A days outing at Hilbre today with Simon,once we'd gotten there we viewed the Great Northern Diver on West Kirby Marina immediately,which was a great start.
On Hilbre Simon had a passing Red-Throated Diver out to sea,and we were in the company of a very sleepy Shag just hugging the rock face for most of the afternoon,on the gardens not much,a Robin and a couple of Wrens.We counted 19 Purple Sandpipers which were very close and along with them but on 'middle eye' at least a couple of thousand Oystercatchers (never seen that many),loads of Knot,giving us beautiful flying displays,and a handful of Turnstone.89 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese flew in on middle eye and along with them there were Curlew and a single female Eider.
The weather got drier and brighter as the day went on but Elton was calling and l was frogmarched across the beach an hour early.........although my feet never touched the sand l did manage to see some Redshank and Sanderling along the way and a few Grey Plover.

-- Edited by Melanie Beckford at 00:02, 2008-11-17