Splash of colour on a grey day

xxxxxxxxxxxRoosting Bar-tailed Godwits, Tagg's Island

xxxxxxxxxxxxMore Barwits!

XXXXXXXXXXJuvenile Sandwich Tern, Aimsdale Beach, Southport

XXXXXXXXXSanderlings, Ainsdale Beach

XXXXXXXXXXSanderling

LXXXXXXXXLesser Black-backed Gull

XXXXXXXXXXJuvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. Note the size compared to the juvenile XXXXXXXXXXGreat Black-backed Gull in the background!

XXXXXXXXXXXLesser Black-backed Gull. I have a bit of a fascination with gulls!

XXXXXXXXXXGrey Plover, Taggs Island

XXXXXXXXXXXGreat Black-backed Gull, Ainsdale

XXXXXXXXXXJuvenile Great Black-backed Gull

XXXXXXXXXXDunlin, Ainsdale

XXXXXXXXXXXCommon Gull, Ainsdale

XXXXXXXXXXXThe usual drake Wigeon at HGF - well into moult

XXXXXXXXXX Cormorant, HGF

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A very wet day today - bloody weather! Anyway it provides me with a convenient excuse for the dodgy digiscoping!

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I started off this morning sitting in the conservatory, staring out of the window and wondering whether the rain would stop at all today. The garden was very quiet for a while, all of a sudden the juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared on the peanut feeders, followed shortly after by the male Bullfinch. The rain didn't stop until lunchtime, as soon as the last drop had fallen I was off out to HGF. Nothing much new there though. Yesterdays visiting drake Wigeon had left, leaving the resident bird alone again and the only bird on view near Midhops was a Skylark. Very quiet morning all round.

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Mid afternoon and I decided to wander up to Southport for a couple of hours, primarily for sea watching which is the one thing I didn't do when I got there. Consequently I missed the only Arctic Skua on show. Next a bit of irony. Yesterday I was admiring a Sanderling photo on John Dempsey's blog and I took note of his comment that the birds would approach close if you sit and wait quietly for them. I decided to try this and after 15 mins of kneeling in wet sand and watching the Sanderling apporach painfully slowly, they suddenly spooked and flushed just when I thought I would get some snaps. I turned round to see what had made the noise behind me which was responsible - it was John Dempsey right behind me in his Land Rover!

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On the beach at Ainsdale were approx 2500 Sanderling and a similar number of Dunlin though carefull scanning did not produce any scarce waders or even the ringed Sanderling that John had come to advise me on. Around 30 Ringed Plovers, 26 Common Terns and at least 40 Sandwich Terns were also present on the beach. I spent a good hour just watching the little waders scurring around - I still can't get over how many different shapes, colours and sizes Dunlin seem to appear in.

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Out at sea three Gannets were the only birds of interest - not even a Scoter today. I decided to head up to Tagg's Island (Weld Rd) next and this is where the splash of colour comes in. At least 1800 Bar-tailed Godwits and around 200 Knot, most of them in breeding plumage, were roosting on the marsh. At least 6 Grey Plovers were also there. This sight alone was worth the trip up - I do love Barwits and Knot in their breeding colours - they cheer up any day!

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I am currently watching Gryff Rhys Jones doing his programme on rivers - tonight he is doing the River Tummel which runs through Lochs Rannoch and Tummel. This where we have spent out Scottish holidays for many years now - watching the programme makes me feel a little homesick in a way - probably because for the first time in years we are not going there this year!