A quick detour on the way to picking up Bazzo this morning brought me a singing Lesser Whitethroat in the roadside scrub by the roundabout entrance to the business park off Southport's Bentham's Way.
The bird was invisible in the swaying vegetation, but nice and noisy.
Thanks to Chris Fyles for the gen, which he mentioned as we watched the Red Backed Shrike last week.
the Lesser Whitethroat was still rattling when I brought Bazzo back for year tickage, then we headed onto the marsh for about 8.30am.
Not surprisingly the golf course was very quiet - Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff were about the only things singing as the mother of all easterlies tore through the bushes and trees.
We retreated to the Hesketh Road platform, where we discovered a species new to science - it's either a Moorocet or an Avohen, I'm not sure.
Whatever it was, neither of us had seen such a weirdly coloured young Moorhen before...very odd.
As we pondered freaky science, the Glossy Ibis dropped in right in front of us - I wonder if it's roosting in the SSSI.
It spent an hour or so at the bottom of Marshside One, getting hassled by crows in between bouts of preening and a spot of early breakfast.
Looking good though!
Not much else at the bottom of M1, bar three drake Wigeons, and plenty of Swifts steaming through, so we went to check out the Sandplant, where we were joined by Tropical, post-brekky.
The great man had two Spotted Flycatchers last Monday at the end of North Moss Lane, and has heard up to three Lesser Whitethroats in the Birkdale Reserve.
The peninsula was quiet, ravaged by the wind, and Polly's Creek held about 20 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and a few Blackwits,so it was back down to Nels to check the waders there.
Nels had another 30 or so Dunlin, with at least two Little Stints, but even though they came to the edge of the main pool, it was impossible to get anything other than a record shot of one, given the wind shake, bright morning light etc going on.
A colour ringed Avocet was feeding at the back of the pool, but wandered into cover just as I saw it and so I never got to see the sequence - it had yellow on the right leg, but that was all I got.
Graham Clarkson texted later in the day to say there were two colour ringed Avocets about...it'll be interesting to see where they've come from.
Plenty of Ringed Plover from Nels, but everything was spooked by a big falcon which ripped through heading north - some type of lannerxsaker thingy, it was bigger than the average Peregrine, which was handily sitting on the gasometer for quick blob v falcon size comparision.
The drake Garganey was unfazed by the commotion.
A quick look at Martin Mere after the marsh brought hordes of Bank Holiday visitors, a Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover from the In Focus shop, and three wayward Whoopers and the raggedy Marsh Harrier from the Two Ronnies Hide.
If the wind holds up and we get a bit of rain, it could be very interesting over the next few days.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Been pentading since yesterday, trying to catch up with local birding commitments.
Hoscar Moss/Low Meadows yesterday morning was very good, with displaying Curlew, 'creamcrowned' Marsh Harrier, Spotted Flycatcher and buzzing Redpoll.
SD41D (Leisure Lakes) was like hell on earth this morning with all the Bank Holiday grackles, but still had Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, another buzzing Redpoll and a flypast Kingfisher!!
Noses to the roses !!
Just thought I'd drop you a line, spotted all 3 species of wagtails around the Weaver Valley, Dutton, Cheshire - Pied, Grey and four Yellow Wagtails.
Along with Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings, Great Crested Grebes on nest at Dutton Locks also many Buzzards in the area.
Female Golden Pheasant on the path down to Sandgrounders Hide at Marshside.