Leasowe

Night Heron 1
Whinchat 2 (m&f)
Channel Wagtail 1
Yellow Wagtail 10
White Wagtail 2
Lesser Whitethroat 2 singing
Grasshopper Warbler 1 reeling
Wheatear 10

Year: 214 (Night Heron, Whinchat)

A great day for common migrants at Leasowe was rounded off in dramatic fashion at 20:08 precisely, when right on cue, the Night Heron which has been present in the area for four days but only seen briefly in flight in the evenings, flew over the Lingham Lane Bridge and away down the river.

What a stunning bird, a presumed male Channel Wagtail. It was originally reported as a Blue-headed Wagtail, but it's head is perhaps a little too pale for that race of Yellow Wagtail, and it is more likely a Channel Wagtail which is a hybrid between a British Yellow Wagtail and a continental Blue-headed.

Ironically there may well have been a Blue-headed Wagtail at Leasowe today which was overlooked. This female is very well marked, perhaps too well marked to be Yellow Wagtail, and may in fact be Blue-headed.

Bloody Linnet spoiling the symmetry of the photo! The Channel Wagtail is the bottom left bird, whilst the possible female Blue-headed is on the bottom right.