hours we decided to set off for Denhall Quay and a toastie at the Harp Inn. As we were leaving a chap said that the Little Stint was at the other end of the prom so we quickly got over there and found a woman who had it in her scope. We lined ours up and I may have got a glimpe of it before a dog got the mixed flock up and thereafter I couldn’t relocate it with any confidence. We did get a few Sanderling, though.<\/p>\n
Over at Denhall Quay we had our lunch and sat in the sun waiting for the birds to appear. We didn’t get a Hen Harrier which we had hoped we might but we did see the greatest number of Kestrels in the air at any one time ever; later we got a couple of Buzzards and, at last, a distant Hen Harrier.<\/p>\n
Those were the main interests at Debhall and so, after lunch, we headed off for Burton Mere Wetlands. We asked what was about and we were immediately directed to a Curlew Sanspiper right outside the reception hide window. After a quick look at it to get the tick, I went outside and got much better views without the smoked glass in the way. The light had got a bit better too, as the sun was getting lower in the sky. There were only the usual suspects otherwise. We got a few Snipe which was nice and some Ruff.<\/p>\n
So, apart from the Curlew Sandpiper it was a pretty average day but a lovely one none the less and a bit of an Indian Summer day.<\/p>\n
| Common Shelduck<\/td>\n | 20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Scoter<\/td>\n | 2700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Cormorant<\/td>\n | 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eurasian Oystercatcher<\/td>\n | 600<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grey Plover<\/td>\n | 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Ringed Plover<\/td>\n | 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Redshank<\/td>\n | 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eurasian Curlew<\/td>\n | 100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sanderling<\/td>\n | 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dunlin<\/td>\n | 200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Black-headed Gull<\/td>\n | 100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mew Gull<\/td>\n | 100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Herring Gull<\/td>\n | 300<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull<\/td>\n | 8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Black-backed Gull<\/td>\n | 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sandwich Tern<\/td>\n | 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carrion Crow<\/td>\n | 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common Starling<\/td>\n | 30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pied Wagtail<\/td>\n | 40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n Bird Sightings : Denhall Quay<\/h4>\n
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