Not a bad day today, despite the weather - picked Bazzo up and we did the Golf Course and Marshside mid-morning.
Plenty of Swallows and a few House Martins over Marshside One, where there were squadrons of Avocets, Greylag with young, Blackwits etc.
Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff singing in the SSSi ditch, and on the golf course, another three Chiffchaff and Greater Pecker.
Round the peninsula and Mount Baker were 3 Wheatears, a few groups of Meadow Pipits and another two Chiffchaffs.
A Little Egret was out on the marsh and from Sandgrounders there was Common Sandpiper and the two Avocets were still sitting, the rain gathering on their backs.
Met Dave Fletcher and Jack Taylor and after chewing the fat, Jack came along with us to Lytham St Annes to have a gander at the Ross's Gull - well, it'd be rude not to wouldn't it?
The Ross's was sitting on a little island of grass in Granny's Bay just by the car park at Fairhaven Lake when we pulled up, but later flew down the mud a hundred yards or so showing its cool wedge shaped tail, before landing and wandering about in the heavy rain for awhile.
No chance of a decent pic in the rain really, but what a bird!
Must be 20 years since the Seaforth bird, and although this one seemed a bit peeky, it was still gorgeous - smoky black eye, long winged and pearly, pearly, pearly.
Mincing little red legs.
A tiny little gull, the dark neck collar of summer wasn't visible yet, but a grey band round the neck suggested it wasn't far off.
It was dwarfed by Shelduck and Black Headed Gulls - superb.
Why not go and have a look - they're not normally this easy....
Headed home after that, and after dropping folk off, went back over Plex Moss, where there was a flock of 43 Whimbrel with a few Curlew and three Wheatears.
A few birders were watching them, and mentioned they'd had the usual flock on North Moss Lane, and a Green Woodpecker in the wood between there and Broad Lane - a good record.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Forecast looking very good for seawatch Thursday midday: strong SW after overnight rain, mild temperatures, tide at about 1300.
21 Whimbrel on North Moss Lane tonight at 6.15pm.Also, same flockette of 37 Fieldfares, which have been there or thereabouts for the last ten days or so, plus 10 Wheatears, on the same ploughed field.
You have to look really hard for the Fieldfares as they are often in the dip at the back of the field and it's very easy to miss them.
Garden Warbler 'gabbling' plus Whitethroat at Wheatear Corner, SW corner of Marshside 1 (aka Rimmers) and others recorded 6 Little Gulls and 2 Swifts over.
Interesting Green Woodpecker record at the same place where I had the Willow Tits as I imagined I had heard a half-yaffle and put it down to Starlings taking the Michael !
John Bannon
Marshside this morning (22.04.08): 20+ Willow Warblers; 4 Blackcaps; 3 Whitethroats; 1 Sedge Warbler; 12 Wheatears; 2 Little Stints; 1 Whimbrel; 1 Little Gull,
Male Pied Flycatcher on Victoria Rd, Formby today at about 1pm. Also 1 Gannet and 3-4 Sandwich Terns offshore, and Great Crested Grebes displaying on the sea.
Common Sandpiper on the drained lake in Liverpool's Sefton Park today. Also a pair of Sparrowhawks displaying.
Latest from Haskayne, Apr 13th-16th:
8 Black Tailed Godwits; fem Hen Harrier; fem Merlin; 81 Linnet; 2 Little Owl; 100+ Mallard; 20 Oystercatchers; Teal; Canada Geese; Sand Martin; Dunlin; Whimbrel; Curlew; Buzzard; Swallow; Barn Owl; Wheatear; Chiffchaff; House Martin; Kestrel; Sparrowhawk.