A full team met at the reasonable time of 8am with myself at the wheel. The weather was freezing in Rochdale but as we got onto the Wirral it was a balmy 7 degrees, maybe the sea air helped. We stopped at a new spot near Heswall and most of the team managed to see a passing female Hen Harrier. At Parkgate old baths we enjoyed the tide coming in and a couple of Marsh Harriers and Water Pipit`s were seen. Chris B also saw a wintering Chiff-chaff in a field that had lots of birds feeding in it namely: - Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Robin, and Great Spotted Woodpecker. After a spot of lunch, a lady informed us that a good place to watch from was The Harp Inn in Neston overlooking the marsh from mid-afternoon till dusk.
We headed up towards Hoylake & New Brighton and called at a couple of the places were Leach`s Petrel have been seen by us. A lot of waders were seen: - Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Golden Plover but the real star was a Peregrine Falcon with an unrecognisable prey item in its talons. On the sea a few Common Scoter and the more regular species of gull were seen. At Perch Rock, New Brighton (an area that really tested by rock climbing ability whilst watching a Laughing Gull) the hoped for Purple Sandpipers did not materialise but views over the Mersey more than made up for that.
At The Harp Inn, Neston we quickly made camp on one of the picnic tables outside the pub and all the boys decided to have a pint, except myself off course as I was driving! A small crowd of birders watched the marsh and were soon rewarded when a full adult male Hen Harrier was seen at around 150 yards distance, what a cracking bird, only problem was it didnt stay around long enough. Also seen: - 4 Marsh Harriers, female Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and last but not least up to 5 Short Eared Owl`s, that seemed to be on view for most of the time we spent there. As the gloom descended we made our way home and all really enjoyed the spectacle on the Wirral.
