Got down to Marshside by about 8.45am today and had a quick look along the footpath thro' the Golf Course first.
Not bad - met up with Pete Allen (and later Bazzo) and had one singing Chiffchaff, but only briefly as it sang feebly once or twice before moving on north; three Grey Wagtails, Redpoll and a single Siskin.
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming too.
On Marshside One there were at least 35 Avocets, mostly up at the top end, including a pair copulating.
Plenty of Blackwits, and at least five Ruff, Lapwings finding nesting sites and up to 2,000 Golden Plovers right at the back.
Several Meadow Pipits parachute display on the outer marsh, but Mount Baker was quiet, apart from a few Greenfinch, Reed Bunting and Woodpigeon.
No sign of any Wheatears, which was a bit frustrating.
A single White Wagtail was running about the shores of Polly's Creek, the female Scaup was with the Tufties on the Sandplant lagoon; but the Green Winged Teal was fast asleep, albeit only ten feet from the Sandgrounders Hide, beside a few Common Teal.
Still plenty of birders with lenses bigger than the News of the Screws waiting for it to wake up so they could bag a better shot, but I preferred to go down to Nels with Neill and Bazzo and see what was happening down there.
Good to feel the sun trying to warm things up - several Buff Tailed Bumblebees on the wing now all around the site.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies.....
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John,
The path through the golf course sounds interesting Grey wags etc.. how do we find this? also what and where is Mount Baker?
p.s. had 40+ Avocets at Marshside yesterday.
Regards,
Paul.
was at fazakerley sidings today, heard at least 5 chiffchaffs in full voice. yellowhammer subsong i think. small white butterfly and a peacock butterfly. 20+ bees.
A peacock butterly in aintree village too.
Hi John
Female Marsh Harrier hunting over crossens outer after you left, sod all else though.
Neill.
Howdy Paul,
You can't miss the path thro' the golf course - halfway down Hesketh Road, just park up (about 100 metres east of the observation platform looking over Marshside One).
There's a public footpath heading north there (part of the Sefton Coastal Path), bisecting the golf course on a raised bank for about a mile.
It comes out at Marshside Road at the other end.
Good place early morning to pick up on calling migrants overhead and singing stuff in the crack willow and scrub on the golf course.
Grey Wags, Redpolls and Siskin were all overhead birds going north this morning.
Don't go onto the golf course though - its private and there are no public paths there.
Mount Baker is the western edge of the old Sandplant revetment, which gives commanding views over the outer marsh and a good view of the Forest of Bale below.
The highest point at Marshside (alt approx 10 metres) and consequently not to be undertaken without plenty of Kendal mintcake and oxygen.
Always check the weather before you scale its mighty slopes.
It's called Mount Baker in honour of Tony Baker, RSPB head honcho for the estuary, and before you ask, the Forest of Bale is the narrow line of hawthorn/blackthorn etc directly beneath it, and named after that great polymath, Alan Bale, who planted the thing.
Hope this helps.
I popped into Sandgrounders on way back from Banks and that there Green Winged was at it with a genuine (as confirmed by Graham Clarkson) duck "crecca".
Not the first time a Yank has got his leg (or in this case feet) over in Southport and this one was in full view.
The "local" hussy didn't seem to mind at all.
Maybe a bit disconcerting for those who have ticked Green Winged Teal and Eurasian Teal as seperate species.
Half a tick more like it.
Green Sand again at Banks plus a few Blackwits out on the floods like last spring (none during this winter) which might pay scrutiny in case of "limosa". Maybe need to wait a while to see how summer plumage develops.
Ron
Green Winged Teal is a Category A species on the BOU UK list Ron - as long as it stays there (just like Hooded Crow, but oddly enough not Two Barred Greenish Warbler), it's a seperate species and a tickety year tick tick!
Begs the question - what sort of stripe would a hybrid teal have? Could be either, I guess, but imagine some kind of mutant double stripe like it had had a run in with a gang of asbo kids in the go-faster-stripes aisle of Halfords!!
btw, enjoying following the blog!