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  Archived Latest Sightings -
July and August 2002.

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August 31

4 Curlew Sandpiper, 8 Greenshank and 600 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Long-tailed Skua and 12 Arctic Skua - Point of Ayr, early morning.
11 Arctic Skua and 50 Kittiwake - Hilbre Island.
2 Little Gull - Leasowe Shore.
3 Greenshank and 1 Curlew Sandpiper (juv.) - Heswall Shore, 392 Cormorant roosting.

August 30

1 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 1 Garganey and 3 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
8 Greenshank and 1 Little Egret - Parkgate Marsh, Boathouse Flash.
5 Greenshank and 1 Common Sandpiper - Heswall Shore.

August 29

1 Merlin and 5 Little Egret - Heswall Shore, 2 Ravens seen flying over fields inland.
800 Black-tailed Godwit - Connah's Quay reserve.
1 Spotted Crake, 1 Garganey and 6 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Sooty Shearwater,  12 Arctic Skua and 3 Great Skua - Hilbre Island.

August 28

21 Greenshank - Parkgate Marsh, Boathouse Flash.
2 Common Buzzard over Shotwick Boating Lake.
34 Great Crested Grebe off  Greenfield at low tide.
1 Spotted Crake, 2 Garganey and 1 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.

August 27

11 Greenshank - Parkgate Marsh, Boathouse Flash.
1 Peregrine, 1 Mediterranean, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Little Egret and 1 Greenshank - Point of Ayr.
5 Arctic Skua, 2 Arctic Tern, 2 Gannet, 1 Fulmar, 1 Wheatear - Hilbre Island, also plenty of Common, Sandwich and Little Terns around.

August 26

2 Spotted Crake, 5 Green Sandpiper,  4 Greenshank and 5 Ruff - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Little Egret and 22 Greenshank  - Parkgate Marsh, Boathouse Flash.
1 Little Egret and 3 Greenshank - Heswall Shore.

August 24

1 Spotted Crake and 90 Shoveler - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Marsh Harrier (juv.) and 1 Merlin (f.),  - Parkgate Marsh.

August 23

1 Little Egret, 7 Ruff, 1 Spotted Crake, probable Little Stint and 10 Greenshank - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Little Egret - Heswall Shore.
2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Little Egret and 47 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.

August 22

6 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier (f), 4 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 750 Black-tailed Godwit and 10 Greenshank - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Curlew Sandpiper - Leasowe Shore.
1 Marsh Harrier (imm. f.), 2 Little Egret and 44 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.

August 21

6,000 Oystercatcher - West Kirby Shore, a conservative estimate.
1 Marsh Harrier (female) and 1 Peregrine - Burton Marsh.
2 Little Egret and 42 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
1 Water Rail, 2 Little Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Ruff and 1 Greenshank - Inner Marsh Farm.
20+ Sandwich Tern, 100+ Turnstone and 1,000+ Oystercatcher - Hilbre Island.

August 20

14 Wheatear - Hoylake Shore, on rocks on site of old baths.
110 Common Tern - West Kirby Shore, also about 5,000 Gulls, mainly Black-headed.

August 19

27 Greenshank and 1 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Garganey (drake in eclipse), 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Greenshank and 700 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Little Egret and 6 Greenshank - Point of Ayr.
1 Marsh Harrier and 3 Greenshank - Shotwick Fields.
2 Peregrine - West Kirby Marine Lake.

Report of 7 Fieldfares over Willaston (east of Neston), very unusual for August but the two birders who saw them are convinced they were fieldfares.

August 18

28 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
1 Spotted Crake - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Marsh Harrier (female) - Neston Marsh reed bed.
2 Merlin - Heswall Fields.

August 17

31 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
6 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Crake, 6 Ruff and 750 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
20 Willow Warbler, 2 Arctic Skua and 120 Little Tern - Hilbre Island.
1 Marsh Harrier (female) - Neston Marsh reed bed, seen devouring prey.

August 16

2,000 Curlew, 4,500 Redshank, 1,200 Oystercatcher and 2,000 Dunlin - Heswall Shore, two hours after high tide this morning. 
4 Green Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, 2 Tree Pipit and 650 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.

August 15

5 Greenshank, 10 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover and 400 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Yellow-legged Gull (adult) - Shotwick Boating Lake, 3 Green Sandpiper - Shotwick Fields.

August 14

1 Spoonbill, 26 Little Egret, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 11 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 425 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Marsh Harrier - Inner Marsh Farm.
80 Little Tern, 40 Common Tern and 10 Sandwich Tern - West Hoyle Bank off Hilbre Island.
25 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.

August 13

1 Spoonbill, 1 Spotted Crake and 1 Marsh Harrier - Inner Marsh Farm.
2,600 Dunlin, 200 ringed Plover and 50 Sanderling - Hoylake Shore.
2,500 Oystercatcher - West Kirby Shore.   

August 12

3 Spoonbill (2 adult), 2 Garganey, 1 Marsh Harrier and 520 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Hobby and 1 Garganey - Shotwick Fields.   

August 11

1,200 Dunlin, 1 Little Stint and 80 Common Tern - Hoylake Shore.
39 Common Tern, 100+ Sandwich Tern, 110 Little Tern and 400 Dunlin - West Kirby Shore
2,000 Oystercatcher - Little Hilbre.
3 Spoonbill (2 adult), 18 Little Egret and 1 Spotted Redshank - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Mediterranean Gull (adult) and 1 Peregrine - Meols Shore

August 10

1 Little Gull, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Peregrine plus 11 species of wader including Whimbrel - Hoylake Shore.
6 Little Tern and 3,000 mixed gulls (mainly Common and Black-headed) - West Kirby Shore
3,000 Oystercatcher - Little Eye two hours before high tide before being disturbed by 4 sea-anglers.

August 9

1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm, 26 Little Egret left roost at dawn.
1 Red-rumped Swallow with several hundred other hirundines, 1 Hobby, 2 Ruff and 1 Wood Sandpiper - Shotwick Fields.   
1 Wood Sandpiper (south end of Little Hilbre), 4 Willow Warbler,   2 Wheatear, 120 Turnstone, 4 Greenshank, 40 Little Tern, 200 Common Tern and 400 Sandwich Tern - Hilbre Island.

August 8

2 Wood Sandpiper, 4 Ruff, 1 Marsh Harrier (imm. female),  200 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm
1 Cuckoo, 6 Yellow Wagtail and 3 Ruff - Shotwick Fields.  

August 7

1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Greenshank, 250 Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm, 16 Little Egret left roost at dawn.
55 Greenshank and 4 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
25 Willow Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Wheatear, 100 Swallow, 1 Greenshank, 1 Peregrine, 100 Common Tern and 400 Sandwich Tern - Hilbre Island.
1 Hobby and 3 Ruff - Shotwick Fields.
3 Whimbrel over West Kirby flying towards Hilbre Island.

Latest Newsletter has just been published.

August 6

98 Sanderling, 370 Sandwich Tern and 10 Common Scoter - Gronant, 590 Sandwich Terns counted here two days ago. 
5 Greenshank and 12 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
1 Wood Sandpiper - Burton Marsh, Decca Pool.  

August 5

1 Wood Sandpiper, 200 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm, 26 Little Egret left roost at dawn.
19 Greenshank and 2 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
30 Willow Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 6 Wheatear, 150 Swallow, 10 Sand Martin and 100 Little Tern - Hilbre Island.

August 4

2 Spoonbill (adult), 1 Ruff, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Garganey and 1 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm, 25 Little Egret left roost at dawn (already a record number and it's only early August!) - 23 Little Egret counted in the evening.
12 Greenshank, 1 Marsh Harrier and 3 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash

August 3

1 Curlew Sandpiper (adult, summer plumage), 200 Sanderling, 2,000 Dunlin, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Arctic Skua, 350 Common Tern, 250 Sandwich Tern and 80 Little Tern - Hilbre Island.
Wood Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, Little Egret, 300 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm .
1 Spoonbill (imm.), 21 Greenshank and 2 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
2 Little Ringed Plover - Gilroy Pond, West Kirby.

August 2

1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Ruff and 2 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm .
1 Spoonbill (imm.), 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Merlin, 19 Greenshank and 2 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash

August 1

5 Avocet (4 juv.), 2 Little Egret and 1 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm, Avocets till 9am only, no sign of Marsh Sandpiper.
4 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill and 5 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.  
1 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Arctic Skua, 50 Sandwich Tern and 25 Sanderling - Gronant.

July 31

5 Avocet, 1 Little Egret and 1 Ruff - Inner Marsh Farm, Avocets till 8am only, no sign of Marsh Sandpiper.
1 Spoonbill, 2 Greenshank and 2 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
3 Green Sandpipers - Shotwick fields.
70 Linnet, 20 Sanderling, 204 Dunlin, 36 Ringed Plover and 328 Little Tern - Gronant.

July 30

540 Sandwich Tern and 30 Common Tern - Hilbre Island.
1 Spoonbill, 10 Greenshank and 7 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
240Sandwich Tern, 20 Sanderling and 1 Arctic Skua - Gronant.

July 29

1 Marsh Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 1 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and 200 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm, also Quail heard calling.
1 Spoonbill and 6 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
2 Yellow-legged Gull (adult, 3rd summer),  1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Little Egret, 100 Sandwich Tern and 1 Marsh Harrier (imm.) - Point of Ayr.
400 Sandwich Tern (15% juv.) and 185 Little Tern - Gronant.

July 28

1 Marsh Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 12 Little Egret, 1 Spoonbill and 200 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm, also Quail heard calling.
10 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.

July 27

3 Green Sandpipers - Shotwick fields, and 8 Common Scoter in Shotwick boating Lake.
1 Marsh Sandpiper, 6 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, 6 Common Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 1 Ruff and 121 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
3 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
400+ Black-headed Gull, 150 Common Gull, 29 Herring Gull, 100+ Swallow, 50+ House Martin and 15 Sand Martin after ants over Black Horse Hill, West Kirby, estimate of four times as many gulls over main part of West Kirby this morning and Hoylake fields this afternoon.
6 Little Egret, 1 Spoonbill and 4 Greenshank - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
200 Sandwich Tern, 2000 Oystercatcher and 1000 Black-headed Gull - West Kirby Shore.
1000+ Sandwich Tern - Hilbre Island.

July 26

1 Quail heard calling - Shotwick fields.
1 Marsh Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 1 Water Rail and 192 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 25

2 Arctic Skua, 330 Sandwich Tern, 3 Gannet, 6 Common Scoter and 100 Sanderling - Gronant.
1 Mediterranean Gull (adult), 1 Little Gull and 1 probable Gull-billed Tern - Point of Ayr at high tide.

July 24

21 Greenshank, 1 Spoonbill and 1 Little Egret - Parkgate, Boathouse Flash.
1 Marsh Sandpiper and 4 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Arctic Skua - Gronant.

July 23

2,500 mixed flock of gulls and terns at high tide - West Kirby Shore, estimated to be 400 Sandwich Tern, 25 Common Tern, 1,000 Black-headed Gull, 500 Common Gull, 400 Herring Gull and a few Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls.

July 22

1 Marsh Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 21

1 Marsh Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Little Egret, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Arctic Skua and 1 Greenshank - Point of Ayr.

July 20

340 Sandwich Tern - Hilbre Island, low tide.
2 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Corn Bunting, 1 Ruff and 2 Green Sandpiper - Shotwick Fields.
470 Sandwich Tern - West Kirby Shore, most very close to Marine Lake Wall as tide came in.
3 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 105 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Little Ringed Plover - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 19

3 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Corn Bunting and 3 Green Sandpiper - Shotwick Fields.

July 18

3 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Corn Bunting and 1 Quail - Shotwick Fields.
250 Sandwich Tern, 300+ Little Tern, 1 Little Egret and 4 Gannet - Gronant.

July 17

4 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Corn Bunting, 1 Quail and several Yellow Wagtail - Shotwick Fields.
4 Ruff and 2 Little Ringed Plover - Inner Marsh Farm.
52 Sandwich Tern and 1 Arctic Skua - on sand bank next to Hilbre Island, low tide.
90 Sandwich Tern - West Hoyle Bank (west of Hilbre), low tide.
1,000 Sandwich Tern - Gronant.
At least 1 Wood Sandpiper heard calling over West Kirby late evening.

July 16

165 Sandwich Tern, including 51 juv. - on sand bank next to Hilbre Island, low tide.
250 Sandwich Tern - West Hoyle Bank (west of Hilbre), low tide.
4 Spoonbill - Burton Point, circled over and 5 Little Egret at nearby Decca Pools.
5 Green Sandpiper and 1 Ruff - Shotwick Slurry Fields.
1 Yellow-legged Gull, 300+ Little Tern, 21 Sanderling, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Whimbrel and 1,008 Sandwich Tern - Gronant.
1 Corn Bunting - Shotwick Fields.

July 15

3 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.
Little Egret and Greenshank - Burton Marsh.
1 Quail heard and 1 Corn Bunting seen and heard - Shotwick Fields.
1 Golden Oriole - Point of Ayr, in poplars by sea wall, evening.
1 Yellow-legged Gull - Shotwick 'on small reservoirs'.

July 14

570 Sandwich Tern - West Kirby Shore.
2,500 Oystercatcher - Little Eye
6 Arctic Skua, 350 Sandwich Tern, 150 Common Tern, 45 Kittiwake, 2 Whimbrel and 6 Grey Heron - Hilbre Island.
1,500 Black-headed Gull and 500 Common Gull flying over West Kirby  heading towards Meols, this morning.
3 Spoonbill, 5 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Greenshank and 1 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
3 Yellow-legged Gull - Point of Ayr.

July 13

89 Sandwich Tern - West Kirby Shore just before high tide.
9 Gannet, 2 Arctic Skua and many Sandwich Terns - Red Rocks, one of the Gannets flew into the estuary between Hilbre Island and Red Rocks, a rare event. 
3 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 12

85 Sandwich Tern - Hilbre 3 hours before high tide. 
120 Sandwich Tern, 350 Oystercatcher and 1,000 Black-headed Gull - West Kirby Shore just before high tide.
3 Arctic Skua - Red Rocks, with lots of Sandwich and Common Tern.
3 Spoonbill, 1 Water Rail, 1 Ruff, 140 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Common Buzzard - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 11

300 Little Tern, 370 Sandwich Tern and 20 Gannet - Gronant (Little Tern numbers have doubled last few days due to influx from elsewhere - presumably failed breeders from other colonies). 
3 Spoonbill - Inner Marsh Farm.

July 10

230 Little Tern, 360 Sandwich Tern, 35 Common Scoter, 30 Manx Shearwater and 50 Gannet - Gronant.
1 Spoonbill, 2 Water Rail and 95 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
2 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.

July 9

2 Little Egret and 3 Spoonbill (2 adult) - Burton Marsh.
2 Green Sandpiper and 1 Hobby - Shotwick Slurry Fields.
230 Little Tern and 250 Sandwich Tern - Gronant.
64 Sandwich Tern - West Kirby Shore.

34 Gannet, 22 Sandwich Tern, 14 Common Tern and 4 Arctic Skua - all within 200 metres of the north end of Hilbre in flat calm! Plus 37 Sandwich Tern roosting on the sand, oh yes - and a Whimbrel!

July 8

2 Little Gull (1st Summer) at Gilroy Pool, West Kirby.
3 Spoonbill, 1 Little Egret and 63 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
45 Gannet, 72 Sandwich Tern, 52 Common Tern and 2 Arctic Skua - Hilbre at low tide.
2 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Quail heard calling plus 3 Green Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover - Shotwick Slurry Fields.
4 Sandwich Tern flying over West Kirby Marine Lake, many more at waters edge far side of lake.

July 7

1 Spoonbill and 450 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
4 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
1 Quail heard calling - Hoylake Langfields.

July Newsletter has just been published. 

July 6

600 Curlew, 1,400 Oystercatcher, 8 Grey Heron and several hundred Shelduck and Redshank - Heswall Shore, numbers starting to build up, pre-moult flock of Shelduck prior to hopping over to the Mersey.
1 Spoonbill and 40 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
3 Green Sandpiper and 1 Quail calling - Shotwick Slurry Fields.

July 5

3 Spoonbill, 4 Little ringed Plover and 1 Water Rail - Inner Marsh Farm.
1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Hobby - Shotwick Slurry Fields.
Flock of 150-200 Swifts over West Kirby this evening.
4 Little Egret and 4 Raven - Burton Marsh

July 4

3 Spoonbill, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little ringed Plover, 1 Water Rail and 45 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.
4 Little Egret - Burton Marsh, Decca Pools.
3 Green Sandpiper and 1 Quail - Shotwick Fields slurry beds.
2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Little Ringed Plover - Shotton rifle Range pools.

July 3

50+ Gannet, 15 Sandwich Tern, 1 Guillemot and 7 Common Scoter - Gronant, plus the usual 120+ Little Terns.
2 Spoonbill, 1 Greenshank, 1 Little Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Hobby and 23 Black-tailed Godwit - Inner Marsh Farm.

3 Little Egret - Burton Marsh.
3 Green Sandpiper - Shotwick Fields slurry beds.

July 2 4 Little Egret and 2 Spoonbill - Burton Marsh.
3 Storm Petrel and steady passage of Manx Shearwater - Gronant.
July 1 2 Spoonbill and 2 Green Sandpiper - Inner Marsh Farm.
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