BIRDING WITH YOUR GROUP LEADER 

 Hello everyone,

                        The group’s weekend tour of Norfolk went really well, except for the wet weather!!  We visited lots of wonderful sites and saw some very special birds.  I have to say my favourite sighting was the 3 male Montagu’s harriers and being able to watch a male doing a food pass to the female.  Watching Stone Curlew chicks with their parents and looking at the various colour rings on the Woodlarks was also exceptional.  Unfortunately we missed out on Common Crane and Golden Oriole at RSPB Lakenheath reserve but maybe next time.  The accommodation was excellent.  Food and drinks were also first class.  The group saw over 100 species which considering the weather was a good turn out.  It was a good experience for lots of the members on the trip and maybe we will look to run a weekend away every year if there is enough interest and support!

NEW STYLE WALKS FOR NEXT YEAR.

3 of next year’s walks will be of a different style.  These walks are to help you to get to know your birds of various habitats.  The idea behind them is to look at birds in local sites specialising in certain habitats, such as woodland, farmland, estuary.  We have looked at the normal walks and decided that these would create a good opportunity to help benefit the members and the public who aren’t sure if they know there birds well enough.  These walks will be for 2hours and at a local site.  Hope you enjoy them.

Februarys weekend outing was a circular walk around Carr Mill Dam.  It was a fairly quiet walk but nevertheless a rewarding day.  A slow start around the dam ended with a rousing finale, with the sighting of a flock of 8 Tree Sparrows, a low flying Buzzard and a large mixed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings.

Two days after Carr Mill it was time for a local midweek outing.  Childwall Woods is an excellent local site.  Although good numbers of birds were seen, the most numerous were the grey squirrels.  Lots of woodland species were seen but the superb views of Goldcrest and Treecreeper were everyone’s highlight.

A heavy driving rain storm at the start of the Llanfairfechan seawatch saw us all scurrying off to RSPB Conwy.  I have to say that this reserve has developed into a real gem.  The latest addition to the reserve is a bigger shop and a school room.  What used to be the first shop and hide has been turned in to a new café with posh couch’s, that’s relaxed birding if ever I saw it!  Although what a way to wait for water rail or watch the birds feeding.

Eastham Country Park on the Wirral offers some of the best views of Liverpool and the Mersey .  The March visit allows you to see the changes in the birds that are using the woods, as well as seeing the waders change into breeding plumage.  The main highlights were 3 Sparrowhawks displaying together plus excellent views of Jay, Nuthatch and Turnstone.

The third and final outing in March was to Calderstones Park. Liverpool is blessed with having many big public parks which have lots of common birds.  If you are lucky enough to live close to any of these parks you will see the birds feeding in your gardens.  Good views of Great Spotted Woodpecker, various finch's and tit flocks were noted.

   April time is migrant time and the walk at Lydiate offered a good chance of sighting any passing through.  The walk actually coincided with the Grand National and it was warm and sunny and that brought a lot of the butterflies out as well.  Soon after starting the walk they sighted a popular summer visitor, the house martin.  During the rest of the walk Yellowhammer, Reed bunting, Willow warbler were added.  However, compared to the thousands of punters at Aintree still waiting for their horse to find the finishing post, our trip ended on a high with the close up sighting of a Swallow.

TOTAL NUMBER OF BIRDS SEEN             79