Eccleston Mere

I found a couple of Broad-leaved Helleborines growing at the side of the mere this evening. The flowers were long over and the plants were in seed. I don't know how I've missed them previously, they're right at the side of the footpath and grow to a height of about 45cm, and very distinctive. The only other place I've seen this orchid in St Helens is in woodland at Prescot Reservoirs.

Still very quiet for birds, one adult Mute Swan, Kingfisher and Buzzard were the highlights.

How did I miss you?

 

Pennington Flash

Five green sandpipers from the Teal hide this morning.

Eccleston Mere

Common tern 1 adult flew over
Swift 10
House martin 80
Buzzard 4
Barnacle goose 58 flew over then headed towards Prescot Reservoirs
Canada goose 100
Greylag 2
Mute swan 2 adults
Kingfisher 1
Tufted duck 4

Feral geese starting to move around in good numbers now, but I couldn't pick out the red-breasted goose with the barnacles.

Q. When is a weed not a weed? A. When it's a Red Data list species - Inglenook Farm

Yellow Wagtail 1

Curlew 1

 

Growing at the side of the path from the farm to Dairy Farm Road I found a few specimens of large-flowered hemp-nettle. This is the first time that I have found it growing in St Helens, though it may well occur elsewhere. It's a so called arable weed, but I think that's a bit of an insult to such a stunning plant. It's also a UK Red Data list species, though it's not particularly rare. I suppose it's the botanical equivalent of the Skylark, it thrives on arable land but modern farming methods are having a drastic effect on its population.

 

Dairy Farm Road

Yellow Wagtail 1
Swift 15
Swallow 20
Greenfinch 30

I thought it might be worth a look at the conifer plantation in Dairy Farm road in the light of the current Two-barred Crossbill invasion, but to no avail, it was very quiet. However, the birds in south Yorkshire can go missing for six hours or more, so there's still a chance that they might be there. No larches though, which seems to be their preferred food source.

Eccleston Mere

Swift 30
Mute Swan 2 adults
Tufted Duck 3
Kingfisher 1
Buzzard 1
House Martin 30
Swallow 20

Two-barred Crossbill South Yorkshire

After 40 years of trying, today I caught up with not one but SIX Two-barred Crossbills. An adult female and 5 juveniles have been feeding in larches near Broomhead reservoir, South Yorkshire, for at least the past couple of days, prompting speculation amongst birders present that rather than being part of the recent invasion into the UK, these may be locally (or at least UK) bred birds. There are also 120 Common Crossbills in the area, though I didn't see any of those! I suppose the theory goes, how likely is it that a family party of one adult and five juveniles would get here together from north eastern Europe? I'm not sure, perhaps it happens all of the time or perhaps they're not really a family party, just a group of travellers who have joined up and stayed together. Certainly their numbers seem to be going up with almost every new report.......

 

UK 391, Year 220.

 

Bogey birds are falling like dominoes this year, first Greenish Warbler, then Common Rosefinch, then White-tailed Eagle, now Two-barred Crossbill! And all in the past 9 weeks! What next?? No sooner does one become the new bogey bird than it gets ticked and another takes it's place! I'm not sure what my bogey bird is at the moment. Things are moving too fast......

 

Digi-scoped adult female Two-barred Crossbill.