A big roost of commoner wader species on Ainsdale beach today, pushed high up the sands by the second monster tide, and mighty flighty - spooked by dogwalkers (nothing new there...but for anyone who doesn't know, it is against the law to let your dog/horse/child etc wilfully disturb roosting waders), a big blue umbrella and even the arrival of more Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey Plover etc to join the horde.
A good 5,000 birds roosting at the north end of the beach, with a fair few Turnstone amongst 'em, and more clouds of wader further up the coast, swirling around in the gloomy drizzle.
Some of the Knot bore BTO type rings, but the lousy light meant this wasn't the day to be checking rings in the field.
After watching the waders over the tide, Ralph, Duncan and I headed up to Weld Road, which was still inundated by the sea, and hosting c10,000 gulls in a loose roost stretching away to the south.
A bit of 'scopage revealed at least two Med Gulls (one winter adult, the other an adult with a feint hood starting to form), but a roost this big probably held other goodies.
Skylarks and up to 60 Twite were feeding on the few areas of tidal wreckage not swamped by the tide.
Great to see so many birds on the coast - Marshside must have been something to behold today.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Went to Cambridge on Saturday to see the offspring and had the best days bird watching for a while.
Set off before 7 to get a start on the traffic and had barn owl over the M6 near the M56 junction, followed shortly afterwards by woodcock whizzing over from west to east.
By the time we reached the A14 we'd seen half a dozen kestrels, a couple of buzzards and 2 red kites, not to mention lots of corvids, thrushes and pigeons of various sorts. As well as wagtails, blackbirds and house sparrows at the services.
I decided to stop at Grafham Water for a break since I had never been there before and I had heard they had had Smew recently. Got out of the car to see a couple of scope-equipped, birdie-type folk. "Anything about?" I asked innocently.
"Just the Great Northern divers at the north end, the Slavonian Grebe at the south end and a couple of Scaup amongst the Goldeneye!"
We managed the divers albeit distantly, a slightly better view of the scaup but the grebe stayed out of sight.
My wife kept a tally for the trip and we made 38 species between Bootle and Grafham.
I think in future I'll stick to car-birding!
On the basis of several visits over the recent sequence of high-tides, I reckon a conservative estimate of the number of gulls roosting between Ainsdale and Birkdale is 25-30,000.
Today, the main wader roost, 1-2km north of Ainsdale, had around 12,000 Knot and 5000 Oystercatchers. Also, 350+ Sanderlings off Ainsdale-on Sea. There were 14 Snipe but no Jacks in the southern part of the Green Beach. Most of the gulls were on the sea but a shore roost of 1000+, mainly Commons and Black-heads, included a large winter-plumaged Med. Gull which may be additional to John's two at Weld Road.
Count the wings and divide by two that made me laugh.
FYI if you google bird blogs yours and my blogs are in the top two :-)
Short eared owl today off Weld Road. I've put a short video on youtube. A search for owl birkdale should find it.
Hay John,
I've heard that there's been a few Waxwing knocking around, mainly over Blackburn way, wondering if you've anything more about their whereabouts???
thanks Lee Harrison.
Enjoyed the article and pictures. That must have been awesome to see!