Dead zone? Early September

I'm kinda with John on this one though and the use of a nice JCB to enlarge the scrape in front of the hide wouldn't go a miss

Gary Gorner wrote:

---

To be fair John we are in the dead zone bring on the wildfowl ducks and geese and the place comes alive again not be long now.

---

It was alive Just not at sandgrounders,on the shore there was thousands of waders :)

I'm sure that Sandgrounders hide exists so folk can watch the breeding Avocets - and what a sight it is too

But couldn't agree more with John with regard to the website T'internet's full of sites that haven't been updated since somebody got bored with what they once thought was a good idea

To be fair John we are in the dead zone bring on the wildfowl ducks and geese and the place comes alive again not be long now.

PM
NELS
Black Tailed Godwit-c1000
Redshank-25+
Little Egret-8

Sandgrounders
Nowt-its in need of a re-vamp for me,whats the point of a visitors centre with nothing at the front of it,you look on the rspb website for recent sightings and Get feb 27thyep thats fairly recent,says it all really,If the rspb can't be bothered why should anyone else.

Out on the shore
Thousands of Knot,Dunlin,Bar Tailed godwit

Visit this a.m.
On shore 5 Summer plumage Grey Plover, 30 Little Egret and 2 Wheatear of note.
From Nells had female Garganey, 50 Snipe, 100's Black-tailed Godwit, 10+ Ruff, 15 Redshank but no sign of Pectoral Sandpiper.
Cheers Ian

I was there earlier on saturday morning and there were a number of warblers immediately in front of Nels hide. A bonus for me was to see a water vole (again just below the hide). A grand mornin'.

Some photos on my Flickr site (MarkBee3)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76345032@N04/

Late report from Saturday 18th 4pm - 6.30pm

Nel's Hide-
Went on the off chance that the Pectoral Sandpiper might still be about. It had been reported earlier in the day and after an hour of searching, it obligingly stepped out from behing a group of Godwits. Cracking little bird, showing really well in perfect, sunny conditions . Thanks very much to the couple who highlighted the key ID features for me.
Also at Nel's were:
c250 Black-Tailed Godwit
5 Curlew
20 Lapwing
8-10 Ruff (with very varied sizes and plumage)
2 Snipe
1 Golden Plover (winter plumage)
1 Kestrel - put up a group of around 200 Starlings
Mixed group of Swallows and House Martins
12 Greylags
3 Shoveler
1 Gadwall

Sandgrounder's Hide-
The water levels were very high and there wasn't much about
1 Merlin hunting in the distance
2 Little Egrets
2 Canada Geese
2 Shoveler
Several Mallards, Tufted Duck & Coots.
1 Meadow Pipit

In farmland around Snape Green-
1 Corn Bunting
2 Reed Bunting
1 Yellow Wagtail
2 large Goldfinch flocks
3 Greenfinch

Visit last night 7.00-9.20 mainly around nel's hide:

Went looking for the pectoral sandpiper without any joy.around 8.30 a female Merlin came in over the top of the hide and flew low over the marsh and disappeared out of site.next minute it reappeared chasing a pipit next to the bank I was stood on!not sure of the outcome but it made up for dipping on the sandpiper.other birds present included:
11 little egret
c150 black tailed godwit
9 ruff
3 snipe
7 curlew
100+ lapwing
c80 greylag

Late report for Tuesday 19 June

The Sand Road (leading to the beach)
A single Ringed Plover
Skylarks
Swift
House Martins
Kestrel
Meadow Pipits
Black-headed Gulls

Sandgrounder's Hide
Black-tailed Godwits (some getting summer plumage)
A single Avocet
Shelduck and two juveniles, plus two other juveniles around
Black-headed Gulls, chicks and juveniles

Nel's Hide
Oystercatcher pair sitting on three eggs
Avocets and juveniles
Shelduck (lots)
Lapwing
Redshank pair
Large Mallard family
A single male Shoveler
Mute Swan
A Gadwall pair
A single male Wigeon (left behind)
Sedge Warbler
A gorgeous whitish duck with a brown cap - perhaps a hybrid?

UPDATE: After checking my books I'd just decided it was probably an escaped female Red-crested Pochard when Ian PM'd me to confirm that it definitely had a lot of Red-crested Pochard in it, and it may be a leucistic or hybrid with a white duck. Thanks Ian, either way it's a lovely bird.

Some photos on my blog.

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Friday 22nd of June 2012 09:25:38 AM

My first visit here since 1998!
There's been a lot of changes since then. The habitat in front of the hides is excellent and gives really good photographic opportunities.

Highlights were;
Nels Hide:
Avocets + chicks
Oystercatcher on eggs
Redshank
Shoveler

Sandgrounders Hide:
Garganey pair
Approx 25 Black-tailed Godwits
Shelduck with young
More Avocets
many, many Black-headed Gulls with chicks

If anyone's interested there's a couple of photos at flickr taken with my Canon 450D with 250mm lens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52461798@N02/


flickr

09.00-11.00

Nels Hide

14 Avocet chicks (3 almost size of adults),16 Greylag Geese (single flock),

1 moulting Pintail (m), 1 Wigeon (m) and 3 Shoveler (m).

A pair of Oystercatchers just wandering around their nest looking at the

eggs, one made a brief attempt to brood but then it got up and stood

around looking aimless again with its mate.

Sandgrounders

3 Common Gulls and 4 Black Tailed Godwits.

Lots of Black Headed gull chicks, most grown to the size of adults,

crowded with their parents on the small island on Sandgrounders pool.

Old Sand Plant

1 Kestrel (m), a large flock of Starling 300+ swirling around the bushy area

near the car park, and handful of Meadow Pipits.

6 Common Blue butterflies flying around the clumps of Trefoil.

PM-With Charlie Owen
Only things of real note this aft was good numbers of young Avocets for once,front of Nels.
25 black tailed Godwit
1 Distant Wood Sandpiper -apparently(I only had bins-it was a dot in the distance)
Loads of swift
and plenty Dunlin and Knot along the tideline.

3 Black Terns present from Nels Hide early evening on saturday

09:00-11:00

Nels Hide

2 Curlew Sandpipers with 25 Dunlin, 2 little Avocet chicks with parents,

20 Avocet (adults), 6 Gadwell, 1 Ringed Plover,

19 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Little Grebe plus usual Redshank etc.

Old sand plant

1m+1f Wheatear, 6 Skylark, 100+ Starling highly vocal in bushes near car

park.

Sandgrounders area

3 Common Whitethroat, 1 Dunlin, 12 Greylag Geese

Spent from 9am to 6pm down here, wish it could have been longer.

9am -

Marina - Kestrel
Beach - Couple of Oystercatchers and hundreds of Ringed Plover and Dunlins
Marsh towards reserve - First ever Winchat

I took the route behind the reserve then, adjacent to the golf course) Saw lots of Swifts and picked up plenty of Warblers.

Hesketh Out Marsh -
Reed Warbler, fleetingly (at the start of the path in reeds)
1 Avocet
1 Little Egret
1 Likely Corn Bunting

Back to Marshside RSPB:

Pool near Sand works - Two Redshanks and Four Black-Tailed Godwit
Sandgrounders Hide - Couple of Avocet, plus the usuals, never stay long here.

Nel's:

Brought the Avocet numbers to around 40 through the whole reserve, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank (well pleased), Handfuls of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Oystercatcher, 50ish Dunlins, quite a few Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits around, a flyover raptor too quick into the sun (someone speculted Peregrine) lots of Swans

Beside Platform going home - Singing Reed Warbler

Plus to top it off a Male Wheatear on the Marsh :=)



-- Edited by John Doherty on Saturday 12th of May 2012 10:03:39 PM

-- Edited by John Doherty on Saturday 12th of May 2012 10:54:39 PM

Marshside 09.00-12.00

Old sand plant

6 Wheatear (all but one look to be bigger Greenlands), 6 Skylark ,4 Linnet,

3 Goldfinch, 6+Meadow Pipit.

Roadside bushes/scrub north of sandgrouders hide

3 Sedge Warbler 1 Whitethroat 6 Linnet 1 Kestrel

Crossens Marsh

3 Wheatear, 4 tiny young with one of the many Lapwing, 3 GBB Gulls on

patrol, 2 Brown Hares.

Area around sandgrounders

wall to wall BH Gulls.

Nels Hide - Junction Pool

28 Avocet, 40 Mute swans ( flock of 10 flew in from South) 2 Wheatear

3 Shoveler 2f 1m Wigeon 10 Gadwell 1m Teal 2 Reed Warbler.

Beach end of the old stone road

10 Grey Plover with Dunlin & Ringed Plover

Steady stream of northbound Swallows, House Martins 7 Swifts all morning

At one point on my tour I noticed a Wheatear visiting a rabbit burrow

several times.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 11th of May 2012 02:15:14 AM

I spent a sunny but windy afternnoon at Marshside yesterday. Not an awful lot about but I did see the following:

Nells Hide
1 Garganey (lifer)
8 Avocets in danger of being swept away due to very high water levels
2 Wheatear on far bank
2 Little Grebe
2 Redshank
Shoveler (m and f pair)
Many Shelduck with a couple of fights between males
Also Mute Swans, Lapwing and the more usuals

Sandgrounder's Hide
Black-headed Gull city, mainly on the ground
1 Avocet
Fewer of the usuals here

Sandworks
3 Wheatear and could be more
1 Whitethroat
1 Willow Warbler heard

Beach/Marshes
2 Oystercatchers
4 Mallard
Several Skylarks singing up high and dropping to ground
1 Meadow Pipit
1 possible Stonechat
Lots of Swallows and House Martins passing through

1 Great Black-backed Gull ripping a bird carcass to bits
1 Kestrel over

Not many raptors around, probably too windy and I saw surprisingly few Godwits

Pleasant afternoon here

Little Stint
30+ Avocet
180 Golden Plover (some in breeding plumage)
40+ Ruff - some of the males looking very splendid
1000+ Dunlin flew along beach
200 Black-tailed Godwit
12 Wigeon
15 Gadwall
4 Shoveler
2nd Summer Med Gull
2 Little Egret
Imm Peregrine - putting everything up

Small numbers of Meadow Pipits and Swallows moving over

Hi -

I had a good omen from the train when I saw a nice clutch of six Shelduck in a field past Burscough Bridge station.

I kicked off today at ten o clock at the Marina, which yielded a single Little Egret in the roost. A single Oystercatcher flew across calling.

I the made it to the main Marshside reserve on foot, picking up a few Golden Plover on the beach en route.

From the viewing platform on the reserve I had my one and only lifer of the day, a female Merlin , which was sat on the reserve near Nell's hide. I also heard a Chiffchaff here.
I had many Redshank and Shelduck to start me off, plus a few Wigeon.
Nell's itself produced 22 Avocet in a nice group, plus small numbers of Shovelers, Teal, Wigeon, and Pintail, Lapwing etc etc and lots of Shelduck and Redshank. I saw some courting action between some Mute Swans too.
I didn't stop for long at all at Sandgrouser's, but there were a further 8 Avocets and 2 Curlews, plus the usual stuff, and about 5 Tufted Ducks.
Crossen's Inner Marsh had 2 Oystercatchers.

Crossen's Outer Marsh was braced by a cold wind. I was limited by only having binoculars as I know there is a lot of stuff out there.
I walked all the way to Crossen's Pool -
I was rewarded with: 1 Kestrel, which circled the marsh before thinking twice about hunting. Also - a lone Pink Footed Goose, 10 Little Egret, loads of Shelducks and Redshanks, and a handful each of Oystercatchers and Black-Tailed Godwit.

When I returned to the Inner Marsh I had two Oystercacthers and there were good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, plus 1 Hare! The Redshank and Shelduck numbers held strong, and there were loads of waterfowl. Also there was a handful of Pink-Footed Geese (5), plus 2 Pied Wagtails.

I made my way to Nell's (I was the only one in the hide) and the Avocets could not be seen, but two flocks of Golden Plover were there (80 collectively) 1 Little Grebe, plus the same stuff from last time, minus the Shovelers.

I caught up with them (c12) at the platform when it was time to call it a draw. There were lots of Redshank around, as there had been all day, and some Black Tailed Godwits had made it up this end.

Finally, a Chiffchaff sang on the back of Hesketh Golf Links - the Blackcap don't seem to have made it this far East yet :/

Cracking day!




-- Edited by John Doherty on Sunday 1st of April 2012 09:04:47 PM

1200-1600

56 species seen some of the highlights:-

Great Egret
4 Little Egret
1 Peregrine
1 immature Merlin
35 Avocet
c2000 Golden Plover
800 Black-tailed Godwit
10 Ruff
2nd winter Mediterranean Gull from Sandgrouser Hide
1 male Wheatear

late post for yesterday sun 11th, 10.30-6.45pm 55 species seen.

went for the glaucous gull that is still around,after a 30 min walk up the beach from the pier towards marshside i thought my luck was in but it actually turned out to be a 1st winter iceland gull one off two that are also around. whilst watching this fantastic bird for over an hour it then landed next to a lesser black backed gull showing size comparison, a flock off 50+ twite was moving around landing/ feeding & as the tide started to come in i got good close views off these birds around 10metres away before a dog came running close by & they were gone also had 2 ringed plover just after the dog past nice close views also but did not stay long.
4 little egrets, hundreds off curlews, oystercatchers, shelducks, skylarks & meadow pipits along the marsh before getting to nells hide.

nells hide (1st visit)

2 avocets
2 knots
1 ringed plover
1 dunlin
1 grey plover,flew off after 20 mins.
3 grey partridges
2 little grebes
1 barnacle goose in with the canada & greylag goose.
500+ golden plovers
1000+ black tailed godwits
good numbers off teals, wigeons, pintails
plus the usual birds around

sandgrousers hide..

24 avocets
8 linnets
1 little grebe
similar to nells teals, pintails, wigeons, black tailed godwits & b h gulls making a lot off noise.

crossens outer marsh..

2 peregrine falcons
1 merlin
thousands off pink footed geese still on the marsh,did manage to pick out 2 white fronted goose.
again thousands off black tailed godwits flying around, at least 12 little egrets.
the glaucous gull was sighted around here at 12.30pm by another birder

nells hide (2nd visit 5-6.30pm)

similar to 1st visit but numbers increased in golden plovers & black tailed godwits & b h gulls.
1 dunlin (still)
15 ruff
whilst scanning to see how may hares i could find on the far side (4) found a barn owl in the trees ripping some prey up to pieces at 5.50pm watched for 5 mins. at 6.10pm the great white egret flew past the hide going to roost. finally left nells at 6.30 crossed the road to the marsh & was greeted to a brief view off a short eared owl, a great end to the day

Quick Visit this afternoon
Plenty of Teal and Wigeon.
Also Curlew, Black Tailed Godwit and over 30 Avocet showing close to main hide

I had a trip to the 2 hides at Marshside today.

lots of Wideon, Teal & Shoveler. A good number of Pintails and Shelducks, also Black tailed Godwits, Curlew, a little Grebe. Big flock of Pink Footed Geese, a Common Gull and a pair of Black Swans (do they count)

I am going to return next week and get onto the sands too.

Called at Hesketh Out Marsh for a quick look before driving home but nothing there.

Frank Whitney wrote:

---

Think i might have seen you there, if so, well done with the shorties ,missed them myself,looks like i will have to try again lol

Frank

---

possibly frank,if you do try again try nells hide at dusk because i was waiting around crossens outer marsh and none showed.

good luck,steve.

Think i might have seen you there, if so, well done with the shorties ,missed them myself,looks like i will have to try again lol

Frank

10.00am til dark, 55 species seen.
first a walk along the beach from the pier towards marshside produced...
80+ twite (lifer) there has been quite a few reports off them lately so was well rewarded,did actually follow them back and forth for over an hour just to make sure i was not seeing things.
other birds along beach...
40+ knot
1 bar tailed godwit
lots off redshanks, curlews, shelducks + all usual gulls, a reported glaucous gull south off the pier.
at nells..
1 golden plover amongst the lapwings
at least 4 snipe
black tailed godwits, teals, pintails, wigeons, shovelers, curlews, redshanks, mallards, coots, moorhens & linnets.
just a quick look in sandgrousers...
all the usuals (as nells) plus pink footed geese, 7 barnacle geese & little egrets.
crossens outer marsh...
2 peregrine falcons
2 buzzards
1 merlin
1 great white egret + little egrets, skylarks & linnets.
stayed around here til 4.50pm to see if any short eared owls appear,but none did. but whilst walking back past sandgrousers just getting near to nells hide 1 appeared off the marsh and flew over the road,watched that one fly away and another appeared and had a little tussle with it,then another 2 came from nowhere,by this time it was getting to dark, typical.
but still good to see,very good day out

Returned today, all day- conditions very cold (and I left my gloves on the train and boy did it cost me ) but very bright.

The main reserve itself - Stuffed with Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard, Black-tailed Godwit; the odd Curlew was around, a female Kestrel sent everything scrambling; a group of 100 Pink-footed Goose dropped in early morning.

I moved towards Banks in the afternoon - two Marsh Harriers (a pair) were sharing a tree - the male disappeared across the salt marsh and didn't return within the hour whilst the female stayed put. On the salt marsh at least 5 Little Egret could be seen, but no sign of a reported Great White Egret. Presumably what were Golden Plover could be heard, and lots of Shelduck were out here with hardly any in the RSPB reserve, plus some Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher (if only I had a scope )

A great day all in!

Only my second visit to this excellent reserve. Most of the day today produced:

3 Kestrels
c300 Black-tailed Godwits
1 Little Egret
Lots of Wigeon, Teals, Pintails, some Shoveler and Gadwall
Plus the usuals

A stroll across the saltmarsh produced a further two Little Egrets and there were lots of Shelduck out there - I didn't get to the head of the salt marsh properly but from a distance on the way in I could see Black-Tailed Godwit, Redshank and Cormorant from a good distance

A female pintail associating with a group of mallards was a nice surprise on the marina

cheers

-- Edited by John Doherty on Tuesday 10th of January 2012 06:34:17 PM

10-11.30 very windy didnt manage to make it all way to RSPB reserve

8000+ Wigeon
1800 + Black-tailed Godwit
2000+ Lapwing
200+ Redshank
3 Ruff

Teal, Pintail, Gadwall, Shoveler all on the pool which Nells hide looks onto.

Out on the Marsh/beach
Little Egret
300+ Pinkfeet

Hundreds of Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Bar-tailed Godwit

10-4.30pm 53 species seen.
raptors throughout the day...
3 marsh harriers
2 merlins
1 peregrine falcon
4 kestrels
1 sparrowhawk
no short eared owls
a walk along the beach produced good numbers off...
oystercatchers
shellduck
dunlin
knot
redshank
small numbers off...
bar tailed godwits & grey plovers.
+ curlews, b-h, herring, common, l b b, g b b gulls & cormorants.
good numbers off teal, wigeon, shoveler, pintail & black tailed godwits at nells & sandgrousers.
3 snipe (nells)
4 grey partridge (nells)
2 pochard (sandgrousers)
pink footed geese all over,did manage 1 white fronted & 1 barnacle goose at sandgrousers.
6 whooper swans (over )
1 little grebe (junction pool)
cossens outer marsh...
at least 10 little egrets
plenty off linnets, few meadow pipits & skylarks.
plus usual birds around


-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 13th of November 2011 08:57:03 PM

sunday 4.00pm ish
short eared owl on post next to pond at hide near sandworks,
then it went for a fly round right in front of us for 10 mins,
fantastic views.

steve

Another quiet morning there compared to last sunday.

Plenty of greylag and pink footed geese. Large numbers of black tailed godwits. A single snipe. Wigeons, Teal, Pochards, Gadwalls, Little grebes, Shovelers and Shelducks.

Highlight for me was a water rail showing well from the main hide plus I saw my first Redwing there.

The only bird of prey today was the kestrel I saw over the marshes,

Sorry, Friday, 28th October.

Friday, 29th October pm visit.

Pinkfeet Geese plus a few Greylag, Canada and 4 Barnacles.
Wigeons, Teal, Pochards, Gadwalls, Shovelers, Shelducks, etc.
Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and 1 Wheatear.
10 Grey Partridges.
7 Little Egrets.
4+ Grey Herons.
Curlews, Redshanks and Lapwings.
Little Grebe 1
Marsh Harriers 4 incl. 1 male.
Merlin 1
Sparrowhawk 1f
Kestrel 1f
LBB/H/BH Gulls.

Visited this a.m., on coast side of road 1 female Marsh harrier, 2 Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 4 Kestrel and 1 Short-eared Owl(this seen at high tide, 11'ish), 100's of Skylark. Also 3 Little Egret, large numbers of all the usual waders, ducks etc and excellent weather made for an great morning.
Cheers Ian

Very quiet around Marshside early this afternoon, even the hides were locked up
30+ BT Godwits behind the screen with a couple of Wigeon.
A walk around the Sand plant hoping to see a Merlin only turned up,
Skylark
60+ Goldfinch
Reed bunting
Peregrine sat on a post and another Peregrine flying along the shore line.

very quiet here today,at nells hide there was a little water with only..
50+lapwing
30+ starling
1 common gull
1 grey heron
2 wood pigeon
2 goldfinch

at junction pool..
1 common sandpiper
1 grey heron
+mallards

at sandgrousers..
3 curlew
1 oystercatcher
1 little grebe
1 kestrel
gadwalls, teals, shovelers, mallards,coots, canada goose & greylag goose
sand martins, house martins & swallows over

high tide was around 11am so stayed on the pier for a couple off hours so the best birds were actually on the beach between southport pier & marshside with good mixed flocks off..
knot, sanderling, ringed plover, grey plover, dunlin, redshank, oystercatchers & curlews
2 sandwich tern flew over the pier, also found 1 in with flock off b-h & common gulls on the beach (1st winter)
only managed to see about 12 black tailed godwits
at least 9 little egrets, + all the usual gulls

Called in here after the visit to Martin Mere. The only water was in front of the Sandgrounders hide where we saw the following:

7 Dunlin
c30 Curlew
1 Barnacle Goose
2 Common Sandpiper
c20 Black tailed Godwit
5 Avocet
Loads of Greylag and Canada geese.

Not a lot doing. The only water being at the main hide. Best of the bunch:-
Avocets
Redshanks
Godwits

A pair of Spoonbill flew over at about 1330 today. Apparently they had dropped in earlier in the morning.

26/05/2011 - An hour spent between the main hide and junction pool at noon, some of the stuff seen:

4 Wigeon - late?
1 Teal
9 Gadwalls
2 Shoveler
1 Kestrel
1 Curlew Sandpiper - approaching summer plumage, on the junction pool
c30 Dunlins
1 Ringed Plover
4 Redshanks
6 Lapwings
14 Avocets
c80 Black-tailed Godwits
1 Reed Warbler

Myself and Jon Bowen were also here yesterday morning. We saw what looked like a part-leucisitic Starling in the fields beyond Sandgrounders hide. It had a white head and partially white neck. Anyone else see this? Must admit, it got the hearts racing when we first saw it!

Cheers

Patrick

very quiet 12-2.10
no water at all at nels=no birds
1 dunlin at juction pool
sandgrounders area
black tailed godwit-50 on the pool to the right
avocet-approx-20 altogether-no young
peregrine-1 imm chasing the godwits
redshank
on the sandplant area
1 crackin male greenland race wheatear
sedge warbler
lot of meadow pipits
a few linnets
thats about all i saw

little stint still from junction pool today, also 2 curlew sandpipers coming into plumage from main hide giving good views, lots of black tailed godwits as usual, ringed plover, but a higher count of dunlin today with around 60 ish, also redshank, and avocets though none of this years chicks so far have survived still a few still trying though,

full day here, a walk from the pier at southport up to marshside produced..
56 species highlights being..

1 dark bellied brent goose, close to pier.
thousands of waders along the beach swirling around and trying to avoid the 2 peregrine falcons that were stooping at them,still could not make what waders they were. the peregrines went off with breakfast though.
waders i did manage to see along the beach..
black tailed godwits,grey plover,ringed plover,redshank,dunlin
also had 1 yellow wagtail just before nels hide.

at nels hide..
2 garganey good views but only reasonable pics,for me anyway.
1 dunlin, 1 golden plover, lots off black tailed godwits,ringed plover, redshank,
avocet,oystercatcher and usual ducks also 1 barnacle goose with canadas.
at sandgrousers..
avocets being the highlight and usual suspects. lots off b-h-gulls.
whitethroat next to hide, swallows battleing the wind.
around sand works..
1 whinchat, 3 wheatear, 1 swift, skylark,linnets and meadow pipits.
also the wind blew my scope over and unffortunatly broke the glass inside (gutted) but still got a good photo off wheatear
went back to sandgrousers to inspect the damage to my scope and while i was there the rspb told me there was a little stint at junction pool,so off i went and yes
1 little stint also 1 common sandpiper, 1 ruff, 1 wheatear, coot and mallard with chicks, sedge warbler (heard) great day apart from the damaged scope.

Hi Joe. Just a query but are you sure your two Ruff were juveniles and not females? First summer birds may be identifiable by some retained juvenile wing coverts but it particularly difficult to gauge in the field unless they're really close. Actual juvenile plumage would not be encountered at this time of year

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of May 2011 02:27:17 PM

Carried on my train journey from seaforth to southport as I could sort of claim that it was on the way home and could get it free on my ticket. Turns out it was well worth the visit! Highlights were:
11 Avocet- one that sat right below the hide which was nice
c.200 Black tailed godwit- majority summer plumage
2 White Wag
c.5 Wigeon
c.10 Teal
3 Ruff- 2 in juv. plumage but one adult male looking odd half in summer plumage
c.10 Redshanks
2 Oystercatcher
c.20 Shellduck
2 or 3 families of Greylags and Canada geese
1 Garganey- Incredibly good views- in the reeds surrounding nel's hide, but came out- amazing photos!
most avocets on eggs so understandaby a bit ratty, not just towards each other but even towards godwits!

My first visit here - cracking! Only had a little while down here but haul included:

4 Avocet
2 White Wagtail
2 LRP
3 Oystercatcher
25+ Shelduck
6+ Lapwing
2 Ruff
1 Garganey
2 Shoveller (M F)
2 Teal
4 Tufted (3m 1f)
Redshank
Greylag - some flying over to Fairclough hide from the golf course where ten (plus young) were based.
Some Sandmartins (over)
And the usuals


No less than three pheasant from the train home



-- Edited by John Doherty on Friday 29th of April 2011 10:12:01 PM

-- Edited by John Doherty on Saturday 30th of April 2011 08:23:33 PM

pm
all from Nels
Gargany-2m + 1f
little stint-1
ruff-20+
dunlin-c20
plus the usual suspects