Not windy enough for a seawatch this morning, so I went down to the marsh, meeting up with Bazzo and Jellyhead, and later Neill.
Not a bad day really, simply hordes of Snipe everywhere, many feeding furiously out in the open - a sure sign of new arrivals.
The Glossy Ibis was mooching around in the ditches north of Polly's Creek, but spent much of its time out of sight, yet there were two or three Little Egrets that were a bit easier to spot on Marshside Two.
Swallows, House Martins and Meadow Pipits going through steadily.
Good numbers of Blackwits from Sandgrounders, Junction Flaps and Nels as usual.
A quick scan from the top of Mount Baker brought us a very distant Gannet and a few strings of Common Scoter out on the horizon.
Usual waders out on the mudflats.
Song Thrush and Robin in the Forest of Bale, with a Goldcrest in the bushes north of the car park.
The Marsh Harrier had been around earlier on.
Walked down to Nels, where there were simply gazillions of Snipe - I counted 20 in a single sweep.
The lads headed off, but I stayed in Nels for a while - more godwits, and the Kingfisher darted past under the hide out onto Marshside One.
At least six Ruff feeding at the back of the lagoon.
A flock of Linnets and Goldfinches were plundering the seedheads, and a handful of Migrant Hawkers were on the wing around the rank vegetation on the bank.
One flock of Golden Plover, eight birds, zoomed past, but I'm sure there were more around. No Pinkies today though.
The Spotted Redshank dropped in to roost in front to the hide at about 3pm - nice views when it bothered to wake up.
A handful of Pintail amongst the Mallard, Gadwall, Teal and Wigeon now, and the Ruddy Ducks are still bobbing and diving on the Sandplant Lagoon.
A colour ringed Lapwing (a bird of the year) had green above red above white on the left leg, and blue above BTO ring above red on the right.
Anyone know who's colour ringing Lapwings at the moment?
"Bird of the Day" prize today must go however to the Wigeon that broke off from feeding in front of Nels to give a Lapwing an almighty peck up the *rse, for no other reason than that it could.
Tremendous behaviour!
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »
1 Leach's Petrel north past Crosby just now, and an Arctic Skua.
Juv Sabs Gull close in, south past Formby Point at 12.50pm today.
Formby Point Seawatch today, 08.10am-1.40pm:
Apart from the Sabine's Gull mentioned earlier...
Manx Shearwater 3
Gannet 6
Common Scoter 55
Kittiwake 5
Guillemot 7
Sandwich Tern 14
Common Tern 11
Arctic Tern 9
hi john, thanks for the email. spoke to ron at sandgrounders on sunday about the dragonflies at banks.had a number of migrant hawkers. brown hawker ( 3 )and common darters this weekend.don't know where all the damselflies are as i only saw about six common blue.
mike.
The best sight and sound of the autumn!
Just had about 100 Pink Feet yelping overhead on their way from the moss to the Ribble, the first proper sighting of the year.
Small bunches rather than a single skein.
It's what living in Southport is all about!!
Ron