Although the wind had dropped right back, I spent an hour over high tide at Ainsdale today - conditions weren't too bad, it wasn't particularly cold and apart from a light shower, it stayed dry.
Three Reed Buntings and a Pied Wag round the Discovery Centre, two Stonechats and a few Greenfinches further up the shore towards the Green Beach.
Offshore there were good numbers of Common Scoter, but the Sandwich Terns of summer have been replaced by the Common Gulls of winter now.
Common Scoter 250+
Red Breasted Merganser 9
Scaup 3
Gannet 1
Kittiwake 4
Great Crested Grebe 7
Red Throated Diver 1
Auk sp 1
Cormorants 150+
Squadrons of Cormorants offshore, and roosts up the beach towards Taggs, where several good-sized wader roosts were visible through the 'scope.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Glossy Ibis at Marshside today. Good showing of raptors with male Hen Harrier, two adult Peregrines, two Merlins, three Kestrels, Sparrowhawk & Buzzard. Many thousands of wildfowl & waders on the RSPB reserve, with many more on the saltmarsh & mudflats - a real wildlife spectacle.
Went for the Two Barred Crossbill in Yorkshire today, what a cracking bird and brilliant views as it fed on a feeder 20 yards away. Also nice to see a Willow Tit there which kept returning to the same spot to collect something from the ground every two or three minutes, plus 2 Brambling.
Dropped in at Marshside on the way back in the fading light and great to the Glossy Ibis back again!
Glossy Ibis present at Marshside today (16 Nov). Yesterday on Saltmarsh, male hen harrier, 2 peregrine, buzzard, several merlin and 2 stonechat along with at least 5 little egrets and plenty of waterfowl.