Hugh’s News – 10 May 2022

Bob Beale was fortunate to see a pair of Mandarin from his bedroom window! They were almost certainly looking for a suitable tree hole to build their nest in. They will also use next boxes of the right design.  So keep a look out for youngsters in a few weeks, Bob.  By coincidence, we were to see several of these duck on the River Wharfe on our coach trip to Bolton Abbey.

Peregrine Falcons have adapted to living in cities over the last several years, including nesting in Birkenhead and Liverpool recently.  They nest on high buildings as cliff substitutes and feed primarily on feral pigeons.  Ellie is lucky to have had them on her local church for at least 4 years.  She learned that the female was apparently poisoned two years ago, but she rematched and has bred again successfully!

It has been a good Spring migration period at Leasowe this year.  Bill was fortunate to see this Osprey perched on a pylon on the beach there.  It had previously caught and eaten a fish on the beach, to fuel up before resuming its flight north to its breeding site. Ospreys are generally monogamous and the pair return to the same nest every year after wintering on the West Africa coast.

Another passage bird seen by Bill was a smart male Ring Ouzel, this one at Leasowe Langfields.  These are the mountain cousins of the Blackbird, but Wirral always seems to attract them each Spring before they move on.

Bill also found a Ruddy Shelduck at Burton Mere Wetlands.  This is a female bird as it does not appear to have a black neck-collar of the male.  There is usually great debate whether birds seen in the UK are truly wild or are escapes. In the wild their main range is south-eastern Europe and central Asia.  They are commonly kept in wildfowl collections though, but influxes have occurred in the UK in the past. Whatever its origin, I hope you agree that it is a colourful bird.

Hugh Stewart