More than enough solitude to be had for a single soul on Ainsdale beach today, but it was still good, starting with a 40 minute seawatch over the high tide this morning.
The sea was like glass, making it easy to pick up the various divers, grebes and seaduck out there.
Good numbers, and good views, of Red Throated Diver and Great Crested Grebe.
Great Crested Grebe 23
Red Throated Diver 15
Goldeneye 12
Red Breasted Merg 2
Long Tailed Duck 1
Common Scoter 40+
As the tide began to ebb I went to check out the gull roost north of Shore Road, which contained large numbers of Common Gulls (800+) and not a lot else.
Dogwalkers doing what they do best sent them all up only too quickly, so I headed back to the Green Beach, which had four or five Skylarks (two singing birds), Mipits, Pied Wagtail and 14 Linnets.
Everytime one of the Skylarks settled on the marsh to feed, another bird would come fluttering in and chase them off, early territorial stuff I guess, but it made trying to digiscope them extremely frustrating...
The Linnets weren't much better - typically jittery as they scoured the area for seeds.
Moving back out onto the beach, there were good numbers of waders in the channels after the high tide roost - hordes of Oystercatchers with Barwits, Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey Plover, Curlew, Knot and Ringed Plover.
Perhaps nicest of all were the Ringed Plover - at least 20 birds in pristine plumage, they really are superb little things (as oppose, I suppose to Little Rings).
Watched one small group as they fed on orangey legs,tubby little migrants with a stunning face pattern, it has to be said.
Fair few seemed to be spending an inordinate amount of time just sitting about and preening, as if they had only just arrived - then again they could be sharpening up after a doze over the high tide.
Shelduck numbers are growing steadily out on the sands too, and they're moving further up the beach, nearer to the dunes in time for spring proper, which can't be that far off now.
More gulls roosting in the horizon shimmer further up by Birkdale with Cormorants and another scattering of common waders, but I'll save them for another day.
Before I forget, thanks to Si Glinn for sending me links to his latest two videos posted on YouTube, featuring a Long Tailed Tit trying to break into his house here (I think it's reminding you fill the feeders SiG!) and a variety of his garden birds here
Thanks Si, love the fiddle music...
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »
Hi John
6 Canada Geese feeding on the grassy lumps of the old Roman fort at Castlefields, city centre Manchester yesterday.
Hi all,
The resident pair of Peregrines are both flying round the Liver Building today (first seen about 11:00). They're round there pretty regular so pigeons, keep your eyes out!
25.2.09: Seawatch, Formby Point, 0940-1130:
Red Throated Diver 2
Great Crested Grebe 1
Fulmar 1
Common Scoter 45
Kittiwake 3
Little Gull 1
Common Gull 70
Avocet 2
The Avocets were a Formby Point seawatching tick - heading north, about half a mile out!