After seawatching yesterday Jellyhead Jackson and I checked out the mosses in an abortive Quail hunt - too windy, but there were four singing Yellowhammers along the Haskayne Cutting.
Got a few pics, but the bushes were blowing about a bit in the wind, so they're a bit blurry - sorry!
Not much else on the mosses, apart from usual - Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting, Kestrels, Whitethroats, Carrion Crow, Lapwing etc, so we nipped back in to Southport, to pick up Tropical Thomason before going to the dune slacks for a spot of botanising.
Plenty of Black Headed Gulls on Sands Lake, and a male Ruddy Duck and I got the colour ring number of the aggressive male Mute Swan - blue DLS on the right leg - as promised for Bob Harris, I'll let you know when I get the results back.
Went down for a walk through the dunes and onto the Green Beach with Mrs D again today, and had young Stonechats, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Skylark etc, and Common Twayblade, a single plant, pretty much gone over, but still distinctive enough.
One very nice Pyramidal Orchid still blooming, as are plenty of Marsh Helleborines, and Grass of Parnassus in bud in several areas.
Out on the Green Beach loads of Natterjack toadlets are scurrying about, like miniature versions of their parents - careful where you tread!
On the beach proper, there were Ringed Plover and Lapwing, and a few brutish GBBs.
One small gull roost near Ainsdale Lido held four rather spiffing Sandwich Terns - always nice to see 'em on the beach.
Wind turned out wrong for seawatching today, although the tides are good and high towards the end of the week....
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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John, Good to hear you got the swan ring 'number' - wouldn't like all the time put in by ringers to go to waste (particularly as I was up at 2.30am on Saturday to be on site for ringing at 3.45am!!). Bob.