All a bit of a blur

Not surprising given the driving rain, raging hooley and downright unseasonal brrrr this morning, that there were plenty of seabirds offshore at Ainsdale over the falling tide.
Now the view from the office window is never the sharpest thanks to years of salt and rain, but at least you can see Manxies and Gannets.
I had a look before 9am for about 20 mins, then another gander with the tide well out at lunchtime (mercifully you could see out of the window of the tower by then and the heat haze hadn’t gone terminal yet).
A large flock of Manxies was obviously checking the coast for food – initially they were right out on the horizon, just the distinctive flight action giving them away as they broke the skyline, but later they came in a whole lot closer, some diving into the swell with all the elegance of a poorly flung half-brick.
You can forgive them that though – great birds.
Small groups of auks moving offshore, but most too far out to name, while a steady, light southerly flow of Gannets, including striking piebald sub-adults posed no i.d. problems (just put Cape Gannet out of your mind and you’ll be alright).

Ainsdale 0830-0900, 1245-1305:

Gannet 41
Manx Shearwater 124
Auk sp 10
Razorbill 4
Little Egret 1

While the latter was not a seawatching first for me on this coast, it certainly looked odd flapping south over the waves…