W L WILDLIFE
WIRRAL BIRDS
Hugh Stewart , Vice Chair of Wirral Bird Club gives us the lowdown on Wirral Birds to watch out for .
Little Egret © Hugh Stewart Purple Sandpiper © Hugh Stewart
Laughing Gull © Bill Wonderley
Wirral is a great place for watching wild birds with the Dee Estuary especially hosting internationally and nationally important numbers of several wader and wildfowl species . The estuary has been designated a Ramsar site and Special Protection Area status . The North Wirral foreshore and the Mersey are also rich habitats . Then there are the woods , farmland and heaths for further habitat variety .
Some birds are resident all year , like the familiar Blackbird , Robin and Blue Tit . Other species such as Dunlin , Knot and Curlew come to the Wirral to spend the winter feeding on the salt marshes . The Purple Sandpiper is a less common but notable visitor , found on the rocky shore of Hilbre Island .
Other birds migrate to the Dee to breed during the spring and summer . Avocets used to be limited to south and east England , but they are now slowly colonising the northwest , with a stronghold at the Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB reserve . Last year , 35 nests produced 73 chicks , a great success . Little Egrets , once scarce in Britain are now numerous on the Wirral .
Wirral ' s location on the East Atlantic migration flyway , and with the Dee and Mersey rivers either side , mean that rare birds may turn up during migration time . They often are only seen briefly flying overhead , or maybe just stopping for a few hours . One has to be quick to see these scarcities in case they move on quickly !
A couple of winters ago , an American species called a Laughing Gull turned up at New Brighton and stayed for several weeks . Twitchers came from all over Britain to see it ! Other recent scarce birds have included a White-tailed Eagle and a Black-winged Pratincole .
China , but birds were imported into the UK in the past for private collections . Inevitably some escaped and there is now an increasing breeding population . Ironically their numbers are under threat from loss of habitat in China .
About Wirral Bird Club
Wirral Bird Club caters for all who have a common interest in wild birds - from the mildly curious to the keen , from the beginner to the experienced - all are welcome .
The aim of the club is to promote a general appreciation of bird watching , and in particular to provide opportunities for members to share their common interest in birds and to increase their knowledge of birds through a programme of meetings , lectures and visits to interesting bird watching sites .
Wirral Bird Club also supports national and local organisations concerned with the protection of birds and the conservation of bird habitats .
Monthly indoor meetings are held at 8pm on the fourth Thursday of each month ( apart from August and December ) at Kingsmead School Hall , Hoylake . Guest speakers offer illustrated presentations on a wide variety of bird-related topics .
Visitors are very welcome and the charge is £ 4.00 , which includes light refreshments .
Outdoor field meetings are held most months of the year . Many field meetings are held on the Wirral , but also involve trips , some by coach to sites of particular interest .
Further details can be found at www . wirralbirdclub . com
Mandarin ducks can be seen at Arrowe Park and other pools - the males look stunning . This species is native to wirrallife . com 23