It was strange in the sense that I spent most of my time looking away from the sea...got down to Ainsdale about an hour before high tide today, shamed by Bazzo insisting on sitting out the monsoon at Formby Point earlier in the afternoon, and was met by Dave McAleavy, with the news that the probable Pallid Swift seen at Seaforth today was heading north!
Needless to say, I spent a good deal of time scanning the skies over Ainsdale instead of looking over the waves, just in case.
I only had one Swift steaming north at 3.25pm, and while it was pale, it was too far off, it was raining and there was no contrast in the plumage - so best let that one go...well done to the Seaforth boys tho'!
Anyway, back on the sea, there were a few bits offshore:
Gannet 6
Manx Shearwater 18
Great Crested Grebe 12
Razorbill 2
Red Breasted Merg 3
Red Throated Diver 4
Common Scoter 11
Common Tern 5
Sandwich Tern 37
Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick...
Two pairs of Great Crests were displaying in the shallows.
The Sandwich Terns were roosting on the beach as the tide went out, and I checked them for ringed birds - at least 7 had BTO rings, and a good few were strutting about in pre- breeding display.
I watched them for a while as Swallows tazzed north low up the shore, and one male Sarnie got persistent, striding about like he owned the beach, bill in the air and wings drooping.
Before you could say "Excuse me Sir, do you know this is a public beach?", he was in business in the middle of the flock - Sandwich Tern rumpy-pumpy no less, and while they may make as much noise as an Avocet, he certainly got more "bang for his buck" if you'll pardon the expression, balancing on the female (no easy task with those long wings and short legs) for a good 50 seconds - at least 47 seconds longer than an Avo.
Aside from this lewd behaviour, things were pretty quiet - good to see the Manxies back offshore though.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hay John, just thought I'd let you no, 3 Dotterel just out side Greater Manchester yesterday, I don't know f they'll still be there but I saw them on this guy's site...
http://www.mattlathamphotography.com/
Thanks Lee, they've been there a few days now, although I think only one bird is remaining...tempting, but finding your own is far better!
I missed the Pallid at Seaforth by about an hour.
Had to hang around in that freezing hide (the coldest hide in England if not the world) while the rain poured down.
Didn't have the right video kit for the smashing Little Gulls inc a first summer with really adult pink underparts.
Frustrating being stuck in someone else's patch with the remote possibility that the "target" might have shown at one's own, in my case Banks Marsh.
Saw 30 odd Eiders from Mount Baker at the edge of the tide.
Must have been lots of cooing going on judging from the head bobbing and chasing.
But impossible to tell what with the traffic and jets from Wharton,
Cheers,
Ron
ps been checking Churchtown Moss for "the Scottish" birds, those best not to mention by name. That most noble, if these days generally fruitless of springtime pursuits for a SW Lancs birdwatcher.
Maybe I should run bird tours in my lunchtime...
The 300m of dense shrubbery by the 4-lane highway between Corporation Street junction and Preston International Hotel has produced yet again.
No sign of the long-staying Lesser Whitethroat this morning, but a very pleasant Garden Warbler fluting away in dense cover at 0930, undisturbed by traffic whizzing by 5m away.
Hi John, three male Garganey showing very well in front of Nel's hide this morning, usually toward the back of the main pool.
Nice tern pics. Great to see what's going on over your side of the pond. Saw lots of Sandwich Terns last winter in Colombia; around here (BC) we're expecting the Caspians soon - I've yet to see one.