June 2022 Mersey Estuary WeBS Count
June is the final count of the WeBS 2021-22 year and although most species were in pretty low numbers one species smashed its previous record, nearly 19,000 Canada geese beat our previous high set in July 2021 of 11,000. I have filmed a chunk of this flock from the edge of the marshes, clearly showing that they come here to moult, as they cannot fly. Canada Goose was not the only record-breaking goose, greylag goose set a new record with 146, beating the old record of 81.
There were several species in noteworthy numbers. 2,800 shelducks is internationally important and will hopefully be joined by another 10,000 next month as they too gather to moult.
9 great-white egrets was a good count, especially as seven were at Hale near the large cormorant colony and heronry. Perhaps they will join their smaller cousins the little egrets in breeding there one day. 643 cormorants was nationally important and included 380 large fledged young with more still in the nests. There were over 100 little egrets which included 22 large, fully fledged youngsters and more still in nests. We only count birds that are at least ¾ adult size and have fully fledged.
Another species in impressive numbers were 229 avocets, almost breaking our record of 230. There were 56 golden plovers and 21 grey plovers: hard to say whether the grey plovers were still on their way north or were on the way back south! 1,800 black-tailed godwits were non-breeders and birds returning from Iceland, possibly having failed to breed.
Steve, who did a count of the lesser black-backed gulls last year, returned for another count. Numbers were down to about 50 pairs, when last year I think there were nearer 100 pairs, but the visibility isn’t great from Frodsham Score. We could do with getting access to the colony.
Steve also found the most interesting passerine, a singing rock pipit near the Weaver Sluices, not a species you would expect in June.
SUMMARY This is the last month of the 2021-22 WeBS year and it was a remarkable year. It was somewhat disrupted by fog in December and a lack of counters at Stanlow in February and other dates. However, we recorded three new species - Manx shearwater, long-billed dowitcher and American golden plover. The latter has not been accepted yet by the CAWOS rarities committee) though I only recently sent them the form!. We also had 13 species in record numbers: 18,933 Canada geese, 146 greylag geese, 3 garganeys, 15 great-white egrets, 211 little egrets and 9 cattle egrets, 322 coots, 5,138 black-tailed godwits, 20 jack snipes, 12,162 black-headed gulls, 6 Mediterranean gulls, 1,274 lesser black-backed gulls. There were also six new passerine records 129 skylarks, 11 rock pipits, 531 linnets, 51,000 starlings, 510 goldfinches and 800 woodpigeons, but these records don’t go back very far.
Six species were recorded in internationally important numbers pink-footed geese, shelducks, ringed plover, black-tailed godwits, dunlins and redshanks. 10 species exceeded the threshold for national importance shovelers, little egrets, cormorants, avocets, lapwings, ruffs, little stints, greenshanks and, for the first time, lesser black-backed gulls. However neither wigeon, pintail nor teal reached any important thresholds. In total the estuary supported 170,000 birds (maximum of each species added up) of which 82,000 were native waterbirds counted by WeBS, so the estuary is in very good health, but also showing some quite significant changes in response to a changing climate and other pressures and opportunities.
The next count in July might have even more Canada Geese, and hopefully loads of shelducks and returning waders.
There were several species in noteworthy numbers. 2,800 shelducks is internationally important and will hopefully be joined by another 10,000 next month as they too gather to moult.
9 great-white egrets was a good count, especially as seven were at Hale near the large cormorant colony and heronry. Perhaps they will join their smaller cousins the little egrets in breeding there one day. 643 cormorants was nationally important and included 380 large fledged young with more still in the nests. There were over 100 little egrets which included 22 large, fully fledged youngsters and more still in nests. We only count birds that are at least ¾ adult size and have fully fledged.
Another species in impressive numbers were 229 avocets, almost breaking our record of 230. There were 56 golden plovers and 21 grey plovers: hard to say whether the grey plovers were still on their way north or were on the way back south! 1,800 black-tailed godwits were non-breeders and birds returning from Iceland, possibly having failed to breed.
Steve, who did a count of the lesser black-backed gulls last year, returned for another count. Numbers were down to about 50 pairs, when last year I think there were nearer 100 pairs, but the visibility isn’t great from Frodsham Score. We could do with getting access to the colony.
Steve also found the most interesting passerine, a singing rock pipit near the Weaver Sluices, not a species you would expect in June.
SUMMARY This is the last month of the 2021-22 WeBS year and it was a remarkable year. It was somewhat disrupted by fog in December and a lack of counters at Stanlow in February and other dates. However, we recorded three new species - Manx shearwater, long-billed dowitcher and American golden plover. The latter has not been accepted yet by the CAWOS rarities committee) though I only recently sent them the form!. We also had 13 species in record numbers: 18,933 Canada geese, 146 greylag geese, 3 garganeys, 15 great-white egrets, 211 little egrets and 9 cattle egrets, 322 coots, 5,138 black-tailed godwits, 20 jack snipes, 12,162 black-headed gulls, 6 Mediterranean gulls, 1,274 lesser black-backed gulls. There were also six new passerine records 129 skylarks, 11 rock pipits, 531 linnets, 51,000 starlings, 510 goldfinches and 800 woodpigeons, but these records don’t go back very far.
Six species were recorded in internationally important numbers pink-footed geese, shelducks, ringed plover, black-tailed godwits, dunlins and redshanks. 10 species exceeded the threshold for national importance shovelers, little egrets, cormorants, avocets, lapwings, ruffs, little stints, greenshanks and, for the first time, lesser black-backed gulls. However neither wigeon, pintail nor teal reached any important thresholds. In total the estuary supported 170,000 birds (maximum of each species added up) of which 82,000 were native waterbirds counted by WeBS, so the estuary is in very good health, but also showing some quite significant changes in response to a changing climate and other pressures and opportunities.
The next count in July might have even more Canada Geese, and hopefully loads of shelducks and returning waders.
April and May 2022 Mersey Estuary WeBS Count
No records were broken in April or May and again the count was slightly disrupted with the April count falling on Easter Sunday, meaning lots of people had other things to do and for the May count I came down with Covid, having dodged it so far and so having to write this from my confinement in my son’s bedroom (he’s at University).
Canada goose numbers have been quite consistent with 600 to 800 during February to May, having dropped from 3,000 in January. The 5,000 pink-footed geese in March had left only 12 behind in April and one individual in May.
Canada goose numbers have been quite consistent with 600 to 800 during February to May, having dropped from 3,000 in January. The 5,000 pink-footed geese in March had left only 12 behind in April and one individual in May.
1,800 shelducks in April had dropped to 800 in May as they disperse to breed, but still nationally important. There was also a ruddy shelduck. Most wildfowl were in small numbers.
Cormorants numbered 408 with most of them being at their breeding colony at Hale Duck Decoy. The were 4 great-white egrets and 52 little egrets.
April and May are good months for wader passage. Although there were 20 species recorded there were no records of the scarcer waders like little stint and curlew sandpiper, though I have seen reports of both near Hale recently.
In April I counted about 100 pairs of lesser black-backed gulls nesting on the embankment between the Mersey and Ship Canal at Runcorn, possibly the most inaccessible place in Cheshire!
Passerines were interesting with yellow wagtails seen in April and May, 5 wheatears in April and 24 in May. I was excited to find my first Mersey WeBS Ring Ouzel on the mounds by Ince Marshes on the April count.
June is usually the quietest month, but there are often record-breaking numbers of Canada geese who come here after breeding elsewhere.
Cormorants numbered 408 with most of them being at their breeding colony at Hale Duck Decoy. The were 4 great-white egrets and 52 little egrets.
April and May are good months for wader passage. Although there were 20 species recorded there were no records of the scarcer waders like little stint and curlew sandpiper, though I have seen reports of both near Hale recently.
In April I counted about 100 pairs of lesser black-backed gulls nesting on the embankment between the Mersey and Ship Canal at Runcorn, possibly the most inaccessible place in Cheshire!
Passerines were interesting with yellow wagtails seen in April and May, 5 wheatears in April and 24 in May. I was excited to find my first Mersey WeBS Ring Ouzel on the mounds by Ince Marshes on the April count.
June is usually the quietest month, but there are often record-breaking numbers of Canada geese who come here after breeding elsewhere.
February and March 2022 Mersey WeBS counts
The February count was rather disrupted by the storms, meaning we could not cross the Ship Canal, so it was an incomplete count. The March count had better coverage, and one species, cattle egret, set a new record with 9 birds recorded beating the previous record, set in January this year, of 4. There were three species were of international importance and two of national importance.
The February count was rather disrupted by the storms, meaning we could not cross the Ship Canal, so it was an incomplete count. The March count had better coverage, and one species, cattle egret, set a new record with 9 birds recorded beating the previous record, set in January this year, of 4. There were three species were of international importance and two of national importance.
Canada Geese were down to 674 from 3,300 in January but that is likely to be not being able to count all of Ince Marshes. However, Pink-footed geese were still in big numbers with 5,658 on the marshes at Ince Marshes. At this time of year they don’t leave the estuary at first light but stay on the marshes to feed.
Nineteen mute swans were around the estuary and at Frodsham the herd of 29 Whooper Swans were still in residence.
There were 1,100 shelducks which is nationally important. Most of the 160 shovelers were on Frodsham lagoons. Twenty seven goldeneyes on the Weaver in February was the highest count of the winter. Other duck species were in quite small numbers.
Nineteen mute swans were around the estuary and at Frodsham the herd of 29 Whooper Swans were still in residence.
There were 1,100 shelducks which is nationally important. Most of the 160 shovelers were on Frodsham lagoons. Twenty seven goldeneyes on the Weaver in February was the highest count of the winter. Other duck species were in quite small numbers.
Forty four little egrets was similar to January, just one great egret was a surprisingly low number, whereas 9 cattle egrets was a new record. 315 cormorants are the birds returning to Hale to breed. In March the wintering dunlin were making their way back north with just 500 seen, However, we had internationally important numbers of black-tailed godwit (2.400) and redshank (2,600). There were five purple sandpipers at New Brighton Marine Lake. Our highest avocet count of the WeBS year was 163 (nationally important) made as a casual count in early March from Frodsham Marsh Farm as the birds left the lagoon at Weston point to feed on the falling tide by the Weaver Sluices.
One Mediterranean Gull was the only remarkable sighting amongst the gulls. The usual six raptor species were present (marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, merlin and peregrine).
One Mediterranean Gull was the only remarkable sighting amongst the gulls. The usual six raptor species were present (marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, merlin and peregrine).
December 2021 and January 2022 Mersey WeBS counts
The December count was a disaster with thick fog making visibility very poor. However, January was a record-breaking count. We had three species in internationally important numbers (pink-footed geese, black-tailed godwits and dunlins) and three nationally important (shelducks, lapwings and redshanks) and one species was a record breaker, Toni and Ray had 19 jack snipe at Eastham Locks, while I trudged all the way across Manisty Marshes and didn’t see any jack snipe!
The December count was a disaster with thick fog making visibility very poor. However, January was a record-breaking count. We had three species in internationally important numbers (pink-footed geese, black-tailed godwits and dunlins) and three nationally important (shelducks, lapwings and redshanks) and one species was a record breaker, Toni and Ray had 19 jack snipe at Eastham Locks, while I trudged all the way across Manisty Marshes and didn’t see any jack snipe!
I did a dawn goose count, I counted from Ince village, counting 8,956 leaving the estuary flying south between 7:45 and 9:00. I could see there were still several hundred on the marshes, but could not count them accurately. Later Ian counted 700 on Ince Marshes during the WeBS count, so in total we had 9,658, our second highest count, the highest being 13,400 counted last winter by Andy. There were 3,298 Canada Geese.
There were 36 mute swans around the estuary, while at Frodsham the herd of 26 whooper swans were accompanied by 4 Bewick’s swans.
1,789 shelduck were nationally important and similar to November. A ruddy shelduck was found at Runcorn Sands by Lee. Shoveler numbers have dropped from 291 in November to just 54 in January. There were just over 1,000 wigeons. 1,678 teals was only half the November count, however, the tide this month was very low and so it was hard to count teal at Manisty whereas the much higher tide at Manisty in November enabled me to count 1,200 teals as they floated on the flooded marsh, whereas this month there could have been 1,200 but they were hidden by the marsh vegetation. The most remarkable duck was an eider at the mouth of the estuary seen by Tim.
1,789 shelduck were nationally important and similar to November. A ruddy shelduck was found at Runcorn Sands by Lee. Shoveler numbers have dropped from 291 in November to just 54 in January. There were just over 1,000 wigeons. 1,678 teals was only half the November count, however, the tide this month was very low and so it was hard to count teal at Manisty whereas the much higher tide at Manisty in November enabled me to count 1,200 teals as they floated on the flooded marsh, whereas this month there could have been 1,200 but they were hidden by the marsh vegetation. The most remarkable duck was an eider at the mouth of the estuary seen by Tim.
Just 45 little egrets were only a third of November’s 123. However, there were 9 great-white egrets and 4 cattle egrets. 273 coots were the second highest count ever, the highest count of 322 was in August.
Amongst the waders lapwings occurred in nationally important numbers with 6,202. 1,500 golden plovers was a good count but not as many as the 2,000 in October. 311 grey plovers was our highest count of the winter and just 20 short of being nationally important. Black-tailed godwits have remained in internationally important numbers with 2,200, a slight increase on November. Dunlin numbers were disappointing with just 13,600 counted. However, a few weeks ago Rob had 28,000 at Hale. There was just one purple sandpiper at the New Brighton Marine Lake Pontoon. In total we had 20 jack snipe, a new record. 1,374 redshanks is nationally important but only half the November count.
Amongst the gulls the only remarkable one was a yellow-legged gull found by Alyn at Stanlow Point.
