Despite the wind and rain of storm Kathleen the day before, 12 eager birders met at 8 am at Childwall Lane for an Early Morning Bird Walk led by David Holland and Andrew Scott. At this time of year, birdsong is one of the glories of spring and it’s best appreciated in the early part of the day.
It was the first time we have organised an early morning walk like this so the turnout was very encouraging. And in spite of our doubts, and some very mixed weather forecasts, the weather gods were kind: the winds were slight, the sun warm and the rain stayed away.
Best of all, the birds were cooperative. Chiffchaffs, blackcaps and great tits sang close by and in full view enabling us to get some great views of them as we walked around the site. David had produced a very helpful list of the 30 or so birds most commonly seen at Childwall Woods and Fields at this time of year, and of these we saw 24 species. Vivid green ring necked parakeets were seen and heard. These are a new bird on our site and are spreading through the parks and green spaces of south Liverpool. A bonus sighting was an early swallow – the first sighting here this year.
The group was a mixture; some were experienced birders with much knowledge, others were keen beginners, full of questions. The mix worked well and all seemed to enjoy it.
This is an event we are sure to repeat.
Andrew Scott