Autumn officially starts on September 21^st and ends on December 21^st. However, the naturalist knows that in actual fact, the autumn starts long before September, perhaps as early as the end of June, and is usually over by the end of November. This is an account of the autumn of 2005 in St Helens, and more specifically, Eccleston Mere. During this period, I was able to visit Eccleston Mere on an almost daily basis from the end of July until the middle of December, and made comprehensive notes of the bird life I observed. In total I visited the mere on 118 days out of a possible 153, and only missed three days from the beginning of September to the end of November.

In 2005 autumn could be said to have started on 26^th June, and by St Helens standards, it started in dramatic fashion. I was waiting on the car park at Ruskin Drive with a few other parents, as we prepared to transport the Under 13s cricket team to Ormskirk for a game, when suddenly I became aware that a number of gulls were mobbing a large raptor, quite low down, roughly over the security hut. 

Fortunately I usually have a pair of binoculars in the car, so immediately made a grab for them and was onto the bird straight away. I was astounded to see that it was an Osprey, a rare, migrant visitor to St Helens with less than 10 records ever, despite the species increasing nationally in recent years. The bird flew across the car park, up over the poplar trees and over Queens Park school playing fields, accompanied by its entourage of gulls and was lost to sight behind the trees. However, I could still hear the gulls, and a minute later it was back, having seemingly decided to ride the thermals over the school playing fields and over Queen Park itself. 

It was actually right over my house, but I resisted the temptation to dash home in order to add Osprey to my garden list, because I was more concerned with watching this magnificent raptor for as long as possible. After a couple of minutes, it decided it had seen enough, and headed powerfully away in the direction of Eccleston Mere and Prescot Reservoirs. 

An interesting record in itself, this Osprey got me thinking about why it was over the centre of St Helens, and about other birds that I had seen over my house and Ruskin Drive in the past, such as Common Terns, which were almost a daily sighting during the summer. After studying a map of St Helens, the answer became obvious. The three main lakes in the area are Carr Mill Dam, Eccleston Mere and Prescot Reservoirs. If you draw a line from the centre of the dam to the centre of the reservoirs, not only does it go straight through the centre of the mere, it also goes right along Ruskin drive, and within 100 metres of my house.  This was an exciting discovery for me, because it meant that any bird that commuted between the lakes was a possible flyover and addition to my garden list.

Common Sandpiper

Though the Osprey probably passed over Eccleston Mere, I didn’t actually see it there myself, so for me the autumn at the mere probably started the following day, the 27^th June. On this date, my attention was drawn to a familiar ‘hee-dee-dee”  call, and a quick scan of the mere revealed a small wader flying low over the water with a series of rapid wingbeats, followed by short glides. The characteristic call and flight of the Common Sandpiper. This is a migrant wader, which passes through St Helens on both spring and autumn migration, visiting water bodies such as Eccleston Mere, Carr Mill Dam and Prescot Reservoirs. The first birds of Spring are usually seen around mid-April, and by the end of May, Spring passage is usually over. Spring passage is usually lighter than autumn passage, and has been declining in recent years. In 2005, I didn’t record a single Common Sandpiper in spring at the mere, the first blank spring since I began recording there in 1991. However, autumn passage was slightly better than normal, with 12 birds being recorded between this first date of 27^th June and the last record on the 15^th September. A party of five birds on the 20^th July was the highlight. Common Sandpipers don’t seem unduly bothered  by all the disturbance at the mere, and if disturbed, will simply fly across to the other bank.

Terns

Common Tern is another species which has a stronger passage in autumn than in spring. In 2005 there were three records involving four birds in the spring. In autumn, there were 24 records, involving a possible 97 birds. Though there was undoubtedly some duplication, there was clearly a large autumn passage of Common Terns at Eccleston Mere in 2005, with 11 birds present on three different occasions. These birds, which are mainly coastal but which also breed inland, do not at present breed in St Helens, but do breed as close as Pennington Flash in Greater Manchester and other Wigan flashes, thanks to the provision of rafts specially designed for the purpose of providing breeding places for Common Terns. It seems likely that many of the birds that pass through Eccleston Mere in the Autumn originate from these flashes and are on their way to the coast. It also seems logical, that were breeding rafts provided in St. Helens, the species would breed here also, since in recent years two or three adults have over summered.  

The first autumn record of Common Tern was of three adults on the 6^th July, and there followed a trickle of adults until the third week of the month, when the mere came alive with the screeching of terns, especially juveniles begging food from their parents. A feature of the autumn passage of Common Terns at the mere is that it heavily involves family parties, and on the 20^th July, 11 birds were present, comprising three family parties, each of two adults, with a total of five juveniles. For the rest of July and almost the whole of August it was then not possible to visit the mere without seeing a Common Tern, and usually at least one family party. The juveniles would sit on the water as the adults hunted for fish, and after a successful catch, the adults would return to their offspring and offer them the fish, usually with the juvenile still sitting on the water and the adult hovering overhead. Occasionally a hungry juvenile would follow its parent as it hunted. Most simply passed through after a brief stop to feed, perhaps staying no more than a couple of hours, but one family of two adults and one juvenile stayed for a few days. An interesting development towards the end of August was that the two adults in this long staying family eventually seemed to abandon their youngster, which was seen on its own for over a week up to the 28^th August, during which time it had clearly learned the art of fishing. There were no further sightings of Common Tern at the mere after the 28^th August. 

On the 18^th August, the lone juvenile Common Tern was joined by a juvenile Black Tern, which stayed until the 26^th. On the 20^th a second juvenile Black Tern arrived, and on the 24^th there were three birds at the mere. This was also a period of relatively heavy hirundine passage, and the Black Terns could often be seen flying high with the swirling masses of Swallows and Martins, as if about to leave, before dropping down again and continuing to hawk for insects over the water. By the beginning of September all the terns had gone, and it seemed that we had seen the last of them for another year, until the 9^th when there was a fourth (possibly fifth) juvenile Black Tern, which stayed for just one day. 

Hirundines and Swift

Hirundine numbers were unexceptional through July and early August,  with Swallow and House Martin numbers rarely exceeding 30 birds, and there were no Sand Martins during this period. However, the third week in August saw a dramatic increase in numbers, with over 100 each of Swallow and House Martin, but still just a three records of single Sand Martins. Of special interest during this period was an apparently leucistic Swallow seen on 27^th August, with cream wings and a light sandy back. By the first week in September there were 150 each of Swallow and House Martin, and on the 1^st September, they were joined by an almost unprecedented 30 Sand Martins. Though quite numerous on spring passage, Sand Martins are uncommon at the mere in autumn. Numbers then fell away quite dramatically, though  there were still 60 Swallows on the 15^th September and 30 House Martins the following day. The last Sand Martin was seen on the fairly late date of the 9^th September, House Martin on the 27^th September and Swallow on the 16^th October.  

As usual, Swifts were gone whilst most non birders were still thinking summer was in full swing, with the last record being of a single bird on the 19^th August. Swift passage at the mere peaked on 24^th July, when 50 birds were present.

Jay,  Jackdaws and Carrion Crows

Almost as soon as the hirundines had gone, Jays began to be seen in increasing numbers. Even accepting that Jays always become more obvious in autumn, there seemed to be a clear influx of the species in 2005, not just at Eccleston Mere where the species is at best uncommon at all times of year, but all over St Helens. I have just two records of Jay at the mere in 2005, prior to September, and both of these were in January.  From 14^th September onwards, it was almost impossible to visit the mere and not see several jays until the third week in October, when numbers began to wane. Peak numbers included seven on the 22^nd September, five on the 26^th and four on the 13^th October. Even up to the end of November, Jays were being seen, though not as regularly, and this compares with just two Jays seen during the whole of autumn 2004. The best views of the species were to be had alongside the stream at the southern end of the mere, where the birds would allow quite close approach. I was often struck by how dark, almost brown they appeared to be, and especially how much white they had on their faces, almost clown like in their appearance, but knowing very little about the variances of Jay plumage by either race or age, I am unable to comment further on this. As a footnote however, in mid December I had good close views of two Jays in Taylor Park and one at Eccleston Mere, and all three were very pink with very little white on their faces, and looked a lot different to the birds seen earlier in the autumn. 

A freshly ploughed field in the middle of October brought the largest autumnal flocks of crows to the mere, with over 200 Jackdaws and 50 Carrion Crows, joining 500 Woodpigeons and a handful of Stock Doves. It was around this time that I saw a huge flock of over 5000 Woodpigeons flying over my house at first light, heading south west towards Eccleston Mere. This was one of the finest spectacles of the autumn, the flock took over 15 minutes to pass overhead, and stragglers in small flocks of  50 or more, were still heading  south west 30 minutes later. 

Pipits and Skylarks 

Through visiting the mere on a daily basis, usually at exactly the same time of day, I became aware of the autumn movements of many common birds that had not been apparent to me in previous autumns. Amongst these were Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. Both species certainly overwinter at or near the mere in very small numbers, but there was clearly a relatively strong passage during the latter part of September and October, with almost all sightings involving birds flying to the south  / south west. Both species seemed to migrate in small, but regular  parties of  perhaps 5 – 10 birds. The Meadow Pipit passage started around the 20^th September, and was more or less over by the 1^st November, with the highest count being 50 birds in several flocks on the 14^th October. There were just seven records, all referring to single birds, probably overwintering, in the rest of November. Two Tree Pipits flew over on the relatively late date of 21^st September, identified by their distinctive call. This species is a rare but annual autumn passage migrant in St Helens, and virtually all of them are picked up on call. I first noticed the Skylark passage on the 20^th September, and it had all but petered out by the 20^th October, though the occasional small group was seen into November. The highest count of Skylarks was of 60 birds in five flocks, the largest of which contained 38 birds, on the 14^th October. It will be noted that there is a remarkable similarity in the dates of Skylark and Meadow Pipits, though I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, since the weather that produces good migration conditions, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say weather that provides the opportunity to easily observe migration, is likely to be good for many species. 

The first Grey Wagtail of the autumn was seen on the 9^th September, and there was a noticeable autumn passage, with birds being seen daily to the middle of November, with a peak of four on the 11^th October. Numbers then dwindled towards the end of the year, with one bird being seen less than daily. 

Winter thrushes

The 14^th October was also a good day for Redwings, with a flock of 40 flying over, which though not the first record of the species in the autumn of 2005, was the first flock of any notable size. Similar size flocks were seen, all flying south or south west, from then until the 28^th October. After this date, small groups of 10 or more could be found in the woodlands around the mere, but even they had all moved out by the 18^th November, and from then until the month end, Redwings became very scarce at the mere, with just odd birds encountered. 

The first Fieldfares of the autumn didn’t arrive at the mere until the 24^th October, 15 days after the first Redwing, but it was worth the wait, because the passage of Fieldfares over the mere was one of the highlights of the autumn of 2005. I first became aware that something exceptional was happening when I noticed a flock of 36 Fieldfares flying over my backyard, quite low down, in the direction of Eccleston Mere, a mile or so to the south west. I jumped in the car and headed off towards the Mere, and though my route didn’t go in an exact south westerly direction, I did keep meeting the Fieldfare flock at various points along the way. I noticed that although they were clearly passing through the area, they were only at about the height of a tall tree, and often they would drop into a tree for just a few seconds, before carrying on their way, and this held them up long enough for me to keep up with them and actually overtake them. I arrived at the mere just in time to see the flock appear on the far side, fly over the water and disappear south west in the direction of Prescot Reservoirs. I was delighted to have seen migration in action over St Helens, but at the time didn’t realise that this was just the fore runner of a large passage of Fieldfare. Ten minutes after the original flock had left, another flock arrived, this time of 68 birds, from exactly the same direction, even coming in over the same house on the far side of the mere and heading off in exactly the same direction. The following day I saw another 70 heading south west over my backyard, and in a 75 minute period at Eccleston Mere, four flocks of 30, 15, 12 & 60 Fieldfares passed over following exactly the same route as the previous day. The passage reached a peak on the 26^th October, when I recorded three flocks totalling 140 birds over my house, a flock of 60 over Mill Dam near Eccleston Mere, and a further 186 birds in 11 flocks at the mere itself, all following the same route. Speaking to other observers, it is evident that there was an equally strong passage observed at Carr Mill Dam and Prescot Reservoirs over the same period. Certainly the first flock on the 24^th was following the Carr Mill Dam / Eccleston Mere south westerly route, and all the others appeared to be doing the same, but it’s impossible to say if they were genuinely flying between the lakes, or whether it was just coincidence because that was the direction they would be flying in at the end of October. After the 26^th, the passage seemed to get a lot lighter, but there were still flocks passing through up to 11^th November. There were very few seen in the last two weeks of the month. 

Song Thrushes were seen almost daily in ones or twos throughout the autumn, but in the second and third weeks of October, coinciding with the main Fieldfare and Redwing passage, numbers increased notably with 8 seen on the 17^th and a peak of 9 on 20^th. Not big numbers, but perhaps evidence of a Song Thrush passage through the area.  

The same could not be said of Blackbirds and Robins, numbers of which remained remarkably stable throughout the whole of the autumn, though the latter did provide some entertainment, competing with Wrens as the lone songsters of the woods deep into November. However, as soon as the weather turned noticeably colder on the 17^th, with temperatures down to –5 degrees celsius, and freezing fog on several mornings thereafter, the Robins seemed to concede defeat, an left the singing to the Wrens, who continued unabated through all weathers, even singing through a  heavy snow fall on the 28^th November. The last Robin was singing on the 11^th November, but Wrens were singing well into December. 

Tits, crests and warblers 

The beginning of September brought a long awaited addition to my personal mere list in the form  of  a Willow Tit. This is a species which apparently once bred at the mere, but which has recently been declining dramatically all over St Helens, with very few records these days even from the species stronghold in the Sankey Valley. On the other hand the species has spread to Bold Moss in recent years, and there have been a few records from Prescot Reservoirs, which also includes one from the beginning of September 2002. Interestingly, in the same week that I was watching my first Willow Tit at Eccleston Mere, there was also a mini influx of the species at Martin Mere WWT, with two birds seen in the grounds. The Willow Tit was first seen at Eccleston Mere on 13^th September and the last sighting was on the 19^th. 

Other small birds became numerous in October and November, and notable amongst these were Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests. Several flocks of the former could be found in the surrounding area, associating with other tits, including the occasional Coal Tit and a few Treecreepers, and in total there were around 50 Long-tailed Tits at the mere during this period. Goldcrests seemed even more numerous at times, and though the biggest count was of 19 birds on the 24^th November which included nine together in one tree, they were much more spread out than the Long-tailed Tits, with a bird every few yards almost, and the actual total could easily have been 40 or 50 birds. The Goldcrests were quite charming, and would often approach me if I stood still near one of their favourite bushes, coming almost within touching distance, almost welcoming me back. 

At least one Blackcap and one Chiffchaff were present right through the autumn and into December, but were quite difficult to see. The Blackcap, a female, was in the woodland at the far end of the stream, whilst the Chiffchaff was in woodland at the south west corner of the mere. Both birds were with mixed flocks of tits, crests and Treecreepers. A male Blackcap was also seen at the end of October. 

In 2005, Kingfishers were almost resident at the mere, and one or two birds were seen or heard for almost the entire autumn period, fishing either along the stream, at the pond in the woods, or on the mere itself. Records declined towards the end of the year and the species then became quite scarce. 

Finches

There were no particularly large finch flocks at the mere in the autumn, but all of the commoner species put in an appearance. The end of September saw a flock of 80 Linnets on farmland adjacent to the mere, but numbers swiftly fell away to 25 birds on the 3^rd October, and thereafter just four more records of between 2 and 6 birds to the end of November. Goldfinches reached about 40 birds in October, but by the end of November had dwindled to about 20, but Siskins put in quite a reasonable show, with the first birds of the autumn being 10 on the 5^th October, climbing to 30 on the 14^th and 35 on the 21^st November. The Siskins were not always easy to see, and the flocks seemed to split into smaller groups, before rejoining again a few days later. There was only one record each of Lesser Redpoll and Brambling, and  a disappointing maximum of just 10 Greenfinches during the period, that on the 31^st October. On a more positive note however, it was a relatively good year for Bullfinches, with 43 records during the autumn, with the first seen on the 23^rd September, rising to five on a number of occasions in early November and with a peak of six on 14^th November. 

Water Rail and Woodcock 

The beginning of October brought another long awaited addition to my mere list, in the form of a Water Rail. I first saw it at 8:30 on a dull morning on the 4^th October. I approached the stream at the point where it enters the mere, when suddenly a small moorhen type bird flew across the path in front of me from the base of a Sallow on the edge of the mere. From the size and general colouration I was happy enough that it was a Water Rail, but slightly frustrated to have waited 16 years for such a poor view. The following day there was no sign of it, but on the 6^th I saw it again, and had a much better view. I approached the Sallow very quietly and cautiously and suddenly we both saw each other – I don’t know who was more startled, the bird or me! It flew up onto a branch about three feet above the ground, no more than 5 metres in front of me, and for about five minutes we watched each other, neither daring to move. The spell was eventually broken by a dog walker, and the bird flew across the path and disappeared into the ditch at the side of the stream. That was the last I saw of it, though intriguingly, exactly a month later, on the 6^th November,  I heard a Water Rail calling deep in the woods at the side of the stream. Surely not the same bird, I couldn’t believe that I  could have gone a month without at least hearing the bird. 

November also brought Woodcock to the woods surrounding the mere, with two birds flushed on the 1^st and 19^th, while single Snipe flew over on 25^th October and 21^st November. Woodcock have been recorded roding at the mere in May, but the majority of the records are from autumn and winter, whilst Snipe is a species in decline, which does still breed in St Helens, but in much reduced numbers. In the mid 1990s, it wasn’t uncommon to record up to 10 Snipe at the mere in autumn and winter, but since 2000, I have recorded them only four times. 

Wildfowl 

St Helens is right on the edge of the Lancashire Mosslands, and as such shares in some of the species. Pink-footed Geese fall into two categories, those that winter and those that pass over on their way from Lancashire to Norfolk. The wintering population in St Helens has been between 2,000 – 5,000 birds in recent years, mainly roosting on land near the Old Coach Road, Rainford. Flocks spread out all over the Rainford Mosslands to feed during the day, and in autumn 2005 over 1,000 birds were regularly on nearby Reed’s Moss or Catchdale Moss which is adjacent to the mere. Though not visible from the mere when on the ground, they were often seen in flight as they flew between feeding areas, with 19 flocks recorded of between 10 and 800 birds, from September to the end of November. Five flocks were recorded flying strongly south east. The first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn were seen on 24^th September. 

Meanwhile feral geese numbers also usually increase considerably in late summer / early autumn, and 2005 was no exception, with peaks of 200 Canada Geese recorded on 30^th July, 53 Barnacle Geese on 7^th September,  24 Greylags on 6^th August, and even an adult Red-breasted Goose on 7^th September. Many of these geese annually make the short journey to Martin Mere WWT for the winter. 

November is the month to see Whooper Swans in St Helens, with 90% of all records being between the last week in October and the first week in December, but they are less than annual anywhere in St Helens, and I have only three records from 16 years of visiting the mere. Therefore it was with great excitement that I watched the magnificent sight of nine Whooper Swans coming in to land at the back of the island, early on a glorious morning on 13^th November . I held my breath, not wanting to make any movement that might make them decide to abort the landing and continue on their way,  and land they did, five stunning adults with long straight necks and bright yellow bills, accompanied by four juveniles in dirty grey plumage and white bills. Fantastic birds. They were against the bright light, and so I had to continue my walk around the mere, ignoring all other birds, keeping my eyes fixed on the swans until they were lost behind the island, hoping that they wouldn't take fright and leave until I had at least had a look at them with the sun behind me. However, it seemed that having landed, they were in no particular hurry to leave, and although they were obviously aware of my presence, they didn't look too alarmed, and one youngster even started to feed by upending. I made it as far as the southern end of the mere, and was able to watch them for 10 minutes through a gap in the bush, during which time they seemed to forget I was there, and even swam slightly closer to me. Unfortunately the spell was broken, when a fisherman who had been camping near the mouth of the stream, emerged from his tent and had a stretch and made the loudest yawn imaginable. There was lots of head bobbing and whooping from the swans, and they were clearly about to leave, so I positioned myself just past the stream so that I would get the best possible view when they departed, and then suddenly they were off, flying around the island, then south west towards Prescot Reservoirs, which they flew around for a minute, before heading off north west and were lost to sight. An unforgettable experience!  

Numbers and variety of ducks were fairly unspectacular during the period. Mallards peaked at 250 on the 18^th October, and reached 200 on a number of other dates, but more usually there were about 100 present. Tufted Ducks were almost ever present throughout the period, being recorded on 88 days out of a possible 118 and numbers remained very stable throughout, with at least four or five seen on most days, but never more than 15, more usually 10. However, there was clearly some movement, because my records also include the age and sex of birds seen, and very often, though there may have been 10 birds present for a week, the percentage of adult males would vary considerably during that time, proving that as some birds left, they were replaced by others. Through visiting nearby Taylor Park on a number of occasions during the autumn, I became aware that whilst Eccleston Mere predominantly held female Tufted Ducks, at Taylor Park and nearby Paddock Dam, males seemed in the ascendancy.   

Pochard have decreased markedly at the mere in recent years. On 16^th November 1997, there were 59 Pochard on the mere, and counts were regularly above 30. In autumn 2005, the maximum count was of 12 birds on 29^th October, and on only one other occasion did the species reach double figures. Teal numbers were also very low, with no double figure counts and a maximum of 6 birds on 18^th August and 20^th November. The species has never been particularly common at the mere, and a count of 23 on the 1^st January 2004 was exceptional. Wigeon put in a fairly typical showing. A female was seen on five occasions between 17^th October and 10^th November, and was probably the same as that seen regularly on Mizzy Dam in Knowsley Safari Park during the same period, and once on Taylor Park lake. There were also the more usual records of small parties passing through, with three on the 13^th September, four on 7^th and 18^th October and five on 16^th November. Interestingly the party of four on the 18^th October consisted of all females and probably included the long staying female, because three eventually flew away high to the west leaving one bird alone on the water, showing no interest whatsoever in accompanying its cousins. 

Finally, as usual Goldeneye were late arrivals at the mere. There was a female on 25^th October, but no further records until 14^th November, when there were two females. From then until month end Goldeneye were seen almost daily, with a peak of five during the last week of the month, and numbers continued to increase into December. For about the last 10 days of November, a drake was seen almost daily near the yacht club, with a varying number of females around the island. The drake was never seen to associate with the females, though later in the winter drakes can be seen displaying to females at the mere. 2005 was generally a good year for Goldeneye at the mere, with good numbers in the early part of the year, including a record 11 on 29^th January, though their late arrival in autumn was somewhat mystifying given that there were already at least 11 on nearby Prescot Reservoirs by 18^th October. 

Three other species of duck were seen at the mere during the autumn, a drake Gadwall was present on 18^th August with a second on 6^th November, a drake Ruddy Duck for one day on 20^th July and an immature drake Goosander on 3^rd November. The latter spent two weeks on Taylor Park lake, but in the middle of its stay visited Prescot Reservoirs and Eccleston Mere for less than a day each. 

Other waterfowl 

Grey Heron numbers were fairly stable throughout the period, with about three or four birds present on most days. However, there were slightly higher numbers present in late September and October, which may indicate a slight passage. Ten birds were seen on the 13^th October, most roosting in the willow tree on the island, though the more usual daily count around that date was of six or seven birds. 

The Black Plague of most anglers nightmares, the Cormorant, was noticeably absent during the autumn, with only 15 records of usually only single birds, and most of them flyovers, though by the middle of December there was a dramatic influx, with 12 birds on the 17^th December. 

As usual, Great crested Grebe numbers dropped away during the autumn to a low of four in October, only to rise again into November to a high of 14 and they continued to rise into December. Two juvenile Little Grebes were seen on many dates from the middle of September to the year end. 

Coots peaked at 40 in early September, but more usually there were about 30 present, whilst Moorhen numbers were stable at about 20 birds throughout the period. 

Black-headed Gulls peaked at 230 in the middle of October, though more usually there were only about 50 present, whilst Common Gulls barely reached double figures during the period, and only a handful of Lesser Black-backs, Greater Black-backs and Herring Gulls were seen. A first winter Mediterranean Gull was present for just one day on 7^th October. 

Raptors 

Six species of raptor were seen during the autumn. A Hobby flew west over the fields adjacent to the mere on the relatively late date of 27^th September, and a Merlin headed in the same direction on the 30^th October. Hobby is a passage migrant in St Helens, seen annually in increasing numbers, it can only be a matter of time before it finally breeds in the area, probably somewhere on the Rainford Mosslands. Merlin is also a passage migrant, but also winters in small numbers on the Mosslands. Peregrines have been resident in St Helens for many years, and have occasionally bred or attempted to breed. Their numbers many also be supplemented by the occasional winter visitor. During the third week in October, interestingly coinciding with a good passage of small migrants, though perhaps more likely because of a build up of Woodpigeons, Stock Doves and Feral Pigeons, an adult Peregrine was seen hunting almost daily at the mere. The bird continued to be seen at Prescot Reservoirs throughout November, but there were no further sightings at the mere, until a male and a female were seen together on the 6^th December. 

One species which has spread, perhaps more than any other in the North West in recent years, is the Buzzard. There were only two records of the species from the whole of St Helens in the 1980s, and 41 records in the 1990s. In 2005 alone, there were over 150 records from St Helens, and at least one pair, possibly two, bred in close proximity to the mere, and birds were present throughout the autumn to the year end. The autumn maximum was four, but more usually only two birds were present, and they could be seen either soaring over the fields, or sitting in one of the hedges. 

Sparrowhawk and Kestrel are residents at the mere, and were seen regularly. Four Sparrowhawks were seen on 25^th November, including three together, flying around the island. A family party of four Kestrels was seen on 30^th July, but more usually just one or two birds were present to year end. 

Conclusions 

Although many readers of this account may consider that my 118 days would have been better spent at more profitable locations, I learnt an awful lot about birds and their movements during the period. By the end of it I was a considerably better birder, able to pick up many species from the faintest of calls and the briefest of views, and I understood my local patch of 16 years a lot better. I was amazed and delighted to be able to observe visible bird migration over St Helens, and even saw it in action right over my house. However, to understand all of this, it was essential for me to immerse myself completely in Eccleston Mere and its birds, to visit on a daily basis, often twice a day, without the distraction of a companion, for a period of nearly five months, in all weathers fair or foul and in fact to almost live with the birds I was observing. I don’t believe it would have been possible on a part time, fair weather basis. My unbroken period at the mere came to an end on 11^th December due to new work commitments, and though most of the knowledge gained remains, already the closeness to the mere and it’s birds is starting to fade, and on recent weekly visits I feel like little more than a tourist taking snapshots of the mere and its wildlife.