Once we’d established that the ever-reliable Tropical Thomason had his troosers on the right way round and remembered his binolikars, we got down to Hesketh Road this morning for just after 8am, but a cold westerly didn’t bode well.
Plenty of Blackwits and about 200 Dunlin (with a few Ringed Plovers) off Wheatear Corner, and as we paused to admire the pair of Scaup from the platform, a male Garganey came steaming out from under the bank before paddling like stink further out onto Marshside One.
Very bad digiscoping followed as the cold westerly buffetted us.
Out of the wind, Brown Hares were enjoying the sun and a female Sprawk kept an eye on things, while from Hesketh Golf Course, we could hear Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat, but no Willow Warblers (the latter probably keeping out of the wind).
Reed and Sedge Warbler were singing in the SSSI ditch, and small numbers of Swifts battled through.
We drove up to Sandgrounders, where the younger of the two Little Gulls was still bobbing about on the Sandplant Pool, occasionally taking to the air and becoming a dazzling white in the sun.
More than 20 White Wags feeding along Marshside Road too.
Not too bad for a chilly morning when the wind was in the wrong direction…apparently it swings to the S/SE later in the week, so who knows what’s coming down the pipe??
John Dempsey Birdblog 
Honey Buzzard passing over Rimrose Valley, Crosby, now (1.30pm).
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Marshside/Crossens 0920-1345. A reasonable tally of migrants/new arrivals, including a Tree Pipit high over HGC, 2 Whinchats,4 Wheatears, 7 White Wagtails, 10 Sedge Warblers, 7 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps. Gropper still reeling frantically in Wheatear Corner…there for three days now so could be shaping up for a first breeding record. Definite first breeding record territorial pair of Jays in Central Copse on HGC. Regular Scaup pair, Little and Med Gulls still present, Raven and Buzzard on Crossens Saltmarsh.
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Is it usual for “Groppers” to reel during the hours of darkness? I’ve been hearing one out the back of our house for a few nights now. At first I put the noise down to an intermittently squeaky extractor fan on a nearby barn, but I staked out a likely-looking bit of undergrowth through the scope, and the Gropper confirmed its presence yesterday by reeling in full view, albeit briefly.
Interesting afternoon out today. Orange-tips galore, Green-veined Whites and Peacocks along with Whitethroats and Sedgies in Haskayne Cutting. Only Red-legged Partridges and Lapwings across Plex Moss apart from a young girl (happily unhurt) scratching her head and wondering how to get her shiny new car out of the ditch at the caravan park end. Tractor or crane needed methinks. Ainsdale was mainly notable for the number of Stonechats offering multiple photo opportunities, and Marshside at 5.00 pm for the absence of anything that looked like a Glossy Ibis. Is it still there?
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Hi Tony – Groppers will reel when its dark. It seems to be a very good year for them on the coast this year, hopefully they’ll enjoy breeding success too.
I missed the Glossy Ibis yesterday too – but there are reports that it was present briefly again this morning before flying off north, so it may pop up again.
The one about ten (???) years back seemed to stay for 500 years if memory serves me right (which it probably doesn’t), then again the trio of Glossy Ibis a few years back didn’t linger at all.
Wonder what this one will do…?
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Marshside 0900-1240
Female Redstart by Golf Course embankment, 8-10 Lesser Redpolls over highlights of a very quiet morning for migrants, but Gropper still reeling in Wheatear Corner. A hundred each Dunlins and Ringed Plovers dropped onto Rimmer’s about 1100 but nothing else among them. The two Little Gulls still on main lagoon but I didn’t see the Med Gull.
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