Although my manners are often compared to those of an unruly warthog, it would have been downright bad etiquette to not pop down and see the Snow Bunting on Ainsdale's Green Beach, which Phil Smith and Ralph Jones have been admiring for a few days now, especially as it's so close to home.
Got down to the Sands Lake for 7.45am to be confronted by more cars than I've ever seen down there.
Thoughts of stumbling on a mega-twitch were swiftly dispelled when I realised it was a big bad Pontins Weekender on the go, so I left the bright young things to it and headed off through the scrub.
Whitethroat and Willow Warbler singing away around the lake and three Wheatears on the Green Beach, with Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Lapwing.
The female Snow Bunting was preening and feeding away on the Green Beach just as the first low dunes build up, and as is often the way, ignored me completely, often coming too close to focus the scope on.
A real peach, she was busy picking seed heads off the vegetation, so not bothered about me.
Occasionally she was chased out onto the beach proper by Skylarks, but quickly returned to the Green Beach, trilling away.
Superb - I watched her for an hour and a half, with two Ravens croaking overhead to add to the Cairngorm atmosphere.
Thanks to Phil and Ralph for keeping me updated on the bird in the week.
Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and some gorgeous full summer plumage Grey Plover on the beach now too.
Fine way to start the day.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Birds seen in the sunshine today included Bokmakerie, Southern Boubou, Lesser Double-collared Sunbird and best of all a pair of Verreaux's Eagles at their very public nest site, with hordes of picknickers and the Pretoria Bird Club.
Yes I'm back in Joburg, South Africa as the S.Hemisphere winter approaches - mid winter's day here is June 21st. The eagles have nested on the cliffs at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, not 10 miles from the city centre, for probably thousands of years. The female is at least 35, the new male, known as "Toyboy" is a mere 17 years old.
Two eggs in the nest laid four days apart, first on April 12. When they hatch in 3rd week May, the older chick kills the younger one within 4/5 days and eats it. Known as the 'Cain' effect, the second egg is for insurance only.
I knew there was an advantage being the firstborn !!
TTFN...eyes off those pies !
John Bannon, SA correspondent
Hi John
where/what exactly is the 'Green Beach'?
Jim
Hi John.
Went for a walk on Birkdale dunes Friday evening had a Green Woodpecker and great views of Cuckoo plus lots of Whitethroat, Willow Warbler but no Grasshopper Warbler, will keep trying.
Managed to see the 2 Spoonbills at Seaforth today after several days of trying.
Hall Road dunes this evening, got my first Sedge Warbler... about 6 feet away from me for a good 15 minutes.
Also Linnet, Whitethroat... and the best views of the Barn Owl I've had as it flew towards me, circled within 50 metres and flew off again... brilliant!
Not much happening on the mud flats... 2 Grey Plover and a one-legged Dunlin hopping about.
Hi Jim,
For the Green Beach, park at the beach entrance at the end of Shore Road, Ainsdale (past Pontins,although with 3,000 people staying for the Weekender, there's not many parking spaces - and they charge to park on the beach).
Walk north for about 300 metres along the beach and the vegetation starts.
The Snow Bunting was about 100 metres up, feeding just before the first ridge of low dunes.
Good luck.
Pair of Ravens at low tide at over Red Rocks yesterday evening
Hi John,
In the garden got a pair of Blackbirds on second brood of eggs but in the same nest as the first successful brood, is this unusual to use the same nest over again?
JD: They will reuse nests Paul, often tidyihg up with new vegetation, or happily build another nest nearby....
Grasshopper Warblers in at Wigg Island Runcorn..........
Osprey today (11th May) over Altcar Withins at 4:30pm. Watched it while it was sitting beside the Alt from the old Southport/Liverpool road near the compost emporium.
Flew off hunting over The Withins.
Hi John,
John A and I caught up with the Snow Bunting tonight, and a Raven too, at the end of a day in which The Irregulars took in a superb Red-footed Falcon and a Black-necked Grebe just south of Wakefield, and a few bits and pieces around Lunt - Jason saw the Little Owl, and we had a Tree Sparrow there as well.