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Welcome to the St Helens Birds and Wildlife blog. We welcome your reports from across the borough regarding all forms of wildlife. Please click on the "Report a sighting" tab if you would like to contribute to this blog.

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Scarce or vulnerable species include but are not restricted to any species of wader, ducks other than mallard, all owls, any birds of prey, grey or yellow wagtails, grey heron, all grebes, Cetti’s warbler, water rail, willow tit, corn bunting etc. If in doubt, please ask.

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Yellow browed warbler in Rainford

30/9/2013 Derby Drive, Rainford 9am
I woke up on Monday morning and went down to the kitchen. I had just put the kettle on when I heard a bird call from the garden although not overly familiar with the species I had a pretty good hunch as to what it was. I grabbed my "garden bins" as a small bird flew from a Leylandii to a large Rowan. It was a Goldcrest. The bird could still be heard as another small bird dropped in, a calling Chiffchaff. Then another Goldcresrt and two more Chiffchaffs. I could still hear the other bird calling and when I lifted my bins to yet another small bird i nearly dropped them. There in the rowan was an absolutely pristine Yellow Browed Warber. Smaller than the accompanying Chiffchaffs and slightly larger, more elongated than a Goldcrest, its long bright supercilium and double wing bars almost glowing. It didn't stay still for long and flitted about  the tree with the other birds. Then panic set in. My camera was still in the car having been to see the Glossy Ibis in Horwich a couple of days before. Suddenly the whole flock flew from the Rowan heading west. I ran to the car, grabbed my camera and spent the next hour hanging out of our bedroom window hoping it would return. I was an hour late for work by this time so had to leave. I shot back at lunchtime and spent another hour hoping for its return but the little sprite didnt come back. So that was it my best garden tick ever and what a cracking little bird. Unsurprisingly I have spent the week grilling every small bird that has come into the garden.

5 comments :

  1. What a superb first post Damian. Welcome to the blog.

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  2. Great stuff! Welcome to the blog Damian, and nice to meet you yesterday.

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  3. Thanks Damian and Colin. Only took me 2 hours to write it on my phone! Colin I see you didn't mention on your blog about the turtle dove yesterday that you actually went and got a chair after 4 hours of waiting! I see it didn't show till 4pm again today. Great bird.
    Damian

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  4. Hi Damian, great post, great bird! Hoping to see more posts on here and for you to cintinue your regular sightings on Twitter.

    Thanks
    Paul B

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  5. Nice one Damian. Brilliant garden tick. Not jealous in the slightest. Well done.

    Nick Isherwood

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