You can't beat lizards as an alternative buzz in a seawatching August that seems determined to give me nothing but a face full of sand and salt water... with their enigmatic little "Mona Lisa" smiles and sneaky habits, looking for lizards in the frontal dunes at Ainsdale is great fun.
The unexpected outbreak of sun late this afternoon allowed me to score with this very accommodating immature male Sand Lizard above, and the extremely pap-happy female Common Lizard below, which let me move marram strands away from her to get a better shot - most unusual for this species, usually they dart off once you get within a few inches of 'em.
Earlier in the day, the frequent cloudbursts grounded a few groups of Wheatears up and down the coast, and the Little Egret was still fishing the channels on the beach north of Freshfield.
That said, I spent most of the day working on the shore south of Lifeboat Road at Formby, watching rain front after rain front spill over the Welsh hills and change from purple to grey as they edged across Liverpool Bay in a series of damp curtains that failed to ground any more interesting migrants.
Three Little Gulls among the usual terns and waders down here in the roost though.
Before I forget, thanks to Bob Harris for sending me this link about the latest protection status conferred on Liverpool Bay's birds.
Works for me.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Paid a first visit to hesketh out marsh this afternoon since it first opened well pleased i had a fly over calling yellow wag and raven, sprawk ,kestrel and buzzard a couple of sand martins and my first ever greenshank (juv) i think. when is the best time to visit the site john? on a receding high tide maybe, advice would be much appreciated
Yesterday I was out on the mosses for a bit, 2 Swifts over Segars Lane amongst good numbers of Hirundines with another Swift over Plex Moss Lane. Male Yellowhammer at Haskayne cutting, sitting on the wires by the bridge with a beak full of food. He waited until we'd gone well into the nature reserve before disappearing so presumably still feeding young. Had a look off the end of the Boardwalk at Birkdale plenty of Dunlin (c300) with smaller numbers of Ringer Plover (c50) on the wet mud on the upper beach off there. Trickles of Swallows moving through.
Kingfisher flying south over frontal dunes near Ainsdale Discovery Centre at 13.40 today - most surprising.
Had a wander round Crosby Marina in the sunshine this afternoon nothing on the marina itself except boats, but some cracking close views of 2 snipe, redshank, curlew and 2 stock doves to name a few through the fence at seaforth .Loads of dragonflies about in the rough grassy weedy verges too, not got round to transferring the photos to my pc yet to id them
The lizards are beautiful. The green in the Sand Lizard is awesome.