1st November 2013

Weather:- wind S at dawn then WSW force 3, rain from mid-morning
Very little in the trapping area, just the Chiffchaff from the last 2 days, 2 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush, although a Reed Bunting called overhead for a short while, and a single Starling and Pied Wagtail passed south. A few Gannets fed off the north end, and also noted there were 2 Razorbills and 8 Great-crested Grebes. Eight Purple Sandpipers sat out the high tide as did a new high number of 250 Turnstones. A Kestrel was often seen hovering and 2 Peregrines were hunting the waders. Bird of the day was not on the island but on the West Kirby marine lake after high tide, a red headed Goosander that was soon unfortunately flushed by a boat. In the afternoon a Mute swan flew towards Hoylake shore.
Details just received of the ringed Black-headed Gull that was on the West Kirby marine lake on 30th September (see blog for that date) reveal that it was ringed as a second year bird in Sweden in 2001, and has been seen in Denmark in March in 2010 and 2011 before appearing with us this year.
Ringed:- 1 Wren      [ 687-32 ]
(DB,CJ,CJW, et al,THM,RAE,CF)