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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Andy Bate wrote...
Pair of Mandarin Duck at Mere Sands today .... Stonking male in full pulling plumage!!!!!
Posted by: Andy Bate | February 27, 2008 7:46 PM