Date:  11th February 2017, 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs

by Amanda, Trish and Terry

 Weather : Dank, Drizzly, Cold but calm morning, Temperature 4°C to 5°C

Blackbird 16

Blackheaded Gull 4

Blue Tit 22

Bullfinch 6

Chaffinch 4

Carrion Crow 8

Coal Tit 1

Collared Dove 3

Coot 1

Cormorant 4

Dunnock 3

Goldfinch 22

Great Tit 19

Greenfinch 10

House Sparrow 8

Jay 1

Kestrel 1

Long-tailed Tit 13

Magpie 37

Mallard 10

Meadow Pipit 3

Moorhen 5

Reed Bunting 9

Robin 9

Song Thrush 4

Teal 2

Tufted Duck 2

Woodpigeon 25

Wren 5

 29 Species in all

A cold and damp morning on the Meadows;  dry underfoot despite the unexpected drizzle. Despite the weather several Song Thrush, Chaffinch and Robin were in song to proclaiming their new territories.

A couple of first timers this month for a survey date but both had a bit of inevitability about them. Firstly, a “gulp” of 4 Cormorant seen on the Mersey adjacent to Woolston Tip; feeding avidly before the rowers ventured up river.

Cormorant can be seen virtually every day tantalisingly close on the pylons of Number 4 bed, but rarely do they venture into our “patch”.

Secondly, a solitary Coal Tit amongst the other Tits at the entrance to the Meadows at Larkfield Avenue. Seen and heard before but never on a survey day.

 As was the case in January, there were some welcome returnees. A pair of Tufted Duck on the river amongst the Cormorants and 3 Meadow Pipits in the hedgerow between transects 5 & 8.

Only one raptor seen during this months survey a Male Kestrel.

The most successful areas of the survey this month were transects  2 & 3.

 Outside of the survey date, on the 18th and 26th a Little Grebe was spotted in the river at the corner of transect 7 adjacent to the missing kissing gate and on the 18th a Goldcrest was flitting along the riverside hedgerow of transect 4.

After an absence of five weeks or so the Buzzards are back; at least two seen displaying and mewing over the Meadows.                                           

                                                 

Mammals –  7 Grey Squirrels seen during this month’s survey.

 

 Little Grebe near kissing Gate transect 7

 

           Blue Tit amongst the Catkins transect 10

                        Bullfinch on transect 8

 

Collared Dove near entrance to Paddington Meadows at Larkfield Avenue

House Sparrow hedgerow between transects 3 and