Whizzed out of the Mersey early doors yesterday for a job with Tern TV, who wanted to film the wreck of the Pegu (Sefton’s own “Whisky Galore” boat) aboard the Mersey Lass, a smallish launch that lurched about like a drunken rollercoaster until we got out to the wreck.
(For those interested in such things, I’ve posted a gallery of the wreck visit at facebook.com/seftoncoast)
No seabirds worth mentioning, apart from a few Common Terns (can you see the one in the image above?) fishing out on the bar, presumably birds from Seaforth, and a motley crew of commoner gulls.
While bouncing about the inshore swell does not qualify as pelagic duties, it was worth a try.
Great fun though, with up to 17 Grey Seals hauled out on the sandbars on the way back in.
This morning was better in the strong westerly as I was out on the shore at Formby over the low tide.
Light southerly movement of Gannets close in (I bet Manxies were further out and available to anyone with a ‘scope and a dune to sit on) and joy of joys, my first Arctic Skua of the year, a dark phase bird, moving idly south at about 11.30am over the beach.
Feels good to see one again – just need to combine some time off with quality westerlies and I’m back in the seawatching business…
Plenty of Gannets offshore at Ainsdale today, mostly heading south, with smaller numbers of Manx Shearwaters moving north and south.
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