Came across this unfortunate, and waterlogged, critter towards the end of a bracing wader count on Crosby beach this morning...probably the only thing wetter on the beach than I was, but a not unexpected by-product of a few days strong westerlies and stormy seas.
Took him back and left him in a box for a while in a warm corner to dry out, even thought of playing it some soothing music (The Guillemots would have been an obvious choice, were I to be a happening young hipcat), but it was dead within the hour.
I thought the bird may have rallied, as it wasn't as skinny as most storm-wrecked auks I've encountered, but there you go...an auk that can't hack the sea doesn't have much down for it.
High winds meant the count was unexceptional, but there were more miserable looking Curlews than normal, and a small group of Ringed Plovers helped pass the time.
Scaup and Tufties on the Marine Lake, with a few Redwing through early on, and growing numbers of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes round the bushes.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Phil Smith wrote...
On my way back from Ormskirk this morning at 10.50hrs, a Red Kite flew low over my car at Hillhouse. No traffic, so I was able to stop and watch it circling around a field next to the road before it drifted slowly north (on its way to Martin Mere?).
Posted by: Phil Smith | November 6, 2009 11:45 AM