Wall to wall sunshine at Formby Point today, but still not a great deal moving passerine-wise, with four Swallows heading south, and a few buzzy Redpolls early doors (going in the right direction).
Mipits bleeping overhead of course, and a Willow Warbler singing at Dempsey Towers at 7am, but nothing to get your Leicas steamed up over.
A bizarrely deformed Oystercatcher was feeding in the tidal channels at Formby first thing, with an impossibly long, up and decurved bill.
Seemed to be able to locate and catch prey alright, so maybe being the freakiest beak in town was not bad thing.
I bet it could open a bottle of wine quicker than you can say "Grenache".
Took a lunchbreak from 1-2pm, over the high tide and had a quick seawatch from the Point.
Nothing exceptional, but good numbers of Little Gulls feeding close in - as they have been all week.
Are any being seen at Crosby does anyone know?
Little Gull 57
Gannet 5
Great Crested Grebe 1
Red Throated Diver 3
Common Scoter 1
RB Merg 2
Razorbill 4
Guillemot 1
Common Tern 2
A fair few Northern Dune Tiger Beetles out and about in the sheltered dunes there too.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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I was at Hightown dunes this afternoon recording Vernal Mining Bee colonies when an Osprey appeared at 14.45hrs. Despite being mobbed by a flock of 400 Oystercatchers, it hovered over the Alt Estuary several times before heading off northwards.
I had several gannets fishing off Ainsdale yesterday and today male and female blackcap also nest building wren, blue tit, chaffinch, long tailed tit, great tit, and nuthatch down Park Wall Road Thornton.The joys of spring eh
I was at Seaforth yesterday on a brief and fruitless trip for the two Bearded Tits which have been seen there in the reed bed (and seen high flying off west!) . No Little Gulls with 17 reported earlier in the month.
Ron
Hi John, A friend of mine photographed a similar Oystie at Greenfield Dock on the Dee Estaury a week or so ago.
Link: http://theblackgrouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/ducking-and-diving.html
Coincidentally, I had seen a Curlew at the same location with the same warped bill too - maybe a new species of renegade crustacean that fights back has started breeding in Liverpool Bay...
Cheers, Paul.
Hi John, the Oystercatcher is the same one that was at Newbrighton on 21/03/2007 I have a photo and is the same bird.I didn't put much down for it's survival, glad to see it has beaten the odds, Pete.
Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the dunes inland of the Taggs island reedbed this evening, no Reed Warblers back in the reedbed yet though.
Interesting watching and listening to Jay and Magpie 'falling out' in the Selworthy road cutting today, making a racket and chasing each other around, at least the local small birds were left in peace! Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs showing very well in there this week.
Had a single Siskin over the Birkdale sand dunes reserve main path on Thursday evening also.
1 Whitethroat and 2 Little Gull at Marshside on Saturday.
Hi John,
Daytime Barn Owl flying/hunting this morning at Cheshire lines, Formby.
A bit early for feeding young do you think?
20 White Wagtails on the seaward edge of the Green Beach today, also single Redpoll over high around 1.30pm a lot of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks around also. John Merc had a male Redstart in Birkdale reserve at 7.30 this morning along with a few Grasshopper Warblers.
The Oystercatcher with the deformed beak, looks exactly the same as the one that was seen by myself and colleagues on the grass outside the Department of Physics at the University of Liverpool last year. It was seen on several occasions over two or three weeks and it is pleasing to see that it has survived.