Impressive amount of avian energy being expended throughout the day along the coast, as large numbers of migrants swept north - notably hirundines pushing through into the strong north east wind.
Hard to say how many Swallows I had as I did the rounds, certainly more than 1,500 in the course of the day, with Sand Martin, House Martin and Swifts too.
Numbers of hirundines began to fall away in the late morning, but they continued to come through.
30+ Wheatear between Ainsdale and Hesketh Road, and several groups of White Wags.
Siskins calling sadly as they tried to bound through against the wind, and a nice male Whinchat early doors in Wheatear Corner at Marshside.
I had 4 Tree Pipit altogether - one over Ainsdale, two on the Queen's Jubilee Nature Trail and the final one over Birkdale LNR in the afternoon, where a Garden Warbler was singing away alongside the Whitethroats, Chiffies, Willow Warblers and Blackcap.
Orange Tip feeding around Cuckoo-flowers there, and Bullfinch.
Wonder if the Garden Warbler is the same bird that Chris F reported on the blog a few days ago?
Sedge Warbler singing at Sands Lake, with Whitethroat, Willow Warbler etc, and a Common Sand still by the south side.
Yup, it was all very exciting.
At lunchtime I joined John Gramauskas to spring-trap a few of the Wheatears around the Green Beach and Weld Road for ringing.
We managed to trap three birds - two females and a male, and all were within the wing measurement range for Greenlands.
All three birds were very worn, not surprising given the journey they're only halfway through at the moment, but all were good weights.
They were full of energy, squabbling for perching positions and calling frequently.
The male Greenland had an oddly deformed and elongated bill - God knows what he's been sticking that into...
On the subject of ringing, forgot to mention the colour ringed Avocet off Nels Hide, that has been around for ages - finally got to read its colour sequence last week with Bazzo:
Left leg: Red "X" under Yellow
Right leg: Green under Yellow
And one of the colour ringed Coots at Sands Lake is showing very well, ie constantly sleeping by the bins in the car park, (one of Kane B's presumably?):
Left leg: Blue over Blue
Right leg:Yellow over metal
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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A Wheatear eaten by a Merlin: I know we are not supposed to be in anyway emotional about our birds, I mean, we are definitely not Robin Strokers, but quite sad to have witnessed and filmed this Wheatear's last moments at close range.
The Merlin arrived just as the bird slipped out of view.
I took my eye away from the viewfinder only to see the Merlin mantling then she flew a short distance with her kill.
Ate the lot I think.
You can watch the footage on YouTube at:
http://youtu.be/-pMrlY_RqzU
Ron
ps lots and lots of Wheatears about yesterday. No "Scottish Birds" on Plex though when I drove through.
Whinchat with Wheatears on Plex Moss yesterday in a field close to Haskayne Cutting also many Wheatears, White Wagtails a Black Tern, Common and Sandwhich Terns and Little Gulls at Seaforth.
Spotted Redshank from Nels this morning about 10.30. Nearly full summer plumage.
Hi John ,
Had an unusual visitor today (not in my garden but in my shop !) I have a shop in Union Street , Southport ,and had left the door open.
I noticed that people were stopping outside the delicatessen next door and looking at something.
Being nosey, I went outside and was surprised to see a bird sitting on a seat by one of their tables.
Naturally I was expecting it to be a Sparrow or a Chaffinch but to my amazement it was a young warbler looking slightly exhausted .
It stayed for a while ignoring people passing or even stopping and eventually it took off again, straight into my shop!
After flying around for a bit it finally settled down by the window, where I was able to catch it and release it (it was last seen flying across Lord Street in the direction of the Marine Lake ).
Needless to say I didn't have a camera with me but it didn't have a noticeable supercilium so I was inclined to think it was a Whitethroat .
Would there be any young Whitethroats around yet ?
JD: Although many are displaying along the coast now, it's a bit early for young Whitethroats Colin.
A good passage of Hirundines late on Monday evening at Birkdale Green Beach, 7.45 - 8.30 pm; 160 Swallows, 8 House and 8 Sand Martins north in 45 mins, another 3 Swallows a while later just before dusk.
5 Wheatears inc a very tired bird I nearly trod on and it never flew at all, just ran a few feet then sat watching me.
Also a single Redpoll north and a flock of about 16 Goldfinch plodded north.
A few Willow Warblers in the alders along the Green Beach were probably migrants and Reed Warbler was singing in the reedbed in the dunes at Taggs Island.
It was the obviously just a sample of what was to follow on Tuesday morning, based on John Bannon and Graham's success.
On the Garden Warbler John, it was in the dell to the left of the main path only about 300 yards in (from the gate by Royal Birkdale) the bird was actually by the Hillside GC fence singing away.
Bird spotting at Marshside this morning with 'late-riser' Mr McCarthy and others, could not match yesterday's amazing vismig, but was excellent for quality.
Highlights:- Great White Egret well out on Crossens/Banks, a 100% male Green-winged Teal, Curlew Sandpiper (Clarko at lunchtime), also immaculate Dusky Redshank from Nels, 5 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sand (Clarko again), male Whinchat and 24 Wheatears in total.
Plus 2 reeling Groppers, (No not Berlusconi and his mate - they are Gropers) - one by the platform and one midway along the SSSI ; big 'northern-type' female Merlin, probably about to snack on an unfortunate Alaskan-bound big Wheatear; Tree Pipit; 21 Willow Warbler; 5 Whitethroat; 10 Percy Sledge, 3 Reed Warblers and a cracking male Cuckoo flying around the Sandgrinders hide.
At 07:00, whilst one of Marshside's finest was 'zzzzzzing' a dainty little Reeve was being roughly 'attended' to by a big male right in front of Nels Hide on Rimmer's Marsh (formerly known as M1, but it was changed by the RSPB to avoid confusion with the well known motorway).
Also still a pair of Pintail, many Gadwall, 101 Teal and 220 Blackwit.
Not a bad morning and yet more proof of the Number One birding principle - 'if you don't go out you don't see now't'.
Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper at Nels today.