The first ones that scud through in mid-March, I generally assume have fallen off the barn rafters as chicks; no hirundine with half an ounce of sense should be risking northern Europe at that time of year.
Those that come through in April stand a better chance, and May arrivals are usually fine, but watching the Swallows huddled up by the Sandplant lagoon this evening, I could only feel sorry for the miserable looking critters.
Even the Sand Martins looked cheesed off with the wind chill.
Tried to dig a Red Rumped out of the swarm hawking low over the water, but no joy.
It was cold enough to give a Brunnich's Guillemot frostbite.
Male Garganey flying up Marshside One, but I didn't really have time to give Llamaland a thorough check.
At least 9 Ringed PLovers with Dunlin on Polly's though.
Few Swifts going through, and Whitethroat and Percy Sledge singing, with Greenland Wheatears on the coast earlier in the day, before it went bloody cold, and pleasingly, two Little Terns feeding in a channel on the beach at Formby Point, given away by their "squeaky toy" calls.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Up at Formby today i saw two Wheatears on a fence together both females ,one was bigger and more colourfull than the other also a fine male Whinchat at Cabin Hill.Out at sea a Grey Seal was bobbing about only to be dwarfed by a very large ACL container ship leaving Liverpool.