Mersey WeBS = July

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July and August 2018

The good weather, the world cup and my holiday mean I am a bit behind in my monthly summarises. Anyway here is a combined July and August summary.

Unusually the August Canada goose count of 7,300 was higher than the July count of 5,400. Shelduck numbered 5,000 in July and 7,300 in August which is an impressive sight and although down on recent years it will mean the we remain the best place for shelduck in the country. Both counts were of international importance. With them in July was a ruddy shelduck.

We have already broken a record with 450 cormorant in July. 299 of these were at the breeding colony at Hale. However, the 372 count in August was our fourth highest count ever, but this time the birds were more dispersed with 167 at Ince, 92 at Manisty and just 98 at Hale. Both counts were nationally important.

Cormorants flying up the Estuary are now a common sight. © M. Roberts.

Roosting cormorants. © M. Roberts.

Feeding a young cormorant! © M. Roberts.

Young cormorants practicing their fishing skills. © R Cockbain

650 oystercatchers is the same as last month. The most remarkable waders in July were 48 avocets, 15 on the Weaver Estuary and 33 on the mudflats by the Weaver Sluices at Ince. Some of them had rather brown instead of black markings indicating they were this year’s birds and I expect from a local site, maybe ICI Lagoons by the Weaver that we can’t see into.

Over 1,000 lapwings was a very good count for July with half being at Runcorn Sands and half at Hale. Other plover numbers were beginning to build up with 200 golden plover and a lovely flock of 27 grey plover at Stanlow Point, many of which were in summer plumage. Ringed plover have a massive peak in August but can be hard to pick up on
WeBS counts as they move through quite quickly and so while we had 260 on the WeBS count Rob counted 820 a few days later around Hale Lighthouse. This count is of international importance. This time last year Rob had 1,200 on the 19th August and then a record breaking 4,000 on the 22nd.

Dunlin numbers increased from 31 in July to 2,700 in August with many adults still in summer plumage. Black-tailed godwits were of international importance in both months with 600 and 1,100 in July and August. There were over 600 curlew in both months. The 1,000 redshank in July doubled to over 2,100 in August a figure that is of national importance. Turnstone jumped from 3 to 159 as bird return from their Arctic breeding grounds.

Raptors included a record of six marsh harriers. With such a mobile species it is hard to know whether that was six different birds but I certainly saw three at one time. Another record was three ospreys. Amongst the gulls were four Mediterranean gulls and a yellow-legged gull and both months had over 4,000 black-headed gulls.

Our next count is fast approaching on the 9th September. Wader passage will be in full swing and redshank and curlew reach their peak in September or October.