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Archived Latest Sightings -
 December 2001.

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December 30

1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.
1 Smew (drake) - Shotwick boating lake.
2 Snow bunting, 10,000 Knot, 5,000 Oystercatcher and 14 Purple Sandpiper - Hilbre Island.
2 Short-eared Owl and 30 Grey Plover - Leasowe Lighthouse.

December 29

1 Smew (red-head) - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Smew (drake) - Shotwick boating lake.
26 Brent Goose (pale-bellied) - Hilbre Island.

December 28

1 Kittiwake (1st winter) and 1 Stonechat - Leasowe 'Gunsight'. 
250 Black-tailed Godwit, many feeding a few feet from the beach - Caldy Shore.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.
1 Smew (red-head) - Inner Marsh Farm.

December 27

1,000 Black-tailed Godwit - Thurstaston Shore.
2 Smew (pair) - Inner Marsh Farm.
5 Little Egret, 13 Bewick's Swan and 5 Whooper Swan - Burton Marsh.
1 Mediterranean Gull (adult) - Leasowe Beach.

December 26

70 Bewick's Swan - Shotton on salt marsh.
1 Smew (red-head) and 2 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.

December 25

6 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.

December 24

3 Smew (2 drake) - Inner Marsh Farm.
6 Little Egret, 5 Bewick's Swan and 5 Whooper Swan - Burton Marsh.
75 Bewick's Swan - Shotton on salt marsh.

December 23

1 Green-winged Teal (drake) and 2 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
3 Smew (2 drake) - Shotwick boating lake.

December 22

10 Little Egret and 8 Bewick's Swan -  Denhall Quay.
Huge numbers of birds between West Kirby and Heswall this morning including 20,000 Oystercatcher. 
24 Brent Goose (pale bellied) and 1 Snow Bunting - Hilbre Island.
1 Snow Bunting and 4 Stonechat - Leasowe sea wall.
3 Smew (2 drake) and 11 Pink-footed Goose - Inner Marsh Farm.
75 Bewick's Swan - Shotton on salt marsh.

December 21

5 Little Egret -  Denhall Quay.
3 Raven, 1 Water Rail and 10 Bewick's Swan - Inner Marsh Farm.

December 20

16 Goldeneye, 12 Red-breasted Merganser, 41 Turnstone and 97 Redshank - West Kirby Marine.
900 Black-tailed Godwit - Heswall Shore.
250 Black-tailed Godwit - Thurstaston Shore
75 Bewick's Swan - Shotton on salt marsh.
5 Pink-footed Goose - Shotwick fields.
1 Snow Bunting - Leasowe near groynes.
24 Brent Goose (pale bellied) - Hilbre Island.
2 Water Rail, 2 Brambling and about 10 Siskin - Parkgate Old Baths.
2 Water Pipit -  Neston Old Quay.

December 19

1 Smew (drake), 2 Stonechat and 3 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
75 Bewick's Swan - Burton Marsh, and 1 Lapland Bunting on nearby farmland.

December 18

9,000 Dunlin, 3,000 Knot, 300 Redshank, 40 Sanderling, 120 Grey Plover, 58 Curlew and 160 Bar-tailed Godwit - West Kirby High tide roost, counted by DEVW.
26 Brent Goose (as far as could be seen in bad light, all pale bellied) - Little Eye.
16 Goldeneye and 10 Red-breasted Merganser - West Kirby Marine.
1 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
2 Water Pipit and 2 Little Egret -  Neston Old Quay.
5 Little Egret and 5 Whooper Swan -  Denhall Quay.

December 17

2 Short-eared Owl - Leasowe Lighthouse, and 2 Purple Sandpiper at the nearby Gunsight car park.
Little Egrets - Burton Marsh and Parkgate, 7 Shoveler on Decca Pools.  

December 16

54,000 Knot, 28,000 Dunlin, 2,000 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1,600 Grey Plover, 149 Sanderling, 300 Redshank and 200 Ringed Plover - Hoylake shore.
1 Red-throated Diver, 20 Great-crested Grebe, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Merlin (female) and 1 male Stonechat - Leasowe Lighthouse. 
25 Brent Goose - Little Eye.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.
1 Smew (drake) and 1 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
50 Bewick's Swan - Burton Marsh.

December 15

850 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Scaup, 1 Jack snipe and 9 Water Rail plus usual thousands of Oystercatcher, Shelduck etc - high tide at Heswall Shore, note 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit between Heswall and Caldy over past week or two.
2 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
250 Black-tailed Godwit, 1,000 Pintail, 1 Merlin and 1 Kingfisher - Point of Ayr.
10 Great-crested Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe off shore and 1 pair of Stonechat inland - Leasowe Castle. 
10,000 Dunlin, 2,000 Knot, 550 Redshank, 30 Sanderling, 155 Grey Plover and 41 Ringed Plover - West Kirby High tide roost, counted by DEVW.
50,000 Knot - Hilbre Island.
1 Short-eared Owl - Leasowe Lighthouse. 

December 14

2 Water Pipit -  Neston Old Quay.
15 Goldeneye and 9 Red-breasted Merganser - West Kirby Marine.
2 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
19 Brent Geese, 4 Red-throated diver, 9 Great-crested Grebe and 5 Purple Sandpiper - Hilbre Island.
20,000 Knot, 11,000 Dunlin, 2,500 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1,000 Grey Plover, 210 Sanderling and 390 Ringed Plover - Hoylake Shore.

December 13

27 Brent Goose and 2,500 Oystercatcher- Little Eye, a Peregrine Falcon was seen feeding on top of Little Eye for about half an hour surrounded by the Oystercatchers!
8,000 Knot - West Kirby shore before high tide.
10 Great-crested Grebe, 3 Red-breasted Merganser and 20 Common Scoter out to sea, and 3 Stonechat in paddock nearby - Leasowe Lighthouse. 
3 Little Egret, 2 Whooper Swan (possibly more  hidden in the reeds), 2 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Sparrowhawk and 1 Kingfisher - Gayton Sands (Parkgate).
21 Goldeneye - West Kirby Marine Lake.

December 12

700 Black-tailed Godwit and 20,000 Knot  off Thurstaston and Caldy this morning.
1 Water Pipit -  Neston Old Quay.
18 Little Egret coming into roost, and 1 Short-eared Owl -  Denhall Quay.
1 Smew (drake) - Shotwick Boating lake then later at Inner Marsh Farm, 1 Woodcock also at Inner Marsh Farm.
5 Red-breasted Merganser and 10 Goldeneye - West Kirby Marine.
2 Short-eared Owl - Point of Ayr.
10 Great-crested Grebe on sea, 16 Pink-footed Goose flying west, 2 Purple Sandpiper on sea wall and 2 Stonechat and 1 Chiffchaff inland - Leasowe Old Gunsight (east of Lighthouse).
8,000 Knot, 358 Redshank, 40 Ringed Plover, 10 Grey Plover and 200 Dunlin - West Kirby High tide roost, counted by DEVW, also 18 Scaup out to sea.

December 11

About 900 Black-tailed Godwit between Thurstaston and Caldy this morning.
1 Water Pipit -  Neston Old Quay.
7 Little Egret -  Denhall Quay.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.
1 Smew (drake) - Inner Marsh Farm.

December 10

10 Red-breasted Merganser and 4 Goldeneye - West Kirby Marine.
1 Smew (drake), 2 Water Rail and 4 Stonechat - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Jack Snipe and 2 Stonechat (male and female) - Leasowe Lighthouse, and 1 Mediterranean Gull seen flying from Moreton rubbish tip towards shore.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.
20 Little Egret seen coming into roost at  Denhall Quay, also Short-eared Owl and 5 Whooper Swan.
1 Short-eared Owl and 1 Merlin - Burton Marsh.
1 Hen Harrier - Point of Ayr.

December 8

20 Brent Geese (pale bellied) - Hilbre Island.
2 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
9 Little Egret -  Denhall Quay.
Peregrine Falcon seen hunting through flock of 400 Black-tailed Godwit - Caldy Shore.

December 7

21 Brent Geese (20 pale bellied and 1 dark bellied) - Hilbre Island.
2 Little Egret and 1 Merlin - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
4 Little Egret -  Denhall Quay.
2 Water Pipit and 1 Little Egret - Neston Old Quay.

December 6

22 Brent Geese (21 pale bellied and 1 dark bellied) - Hilbre Island.
4,900 Dunlin and 126 Grey Plover - West Kirby Shore.

December 5

28 Bewick's Swan and 5 Whooper Swan - Burton Marsh.
1 Green-winged Teal (drake) - Inner Marsh Farm.
9 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
2,000 Black-tailed Godwit, 800 Pintail  and 30 Twite - Flint Castle.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.

December 4

25 Bewick's Swan - Burton Marsh.
9 Little Egret - Parkgate Boathouse Flash.
105 Redshank and 35 Turnstone roosting on West Kirby Marine Lake Wall.
1 Mediterranean Gull (adult) and 30 Twite - Flint Castle.
1 Red-crested Pochard (female) - Greenfield Valley.

December 3

320 Grey Plover, 6,800 Dunlin and 70 Sanderling - West Kirby High tide roost, counted by DEVW.
13 Brent Geese (pale-bellied) on rocks between Little Eye and Hilbre as tide came in.
13 Brent Geese (pale-bellied), 18 Scaup and 1 Merlin - Point of Ayr, at high tide.
20 Brent Geese, 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Peregrine Falcon and a Brambling which was ringed - Hilbre Island.
5 Bewick's Swan, 2 Ruff and 2 Common Buzzard  - Inner Marsh Farm.

December 2

5+ Short-eared Owl and 1 Peregrine Falcon swooping through Knot flock - Point of Ayr.
2 Short-eared Owl and 1 Little Owl - Leasowe Lighthouse, and an Eider off shore (drake). 
100 Bar-tailed Godwit (sighting confirmed as bar-tailed, not black-tailed) and Sparrowhawk - off Flint.

December 1

2,900 Oystercatcher - West Kirby Shore.
12 Little Egret -  Denhall Quay.
2 Little Egret - Parkgate Marsh.
310 Black-tailed Godwit and estimate of 5,000 Oystercatcher off Caldy steps, with another 450 Black-tailed Godwit and 2,500+ Oystercatcher on Thurstaston shore.

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