The near constant sea frets and penetrating drizzle kept the beach nice and quiet between Hall Road and Seaftorth for a low tide count today, and also left the two Corn Buntings that have been around Crosby Marine Park for the last fortnight or so looking even more miserable than usual.
These birds interest me though, historically the species has always wintered in this neck of the woods (or dunes), and presumably they come off the mosses, but if that's the case, how come more birds don't move off the mosses further north and spend the winter in the dunes between Formby and Birkdale?
Maybe they do, but I can't remember bumping into any coastal groups during the short days over the last few years, apart from the odd one at Taggs at least five years ago.
Nice to see finch numbers building up today, with Gringoes and Linnets on the beach north of Hall Road, and 17 Linnets on the tideline beyond Crosby Marina. Had hoped for a few Twite, as I heard the odd encouraging nasal call in the Linnet flock yesterday, but all the birds on the beach today were Lintys. Maybe the curry-faced ones will show up another day.
A nice Med as usual in the gull roost at the south end of the beach, with Tufties, Great Crested Grebe etc on the Marine Lake itself. Curlews starting to turn up on Rimrose Valley now, but not much else out there, apart from Magpies, Blackbirds and a Kestrel.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Paul Shenton wrote...
Hi John,
I can't help but notice that you described Twite as being curry-coloured. Very perceptive, seems strange I used the same term on my blog a couple of days ago?!
http://chesterbirder.blogspot.com/2009/11/billy-no-mates.html
Coincidence?
Cheers, Paul Shenton.
Posted by: Paul Shenton | November 11, 2009 9:18 AM