Black Tern over the Centre Pool 30th April 2012

A Black Tern was seen on No.3 bed today, showing well from the John Morgan Hide.

27th April. On a wet evening there were 16 Great crested Grebes, 12 Black necked Grebes, and about 100 Swallows on No.3 bed. A Hobby flew low across the reedbed.

Mid morning No 1 bed - plenty of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Kestrel, 3 Buzzard, a male Peregrine and 2 large Mink crossing the path from the canel side to the large pool by the Gorse patch.

An excellent morning on No.3 bed, with the highlights being: One Cuckoo, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 adult Little Gulls on the scrape in front of the Morgan Hide, 2 Kingfishers, 3 Common Snipe, 2 Water Rails and all three hirundines. In addition Kieran Foster and his team ringed the first Grasshopper Warbler and Reed Warbler of the year.

Cheers David Bowman

Two adult Little Gulls still present Friday morning. Cheers. David Bowman

Still a minimum of 22 Black-necked Grebes present, possibly 24. Other birds this morning included 1 Snipe, c.40 Swallows and 2 Sand Martins.

Cheers David Bowman

Common Cranes!! Two reported flying over late on Saturday. Presumably over No.3 bed? They were earlier reported at Risley Moss and subsequently at a site to the south. Only the second record for the Reserve !! Cheers David Bowman

First Mallard brood of the year on No.2 bed; a female with 3 very small young. The Med.Gull on No.3 bed is an immature so not that easy to spot.

A Mediterranean Gull reported from the Tower Hide this afternoon.

Cheers David Bowman

Marsh Harrier still showing this afternoon. Also a passage of hirundines, with 17 House Martins, 11 Sand Martins and 4 Swallows in total. Could only find 19 Black-necked Grebes but what’s one amongst friends?

Cheers

David Bowman

A Little Gull was on No.3 bed this morning, probably a second summer bird. Also on No.3 bed were 20 Black-necked Grebes and 13 Great-crested Grebes.

09-April-2012 Just heard from a permit holder that she saw a Marsh Harrier kill one of the Gulls on No 3bed yesterday.

High count of Chiffchaffs. A survey of the whole reserve on 28th March produced 95 singing males with another 7 heard adjacent to the reserve. This is probably a record for Woolston.

Highlight of the day was a Siberian Chiffchaff, a real Cheshire rarity, ringed on No.3 bed this morning. Other good sightings included: 16 Black-necked Grebes, 4 Curlews, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Peregrine Falcon, Nuthatch and a few Willow Warblers and Blackcaps.

Cheers David Bowman

Still 19 Black-necked Grebes present, along with a few Common Snipe, a singing Willow Warbler, a couple of Blackcaps and lots of Chiffchaffs.

Cheers

David Bowman

Great Crested Grebe nest building in front of Morgan hide,then taken over by Black Headed gulls. Brief glimpse of Marsh Harrier