No, it's not the Loch Ness Monster, it's a juv Red Necked Grebe offshore during my seawatch at Formby Point this afternoon!
(Remember any record shot is better than no record shot at all...)
Okay, it's not a mega-tick or anything, but a top bird for the Tobacco Dump...the bird was only 20 yards offshore and gave great 'scope views as it bobbed about near two young LBBs for ten mintues or so after 2pm, until it was spooked by a windsurfer (if only I was allowed a mortar).
Nice pale streaky face, lovely orange stocky neck, pale bill, dark cap, dusky flanks, mottled brown back, a superb bird, which was lucky as there wasn't much else offshore today, despite the force 5 SWly last night.
The wind seemed to drop away just before I arrived, but as I walked down from the National Trust car park a heavy squall pummelled the sand, which is what may have pushed grebeboy so close to shore....anyway I'm not complaining - who needs to go to Audenshaw Reservoir????
A few brick-red Bar Tailed Godwits were feeding along the tideline, until the dogwalkers saw them off....
Birds seen (1.40pm to 3.45pm) were:
Arctic Tern 3
Common Tern 20+
Sandwich Tern 20+
Gannet 34
Common Scoter 60+
Manx Shearwater 3 (n)
Cormorant 10+
Red Necked Grebe 1
So there wasn't much moving, apart from the grebe!!!! - obligatory tideline pic follows.
Eyes to the skies everybody, eyes to the skies...
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »
hi do you think you could tell me the best way to get to the seawatch point at formby & where it is.thanks pete d.
Hi Pete - everyone has different favourite spots.
Some go to the end of Lifeboat Road, Formby and park in the car park there, then watch from the top of the dunes there.
I prefer to park in the National Trust car park at the end of Victoria Road, Freshfield (ã3.30 unless you get there early in the morning - or walk down from Freshfield Station).
Pay at the Squirrel Reserve entrance, then drive right down to the car park at the bottom.
Then walk south along an obvious sandy path behind the dunes and choose your spot anywhere around the area where that path leads down to the beach.
The higher the dune the higher you are, and sometimes it can be hard to be looking down on the birds and water - its easy to miss a petrel this way.
So pick a medium height vantage point,where your eye level is ten-fifteen feet above the waves.
Try to be in place a good hour and a half before the tide, and give it till an hour or two after that - or a lack of birds drives you to distraction.
Watch out for windblown sand here (real men have bloodshot eyes), wrap up warm and bring your waterproofs!
Today looks superb for a seawatch - if you see anything, let us know on the blog!
Good luck me hearty!
John