Bazzo and I headed down to the Sandplant again this morning for another high tide hit at Marshside.
Goldcrest, Blackbirds, finches etc in the compound as we arrived, but unfortunately a breeze coming off the land slowed the tide and it failed to engulf the marsh as it should have.
Plenty of birds around all the same, with dizzying numbers of Wigeon, although perhaps not as dramatic a spectacle as yesterday.
Pinkies with three Barnacles feeding under the western edge of the compound, with Rock Pipit in the air again, and Skylarks, Reed Bunts, Mipits etc.
Four Twite heading south were noteworthy (on their way to Weld Road no doubt - sorry Pete, I couldn't read the colour rings in flight!).
Up to three Merlin, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sprawk and at least two Marsh Harriers, but the water never edged in enough to flush out any Short Eared Owls lurking in the grasses.
Offshore, two parties of Eider - five out in the mouth of the Ribble (5m,1f) and another group of four further up the estuary (4m,1f), plus a winter plumaged Great Crested Grebe.
The family of five Whoopers was still out there.
As the tide fell, we headed up to check Crossens Outer - hordes of Dunlin, Ruff, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Snipe, Little Egrets, Merlin, the Marsh Harriers and lots of wildfowl suggested this area may have been a better bet to start with!
Good to watch the young Marsh Harriers up together - it made a break from grilling the Dunlins and double-taking the distant Grey Plovers.
Goldcrest in the bushes up here too.
Just as we were preparing to leave, a pair of Ravens flew in to croak and rip the turf to pieces - superb....always love seeing these birds, huge bills, big, big, big birds full of character, dwarfing the Lapwings etc on the marsh.
After 20 minutes or so, they flew off up the Ribble to the north east - I wonder where they wandered from?
Presumably birds from the Pennines instead of those knocking around the dunes at Formby, but you never know.
I'd love to get close enough to one to get a decent pic one fine day, but they are just about the wariest birds going.
At least they'll talk to you if they're in the mood - try loudly "bock bock-ing" one next time you see a Raven - they'll often swing round to answer, or just laugh before disappearing on those lovely big black wings.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hi John,
I was there to witness the spectacle myself. Impressive stuff. Never seen so many birds in one place. Was amazing to see just how fast the tide came rushing in whilst the birds did their best King Canute impressions. Where the Barnacles next to the Sandplant the real deal this time and not the local feral ones?
I must have been about 5 mins behind you, as I have similar pics (sadly not as clear as your digiscope ones) of the Marsh Harriers and the cronking Ravens.....in fact after the pics did you head off in the direction of the Plough?
Did you see the Peregrine/Merlin (?) that gave the Golden Plovers a fright ?
Eric
Hi Eric - you never know with wildfowl, origins are always tricky.
I'm sure a few of our Barnies are wild...but as you say we also have local ferals.
I'd only tick 'em if they were coming in off the North Atlantic on North Uist (ah, memories....), or on the Solway etc.
Bazzo and I did head off towards (sadly, not into) the Plough, but didn't see your Goldie dread - there will be others this winter...
PS: Gannet, RB Merg and lots of scoter past Ainsdale today.
I attempted the waders at Birkdale today, although to be honest the tide was a bit high. I managed via wet feet and being very careful to get close to a portion of the roost on the inner edge of the green beach off Taggs.
I emerged cautiously through the alder scrub and goot excellent views.
Some were obscured and they were tightly packed but a Merlin flush did help estimate numbers:
Bar Tailed Godwit 3000
Knot 4500
The main Oyc roost was further down and I'd have flushed the lot to get to them so left it, also smaller numbers of Sanderling (c50) Turnstone (6), Grey Plover (70), Curlew (2) and a couple of hundred Dunlin - again their main roost was probably further along. I had 29 Comm Scoter offshore.
Up at Marshside a 1stW Whitefront off the peninsula with Pinks was probably a Euro but couldn't be certain due to the gloom. 2 Marsh Harriers as well.
John,
55 Twite on Weld Road shore, Birkdale, this afternoon.
The Marshside/Crossens "soup" was also tasty again with 3 Marsh Harriers, Merlin, 7 Little Egret, 4 Barnacles with the Pinkfeet, perhaps 15,000 Wigeon on the tide and an odd leucistic Golden Plover with the Crossens Reclaimed Marsh flock that had big white flashes in the wings.
Phil.
Hi John,
Saw a Short Eared Owl today on the bank of the River Alt, beyond Jubilee Wood, near The Punchbowl Inn.
3 Short Eared Owls at Cabin Hill Formby this pm.