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*** Posting to this blog – Please read ***

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.

We ask that you refrain from posting exact breeding locations of any species which may be considered scarce or vulnerable, and in particular schedule 1 species. In the context of St Helens, schedule 1 species usually means kingfisher and little ringed plover. Little ringed plover should not be reported at all on this blog between 1st May and 1st August.

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.

We reserve the right to edit or delete posts which contravene this rule.


My garden Eccleston

A single siskin was on the sunflower heart feeder this morning, I think it was a female but didn't get a great view of it. I'll put a rubbish photo up later.



Damian P

St.Helens Retail Park

Leucistic Black-headed Gull at St.Helens Retail Park today (21/02/2016)

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Stonechat at Rainford

Stonechat today (18/02/2016) Rainford bypass , opposite Inglenook Farm .

Bird showing well and easily visible from roadside path.

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Havannah flash

8-30am, nice surprise this morning at the feeding station with the appearance of a Song thrush.
Other birds present.
Nuthatch 2
Great tit
Robin
Carrion crow
Dunnock
Blackbird
Magpie.
SteB.

Willow tit in Sankey Valley

Today, 16th February, we saw a willow tit beside a path near Stanley Mill in the Sankey Valley. It was feeding on seed that had been placed on the ground. Shortly after that we saw a goldcrest. We also saw two snipe fly out of the marshland, not far from the viaduct.

 

Diane & Mike Barrow

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Havannah flash

Birds present this morning at 8-30am.

Nuthatch 4
Blackbird
Woodpigeon
Collared dove
Chaffinch
Blue tit
Great tit
Carrion crow
Magpie
Robin.

Sankey brook

Cormorant 2
Teal 12
Mallard 6
Moorhen 1
SteB.

Rainford by-pass and Old Coach Road

Seven hundred pink-footed geese at Inglenook Farm on the Rainford by-pass today. I didn't have a scope with me so couldn't say if there were any other species with the flock.

Also today a flock of at least 60 yellowhammers from the Old Coach Road between the East Lancs and New Cut Lane.


Havannah flash

8-30am, just two Canada geese on the flash this morning, along with four Mallard.
Sankey brook.
No birds present.
SteB.


SteB.

Starlings, lovely birds you can easily help

The starlings are really active in this sunshine, I've heard them going through their repertoire and distant oystercatcher was featured prominently today.

These birds are still red-listed and suffer due to loss of green spaces and nesting holes in urban areas, simple things to fix really, starling nest box and plenty of suet treats (with insects) ... and now is the perfect time to get this done.

Look at her face .... how can you resist!?!
 
 


Paul B

Havannah flash

Birds present this morning.

Cormorant 1

Kestrel 1

Canada goose 2

Moorhen 2

Reed bunting 1

 

Feeding station

Nuthatch 2

Blackbird

Great tit

Blue tit

Robin

Magpie

Carrion crow

Woodpigeon

SteB.

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Havannah flash

Birds present this afternoon.
Buzzard 3
Mallard 2
Moorhen 1
Song thrush 2

Sankey brook.
Teal 8
Kingfisher 1
Moorhen 1
Mallard 2
SteB.

Sent from my hudl

Havannah flash

Flash quiet once again with no birds present on the water, but Sankey brook came up trumps with two Goosanders, one male and one female showing well, ten Teal also present.
SteB.