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Archived Latest Sightings:
May and June 2017.

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Click here to see list of Archived latest sightings from September 2000.


Jun 30
74 Sandwich Tern off West Kirby Marine Lake as tide came in, also several fishing over the lake.
1 Red Kite over Burton Mere Wetlands at 1.30pm.
2 Raven - Connah's Quay Reserve.
2 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 29
60 Redshank, 58 Black-tailed Godwit (at least 40 in full summer plumage), 1 Whimbrel, 1 ad Mediterranean Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern - Heswall Shore.

Jun 28
140 Knot (non breeders), 225 Redshank, 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 325 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 540 Black-headed Gull, 2 ad Mediterranean Gull - Heswall Shore.

Jun 27
1 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 26
3 Eider, 78 Gannet and 50 Common Tern over high tide - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.
1 Mediterranean Gull (ad sum/pl) with about 300 Black-headed Gull off West Kirby Marine Lake as tide came in, very few Sandwich Terns but a Little Tern fishing on the lake was unusual.
36 Little Egret, 1 Greenshank, 17 Redshank, 4 Whimbrel, 1ad Mediterranean, 1 Redpoll flew north - Heswall Shore.
2 Grasshopper Warbler - Denhall Quay.

Jun 25
360 Shelduck, 19 Little Egret, 32 Redshank, 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 310 Curlew, 3 Whimbrel, 500 Black-headed Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull (1ad, 1 2nd summer), 240 Herring Gull - Heswall Shore.
1 Great White Egret, 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Spoonbill and 3 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.
90 Black-tailed Godwit - Decca Pools.
1 Great White Egret flew from Burton Mere Wetlands to Burton Marsh.
1 Marsh Harrier off Denhall Quay.

Jun 24
41 Gannet, 41 Common Tern and c1,000 Herring Gull before high tide - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.
21 Sandwich Tern off West Kirby Marine Lake as tide came in.
31 Little Egret, 9 Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Whimbrel, 370 Black-headed Gull, 1ad Mediterranean Gull - Heswall Shore.
2+ Cattle Egret (1 ad and at least 1 young in nest), 2 Great White Egret, 1 Spoonbill and 1 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 23
26 Sandwich Tern and 34 Great Black-backed Gull in small gull roost at high tide, also 1 Manx Shearwater and 10+ Gannet distant - Hoylake Shore.
1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.
5 Manx Shearwater, 18 Gannet, 18 Common Scoter and 7 Little Tern - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.

Jun 22
1 Mediterranean Gull (ad s/p) - Hilbre.
1 Cuckoo flew in off sea and headed towards Bidston Hill - Leasowe Lighthouse.

Jun 21
2 Spoonbill on main scrape - Burton Mere Wetlands.
2 Mediterranean Gull (s/pl) - Hoylake Shore this evening.

Jun 20
1 Red Kite soaring over Glegg Arms, Heswall, this afternoon.
2 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Grasshopper Warbler showing well by path from Denhall Lane to Burton Point.

Jun 19
3 Sandwich Tern landed on scrape, also 1 Great White Egret and 1 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 18
1 adult and young Cattle Egret still - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Grasshopper Warbler - Burton Point.

Jun 17
40 Shelduck, 7 returning Curlew, 130 Sandwich Tern, 150 Common Tern, 1 Little Tern and 1 Manx Shearwater - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.

Jun 16
2 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Red Kite - flew from Two Mills towards Shotwick Village.

Jun 15
2 adult and at least 1 young Cattle Egret, also 2 Great White Egret and 1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 14
2 Grsshopper Warbler  between Burton Point and Denhall Lane.
2 Grasshopper Warbler in fields by Ness Gardens.
1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.
 SPRINGWATCH - for those who missed last night's episode they showed a lovely short film made by James Bayliss-Smith about the waders on Hilbre, you can see it on IPlayer (episode 10, the film is on after 32 minutes).

Jun 13
2 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Marsh Harrier (fem) - Neston Reed Bed this evening.

Jun 12
2 Gannet, 3 Manx Shearwater and 5 Kittiwake - Leasowe Gunsite.

Jun 11
1 Arctic Skua, 3 Manx Shearwater and 14 Gannet - Red Rocks.
1 Cuckoo heard - Stapledon Wood, Caldy.
Adult Cattle Egret with two young still, also 2 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.

Jun 10
1 Marsh Harrier (fem) - Neston Old Quay.
1 Great White Egret - Burton Point.

Jun 9
1 Marsh Harrier (male) - Parkgate Old Baths.
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.

Jun 8
340 Shelduck, 25 Little Egret, 91 Grey Plover (non-breeding plumage), 74 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 143 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore.
2 Arctic Skua, 1 Great Skua, c10 Manx Shearwater, 1 Fulmar and 1 probable Storm Petrel - Point of Ayr.
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.

Jun 7
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.

Jun 6
According to BirdGuides Burton Mere Wetlands is CLOSED due to high winds, 1 Great White Egret earlier.
2 Geat Skua in River Mersey at high tide - New Brighton.
2 Arctic skua (dark phase) flying east off Dove Point, Meols, later on beach at Leasowe Gunsite.

Jun 5
1 Spoonbill off Denhall Quay.

Jun 4
1 Cattle Egret over, 2 Great White Egret - Shotton Lagoons.

Jun 3
Cattle Egret chick and adult still visible in nest, also 4 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

Jun 2
3 Spoonbill this morning before flying off west - Old Baths, Parkgate.
1 Great White Egret - Connah's Quay Reserve.
5 Whimbrel and 2 Grasshopper Warbler - Gronant.

Jun 1
2 Spoonbill, 5+ Avocet and 120 Black-tailed Godwit - Decca Pools, also 2 Grasshopper Warbler along Denhall Lane.
1 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

May 31
1 poss Citrine Wagtail which appeared to be in first winter plumage (!), with Pied Wagtails about 11am and again at 4pm - Kerr's Field, Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Spoonbill - Decca Pools.

May 30
1 Yellowhammer (singing), 2 Stonechat (pair), 2 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Grasshopper Warbler (reeling) - Heswall Fields.
315 Dunlin, 123 Sanderling and 57 Ringed Plover - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.
1 Spoonbill came into roost - Burton Mere Wetlands.

May 29
2 Eider (pair) - Hilbre.
At least 2 Grasshopper Warbler - along path by the marsh, Heswall Golf Course.

May 28
1 Little Stint, 52 Ringed Plover, 85 Sanderling and 400 Dunlin - Hilbre, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details and some great photos.
1 Little Stint, 1 Little Gull (imm), 300 Little Tern and 20 Sandwich Tern - Gronant.
1 Marsh Harrier (male) over marsh and 1 Grasshopper Warbler near Boathouse Pub - Parkgate.

May 27
1 Cattle Egret chick visible!!! Burton Mere Wetlands, see https://twitter.com/RSPB_BurtonMere, the Rare Breeding Bird Panel confirms that the last probable breeding in the UK took place in 2009 in SW England which followed the first breeding in this country, in Somerset, in 2008.

May 26
3 Spoonbill flew over flying south at 8.30am - Hilbre.
1 Red Kite flew low over Rockcliffe at 1030am, close to Connah's Quay Nature Reserve.

May 25
1 Shorelark, 1 Fulmar, 1 Wheatear and 1 Whimbrel - Hilbre, see more details in Hilbre Bird Obs Blog.

May 24
1 Turtle Dove in gardens along Stanley Road but very elusive - Red Rocks.
2 Little Stint, 80 Sanderling, 110 Ringed Plover and 1,400 Dunlin - Hoylake Shore at high tide.
The RSPB have now put an official announcement about the breeding Cattle Egrets see - http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=6382 and https://twitter.com/RSPB_BurtonMere.

May 23
1 Roseate Tern flew west, also 1 Wheatear in paddocks - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Shorelark, also 300 Sandwich Tern on West Hoyle Bank - Hilbre.
6 Cattle Egret Burton Mere Wetlands with one nest seen!!
1 Little Stint - Bird Rock, Red Rocks.

May 22
1 Blue-headed Wagtail in hores paddocks at 9pm - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Shorelark - Hilbre.
1 Cuckoo and 1 Turtle Dove (flew over and into private garden) - Red Rocks.
1 Blue-headed Wagtail with a Yellow Wagtail on the marsh at Point of Ayr.

May 21
1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Shorelark - Hilbre.
1 Marsh Harrier (fem) and 2+ Grasshooper - Boathouse, Parkgate.
2 Marsh Harrier (fem) at far edge of Neston Reedbed.

May 20
1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Marsh Covert Hide, still present early morning - Burton Mere Wetlands, also 1 Little Gull, 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Great White Egret, 1 Ruff and 2 Cetti's Warbler.
2 Great White Egret - Burton Point.
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning, 120 Gannet, two Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua this evenng.
1 Hobby - Gronant.

May 19
1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Marsh Covert Hide, still present early afternoon, first Cheshire record since 2012, also 1 Cattle Egret, 3 Great White Egret and 1 Spoonbill  - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning.

May 18
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning.
1 Marsh Harrier (fem) off Boathouse Pub, Parkgate, this morning.
2 Great White Egret and 1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.

May 17
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning.

May 16
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning, also 1 Brent Goose, 3 Arctic Tern and 2 Whimbrel, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details.
3 Spotted Flycatcher in grounds of Hilbre School, West Kirby.
1 Hoopoe seen in two private gardens - Burlingham Avenue, West Kirby.

May 15
1 Little Gull - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Shorelark still at Hilbre this morning, also 1 Hobby, 1 Siskin and 1 pale-bellied Brent Goose, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details.
3 Spotted Flycatcher in sea front garden - Hoylake.

May 14
1 Shorelark north end of Hilbre at 9.30am.
1 Wood Sandpiper and 1 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Hooded Crow on sea defence below Leasowe Gunsite.
15 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore.

May 13
7 Curlew Sandpiper (believed to be highest spring count from Hilbre for at least 20 years) and 3 Spotted Flycatcher - Hilbre, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details and some great photos.
1 Marsh Harrier flew high over Meols this morning.
5 Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Whinchat, 10+ Wheatear and 2 Yellow Wagtail -Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 12
First Spotted Flycatchers this morning with 16+ at Leasowe Lighthouse, 6 Gilroy NP, 1 Hilbre and 7+ Red Rocks.
Also 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Tree Pipit and 2 Whinchat - Red Rocks.
1 Little Stint and 1 Curlew Sandpiper (partial s/pl) with 4,000 small waders - Meols Shore at 10am, they later moved to Hoylake for high tide where I estimated 3,500 Dunlin, 200 Ringed Plover and 100 Sanderling but Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper not located.
1 Lesser Whitethroat and 1 Grasshopper Warbler (reeling), 120 Black-tailed Godwit over - Gilroy Nature Reserve, West Kirby.
c70 Swift, c30 House Martin and c100 Swallow over Hoylake Langfields this afternoon.
1 Hooded Crow which dropped into the horse paddocks this afternoon - Leasowe Lighthouse.

May 11
1 Little Stint and 1 Curlew Sandpiper (both also present yesterday), also 1 Whinchat, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Tree Pipit and good numbers of Dunlin - Hilbre, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details and some great photos.
2 Whinchat, 5 Tree Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Short-eared Owl - Red Rocks, early morning.
1 Wheatear (male) - Parkgate Old Baths.
3 Marsh Harrier between Parkgate and Burton.
1 Great White Egret - Burton Mere Wetlands.

May 10
1 Subalpine Warbler (fem) early morning, report of brief view again at 7pm - Red Rocks.
2 Garganey - Burton Mere Wetlands.
1 Cuckoo by Montgomery Hill and Thurstaston Common.
2 Marsh Harrier - Neston Marsh.

May 9
1 Wood Sandpiper and at least 2 Garganey - Burton Mere Wetlands.
2 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat and 20+ Willow Warbler - Red Rocks.
4 Marsh Harrier - Neston Marsh.
1 Great White Egret and 1 Whinchat - Parkgate.
1 Great White Egret, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit and 1 Whimbrel - Point of Ayr.

May 8
1 Whinchat, 1 Tree Pipit and 20 Whitethroat - Red Rocks.
1 Osprey - flying NE over Wirral, seen from Hilbre.

May 7
1 Cuckoo, 3 Whinchat, 1 Redstart (male), 9 Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Lesser Whitethroat and 9 Wheatear - Leasowe Lighthouse.
1 Little Gull, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Cattle Egret, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Little Stint, 1 Wood Sandpiper and 3 Garganey - Burton Mere Wetlands.
4 Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 20 Willow Warbler and 1 Tree Pipit - Red Rocks.
4 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank and 1 Common Sandpiper - Donkey Stand Flash, Parkgate.
1 Spoonbill, 2 Great White Egret, c40 Swift, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Whinchat, 5 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Garden Warbler - Neston Marsh/Fields between Marshlands Road and Parkgate.
80 Turnstone - New Brighton Marine Lake.
1 Cuckoo over Lower Heswall this evening.

May 6
Large passage of Swifts this morning including 347 in one hour at Red Rocks, 120 in 30 mins at Shotton, 250+ in one hour at Leasowe Lighthouse and 332 over Hilbre.
1 Wheatear in paddocks, 1 Redstart in field by Park Lane - Leasowe Lighthouse.
2 Wood Sandpiper (Marsh Covert), 2 Garganey (pair - IMF hide), 1 Spoonbill and 3 Spotted Redshank - Burton Mere Wetlands.
23 Stock Dove in recently ploughed and seeded field below Stapledon Wood, Caldy.

May 5
27 Swift, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Eider (pair), 3,000 Knot flying N, 9 Whimbrel, 2,300 Dunlin, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Greenland Wheatear (male) and 1 Rock Pipit - Hilbre, early morning.
1 Short-eared Owl over - Red Rocks.
1 Whinchat by hide - Point of Ayr.

May 4
1 Marsh Harrier, 63 Grey Plover, 2500 Dunlin, 1100 Knot, 2 Greenshank, 23 Black-tailed Godwit, 38 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore at low tide.
4 Spotted Redshank - - Burton Mere Wetlands.
21 Stock Dove in recently ploughed and seeded field below Stapledon Wood, Caldy.

May 3
4 Red-breasted Merganser, 46 Great-crested Grebe (most in pairs in the main river channel), 1 imm Marsh Harrier, 2 Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 64 Grey Plover, 2500 Dunlin, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 27 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore at low tide.
1 Arctic Skua (dark phase, on beach) and 21 Whimbrel - Gronant.
1 Spoonbill flew high over Leasowe Lighthouse early morning, heading east.

May 2
11 Black Tern, 2 Cattle Egret, 2 Great White Egret and 1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.
5 Garden Warbler, 1 Black Redstart, 3 Common Redstart, 10 Wheatear and 4 Whinchat in horse paddocks -  Leasowe Lighthouse, for more details and photos see Lighthouse Blog.
1 male Pied Flycatcher, 2 Common Redstart, 1 Garden Warbler and 2 Tree Pipit - Red Rocks.
2 Common Redstart, 2 Grasshopper Warbler and 60+ Willow Warbler highlights from Hilbre, see Hilbre Bird Obs Blog for more details and some great photos.
1 Marsh Harrier flew over heading east seen from both Hilbre and Hoylake.
12 Bar-tailed Godwit, 85 Curlew, 131 Whimbrel - Heswall Shore on rising tide.
30 Little Tern, 200 Sandwich Tern, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Greenland Wheatear and 1300 Oystercatcher - Gronant.

May 1
1 Spotted Crake, 3 Whinchat, 4 Tree Pipit, 350 Swallow and a pair of copulating Grasshopper Warblers! - Red Rocks.
10+ Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, 4 House Martin, 3 White Wagtail and good number of singing Common Whitethroat - Leasowe Lighthouse, also 2 Whimbrel and 3000 Dunlin and 600 Sanderling.
1 male Marsh Harrier and 3 Grasshopper Warbler (between Old Baths and Boathouse - Parkgate.
1 Little Gull (2cy), 1 Hobby, 8 Wheatear, c150 Common Tern - Connah's Quay Reserve.
1 Hobby drifted slowly north over Lower Heswall this afternoon.
14 Little Egret, 2400 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 84 Whimbrel, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Yellow Wagtail flew north - Heswall Shore on rising tide.
8 Black Tern, 1 Little Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Cattle Egret, 3 Great White Egret and 1 Spoonbill - Burton Mere Wetlands.
17 Whinchat (12 on one fence) along Denhall Lane up to Harp Inn - Burton Marsh.

Click Here to see Archived latest sightings from September 2000.