With the wind blowing force 4-5 in from the west, work had to take the back seat, and I went seawatching from Formby Point from 10.45am to 3.10pm.
A mighty sandscouring didn't detract from a good session, with the big, 9m plus tide high at 1.50pm.
Steady passage of birds throughout the watch, and Tropical Thomason even popped down to join me for an hour over the highest point of the tide.
In typical Tropical fashion he brought a sun lounger to sit on (most people make do with a foldy chair or the sand), but he left after an hour or so to go and look at the exotica at Marshside.
An ear, eye and mouthful of sand isn't to everyone's taste....
Anyway, I saw:
Gannet 61
Bonxie 3
Gt Crested Grebe 1
Sandwich Tern 138
Common Tern 42
Arctic Tern 5
Kittiwake 26
Fulmar 5
Red Throated Diver 1
Manx Shearwater 5
Shelduck 19
LBB 80+
Common Scoter 350+
Cormorant 50+
Arctic Skua 9
A good bag, with cracking views of one Bonxie through the surf, and some pretty close Arctic Skuas too.
Would have thought more Manxies would have been going by, but you never can tell with seawatching.
Trops texted me as I was packing up to say he was watching the Great White Egret at Marshside, so I headed up there after the seawatch, meeting Jellyhead along the way.
We got reasonable views of Mr Great White Drainpipe Neck in the ditch that runs inland from Polly's Creek, although it was a bit drizzly and blowing hard still.
All dark legs mark it out as an adult non-breeding bird I think - the bird up at Leighton Moss is a juv apparently.
Good size comparison with a Little Egret at one point (there were at least 6 around Polly's Creek that we could see).
Sorry about the images, my scope was still caked in sand and saltspray from Formby Point!
The Marsh Harrier was patrolling in the background over the outer marsh, and plenty of Curlews and Teal were about.
Hopefully out again tomorrow, and if the wind continues from the west/south west like this, there's only one show in town.
Formby Point, high tide 2.30pm. You know it makes sense.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Stephen Dunstan wrote...
The Freckleton Naze egret roost held 24 birds tonight, presumably including the Marshside birds.
Regards,
Stephen.
Posted by: Stephen Dunstan | August 31, 2007 9:01 PM