Friday 5 December 2008

ITS GULL TIME .....AGAIN!

Now the weather is definitely winteryishlike attentions turn once again to gull spotting especially at the North West gull emporium usually known as Birchwood Pool part of Moore Nature Reserve (formerly known as Moss Side, no not the black drug and gun infested pimple on Manchesters bottom but the unique strip of land bounded by the Manchester Ship Canal to the south and River Mersey to the North accessed via the wee hamlet of Moore, Cheshire).

A cracking selection of habitat managed by Birder friendly Rangers that puts my new patch Marbury CP (and all its plant politics) to shame.
The usual crew were in attendance (Mike M and the Seaforth Gull guys) on show 2 1st winter Iceland Gulls and a 1st winter Glaucous in amongst the jumpy 5000+ other larus sp. plus plenty of ducks and geese floating around the pool. Whilst walking back to the car I found this young fox sunning itself in a nearby field.
Over at the Eastern Reedbed from the hide affectionately called 'the little house on the prairie' I'd been there all of five minutes when Bob the Bittern flew out of the reeds nearest the hide and landed in full view 30m away, digicamera not at the ready I missed a brill shot...arse! Also on show the Green Sand performing well on the flooded field and 2 Water Rail squealing from the reeds. What a great place.
Walking up the path to The Little House on the Prairie now roofless after it was burnt down by Warringtons lowlife.
Neumann's Flash
A late afternoon visit to see if there was anything worth recording for the blog and yearlist.....NO!
10,000 Starlings wheeling round the part frozen flash was quite an awesome sight before they all dived into the reeds by Scrapyard Hide (not no.2 as its pathetically named by Ranger S). T'other stuff 450 Teal 200 BH Gull 70 Curlew and the Antipodean duo.
Moss Side YL 109
MCP YL 144
UK YL 227


No comments: