JULY

July the month for return wader passage and Ashton's Flash is looking in tremendous nick, ready to accept that mud loving mega!
The weather has other ideas though and prolonged bouts of blisteringly hot sunshine see the demise of the eastern pool, which has now virtually disappeared by the months end.

The waders did come with Green Sandpipers leading the way. These chaps usually stick to Haydn's Pool but that also is on it's way out and will soon be a forest of vegetation if nothings done. But the flashes will benefit as the waders will move house saving time and shoe leather for us birders.

Some action from Ashton's Flash the place to get Greenies at the mo...

On the 4th of the month bird finder extraordinaire Dave (we have lift-off) Houston found a near summer plum Spotted Redshank on the east pool at Ashton's...nice one Dave, a quality wader that's never annual and never stays for more than a day just like this one.

Neumann's at this time of the year starts to get a build up of gulls, mostly Black-headed Gulls coming from we think the Delamere breeding population. This is a good time to look for...

boom!! Med Gull a second summer late on the evening of the 14th and the only one all month.

Last but not least after I spent a week away from the patch non of the other birders found anything (did they actually go out?) so I was surprised to find the years first Sanderling strutting its stuff on the now very shrunken east pool on Ashton's. Boom again me thinks!

Other waders recorded this month were - Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, LRP, Oystercatcher, Snipe, Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit awesome stuff for us wader buffs.

#PWC   119 species   141 points (2 for Med Gull)

TTFN

ALL'S QUIET ON THE FLASHES FRONT

Since the mega week when I found Ring necked Duck and Spoonbill there has been quite a lull in the bird activity at the flashes despite constant effort from myself and several regulars.
All I've managed to add to the year list is Kingfisher, which actually is rather a good bird away from it's usual haunts of Budworth Mere and Witton Brook.
A very late one evening after the World Cup footy sortie got me a calling Tawny Owl from the wood by the old hide.
Other than that it's been a waiting game for the return wader passage to start, which has just kicked in this last week of June...Redshank, Snipe!! very early (or breeding), Curlew upto 16 and a big flock of moulting Lapwing 65+ plus a brief visit (well they are on passage) by a lone Common Sandpiper.
Add to this a couple of Green Sandpipers back on nearby Haydn's Pool and things are looking up.

The resident pair of Little Ringed Plover have produced two youngsters, which is quite an achievement given the amount of predation that goes on from the local crows, foxes, mink and various raptors. Well done I say!

Not much else has succeeded breeding wise, the Oystercatchers appear to have lost one of their offspring.

The Great Crested Grebes nest was demolished by the herd of Mute Swans (need culling).

The Redshank disappeared altogether.

The Canadas, Greylags and Mute Swans have all provided the foxes with a take-away each evening so that from almost 20+ young we have 2 cygnets, one Canada gosling and two Greylag goslings left! amazing.

Heaven knows how many poor young Mallards have been gobbled up by the hunting parties of Grey Herons that have now taken over Stilt Island.

We do have some success though...two broods of Tufted Duck one on each flash are currently avoiding most predators. Likewise the two pairs of Little Grebes have both had young on Ashton's and their ability to dive dive dive! when danger approaches must be keeping them alive.

Bring on the passage waders.....

#PWC  115 species    136 points

TTFN

Photo issues

As you will see some of the blog photos have a no entry sign on...this means the photo is not accessible apparently. Try as I might with Blogger, Google etc I just can't suss out how to get them back...rats!!
another blog that's been shafted by technology and jargon...sometimes I wonder why I bloody well bother at all.
Google you suck!!!!!

MAY..HEM!!

Sunday 11th and an early visit to the flashes despite the rain produced a flurry of avian activity.
On Stilt Island a couple of Avocets were new in, the 4th and 5th this year I've found plus a trio of Dunlin (always a good sign).
At the bund bench now becoming a great place just to sit and view for a while a flyby Hobby was a real bonus. Still more was to come as the Garganey that had been here earlier 6th flew back in from Ashton's direction. I presume it must be the same individual but you never know?

Tuesday 13th and a flock of Ringed Plovers were rummaging around on Neumann's muddy spit whilst 2 Common Terns landed nearby.

BOOM!! a very late sojourn to the flashes and I could not believe my eyes...floating in among the nearest group of Tufted Duck just out from Bund Hide one stonking drake RING-NECKED DUCK..unbelievable!

A patch lifer and a first record for the flashes (I think?), several locals made it before the light set in.
No sign the next day oh dear! what a gripper...

Some piccies by patch digiscoper Dave Bedford

nice one Dave (I've got to carry my scope more often..doh!)

The weekend again and I get there first on the Saturday 17th because someone surely would of picked out the roosting SPOONBILL that's having a wee nap on Stilt Island.

And just for good measure as I'm stood up on the mound viewing the Spooner a Lesser Whitethroat moves through the bushes in front of me,another good year tick in the bag.

Spoony did fly off over Northwich but came back onto Ashton's much to the delight of the gathered throng of local patchers...what a great bird!

Sunday and I'm sat in the garden knocking back a chilled beer when a
RED KITE flies over the house...garden tick!
I race over to the mound on Neumann's as Malc has just seen it flyover Scary Park...too late 2 points missed. Still it's a garden and a Marbury CP/Neumann's patch lifer...awesome!...more beer me thinks!

If anybody wants me to take a drugs test after the week I've just had then I'll gladly oblige...phew!!
more of the same this next week please.

#PWC  113 species    134 points (3+3 RND and 2 for Spoony)

TTFN

ONE DAY DUCK DELIGHTS

The 6th May and a cracking drake Garganey appears on Neumann's Flash tucked away in the south west corner near the nesting Mute Swans. I'm over in South Yorkshire surveying so it's a long wait till I manage to get to grips with the Garg, that M62 is just one big car park.

What a great bird and it did one over night so phew!

Also added were a couple of Swifts seen zooming high over Ashton's Flash as I strolled back to the layby...sorted evenings patching me thinks!

#PWC  107 species    122 points (2 for Garganey) 

TTFN

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Last day and the Brockholes dude has already uploaded his April scores before the months end...madness!
I on t'other hand play it cool and yes boom! a last day #theflashes first for me in the shape of a rather nice addition to my ever growing flashes list an Egyptian Goose 102. Managed to get a phone piccy through my bins (posted on twitter feed) but its that bad I won't embarrass myself by posting it here.

Into May and an after work Friday bash around Neumann's produced a first for the year in the shape of a very nice Greenshank 103, seen from the view point above the Bund Hide ie the roof (to see over the reedbed).
New in Garden Warblers 104, were giving it some along by the linnet brambles and are beginning to out number the singing Blackcaps me thinks!

Another #theflashes first for myself was a flyover Yellow Wagtail 105, on the 3rd.

A feature of late April early May is the almost guaranteed flocks of migrating Whimbrel that pop up throughout the day on Ashton's usually en route to their Northern breeding grounds and so far we've had flocks of 10, 26, 21, 28 and a few smaller parties coming through.

#PWC  105 species   119 points

TTFN

100 CLUB AND COUNTING

Bank Holiday produced a cracker of a find, not by me unfortunately but Groucho Payne who heard then saw a TREE PIPIT fly-in and perch up near the Witton Brook vp. A couple of other patchers were able to get onto it before it flew down towards Witton Brook.
I was just leaving Old Hide so legged it over to be greeted by three smug faces...rats bottom!
Tape in hand I ventured off #PWC patch (what!!) and whapped out the call of Tripit...zap in it flew to a tree by the car park. I legged it a second time back onto #PWC patch and repeated the call...zap in it flew again right above me calling like a goodan. OML what a prize and the first ever I've seen/heard not flying over. A measly one point ( #PWC rules) for such a patch crippler just not fair. Also in a couple of Sedge Warblers on Ashton's flash below the vp.

Mid week and a Common Sandpiper on Neumann's flash was most welcome.

Saturday and its weekend again, patchers out in force and I'm lounging in bed chimping away on my mobile. I get two calls about a Tern sp. on Ashton's, surely it's an Arctic Tern and yes it is with possibly two before they depart rapidly in the improving weather. Just timed it right whap! 100 up for the year and it's not yet May!

More avian delight was to come as I'm chatting to the boss (of Avian Ecology no less) in Bund Hide, Fred locates a flying over Little Egret...get in what a bonus. Two egrets in the same year (Little and Large).

Rain from the east but not much else to show for it with no new passerines in...where's the groppers and whinchats?

no patch gold at the end of this rainbow from Old Hide

#PWC  101 species   115 points (2 each for Arctic Tern and Little Egret)

TTFN