Picture Picnic 🅿🅿: Grey Heron

With a period of Easterly winds the Wirral got more than it's usual share of rare and scarce birds over the last week or so. At Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB Reserve (or BMW as it is known) there was a good list including a Red-necked Phalarope, Cattle Egret, Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers and Pectoral Sandpiper. Some of these were present for most of the week, if not longer.
Tied in with some high tides I spent a couple of days out with the camera to see what could be done. BMW isn't great for photography and from the old hide unfortunately the birds are a little distant. So this would only be good for record shots. Still, I had a go and managed to photograph the Red-necked Phalarope and Pectoral Sandpiper.

Red-necked Phalarope


Pectoral Sandpiper

On the North Wirral coast I photographed Curlew Sandpiper on the beach at Hoylake and the diminutive Little Stint which was roosting with about 500 Dunlin at Leasowe.

Curlew Sandpiper


Little Stint

Here are some of the more common species I encountered in a productive couple of days with a bit of decent sunshine.

Dunlin (It's not marching)

Grey Heron

Mute Swan

Ringed Plover (juvenile)

Sanderling

My trips to the park would vary from day to day, no two being the same. Different species would come and go, from small waders such as Green and Wood Sandpipers to large Herons and Egrets. The lake was too deep for waders, so they would circle around and then fly off again. I never knew what would turn up next.
I had hoped to photograph Purple Heron, as I had seen some good shots of one taken here earlier this year. Speaking to a local, he told me that May and June was the best time to see them, although I did briefly see one but wasn't able to photograph it. Here are a few shots of some of the species that were photographable.