Excellent few hours down at Marshside today over the tide, with possibly the most interesting critter being this colour ringed Mediterranean Gull.
The bird was initially fast asleep in the roost at the back of Marshside One (Rimmers Marsh) with about 4,000 other gulls, mainly BHGs.
An adult, it was almost in full summer plumage, apart from a small white blaze above the bill. Luckily after about 15 minutes it came out onto the water for a bath along with the BHGs, right in front of Nels Hide.
It didn't sit still for long on the water, but while shaking my head at my pitiful digiscoping attempts, I noticed on a few blown up images that the bird was ringed.
In the light it was hard to make out what colours the bird's bands were - but it definately had two pale ones on the right leg, beyond that, it was anyone's guess.
You can just make the rings out on this blow-up....where is that from?
I believe there was a Dutch bird at Seaforth a while back - is this the same one?
Anyone have any ideas?
Away from the gull roost there are now ten Avocets dozing miserably in the shallower water between Nels and Marshside Road, looking full of the joys of Spring.
Not.
Marshside Two (Suttons Marsh) had good numbers of Golden Plover (up to 2,000 birds, including one or two coming into summer plumage), Little Egrets, a few Ruff and Dunlin and frisky Lapwings and Blackwits.
A fine young Merlin got all perchy in front of Sandgrounders for a few minutes before tazzing off to put the fear of God into everything again.
At Polly's Creek a Greater Black Back knocked down a Wigeon and with another bird trying to grab pieces, it managed to reduce the duck to spinal cord and a head in just under 45 minutes.
The Carrion Crows and Magpies didn't get a look in.
On the outer marsh, another Merlin was hunting, as was the sub-adult male Hen Harrier, which swept in once or twice close to the road, but never when I was ready with my camera, the weasel.
It perched up in the spartina once or twice, both north and south of the Sandplant, and even flew onto Marshside Two for a reccy before heading back across the road again.
A superb bird.
Much less challenging to photograph were the Kestrels hanging around the remains of the Sandplant walls, where two Grey Partridges broke cover - that's two more than I've seen on the mosses for quite some time.
About 25 Skylarks up hovering and singing over the outer marsh now.
A few Mipits were going over, but nothing to suggest serious passage yet, and the Sandplant lagoon had 13 Pochard, Cormorant, Oycs etc.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hey John. I saw a colour ringed Med Gull on Rainfords lagoon three or four years back. It also had a greenish darvic, I couldn't read it, but was told it was Hungarian - I think. This time last year up to five Meds on Rimmers, maybe some more over the weekend?
Barn Owl hunting nr old wildfowlers' platform at 5.25 this eve (fri)
Went to Ainsdale Beach for high tide today, intention to video from inside vehicle. Birds of course generally more tolerant of vehicles than they are of people.
A decent gull flock, BHGs and Commons and a small wader roost started to form but totally and continually disturbed by dog walkers and their mutts. Some kept pooch under control, some just walked the edge of the dunes, but several headed straight for the bird flocks. One dame in particular deliberately aimed her throwing stick thingy at the wader flock, mutts (two or three) chased the ball, flock dispersed.
I could see airborne wader flocks all the way down to Birkdale so presumably total disturbance. I don't know what is the legal position, if there is one, in respect of the deliberate disturbance of wader roosts, but maybe if Sefton put up some "please don't" notices a la the "no driving beyond this point" ones the disturbance could be reduced.
Eliminated though, no way, some of the walkers looked as if they should be the ones on the lead, and I couldn't help wondering whether there is some so far secret Sefton "Care In The Community" programme which provides its participants with hounds and walking directions. I've seen not dis-similar punters crouching behind pints of lager at 9am outside town centre pubs.
Ron
ps mixed bag of birds caught for ringing at Old Hollow , Banks, last week. 15 Twites, mostly re-traps; 5 Wigeons: 48 Shelduck (24 ducks, 24 drakes) and a Mute Swan (caught twice).
Hi John, Friday- 10 Avocets on Marshside one, plus 2 on Marshside two that later flew over towards the estuary. Mike.
Hay John, I bumped into you in Nels hide yesterday and you pointed out the Med. Gull to me, I went down again today and managed to pick out what I think was the same one preening at the back of the marsh (it had the same slight white mark just above its beak. Also about were 2 Short Eared Owls quartering halfway between the Sandplant and Crossens and 1 male Hen Harrier working up and down the front. From Sandgrounders hide all the usual birds showing.
Peregrines displaying like they mean business at the soon to be demolished thingy, this afternoon. Also discrete trepassing in Meols Halls woods flushed two Woodcock - egg salad!!
48 species on two-hours tetrad that Simon couldn't get round to.
With regard to Ron's point about dog-walkers, disturbance of wader roosts, either deliberate or inadvertent, has long been a problem but appears to be getting worse simply because there are more dogs about.
For example, on 14th Feb. there was a group of three people on Ainsdale beach at high-tide with nine dogs between them. These were not much of a problem but others present at the same time allowed their dogs to attack the wader/gull roosts.
As an aside, one of the dogs also attacked me!
I have, on occasions, spoken to people who actually encourage their dogs to chase birds "for exercise".
The usual reaction is to look at you as though you are mad and become aggressive.
As most of the birds in question are fully protected by law and the beach is designated under both British and European conservation legislation, it could be argued that allowing dogs to harrass the said birds is a "damaging activity" and therefore illegal.
However, don't hold your breath for an impending prosecution. The important point of course is that shorebirds need to rest at high tide to conserve energy; having constantly to fly during high-water to avoid dog attacks could impact on energy balance, especially during cold weather.
Remember that many of these birds are about to set off on flights of several thousand miles to their breeding areas.
Fitness is crucial to the success of such migrations.
As to a solution, dogs are actually banned from Sefton's bathing beaches in summer for health reasons.
Perhaps it's time to extend this to include the rest of the year.
I fear, however, that the probability of this happening is low, partly because the pro-dog lobby is so influential.
A former ranger I once knew suggested a heavy machine-gun.....
A roost of 6000+ gulls south of Weld Road, Birkdale produced a smart pair of summer-plumaged Med. Gulls this afternoon.
Also present at least 3000 Oystercatcher and 16,000 Knot in the wader roosts.
On the Green Beach were 3 Little Egrets and 3 Jack Snipe.
Amazingly, there were no dogs present until long after high water!