1 Great Northern Diver - West Kirby Marine Lake, heard calling this morning.
11,000 Dunlin, 13,000 Knot, 2,500 Grey Plover and 200 Sanderling - Hoylake Shore.
4,000 Knot and 4,000 Dunlin - West Kirby Shore.
74 Brent Geese (pale-bellied), 500 Shelduck and 3,000 Oystercatcher - Little Eye.
c1,000 Black-tailed Godwit, c1,000 Lapwing and 1 Peregrine - Heswall Shore.

Please Note: Any Leach's Petrels found dead should be deep frozen (in a freezer) then sent to Dr Stephen Votier of Plymouth University, please email me (Richard Smith - click email above) for details.

For those not aware of what has been happening elsewhere on the west coast, these Leach's Petrel sightings might seem a bit strange as normally records out side late August to October are almost unheard of. But we have had a long period of southerly winds, and in particular a few days ago an intense low pressure system steamed in from the SW, i.e. Bay of Biscay and points further SW where huge numbers overwinter. This resulted in many Leach's Petrel being blown in to south facing coasts - Porthmadog had over 100 on two days during this last week. No doubt many were blown right up in to the northern half of the Irish Sea, with the wind turning round to the NW early yesterday morning these birds have now been blown straight on to the north Wirral coast and then flown out past Hilbre and Point of Ayr - as they do in September gales. The difference now is that these birds have been blown in from the south, rather than through the North Channel. I know of no previous December records for Wirral, but there was a similar 'wreck' in December 1989 which effected Scotland, although far more birds appear to be involved this year (thanks to Brian Unwin for the info).

20 Leach's Petrel past Hilbre Island today, news kindly provided by the Hilbre Bird Observatory - a remarkable number as there hasn't been a single record of one in December for over 40 years.
1 Hen Harrier, 500 Teal, 3,000 Knot, c100 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit - Heswall Shore as tide came in.
1 Curlew Sandpiper - - Inner Marsh Farm RSPB.
1 Leach's Petrel past Red Rocks at high tide, also 1 Peregrine and 10 Wigeon.
3 Purple Sandpiper, 66 Turnstone, 49 Redshank, 119 Dunlin and 23 Knot on West Kirby Marine Lake wall at high tide.
67 Brent Geese (pale-bellied), 1 Peregrine, 400 Cormorant and 1,800 Oystercatcher - Little Eye.
1 Leach's Petrel off Wallasey Life-guard Station moving east, 1 Purple Sandpiper on rocks, 1 Leach's recovered at 4pm about 600m inland.
1 Leach's Petrel in Mersey mouth near New Brighton (probably same one as above).
1 Leach's Petrel - Point of Ayr at 11.30am, also c72 Brent Geese, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Peregrine and 2 Raven.
2 Leach's Petrel going east and 3 going west this afternoon - Leasowe Gunsite.

 
Leach's Petrel recovered in Wallasey 4pm, © Richard Smith

December Newsletter now published on this website.

December Newsletter now published on this website.

Many of you will already have seen the latest episode of the Coast program on BBC 2 - Holyhead to Liverpool. It is repeated, again, on Wednesday November 8th at 7pm. This episode shows some good footage shot at Heswall as the tide started to come in on March 29th, and at Parkgate on March 29th and 30th at high tide. If you recall the tide on the 30th was the highest for about 20 years (see April 2006 Newsletter). It includes some excellent shots of Spotted Crake, Water Rail and Short-eared Owl; and the watching birders. Incidentally, I rescued a half drowned mole on the 30th, which is probably the one they show on the film - the one which Neil Oliver says 'made it'!

November Newsletter now published on this website.