Calls to the office, e-mails, blog comments and texts today (thanks everyone) all suggested that a lot of migrants were going through as the first warm weather of the year arrived, backed by a gentle south easterly.
I couldn't resist a quick hour walking round the Sands Lake, Ainsdale, after work, from 4 - 5pm, and I wasn't disappointed.
Suit off. Shorts on.
At least 10 Willow Warblers were flitting around on the west side, with four in full song in the warm, bright sunshine.
Their songs were just rippling through the sea buckthorn and alders - superb.
Two Chiffchaffs were singing too, as was a Blackcap, and from the scrub on the west side a muted, quiet little warble suggested a Garden Warbler was lurking in there - couldn't see it though.
A Wheatear tazzed over one of the low dunes and Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterfly were on the wing.
Four Little Grebes, a pair of Shoveler and some pristine Lesser Black Backs amongst the Black Headed Gulls, Mallards and 25+ Tufties on the water.
The cob Mute Swan was chasing everything from plastic bags to one very unwise male Mute visitor which stupidly landed on his patch - get orff my land!!!
On the sandy shore at the southern end of the lake, a Common Sandpiper was feeding away, ignoring dogwalkers and cars pulling into the pub car park.
It must have been starving.
Two or three small groups of Meadow Pipits called overhead, but strangely there were no hirundines - perhaps they'd raced through earlier in the day.
Not bad for an hour before tea...
Tomorrow could be even better - as Bazzo points out there's a south westerly bringing a band of rain very early on and then it clears up - just think of all the migrants that could ground!
If you can get out tomorrow morning, do it.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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John Bannon wrote...
77 Whimbrel this evening (Tuesday April 22) on ploughed, tilled and manured field, at end of N Moss Lane, Formby Moss.
Also 11 White Wags, 5 Pied wags, 15 Wheatears and still 30 plus Fieldfare at the very back of the field by the fence line.
Plenty of Willow Warblers, 3 Blackcaps and 2 Whitethroats, but no Cuckoos as yet.
Singing Wood Warbler at Mere Sands Wood.
Posted by: John Bannon | April 22, 2008 10:49 PM