Looks perfect for seawatching at the moment, but here's a cautionary tale....
While Derek Williams scored with several Sooty Shearwaters, a Storm Petrel and Razorbill amongst the usual traffic off Formby Point in the blows at the beginning of the month, Bazzo got out yesterday to check the high tide from the point - the wind was much stronger than it had been when the sootys came through for Derek, and the tides higher - so it should have been an exciting seawatch....
Mr McCarthy's text from the scene read: "Dire session - 3 hrs 20 mins of total *****"
The last word rhymed with, well, let's not go there.
But it proves the point that it is an unpredicatble past time at best -when it's good it's magnificent, when it's quiet, it's like slow death.
Still can't win 'em all.
Bazzo was out at the point again today, and had a juv Black Tern, and a rare sighting of Tropical Thomason attempting a seawatch, but not much else.
I'm a great believer in the power of a good rain belt to bring seabirds inshore - doubtless it's blowing a birch tree-bending westerly still (just stick your head out of the window), but there's not been much prolonged rain to push the birds in ahead of the squalls, which would explain Bazzo's dearth of birds.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies.
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You may well be right about the absence of a rain-front; visibility and light were good, and in the absence of cloud/mist the birds may have been able to see the coast and avoid it. I have had success in clear weather in the past, but it may require winds stronger than the force 6 on Wednesday and Thursday, to push birds inshore whether they like it or not!
Anyway, may try again Saturday midday, if wind holds.
The Black Tern was a moulting summer adult, by the way, not a juv