It was a miniscule break in the clouds that lured me onto Plex Moss this afternoon - a miniscule break that was swallowed up by the morass of grey frontal systems almost as soon as I was in the car.
Family party of five Whoopers (three youngsters and two adults) fairly close to the track was nice to watch - I know Martin Mere is a great place, but they always look a bit wilder when they're serenely mooching about an open field I think.
I stayed with them as the light went, listening to their calls and the north westerly wind whistling over the flat landscape.
Shame they obstinately refused to all crowd into the same scope views for a family shot, had to take a "point and press" job to get them all in....
Two groups of Fieldfares on Plex - one of four birds, the other of nine, a few Corn Buntings, Kestrels and coveys of Red Legged Partridge, a single Common Buzzard and a flyover Grey Wagtail.
About 3,000 Pink Feet in the air over Altcar to the south, and a similar number up to the north past Carr Moss.
Bird of the day however, was my second Long Eared Owl of the winter on the way into work - moving along the same stretch of the Formby by-pass at 5.30am as I had the last one a month or so ago.
Better views this time, I could even see the barring on the tail and underwing pattern as it flew along the hawthorns and flipped out of sight over the other side as I slowed down to take a look.
A good start to the day, but it went steadily downhill from there.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Marshside RSPB reserve & Crossens Inner Marsh WeBS count 16/11/08:
Little Grebe 3, Little Egret 8, Grey Heron 4, Glossy Ibis 1, Pink-footed Goose 1461, Wigeon 5254, Gadwall 27, Teal 1844, Mallard 304, Pintail 478, Shoveler 473, Moorhen 48, Coot 123, Golden Plover 1230, Lapwing 1764, Ruff 20, Black-tailed Godwit 1402, Curlew 56, Redshank 107.
On the adjacent shoreline the following were also counted:
Cormorant 120, Little Egret 6, Shelduck 380, Oystercatcher 140, Golden Plover 100, Grey Plover 1500, Lapwing 360, Knot 600, Dunlin 3000, Black-tailed Godwit 200, Curlew 180.
All in all itâÂÂs why Marshside is awesome â wild birds in a wild place.
Just back from Islay, highlights;
White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin, three spp Diver, three spp Auk, Fulmar, Gannet, Slavonian Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Eider, Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Pale-bellied Brent Goose, RichardsonâÂÂs Canada Goose, huge flocks of Barnacle & Greenland White-fronted Geese, Chough, Twite, Rock Dove. Also Otter, both Seals, Roe & Red Deer.
The last few weeks have seen the arrival on the north-east coast of Britain of over 1,000 Waxwings from Scandinavia. With some of these beginning to move south, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) wants to know where they are now.
The BTO's Bird Atlas 2007-11 project aims to map the distribution of Waxwings along with all other species regularly wintering in Britain and Ireland over a four-year period. November 1 2008 saw the start of the second winter of Atlas fieldwork and coincided with an excellent arrival of Waxwings to the east coast of Scotland and England. Since their arrival, flocks of Waxwings have been moving slowly westwards in search of food.
Given the good numbers recorded so far this winter, we hope that it will prove to be an excellent year for this enigmatic species. So far their distribution is mostly east and north of a line from the Dee Estuary to the Thames. Will they spread westwards in coming weeks?
Numbers of Waxwings reaching Britain and Ireland vary from year to year and
'invasion years' are characterised by a failure of berry crops in Scandinavia. Typically they arrive in eastern Britain, strip bushes of berries and move on in search of more food. In 'classic' years birds reach Wales, Ireland and south-west England.
If you have seen a Waxwing since 1 November then Bird Atlas 2007-11 wants to hear about it. You can enter your records online at www.birdatlas.net
(register and follow links to Roving Records) or by requesting a form from
BTO. In addition to Waxwing, all other species you see in the winter can be
recorded, and by gathering records over a four-year period we will be able
to compile comprehensive species maps and start to investigate changes in
distributions since the last Winter Atlas in 1981-84.
150 wild swans at Halsall end of Carr Moss Lane this afternoon.