Black-necked Grebe returns and Ring-billed Gull drops in.

Monday 1st February 2010,

overcast at first becoming sunnier,NW2-3.

The Black-necked Grebe has returned to Crosby marina ,having moved to saltier waters in the docks during the big freeze earlier last month.Also here were 7 Red-breasted Mergansers and 22 Goldeneyes.Three Stonechats and 14 Pied Wagtails fed along the tideline, thick with flotsam and jetsam deposited by the very high tides.

Large numbers of Gulls were sitting out the big tide at Seaforth and close scrutiny produced 4 ad Yellow-legged Gulls and two adw Med Gulls.At 2.15pm the wintering adult Ring-billed Gull dropped in.It bathed on the freshwater pool for two minutes before heading towards the beach.

Eighteen Scaup were also here along with 66 Black-tailed Godwits.

North Wales.

Saturday 30th January 2010,

sunny with cold north-westerly.

The North Wales coast beckoned today with our first stop being Pensarn.Large numbers of Common Scoter were present but no sign of yesterdays Surf Scoters.Some recompense however were the 22+ Velvet Scoters present.Some reasonable `scope views in flight and one male in particular showed well on the sea.Also a few Red-throated Divers,Fulmars and distant Auks were noted here.

Heading west, we arrived at Lligwy Bay on the eastern side of Anglesey to the news that the Bonapartes Gull had just flown off.A couple of hours and much scanning later, the dainty American Larid reappeared at the south end of this picturesque beach and showed well for the next half-hour.Quite a vocal bird , it fed in the surf and showed its thin black bill, transluscent primary panel and pale pink-orange legs at 50m range.This was my 10th Bonaparte`s Gull in the UK.

Other birds seen here included a winter-plumaged Black Guillemot, 10+ Red=throated Divers and several Great Crested Grebes,Red-breasted Mergansers and a pair of Ravens.

Norwegian Common Gulls.

Several colour-ringed Common Gulls have been logged at Seaforth this winter.The Gulls roosting on the frozen pool allowing the ring numbers to be read.Information has been received on the following two birds;

"J3A9" was ringed at Marvika,Kristiansand,Southern Norway as a 4+cy male on 20.7.2009, the distance between the two sites being 866km.This bird was first seen at Seaforth in December and has been seen several times in January.

"JE21" was ringed at Tinneia,Kristiansand,Southern Norway as a 4+cy on 22,4,2006, the distance being 861km between the sites.

At least two other birds have been noted at Seaforth which appear to be part of this ringing program in Norway...it is interesting to speculate about our now regular wintering Ring-billed Gull.Does this head to Norway in the Spring too?

Up the coast.

Thursday 28th January 2010,

overcast,north-westerly 3.

A trip up to Southport was in order today and proved good value.Amazingly a scan across Crossens Outer Marsh produced a big white blob alongside a smaller white blob, a quick `scoping revealed that indeed the Great White Egret was showing,albeit 300m away.Even at this range its orange-yellow dagger bill was obvious as was its size, really dwarfing the Little Egret alongside.It quickly slipped away from view into a gutter.Its about two years since I saw this species at Marshside and only the third time ever for me at this site.

The regular Bittern proved elusive here,maybe keeping out of the increasingly strong wind,but was eventually found squatting in a wet gully alongside the fenceline.A frog was seen to be a prey item here.Scrutiny of the well hidden Pink-footed Geese produced 4 Barnacles but the Geese were really hard work in the long vegetation.Two Merlins and a distant Peregrine were out on the marsh, but no sign of any Hen Harriers.

A Woodcock was flushed from alongside the path opposite the former sandplant site and was watched crashing into dense herbage alongside Marshside Rd.

Finally a stop at Southport marine lake provided views of not one but two female Red-crested Pochards...the "normal" bird and a very dodgy looking straw-coloured individual.Four Little Egrets were noted roosting in the trees at the north-eastern end of the northern-most island here.

Local Pink-feet.

Tuesday 26th January 2010,

Overcast, light northerlies.

The now thawed fields at Little Crosby have started attracting Pink-footed Geese again,so a few hours were spent today checking through the 1200 or so in the area.No other Goose species was found amongst the flocks but a neck-collared and a "darvic" ringed individual were found.The neck-collared bird `IZU` was last seen at Little Crosby on 23rd December.The ringed bird `TYN` was new bird for me here this winter.

Quiet,rain.

Sunday 24th January 2010,
calm,drizzle becoming heavier .
A rather quiet day at Seaforth, with drizzly,murky conditions not helping matters.
Three adw Med gulls and a 1stw Yellow-legged Gull appeared in the very small Gull flock this afternoon.Ten Scandinavian Herring Gulls were also present.
Eighteen Scaup were back on the fully thawed freshwater pool and 642 Teal,7 Gadwall and a single male Wigeon provided further wildfowl interest.One hundred and seventeen Black-tailed Godwits fed on the flooded long bank.

Meds at Moore.

Saturday 23rd January 2010,

Cold,foggy,dull.

Five+ hours spent at the "Gull-screen" at Moore, Cheshire today.Amazingly still some ice at the Birchwood pool and lots of Gulls roosting on it and bathing nearby.Highlights were 5 Mediterranean Gulls( 2 x 1stW and 3 adw) and six Yellow-legged Gulls(1stw, 2ndw and 4 x adw).Other team members braved the official tip visit at the adjacent Arpley landfill site and were rewarded with 5 Yellow-leggeds(4 x 1stw and a 2ndw) and an adw Med.The two 2ndw YLG`s appeared to be different birds, so a grand total of ten Michahellis seen today.Despite full-on searching nothing rarer could be found,other sites in Cheshire seem to have the rarer Larids at the moment!

A slight detour on the way home saw us taking in the female Red-crested Pochard at Frodsham...obviously part of the recent cold-weather displacement of this species!