I love a spot of beachcombing, and this afternoon's wander up the tideline north from Ainsdale brought me a great big onion, half a pair of nunchuks and this freshly dead Razorbill.
Such a shame that they have to be brown bread before you get a really good view of the conk - what a beak!
At least 10,000 gulls stretching away north, mainly Black Headed Gulls, but a few hundred larger gulls nearer the edge of the receding tide - I've said it before and I'll say it again, these gulls are worth checking if you've got an hour or two to spare, instead of a rushed 50 minute speedwalk up the beach before dusk.
About 800-1000 Oystercatchers and a few Curlews and Grey Plovers in with the gulls.
Offshore was plenty choppy, but there were 60+ Common Scoters close in, and a single drake Red Breasted Merganser. I wouldn't have seen those if I'd stayed at home and watched the light fade over the back garden at Dempsey Towers.
As I headed north I noticed five Great Black Backs and a Carrion Crow congregating around something on the sand, and shortly afterwards I discovered a cetacean new to science - Tarantino's Porpoise.
Okay, so it's a dead Harbour Porpoise, but given the state it was in after the GBBs had been recycling the corpse, I suspect it'd have no problem getting a part in Mr Quentin's next movie, should it prove to be a slash flick with a maritime flavour.
I did consider staking the body out in case it drew in an Ivory Gull, but it was getting a bit nippy by then.
If that's all a bit gruesome, here's a nice sunset pic to chill to for a moment.
And relax.
Sands Lake was fairly quiet, Dunnock singing and one or two Meadow Pipits going over. A few Herring Gulls in with the Black Headed loafers.
At least 50 Tufties still, a single male Pochard and 12 Shoveler on the water.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Pair of Mandarin Duck at Mere Sands today .... Stonking male in full pulling plumage!!!!!
I'm amazed to read that the big onions are still about!
I regularly used to find these and also grapefruit washed up on the beach at Ainsdale when Neill and I used to hang out on this stretch of golden sand.
Where have these exceptionally large onions been coming from for the past 25+ years?
I've heard of sea gooseberries and sea cucumbers but not even I'm convinced of sea onions...
Two Barn Owls rising up from the roadside together just south of the Lighthouse Roundabout on Formby by-pass at 5.30am today.
Andy Bate and Austin Thomas have both sent me some good Barn Owl shots taken this week - I'll get 'em online later.