Managed a quick seawatch yesterday off Ainsdale in a good fresh SWly from 1355-1500.
Despite the heavy rain, sheets of sand were whipping off the beach and over the dunes, so I fortified meself with a few pints of Guinness at the Sands Pub before taking up position.
Tide wasn't major, but there were still birds moving through - mainly Gannets and Manxies, slicing south over the waves like hot knives through butter.
Ride it babies, ride.
Gannet 89
Manx Shearwater 32
Fulmar 2
Sandwich Tern 3
Common Scoter 4
Kittiwake 1
Skua sp 1
Good to see the Fulmars - not as many of 'em about these days, but I couldn't do anything with the skua - moving too fast, too far out, too much scope shake - that's the way it goes.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), one of our most celebrated singers, the Nightingale, has disappeared from large parts of the UK.
Since 1998 the Nightingale has declined by over 50% and many of its former breeding haunts have fallen silent. It is unclear exactly what is to blame for the dramatic fall in numbers but it is likely to be a mixture of pressures in its breeding territories in the UK, on migration to and from Africa, and within the wintering area south of the Sahara Desert.
To find out more about the decline of the Nightingale, the BTO has launched the Nightingale Appeal and an accompanying CD of Nightingale song, the profits of which will fund research into this wonderful songster. A survey of Nightingales is planned for 2012, as well as further work looking at habitat, both here and in Africa. BTO have already tracked one Nightingale to Africa and back successfully, using geolocators, and hope to carry out more work on this in 2012 to gain further insights into the birds lifestyle. Learning more will help us to understand why we are losing the Nightingale, even from previous strongholds, in areas such as Sussex and East Anglia, and thus provide informed conservation action: action which could reverse the fortunes of the Nightingale, in the hope that this wonderful bird remains a breeding bird in the British Isles for future generations to enjoy.
You can help by buying the ‘Nightingales: A Celebration’ CD which features rare sound archive footage of Nightingales singing to the backdrop of World War II bombers over southern England, and the celebrated Beatrice Harrison playing her cello accompanied by a singing Nightingale - the first recording ever of a wild bird or animal not in captivity. The CD is available for £10 plus £2.50 p&p and you can order your copy by phoning 01842 750050 or by visiting www.bto.org/nightingales . You can also support the work being carried out by making a donation to the appeal.