27/02/2012 by Barbara.

Following reports of several Short-eared Owls seen hunting over Sefton Meadows in recent weeks, we thought we’d try our luck, but didn’t have any success. Perhaps we left too early for them, perhaps it was the noise of the microlight humming overhead, or the roaring of the three trail bikes and an off-road jeep, or even the farmer’s recent machine diggings all over the area.

But there was plenty of other wildlife about. It was a still day, mostly cloudy, but the sun came out occasionally and the temperature was over 10 degrees. Everything seemed to be waking up for Spring. The first Hawthorn leaves were unfurling, Snowdrops, Crocuses and early Daffodils were blooming, I saw my first Celandines, and one lonely Dandelion in flower on a grass verge. Many 7-spot Ladybirds were basking in the sunshine on Ivy and Arum leaves, warming up after their hibernation.

Birds seen included Robin, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Wood Pigeons, Starlings, Greenfinches, Magpies, two Carrion Crows mobbing a Buzzard, a Pheasant,  a pair of Reed Buntings near one of the drainage ditches, two Herons flying overhead, and a Fieldfare on a telegraph wire near Sefton Church. We heard Skylarks singing overhead and a Chaffinch in a hedge.

By the side of the path was the kill site of a bird of prey, perhaps of a Sparrowhawk. The plucked feathers were beautiful, and were probably the barred flank feathers of a Red-legged Partridge.

There were masses of Snowdrops amongst the gravestones in Sefton churchyard, and on the bank near the River Alt were two molehills, which have been reported to the MNA’s Dave Hardy as a Mole sighting.

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19/02/2012 by Barbara.

It was a brilliantly sunny day, but still cold at 6 degrees.

The park lake had the usual Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, Mute Swans and Canada Geese, but also some Greylag Geese and a solitary Tufted Duck. Hundreds of Black-headed Gulls wheeled overhead.

Snowdrops and Crocuses were all out, with one or two very early Daffodils, and the buds were swelling on many of the trees. On a hill was an old observatory, now apparently closed up, but a sign on a bench memorialised Herbert H H Watson (1924-2005) “who loved this observatory and restored the telescope in his youth”.

Near the garden for the blind and disabled there were Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits,  a Robin, a Nuthatch calling and a Tree Creeper, who gave us an excellent close view.

By the floral clock a stone quoted some lines by the poet Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) from “The Garden”

How well the skillful gard’ner drew
Of flowers and herbs this dial new;
Where from above the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run;
And, as it works, th’industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we.
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckoned but with herbs and flowers!”

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15/02/2012 by Barbara.

It was warmer today (but only about 4 degrees) and with thick cloud cover. The tide was coming in as we walked all around the causeway of West Kirby Marine Lake.

A few of the Black-headed Gulls had nearly finished growing their dark brown caps, and there were Herring Gulls, Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatchers, a Heron, several hundred Knot, dozens of Dunlin and one Turnstone.

After lunch we went into Ashton Park and tried the Duck and Swan food again. The Coots, Mallards and Canada Geese all ate it happily. Further out on the lake were Tufted Ducks, who didn’t come to investigate the free handout.  There are several new wood sculptures in the park, and we liked this one of a Green Man.

In the park and along the Wirral Way we saw Carrion Crown, Magpies, Wood Pigeons, a Robin, Great and Blue Tits, and our first snowdrops. We cut through Sandlea Park to the waterfront again and spotted a “lifer” for me – a flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese, about 200 of them, in the Spartina marsh between West Kirby and Red Rocks. As we watched they took off and headed towards Little Eye. Apparently they usually stay at Little Eye but the unusually high tide must have tempted them over to the marsh.

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14/02/2012 by Barbara.

Charles Russell has sent in this lovely shot of a Short-eared Owl, out hunting in the late afternoon.

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07/02/2012 by Sabena Blackbird.

I’ve recently returned from a two-week jaunt around Costa Rica. A varied trip ranging from verdant tropical rainforest, volcanoes, sandy beaches and gentle waterways. Visited the famous National Parks of Tortuguero, Arenal, Manuel Antonio and Montervere Cloud-forest Reserve. Great wildlife viewing with Quetzal, numerous Hummingbirds, Toucans, Coatis, Sloths, Iguanas, Howler and Squirrel Monkeys, White-faced Capuchins and plenty of invertebrates. Here’s a few pics

Black Ctenosaur Ctenosaura similis

 White-nosed Coati Nasua narica

  Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus

 Brown-throated Sloth Bradypus variegatus

 White-headed Capuchin Cebus capucinus

 Mantled Howler Alouatta palliata

 Red-eyed Treefrog Agalychnis callidryas

 Northern Jaçana Jacana spinosa

 Arrow-shaped Spider Micrathena sexspinosa

 Spiny-backed Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis

Cricket sp.

 Purple-throated Mountaingem male Lampornis calolaemus

 Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus

 Green-crowned Brilliant male Heliodoxa jacula

Catch Of the Day!

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06/02/2012 by Barbara.

Snow had been promised for the whole country, but Merseyside escaped. Nonetheless it was a very much reduced group of only four that met on a cold and frosty morning at Queen Square. We were thinking of going to to Hesketh Park in Southport, but the X2 bus failed to stop at its assigned temporary stop in Victoria Street, and we watched it sail away. So we went to look at the new landing stage at the Pier Head, then took the ferry to Woodside.

The female Peregrine Falcon was sitting right at the top of Hamilton Square tower, staring out over the Mersey. We took ourselves to Birkenhead Priory and had a tour of the Scriptorium, with a display about Ian Fraser VC, a much-decorated diving pioneer who died on the Wirral in 2008.

There were very few other birds about today, just the usual gulls and pigeons, but we did see a party of Long-tailed Tits in the trees around the Priory.

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