Traditionally, January does not have a pre-assigned destination for the field trip, instead it is decided as we meet on Dr’s Nook car park at 8am, however, this year due to the car park being out of action the venue was set on the Thursday before. With a limited amount of light, travelling more than an hour would eat too much into the day and as it is winter the weather also needs to be taken into consideration with hides preferable for respite if the weather turns inclement. Luckily, we had a dry day though it was cloudy with a wind chill that froze you to the bone.
Our day started with a 9am meet at RSPB Burton Mere car park, a 50-minute ride from Leigh with several hides and a café, not to mention a plethora of birds, so ticks every box. A noisy Nuthatch was first on the list and then the ‘kik’ call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard and then seen above as we tied our laces, a great start to the day. We next moved into the Visitor Hub with its large panoramic windows looking over a large part of the reserve. By the time we left the Visitor Hub, 31 species had been seen, this included a single Redshank, seven Ruff and many Lapwings. Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Shelduck, Mallard, Shoveler and a single Tufted Duck were the wildfowl contingent along with Canada, Greylag and Pink-footed Geese. Three Marsh Harriers, one male and two female, quartered the reedbeds at the back of the scrape, flushing all below as they hunted breakfast.
Just outside the Visitor Hub as you enter the reserve is a single large feeder, this played host to many Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits along with a lone Chaffinch giving an opportunity for the photographers amongst the group. Walking through the woodland passed the café towards the Mere added Goldcrest, Fieldfare, Redwing and Treecreeper to the tally for the day, and we were only 15 minutes in. As we arrived at the Mere a Kingfisher was seen catching a Roach by a couple of the group, on the right-hand body of water a couple of Egyptian Geese could be seen and heard. The calling a precursor to lift off but not before a quick though distant snap could be taken. Siskin and Lesser Redpoll could not settle as they flitted from Alder to Alder on the water’s edge in search of a meal. Dropping down a few steps on our way to the Reedbed Screen brought us to a third pool that played host to a drake Goosander with a cock Pheasant along its right-hand flank.
Not a bird was seen at the Reedbed Screen so we quickly moved to the Marsh Covert Hide, on arrival we were greeted by ten Curlew on the grassy outcrop to the west of the hide looking towards Bridge Pool. A Herring Gull drifted by and a Kestrel was seen in the distance to the left of the Hillfort. A Marsh Harrier kept the enthusiast entertained hunting over the reedbed to the south of the hide drifting backwards and forwards in search of that meal. Many waterfowl were in the distance but these were better seen as we moved to the Bridge Screen that overlooks Bridge Pool. A single sleeping Wigeon, head tucked on its back, a single Pink-footed Goose, Teal, many Tufted Duck and a sleeping drake Shoveler drifted towards the screen, only to be awakened in a startle and quickly swam back to the outcrop. A walk up to the top Viewpoint at the side of the railway, overlooking the set-a-side field produced Rook, Stonechat, Stock Dove, Collared Dove and a “gronking” Raven. However, it did not produce the expected Dunnock, a species we would dip today.
Dropping down the hill we crossed the railway and headed towards Burton Point, part way across the field a Green Woodpecker lifted into the Hillfort trees then drifted down the field and out of sight, an excellent addition. A look across the marsh from Burton Point added Great White Egret to the list but the field we crossed did not produce the hoped for Little Owl. We continued our amble to Border Hide, scanning the undergrowth at the side of the boardwalk that in years gone by has produced Woodcock, not today however, Border hide overlooks Centenary Pool and Border Pool, here we took lunch whilst watching a prayer of Black-tailed Godwits with Knot, Ruff, Redshank and a solitary Spotted Redshank intermingled. A scan of the far bank whilst eating lunch produced a single Snipe buried in the vegetation as it probed for a worm for its lunch. A marauding Marsh Harrier lifted the wader flock a couple of times but each time they soon resettled across from the hide making finding the Spotted Redshank the game for the next ten minutes.
As we left the hide a Kestrel gave great views as it toyed in the chilly wind searching the pool side for a meal. We continued to the Visitor Hub and passed through towards the Bunker Hide along the Wetland Trail. The Bunker Hide produced nothing new so we continued to the Wetland Viewpoint. There is a large feeder near the Viewpoint however, disappointingly, this was empty though many small passerines littered the hedges nearby but not our hoped-for Greenfinch quarry. Time was now pressing so we headed back to the car park and set off for RSPB Parkgate in search of Short-eared Owls, Barn Owls and Hen Harrier. It was not to be though we added Starling, Oystercatcher, Great Black-backed Gull, Goldfinch, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Jay.
An excellent tally of 71 species plus Brown Rat and Grey Squirrel.
I hope to see you on the next field trip.
Keith Williams
Field Trips Officer
