Spent the morning seawatching off the Tobacco Dump with Bazzo today - while it was hardly edge of the seat stuff, at least the heat shimmer and complete lack of birds dissipated after the first half an hour, and bits and bobs came through from 0950-1215.
Good numbers of Manxies shearing down from the north, but equally good numbers coming up from the south during the course of the session, as foraging groups swept into Liverpool Bay, then left again, so we probably double counted a few.
A nice close-in dark phase Arctic Skua, but not many terns offshore - where are they all feeding this year?
Still Common Scoters about, including a preening male close inshore, and no shortage of Grey Seals dozing on the gentle swell.
A force 4 SWly and eventually sunny skies were never going to be conducive conditions for a classic seawatch, but there are worse ways to spend the morning.
Canada Goose 9
Manx Shearwater 117
Gannet 33
Cormorant 25+
Sandwich Tern 15
Common Tern 5
Common Scoter 8
Arctic Skua 2
Kittiwake 6
Auk sp 3
The Canada Geese were odd - a long way out, and cutting north west across the bay. I've seen 'em on the tidal channels at Ainsdale at this time of year before, but can't remember seeing a group travelling with such purpose so far out.
As I dropped Bazzo off in the early afternoon, it was all very "Bosphorus in Blowick", with four Common Buzzards circling and calling over the houses near Meols Cop Station.
Not much else to report - several Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on Creeping Thistle in the Squirrel reserve car park today, and a nice female Sand Lizard on the Queen's Jubilee Trail yesterday.
Breezier tomorrow, so it maybe worth another seawatch - if the rain ain't too persistent.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hobby racing south over dunes by the Coast Rd between Ainsdale and Birkdale at 1pm today.
A Humming-bird Hawk-moth was feeding at my garden Red Valerian in the wind, rain and failing light at 9.30 this evening.