Felt sure today was gonna be a good day when I pulled up at work just after 8am to see a female Wheatear perched on top of the ancient toilet block at the end of Shore Road at Ainsdale - still migrating, or have I missed a pair in the dunes?
The long sunny periods, with wee bits of cloud, were perfect conditions to look for Sand Lizards on the dune ridge, but luckily Paul Hudson and co had beaten me to it, and had this fine young male, complete with duelling scars under its left eye, prepped for a bit of DNA testing as part of the ongoing scientific study on our population.
What lunchtimes are for.
Speaking of which, Dave McAleavy (who is usually manacled to a phone and desk these days), sent me these shots of Bee Orchid and White Satin Moth (the latter is legion in the dunes at present) from a recent "lunchtime escape".
Didn't get a chance to look offshore today over the tide - but many fishing boats and a yachting toodlepippy regatta meant anything good would probably stay out in the bay.
This pic from yesterday's tastier westerly hooley conditions though highlights the problem of seawatching from Ainsdale - westerlies may well make your soul sing, but the swell is way too big and elevation on the beach too low at the peak of the tide - better trying from the dunes at Freshfield or Formby to get your seawatching spurs.
With news of the long staying Monty's Harrier showing well out on the mosses, I was hoping to connect with it after work, but Lady Luck was not smiling on me.
It is true I have not publicised many details of this territorial male, for several reasons, but it was all over the pagers today, so I thought I'd make another attempt to see it early evening.
No joy, but Er Neill (we've really got to get you a better nickname buddy) kindly sent me these pics of the bird as it bounced about off the New Causeway behind Formby earlier in the day.
Superb bird - hopefully I'll catch up with it one of these days.
Thanks all.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Caught the fantastic spectacle of Swifts scything above the fields in Houghton Green this morning.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker seen again in Aughton plus a party of six Jackdaws and a Carrion Crow were pecking around newly mown lawns.
Male Wheatear on the beach at Lifeboat Road, Formby this morning.
Any more sightings of the Montagu's Harrier?
Scoured the mosses and New Causeway earlier today but no sign of bird or birdwatchers.
South Stack, Anglesey Wednesday 13th:
At least 3 Raven
2 Chough
2 Stonechat
2 Rock Pipit
3 Meadow Pipit
6 Puffin
1 Kestrel
1 Gannet
lots of Guillemot, Fulmar, Razorbill and Kittiwake
Much excitement has been caused by the first ever confirmed breeding of Cetti’s Warblers at RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve in Silverdale, Lancashire.
Cetti's is much more likely to be found breeding in the South East and South West of the country. They only started to breed in Britain in the 1970’s and their numbers have been increasing mainly in regions with milder temperatures such as Kent, Norfolk and Dorset. This is the very first time they have bred at Leighton Moss though, and one of only a handful of times they have bred in Lancashire.
Cetti’s warblers are a very secretive bird that can be difficult to see.
They could be completely overlooked were it not for their amazingly powerful song.
Robin Horner, Leighton Moss Site Manager said “Cetti’s Warblers have been heard for a number of winters here, but this is the first time they have been known to stay and breed. We are thrilled with this reserve record. It is a great reward for all the hard work we put into making the reedbed such a great habitat for birds and other wildlife to live in.”
Over the past couple of weeks visitors to the reserve have been treated to seeing the pair of Cetti’s Warblers nipping into and out of a willow bush next to the path, with beakfuls of insects, a good indicator that they had young.
Then early on Wednesday 13 June, Kevin Kelly, the reserves Information Assistant was lucky enough to spot the parents feeding a fledgling.
Harry Huyton, RSPB’s Head of Climate Change, said: “The Cetti’s warbler’s northward expansion in the UK is entirely consistent with what we would expect as a result of climate change. Having arrived in Kent in the early 1970s they’ve already expanded dramatically across Southern England and East Anglia, the arrival in Leighton Moss represents their latest stage in their northwards march.”
For more information on other wildlife you can see at Leighton Moss throughout the year visit www.rspb.org.uk/leightonmoss