Didn't much fancy a seawatch off Ainsdale today - it looked way too benign, and there were nowhere near as many terns offshore during the morning.
Instead I spent a fine 40 minutes 'scoping the feeding Sanderlings on the high tide mark from the night before - this line of weed and detrius usually allows you to get better and closer views of the birds than the main roosting areas down by the "current" tideline, as the latter are always asleep or preening.
The dried out strandline however is Sandhopper, and consequently Sanderling heaven, and they come real close as long as you sit very still.
Full range of plumages from summer through to grey and white winter birds, the Sanderlings were a blur of hyperactivity.
About 4,000 waders roosting at the northern end of the Ainsdale and the Green Beach, with stonking brick red summer plumage Knots, Barwits and Turnstone joining the Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling.
A few Sandwich and Common Tern about, but not as many as yesterday, and a single and very fine Arctic Tern flew low over the wader roost, calling away, its tail streamers still in perfect nick and jerking along over the tide - a superb wee bird.
Quite encouraging to talk to folk on horses/foot/bikes and walking dogs who were heading towards the roosts today - all seemed genuinely interested in the birds and quite happy to make a detour to avoid flushing them.
There is hope after all - all you have to do is speak to people.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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23.07.09: Formby Point t-shirt seawatch, 1040-1320:
Great Crested Grebe 3
Manx Shearwater 4
Gannet 36
Common Scoter 165
Kittiwake 4
Sandwich Tern 142
Common Tern 185
Arctic Tern 18
24.07.09, Formby Point seawatch 1100-1400:
Great Crested Grebe 2
Fulmar 1
Manx Shearwater 22
Gannet 4
Common Scoter 70
Arctic Skua 1
Kittiwake 1
Sandwich Tern 72
Common Tern 92
Arctic Tern 8
Roseate Tern 2
Little Tern 1
Plus a flock of 10 Whimbrel.