Leighton Moss Weekend - 28/29th June

DATE: Sat 28th -29th June 2014
WEATHER: Warm and Sunny

Our 23rd Wedding Anniversary and we spent a fantastic weekend in Silverdale. We stayed at the Silverdale Hotel, recently under new management, hopefully they will find their feet soon. The Hotel itself was OK, it was clean, food was great although way too much on your plate.

We spent two days at Leighton Moss and only saw a fraction of the site, day one we made the 50 meter journey to the Feeding station and the Lilian hide after a relaxing stay it was time to go for out late dinner.

Sunday we nipped down to the Shore and sat in bright sunshine for a while looking across the bay, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Black Headed Gulls having a few tiffs, Oystercatchers keeping themselves to themselves.

Then back to Leighton Moss and this time we ventured further afield to to the hides further round, first the Tim Jackson Hide and then Grisedale Hide about 1.5Km from the visitors centre.

Amongst the birds at the Grisedale Hide magnificent Red Deer, very nice to see.

Day 1 - Bird List

Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit*, Pheasant, Magpie, Mallards, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Robin (adult and Juveniles)

Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Gadwall, Heron

Highlight of the day was the Marsh Harriers - Male/Female and young hunting.


Day 2 - Bird List

As Above plus, Pochard (watching the female teaching very buoyant chicks to dive, very funny them bobbing straight back up),Little Egret, Greylag Geese, Shoveler, Moorhen with chicks that were that small they looked like they had just hatched, never seen anything so tiny on the water, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Marsh Harrier again, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coot with very very young chicks, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat.

Heard and  could never find Gold Crest.

Photo's to follow (Slight technical issues)

Chorlton Water Park with RSPB

RSPB Event at Chorlton WP. Different events set up for the families camping out for the Big Sleepout. Great Day had by the local Stockport group and everyone else I think.

3 Kingfisher
Kestrel
Reed Bunting
Heron
Great Crested Grebe
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Crow
Magpie
Canada Geese
Mallard

Blackcap (heard)
Chiffchaff (heard)

MCR Peregrines - 17th June

They are changing very quickly, looks like all their downy feathers are gone

The one out of the box is eating something....

Related: Webcam

Drawings and Watercolours

My attempt to record sightings with drawings and water colours. 

I'm quite happy better than I thought and it looks like a Kestrel so that's good.

This is one of a Heron on the Mersey;

 

Reed Bunting singing in the Hogweed.

MCR Peregrines - 13/6/2014

Looks like they were posing for this...

MCR Peregrines - 11th June 13:05

Check these out now - They have almost lost their downy feathers and looking more like a bird of prey.

Related:
Wikipage
Live Webcam

Stretford Meadows - Sun 9th June

Time 5.15pm
Weather: Cloudy with light showers, 12C

Very Quiet on the meadows today however,

6 Great Tits
3 Goldfinch
2 Blackbird (M)
2 Swifts
1 Kestrel

It was nice to see the Kestrel hunting, I haven't seen it for a while.

Also a Speckled Wood Butterfly, Poplar Rd end of the meadows;

This bird is a brand new species discovered by zoologists at Trinity College

RESEARCHERS FROM DUBLIN’S Trinity College have discovered a new species of bird on a chain of islands off Indonesia.
The group of zoologists made the discovery of the previously unrecognised bird, which they are proposing be called the Wakatobi flowerpecker, after the group of islands it was found on.

Image: Trinity College

Read more.....here

Stretford Meadows 3rd June

6-7.15pm
Light Cloud, 12C

17+ Swift
1 Swallow
5 Goldfinch
2 Whitethroat
2 Male Blackbird
1 Female Blackbird
Magpies and Woodpigeons

Bird-brained: Man attempts to smuggle dozens of BIRDS in his TROUSERS

Bird-brained: Man attempts to smuggle dozens of BIRDS in his TROUSERS

The lengths some people will go to - Very very sad! Some of the birds were dead, have a read of the full article.

 Read more....here

MCR Peregrines 3/June/14

Chicks are beginning to get their adult feathers and today one of the chicks has decided to have a look around outside the nest box.

Checked back and the chick was back in the box and off that precarious ledge around 1.10pm

RELATED: Live Webcam

Mersey Vale Nature Park - Stockport

Mon 2nd June
7pm - 8.15pm
Raining
Habitat can be seen in the image below;

Started with very light rain that came down heavier as we ventured downstream on the Mersey. Not a brilliant night but I did see quite a few Sand Martin feeding which was excellent;

Robin, Blackbird, Grey Heron, Song Thrush, Canada Geese (4 Goslings), Mallards, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Swift and Sand Martin.

Approx 25+ Sand Martin using the bank for nesting holes. Above the eye line they looked jet black however once they came down and skimmed the water you could see how brown they actually were. You could clearly see that there was no white rump visible. The Wren was also popping in and out of the nest holes.

A silightly different walk today...

Sunday 1st June 2014 12.45pm - 4pm

Today Beth and I took Poppy out for a long walk, part of our healthy living plan :o). The weather was extremely hot so we took the opportunity to see some different things instead of birds.

A Victoria Sponge you say!!
A nice stop over at Cafe Ark (next to the Visitors Centre at SWP) was a welcomed stop, fresh water for the dog and some energy food for us (One of the best pieces of Victoria Sponge I have ever had), excellent homemade food and plenty of tables around for everyone, even on a day like today. I'll be taking Jackie to try it out soon - Cheese and onion pie has been recommended.

Anyway what did we see? Dragonflies, Butterflies, Moths and Plants, here are some favourites;

A Cinnabar Moth, the lavae feed on the poisonous Ragwort plant (below)

A Pyramidal Orchid, there seems to be quite a few over the meadows, apparently it is/was rare and was declared Orchid of the Year in 1990 to heighten awareness of this plant. The pyramidal orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Genus Anacamptis of the family Orchidaceae.

Finally some great butterflies, the Peacock being one of them.