It was very busy at Parkgate, lots of day-trippers, bikers and cyclists. There was also a fair smattering of bird people with telescopes, attracted by the expected high tide just after 1pm, when the rising sea pushes the small rodents towards the sea wall and raptors gather for an easy feast. On the long bus ride across Wirral we enjoyed the sight of magnificent Magnolias and bright yellow Forsythias in suburban gardens, with the first white cherry blossom trees, probably Yoshino, occasionally popping out. A note for the Mistletoe connoisseurs, there are four or five bunches on two trees on Liverpool Road at Neston, just off the junction with Chester High Road (the A540).
We spotted a Marsh Harrier heading southwards almost as soon as we got off the bus. It was very misty and hazy over to Wales, and the sun was in that direction, making it hard to see birds in the distance, and most of them were still quite far out. On the water in the nearer pools were Mallards, Tufties, lots of Shovellers, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A Stonechat flitted about the tops of bushes. On the banks of the pools were two Herons, a few Lapwings and Oystercatchers, and hunting in the shallows were a Little Egret and several Great White Egrets.
On a patch of grassy bank was a group of sleeping waders, heads and bills tucked under their wings. There’s a Canada Goose on the left for scale, a handful of Shovellers and some Teal, but what are those small grey-brown waders – Dunlin? (Added later – they are Black-tailed Godwits. Thanks Terry.) And what’s that with a stripy back, second from the right? A Snipe?
As we headed towards the Old Baths area we spotted the usual land birds, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, House Sparrows and a surprise, a Siskin in bobbing flight, out of a garden and away. By the car park was a big patch of Red Dead-nettle.
The sun came out for about an hour over lunch then the wind blew up from the north and it became much chillier. Despite that, we decided not to leave on the 1.30 bus, but stay for the following one, leaving at 3.30. Wouldn’t do to miss anything special! A Kestrel appeared, hovering over the marsh, and we were charmed to see about half a dozen Avocets.
The Marsh Harrier we’d seen earlier came back again.
Around the landward side of the Old Baths were some Blackbirds and Robins, and a Dunnock singing in a small tree.
In a field were some female Pheasants, a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly emerged from somewhere, the Lesser Celandine was in bloom, leaves of Garlic Mustard were shooting up and a big Ash tree was coming into flower.
Suddenly, quite far out, a mass of birds came up from the marsh. Their calls suggested they were Pink-footed Geese, previously hidden in the vegetation. It may have been a male Hen Harrier that spooked them, as one was seen soon afterwards, but sadly too far out and fast to catch on camera. But it was the best bird of the day. I think that took out list for the day to 33 species, pretty good for us!
A bunch of Ivy-leaved Toadflax was in bloom on an old wall.
A Weeping Willow had some catkins out. Although similar in general form to the catkins of Goat Willow (Pussy Willow), you can see they are definitely a different species, although in the same genus.
From St Thomas’s churchyard (known as the Fisherman’s Church) we could hear Jackdaws calling in a field nearby, sometimes rising above the rooftops to be seen. A Goldfinch perched on a TV aerial in Mostyn Square. By the wall of School Lane was a small tree with bronzy leaves and white flower buds just emerging. Was it a Snowy Mespil Amelanchier lamarckii, also known as Juneberry? There was another shrub-sized one on the other side of the garden and it had a label, confirming our supposition. And there was a third one in the church’s front garden.
Public transport details: Bus 487 from Sir Thomas Street at 10.30, arriving Parkgate, Mostyn Square at 11.25. Returned on bus 487 from Mostyn Square at 3.30 (but it was late), arriving Liverpool 4.33. A longer day than usual.
No Sunday walk next week, 29th March, as most of us have other commitments. We will meet on Easter Sunday 6th April and decide where to go on the day. Meet 10 am at Queen Square.
Anyone is welcome to come out with the Sunday Group. It is not strictly part of the MNA, although it has several overlapping members. We go out by public transport to local parks, woods and nature reserves all over Merseyside, and occasionally further afield. We are mostly pensioners, so the day is free on our bus passes, and we enjoy fresh air, a laugh and a joke, a slow amble in pleasant surroundings and sometimes we even look at the wildlife!
If you want to join a Sunday Group walk, pack lunch, a flask, waterproofs, binoculars if you have them, a waterproof pad to sit on if we have to have lunch on the grass or a wet bench (A garden kneeler? A newspaper in a plastic bag?), and wear stout shoes or walking boots. We are usually back in Liverpool City Centre by 3pm at the latest.
If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website www.mnapage.info for details of our programme and how to join us.