Birdwatcher in the North West of EnglandThe North West of England has two major advantages for the birdwatcher:
The famous RSPB Reserve of Leighton Moss is only 4 miles away from Heversham and holds 4 of the UK's total of 16 male Bitterns - a rare and endangered species, plus Bearded Tits, Water Rails and Otters. Morecambe Bay is the second most important estuary in the UK for wading birds, with totals of nearly 200,000. Bitterns, Water rails and Bearded tits can be seen any time and it is hard to plan. Chances with the first two are definitely improved when it freezes and Bearded tits tend to be most visible July to October as the young become mobile. Red squirrels are north and south of us. Most years there are Brambling in the winter. However, the marvellous thing about birding is that the unexpected can happen at any time and often does. It takes you to beautiful areas which this certainly is. What to expect - month by month
January/February Geese.Wildfowl. Chances of vagrant geese improve. A big freeze improves hopes for Bittern and Water Rail. Hawfinch. Divers and sea duck. Could try Water pipit. March Geese still around. Hawfinch. Best time for woodpeckers including lesser spotted (always difficult). Good time for Goshawk. Bitterns start booming. Goosander on the river. Also good for Water pipit. Could go for Black grouse and Ring ouzel. Maybe Garganey will have arrived. April Still good for woodpeckers and goshawk. As the month progresses we seek to welcome in each of the Summer visitors. A good chance to learn or relearn to recognise by song. Marsh harriers arrive now. The North West has a good passage of little gulls. Late in the month is best for Grasshopper warbler, Lesser whitethroat, Pied flycatcher and Wood warbler. We look out for passage of White wagtails early and Whimbrel later. Late in the month, if the winds are right, there can be a good passage of pomarine skuas off North Cumbria. Well worth going for if we can time it right. Could fit in a visit to the Eagle site at the same time. May Pomarine skuas passage still possible early. Also Dotterel (Twite at same site) go through at this time. But May is the time the visitor would wish to get all the Summer visitors bofore they disappear in the leaves. Later, it is worth trying for nightjar. There can be Quail near by. Still Eagle. June We have to work harder for the summer visitors now, but they are there! Nightjar is good now. Quail again. Also Eagle. Could visit a tern colony (including Little tern) along with the breeding auks and Puffins at St Bees Head. July Still good for Nightjar. Bearded tits tend to be more visible from now until the Autumn. First return waders - tend to be the adults first. Still terns and auks. Can be a second chance for the summer visitors as the young start to move about. Storm petrels have been seen late in the month. August Continuing returning waders. Good month for rarities. Bearded tits. Possible hobby. Huge evening starling roost with attacking Sparrowhawks. Water rail quite good now. September Return migration time. Chance of rarities. With westerly gales this is the time for Leach's petrel. Possible skuas. Passage waders. October Still chances of rarities and Leach's petrel still possible. Winter birding starts with the arrival of Geese and wildfowl. With the loss of leaves Hawfinch chances improve. Large high tide flocks of waders. November/December Geese. Wildfowl. Huge wader flocks. Hawfinch and other woodland residents. Normally wintering Mediterranean gull. Divers and sea duck. Good time to go for Twite and/or Corn bunting. Could try Jack snipe.
Mike Robinson www:
North West Birds Website
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North West Birds
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