Got a few hours in on the marsh this afternoon...predictably quiet, and fairly grey, but the breeze was stiff enough to suggest a seawatch maybe possible tomorrow.
The Hesketh Road end from the platform was empty apart from groups of seed rustling Goldfinches and a few Gringoes and Linnets, with parties of Swallows hawking around the embankment.
Sandgrounders wasn't much more inspiring - although a Little Egret was on Polly's Creek.
The recent rains have pushed up the water levels making it hard for waders to feed.
A quick scout round the Sandplant compound and peninsula brought a single Willow Warbler in the shrubbery beside the gates and on Mount Baker, two, or possibly three Painted Ladies, a Gatekeeper and a Peacock.
Attempting to gain warmth from the sand, or just resting, the Painted Ladies kept returning to two areas of scraped away sand right on the summit of Baker.
The outer marsh was the preserve of Kestrels and stressed mipitry, but a single Little Egret was on the mudflats on the lowest of low tides.
Junction Pool had a few waders - about 40 Blackwits, two Avocets (they looked like the same birds as last Sunday), Lapwings, and single Dunlin and Ruff.
Teal numbers are creeping back up (only a week or two before the first Pinkies come back now!), and one male had the common decency to try to ascend above the tawdry depression of eclipse plumage.
Waking up would have been nice, but you can't have everything.
Nels, open again now, had more Blackwits, Lapwings and Redshanks and a few Gadwall, and one Reed Warbler beneath the window.
Scanning into the distance, a Peregrine was roosting up on the gasometer.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Bazzo wrote...
14.08: Seawatch, Formby Point:
0800-1130:
Great Crested Grebe 2
Manx Shearwater 5
Fulmar 1
Gannet 54
Common Scoter 50
Sandwich Tern 122
Common tern 43
Arctic Tern 49
Posted by: Bazzo | August 14, 2008 7:26 PM