Went for a misguided wander in the dunes north of Sands Lake today, just before the heavens opened for the umpteenth time - conditions looked good, but it was beyond pants.
Reed Bunts, Sedgie, Skylark and Mipits, no Chasers out even on the most sheltered pools.
Swifts and hirundines still moving through.
A few Gannets fishing close inshore over the low tide.
Area around Sands Lake itself was a bit better, with 1 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff and 5 Willow Warbler singing, but they've been around for a few days now.
Time to reflect on the painful decline in Spring passerine passage, ruefully debated in the Legless Arms on Friday night - it ain't getting any easier to find the goodies these days.
At least the walk gave me time to admire some of the summer flora in the dunes - the orchids are sprouting up, but a good few weeks behind the Flag Iris and Cuckoo Flower.
The thumping sounds of Drum and Bass vibrated through the air from Pontins ("I believe the youth call it "bangin' sounds" M'lud") as the rain got insistent and began to really hammer down.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Re spring passerine migration; an excellent year at Marshside for Tree Pipit, Sand Martin, Wheatear, Whinchat, Grasshopper Warbler, Siskin and Redpoll. Good numbers of territorial Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Whitethroats on the perimeter of the RSPB reserve. Several Blackcap territories on Hesketh golf course. Also records of several Yellow Wagtails, two Garden Warblers and Ring Ouzel. Also Redstart up the road. No Lesser Whitethroat yet though or 'scarce' migrants yet. What exactly were folk wanting to see. I suspect the bottoms of the pint pots were rose tinted!
Hmm, nowhere near as many Whinchat as we used to get Graham, or Goldcrests for that matter, far fewer Willow Warblers on the golf course, no Cuckoo (yet!) and no scarce so far.
Not so much a case of "rose tinted" glasses, as nostalgia for when these birds used to move through in far greater numbers.
Although I grant you, it has been okay for Tree Pipit.
Still time for the biggie yet though - another Woodchat would be nice.
And before I forget, while not a passerine, has anyone seen a Greenshank yet this Spring?
As regards comparisons of numbers of passage birds locally is concerned, any random search through notes from, say the mid-90s, will show a massive decline in many species.
Reed Warblers have increased, Whitethroats are holding their own, and Wheatears, Tree Pipits and Sedge Warblers are showing an encouraging surge this year.
On the negative side, where does one start?
A small sample of dwindling species: Ring Ouzel, Redstart, Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Cuckoo, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail.
While we're on Willow Warbler, has anyone else noticed a massive slump in territorial birds on their patches this spring?
At the only two sites I regularly visit, Formby Point Woods and Hesketh Golf Course, there was not one single occupied territory up to the end of last week.
I had 5 Black Necked Grebes at Moore on Sunday, along with plenty of singing Whitethroat, Willow + Sedge and Chiffchaff. Good numbers of Sand Martin as well.
Later during visiting hours at the Royal Hospital, I watched a Peregrine chasing a pigeon, but without any luck. (Well, the pigeon had the luck this time.)
1 Greenshank on Warton Marsh approx 3 Sundays ago - which was nice!
Marshside has seen a relatively strong passage of the species I listed this year, compared to say the last five years.
Also Crossbill this year (only the second Marshside record).
If you want to go much further back then fine, of course you'd be correct, but sorry chaps I didn't pick up in the post a time scale.
So compared to recent years it's been very good at Marshside this year for passerine migration - and odd to suggest it hasn't!
So, I repeat it has actually been a good year (compared to recent years) at Marshside for passerine migration.
Maybe reading my post would have been useful before reacting!