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