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April 2024 Newsletter


 

The Spring Migration


Wheatear among the daises in one of the horse paddocks at Leasowe Lighthouse, April 2021 © Mark Woodhead

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.

May 2nd 2012 - Willow Warblers and Wheatears

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.

Willow Warbler on Hilbre, May 2nd 2012, one of several hundred! © Matt Thomas
"Hopping so close I had to retreat to fit it all in the frame of the camera".


Common Redstarts

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.

Common Redatart at Leasowe Lighthouse, April 21st 2014 © Andy Thomas


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.

Ring Ouzels

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!

Ring Ouzel in horse paddock, Leasowe Lighthouse, April 2020 © Allan Conlin


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.

Yellow Wagtails

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.

Yellow Wagtail in Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 2019 © Les Hall


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.

Whimbrels

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

Whimbrel on Thurstaston Shore, April 2021 © Richard Smith


Rarities

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.

Collared Pratincole on Kerr's Field, Leasowe, April 22nd 2021 © David Bradley

So I hope you've enjoyed reading what has happened in previous years, we can now look forward to April 2024!

Richard Smith

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Colour Ring Report


Curlew

Curlew W/BN (plus GPS transmitter) at Flint on January 14th 2024 © Brian Kermode


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



Bar-tailed Godwits

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.

Bar-tailed Godwit R-Yflag (NVZ) at Hoylake, February 9th 2024 © Richard Smith


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.

Bar-tailed Godwit Oflag(XN) - P at Hoylake, February 9th 2024 © Richard Smith


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.

Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwit Oflag(AN) at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 2024 © Richard Smith

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= at Caldy, August 2022 © Richard Smith


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.

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher RR-W(XE) - Top when it was ringed in June 2021 in southern Iceland (© Boddi)
 and bottom at Thurstaston, in February 2024 © Richard Smith
When I saw it I thought the rings on the left leg were orange, but they are actually faded red and you can see how bright red
they were in 2021. It's unusual for colour rings to fade but it does sometimes happen.

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."

Dunlin

White flag (L31) at Hoylake, February 2024 © Tony Ormond

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.

Knots

Oflag 46C at Meols, February 15th 2024 © Richard Smith


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

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March Bird News


Waxwing on Halkyn Mountain, February 24th © Ken Lewis

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.


Redshanks on Heswall Marsh during the spring high tide, February 12th © Frank Burnsit


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.

Great White Egret and Hen Harrier, Denhall Quay, February 13th © John Hewitt


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.

Bar-tailed Godwits at Hoylake, February 9th © Richard Smith


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.

Avocets at Burton Mere Wetlands, February 26th © Richard Smith

Many thanks go to Steve Williams, Steve Hinde, Alan Hitchmough, Richard Whitby, Bruce Atherton, David Leeming, Steve Round, David Thompson, Sean O'Hara, Jane Turner, Graham Connolly, Frank Burns, Mark Woodhead, Paul Vautrinot, David Small, Mark Gibson, Tony Ormond, Derek Bates, Steve Hart, Jeremy Bradshaw, Paul Mason, Dave Harrington, Dave Edwards, Chris Wilding, Ken Mullins, Mike Cooper, Jeff Cohen, Richard Lowry, Steve Hassell, John Hewitt, Roy Wilson, Dave Ball, Bruce Hogan, Rob Devenish, Ken Lewis, Richard du Feu, Alex Jones, Kieran Carroll, Geoff robinson, Mickey Schroder, Andy Bennett, Ian Howarth, Richard Payne, Chris Matltby, Alan Conlin, Jean Bishop, Tom Moulsdale, Kevin Walton, Ian Fraser, Bill Benbow, Tony Childs, Paul McDonnel, Sasha Quentin, Ed Wilson. Peter McCann, Jack Murphy, Kelvon Britton, Chris Shaw, Nigel Bass, the Dee Estuary Wardens and the Hilbre Bird Observatory for their sightings during February. All sightings are gratefully received.

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What to expect in April


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.

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Forthcoming Events

April Highest Spring Tides (Liverpool)

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.

Forthcoming Events


Also see events at https://events.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary