While poor Wirral went into meltdown over a tricky peep over the tide (those things are always hellish, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise), Bazzo and I seawatched in a brisk W/NWly force five from the Tobacco Dump today - light was perfect, and while there were not huge numbers of birds (apart from the omnipresent scoter horde), there was always something of interest.
A very enjoyable session, mostly in bright sunshine.
Good numbers of Leach's Petrel - all looking fit as a fiddle and powering north or south depending on their wont, but no sign of the tired individuals you get in a classic wreck.
Strikes me as an odd movement of Leach's these last few days - some today were happily feeding offshore just behind the surf, with no sense of the birds being stormblown or fatigued.
For comedy value a pale bellied Brent Goose, which headed south, then came back north through the surf, then headed south again - as lost as a bird can be.
Tobacco Dump, 1100-1430:
NWly 5/Wly 4-5:
Manx Shearwater 4
Leach's Petrel 11
Sandwich Tern 12
Gannet 4
Fulmar 8
Common Scoter 650+
Kittiwake 39
Guillemot 2
Razorbill 4
auk sp 2
Pale bellied Brent Goose 1
Red Throated Diver 3
Bonxie 1
plus Grey Plover, Oycs, Sanderling, LBB, GBB etc.
Good count of Fulmar for Formby Point - they seem so much scarcer these days, but very few Manxies or Gannets.
On the way off the point, Small Tortoiseshell and Common Darter in the fading nettlebeds.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hi John, noticed the BWTeal was seen/reported as showing well this afternoon on the junction pool so I headed down to have a look. Spent over 2 hours searching with 5 other birders without success. Not sure who reported it, but we had no luck. It had been showing well half an hour or so before I got there. I don't know who saw it and met no one who had , 1 birder had been there when the teal was reported as showing well but he didn't see it!
I had a seawatch at Formby this afternoon 2.30-4.15, not quite as windy as recent days but still a fairly brisk blow. It was fairly quiet and started slowly but I got Leach's so was happy.
Sandwich Tern 18 (all north except 1)
Arctic Tern 2
Manx Shearwater 1
Leach's Petrel 1
Arctic Skua 1
Guillemot 1
Auk sp 1
I didn't see a single Kittiwake or Gannet though, which was surprising. There were a few GBB Gulls etc right out on the horizon and I could have passed over a Gannet or two right out there, but certainly at reasonable distance I didn't see a single one. Happy with the petrel though and the Manxie was quite close which was nice.
Hi, went to Hoylake to see the Western/Semipalmated Sandpiper today.
Super bird, thanks to David for letting me view through his scope.
My money is on Semipalmated after perusing pix on the net.
Went on to do a short seawatch at Wallasey Lifeguard Station, and had 3 Leach's Petrel, a Red Throated Diver and a very close Manx Shearwater.
Just after high tide, the wind dropped, the sea became calm and it was time for a beer!
Forgot to mention Common Scoter at Formby too, probably in the region of 75.
Lots of House Martins and Swallows with 2 or 3 Sand Martins passing through Seaforth Nature Reserve today.