Dee Estuary News November 2003

Allan Conlin.

Directions: From Junc. 2 off the M53 take the Moreton spur and head into Moreton on the A551. At the major roundabout go straight over remaining on the A551. Go over the railway bridge pass Cadburys on your right. As this road takes a sharp right turn, take a sharp left towards Leasowe lighthouse and the car park is located just beyond it. (Ed. See also map and directions of the Meols/Moreton/Leasowe area).

This is a large geographical area within which there are many fields, hedges and copses all worthwhile looking at.

Firstly, the row of sycamores and silver poplars that runs northwest to southeast down the side of Stone Cottage just prior to the lighthouse is excellent. As well as providing cover for the usual summer migrants, such as Grasshopper Warbler and Pied Flycatcher, I have found singing Serin (spring) and Yellow-browed Warbler (autumn).
The Car park is a favourite for Stonechat and other common migrants during a spring fall.
Lingham lane itself is most definitely a favourite of mine, however birding here can be a little frustrating or maybe challenging due to the numerous high privet hedges into which birds seem to vanish and the amount of private land in the area.
Having said all that the horse paddock at the very beginning and on your left of the lane (usually full of daisies in April) is excellent for wagtails, pipits, buntings, finches and Ring Ouzel is always a prize find.

Further down the lane there is a bridge that crosses the River Birket. Here it is good for Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher with effort. Through Lingham farm and you will find the old brick pit now virtually completely filled in. This site has produced Ring billed gull and Black throated diver.
The whole length of the lane is exciting and of the rare species it has produced the following are just a taster: Firecrest, Yellow Browed Warbler, Pallas's warbler, Barred Warbler and Subalpine Warbler. (photo taken from Lingham Lane looking back to Leasowe Lighthouse with typical overgrown hedges in the foreground).

Back to the entrance of the lane and there is a public footpath that runs between the inland fields on the left and coastal fields on the right. This path runs east to west and continues all the way through to Meols. Once again these fields are a magnet for Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears in the spring, especially when flooded. Short eared owls may be seen in the winter and again many waders use these fields in which to roost over high tide.
Of the more unusual species in these fields the following have included Short toed lark, Lapland Bunting, Little Bunting, Stone Curlew, Red throated Pipit, Tawny Pipit and Richards Pipit, the later relatively frequently. Great grey Shrike has also been recorded near Sea field Cottage. Further west towards Meols near the Burbo Caravan Park we get to the area where the famous Desert warbler resided for a month in 1979.
Both Arctic Warbler and Red Breasted Flycatcher have also been ringed in the Meols area. Seawatching from this stretch of coast is exposed and unadvisable, however it is worth looking through the Gull flock that roosts on the Beach over the Sea defence from the Car park.
To summarise this area, there are no specific sites here in which to look for birds as any of the hedgerows or fields may produce a wagtail or warbler or maybe something more unusual.

This article is an extract from 'Birding the Wirral Peninsula' by Allan Conlin. For a review of this excellent booklet and details of how to obtain it see the August 2003 newsletter.