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Send your latest sightings for inclusion in this page to Richard Smith, by  , any sightings welcome.
Note: RSPB Inner Marsh Farm is open from 9am - 9pm (or dusk if earlier) and is closed on Tuesdays.  There is a modest charge for non-members.

Click here to see Archived latest sightings from September 2000.
Birdwatchers Events Diary 2008.
For nationwide latest sightings try Bird Call.


The July newsletter is now published  on this website.

July 1:
16 Gannet and 90 Common Scoter (three flocks flying west) - Gronant, Little Terns still doing well.
1 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Water Rail and 1 Ruff - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 30:
1 Green Sandpiper - Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby.

June 29:
2 Spoonbill - Parkgate Marsh.
1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling by horse paddocks this evening - Leasowe Lighthouse.
2 Barn Owl hunting in the fields by Thurstaston at dusk.

June 28:
2 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Raven, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Ruff - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 ad Mediterranean Gull, 3 Whimbrel and 180 Crow - Heswall Shore.
1 ad Mediterranean Gull - Meols Shore.

June 27:
2 Spoonbill, 3 Avocet, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ruff, 3 Common Tern and 1 Raven - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 26:
3 Avocet, 2 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Ruff - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 25:
2 Spoonbill, 1 Water Rail,  1 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 24:
12 Gannet, 1 Peregrine and 4 Common Scoter - Gronant, about 110 Little Tern nests.
1 Peregrine and 5 Little Egret on shore between Meols and Moreton.

June 23:
1 Red Kite over Little Neston around 12.40pm, heading towards Burton.
5,500 Knot flew out of the estuary north, past Hilbre.

June 22:
2 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Hobby - Thurstaston Shore.

June 21:
1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Hobby, 1 Cuckoo singing nearby - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Spoonbill - Parkgate Marsh.

June 20:
1 Grey Wagtail - Lingham Lane, Moreton, by River Birket.
2 Arctic Skua (dark phase) - Hilbre this morning.
1 Spotted Redshank (sum/pl) - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Hobby over Neston sewage outfall.

 June 19:
2 Spoonbill, 2 Spotted Redshank and 2 Cuckoo (incl 1 male) - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 17:
16 Manx Shearwater, 22 Common Scoter and 17 Gannet, about 220 Little Terns nesting - Gronant before the rain came.
2 Spotted Redshank - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Hobby over Pump Lane, Greasby, this morning.
8 Manx Shearwater past Red Rocks this evening before high tide.

June 15:
9 Grey Heron in the empty West Kirby Marine Lake.
3 Raven, 2 Spoonbill, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Spotted Redshank - Inner Marsh Farm.

June 14:
62 Knot (1 s/pl) on the embankment by Leasowe Lighthouse.

June 13:
1,500 Knot (all appeared to be in non-breeding plumage) and 1 Eider (fem) highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/

June 12:
2 Spoonbill at Inner Marsh Farm.
150 Knot - Hilbre.
1 Hobby and 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail), very good views of Hen Harrier which is unusual here in June - Burton Marsh.

June 10:
22 Gannet and 22 Common Scoter out to sea, 7 Grey Heron flew together along the tide line and 70 Swift flew over the sand dunes just before the rain - Gronant this morning.

June 9:
1 Paddyfield Warbler which was trapped and weighed, also 2 Whimbrel, 1 Eider (fem), 1 Fulmar and 1 Peregrine - Hilbre this afternoon.

June 8:
2 Spoonbill at Inner Marsh Farm, on border pool.

June 7:
2 Spoonbill at Inner Marsh Farm, flew off towards Burton Marsh this morning, 5 Spoonbill and 1 Hobby at IMF this evening.

June 6:
1 Spoonbill - Decca Pools, Burton Marsh.
1 Kingfisher along Cuckoo Lane, Little Neston.
A flock of 65 Swift feeding over the horse paddocks, Leasowe Lighthouse before moving on in front of the rain.

June 5:
Paddyfield Warbler - Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/

June 3:
1 Marsh Harrier and 750 Black-tailed Godwit- Inner Marsh Farm

June 2:
3 Little Tern - Red Rocks this morning.

June 1:
2 Spoonbill at Inner Marsh Farm, singing Quail yesterday.

May 30:
6 Spoonbill - Parkgate Marsh this morning.
1 Cuckoo both heard and seen between Park Lane, Meols, and sea wall.
1 Hobby over Hilbre this morning. See
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/ for news of the massive influx of Painted Lady butterflies, also see
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5406911/Invasion-of-the-Painted-Ladies.html

May 29:
Thousands of Painted Lady Butterflies were observed coming in off the sea at Hoylake yesterday evening around 7pm.
3 Spoonbill, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Raven and 84 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 sum/plumaged Golden Plover, 180 Ringed Plover and 250 Dunlin - highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/
2 Short-eared Owl - Burton Marsh.

May 28:
3 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 pair Stonechat, 14 Skylark and 1 Tree Sparrow - Leasowe Gunsite.
2 Short-eared Owl - Burton Marsh.

May 27:
26 Manx Shearwater and 45 Gannet - Red Rocks at high tide.

May 26:
100 Gannet offshore and 2 Wheatear in horse paddocks - Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 25:
2 Spoonbill - Parkgate Marsh.
5 Spoonbill, 1 Marsh Harrier (fem), 2 Avocet and 300 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.

May 24:
1 Brent Goose (pale-bellied) which has been hanging around for a few days, also 3 Wheatear highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/
1 Whinchat, 1 Brent Goose flew past, 50+ Gannet, 58 Ringed Plover (Bird Rock), 10 Common Tern and 14 Great Crested Grebe - Red Rocks.
1 Marsh Harrier (fem) - Burton Marsh.

May 23:
1 Garden Warbler and 1 Yellow Wagtail observe from cycle track - Deeside Industrial Park/Shotton.
200 Gannet, 6 Whimbrel, 6 Sanderling, 25 Ringed Plover and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit- Hilbre.

May 22:
12 Little Egret and 9 Whimbrel on mud in drained West Kirby Marine Lake.
1 Spoonbill and over 700 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Spoonbill - Neston Marsh.

May 21:
1 Marsh Harrier (fem), 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 1 Avocet and 350+ Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
25 Little Egret and 3 Whimbrel on mud in drained West Kirby Marine Lake.

May 20:
c60 Gannet, 25 Sandwich Tern, 8 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Knot, 40 Turnstone and 2 Sanderling - Wallasey Shore at 8am.
At least 100 Little Tern back at Gronant early morning, 1 Fulmar, c20 Gannet and 50 Sandwich tern off shore, 1 Stonechat in the sand dunes.
1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Siskin, 1 Raven and 2 Yellowhammer - Garth Wood.
1 Cuckoo and 1 Marsh Harrier (fem) - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Short-eared Owl - Burton Marsh.

May 19:
1 Cuckoo in field behind Old Baths car park, Parkgate this morning.
83 Gannet, 6 Sandwich Tern, 2 Little Tern and 11 Common Tern - Leasowe Lighthouse at high tide.
3 Whimbrel, 4 Grey Heron and 10 Little Egret on mud in drained West Kirby Marine Lake.

May 18:
2 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Hobby over Denhall Lane, Burton Marsh.

May 17:
1 Garden Warbler (singing), 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Wheatear, 3 Common Tern, 9 Sandwich Tern and 1 Whimbrel - Leasowe Lighthouse.
9 Little Egret, 5 Whimbrel and 5 Grey Heron feeding on mud in the empty West Kirby Marine Lake.
1 Hobby - Little Neston.

May 16:
3 Spoonbill and 1 Marsh Harrier (fem) - Inner Marsh Farm, NOTE an unusual Egret was observed this evening intermediate in size between Little and Great White Egret - at this stage ID is unknown.
60 Gannet - Hilbre.
25 Gannet and 50 Sandwich Tern off Leasowe Gunsite at high tide.
1 Spoonbill - Decca Pools, Burton Marsh.
1 Whinchat (fem), 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and 6 Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 1 Raven, 1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Common Sandpiper - Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby, and nearby field.

May 15:
1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine, 4 Common Sandpiper and 4 Raven - Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby, and nearby field.
1 Spoonbill, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Marsh Harrier (fem) and 13 Ringed Plover - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Spoonbill and 1 Barn Owl - Parkgate Marsh this morning.
4 Little Egret feeding on pools in the mud of the drained West Kirby Marine Lake.
2 Spoonbill off Neston Reedbed this evening.

May 14:
1 Marsh Harrier (ad fem) - Parkgate Marsh.
7 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler and 3 Willow Warbler - Red Rocks this morning.
3 Spotted Flycatcher in Hoylake seafront garden.
1 Black Tern and 5 Avocet, hundreds of hirundines - Inner Marsh Farm.

May 13:
Possible 4 Whiskered Tern - Shotwick Boating Lake, 6pm - now thought to be Common Terns!!!

May 12:
1 Marsh Harrier over Middle Hilbre then flew east over West Kirby Shore towards Hoylake Langfields, 7.30-745am.
2 Spoonbill - Decca Pools, Burton Marsh, this evening.

May 11:
1 Spoonbill early morning - Parkgate Marsh, then flew towards Burton (has done this last three days).
3 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm, the 'resident' bird was seen to fly high then returned with two more birds!
3 Whimbrel and 27 Little Egret - Heswall Shore.
2 Whinchat (pair) - Red Rocks early morning.
1 Hobby, 1 Whinchat and 10 Greenland Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 10:
4 Whimbrel and 18 Little Egret - Heswall Shore.
2 Tree Pipit over, 1000 Dunlin, 3 Sanderling and 50 Ringed Plover on the beach, 76 Great-crested Grebe on the sea - Hoylake Shore.
1 Cuckoo near coast-guard station, 1 Whimbrel on the shore - Meols.
1 Peregrine, 4 Raven, 4 Common Buzzard, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Stock Dove and 4 Grey Partridge - Hoylake Langfields.
1 Black Tern flew north past Wallasey Lifeguard Station.
40 Kittiwake and 7 Common Scoter - New Brighton.

May 9:
9 Crossbill - Ness Gardens.
8 Wheatear in horse paddocks by Leasowe Lighthouse.
5 Eider (incl 4 drakes), c500 Gannet, c350 Sandwich Tern and 150 Common Tern highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/
39 Swift over Gilroy NP, West Kirby.
c650 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Knot, 85+ Common Tern, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Wheatear and 1 Brent Goose (pale-bellied) - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Whinchat, 5 Wheatear and 1 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
At least 80 Gannet and 16 Sandwich Tern off Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 8:
High tide seawatch produced 29 Sandwich Tern, 50+ Common Tern, 12 Arctic Tern, 9 Little Tern, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 ad Mediterranean Gull, 41 Kittiwake, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Guillemot and 52 Manx Shearwater off New Brighton this morning.
2 Whimbrel and 4 Little Tern - Point of Ayr.
13 Great Crested Grebe, 630 Gannet, 18 Kittiwake, 4 Guillemot, 180 Sandwich Tern, 160 Common Tern, 3 Little Tern, 1 Arctic Tern, 20 Common Scoter, 110 Manx Shearwater and 2 Fulmar out to sea during high tide, also 3 Wheatear and 12 Whimbrel - Hilbre.
2 Ringed Plover, 1 Spoonbill and 3+ Wheatear - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Curlew Sandpiper in flock of 15-20 Dunlin off Leasowe Lighthouse early morning, also 11 Wheatear (paddocks and beach), 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Common Whitethroat and 8+ Sedge Warbler.
155 Manx Shearwater, 200+ Kittiwake, 400+ Gannet, and c100 each of Common and Sandwich Tern - Hoylake Shore.

May 7:
2 Raven and 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Whimbrel over - Hoylake Langfields.
2 Whimbrel in field by Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Razorbill (on the slipway), 1 Arctic Skua, 4 Manx Shearwater, 4 Little Tern, 5 Fulmar, 25+ Kittiwake, 12 Common Scoter, 2 Red Throated Diver, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 12 Whimbrel, a constant movement of Gannets going west at least 200 over four hours and 70+ Sandwich Tern - Hilbre over high tide.
1 Peregrine (male), 1 Hobby, 6 Avocet, 1 Kingfisher and 150+ Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.

May 6:
1 Pomarine Skua and 1 Tree Pipit - Point of Ayr.
1 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Redshank and 9 Avocet - Inner Marsh Farm.
3 Stock Dove and 1 Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 5:
2 Stock Dove - Royden Park and another 2 by Dungeon Woods.
120 Gannets, 200 Common Tern, 50 Sandwich Tern, 1 Arctic Skua, 86 Common Scoter, 3 Kittiwake, 10 Manx Shearwater and 24 Whimbrel highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/

May 4:
1 Spoonbill, 750 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Spotted Redshank and 8 Avocet - Inner Marsh Farm.
4 Whimbrel in field next to Wirral Way, Heswall.
1 Hen Harrier (fem) - Neston Reedbed.
1 Hobby - Burton Marsh.

May 3:
1 Eider (drake) flew over Decca Pools, Burton Marsh, then landed in field, also 2 Short-eared Owl.
4 Whimbrel, 9 Wheatear (Greenland) and 1 Yellow Wagtail - Cuckoo Lane, Little Neston.
1 Yellow-legged Gull (3rd/4th year) in field opposite Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby.

May 2:
1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (not ringed) in field opposite Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby, this afternoon.
28 Kittiwake leaving the Mersey off New Brighton.
1 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 10 Whitethroat, 5 Wheatear and 1 Whinchat between Leasowe Lighthouse and Meols.
2 Manx Shearwater, 80+ Gannet and 100 Sandwich Tern - highlights from Hilbre, for more details see
 http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/

May 1:
No sign of Stone Curlew between 6am to 7am.
1 Garden Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Common Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Blackcap and 4 Chiffchaff - Ditton Lane Nature Reserve, Leasowe.
6 Redpoll by Heswall Fields NT, plenty of warblers around.
1 Wood Warbler singing at The Warren, Point of Ayr, at 11.45am.
1 Osprey being mobbed by 4 Ravens over Gilroy Nature Park, West Kirby, also 2 Yellow Wagtail.


Click here to see Archived latest sightings from September 2000.