Great to see Jellyhead Jackson (foreground of the pic above) doing his bit for conservation at Hesketh Out Marsh....looking good Si.
Of course he doesn't wear contact lenses, but I can never resist a cheap headline.
Anyways, Jen Walker from the RSPB sent me the following which will go some way towards explaining the picture above, and the good work being done further up the estuary.
Hedgerow is helped at Hesketh
Volunteers have stepped up for nature by gardening on a grand scale at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh nature reserve, near Southport. Their work party spent a whole day weeding to save a young hedgerow from the rampaging plants surrounding it.
The hedgerow, which is about 200 metres long, was planted last year and is a mix of native species including hawthorn, field maple, and holly. It will provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife in years to come and the berries will be a much needed source of winter food for many types of birds.
Alex Pigott, reserve warden said "We are very grateful for the work carried out by our dedicated team of volunteers. It's very satisfying for us all to watch this hedge growing, knowing that it will make a real difference to wildlife. I would urge you to plant a native hedge at home if you can, even bushes like holly or hawthorn in a pot will be used by lots of creatures!"
The RSPB is asking everyone to play their part for nature with their new 'Stepping up for nature' campaign. Millions of small steps can add up to make a big difference - creating a world richer in wildlife tomorrow than it is today.
If you would like to step up for nature by volunteering at Marshside or Hesketh Out Marsh nature reserves, please check out the RSPB's volunteering website at www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering or contact their Reserve Warden Alex Pigott at alex.pigott@rspb.org.uk.
You can visit RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh any day of the year. For more details phone: 01704 226190 or visit www.rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh
Plenty of folk on the coast down my end today, with some sizeable feeding flocks of Dunlin on the sands off the Green Beach, together with smaller numbers of Sanderling and Ringed Plover etc.
The Kestrels in the dunes are indulging in some nifty acrobatics at the moment, one for Hobby hopefuls to be wary of.
Good numbers of Red Admiral about today as well - but there seems to have been a light passage of them for the last few days along the coast - watched one at Dempsey Towers yesterday evening battering hell out of a Peacock that was trying to feed on the same hanging basket of trailing lobelia - the Red Admiral was surprisingly persistent in its aggression.
Finally, thanks to Ron Jackson for the following link to his footage of Green Sand at Martin Mere yesterday.
Ron explains: "Taken from the Hale Hide at Martin Mere. Green Sands long been one of my favourite waders and sort of enigmatic as normally flight shots or distant ground shots. Interesting how brown the adult is. Ignored by most at MMWWT, people just too blase I guess."
I'm with you Ron _ Green Sands are classy birds, and the Hale Hide pool is a great place to get close views of 'em in late summer.
Took this dodgy digi-scoped shot there a year or two back (I hate it when water slopes upwards - is that supposed to happen?).
Ron's footage is much better.
Hmm, still nice and warm outside this evening - I'm in the mood for mothing.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hi John,
I was talking to a local water bailiff yesterday, who told me that he had recently seen two Adders, just outside Little Crosby. They had been basking at the corner of a cornfield. He had also occasionally seen Grass Snakes swimming across ponds at the same site. I did not know that either species lived around here, or are they commoner than I realise?
Hi Ian - both species are virtually unknown in Sefton, apart from isolated records. There was a sequence of records of Grass Snake near Hightown, but my understanding was that the provenance of these critters was always open to doubt.
Never heard of an Adder in this area before.