If anything the water levels have risen a bit on Plex, where I spent the late afternoon today - after a fine night in the Legless Arms, I wasn't ready to join Bazzo for an early doors seawatch (see comment previous entry), preferring instead to start the annual autumnal "slash and burn" gardening exercise at Dempsey Towers.
The field past the fork of Station Road still held large numbers of Lapwing (about 200), with 5 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin and the Curlew Sandpiper probing the exposed rich soil for food.
Good to see Tim Vaughan out there, and together we checked through the waders in bright sunshine.
Two Golden Plovers today amongst the Lapwing, plus a Grey Plover, which initially sparked a touch of the AGP collywobbles at a distance, before it had the decency to fly closer, showing off its reassuring black axilliaries.
These fields really are worth a look at present, strange having the Lake District five minutes from your house.
Three Grey Heron at the back of the field, with passing Common Buzzard and corvids, Mipits and Skylarks.
A few Swallows pushed on through the westerly, but there are far fewer around compared to last week.
Both Marsh Harriers rose up occasionally, and large numbers of Pinkies were feeding between Plex and Carr Moss.
Two Teal and seven Wigeon joined the Mallards on the fields north of Gettern's Farm, and huge flocks of Woodpigeon rose from the copses.
Just five Corn Bunts, but it was mighty blowy.
Snipe squelching overhead as I left the West Lancs polders and trundled home.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Nice photos and great to see someone actually interested in our native British wildlife. Good stuff!
Vismig yesterday morning Saturday from 07:15 until 10:00 was OK, if not brilliant. Starlings were hurtling through, low down against the strong WNW half-gale, mostly over the saltmarsh to the SW - in small flockettes of 20 - 70 right from first light and were still going when I left 1,134 in total.
Also 5,325 Pinkies all over the place, other migrants included 3 Robins, 458 Mipits, 58 Curlew, 3 Song Thrush, 9 Linnet, 16 Goldfinch, 52 Snipe, female/imm Marsh Harrier, 3 Blackbirds, 5 Goldcrests, 3 REDWINGS (1st of the winter - from Iceland on the backs of the Pinkies?), 2 Greenfinch, 225 Skylark, Great White Shark past - from roost in the Marine Lake just after 07:00 - also big female Merlin after Mipits and Skylarks, disturbed SEO and a Sprawk.
All sightings from Marshside Bird Observatory garden and patio (aka the Sand Plant).
I had a look at the Curlew Sandpiper today out on Plex, still there with 5 Dunlin, 9 Ringed Plover, 3 Ruff, 1 Golden Plover and the 1 Grey Plover, plus a couple of hundred plus Lapwings. It was good.