{"id":6751,"date":"2018-02-02T16:57:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T16:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.billneil.co.uk\/blogs\/birding\/?p=6751"},"modified":"2018-02-03T11:19:51","modified_gmt":"2018-02-03T11:19:51","slug":"high-tide-of-the-wirral-2nd-february-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.billneil.co.uk\/blogs\/birding\/2018\/02\/high-tide-of-the-wirral-2nd-february-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"High Tide of The Wirral 2nd February 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nThe first high tide of the year that we were able to get to was a 10 metre tide at 12.21pm. We drove up to Burton Mere Wetlands to stop off for a coffee and comfort break and had a quick look around first. As soon as we entered the reception hide we could see a Marsh Harrier flying low over the reeds just by the Marsh Covert Hide. We only had about half an hour so we took a walk up to the barn hoping that the recorded sighting of Little Owl was going to work for us – it didn’t. However there were some nice birds.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

These included a single Fieldfare in the field looking dazzling on what was an uncommonly sunny day. A splendid year tick came in my first Chiffchaff of the year – seen at head height about 20 feet away ! Presumably it had over-wintered. We also got a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying by. In fact, as soon as we had got out of the car, we heard a GSW drumming repeatedly – again a first for the year. A Kestrel gave us another bird of prey for the day but apart fromthe usual suspects these were the best birds.<\/p>\n

We oved on to Parkgate and, despite it being a Friday and us being an hour and a half before the high tide, the place was rammed with no parking available on the promendade, on the ramp , outside the pub or in the car park itself. Rather than getting stuck in a trafic jam we diverted straight away to Riverbank Road. It was quite a sedate affair and, although the water came in a fair way, it wasn’t a “spectacular” We did, however, get a Ringtail Hen Harrier and a Peregrine, a Merlin and Buzzrd. No Owls, though !<\/p>\n

We did also get a small group of Common Scoter out on the water and the marsh was full of Skylarks and MEadow Pipits.<\/p>\n

Shortly after high tide, we drove off up to New Brighton to take a look at the Marine Lake and that was pretty full of a mixed flock of Purple Sandpipers, Dunlin, Redshanks and Turnstones as expected.<\/p>\n

All in all not a spectacular and the incredible numbers at Parkgate was a bit depressing – where have all these people come from !! But it was a beautifully sunny day and after a long January of rain and darkness it was great to get out and get some good birds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Black-headed Gull<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Black-tailed Godwit<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blackbird<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blue Tit<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canada Goose<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carrion Crow<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chaffinch<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chiffchaff<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coot<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cormorant<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fieldfare<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Goldfinch<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Great Spotted Woodpecker<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Great Tit<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greenfinch<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greylag Goose<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kestrel<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mallard<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marsh Harrier<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moorhen<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuthatch<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Redshank<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Robin<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shoveler<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Teal<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wigeon<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bird Sightings : Riverbank Road<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Buzzard<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canada Goose<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Common Scoter<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Curlew<\/td>\n40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grey Heron<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hen Harrier<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Little Egret<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Meadow Pipit<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Merlin<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oystercatcher<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peregrine<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shelduck<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Skylark<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Teal<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wigeon<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bird Sightings : New Brighton Marine Lake<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Black-headed Gull<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dunlin<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Herring Gull<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pied Wagtail<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Purple Sandpiper<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Redshank<\/td>\n200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Starling<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Turnstone<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first high tide of the year that we were able to get to was a 10 metre tide at 12.21pm. We drove up to Burton Mere Wetlands to stop off for a coffee and comfort break and had a quick look around first. As soon as we entered the reception hide we could see … <\/p>\n

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