Inner Marsh Farm no more

An impromptu visit to Frodsham yesterday was unremarkable - pretty quite really. A lone Marsh Harrier, 2 Sedge Warbler and 3 Common Whitethroat of note.   As there was still plenty of the day left we decided to move on to Burton Mere RSPB where a pair of Garganey had been reported.  

We arrived to find a busy car park due to the opening of the new footpath to what was the old Inner Marsh Farm RSPB.   En route to the Garganey we scanned the pool in front of the visitor centre and were rewarded with 80 Black-tailed Godwit and 20+ Avocet (some sitting on eggs).  

Photograph opportunities with Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler and an Orange Tip Butterfly was nice as we made our way to the hide.  The Garganey were showing well - a lifer for Al (my travelling companion today).  An enjoyable few hours and not too far from home. 

 Chiffchaff

 Common Whitethroat

 Avocet (Library Picture Spanish Tour)

Garganey 

(Library Picture Spanish Tour - Bryan Thomas)

Orange Tip

Spring Pictures

 Well after the other half of Aquila's doubtful insinuations mentioned within their last blog post, I thought I better pull my finger out and provide some proof, see below for some truly stereo-typically "spring" images, click on any of the images to enlarge.

Early Purple Orchid

Small Tortoiseshell 

Fallow Deer

Hare

Linnet

Swallow

Whitethroat

Comma

House Martin

Sedge Warbler

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow wagtail

I'm working down in the South East this week and spring/summer is already well into the swing of things with plenty of migration and breeding based activity being observed. Key migrants have included - Nightingale, Lesser Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Ring Ousel. Please keep your eyes peeled on the blog as next week Aquila will be visiting the Scottish Highlands for their 5th annual tour. For further information on set or bespoke tours throught the UK and Europe, please visit www.aquilabirdtours.com.

Sandbach Flashes Cheshire

Just a quick blog to keep all our followers looking !  We are busy with survey right now but still try to grab a few hours local birding when we can.  Spring has now finally arrived and reports of migrants arrive daily in our inbox.  Not everyone is so sure though, as you can by the pic of the Coot at Sandbach Flashes a few days ago, who is playing it safe and building her nest well out of the danger !

Blackcap, Bullfinch, Chiffchaff, Black-tailed Godwit and my first Swallow of the year were all nice to see along with a surprise Iceland Gull.   A Cheshire Lifer for me (Mark Powell) outdid them all, an Egyptian Goose, which has been strutting around the flashes for several days.