Thursday, 8 October 2026

Mainly WOW

Despite there being 3 months left in 2026, new birds are hard to find  so this is mainly a WOW post with a few bits from elsewhere. 

Wow is slipping into winter, the summer visitors have gone and the waders and ducks are drifting in. I only added kestrel to the list when a female flew over. It tried to hunt but was chased off by the hooded crows. It is best to visit the reserve on a rising or high tide if you can, although if the tide is low, Kinnegar beach is always worth a visit. The drawback there is small children and dogs playing on the beach.

Grey heron and little egret
Greenshank

Hooded crow

Teal

Magpie


Gulls at Kinnegar

Gulls and terns at Kinnegar

Groomsport house sparrow

Groomsport starling

The bonus YouTube link is the Backyard Aviary Birders. Don't let the title put you off it's a throwback to how they started. Currently they are chasing a 280 big year target, so they are currently struggling for new birds for the list. However in this video they do get absolutely stunning views of a Leach's storm petrel off a beach  at Hoylake in the Wirral!!  I have never seen a Leach's storm petrel and I would have expected to have to go on a pelagic trip off west Donegal to see one. To see one off a beach in Cheshire is totally unreal. 
As before you can go back to see other videos with more birds earlier in the year.




2026 List
164: Curlew sandpiper

NDCP patch
62: House martin

Belfast RSPB patch
87: Peregrine falcon
88: Kestrel