Best bird of today was undoubtedly the Spoonbill which flew low over the beach north of Southport Pier, passing the Land Rover I was pootling along in with Ralph Jones today.
Skinny matchstick shape in flight (the Spoonbill, not Ralph), it was making heavy weather flapping into the strengthening south westerly at 1.55pm and dropped out of sight around the Boghole Channel.
Little Egret out there too.
A Swift over Dempsey Towers early doors heading south, but with the wind picking up, I couldn't resist a quick seawatch from the tideline at Ainsdale at 6.30-7.05pm.
Not bad given the restricted visibility (the tide was too low to bother 'scoping from the dunes), with a few nice birds in a short space of time.
Manx Shearwater 34
Gannet 20
Kittiwake 3
Sandwich Tern 40+
I'm sure there were more birds out there, but I was too close to the surf (in case a late Stormie swept through) to get a good view.
If the wind holds up, there are some belting tides this week...seawatching troosers on and all hands to Formby Point!
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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17.8.09, Formby Point Seawatch:
0630-1000:
Great Crested Grebe 1
Fulmar 2
Manx Shearwater 745
Gannet 955
Common Scoter 230
Great Skua 1
Arctic Skua 4
Kittiwake 6
Sandwich Tern 175
Common Tern 155
Arctic Tern 93
Guillemot 1
A blizzard of seabirds!
Marshside today - 2 Common Sands from Hesketh Rd platform, 1 Common Sand on Sandplant Pool. Wheatear in Sandplant compound.
Four Little Egrets from the Hesketh Rd platform at 7.35pm and one on the Junction Pool.
4 Stormies off Workington 2day and a Sooty Shear off Starr Gate yesterday.
Downholland and Plex Moss latest - Aug 16-18:
16.8.09: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 juv and 1 ad fem Marsh Harrier, 4 Buzzard, 1 feeding Whimbrel, 12 Curlew, 75 Mistle Thrushes together on wires.
17.8.09: 90 Mallard, 1 ad fem and 3 juv Marsh Harriers, 1 fem Merlin, 32 Curlew, 1 Swift.
18.8.09: 1 Little Grebe on Downholland Brook, 3 juv Marsh Harriers, 5 Buzzards, 44 Curlew, 4 Raven.