Ralph Jones had at least 40 Goldcrest in the scrub south of Lifeboat Road, Formby, while on patrol yesterday morning; but it took 24 hours for 'em to start filtering through into Birkdale dunes, where I was tidying up scrub clearing operations today.
Not a squeak from the bushes until late morning, but John ("of course the quads will fit through here") Gramauskas slung a net up at lunchtime anyway, and we caught two adult Goldcrest - both on the frankly porky side for 'crests, with one weighing in at 5.9 grammes and the other at 6.4.
Once processed they went off about their business, indicators of at least some passage during a grey, grey week.
Tempting to think they might be heading all the way up to Scandinavia with weights like that - but only time and ringing returns will tell.
Sprawks up over Birkdale today, with Siskin going through, and I flushed a stonking Woodcock as I walked off site late afternoon.
The few slacks that are holding signficant amounts of water around Ainsdale continue to draw in the expected amphibians - Common Toad, Common Frog, Smooth and (in favoured areas) Great Crested Newts.
No sign of any Natterjacks yet, but they'll be out any day now.
Hopefully they will behave with the decorcum of Common Frog when they do appear, rather than the Hieronymous Bosch-style grim excess of Common Toads (a chap can't put his sarnies down anywhere)...
Offshore, full summer plumage Great Crested Grebes displaying on the gentle tides, and in the dunes in the early morning, more and more small groups of Mipits and alba wags starting to move through.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Male Wheatear walking along the tideline today at about 8am just south of Weld Road, heading towards Marshside.
3-4 Chiffchaff, just north of Lifeboat Rd, Formby, today.