Went for a quick lunchtime walk round the Sands Lake at Ainsdale with Ralph Jones today in the glorious sunshine.
A briefly singing Chiffchaff there early morning suggested it might be worth it, so off we went.
Mipits and Skylarks, Greenfinch, alba and Grey Wags and Goldfinch all moving overhead during the morning, but a nice calling Tree Pipit going south at the Sands Lake during our stroll was the pick of the bunch.
A Greater 'Pecker bounced into the scrub to the north of the Sands Pub - migrant or resident?
Plenty of Common Darters, some very worn now, basking on the boardwalk and two Migrant Hawkers (like the one above) patrolling the bushes to the west of the lake.
Otherwise Tufties, Mallards, Little Grebe etc on the water, singing Robins, squawking Magpies and one or two Speckled Woods.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Single adult Little Gull flitting around Salthouse Dock last night, a nice reward for a trip to the pub I feel..
I thought we had a Southern Hawker at Marshside to the left of the hide on Monday. Big yellow stripes on the thorax but very blue on the back of the abdomen. I really must brush up on my inverts.
Whinchat, 2 Sparrowhawks, Buzzard and a large flock of Pink Feet over Plex Moss Lane today
Yesterday and today I walked from Crosby Baths to the Coastguard and back and observed a steady trickle of Red Admirals heading South, but it was only when they reached a point just North of the Baths that they changed direction to fly out over the beach and the incoming tide towards Wallasey. I counted one every 4 minutes, and just one Painted Lady did the same thing as did several Large Cabbage Whites but the latter 'towered' upwards before flying seaward. In previous autumns I've watched Red Admirals arriving off the sea at Perch Rock, New Brighton. There's another generation of Painted Lady caterpillars on the dune thistles.
Great White Egret on Banks Marsh today (and yesterday).
First reported in RSPB "Sandgrounder's" log by Lee Harrison (I think) on Crossens outer marsh bird moved to Banks Marsh where on the splashes with about 12 Little Egrets. Bird had yellow bill, as one would expect at this time of year. I managed to film it but shimmery.
Also there Buzzid and Marsh Harrier and Black Swan but most bizarre was a Bar Headed Goose in the middle of a skein of about 50 Pink Feet, one of numerous bunches flighting in from just this side of Preston.
If it gets down to Norfolk with its Pink Feet companions who knows? British first?
Ron
2 Ravens flying over Eccleston heading South West about 9-30 this morning also 28 Pied Wagtails on the cricket pitch.
Hay Ron, yeh I did log it first in the book, I first spotted it from the top of the sandplant, half way between the road and the beach, quite flighty I watched it for an hour before leaving it down at Crossens Marsh.
See birdguides for a record shot...
thanks for the mention.
http://leeharrisonsnaturephotography.blogspot.com/
9 Pink-feet landed on Martin Mere yesterday and, 5 of them were goslings which split up into two familys of 2 and 3.