Monthly Newsletter...
The Spring Migration starts around early March and can still be underway right in early June, but it no doubt peaks in the second half of April and into early May. It can be an exciting and magical time - waking up on a spring morning to find Wheatears in every field and Willow Warblers in every bush. It's about far more than just those two species, of course, and it's exciting because we see species rarely recorded here at other times of the year. No spring is the same and we will remember days when the beach is covered in White Wagtails, or four or five Ring Ouzels in one field, or hearing dozens of Whimbrels calling on the shore, or a mega rarity turns up, or....... So I thought I'd recount some of these magical days from the past few years.
I quote from the Hilbre Bird Observatory Blog for May 2nd 2012 "Today saw almost certainly the largest ever fall of migrants recorded at Hilbre since the Bird Observatory was established in 1957". It had been a miserable April, and the last week had included gales and torrential rain, but April 30th saw a vast improvement and by May 2nd there was a warm south-easterly airflow and the birds reacted accordingly. Observatory members on their way to the island at first light knew something amazing was happening when they counted 72 Wheatears around the West Kirby Marine Lake Car Park! When they reached Hilbre birds were everywhere and it was like that all day, next I quote Matt Thomas (Hilbre Ranger) from his 'From the Muddy Banks of the Dee' Blog - "Looking around it was as if a Wheatear bomb had gone off. All along the west side of the island were Wheatears. Some loafing on the grass, others scromping grubs from the sandy cliffs. If you got one in the viewfinder of the camera there was almost always another in the same frame. There must have been around two hundred of them during the course of the day but their numbers were dwarfed by the amount of Willow Warblers that fell from the skies. Final total was 800. You looked at every bush, fence post and there was a Willow Warbler there. I walked out of the garden of the Bird Obs and nearly trod on one. I have never seen anything like it before." Other Hilbre highlights that day were six Common Redstarts, 3,000 Swallows and 250 House Martins.
Fabulous birds to see with their red breast and
tail, in the sun they really stand out like red jewels. Most pass
through here in the last three weeks of April with a few stragglers in
May. We rarely see any at other times of the year here on the coast
although they do breed inland in small numbers in both Cheshire and
Clwyd.
Two years stand out - 2014 and 2015. April 2014 started well with singles recorded at various locations between 8th and 20th then on the 21st six were at Leasowe Lighthouse with birds also at Hoylake and Hilbre. There was a total of 42 records that year, the highest in recent years.
The total in 2015 was not quite as high, with 37,
but one day stands out - the 17th April. It had been a good week with
three
at Red Rocks on the 15th and four males at Leasowe Lighthouse on the
16th. The 17th started well with two stunning males along Park Lane
(near the Lighthouse) at 8am. During a visit in the afternoon it
quickly became apparent there had been a second arrival of birds with
an additional eight Common Redstarts logged, making an incredible 10
for the day and 19 for that week.
The Ring Ouzel migration can be quite prolonged with
the few we see in March thought to be British breeding birds whereas
the higher numbers we get in April mostly breed in Scandinavia. Most
come down to feed for a few hours before moving on but occasionally we
will get one that stays for several days. I remember a lovely
male bird in Heswall Fields NT in 2007 which stayed for a week, one day
it was joined by another male plus a female. That same April a
female Ring Ouzel was in a field just below Stapledon Woods for five
days, a five minute walk from my house - fantastic!
But it was 2019 which stands out with the highest
numbers this century. Things started quite slowly with just one record
in March that year. Three, at Leasowe Lighthouse on the 8th, was a good
start to April but it wasn't until the 15th that we started seeing them
every day. The 18th was outstanding. We had a flock of seven in one
field at Leasowe Lighthouse with at least 10 in the area. That same day
there were also Ring Ouzels at Red Rocks (three), Hilbre, Burton and
Caldy making for a total of at least 16. The total number of records
for Spring 2019 was 43, the next highest this century was 37 in 2014
with the average being 20.
Stunning looking birds. Although we've had good
numbers of Yellow Wagtails since, especially in 2019 as described
below, I've never seen a flock of them as there was in early May 2011
and I quote from the Dee Estuary June 2011 Newsletter:
They were like bright yellow leaves blown by a swirling wind. Sorry to go all poetical on you but that's what I thought whilst watching a flock of 25 Yellow Wagtails in the horse paddocks by Leasowe Lighthouse on the 5th. Earlier in the day over 40 had been reported here and by the evening numbers had built up to 58 - these must be the highest numbers here for well over 20 years where anything over 10 is usually considered exceptional. What intrigued me was the way the large flock were behaving, very restless, constantly on the move and swirling around in flight in contrast to the behaviour of most Yellow Wagtails here which usually just stay on the ground busy feeding. It was nice to see so many females in the flock, looking as beautiful as the males but much more of a pale primrose colour as opposed to the males' bright buttercup yellow.
As mentioned above, April 2019 was an excellent
month for Yellow Wagtails and I can do no better than to quote from my
Newsletter again (May
2019):
It's been a great year for Yellow Wagtails with a max count of at least 40 at Leasowe Lighthouse on the 22nd. Hilbre rarely gets more than ones and twos as most fly over, so it was fantastic to have 23 on the island on the 21st and 31 two days later. Channel Wagtails (Yellow/Blue-headed Wagtail intergrade - M f flava x favissima) are unusual here, and we rarely get more than the odd one, so to get seven records was great. Two turned up at Burton Mere Wetlands on the 14th and later in the month we had a few at Leasowe Lighthouse. But the sumptuous icing on the cake was the arrival of a Spanish Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae) found by Stan Davidson in Kerr's Field at Leasowe on the 26th, despite gales and rain on the 27th it was still present on the 28th and briefly the next day.
I love to go down to the estuary between West Kirby and Heswall in late April and early May to hear the Whimbrels with their seven whistle call. At that time of year many of the other waders have already left us so you really notice the Whimbrels which are passing through here on their way between West Africa and Iceland. On an incoming tide they often perch on the rocks on the stretch between Caldy steps and the causeway at Dee Sailing Club, giving very good views and an opportunity for photos.
As the tide comes in further the Whimbrels make
their way to Heswall shore, and here a large roost gathers. We've had
record numbers here over the past few years with peak counts as follows:
142 May 6th 2020
173 May 1st 2021
211 May 5th 2022
184 May 2nd 2023
The spring migration is a great time for spotting
rarities and I finish this article with a selection from 2007 to 2023.
Red-breasted Flycatcher, Hilbre 2007; Whiskered Tern, Inner Marsh Farm.
2008,
Red-rumped Swallow, Leasowe Lighthouse, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011;
Stone Curlew, Leasowe Lighthouse, 2009; Bluethroat, Leasowe Lighthouse,
2010 and 2022; Nightingale, Hilbre, 2010; Citrine Wagtail, Red Rocks,
2014; 9 Surf Scoters, Hoylake, 2015; 3 Dotterels, Meols, 2015;
Nightjar, Hilbre, 2016; Shorelark, Hilbre, 2017; Gull-billed Tern,
Burton Mere Wetlands, 2018 and 2023; Spanish Wagtail, Leasowe Lighthouse, 2019;
Collared Pratincole, Leasowe Lighthouse, 2021; Bonaparte's Gull, Burton
Mere Wetlands, 2021; Black-winged Stilt and Savi's Warbler, Burton Mere
Wetlands, 2023.
So I hope you've enjoyed reading what has happened
in previous years, we can now look forward to April 2024!
Richard Smith
W/BN
with GPS transmitter
Recorded at Flint Castle on 14/01/2024 and featured in January's colour ring report. Since then I have received another map showing the movements of this bird as tracked by GPS over the whole of this last autumn and winter - see below (map kindly provided by Rob Foster). It's shows just how site faithful Curlews are with this bird hardly moving away from Flint Marsh and the adjacent mudflats
520 Bar-tailed Godwits on Hoylake Shore on
February 9th was an unusually high number and I was very pleased to see
four with colour rings.
R-Yflag(NVZ)
Ringed at Revtangen, SW Norway, on 25/08/2020.
Recorded:
At Le Teich Reserve on the Atlantic French coast (about 20km SW of
Bordeaux) on 31/12/2020.
Dawlish Warren, Devon, on 06/01/2021.
Ainsdale on 25/05/2021.
Hoylake on 09/02/2024.
R-Yflag(CPA)
Ringed at Telemark, southern Norway, on 16/08/2021.
It was recorded at Seaforth, Birkdale and Thurstaston over the winter
of 2021/22.
Presumably it was a juvenile when it was ringed as it didn't breed the
following summer spending June 2022 at Ainsdale.
It
was then seen several times along the Sefton coast including roosting
at Seaforth, with the last record that winter at Formby in
March. It returned to Seaforth in September 2023 and at Crosby in
October 2023. There were then no further records this last winter until
it turned up at Hoylake on 09/02/2024.
Oflag(XN) - P
Ringed at Altcar on 30/3/2018.
It returned to nearby Formby in July that year and remained in the area
until January 2019. There was a similar pattern from July 2019 to March
2020 when it was at Ainsdale.
Sightings then became more infrequent with sightings in November 2021
at Ainsdale and January 2023 at Formby before being recorded at Hoylake
on 09/02/2024.
Oflag(MC) - P
Ringed at Altcar on 30/3/2018.
First record was at Thurstaston in November 2018.
It was then seen 12 times along the Sefton coast between March 2019 and
December 2021 before being recorded at Thurstaston again in January
2022.
There was just one further record, at Formby in January 2023, before it
turned up at Hoylake on 09/02/2024.
G - Oflag(AN)
Before November 2022 no Black-tailed Godwits had ever been colour
ringed on the west side of mainland Britain. But a new scheme using
inscribed Orange flags has changed that. Just one was caught and ringed
in Anglesey in November 2022 but now 20 more have been given orange
flags,
all of which were caught along the North Wales coast this last winter.
Remarkably, 10 of these 21 birds were seen in NW England in the last
week of February. These include five at Burton Mere Wetlands, the rest
being seen at Martin Mere, Conder Green and Leighton Moss. This clearly
shows that the godwits which over-winter in North Wales stage in
north-west England before they return to Iceland to breed.
LO-O=
Ringed at Belfast Harbour in April 2021.
This bird, which has featured in previous Colour Ring Reports, has
spent the last three post breeding moult periods (2021 to 2023, July to
October) on the Dee Estuary being mostly seen at the Caldy Wildfowl
Collection. The spring moult, in March and April, sees it at Belfast
Harbour.
Until February 2024, there had been no records during the winter months
but it was recorded at Parque Natural de Bahia de Cadiz on 09/02/2024.
Very few of the Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit population make it that
far south so this one is particularly interesting.
RR-W(XE)
Ringed at Selfoss, S Iceland in June 2021.
Recorded during the breeding season at the ringing location in 2022 and
2023.
Seen at Thurstaston on 07/02/2024.
This is what Boddi, the ringer, had to say: "This
bird had a new mate this year. His nest were predated by arctic fox. I
had a camera at the nest and if I remember correctly then the fox came
same time when chicks were hatching. This summer we had a high
predation in South Iceland, mostly by arctic fox."
White flag (L31)
Ringed at Gdansk, Poland, on 13/07/2020.
Recorded at Hoylake on 10/02/2024.
The Polish Ringing Group have ringed many thousands
of Dunlins over the years, this is the 19th we've recorded here on the
Dee
Estuary and north Wirral.
Fifteen Knots were caught and fitted with orange
flags at Hoylake on 11/02/2024. Subsequently two of these were seen at
Meols (including 46C above) and two on Crosby Beach.
Colour Rings were recorded by Richard
Smith, Stephen
Hinde, Tony Ormond, Richard du Feu, Colin Schofield, Andrew Bennett, Sean O'Hara and Alan Hitchmough.
Richard Smith
It was certainly a good Waxwing winter. Over 180
were at Halkyn Mountain early in the month with around 40 at the
month-end.
The predicted spring tides from the 11th to the 14th produced some big
tides which covered the marsh right up to Burton Marsh.
during these very high tides there was the usual
spectacular numbers of wildfowl and waders, these included two European
White-fronted Geese as well as many thousands of Pink-footed Geese.
Short-eared Owls were disappointingly absent from Heswall and Parkgate
marshes but three were around the Decaa Pools on the 12th, and six were
on Burton Marsh on the 16th, with one or two around the Denhall
Quay/Decca Pools area most days since.
It was good to see plenty of Hen Harriers through
the month and these included four grey males on the outer Burton Marsh
on the 1st, later there were records of at least two ringtails, so six
is a decent total. Lots of Marsh Harriers also, with a max count of at
least eleven on the 1st.
Wader numbers have been relatively low this
winter but it was good to see 520 Bar-tailed Godwits and 11,000 Dunlins
at Hoylake on the 9th. 2,500 Black-tailed Godwits were at Burton Mere
Wetlands towards the end of the month.
The first Avocet arrived back at Burton Mere
Wetlands on the 11th, and I counted 43 there on the 26th. Two Bitterns
were recorded there on several dates, hopefully they'll stay to breed.
Out to sea there were three Long-tailed Ducks off Hoylake on the 7th and 12 Little Gulls off Leasowe Gunsite on the 28th, on the latter date there were large numbers of Common Scoters off Hoylake roughly estimated at 10,000 with around 500 Great Crested Grebes also.
Species | 2024 | Location | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sand Martin | 15th March |
Gronant | 11th March | 5th March |
Wheatear | 17th March |
Burton/Little Eye | 9th March |
28th Feb |
White Wagtail |
17th March | Leasowe | 12th March |
16th March |
Swallow | 24th March | Leasowe | 15th March | 18th March |
Willow Warbler |
25th March |
Burton | 29th March |
23rd March |
House Martin |
April 1st |
Burton |
23rd March | 27th March |
Swift | April 5th |
Greenfield |
28th April | 16th April |
Whitethroat | April 10th |
Decca
Pools |
10th April | 10th April |
Cuckoo | April 24th | Leasowe
|
21st April | 24th April |
A flock of at least 25 Twites were frequently seen
on Flint Marsh and six Snow Buntings were on the beach at Point of Ayr.
As well as those species already mentioned in the above 'The Spring
Migration' article there are plenty of others to talk about. Mid-April
is when the first Whinchats start appearing, they winter in Central
Africa so have come a good distance. White Wagtails have been flying
through in ones and twos since mid-March but numbers usually peak in
mid-April and there can be a hundred or more on the shore at Hoylake
and Red Rocks feeding on sand flies. Listen out for reeling Grasshopper
Warblers, they can appear just about anywhere.
Ospreys will be flying over, we had a record 25 during Spring last year. As well as Whimbrels mentioned above, two waders I always love seeing at this time of year are Black-tailed Godwits and Knots. By the fourth week of April they will be in full breeding plumage and looking stunning. Knots are more difficult to find but are often feeding up at Meols, or early morning at Thurstaston.
There is another set of big tides, from the 8th to
the 11th. Pink-footed Geese numbers will still be high on the marshes
and no doubt will look spectacular in their thousands. They will be
leaving through this month and a big tide sometimes causes them to
start moving north - an amazing sight.
Also see Tides page.
8th April, 11.36hrs (BST), 9.9m.
9th April, 12.19hrs (BST), 10.2m.
10th April, 13.027hrs (BST), 10.2m.
11th April, 13.43hrs (BST), 9.9m.